The suit is, in and of itself, not uncomfortable. It is white at the chest, shoulders, and down the outside of his arms, black at the waist, legs and lower back. Blue highlights are at the chest, along the tips of the gloves and soles of the boots, and a large black 01 emblazoned on his chest and shoulders.

It is roomy at the chest, and he gets from that the distinct impression this suit was initially designed for Rei, self conciously trying to work the wedgie out as he walks out of the locker room and follows the lit blue path down the hallway.

They told him the suit, called a Plug Suit by Dr. Akagi, would feel like a second skin.

She wasn't kidding. He wishes he has a bathrobe or towel, or even a pair of shorts to put over it. He feels naked. And not in a good way.

"Hey there!"

A video screen of Misato's face appears in his right eye, Shinji screaming, backing up and almost tripping. Spinning around, he sees her nonetheless, noticing quickly that the background behind her holds no relation to the background of the hallway.

"Your plugsuit sends up a video feed to your eyes," Misato explains, "I'm talking to you through Central Dogma, the central C&C of NERV-1. How does it feel?"

"Like I'm flashing everyone," he responds, shuddering as people smile at him, including the old male janitors, "Do all pilots have to wear this thing?"

"Yep. Although, judging from the camera feeds, Rei pulls it off considerably better than you do."

"Misato."

"Sorry, Dr. Ikari. Any case, just follow the lighted path and you'll get to Unit 01's plug, and we can begin the Synch Test."

-

-

Chapter 3: Whole New Can of Worms

-

-

The doors to the mausoleum open as the sole occupant looks up from floating holographic reports. Pushing the glasses up his nose, he stares at the new arrival as she walks in, briefcase under her arm and looking over her PDA before stopping in front of the desk. Pulling up a chair, she slumps down into it and sighs, opening the briefcase and pulling out a folder.

"Well, so far Shinji's adapting," Yui says, "I've checked his phone logs. Asuka called him again, last night. Kyoko wasn't happy."

"Kyoko is never happy. We've established this as stabilizing factor of the universe."

She raises an eyebrow before she rolls her eyes, leaning back in the chair and crossing her legs.

"Gendo, be serious," she says, "When Unit 02 comes over, so will she. We need to figure out some way of running interference that doesn't have her raising all holy Hell in the Geofront."

A smirk appears on his bearded face as he turns back to another financial requisition form.

"Well, what's one more miracle?" Gendo Ikari asks.

"You're not being helpful."

"I was under the impression that we established 'Supreme Commander of NERV' translates into 'Yui's Sounding Board.' But we're not worried about Kyoko as we are worried about what she is bringing over with her. You honestly don't care about Dr. Sohryu or Unit 02. You care about the girl and the pilot."

She smirks, sitting back. Sighing, she nods, running a hand through her hair as she looks over the PDA.

"I've been keeping in touch with Asuka behind Kyoko's back," she says, "That's part of the reason I keep pushing Kihl for the transfer. Something is seriously wrong over there, Gendo."

"And we both agreed to shove Shinji into the giant robot. I daresay neither of us are getting parent of the year awards."

Muttering, she slaps the folder down on his desk. Hands on the desk, he slowly turns to stare at her, pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"You're insufferable," she says.

"I'm patient," he responds, "We're not going to get any more done by blatantly undermining Dr. Sohryu's authority."

"How about subtly undermining her authority?"

A small grin parts his face.

"Are you pondering what I am pondering?" he asks.

She leans closer, faces inches from each other.

"I think so, dear," she says, "But I have no idea where we would get saran wrap in that bulk."

*

*


Once more making sure not to puke in the amber liquid, LCL as they named it, Shinji takes a deep breath and lets the syrupy water fill his lungs. He feels heavy inside it, feels weighed down. Maybe, he ponders, that is supposed to get him used to mentally becoming a giant robot.

Mentally clicking a thought, a diagram pops up in front of him, showing a vertical outline of the purple behemoth.

"Specifics," a cheery voice says in his head, one he does not recognize, "Evangelion 01 Test-Type. Designer: Yui Ikari. Dimensions: Height 207 feet, five inches. Weight 28,605 tons. Armaments: CLASSIFIED."

"So…I don't get to know what I can fight the Angel with?"

"Need to know basis," Akagi says, her face popping up in his left eye, "More will be unlocked as we are certain you can handle the weapons."

"Wait…so I level up in this thing?"

"Not entirely inaccurate…"

"Shut up, Misato."

Sighing, he wraps his hands around the butterfly controls. The lab assistant, Maya, begins calling off numbers.

"First stage pass. Setting plug depth and ionizing LCL. Second stage pass."

Hair on the back of his neck stands up. Blowing out his mouth, he watches the bubbles float up past him, closing his eyes as he concentrates. Reach out, they told him. Let his mind expand and drift and-

Red eyes. Staring. Smiling. Giggling. A warm hand wrapping around his as the seven eyes arrange and alight.

"Welcome baa~aack."

"Synchronization holding at 58%," Maya says, "Unit 01 has activated."

Maya's voice brings him back to reality. He leans back in the chair, shuffling his ass.

"Okay, that's all we need," Akagi says, "Shinji, just sit tight for a half hour while we check your ekgs and data."

He nods, leaning back. Tapping buttons on his plug suit's wrist, he raises an eyebrow as the neck piece pops and a pair of buds pop into his ears.

"Cool."

*

*


The main problem with the orange and white robotic Cyclops is that the right arm is currently missing. From what he was told, during an activation test, Unit 00 went berserk and tried to kill Rei. Her response to that attempt was to focus on controlling the left arm, engaging the progressive knife, and cutting the arm off to shock the Evangelion into submission.

"Okay," Misato says, hands on her hips as he lets the towel hang over his head, his plug suit, his hair, his skin smelling somewhat like blood and maple, "Shower yourself off and get dressed. I'll drive you home."

He nods. In one sense, he is relieved the day is over.

On the other hand, his day will end with her driving.

"Right," he sighs.

He walks into the locker room, squeezing the twin buttons on his right wrist. The suit expands and air enters, the clinging fabric hanging loose as he reaches behind his neck, undoing the main clasp. The suit comes loose, hanging at his waist as he slides it off, picking it up and opening the chute near the bank of lockers.

Checking the label, making sure it reads 'Laundry' and not 'Incinerator,' he lets it slide down, grabbing a towel.

"Aw, man! And I thought no one was using the boys shower. They're a lot more roomy and let me dance around. You know?"

He turns, and freezes. A trickle of blood flows down his nostril as his eyes start at the face and desperately, hopelessly, fights to keep them from wandering down.

With a towel wrapped around her head and nothing else, Rei places her hands on her pale, well-toned hips and pouts. Casually walking up to him, she stops, takes a look down, and her eyes go wide as she smiles.

"Wow," she says, "And I've seen baby pictures and everything!"

Oh, God this is not happening, he thinks, looking from side to side.

But no. No, it is happening. He is naked in a locker room, and the rather unstable albino girl is currently studiously examining the unmentionables. He could move, but considering that she really looks like she wants to, say, reach out and yank it up to eye level, that may just set her off more.

"Please tell me this isn't what it looks like."

They turn, and someone shrieks. Ducking into one of the locker banks, Shinji quickly wraps the towel around himself, peaking his head out as Yui taps her foot and waits.

"Mom!" he yells, "What are you doing here?!"

"Please, I've seen all that before," she says, "My question is what Rei is doing here."

"Ooo…busted," she says, tapping her fingers together, "Sorry, Doctor Ikari. I didn't know Shinji was using the shower?"

It comes out as a question, as if she was trying to form a response which would please Yui. In that respect, she fails miserably, as Yui narrows her eyes and clears her throat. Rei sighs, shoulders slumping, before walking over to her, hips swaying slightly as she-

GOD, Shinji chides himself, clenching his eyes shut as he sneaks off to the showers.

The cold, cold showers.

*

*


He sits on the hilltop overlooking the craters, sighing. Adjusting his glasses, he watches the fading sunlight as he scans his camcorder over the recovery crews. His tent is set up, and the weekend will be well spent, indulging his obsession with all things military and technological. A shame the Mecha itself, the Evangelion as the media calls it, won't be in attendance, but he can't even imagine how much that sumbitch costs to deploy.

Kensuke Aida is a happy man at this point, sitting from his high vantage point as he lives out his dream of a real-life Kaiju movie, complete with VTOLs and missiles and nukes, with the monster being put down by human ingenuity.

"Heee~ey."

He turns with his camera. The view levels on her knees, quickly looking up at her smiling, pale face and blood red eyes as she sways back and forth and giggles.

"Uh…oh," he says, "Um…Hi, Rei."

"What'cha doin'?" she asks.

Silence. Pure, utter, silence as Kensuke stares at her, absently lowering his camcorder. He smiles, nervously. Rumors abound, of course, about her. Her. What she can do, what she might be. How accurate the theories of her origin may be.

There were rumors that during the battle against the Angel, she was clocking over forty miles per hour while carrying someone over Tokyo-3 rooftops. There were rumors she tore apart a…creature…that attacked her with her bare hands.

"Um…I'm just camping out and watching the recovery crews, Rei. How are you?"

"I'm good," she says, a small drawl on her words, "Tired, though. Wanna help me with something?"

Not waiting for a response, she grabs his wrist and drags him down the side of the hill. She leads him into one of the small mountains, only a mile or so from the scene of the battle in the outskirts of Tokyo-3, where blasts from the Angel made many smooth, cooled caves in its side.

"Rei, where are we going?" he asks.

"I gotta see something," she says, "It's been singing all day and it's driving me crazy. Crazier. Craziest? Is that a word?"

"I…uh…guess so?"

She begins humming. He can't tell the beat or even the song. The song she sings to herself is low, and sad, and slow. Her fingers, clasped around his wrist, move in tune with the music.

"Laaa…da dee da…dum dum dah dum…dadadumdadah…"

"W…what are you doing?"

"That's the song. That's what it's singing. It's calling out."

She stands at the entrance of a large cave, her smile unsteady, walking in as she releases him. He follows, camcorder at ready, watching as she snaps her fingers and forms a ball of light in her palm, shining it into the darkness.

"Is…that some sort of NERV tech?"

"If you want to tell yourself that, sure," she says.

The light centers, shining upon the incomplete, cracked red sphere. The light pulls back, illuminating it. Eight feet tall, lime green, a half grown bird skull head staring at her, elongated arms and legs as it hisses and buzzes.

"Holy shit!" Kensuke screams, "What is that?!"

"That's the last of the Angel," Rei sing songs, "It hid a bit of itself here when it was coming this way. Knew we were gonna kill him."

The eyes glow. Kensuke screams, and Rei calmly brings up her other arm. The blast flows over and around them, glassing the stone walls and throwing Kensuke's hat off his head, but the brunt is deflected by the orange, hexagonal field.

"I know what you are," Rei says, a smirk parting her lips, "And I know what you want. I know, I know. You have all these colorful names for me. Tool, weapon, you know."

Opening her hands, her smirk turns into a smile.

"But how rude of me," she says, "Let me introduce myself."

For a moment, Kensuke could have sworn her fingernails extended into claws.

"My name is Rei Ayanami," she says, "And I'm going to f___ing kill you."

The kick off, her launching herself, throws up rock and dust, throwing Ken off his feet and onto his back with a groan. The camcorder continues recording, the sound of screams, alien and human, echoing in the cave as he looks up, sitting up, watching flashes of light in the darkness.

He can make out some things.

The Angel, what's left of it.

Some creature latched onto it, humanoid but…something else. Something his brain doesn't have words to describe.

A lime green arm thrown past him snaps him back to reality, the sound of glass breaking and bone shattering. Silence once more reigns, Kensuke grabbing his camcorder and pocketing it, watching as something shuffles against rock.

"Hee~ey."

She stumbles out. Her blouse is stained with blood, orange and sticky, her uniform jacket missing a sleeve. Her skirt is torn at the right hem, showing more leg than she probably intended, and her hair…

Her hair is covered in blood. As is most of her face.

"That was fun," she says, "Wanna grab dinner?"

Eyes roll up, and he collapses to the cave floor.

*

*


Humming to himself, he quickly goes through the dinner preparations, the fish sautéing in the large pan as the rice cooker works its magic. Humming to himself, he flips the fish, watching the vegetables brown as his flat mate, his shorter, avian flat mate, waddles out of the freezer underneath Misato's fridge and saunters over to the couch. The television flips on and the penguin reclines, just as Misato exits her room in her tank top and shorts and slumps down onto her chair in the kitchen.

"So, I heard you had another Rei encounter," she says.

He cringes, nodding.

"She's…an odd girl," Misato continues, "She doesn't really have any friends. The only person in school she really, actually talks to, not at, is Horaki. And even then…half the time no one knows what's going through her head. The other half, we do, and then it's even scarier."

She walks to the fridge, taking out a beer and returning to her seat.

"So," she says, "You haven't seen your father yet, have you?"

"I'm used to it," he sighs, "Since I was six, my parents had me live with my uncle. I'd see them usually once a year. They were always so busy that…well, I guess it made sense. I couldn't raise myself, so they had someone do it."

He closes his eyes, turning off the stove. Taking a large plate from the countertop next to him, he shovels the meal onto it.

"Your mother's kept the project alive for the past ten years," Misato says, "She designed the Evas, she made sure everything worked. I know it sucked. Your parents couldn't raise you, but at least you know they were there. Are you jealous of Rei?"

"Because Mom and Dad raised her when they couldn't raise me?"

"Yep."

He sighs, again. Sitting with the dinner between them, he hands her a plate and scoops rice, fish and vegetables on his own.

"I don't think I'm jealous," he says, "I think I'm more confused than anything. I just get a feeling about Rei that something's…wrong, somehow. Something went…something just isn't right. Like the world around her just upped and dumped something on her and she's dealing with the fallout."

Misato nods.

"Yeah," she says, "Something like that. I don't know the specifics. Maybe two people do, and those would be your mother and Rei. And do you know the best way to find out?"

He shrugs. Less disinterest, more because he just doesn't have a way to respond.

"Be her friend."

*

*


Knees draw close as she disconnects the laptop from the power cord, resting it on her lap as she powers it on and checks through her email. To her content, which is quite easy to get to, she finds her friend online, even with the time difference. It is the weekend over there, as well, so she probably has time off. Leaning against the headboard of her bed, she begins.

"Hey," she says as she types, "I don't see you much online anymore."

A moment hesitation, a small line of text indicating that her friend is typing.

I've been busy. Mother's planning on coming over.

"Oh," Rei says, and sighs, "It must be hard on you."

Yeah. She isn't happy with it. She'd much rather have the Angels attack Germany so she could show off.

She grins, nodding. Not that she can see her, of course.

"So…the Third's kind of nice," she says, "Kind of quiet. He's staying with Miss Misato and he's kind of nice."

You said he was nice twice.

"Well, he is. Even when I ran into him in the shower he was embarrassed."

*

*


Narrowing an eye as she stares at the computer screen, she scratches her head.

"Wait, what?" she asks, and begins typing.

*

*


Go over that again. Why were you in the same shower with him?

"Well, I just find the men's locker room roomier," Rei types, "He didn't try to pick me up or anything. He's kind of shy, especially when Doctor Ikari came in, to."

Run that by me, again.

"Rei?"

Rei sighs, craning her neck towards the door.

"I'm in my room," she calls.

She hears the sound of someone shrugging off a coat and kicking off shoes, recognizing the voice of the woman who is effectively her mother. Of course, he isn't here. She hasn't seen him outside of his office or Dogma for about a month at this point.

"I heard you had an interesting night," Yui calls out, distance shifting as she grabs the mail, now padding steps towards the room, "Although I think you might owe Shinji an apology for the locker room."

The door slowly opens, Yui's eyes scanning over bills and letters.

"I also heard something about you going off Section 2's grid," she says, adjusting her glasses as she looks up, "Do we have to-…OH DEAR GOD!"

Face and hair still covered in the Angel's blood, Rei watches as Yui freezes, mail scattering on the floor. She takes a moment to consider the situation and the possible consequences, her face lights up with a smile. It is something of a forced smile, as her eyes glance from side to side.

"Would you believe I made a new friend, today?"

*

*


The week goes by quickly.

He considered approaching Rei, offering his hand in friendship, but usually either she was not there or he was busy. Keeping Misato's advice in mind, he determined that such an action would be beneficial to the both of them, if he could ever find himself in the same room as her again.

At least, if they were both clothed.

However, naked excitable albino women are not on the forefront of Shinji Ikari's mind at this point. What is currently on his mind are several thousand tons of giant robot which he is guiding through the outer sections of Tokyo-3, holding a machine gun the length of a subway train in his hands as he peaks around corners.

"Keep frosty, Shinji," Misato says, her face appearing in the corner of his eye, "The Blue Pattern confirms that it was an Angel. It could also be able to cloak itself."

"Understood," he says, turning his head, the Eva following suit. This is ridiculous, he thinks.

Standing outside Tokyo-3, the autumn air cool and crisp, the massive shoulders of Evangelion Unit 01 slump as it shakes its head in sympathy with its pilot.

Right before a giant red claw launches it a half dozen miles to face-plant in the dirt. Faster than a 200' tall robot should, it flips onto its back just in time to avoid the leg that slams into the ground, back jets activating and launching it forward and onto its feet.

The creature is at least five times its size. The claw that hit it is almost as big as the Eva, three more claws surrounding a comically shrunken head with a skull face like the last Angel's. Sixteen spider-like legs carry it aloft, red whips made of nothing more than solid light striking the ground around its elongated, shell-covered body.

"The enemy is a Giant Crab!" Misato yells.

Another screen opens in his left eye.

"Hit its weak point for MASSIVE DAMAGE!"

Another screen opens next to that one.

"Rei! Get off the damn channel!"

The leg comes down again, Unit 01 ducking and rolling out of the way, sending a mental signal. Two pylons on the Eva's shoulders pop open, hands wrapping around the long daggers as motors come to life and they hum.

"Crap," he mutters, and screaming, he leaps. The jets carry him onto the creature's back, stabbing both Progressive Knives into the back and accomplishing the goal of pissing it off.

Ducking under one swipe of the energy tentacles, he grabs another, screaming as the sympathetic pain burns his hands, clenching his eyes shut.

"Rei! What the HELL are you doing?!"

"Helping!"

"Unit 00 only has one arm!"

"Great! So give me a ONE HANDED WEAPON!"

The energy tendril severs off the orange field, reflexively clenching his hands into fists, biting back the pain. Grabbing the knives, he grits his teeth, the remaining tendrils slamming into his AT Field, yanking them slowly out of the armor.

"Hey…you're gonna want to hang on right now."

He looks up. Three miles away, telescoped in Unit 01's vision, Unit 00 waves before hefting up in its good arm the rocket launcher.

"Is she insane?" he asks.

In his right eye, Misato appears.

"That's what I've been telling you."

The entire form of the Fifth Angel rocks as the missile impacts on its face. Shells break off, the armor cracks, as Unit 01 pulls out the knives and a good portion of the armor. Looking down, attached to the rest of the Angel by tendrils and playing light, is a red sphere.

The core.

"Giant Enemy Crab," he says to himself, and grips the controls.

Unit 01 flips the knife in its right hand, eyes glowing as the other hand braces on the bucking Angel's back.

And yelling, he brings the blade down.

Spewing LCL, bucking wildly, the cracked bird skull face lurches upwards as the knife penetrates the Core. The Angel freezes, digging legs into the dirt. The tendrils go silent, solidifying, and with a final lurch, the Fifth Angel collapses.

*

*


Twelve monoliths appear in the darkness, and Yui Ikari goes out to meet them. Hands clasped behind her, beaming under their gaze, she snaps her fingers and a holographic display of the remains of the Angel appear.

"The Fifth Angel," she says, "Shamsiel. He appeared in a different form than was predicted, but was dealt with by the First and Third Children. Now that three Angels total have attacked Tokyo-3, I once more repeat to the Committee my request to have Doctor Sohryu and Unit 02 transferred here."

"Your request has been considered," SEELE-01 booms, "And granted. The Evangelion will be shipped via the Pacific Fleet in one week's time."

She nods, a small smile on her face.

"My thanks, then. The Third Child will accompany me and Major Katsuragi to meet with the Fleet," she says, "The First Child will remain behind, should an Angel attack unscheduled. I will, as always, give regular updates on the progress of Project E. Now, if you will, I must speak with the Chairman. Privately."

The eleven monoliths disappear, the final one fading into the form of Lorenz Kihl.

"You are showing sympathy," Kihl says with a whir and grunt, "We have made allowances for your raising of the First Child. However, your concern for the child of Doctor Sohryu must not interfere with the goals of the Committee."

"They will not, Chairman," Yui responds, inclining her head, "I am simply concerned about the use of the Evangelion Doctor Sohryu has created. She is possessive of it and has shown to play favorites. And I am curious about her chosen pilot."

Kihl nods. Yui smirks, and with a snap of her fingers calls up a holographic personnel file.

"After all," she says, "Doctor Sohryu has told us very little about her son."