Shinji was unnaturally cold. Shivering, he curled tighter, feeling the weight of the comforter settling onto his body. He felt like he was falling backwards towards something terrible that he could not see. The room drew back, getting farther and farther away from him until he was alone in a void. The air thickened. He couldn't move.

He realized that he was sitting in the entry plug, the stale-blood smell of LCL gagging him. The space around him flashed brilliant colors, and he could feel his sync rate climbing. With it came a melting sensation, expanding, until he was no longer Shinji Ikari, but Eva Unit 01. The cold was unbearable now. It bit at his skin, into his shoulders, his neck. There was no escaping it. He couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. His ego barrier had collapsed and now he was everything and nothing.

Someone, he thought, someone, please help me!

Then, instantly, it was over. He awoke with a jolt, shivering.

He was in the bathroom. He looked up to see the mirror shattered, thousands of tiny cracks radiating from a single point towards the center. Then, his hand began to sting. He watched, inarticulate, as tiny spurts of carmine blood rose slowly to take the place of the torn skin on his knuckles.

The dairy stuff's probably still good, she thought to herself, but we're gonna have to eat it quickly. She pulled the door of the fridge open and marveled at the array of microwave dinners Misato had stockpiled over the years. Still, the electricity was out, and that included the microwave. So the search continued. The beer in the fridge was still cold. Asuka weighed her options.

Half a can in, she was regretting the decision. The beer tasted like blood, and she didn't feel any different. Remembering her first night living with Misato, she took a deep breath and chugged the remaining half, holding the can vertically until it was weightless in her hands. It burned. Tears formed in her eyes, and she let out a long, loud sigh. Suddenly becoming aware of a beautiful stillness, Asuka relaxed. The worst was over. She felt good.

By the third can, Asuka decided she was sufficiently blitzed. She managed to stand up and stumble towards the couch, when she heard another crack, this one much closer. Leaning on the wall, she walked into the bathroom and saw Shinji standing motionless in front of the bathroom sink.
"Hey…", she mumbled. Shinji didn't respond.

"Hey, First!", she said, louder. The words felt loose, liquid, in her mouth.

"Firsssssst, look at me", she hissed, drawing out the "s" in an effort to avoid lisping.

He wiped his hand across his brow, like he was getting rid of sweat in his eyes. Then he turned to look at her, and there was blood smeared across his face.

"You gotta wash that shit off your face, Shinji, you look like…"

She shook her head, fighting off a weak urge to burst into laughter.

"Go to bed," she said, and she grabbed his arm, squeezed hard, and pulled him into his room.

"Don't come out till you get like eight...eight different hours 'cause that's like the recommended time for...y'know?", she explained as she closed the door.

She crashed on the couch, briefly noting that she had blood on her hand and that Shinji was the Third Child before drifting off to sleep.

Old habits, he thought. He pulled the comforter up to his chin and rolled onto his side so that he was facing the door. There was no First Child anymore. No Second or Third either.

"You did a good thing today, Shinji."

No I didn't. I've never done a good thing in my life.

"You should be proud of yourself"

Shut up.

"As long as the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth exist…"

Shut up.

"Perhaps everything…"

Shut up!

"Perhaps…"

What the hell do you know?

"Everything will be all right."

My story's over already.