Disclaimer: Still don't own Evangelion.

Shinji stood on the sparring mat staring at Asuka. They had been training for about 3 hours already. Both gasping for breathe and dripping of sweat. Shinji crouched into a defensive position holding his fists in front of his face read to block any really dangerous moves. He had been here two months already. Nothing had happened. The people from New York never showed up, but everyone knew that it was only an amount of time before they revealed themselves. Shinji looked to his right to see Rei sitting on a bench waiting her turn with a towel draped around her neck. Asuka smiled and charged him.

'Right Hand Block.'

Shinji threw up his right arm and blocked the punch before delivering a palm thrust to her gut. Asuka stumbled backwards holding her stomach gasping for air. Asuka cracked her neck to either side and went for her next attack.

'Duck now.'

Shinji just barely ducked a spinning kick.

'Jump.'

Asuka hit the ground and tried to sweep Shinji's feet out from under him, but Shinji jumped.

'Now.'

Before Asuka knew what happened Shinji was sitting on her stomach with his hand only centimeters from her face. Asuka growled in frustration, "How the hell do you do that?"

Shinji got up and shrugged before holding his hand down to help her up. Asuka slapped it away before standing on her own. "Stupid hand-to-hand combat training." Asuka reached into her bag and pulled out her gun. She kissed the side of it and smiled, "Give me one of these babies any day."

"You know what Misato says. You may not always have your gun," stated Shinji.

"Or ammunition," finished Rei as she stood.

Asuka put her stuff up and headed for the exit, "See you two later. I got to help test some new headset Kensuke came up with."

Shinji smiled and collapsed onto the ground out of exhaustion. He leaned against the all closing his eyes. He felt something soft hit his face and he took the towel Rei had tossed and wiped off his face.

"Any new memories?"

"Nope."

"Dreams?"

"Same one about my dad abandoning me."

Rei sat down beside Shinji and leaned her head back, "I know that had to be painful."

"You have no idea."

"At least you had a father to abandon you."

"You never told me about your parents. Why did you grow up alone?"

Rei stiffened, "That's not important right now. The important part is to get your memory back."

"Why do you want me to remember so bad?"

Rei looked away hiding her slight blush, "I just want you to be happy." Rei gasped when she felt a hand grab her chin and turn it.

"Rei, you're my best friend. You can be honest with me. What do you want me to remember?"

Rei jerked her head away, "Nothing."

Shinji sighed and got up, "I got to get lunch started. If you want to talk you know where to find me." He then walked out.

---Somewhere in Japan---

"Kira, sir, we are ready for our attack on the rebel's base."

"Good," came a voice from the shadows. "Just don't hurt the boy."

"If you didn't want to hurt Ikari, then why did you allow out men to use the rocket launcher in the States."

The figure chuckled, "I knew that they would save him in time. I used him to lead me to their base."

"Why is he so important?"

"Trust me, it is way too complicated for you to understand."

"Very well sir. Should I give the orders?"

"Tell them to surround the complex and attack."

---At the base---

Alarms went off as Shinji ran through the halls. Soon he and Asuka were running side by side, "What's going on?"

"They've found us."

"How?"

"Doesn't matter. You take the Lower Wing, I will take the Main. If they get into the fortress then we are screwed."

Shinji nodded and took off down the required hall. He finally ran into a room holding the guns that guarded the Lower wall. He slipped on a headset and looked around, "Shinji here. We're surrounded on the all sides. I can't even get a good shot off."

Asuka's voice came over the headset, "They're everywhere! They're going to break through!"

Touji's voice came over the earphones, "Listen here! You are not going to let these losers get in here! People have died so we could be safe, and I am not about to let their deaths be in veign!"

"They're hitting the weak side of the structure. Rei! Get there now!"

The memories of New York hit Shinji. All of his friends were probably dead by now, killed for information. The kids that had been in the building when it blew up…everything was because they were trying to find him. His fists clinched around the control stick, "I have a plan guys but it will take a little bit of a risk."

"Go for it Shinj, we're all out of chances here."

"When I was in New York, I had rat problems, but they would always miss the trap until I made it so they had to go through the trap."

"Care to get to the point Shinji?" yelled Asuka.

"Two sweeping motions of gunfire. On up high, One down low. We will close in the space between the two until-"

"They have nowhere to go."

"Basically, but it may work. But we need someone to bloc off the entrance."

Kensuke's voice came in, "Leave that to me. I planted some explosives at the cave entrance and exit."

"Okay on my mark blow them. We'll trap whoever is in there and suffocate them."

"Ready when you are."

"NOW KENSUKE!"

The explosions never came.

"KENSUKE?"

"Something is wrong with the relays. It's not working."

"Get it working Kensuke, Asuka we have to hold them off."

"Ready when you are."

"Fire!"

Two barrages of gunfire came from the fortress. Shinji's fire moved up but Asuka's stayed at the top, "They're coming in too quick."

"HOLD THEM OFF ASUKA! YOU HAVE TO!"

"Shinji our power won't last much longer. We're wasting too much power and ammunition."

Shinji's eyes went blank, and he blacked out.

Rei was sitting in a chair with her head bowed. He noticed she was holding her right arm close to her side. His eyes drifted up until he came eye-to-eye with two crimson eyes. He immediately trying to play it off.

Rei stood up and walk towards him, "Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, what happened?"

"The enemy was defeated. Thanks to you."

"Me? How?"

"No one knows. The explosives never went off and Asuke was stuggling to keep the enemy at bay, You just went balistic and used your gunfire to hit the top of the openeing cause a cave in. But Kensuke says that nothing was wrong with the relays. They should have gone off. He's working through some scenarios right now."

Shinji reached out and touched Rei right arm, "Did you get hurt?"

Rei took a step back, "It's nothing."

Shinji reached up and pulled Rei into a hug and held her close, "Please tell me Rei. I promise I will try to understand."

"I was trying to get to the relays on the other side of the battle field. It's just a graze. I'll be fine in a few days."

"It looks pretty bad, you should have it looked at."

"I'm a quick healer. It's part of my condition."

"What condition?"

Rei looked down at the ground and sighed, "I am…not human Shinji."

Shinji stared at her out of confusion.

"I am a created being. Many different forms of DNA were used to create me. Human DNA was used to give me my human structure and uses, but most of my DNA was that of an Angel."

"Like the ones we fought."

Rei nodded silently. She sniffled and looked up to reveal tears in her eyes, "I am not even the original. There were two before me. I am nothing more than a replaceable shell." She gasped as she felt a hand wipe away her tears. She looked up to reveal Shinji with a determined smile.

"Don't you ever say that about yourself again. You are much more than a replaceable shell to me. You're my best friend."

"But I am the same kind of being that caused you pain. Why don't you hate me?"

"You didn't have a choice. Plus, I always knew there was something special about you. Now, I know part of it."

"Part?" Rei blushed when she saw Shinji lean forward and brush his lips against hers. She froze not knowing what to do.

Shinji broke the kiss and looked at the surprised Rei, "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. If should have asked-" Shinji was stopped when Rei tackled him in another kiss. After he recovered from the surprise he smiled and returned the kiss. When they broke for air Rei was on top of Shinji with a blush. Shinji leaned his head up putting his forehead against Rei's forehead. He looked into her eyes and smiled happily, "That's the other part."

---Enemy Base---

"Sir, our forces were destroyed."

"Excellent."

"Sir?"

"I knew we would lose. It just makes the prize even sweeter when they fall. This was just a test."