It's been a while. University, jobs and life happened, still happening actually, but I found the time to watch 3.0+1.0, and I loved it, it was awesome. In terms of shipping...yeah that's a whole debate.

The release of the new movie doesn't necessarily change the direction of this fic, not entirely. It's just that incorporating that into this fic, is a matter of careful execution. which I struggled with long before I saw 3.0+1.0 But anyway, let's get to it.

The Afternoon Sun Sets, and far off into the horizon a mecha giant appears in front of the sun. Steadily and slowly approaching Nerv Base HQ. The children stood firm in their positions, Shinji clenching his fist in determination.

Remember the plan, I just need to remember the plan. He thought.

The Previous day:

"When you first got in the EVA, how did it feel?" A frightened Toji asked

"What are you asking me Toji?" Shinji inquired.

"Someone from Nerv came and told me to…" he paused feeling nervous, "They told me that, if I joined you guys and piloted the EVA, they'd transfer my sister to the trauma ward at nerv, where she could receive better treatment."

"And so you said yes?" Shinji asked

"Yeah, and now I'm scared." He said grabbing unto Shinji's shirt, "I keep telling myself…" his voice was heavy, as if he were stopping himself from crying "I keep trying to brush it off, acting like it's no big deal but…but I'm shaking." He said looking at his hands, "I can't stop shaking."

Toji trembled unto the ground unsure of what to do, but Shinji knelt down to him.

"Hey." Shinji said calmly, "It's gonna be okay. Yeah It's scary at first but then you get used to it, and everyone at nerv backs us up."

Shinji lightly pulled him up, still feeling his trembles as he try to stand aright.

"Trust me, it's…it's safer inside the EVA, and you'll be fine Toji you can do it, I mean if I could then…"

"Sorry." Toji said, "This is what you felt, this is what you go through and I punched you like I understood anything."

"I'm so sorry Shinji."

Current Day.

I have to remember the plan. Shinji recited in his mind

Later within the previous day

"Alright listen you three." Shikinami said, "You've had your fun in the past but defeating this angel isn't going to easy pickings."

"When is it ever?" Soryu said in an undertone.

"From what four-eyes told me, after the explosion at Masuhara base, the angel will head directly for Nerv HQ and you'll be all positioned in station to fight it."

"So what do we do?" Shinji asked.

"The plan is simple." Shikinami responded. "The 13th Angel will arrive from the horizon, Rei the moment you see it, belay all orders from Nerv and shoot."

"You want me to fire at the angel." Rei asked.

"Yes" Shikinami responded, "If the Angel evades your attack, stop firing and maneuver your EVA backwards. As the angel will try and lunge towards you to infect your EVA."

"And what about me?" Soryu asked, Shikinami looked towards her for only a moment and continued speaking.

"If Rei is successful, then she'll be able to deal some damage with her firearm, so i want you to back Shinji up"

"back him up?" she asks

"That's right." Shikinami continued, "The moment Rei fires, I want you to break formation and head towards Shinji's EVA, wait for Rei to successfully strike the angel and then you two will shoot at it from the back with your firearms."

"And what if that doesn't work?" Soryu asked again.

"Then you three might have to physically subdue the angel and forcefully pull Toji out"

"That would come at the risk of infection." Rei spoke out, "Yeah wondergirl is kinda right." Soryu agreed.

Shikinami looked towards them and stood there thinking, "There's simply no other way, if you want Toji to come out of this alive you're going to have to come in close"

"and what if Ayanami fails?" Shinji asks

"In that case it's good she's here to back you up." Shikinami said pointing towards her counterpart, "why what happens?" he asks.

"If the angel takes down Ayanami then the next logical target is either you or her, and it will try to infect either one of you, so that's when either one of you comes and strikes it down whilst it's still distracted, even two should be enough to pull out the entry plug."

"All of this is easier said then done." Soryu remarked. "It's the only way to guarantee that Gendo Ikari doesn't use the dummy plug system and possibly kill Toji."

"There really isn't any other way huh " Shinji said, "I'm sorry but no." Shikinami replied, "If you do not act, he will most certainly die or at the very least be fatally wounded."

"Just like you?" Shinji asked her once again.

Shikinami sighed, "Yeah. Just like me."

Current Day

The angel-possessed EVA made its way through to the Geofront, drawing nearer and nearer towards Nerv HQ.

"What the hell is she waiting for?" Shikinami said looking through a pair of binoculars.

"I don't know but she better act now." Mari answered her "Otherwise what happened to you just might happen to Suzuhara."

"God dammit Rei, hurry up." Shikinami grunted.

Meanwhile

Rei Ayanami sat quietly in her entry plug, watching as the Angel draws near, contemplating on whether or not...to disobey.

Must I…Can I?…Will I?.

Rei's thoughts collided with that of Unit-00, the ability to act on a will that is her own, trying to fight the compulsion to obey.

She closed her eyes and sat there quietly for a little while. Thinking.

"Come on Rei." Shinji whispered.

but she remained quiet, ever so silent on the outside, but an emotional storm raging on the inside.

"1" Soryu counted

"2"

"3"

"4"

"5"

.

.

.

.

.

at the final sound of a water droplet

Rei opened her eyes and cut off Nerv from her communications channel, Firing at the Angel.

"What is she doing?" Fuyutsuki spoke in an undertone, Gendo sat there quietly observing.

Upon fire, the Angel propelled itself above the blast, Rei sticking to Shikinami plan, maneuvered her Eva backwards, evading the Angel, Asuka quickly ran and made her way to take defensive position behind Shinji.

The Eva contorted its body and tried to take hold of Rei, but Shinji fired his rifle and staggered it.

"Now that's how you guys should be doing it." Shikinami said enthusiastically, watching without the binoculars. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch princess." Mari said, "look."

as it stood staggered the bio-material within oozed out, "Can't risk touching that thing." Soryu said.

"Yeah." Shinji agreed, " but It's strange, it doesn't have an A.T field."

"Well." Soryu spoke enthusiastically, "That just makes our jobs easier" she charged onwards at the Angel.

"Asuka you just said don't get in close."

"I said-" she lunged upwards imitating the unit-03's propulsion system "don't risk-" as she descended she activated her A.T Field, pushing Unit-03 into the ground, "Touching it!"

"Where did she learn that little trick?" Shikinami wondered.

"I may have taught her a thing or two about the A.T filed." Mari mentioned.

Meanwhile inside central dogma, Nerv and staff stood still watching as the children act of their own accord.

"Who's giving them these orders." Fuyutsuki says to himself.

Gendo's suspicions began to rise and he kept watching.

"What off the Shikinami type?" Gendo asks staff.

"We do not know sir, last she was seen with Colonel Katsuragi."

"We shall bring her in for questioning once she returns." Gendo says.

"Rei, Shinji now's your chance, grab Toji."

Shinji dropped his rifle and made his way towards Asuka, passing through her A.T field he extended Unit-01's hand to the back of Unit-03.

"I can't get a proper grip." Shinji said.

"Well it's either this or I let go and-" but before Asuka could finish

Unit-03 took hold of Unit-01's hand, spreading the infection.

"Dammit!" Soryu said, deactivating her A.T Field and backing away. Unit-03 was now choking Shinji, he struggled for breath as the infection spread, Rei hurried towards the back of the Eva and to try to pull Toji out.

The EVA contorted it's back and extended its hand towards Unit-00, choking Rei.

"Asuka quickly!" Shinji shouted struggling for breath, "Save Toji!"

She did as he said and tried to pull Toji's entry plug out, but the material surrounding the entry plug was too strong. Shinji and Rei fought against the pain and extended their hands towards Unit-03 choking it back. Asuka kept pulling, struggling against the plug as the infection now tries to take over Unit-02.

"They're in trouble" Shikinami says. "Those Nerv assholes, why isn't anyone helping."

Soryu groaned as she kept trying to pull out the plug. "Dammit!" she exclaimed, pulling out her progressive knife and trying to cut through Unit-03's spinal cord. Rei and Shinji did the same and kept piercing the EVA.

and then finally with one last pull, Asuka(Soryu) managed to eject the entry plug out of the EVA.

"Now!" Shinji yelled as he lifted Unit-03 to the other side, twisting and contorting it's limbs as he did so. Rei and Soryu had let go, severing their nervous connections to dull the pain. Shinji on the other hand faced Unit-03. Now with a great roar and earth shattering charge, he Unit-01's fist, clenching the prog knife through the chest of the Possessed EVA. but that wasn't enough, Unit-03 kept fighting, trying to pull him in.

Using their remaining hands, Rei and asuka came from behind and slowly pulled the head of the Unit-03 off. bendinga nd breaking, leaving a hanging tranchea to bleed out and with that the battle was over.

They all fell on their knees as the umbilical cords fell out of their backs, panting excessively as the the LCL in smoothed bubbles faded out.

"We did it." Shinji said, "We won."

"Yeah." Soryu responded.

"It would seem so." Rei said, "but I fear our superiors at Nerv will not be pleased with our behavior."

"You may be right about that." Soryu responded.

Later Commander Fuyutsuki called them in to give them their debriefing.

"You all did good out there, you acted as a team and kept your heads even when things were at their worst." Fuyutsuki said, "I commend you."

"So you're not going to scold us?" Soryu asked. "No." Fuyutsuki responded, "Hopefully we can expect more of this kind of behaviour from you three as we go on."

"Yes Sir." they all announced. "You're debriefed, take your showers and go home." Fuyutsuki finished as he left the room.

"Something's not right here." Soryu said.

"Why would you say that?" Shinji asked her.

"I don't know but…i get the feeling that they're gonna be keeping a closer eye on us, even closer then before."

Rei cautiously looked towards her feeling the same way.

Meanwhile with Shikinami and Mari

"Are Misato and Ritsuko okay?" Shikinami asked.

"Yeah, I told them all about it before everything went down, they should have managed to avoid the explosion...hopefully"

"That's good." Shikinami breathed a sigh of relief "Looks like things might just be going our way for once. if we keep up at this pace we might actually be able to stop this worlds third impact."

"Maybe." Mari said casually.

"You're awfully reserved today, what's up?" Shikinami asked her.

Mari shrugged, "Let's just head back, and call it day."

"Okay." Shikinami said awkwardly. and so they got in the car and went back home.

Elsewhere Shinji, Asuka(Soryu) and Rei all walked towards Misato's apartment together.

"Are you sure you want me staying with the both of you?" Rei inquired

"It's just for the night." Shinji answered

"plus after that awesome tag team we pulled, we deserve a little celebratory hang out" Asuka added unto his words.

"And what off sleeping arrangements?" Rei asked.

"You can take my room." Asuka said

"And so where will you sleep?" Rei asked again.

"Don't worry about it." Soryu said brushing her off confidently, all the meanwhile drawing closer to Shinji.

"I see." Rei said, "See what Rei?" Shinji asked.

"From the other day, the two of you were-" Asuka cut her off

"So anyway guys what homework did we have. you must know right Shinji? Right?" she emphasised.

"Yeah." Shinji said, leaving a chuckle behind.

Once they made It home, Shinji made dinner for the whole lot.

"I wonder where Misato is?" Shinji said

"Now that you mention it…I haven't seen her in quite a while." Asuka spoke

"Yeah me too." he replied back to here

"What about you Rei?, y'know where she is."

"I have no idea." Rei responds.

A little time passes and before the children could head off to sleep the door opens and what they see is enough to send even Rei into visible shock.

"Pilot Ikari." Rei says confused, "Ayanami?" he says back to her. Asuka came down the hallway trying to get Rei her own blankets

"hey wondergirl there's-" but before Asuka could finish she stood still upon seeing the person who came in through the door frame.

"Wait?" she looked back and saw her Shinji getting in the bathroom. "what's going on?"

"Okay." Shinji says, "Judging from your expressions I can tell you guys weren't clearly expecting me." He said coming in.

"but you can trust me." He continued "I'm not here to cause any trouble, I'm just looking for someone."

"Who the hell are you?" Soryu asked confused.

"It's me, Shinji." At his saying of that the other Shinji came down the hallway and upon seeing the living mirror reflection he expressed the same shock that everyone else in the room bore.

"What is… Who is..."

"You." Shikinami said behind him

The other Shinji turned around, confused as well, "Oh wait, she's not-" but before he could finish Shikinami approached him, holding him by the collar and pushing him towards the wall, kind of choking him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't bash your brains in!?" Shikinami angrly expressed.

That sudden action took everyone, save Mari who had been standing behind Shikinami, by surprise.

"What are you doing?" Soryu said, "that's-"

"Stay out of this!" Shikinami yelled at her counterpart, Soryu stepped back abit as she watched the image of herself harling and choking Shinji.

"You're going to kill him." Soryu said

But Shikinami didn't respond. She kept pulling and pulling, tightening her grip until eventually.

"I said that's enough!" Soryu pushed her counterpart back, leading Shinji and Shikinami to fall unto the floor. "what the hell is wrong with you?" she asked her counterpart

Shikinami gave her counterpart a frightening feral glare, enough to disturb even Shinji and Rei altogether. she got up from the floor.

"whatever." Shikinami said, "I'm leaving." passing by Mari, she exited the apartment.

Both Soryu and her Shinji didn't know how to act and what to do, Rei stood there still trying to understand what had just occurred and Mari stood at the door for a while waiting for something.

"I've never seen her like that before." Shinji said.

Asuka herself frustrated looked towards the other Shinji on the floor who groaned as he got up.

"Just what in the hell did you do?" Soryu asked.

"It's a long Story." He replied catching his breath.

"Well we have time." Soryu said

"It's time you talked puppy." Mari finished.

END.

Did a mild timeskip from the last chapter, just to skip the boring stuff. kinda treated the EVA fights like a human fight, find it funny that I finished this on campus