And over the sea, something red and worm-like floated. It continued floating as it passed over the shore, missing a lighthouse by mere inches.
The Nerv crew was watching anxiously, not enjoying the way that the mask the Angel had seemed to be looking straight at them.
"This Angel's even uglier than the last one," Aoba commented, trying to relieve the tension.
"It's a lot sooner than we'd hoped, too."
"The last time they gave us a fifteen year break. This time it's been only three weeks," Hyuga muttered.
"I guess they don't care about what's convenient for us," Misato said jokingly. "They're the type we women hate the most."
"The committee demands that we dispatch the Evangelion again," Ibuki reported.
Misato shook her head. "Those interfering idiots. Of course we're going to sortie!" she said coldly.
---
Eva-01 was prepped quickly.
"Entry commencing," Shinji heard someone say. He barely noticed, barely moving in his new plugsuit. The LCL around him turned clear.
"Why am I piloting this thing again, even though my father's not here?" he asked himself. "Even though I got beat up?"
---
Toji was trying to relax despite the sound of the cannons overhead. All the students had been evacuated to a shelter, and most were worried. He felt it too, but ignored it, acting as impudent as possible by taking his shoes off.
Kensuke sat next to him, considering something for a few moments. Finally, he said to Toji, "Hey, I need to talk to you, alone."
"What for?" Toji asked, leaning in.
"Just trust me, okay?"
"Well, okay." Toji tried not to doubt his friends, so he stood up and approached Hikari. "Class Rep?"
She turned, smiling. "What?"
"We both hafta use the john," Toji said, as rudely as he thought he could get away with.
Hikari looked disappointed for a second, but covered it up. "Come on, you were supposed to go earlier!"
She did relent though, and as soon as they were in the restroom, Toji asked Kensuke what was on his mind.
"I have to see it, I have to!" Kensuke said.
"The battle up there?" Toji said, hoping he understood his friend correctly.
"Nobody knows when or if the enemy will come again!" Kensuke exclaimed, not bothering to answer the question, and just trying to sell Toji on the thought.
"Kensuke, are you serious?"
Kensuke tried to sound as commanding as possible. "If we let this opportunity escape us, we may lose it forever!" He returned to his original voice as Toji began to glare. "Please, help me get out the gate."
"But you'll get killed if you go out there."
"We might get killed if we stay here. If I could be killed anyway, I'd rather see it first."
"Idiot. Nerv is protecting us."
Kensuke changed tack. "And what is Nerv's most important weapon? It's the robot the new kid pilots. He protected us last time, but you hit him pretty hard. Twice!"
"Uh…"
"If he refuses to pilot the robot, we're all going to die."
Toji couldn't think of anything to say.
"Don't you have a duty to watch him fight?" Kensuke added, not afraid of sounding contrived.
Toji finished business and shook his head. "Ah, whatever." He wasn't fooled, but figured there wouldn't be any real harm. The shelter was quite a ways away from the city. "But you do realize we're risking death?" he asked, trying one last time to get out of it.
Kensuke nodded excitedly.