A/N: Alright redid this chapter. Not many changes, a few spelling errors, some minor scenes.

Shinji Is Gone

"Hey Soryu!" Toji calls to Asuka when she enters. Toji and Kensuke walk toward her. Asuka who was about to walk towards Hikari turns the other way and sees the two stooges walking toward her. She gives them an unimpressed look and replies

"What?"

"Do you know what happened to Shinji? He hasn't been here for a week." Kensuke asks.

The question seems to take Asuka by surprise but she quickly responds "I don't know" and storms off to the front of the class where she engages in conversation with Hikari.

"What does she mean, she doesn't know.... They live together" Toji says as he and Kensuke walk back towards their seats.

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Ayanami Rei stood on the roof of her school. She was looking at the sky. Nature always helped her when she was thinking. It seemed to clear her mind. She did not know exactly why she was thinking these thoughts in her head, but she was. Thoughts of the Third Children. '

'Was it right that he was forced to leave the area and sent to Germany? It would only be for a couple of months. But why would he say those things? Did he not know that it would get him into further trouble? People should just follow orders.'

The opening and closing of the door behind her interrupted her thoughts.

"Ayanami?" Toji said in an uneasy voice.

Rei turned around with the same emotionless mask on her face.

"Uh... you wouldn't happen to know what happened to Shinji would you?" Kensuke asked looking almost apologetic.

"Pilot Ikari was relocated to Germany for two months and will be returning by the end of December" Rei replies.

"Oh.. well uh... thanks" Toji says as he and Kensuke both leave rather quickly. Rei turns around back to the sky and starts thinking again.

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Rei and Asuka both had Synch Tests scheduled after school today. Although having the same destination, They went their separate ways seeing each other only when absolutely necessary. Asuka walked toward the lockeroom. She had waited long enough, Rei would already be changed and heading to her plug. She would have something to say, but she would not say it. She would just let the silence do her talking and Asuka could not stand that. She walked into the lockeroom and got changed.

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"Good work both of you" Misato's words conclude the tests. Rei and Asuka walk toward the lockerooms. Asuka deals with her presence. They enter the lockeroom in silence, go to their respective lockers, and begin to change.

"Aren't you going to blame me?" Asuka says angrily after she no longer can take the silence.

Rei continues to change and responds "For what?"

"For that baka leaving."

"That was Pilot Ikari's own fault"

"Spare me the pity!"

"I don't have pity" Rei says and then adds "Good-bye" as she walks out of the lockeroom.

Asuka, having finished changing sits down on one of the benches. After a moment she too walks out of the locker rooms and heads toward the entrance. She would have to go home on her own because Misato had things to take care of at headquarters. She decided she would take her time going home.

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'It was his own fault. I didn't ask him to do anything. I know it was his fault. So why is that doll telling me! I already know that! Ugh!'

Asuka had reached the apartment. She took the elevator up and walked to the apartment she now shared with only Misato and Pen-pen. She got her card key and went in. Pen-pen was nowhere in sight. He was probably in his "room" (It's more like just a small refrigerator). Asuka went to her room to put her bag down. She had to go to headquarters straight from school so she ended up carrying her school bag around all day. She sighed and walked back to the living room.

"What the hell it's too quiet!" she says to no one in particular. She then sits on the couch and turns on the TV. She turned to some random channel. It didn't matter, she wanted the TV for company not entertainment. She appeared to be watching the TV blankly but in her head, she never stopped thinking. 'I wonder what that baka is doing....'

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'The object is to capture the angel. Alrighty Asuka, this is no problem'

"Asuka can you hear me?" The voice of Misato can be heard in Asuka's entry plug.

"Loud and clear" Asuka replies, somewhat cheerfully.

'With Shinji gone, this is my chance to prove myself. I'm better than Shinji, and I don't need him to defeat the angels' she thinks to herself.

"The angel is not at it's estimated location, we're going to go deeper"

"Fine with me" Asuka replies to Misato once again.

... ... ... ...

"I see it" Asuka could see the angel.

'Now all I have to do is catch it' She thinks to herself.

"Your both moving to the flow of the magma so you will only have one chance to capture it" Ritsuko says to Asuka.

'Another words, no pressure' Asuka thinks to herself. Eva 2 successfully captures the angel. Asuka breathes a sigh of relief as she begins to be pulled back up to the top of the volcano.

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"You were nervous about this mission weren't you?" Ritsuko says to her friend.

"A bit" Misato says, and then says to Asuka "There's a hot springs nearby, we can go take a nice hot bath"

"Thank god" Asuka says happily, "I'm sweating like a pig, it's so hot! I can't wait to- Wha.. What's going on!?"

"What's happening?" Misato asks.

"Is it awakening? It's faster than expected" Ritsuko says.

"The cage?" Misato asks Hyuuga.

"It won't hold" was the simple answer given to her.

"Asuka, dump the cage!" Misato says and Asuka readily complies. The angel descends a few feet but then breaks out of the cage. It then sets it's eyes on the Eva 2.

"All right, Asuka, change of plans. You have to destroy it." Misato says to Asuka.

"That's what I've been waiting for!" Asuka says enthusiastically as she prepares for battle.

"If we can lure it out of the molten lava we can have both Eva 0 and Eva 2 attack it simultaneously." Ritsuko suggests to Misato but is overheard by Asuka.

"No way, don't even think about it, I got this one!" Asuka says as the angel charges at her.

Eva 2 dodges out of the way but the angel quickly turns and comes back. It rams itself into the Eva 2 but Asuka tugs the controls and grabs the angel with one hand and stabs the prog knife into it.

"It's no use, if it can survive under these extreme temperatures, the prog knife isn't going to penetrate it's skin." Asuka continues to stab at the angel while she looks around for another idea. She sees the hoses attached to her and gets an idea. She takes one of them and jams it into the angel.

"I see, thermal expansion" Ritsuko says catching on. Misato, also catches on and orders to use only the 3rd hose. Asuka than stabs the Angel which is killed by before it sinks to the bottom of the volcano, it attempts to take the Eva 2 with it. It claws above the Eva and rips some of the bonds that hold the Eva 2 to the crane above. Asuka lets out a sigh of relief when the angel dies but is aware of what it did with it's last ditch effort.

She closes her eyes and says to herself "I won, and I proved myself but now this is the end."

She could imagine the look on Shinji's face when he gets back.

'He would be the best pilot' She thinks 'he's stupid but I doubt he would lose to that doll... And me... I would be the one that died trying... He will probably laugh at me. All my conceited remarks, all my insults, all my taunts and I go down first" She feels the Eva lurch as it is about to fall. Asuka braces herself.

'No, you wouldn't laugh baka. You would be sorry and feel bad and somehow twist it around so it's your fault. You would...' Asuka laughs at the thought 'You would say you were sorry'

At last the hoses give way and the Eva 2 starts to sink, but a hand comes down and grabs the Eva 2. Asuka opens her eyes in surprise and looks up. She is relieved and angry at the same time as she mutters "Wondergirl.."

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Rei, Asuka, and Misato were all bathing in a hot springs. Misato held her promise and took the girls to a hot springs.

"Ahh, that's relaxing" Misato says.

"Expecially after a nice sauna in a volcano" Asuka says.

Misato laughs and looks over at Rei. She was sitting against a wall. She was lifting her hand and watchin the warm water run down them.

"Come on, you have to be enjoying this" Asuka says to Rei.

"It feels....nice" Rei says.

"Too bad you missed out on the sauna" Misato says smiling.

Asuka smiles but Rei maintains her emotionless face which causes Asuka to frown. She then sits deeper in the water so it is now covering her shoulders, and closes her eyes.

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"Hey Ayanami" Shinji says as he walks up to the bench at which Rei is sitting. Rei looks up from her reading. It was lunch and she usually spent her lunch period reading.

"Uh... did you hear? I'm being sent away" Shinji says nervously.

"Yes, I was informed, but you will return after two months."

"Yeah...right. So uh... what are you reading?"

"I'm just reviewing school work" Rei responds.

"Oh...um.. Are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be?"

"You know, for what I did. For threatening my father and endangering everyone"

The usually monotoned emotionless girl seems to somewhat think about this question before answering "No".

They are both silent for a while, but Shinji does not turn to leave and Rei does not go back to reading.

"Can you do me a favor?" Shinji asks after a while.

"A favor?" Rei asks quizzically.

"Yeah a favor" Shinji says somewhat confused by Rei's reaction.

"What is a favor?" Rei asks after a bit of silence.

"Uh..well..." Shinji had not expected this "Well it's sort of an order but you don't have to do it." Shinji said knowing that Rei would know the meaning of an order well. "I'm asking you to do something, that you don't necessarily have to do, but it would be nice if you did."

"Nice...." Rei says, obviously confused.

"Err... I would appreci.... It would make me happy if you did it" Shinji says.

"Your requesting something of me that would please you, and I do not have to comply, correct?" Rei confirms somewhat understanding it.

"Right"

"So what is your request?"

"Well...." Shinji says nervously shifting his weight "Could you... look out for Asuka?"

Shinji figured that Rei had no idea what he was talking about. He was about to elaborate but Rei replied "In the event that Pilot Soryu is in need of assistance, I would be ordered to do so"

"I know but... well I mean..." Shinji paused and thought 'This isn't going to work'

"Never mind Ayanami" Shinji said "Forget I mentioned it" Shinji turns to walk away but stops when he hears Rei ask him

"If the favor is to assist Pilot Soryu than why would it please you?" Shinji turns around not knowing how to answer this. "It would seem more natural if it was Pilot Soryu who was asking this of me" Rei adds surprising the already surprised Shinji. Rei was being somewhat talkative.

"Actually I don't think Asuka would ever ask that from anyone" was Shinji's reply.

"But then-" Rei starts but is interrupted.

"Ayanami, don't think into it. Just take it as it is and see what you do with it." Shinji says.

Rei just stares at him.

"Do me a favor and look out for Asuka while I'm gone" Shinji says.

Rei nods which causes Shinji to smile and says "Thank you" Rei feels something warm inside her when she sees Shinji smiles. Confused as to what that feeling is and what to do she gives him a smile in return.

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My Rants Well, there it is. Now I have a few questions if anyone would answer them, it would be appreciated. First of all what does Prog in Prog Knife stand for? Progressive? Second, does anyone know the Synchro rates of the pilots? All I know Shinji is slightly past 40 when he first pilots. Oh and also at some point he was 50 below Asuka.Thirdly... damn I forgot. Whatever I'll ask it later. lol I just remembered it. Hah, I know to you it doesn't seem like any time went by but for me it's been two days. Anyway, does anyone know where Asuka is from specifically? Oh one important thing. I decided to change the angels around a little. First of all, the reason why Shinji was sent away. I was gonna make it something to do with the battle with Israfel (you know the one that splits in two) but I realized that was the reason Asuka and Shinji lived together so I can't change that. So I'm gonna add an angel between Israfel and this one (The lava one). I hope no one minds.

Thanks everyone for the reviews! About pairings, again, I'm more of an Asuka fan, but we'll see.