A few notes prior: This fan fiction refers to a few obscure subjects. The character Mana Kirishima derives from the game based on the series, Girlfriend Of Steel. The character Elena Sphinx is one of my own OCs who is part of a personal project. Her appearance in this will be taken for granted, so don't feel like you're missing anything by not knowing who she is, she's not the focus of the story and is simply present to tie this to that project. The actual title of the story is "2.5 Impact" but FanFiction was refusing to allow me use that formatting.

"Kensuke Aida?"
"Present!"

"Rei Ayanami?"
"Present."
"Aya Azumaya?"

No response.

"Aya!"
No response again. Fed up, a hand slammed down on the table, and the daydreaming girl looked up to see their class representative, Hikari, staring her down with a stern gaze.

"... Present."

The representative nodded with a satisfied smile and moved on down the register, reciting names. Aya had no idea what just happened. Twirling her black hair around her finger, she scanned the classroom with her eyes. She had been… somewhere. Somewhere that wasn't here, and it wasn't as if she was just lost in thought. Yet for whatever reason, she couldn't jog her memory as to where she had been. All she could remember was a black void, and the voices of her classmates.

The class passed without any more trouble. It was a dull lecture on robotics. Sitting near Aida she could see him perk up every time an EVA Unit was mentioned. Typical. Whenever it ended, everyone congealed into their groups, aside from Azumaya. She simply threw her bag over her shoulder and left the classroom. Normally she would talk to someone, but she just needed time to think about her daydream. Leaning over the balcony, she stared at the horizon and began to ponder.

"Aya Azumaya?"

She turned around and stared into the classroom, seeing the events that had occurred at the start of class all over again.

"Aya!"

She mouthed what she had said before. "... Present." She gripped onto the side of the balcony as her breathing grew faster. The surreal daydream could have been strong deja vu, but this was something more. Watching the same lecture again, staring at the empty desk where she had been sat. Her classmates were jotting down notes as if nothing unusual was happening.

"This is what you long for?"
Turning back around made her almost topple, barely able to concentrate on anything. She looked at her hand and seen the hand of an Eva unit. Looking back up she could see the figure speaking clearly. Rei Ayanami, floating before her. She began to nod furiously, not speaking.

"Then will you accept it?"

"Yo, you alright?," another voice from behind her casually inquired. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she instinctively reacted by throwing her elbow back. Turning around, she seen a winded Suzuhara, coughing. "Jeez, if you wanted space, you coulda just said…"
"I'm so sorry!," Aya blushed, looking up at him with blue puppy-dog eyes, as if she was begging for forgiveness. "I just… I'm just kind of out of it right now," she explained herself. She left out seeing Rei, or being in an Eva Unit, or seemingly being trapped in a time loop.

"Maybe you should get home. Want me to carry your stuff for you?"

Aya gave him a smile of gratitude. "Are you sure? I mean, I did just…"
"Yeah, yeah, you've been pretty out of it all day. Don't you usually hang out with that Kirishima girl?"
Aya handed him over her bag and the two began to walk. "I do. I'll have to apologise to her for all this tomorrow."
"Woah, hold up. You're coming to class tomorrow? You sure that's a good idea?"
"I'll be fine, I'm sure. Probably just didn't sleep well." Suddenly her left leg gave out, nearly causing her to fall on her face before Toji caught her.

"That's an understatement and a half." The two chattered until they reached Azumaya's house, the boy handing her belongings over and waving her goodbye.

Dashing up to her room, Aya pulled up her green skirt and looked at her knee. It looked just fine, but it felt like her entire leg had just disappeared while they were walking. Suddenly, she got flashbacks of… an Eva Unit? Unit-02, if she remembered Aida's ramblings correctly. It was holding some kind of weapon, though it was far too hazy to make out properly. It had just cut another white Eva in half and was turning to face her. And then…

Just thinking about it caused a sudden sharp pain and an involuntary twitch in her leg. Falling back onto her bed, she stared up at the ceiling blankly. What the hell was going on? Was she seeing another timeline? The perspective of someone else? Or her own future? Whatever it was, it was definitely all too much for her to handle. Letting her eyes drift shut, she just hoped that she wouldn't have to think about it anymore the next day.

"Will you accept it?"
The words hit her once again. Opening her eyes, she was drifting in a black void, with Rei standing before her. She didn't respond. She couldn't respond. She just stared back and waited.

"Will you accept it?"
She didn't know what she was being asked to accept. She wanted to say yes, but what would happen if she did? Would those daydreams become reality? Clutching her fists, she mustered all the courage she could and looked Rei dead in the eyes. "No."