Chapter 30 – The Dread Born Of Knowledge

Rei stood before the door of Misato's apartment after ringing the doorbell and waited for Shinji to answer. It was just like what had become and average day before school, unlike the previous one. She'd had time to process what had transpired between herself and Dr. Akagi but it still felt surreal. Even though things had gone well and she'd left Dr. Akagi's office with her life, remembering the fear she'd felt and thinking about just how wild a conversation it had been left her with some lingering stress. The shopping trip with Asuka the previous day had helped, but going back to school and returning to what had become her normal routine was sorely needed. Besides, she'd missed any chance to see Shinji the previous day. That was always something that she looked forward to. His presence was always calming...

She didn't have to wait long until the door opened and Shinji appeared. "Good morning," she greeted him with a soft bow and a warm smile.

The first thing she noticed was that Shinji was grinning practically from ear to ear. It was striking in all honesty but it was... amazing to see him looking so genuinely carefree. "Hey Rei," he replied. "How are you? How come you missed school yesterday?"

She wasn't surprised that Asuka hadn't informed him of what she'd relayed to her. Then again, even if it had been a lie, it was an embarrassing scenario that she'd outlined so, considering Asuka's temperament, it was understandable. "I had to spend the morning with Dr. Akagi," she replied. She hoped he wouldn't ask why... lying to Shinji was different then lying to Asuka.

"Oh, okay," he replied cheerfully. "I'm guessing just Eva related stuff?"

Rei nodded. "Yes," she replied. That at least wasn't a complete lie, more of a half truth, a lie of omission as she'd had to regrettably use with him many times before...

"Oh, well, hopefully it wasn't anything too serious," he returned before looking away from her and scratching the back of his neck nervously, his cheeks turning a little pink. "I was a little worried about you..."

She felt her heart rate quicken. It was something about the way he said those words. Had he... missed seeing her at school? Did her look forward to the mornings where they would walk to school in the same way she did? That was a very pleasant thought... Rei smiled and shook her head. "No, it turned out fine," she replied. At least with that response she could be honest.

Shinji nodded, his grin widening. "Good," he replied. "That's good."

Rei decided it was a good time to change the subject and for that matter she was curious as to why he seemed in such a cheerful demeanor. "You seem to be in a pleasant mood," she stated.

Shinji nodded again, a small chortle escaping from him. "Yeah, about that..." he replied. "I uh... I saw my father after school yesterday."

Her eyes widened. This was an unexpected development. "Oh?" she prompted, hoping he would tell her more.

"Yeah," he returned sounding a bit unsure of himself. "He, uh, he called me as I was leaving school yesterday."

So Commander Ikari hadn't been lying when he said there was a chance for their father and son relationship to improve. This was very promising. She wanted to know more. "It's good that he reached out to you," she replied. "What did he say?"

"He was just calling to see how I was doing, something he never does," Shinji returned. "But I... I asked him if he had any time to see me and he said yes so I went to see him."

This was very surprising and also a quite welcome development. "I see," Rei replied with a growing grin. "And I assume this went well?"

Shinji nodded and his smile grew as well. "Yeah," he replied. "We uh... played Shogi."

"I didn't know you played Shogi," Rei remarked.

Shinji shook his head and chuckled nervously, his smile taking on a sheepish disposition. "Well... I don't really, I never had before yesterday. My father taught me how," he stated softly.

Rei blinked in surprise, amazed that the commander would have enough patience and time to attempt to do something like that. Then again, it was probably easier for him than other methods of connecting with his son. "I see..." she replied.

"Yeah..." Shinji replied, his original cheerful expression returning. "It was the first time that he's actually wanted to do anything with me really, like an activity... you know?"

Rei nodded, her own grin reprising itself on her features. This was a very, very good development... for him and, even though he didn't know it, for the world at large... "I do," she replied honestly. "I'm happy for you, Shinji."

Shinji turned away, his expression becoming a little nervous. "Thanks Rei but... I should be the one thanking you," he replied. "I mean... you're the one that pushed me to try and get to know him better. I wouldn't have tried if you didn't suggest it however long ago it was that you did... So, uh, thanks..."

Rei felt an incredible warmth deep in her chest and her cheeks felt hot. She had to turn her face away. "You... flatter me," she returned softly.

"Well... it's the truth," Shinji commented after a moment, which only intensified the feeling in her chest.

"Hey, what are you two doing just standing at the door?" Asuka's voice sounded moments before she appeared behind Shinji. "Seriously, we gotta get going soon."

Shinji sighed and turned his attention to the fiery redhead. "I know. Honestly, we might as well head out now if that's the case," he replied before turning his attention back to her. "Sound good, Rei?"

Rei was sure that they still had time to spare before they needed to leave, but if Shinji wanted to head out that was fine by her. "I do not mind," she returned warmly.

Asuka wrinkled her nose. "Did I miss something?" she asked incredulously.

Shinji's eyes widened. "N- nothing important," he sputtered. "I was j- just telling Rei about what happened with my father yesterday."

Asuka huffed. "Well, we're going to be late for school if we keep standing here," she stated. "So can we head out now?"

"Okay," Shinji replied. "I'll grab my shoes."

Soon enough the three of them were on their way to school just as they did on any normal day. Shinji gave her the bento box he'd made for her and she walked beside Shinji with Asuka on the other side of him just like usual. She always enjoyed this part of the day but after just how stressful the previous day had been, Rei could appreciate the peace of their daily routine all the more. Throughout the entire walk to school her smile remained.

The information that Shinji had shared with her before they started their morning walk together had been a a surprise indeed but it also filled her with hope. The last few days as a whole had, despite how difficult they had been, had reignited the flames of hope within that had been withering in the winds of fear. She'd seen Shinji survive an Angel against all odds, Dr. Akagi had shown her understanding despite how she probably still felt about her, and now Commander Ikari and Shinji were getting along perhaps better than they ever had. It made her feel like anything was possible. It made her feel like the world could actually be saved.

And that filled her with such overwhelming joy...

It had been just about a week since she'd become aware of what secrets Rei had kept hidden, that had been tucked within the files that had taken her so long to decipher. Ritsuko sat in her office as she wrapped up the very final touches on the Dummy Plug System programming. Though it had been a few days since she'd spoken to Rei, their most recent conversation weighed heavy in her mind.

From what she'd been informed via the various emails she sifted through on the daily from the other branches of scientific development, Unit 04 would be undergoing tests of the experimental S2 core today, and Unit 03 was complete and ready for combat trials but a pilot had not been assigned to it yet. Soon, if Rei's memories were a predictor of the future going forward, it would be transferred and it would be her responsibility to assign a pilot from the list of viable candidates... Knowing what could come with that was quite a dreadful weight to carry around.

She knew it wasn't a productive way to think but... part of her wished that she'd never bothered to dive into Rei's memories and had found another way to program the Dummy System. It was still incredibly hard to take in, the truth of the matter... The more she thought about the conversation with Rei the more she wished that she could have found some kind of deception, some kind of lie in the blue haired girls words or the memories she herself had seen. Even if it was still so difficult to believe, she knew that what she'd seen was real and that Rei had told her the truth, and it was... very uncomfortable. After having seen what she'd seen and knowing what Rei had experienced, and seeing the memories related to herself... she now appreciated that age old saying of ignorance being bliss. How ironic it was for a scientist to feel that way.

Every day that she spent at the office was now filled with a looming sense of dread and coming doom that permeated the usual rhythms of her routine. The pride and enjoyment that she had previously gotten from her work and her position had been sapped away. Her trust and admiration of Commander Ikari had been seriously damaged, and that was the most uncomfortable thing at all. Despite having watched him shoot the version of herself from Rei's original dimension over and over again she still couldn't shake the romantic feelings she had for him. It was something she didn't understand. She wanted to hate Commander Ikari but... she couldn't bring herself to hate him even if she knew the truth about him.

Then again, that debate was probably only happening because of the last words he'd said before shooting her other self...

She shook her head and paused her work. If she continued coding in her current mental state then she was bound to make a mistake. It was best to just breathe deep and try to put all these thoughts plaguing her out of her mind so she could get the system installed on Unit 00 and Unit 02. She grimaced at the thought. She was lucky that Commander Ikari had been so understanding in regards to Unit 01... but she could only delay the installation for so long.

Another fearful thought had been slowly gaining prominence in her mind since the conversation she'd had with Rei... What if someone were to discover the memory files? What if someone else figured out the secret that Rei held that she now shared in keeping? After finalizing the system, which she should accomplish by the end of the day, she needed to delete them. If they were to fall into the wrong hands, if they were to fall into Gendo's hands... who knew what would happen.

There was a knock at her office door and instantly Ritsuko flinched, shaken from the thoughts that swirled in her mind. She rose from her desk and moved swiftly to the door, opening it only after her heartbeat slowed down to baseline levels. It was Maya on the other side, holding two cups of coffee. "Senpai? Can I come in?" she asked.

Ritsuko smiled and nodded. Talking with Maya usually could help her put things into perspective. It was a bit unprofessional she had to admit, herself confiding her worries in a subordinate, but then again with the way things were going now professionalism be damned. Even though she couldn't tell Maya the truth maybe talking about the... things surrounding it might lift her spirits in some way. "You may," she replied.

Maya handed her one of the cups of coffee she was holding at stepped into the office. "You've been kind of jittery lately, more than usual," Maya stated with a look of concern. "Myself and the rest of the technical team are getting a little worried..."

That was the very definition of an understatement. Paranoid might have been a better term for her mental state since her little meeting with Rei... Ritsuko smirked sarcastically. "If I've been jittery then it probably wasn't smart to bring me a coffee," she retorted with a little laugh as she took a sip.

Maya saw the humor in her words a smiled momentarily. "Seriously, senpai, you've not been yourself," she replied after a moment. "What's going on?"

Ritsuko sighed. "Just... more of the same," she lied. Well... it was half the truth. "The work on the Dummy System has taken a lot out of me. Some of the problems that I've had to deal with throughout it have been... difficult to overcome. I'm just glad that I'm almost finished with it."

Maya smiled for a moment before her concerned frown returned. "I'm happy you're finally finishing it but... isn't that cause to be happy?" she asked. "But instead, it seems like you've been more stressed out than ever."

Ritsuko sighed and sipped her coffee. "Well... I've put a lot of work into this program," she replied. "I'm just worried that I've rushed it. Putting it into operational use before its ready could be a serious issue." Yet another bending of the truth...

Maya nodded and sipped her own cup. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, senpai," she returned warmly. "When has there ever been a time when you couldn't do something? Heck, it can't be worse than when that Angel tried to take over the Magi, can it?"

Ritsuko really appreciated her junior's confidence in her. It did make her feel some semblance of confidence in herself but considering how she couldn't actually talk about what was really on her mind it didn't do much to soothe her worries. Still... it was nice to know that there were people who cared, like Maya and Misato. It was easy to forget that with how single minded she'd been on completing the tasks she'd been assigned and pleasing Gendo, two things that now had radically less importance to her... "Probably not," she lied through her smile. "That was one of my finer moments, wasn't it?"

Maya grinned. "It was amazing," she replied, practically gushing. "The fact that you can do that, just... don't doubt yourself, alright? We wouldn't be able to do what we do here without you."

Ritsuko smiled softly. "Thanks Maya..." she said. "It means a lot."

Maya nodded. "You're very welcome, senpai," she returned

Ritsuko sighed. "I need to get back to work," she stated with a lopsided grin. "I don't mean to be rude, but would you mind leaving me to it?"

"I don't mind," Maya replied with a warm smile. "Just... don't overwork yourself, alright, senpai?"

Ritsuko nodded. "I won't," she replied, raising her coffee cup. "Thanks again for the coffee by the way."

"Anytime," Maya replied before exiting her office.

Ritsuko shut the door behind her and stared down into her swirling coffee. Once more she was alone with her thoughts. Maya was right, one way or another she would persevere but... she knew what that meant. Soon enough she'd have to confront all the ugly truths about Gendo, herself, and the future of the world, that had been revealed by her conversation with Rei. The end of the world was looming, and presently she could do nothing but... wait. That was quite a hard pill to swallow...

The phone on her desk rang and she darted back to her desk to answer it. "Akagi speaking," she answered.

It was Lt. Aoba on the other end. "Dr. Akagi, we're gonna need you on the bridge ASAP," he spoke sounding a bit unnerved. "We have a serious a situation unfolding at the Second Branch testing facility in Nevada."

Her heart jumped to her throat. This was... this was just like what Rei had said would happen before the transfer of Unit 03... "I'll be right there," she replied in a daze before hanging up the phone and exiting her office.

Asuka sat in her desk, staring up at blackboard at the front of the room, already bored out of her skull despite the day just starting. Things were settling back into their normal routines. Shinji was back to his usual self, if slightly more cheerful as of late. All things considered, it looked like he was still too much of a chickenshit to make a move on Rei. No, he definitely hadn't, because Rei would definitely have informed her of that relationship upgrade if it had happened. All things were back to normal...

Having had enough time to think it over and get back to their usual routine as roommates she could confidently say she was over Shinji. She wasn't jealous that he liked Wonder-girl anymore... but she was still jealous. She was still envious but it was a different kind of envy. That feeling from a little while ago lingered, of frustration that everyone seemed to be getting their proverbial shit together and she was just... stuck. She very much detested the feeling.

She overhead Shinji whispering to that lunkhead Touji as their teacher droned on with his morning roll call and announcements. "Hey," he said. "You have any idea why Kensuke's absent today?"

"Eh, he's off in New Yokosuka to see some dumb battleship," Touji replied. "Some ship called Miyoko or something."

Asuka couldn't help but snort and turn around to face the two of them. "That sounds like exactly the kind of lame crap that nerd would miss school for," she quipped, earning a scowl from Touji.

"Soryu," she heard their teacher call her name.

Asuka flinched and turned back to face the front of the room. "Yes, sensei?" she replied.

Their teacher lifted up a stack of papers. "Since you're not paying attention, would you be able to deliver these missed assignments to Aida?" he returned flatly.

Asuka scowled. "Yes sir..." she replied.

This day was just getting better and better...

Misato rushed to the bridge as soon as she'd gotten notified of the developing situation and had been ushered into a briefing room nearby by Hyuga. She'd expected this, she'd requested the meeting after all. As head of combat operations she needed to know what was unfolding in Nevada. As soon as she'd gotten settled the briefing began. She listened as Lt. Aoba, Lt. Ibuki, and Lt. Hyuga broke down what the initial reports were saying and her jaw practically hit the floor. The fact that the entire Second Branch testing facility had vanished was... it was unbelievable. "My God..." was all she could murmur in response to what she was hearing.

Lt. Aoba sighed. "The administrative section and investigative section are all going crazy. Internal affairs is in complete chaos," he stated soberly.

"What do you think happened over there?" Misato asked, still in complete shock. How could an entire testing facility just... vanish?

"It's under investigation," Ritsuko stated from where she stood a few feet away. She was doing a good job at concealing it but Misato could tell from the slight quaver in her voice that he friend was just as unnerved by the situation as she was. "Our only clues are photos from the geosynchronous satellite in orbit above the testing facility. There's nothing else left..."

Lt. Ibuki brought up the feed on the briefing room's central display screen moments later. "This is ten seconds before the incident occured..."

Misato watched as the seconds counted down to zero. At the moment of contact there was a white flash followed by a slowly expanding glowing red light radiating in a circle from the test site. At plus six seconds after the first light the glow had expanded across the entire screen and one second after that the feed was nothing but static. "This is horrible..." she murmured. It was all she could say in response to what she'd seen.

"Evangelion Unit 04, its support group, and all the other facilities within an eighty nine kilometer radius have been completely destroyed," Lt. Ibuki stated softly.

"Along with thousands of people..." Ritsuko muttered.

"Looking at the time schedule, they were in the middle of installing the experimental S2 engine onboard Unit 04 at the time of the incident," Lt. Aoba stated, looking over the clipboard in his hand with a pensive expression.

"Potential causes of this incident range from a failure of structural integrity to a calculation error during the preliminary design phase," Lt. Ibuki added quietly. "Meaning there are roughly thirty two thousand seven hundred sixty eight possible causes."

Misato scowled and folded her arms. "And that's not even accounting for sabotage, is it?" she grumbled.

"Sabotage isn't likely, right?" Hyuga spoke up timidly. "I mean... from what the reports are saying, it wasn't even an explosion..."

Misato raised an eyebrow. "If it wasn't an explosion then what was it?" she retorted. "What else could have just... vaporized the Second Branch's testing facility?"

"In all probability... they were swallowed by a Dirac Sea, just like Unit 01 was..." Ritsuko stated, her tone and expression quite pensive.

Misato's eyes widened. "Then the restored S2 engine is-"

"Gone..." Ritsuko finished for her, staring off into space as she did. "Along with our hopes for it..."

Misato's scowl deepened. To think that NERV would be playing around with something so dangerous and now it payed the price in lives. The more of NERV that she really got to know the more her trust in it continued to erode. "We're being forced to use things we don't understand..." she huffed.

"Yeah, we are..." Ritsuko murmured softly in reply.

"I can't believe I got stuck doing this with you..." Asuka huffed in annoyance.

"Hey, I'm not exactly happy about it either," Touji spat back. "But I'm the only one in our friend group that's ever been to Kensuke's house so it is what it is."

Indeed, that was the exact reason why Tweedledum was accompanying her to drop off the papers for Tweedledee, that and so that four eyed otaku wouldn't get any weird ideas about a girl just showing up at his house. Asuka supposed it wasn't all bad of a situation though. It was better than just going straight home with Shinji and Rei now that school was over. Even if she wasn't hung up on Shinji anymore, it was still marginally better than being around him and Wonder-girl together. It gave her a chance to think about something other than her proverbial shit not being together... Besides, maybe she could actually get a feel for why Hikari liked the dumb jock so much so that she wouldn't be completely disgusted when one of them finally made a move on the other. "I guess you have a point," she replied with a sigh. "Though I could have just passed it off to you."

Touji snorted. "Fat chance!" he snapped. "It was your responsibility! Besides, if I'm going to miss visiting my little sister in the hospital today then someone damn well be suffering with me."

Asuka had no retort to counter that response and fell silent with a scowl on her face. She thought on his words and remembered what Shinji had told her about when he'd first come to Tokyo 3 and the incident where Touji had punched him. After a while she spoke again. "Your sister is still in the hospital?" she asked, trying to hide her surprise behind an incredulous tone.

Touji sighed. "Yeah, she is," he grumbled, a dark expression washing over him. "No idea when she'll be released either."

Asuka had no idea what it was like to have a sibling but she did have a good idea of what was like to see someone she cared about tethered to a hospital bed. At least he actually gave a shit enough to visit his sister, unlike how her dad had basically abandoned her mom... Great! Now she was actually finding something admirable about Touji of all people. "Sorry to hear that..." she replied.

Touji snickered at her response. "Never thought I'd ever hear sympathy from you," he chortled wryly. "Even if it's not meant for me."

Asuka glared at him. Just like that, any gallant attributes she could see in him were gone. Maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut... "You really piss me off, you know that?" she growled.

Touji sighed. "Yeah, and you bug the hell out of me," he replied. "Seriously, what the heck did I ever do to you, eh Soryu?"

Asuka honestly couldn't think of anything specific. Come to think of it, she'd pretty much looked down her nose at him from the moment they'd met. She'd simply judged him and Kensuke from the reports of their involvement in an Angel battle, classifying them as stupid based on that. Then again, he was a boorish jock so her initial assessment of him wasn't that far off the mark... She shrugged. "You've got a big mouth and it pisses me off," she replied lamely.

"Yeah, well so do you," Touji snickered.

Asuka sneered at him. She wasn't going to let him win this one. "I'm an Eva pilot so don't blame me for flaunting my superior status," she teased. "I don't have to take shit from the likes of you or anyone and I can say what I please!"

She'd hoped to get a real rise out of him for that but instead he played along. "You saying this city ain't big enough for the two of us?" he asked with a smirk.

As much as she felt condescended to by that statement, Asuka did find some humor in that statement. "Yeah, maybe I am," she snapped.

Touji sighed. "Well, tough shit," he replied. "We're stuck in the same school with the same friends."

"Yeah," Asuka grumbled. "Tough shit for both of us..."

The two fell into an awkward silence as they continued on their trek which Asuka broke after a while of walking. "So, you visit your sister often?" she asked.

"As often as I can, at least three times a week," he replied gruffly. "And one day less this week, thanks to you mouthing off in class."

Asuka scowled. Maybe he did have some redeeming qualities, but certainly not enough to be worthy of Hikari's time... She picked up the pace she was walking at even so. "Well maybe if we hurry then you can still see her today," she huffed in response.

Touji matched her step. "For once I think we agree on something, Soryu," he retorted.

Happiness was a hard thing to quantify but in light of recent events but Shinji could confidently say that the last week had been the happiest he'd ever been. In the days after meeting and learning how to play Shogi with his father he'd spent a good amount of time examining his current situation and found that he actually had a whole lot going for him. He had friends and roommates that cared about him and had become like family, his father was warming up to him, his grades were alright, and he had a best friend who he wouldn't trade for the world... That was much more than he'd had before coming to Tokyo 3. Sure, piloting the Eva was terrifying and painful... but if it wasn't for that he wouldn't be in the good place he was now. There had to be something to that...

Presently he was walking back his home with Rei at his side. The day after his meeting with his father he'd purchased a Shogi set with the intention of getting better at the game and Rei had agreed to play with him to that end. As such, they'd been going back to his place nearly every day to play. He'd practice with her and she'd stay for dinner... it was quite fun, even if she had much more natural talent for the game having never played before either. He supposed that was actually a benefit though, after all, it's hard to get better at something if it isn't a bit of a challenge.

This all said though... the elephant in the room was still his unspoken feelings for Rei. He would admit that he'd thought about confessing and he'd had a few moments when they'd cooked dinner together a few days ago where he could have but... he'd chickened out. The thought that she wouldn't reciprocate should he ever confess kept him from doing it. The thought that it could ruin their friendship weighed heavy. He'd decided that he would say something eventually but... it had to be the right moment and he had to be completely sure it would be worth the risk. That... that could be a long way off.

"I wonder how Suzuhara and Asuka are handling their trip to Aida's to deliver his schoolwork," Rei stated softly, breaking the comfortable silence they were walking under. "They to of them do not usually get along..."

Shinji chuckled and turned to her with a grin. "I wouldn't be surprised if they killed each other," he replied.

A ghost of a playful smile appeared on Rei's lips. "I do not think Asuka despises him quite to that point," she returned. "Though I can imagine an argument transpiring between them."

"Yeah," he agreed. "You're probably right, knowing the both of them."

Rei nodded. "Indeed, the both of them are rather hotheaded," she replied.

Shinji had nothing else to say on the matter and decided to change the subject. "Hey, uh... thanks again for helping me practice Shogi," he said softly. "You know you don't have to if you don't want to..."

Rei smiled that beautiful smile that he cherished so much. "It do not mind," she replied. "I enjoy seeing you happy."

He felt his cheeks getting warm and had to look away. "Yeah, but do you enjoy it?" he asked.

"I do," Rei replied. "It is an enjoyable way to pass the time with you."

Shinji smiled. "I'm glad..." he murmured, glancing over at her out of the corner of his eye. He was glad that she wasn't joining him in these games just for his sake, that she actually got some kind of pleasure from it too. Maybe sometime soon he could actually work up the courage to tell her how he really felt...

Rei looked like she was about to add something but right then the distinctive electronic ring of a cell phone interrupted her. Rei immediately halted mid step and pulled her cell phone from her bag. "Hello?" she said.

Shinji watched as Rei's expression became serious. "I see... Yes. I'll be right there..." she said after a pause and immediately hung up the phone before turning to him. "I've been requested at NERV by Dr. Akagi," she stated calmly. "I'm afraid we must part ways."

He felt a wave of disappointment wash over him. He'd really been looking forward to spending more time with her. Then again, he was always happy to spend time with her... "Oh okay. Do you think it will take long?" he asked. He hoped that it wouldn't...

"I cannot say," Rei replied. "However I do hope it doesn't take much time."

Shinji smiled. Maybe they could still have some time together... "Well... I guess I'll make enough dinner for four, just in case you can make it," he returned warmly.

Rei nodded, that beautiful smile of hers returning to her face. If he wasn't imagining it he could have sworn her cheeks turned a little pink too. To be fair though, that didn't necessarily mean anything, she could have simply been a bit embarrassed... "I would like that," she replied softly.

Shinji nodded back. "Sounds good,"he replied. "See you soon."

"See you soon," Rei returned softly before turning and walking swiftly away in the direction the two of them had come from.

Shinji sighed and continued walking back home after watching her walk for a bit of time. Hopefully she'd be able to make it to dinner. Then again, he knew how long things could go on at NERV from experience so he wouldn't get his hopes up...

Ritsuko sat in her office, the phone still in her hand after calling Rei, a cigarette between her lips to ease her stress. The minutes had felt like hours as she'd kept working finishing the final neural programming of the Dummy System for Units 00 and 02, waiting for the time to make the call. In all seriousness, the only reason she'd waited until the end of the day was not to arouse and suspicion by calling her in when there were no official reasons to do so. Either way, the wait had been agonizing...

What she'd been informed of via the meeting was still a shock, not because it was unexpected but because it aligned exactly with what she'd seen in Rei's memory files. Though the order for Unit 03 to be transferred hadn't come down yet she had a gut feeling that it would very soon and as such she felt it was best to inform Rei of these developments. She also needed to ask her a very important questions going forward... and inform her of some things that were inevitable going forward should Unit 03 be transferred.

She took a long inhale of her cigarette and let it out. Ritsuko couldn't help but wonder if Rei's request not to install the Dummy System onboard Unit 01 would change now that things were progressing but only time would tell. Until she arrived, it was back to playing the waiting game.

"I hate the waiting game..." she muttered to herself.

It had taken all the self control Rei could muster to keep her panic under wraps until she'd said goodbye to Shinji. She would admit that him voicing his hope that she could still make it to dinner had assisted in that end, but it had still been difficult not to display the currents of anxiety that had been set in motion by the call from Dr. Akagi. Hearing that the Second Branch's testing facility in the United States had been destroyed just like she remembered was an unwelcome dose of reality...

By the time she'd reached NERV headquarters she'd managed to calm her nerves to the point where she wasn't shaking anymore and by the time she was nearing Dr. Akagi's office she'd accepted the harsh reality of the situation. When she finally reached her destination she knocked softly and waited for the doctor to answer. Rei didn't have long to wait until the door snapped open. "Come inside," Dr. Akagi ordered, stepping back from the door with a pensive expression.

She stepped in and took note of the same pair of folding chairs in the office that had been there the last time she'd met with the faux blonde doctor. She took the same seat she had sat in a week ago without being prompted and Dr. Akagi sat down across from her. "So..." the blonde spoke. "Unit 04 has been destroyed along with most of the Second Branch. This just like before, isn't it?"

Rei nodded and took a deep breath to steady herself. It was still strange to think that she was confiding in and having council with Dr. Akagi of all people... "Regrettably, it is..." she murmured in response.

"Though the order hasn't come through yet, it would be safe to assume that Unit 03 will be transferred," Dr. Akagi continued. "That is... if things continue on the course the did before..."

Rei nodded once again. "That would be a safe assumption," she replied.

Dr. Akagi sighed. "That means that I'll have to select the Fourth Child," she stated. "And you know who that is going to be, don't you?"

Rei frowned and looked down at her hands in her lap. Indeed she did know who it was most likely going to be. She knew that her entire class was made up of potential Eva Pilot candidates but... "Are there any other candidates?" she asked. "Other than Touji Suzuhara?"

The serious expression on Dr. Akagi's face intensified. "There are, but Touji Suzuhara in undeniably the best pick for the newest pilot," she replied. "His athleticism matched with his friendship with yourself and Shinji-kun make him the optimal choice as determined by the Magi. To protest this could raise suspicion in Commander Ikari..."

Rei let those words sink in and they filled her with nothing but a sense of dread. "I see..." she returned softly. "So there's nothing that can be done then..."

"Unfortunately, yes," Dr. Akagi replied.

Rei's frown deepened and she clenched her fists against her knees. Something about the way she said that upset her. The clinical nature of her words reminded her of how things had been between them in her past lives. "Then why did you call me here?" she asked, glaring at the woman before her.

Dr. Akagi's hard expression shifted into one that actually looked a bit sympathetic. "Rei, I'm not trying to be hostile," she replied. "I just... want to know what to expect going forward."

Rei looked down at her feet, trying to calm herself. Dr. Akagi was her ally now, she had to keep reminding herself of that... "I would expect that an Angel will infect Unit 03," she replied.

Dr. Akagi pulled out a cigarette and lit it before folding her arms and turning her head to the side. "Which leads me to my next question for you..." she murmured, exhaling a plume of smoke.

"Which is?" Rei returned.

Dr. Akagi took the cigarette from her lips and turned to face her again, her expression very serious. "I've seen what happened in the timeline you remember," she replied. "Do you genuinely believe that should Unit 03 be assimilated by an Angel that you'll be able to defeat it without the assistance of the Dummy System aboard Unit 01? If I recall correctly, Shinji-kun was reluctant to fight it..."

Rei took in what Dr. Akagi had to say. It was certainly a pointed question and when she'd answered it in past she had been in a very emotional state. Still, her answer wouldn't change. She wasn't about to let Suzuhara die a pointless death and no matter what happened, she didn't want to see Shinji... broken the way he had been. If The Dummy System was used then it would drive a wedge between Shinji and Commander Ikari and if her plan was to work then that could not happen under any circumstance. If the Dummy system were to be used in the current timeline then the results would most likely be even worse considering the two of them were currently on track to actually mend their relationship. If Commander Ikari wrested control of Unit 01 again then Shinji would be absolutely destroyed and she wouldn't let that happen... "Yes..." she replied quietly, her breath hitching in her throat with the gravity of what she was saying. "The Dummy System cannot be used against Unit 03..."

"Are you sure about this?" Dr. Akagi replied, taking another puff off of her cigarette with an expression of genuine concern. "One hundred percent certain?"

Rei nodded. "Yes..." she replied somberly. "It will drive a permanent wedge between Shinji and Commander Ikari."

Dr. Akagi frowned. "Meaning that the best path available to us for averting Third Impact that we know of will be gone..." she muttered.

Rei found that statement... interesting to say the least, puzzling even. "Us?" she inquired.

Dr. Akagi chuckled wryly and took another puff. "We are in this together now, aren't we?" she remarked. "Unless you want me to forget about seeing Gen... Commander Ikari shoot me..."

Rei noted that she was about to call Commander Ikari by his given name. It seemed that Dr. Akagi had unrequited affection for him in this timeline as well, considering this slip of the tongue. It said a lot that, considering this, she'd agreed to help her none the less. She could only imagine the conflict that the faux blonde was grappling with... "We are..." she replied softly. "Though I can understand that you might feel... conflicted."

Dr. Akagi scowled. "I am, but that doesn't matter at present," she muttered. "One way or another, Commander Ikari and the committee need to be stopped..."

Rei nodded. At least Dr. Akagi was someone whom logic could win over emotion. If she wasn't, she wouldn't have been able to form this... shaky alliance of theirs. "Yes," she replied. "I agree."

Dr. Akagi took another puff off her cigarette and stood from her chair, moving to her desk and snubbing the cigarette in the ash tray atop it. "Alright," she replied, glancing back at her. "We'll meet again soon, once things develop further."

Rei stood from her chair and gave a slight, respectful bow. "Understood," she replied. "We will speak again soon." With that she started walking for the exit to the office.

"Rei, wait," Dr. Akagi spoke again.

Rei flinched and turned around. In the back of her mind she still expected Dr. Akagi to turn against her even though it was completely illogical now that she knew what she knew. Perhaps it was due to the trauma that she'd experienced at her hand in the past... "Yes?" she asked.

Dr. Akagi's eyes bored into hers. "Should Unit 03 be transferred, is there anything else I should be aware of?" she asked.

Rei thought on the matter and fidgeted with her sleeve, thinking back to the events surrounding Unit 03's failed activation. Considering Dr. Akgai had seen all of her memories there was little that she could think of that could be relevant. Then again... considering she'd seen the events of her original timeline through her eyes and her eyes only, that meant that certain events weren't easily discerned. This meant that unless certainly things were directly witnessed on talked about that certain events might have been overlooked. Therefore... "Were you able to discern the events regarding the activation of Unit 03... from my memory files?" she asked timidly.

Dr. Akagi glanced downward and adjusted her glasses. "I know that the Eva was undergoing activation at the Matsushiro test site when it was infected by an Angel, but the rest is rather vague," she replied.

It was as she assumed, there were some blank spaces where information might be lacking. "During the activation in the... timeline I remember, there was a massive explosion at the Matsushiro test site that coincided with the activation caused by the Angel," she returned softly.

Dr. Akagi's eyes widened momentarily. "This is... troubling to say the least," she replied. "I would assume that I was present during the event, yes?"

Rei nodded. "You were," she replied. "But you were not injured grievously."

Dr. Akagi sighed. "I guess that's a relief," she muttered before taking a deep breath and smoothing out her lab coat. "However, this is still at present a hypothetical scenario. We do not know how similar things will be going forward considering the differences between the timeline you remember and the one we have both experienced thus far."

This was true and optimistic statement. "I would still suggest taking precautions... for your safety," Rei replied softly.

Dr. Akagi smiled. "I shall," she returned, her tone becoming more relaxed. "I hope that this meeting didn't interfere with any after school plans of yours."

Rei's lips twitched upwards ever so slightly. It was odd that Dr. Akagi would be showing her this kind of concern but it was welcome evidence that their relationship was changing for the better. It was true that the meeting had interfered with her plans She'd been looking forward to playing Shogi with Shinji, both because she'd started to enjoy it and because it was an excuse to spend time with him, but it was too late for a game now. However... it wasn't too late to have dinner at Misato's... "It is not a problem," she replied. "I understand that you needed to talk after what happened today."

Dr. Akagi's smile widened and she actually appeared genuinely friendly before she turned away and sat down at her desk. "Take care Rei," she returned warmly. "See you at the next sync test."

Rei closed the distance to the exit of the office but paused before opening the door. If the relationship with Dr. Akagi were to continue to improve... it was probably a good idea to express gratitude. After all, she was genuinely grateful that she agreed to assist her in her plight. "Thank you again... for assisting me..." she murmured softly.

Dr. Akagi turned her head to face her one last time and nodded. "You're welcome, Rei..." she replied before turning back to her computer. "Oh, and don't forget, there's a harmonics test scheduled tomorrow evening."

"Yes, Dr. Akagi," she returned. "Take care." With that she opened the door, exited the office, and closed it behind her. As she moved through the halls she found herself grinning wider and wider. Yes... if she continued to work for it it was definitely possible that she could overcome any obstruction that the universe could erect...

Gendo sat across from Fuyutsuki in one of the tram cars of the railway that encircled the city of Tokyo 3. After hours of calls in his office with various United States government officials, United Nations staff, personnel from the Second Branch, the Third Branch in Germany... it was all so tiresome, and so he'd elected to take a break from it. Cruising around the city under the evening sun and discussing things with Fuyutuski was certainly better than sitting in the office and doing it. After sitting in there for hours it was a needed change of scenery...

"The city... a paradise made by mankind," Fuyutuski mused softly. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

It was indeed beautiful, but also a testament to mankind's solemn lot in the universe. In cities people are always in close proximity, kept warm by their hearths, and yet so distant from their neighbors, an atomized existence... just like his own in all honesty. "Driven from paradise, mankind escapes to this existence, between god and beast on the razor's edge of life and death," he replied. "Created by the weakest of beings, created by the sapience born of that weakness... this paradise is our creation."

"To protect ourselves from the fear that death instills in us," Fuyutsuki returned, seemingly in agreement. "To satiate our beings with pleasure to distract from this, we created a paradise by and for ourselves. This city surely is a paradise, a fortress designed and built to protect us..."

Gendo frowned. "A city designed for people who run in fear from the outside world..." he muttered. A city for people like himself... "From the world of our enemies..."

The train entered a tunnel, cutting the two of them off from the warmth of the evening sun. "Of course, cowards do tend to live longer," Fuyutsuki posited. "That is one benefit, is it not?"

Gendo grunted in begrudging agreement to this sad and pathetic truth. "Indeed..." he muttered.

"The third new Tokyo... NERV's hidden intercept base..." Fuyutsuki continued. "And now... the long delayed seventh construction phase is set to be finished at last. It's almost complete."

"Yes..." Gendo replied.

The tunnel opened and revealed that they had descended back into the geofront, back into NERV... "Now... about Unit 04's accident, how will you present that to the committee?" Fuyutuski asked.

Gendo pondered the question for a moment. As convenient as this development was toward his ends he didn't have any involvement in the incident. He would admit that he'd been laying plans to sabotage the operational status of Unit 04 but he had not had time to press them forward before the incident... "With the facts," he replied flatly. "The cause is at present unknown."

"This was a major catastrophe..." Fuyutsuki murmured.

Indeed there was a substantial human cost but it was not important in the grand scheme of his designs and of SEELE's in opposition to him for that matter... "This tragedy is of no consequence to us," he replied. "Regardless of what's occurred, the data on the S2 organ is safe in Germany. The destruction of the sample is inconsequential. Unit 01 and this installation are enough to hold until the end."

"I must state, the committee is in a total panic," Fuyutsuki rebutted.

"Of course they're panicked," Gendo scoffed in response. "This wasn't according to their schedule."

Fuyutsuki chuckled at that comment. "Yes," he replied. "SEELE must be busy rewriting their scenario to accommodate for it."

Gendo couldn't help but snicker. The thought of the old men pulling out what little hair that remained of them in panic was an amusing image. "Incidents not depicted in the Dead Sea Scrolls may occur," he returned. "This should teach those old men a lesson."

"Verily," Fuyutuski replied. "But I doubt it will. Their arrogance knows no bounds."

"An astute assumption," Gendo agreed.

"So... on to lighter topics..." Fuyutsuki spoke after a moment of pause, his tone sly. "You mentioned earlier that your son visited you about about a week ago..."

Gendo instantly didn't like the way this was going. It was much easier to talk about things relating to NERV and his plans than... that. "He did," he replied curtly.

"And you mentioned the two of you played Shogi together," Fuyutsuki continued.

"Yes," Gendo replied flatly, trying his best not to glare at the older man.

Fuyutsuki chuckled. "This is something the two of us often enjoy," he mused.

"Yes," Gendo once again replied, clenching his fist against his knee. Could this conversation possibly have had a more uncomfortable turn? It was true that he'd spent time with Shinji and it was also true that he was... happy that their relationship was mending. It was also true that he'd enjoyed playing Shogi with his son and letting him have a glimpse into his life but... it wasn't Fuyutuski's place to comment!

"Do you intend to continue allowing him into your personal affairs?" Fuyutsuki asked, his tone almost playful.

Gendo glared back at the older man. "Fuyutsuki..." he growled.

"Yes?" he replied with a playful grin.

"Know you place," Gendo spat.

It was a few hours after her meeting with Rei that she'd gotten the news of Unit 03's impending transfer to Tokyo 03 and the activation test at Matsushiro would soon follow. It was very unnerving to think that things were going so similarly to the way these events had played out in Rei's memory data but there was a small comfort knowing that she could predict what most likely what would happen going forward. At the same time there was that dread... knowing that she couldn't do much to change those events. It made her feel powerless over the situation, something she'd not often felt, and did not like feeling, in her position as head of scientific development... She could only imagine how Rei felt regarding this event and events previously that she'd known were coming. This sense of dread and helplessness was simply agonizing...

Now she was heading in the NERV the day after the incident to preside over the next harmonics test and present Gendo with the finished Dummy System. She rode on one of the many enormous escalators a few feet behind Misato as she descended into the depths where all of this would occur... "So what's to become of Unit 03?" her friend asked.

Ritsuko bit her lip. "It's to be transferred here," she replied after a moment of pause. "The US government doesn't want to risk losing the entirety of the Second Branch of NERV."

Misato huffed and turned her head to face her with an angry look. "Didn't they press for the rights to build Units 03 and 04 in the first place? Their really pushing it..."

"I don't blame them..." Ritsuko replied softly. "After a disaster like that anyone would get a bit anxious..."

"And how are you going to handle the test activation?" Misato asked. "Will you use the Dummy Plug for it?"

Ritsuko scowled. "Unfortunately the Dummy System cannot be readied for Unit 03 in time..." she replied. "A pilot will be selected..."

Moments later the two of them stepped off on the floor they had been heading to. "Does the Marduk Institute already have a candidate?" Misato asked as they continued walking down the corridor they were deposited into.

"They do," Ritsuko replied.

Misato fell in step beside her with a shocked expression. "They do?" she asked, as if she hadn't believed her words.

Ritsuko scowled. Perhaps it was too early to give things away... "I'll make sure you get a report once things are finalized," she replied.

Misato seemed to take this in but she said nothing. Instead, she continued following her to her office, stepping in behind her and standing over her shoulder as she booted up her computer. "How come I haven't been informed of the Marduk Institute's choice?" she asked. "Are you hiding something from me?"

Ritsuko frowned and pulled up the documents regarding the prime candidate for the Fourth Child. It would seem that she was getting suspicious of the Marduk Institute... she couldn't blame her. "I'm not hiding anything," she replied. "Take a look for yourself..."

Misato looked leaned in over her shoulder and visibly tensed up. "Him?" she inquired after a moment of pause, her voice filled with shock. "Are you serious?"

Ritsuko nodded. "Yes..." she replied softly. "The prospective candidates need to be kept together for ease of selection. It can't be helped."

"Shit..." Misato murmured. "I don't know how to tell them... Rei and Asuka will be fine but Shinji... piloting is hard enough for him as it is... I don't want to expose him to any more stress..."

If only she could be privy to the things that she knew... knowing that the boy that would become the Fourth Child would die if Rei couldn't influence the hands of fate... "I know," Ritsuko replied, trying to explain the reality of the situation without explaining the reality of the situation or the reality of the Marduk Institute. "But the potential candidates need to be gathered together out of necessity. It's an imperative for our own survival. You shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't complicate things?" Misato cut her off with a scowl. "Of course..."

Ritsuko frowned. "It's just the way that things are. We don't have much choice in the matter," she replied. "I'm sure you can understand."

Misato's scowl deepened. "Yeah... I do..." she replied just above a whisper before storming out of the room.

Ritsuko heaved a heavy sigh and lit a cigarette after he friend departed and her footsteps had faded down the hallway. She would admit that recently she'd become practically a chain-smoker from the stress and internal conflict she'd been dealing with. It wasn't a good things but it was all she could think of doing to cope with recent developments.

She slumped back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling with a frown. Soon she'd have to oversee the synchronization tests of the day and then show Gendo the finished Dummy System. He was probably going to order her to onboard the Fourth shortly thereafter. With every passing moment the dread she felt intensified...

Her cell phone rang and instantly her heart began pounding faster. She had a pretty good idea of who it would be... "Hello?" she answered.

"Dr. Akagi," Gendo's baritone voice sounded in her ear. "Is the Dummy System finished?"

"Yes sir," she replied. "I'll present to you the finished product after the harmonics test later today."

"Very well," Gendo returned. "As you know, Unit 03 has been scheduled for transfer to our combat unit. Will the dummy plug be used for the activation?"

Ritsuko frowned. She had only just finished the program. Calibrating it for yet another Eva would be impossible considering the timetable, as much as she wished she could have it ready... "Negative, unfortunately," she replied. "Preparing it for Unit 03 on such short notice is out of the realm of possibility."

"I see," he replied, his tone dispassionate as ever. "Report to Tokyo 3 Municipal Junior High and select the Fourth Child immediately."

Ritsuko bit her lip. So this was it then... "Yes sir..." she returned softly.

The phone went dead and Ritsuko pulled it away from her ear, her sense of dread multiplying with every passing moment. Knowing that she would be handing out a potential death sentence to one of Rei and Shinji's friends was a deeply unpleasant feeling...

The previous evening had gone relatively well in Shinji's opinion. Rei had managed to make it back for dinner which had been rather pleasant even if they hadn't had time for much else. After dinner they'd sat and watched television of a little while before Rei had gone home. It was definitely an enjoyable experience, sitting with his best friend turned crush until it started to get dark in front of the TV.

Asuka had actually joined them during this which had been... awkward, but it was a sign that things were getting less tense between himself and her as time marched onward. He'd thought about asking her about her trip to deliver Kensuke's work to him but he knew how well she got along with Touji and ultimately decided against it, knowing she'd probably go on a long winded angry rant. After Rei had left she'd gone to bed and that had been the end of their interaction until morning.

Misato had gotten home late, only a little while before he himself had gone to bed for the night. He'd asked her what had kept her at the office but she'd refused to answer in any detail. It was a bit worrisome how she'd been having to stay late at NERV almost every day for weeks but he supposed with everything that had been going on it was understandable.

Morning had come and gone as it usually did. Rei had shown up, Asuka had made snarky comments, he'd tried his best not to be awkward... the usual. Now it was beginning of lunch break at school. Shinji had found himself pulled aside to head to the roof by Kensuke for a reason that his friend had not yet explained. He hoped it was actually something interesting at least. It would be a shame to miss Rei enjoying the meal he'd packed for her to hear things about a battleship that he could care less about...

Kensuke shut the door behind him as soon as they were both on the roof. "So, do you have the details?" he inquired immediately after turning around.

Shinji blinked in surprised. "What details?" he asked, completely puzzled.

Now it was Kensuke's turn to blink in surprise. "What? You mean you don't know?" he replied.

Shinji was starting to get annoyed already and frowned accordingly. "What do you mean what do I mean I don't know?" he retorted.

"About Evangelion Unit 03," Kensuke replied excitedly. "I heard a rumor from my dad that it's completed and getting transferred here!"

Shinji shook his head. No one had told him about this... "I... I didn't know about that," he replied.

"I know it's classified but you must know something!" Kensuke pressed, stepping closer with an excited grin. "Come on! Tell me!"

Shinji recoiled from his friend. If this really was the case then how come Misato hadn't told him? "I really have no idea, Kensuke," he replied honestly. "This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Now it was Kensuke's turn to look confused. "Haven't you heard that the activation test is probably going to be held at Matsushiro?" he returned.

Shinji found it honestly unnerving that his friend seemingly knew more about the inner workings of things at NERV than he did... "No, I honestly haven't..." he replied.

"So... if it is being transferred, do you think there a possibility that the pilot hasn't been chosen yet?" Kensuke asked.

Shinji shook his head. He was really starting to get annoyed with answering all these questions, he would much rather be spending lunch with Rei... "I really don't know, okay, I don't know," he replied, frustration starting to seep into his tone.

Kensuke once again stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder which made him feel a bit uncomfortable. "If they haven't selected a pilot, could you ask Katsuragi-san if she could make me the pilot?" he asked excitedly, a huge grin on his bespectacled face. "Can you! Being an Eva pilot would be amazing!"

"I'm not sure it works like that..." Shinji replied nervously, finding his friend's request a bit disturbing. He'd seen first hand just how messed up it was to be a pilot and he still wanted to be one? Was he insane?

"I see..." Kensuke returned softly, looking down for a moment as if pondering this. "Well... have you heard the rumors about Unit 04?"

Shinji shook his head. "No," he replied.

"I heard that it along with half of the Second NERV Branch disappeared the other night," Kensuke replied. "My dad's entire office was in a total panic..."

Shinji's breath caught in his throat upon hearing this. Was this why Misato hadn't wanted to talk about work last night? "Are you sure about this?" he asked nervously.

Kensuke chuckled wryly. "I have my sources," he replied.

Shinji scowled. "Misato didn't tell me..." he muttered. Why wouldn't she tell him about something relevant like that? The possible answers to that question were upsetting. Did she think he couldn't handle it?

Kensuke shrugged his shoulders. "Well, since it doesn't directly concern you and the other pilots I can understand if she didn't tell you," he replied.

Shinji's scowl only deepened...

Toward the end of lunch break Hikari asked her if she had a moment to speak in private. The minute that she did she knew exactly what it was going to be about. "So, you want to know about yesterday when that dumbass you have a crush on and I delivered four eye's classwork, right?" she asked with a sigh.

Hikari shuffled her feet and her cheeks turned a little pink. "Yeah," she replied. "I was just wondering if he said anything about me."

Asuka snorted. "No, he didn't," she replied. "We barely spoke and when we did it was mostly to argue and make barbed comments."

Hikari giggled softly. "I can imagine," she returned. "The two of you don't get along very well after all. But he's not all that bad."

Asuka thought back to what that moron had said about visiting his sister. "Yeah, I guess," she replied with a frown. "He does care a lot about his family and friends I guess so he does have some redeeming qualities I guess..."

Hikari nodded, her own expression becoming serious. "Yeah, he really does," she returned. "I need to say something to him... otherwise we might just... drift away."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Then just do it then! If he accepts your confession then great and if he doesn't then just move on!" she huffed. She knew she'd had trouble following her own advice but still...

Hikari's lips curved upward in a wan smile. "I'm sorry, Asuka, that's just... I can't," she replied. "I'm not like you..."

Asuka couldn't help but find a bit of irony in the conversation she was locked into. Here she was, trying to help play matchmaker and she herself was bitterly alone. What a sick twist of fate... "Well, why don't you start slow then?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" Hikari asked.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "I don't know, talk to him about things you have in common," she returned with a sigh. "You both have siblings you try and care for, why don't you talk about that? If that doesn't work, you could always just bring him lunch. You know that moron won't pass up food."

Hikari blinked. "You think so?" she asked.

Asuka scoffed. "Have you seen the way he scarfs down a meal at lunch, even though all he ever eats is the crap from the school store?" she retorted with a lopsided grin.

Hikari's smile became more confident with those words. "I guess you're right..." she murmured in reply.

It was mere minutes after the end of lunch that the intercom system in the room came to life. "Touji Suzuhara to the principal's office," a woman's voice rang out. "Touji Suzuhara to the principal's office."

"Hey, what did you do?" Kensuke whispered to him, leaning over in his seat.

Touji shrugged his shoulders. He couldn't think of anything he'd done that would warrant being called to the office for discipline. "I don't know," he replied, standing up from his seat.

Kensuke snickered. "It's probably about your grades or something," he teased.

Touji rolled his eyes and headed for the hallway without another word. Yeah, his grades had been slipping but it wasn't nice of his friend to tease him about that... He made his way to the office, unsure of what awaited him.

When he reached his destination he pressed open the door. He'd expected the school principal to be there but her wasn't. Instead, that blonde haired woman he'd met at the party at Shinji's place was there, standing in front of the desk and staring at him with serious expression with her arms folded across her chest. Something about the way she was standing was... actually a bit intimidating. "Uh... hello?" he asked.

"Hello, Suzuhara-kun, I'm Dr. Akagi in case you don't remember me," she greeted with a forced smile.

"I remember you," he replied. "You were at the party for Misato-san's promotion."

The blonde woman nodded and her forced grin evaporated. "How are you?" she asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and mirrored her folded arm expression. "Good, I guess..." he replied. "What's this about?"

Dr. Akagi's expression became even more serious. She turned around and picked up a clipboard off the principal's desk and began to read from it. "According to the Marduk Institute's latest report, you have been selected as the primary candidate to become the Fourth Child and the pilot of Evangelion Unit 03," she stated flatly.

Touji's eyes went wide and his stomach churned. No... there was no way... "Wh- what?" he stammered in disbelief.

Dr. Akagi stared back at him stone faced. "You have the opportunity to become an Evangelion pilot," she stated. "Aren't you excited?"

Touji shook his head. He knew what kind of hell Shinji went through every time he got in the cockpit. Hell, he'd seen up close and personal exactly how terrifying it was to be a pilot once before... "Look, I think you've got the wrong guy..." he returned, trying to save face and get out of being drafted at the same time...

Dr. Akagi's expression darkened and she glanced off to her side. "According to the files we have on you and the interrogation NERV conducted after your stint onboard Unit 01, the Marduk Institute has assessed you to be the best option for Unit 03," she replied. "The fate of the world is at stake. Will you really pass up an opportunity to... help your friends?"

Touji grit his teeth. How dare she call his sense of honor into question... was he really that much of a coward? "I'm not a coward!" he spat. "But I don't even know the first thing about being a pilot."

Dr. Akagi's lip twitched. Was she discouraged or amused? He couldn't tell... "Neither did Shinji when he first arrived in Tokyo 3," she replied, shuffling with the clipboard in her hands. "We will... teach you."

There was just... something odd about this woman's mannerisms but she did drive a good point. He bit the inside of his lip and stared down at his feet. Who was he to say no? As Dr. Akagi said, the fate of the world could be at stake... and who was he to refuse the call? He would answer the call... but there was going to be something in it for him if he was gonna do so. "I'll do it," he replied. "I'll be Unit 03's pilot."

Dr. Akagi nodded. "Good," she replied, straightening herself up and starting for the door behind him.

Touji balled his fist at his side. "On one condition..." he growled.

Dr. Akagi halted her walk and looked down at him. "Which is?" she asked.

"I want my sister transferred to NERV's hospital," he bit out, glaring up at her. "I want her taken care of and I know your facilities are probably better than any civilian ones..."

Dr. Akagi smiled somberly down at him and nodded. "It will be done," she replied curtly, moving past him for the door. "Good luck... Fourth Child..." she added as she left.

Touji stood in the office alone for a good amount of time before returning to class, taking in the gravity of what had just happened to him. He wondered if Shinji had felt the same fear that froze his feet where he stood when he had been first recruited...

When the day ended, Rei found herself walking from school to NERV beside Asuka and Shinji for their scheduled harmonics test. Ever since lunch Shinji seemed to be in a contemplative mood and it raised concerns. Could something have happened during his conversation with Aida? "Shinji?" she asked softly. "Is something on your mind?"

Shinji jolted and turned toward her, as if he'd been shaken from his internal contemplation. "Y- yeah..." he stammered, turning his gaze down toward his feet. "Have you heard anything about what happened to Unit 04?"

Rei's eyes widened. How had he found out about this? She hadn't told him and she doubted that Misato would have told him... "What did you hear?" she asked.

Shinji's expression darkened. "Kensuke said he heard a rumor that it was destroyed," he replied. "And that Unit 03 is being transferred here..."

"How the hell does that four-eyed nerd know about things like that? No one told me about this!" Asuka scoffed. "How could he know more than we do?"

"His dad works for NERV..." Shinji replied softly. "Or something like that..."

Well that made some degree of sense. Still, she wasn't prepared for him to have found out yet... "I haven't heard about this..." she lied, biting her lip as soon as she spoke those words. She hated lying to him but explaining how she knew would have been an... uncomfortable conversation.

Asuka sighed. "Well, having another Eva will be a boost to our combat effectiveness," she replied glumly. "But it will reduce our share of the glory in battle..."

Rei frowned and turned to her redheaded friend. She had no idea of what was coming but that comment irked her nonetheless. "Glory in battle isn't our purpose," she returned softly.

Asuka huffed in annoyance. "Yeah, well... it's a byproduct of what we do," she grumbled. "Sharing that with either of you is hard enough..."

"I don't care about glory," Shinji stated soberly. "I just want to survive this war..."

Rei resonated with that statement in a very profound way. It was the heart of her entire existence after receiving Yui-sama's gift... "I agree..." she replied.

"So, I wonder who the pilot is going to be..." Asuka muttered.

Shinji shrugged his shoulders. "I could be anyone," he replied. "It'll probably won't be anyone we know, I mean, none of us knew each other before we became pilots."

"Yeah," Asuka agreed. "You have a point."

Rei scowled and stared at her feet as she continued walking, saying nothing. She knew who the pilot was going to be but she couldn't say, at least until she knew for certain he'd been recruited. She had a sneaking suspicion that was why Suzuhara had been called to the principal's office. Then again... it really wouldn't be her place to tell them. If anything, she would encourage Suzuhara to tell Shinji just like she had before.

Even so... the weight of knowing what was coming was agonizing...

Touji sat at his desk, sipping on a iced tea he'd bought from the school shop. He knew he should probably start the cleanup duty that he'd been assigned but he was too deep in thought after what had happened earlier in the day to work up the motivation. The anxiety he felt about becoming an Eva pilot was... immense. He'd never thought that he'd ever find himself in a position where he'd have to risk his life like that. He'd never considered himself a coward but he was definitely neverous of whatever lay ahead for him. Then again, after witnessing a battle against one of those Angel monsters from the cockpit of an Eva already, how could he not be.

"Suzuhara?" the voice of Class Representative Horaki shook him from his thoughts.

He looked up to see her standing in the doorway to the classroom with a somewhat concerned expression. "Oh, hey class rep..." he replied softly, looking down at the can in his hand and taking another sip. She was probably just going to scold him like she always did. It would be really nice if she could pay attention to him the way he wanted her to instead...

"You're... on cleanup duty," she said, her tone sounding almost concerned. "You have to line up these desks and clean off the blackboard..."

He sighed. "I'll take care of it in a minute," he replied soberly. "As soon as I'm finished with my drink, okay?"

There was a short pause before she spoke again. "Hey, do you always buy your lunch from the school shop?" she asked. "I don't think I've ever seen you bring a lunch..."

This was odd. Was she actually showing concern for him? This was a... nice little twist on how things usually went between them. Maybe he did really have a shot with her after all. Any other day that thought would make him feel pretty good but after the meeting with Dr. Akagi... he doubted there was anything that could lift his spirits. "Yeah," he replied, meeting her gaze once more. "There's no one at home that can cook..."

"Suzuhara..." Horaki spoke, seeming to hesitate. He watched her intently as he sipped his drink. "I have two sisters, their names are Kodama and Nozomi... I always make lunches for them, every day."

Touji sighed. "That sounds like a lot of work," he replied.

She smiled at him and he could have sworn she blushed. "I'm actually a pretty good cook, though you'd never know it by looking at me," she replied.

"Oh, cool," he returned. What was she getting at? Was she here to scold him or to brag?

"You see... I always end up making too much for just the three of us," she continued.

Well... maybe he did have a shot after all. If that was the case then he had to play it cool... "That's definitely a waste," he replied with a slight grin. "If you need help getting rid of the leftovers than I'll help."

Horaki smiled at him. "Yes please!" she returned, enthusiastically.

He chugged down the rest of his iced tea and stood from his seat. "Alright then," he replied, forcing a smile. "I'll finish up in here now. No need to supervise."

"Alright," Horaki returned, turning to leave the room. "See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow," he replied.

Horaki departed the room and Touji was left with nothing but silence and his own thoughts once again. If she'd told him all this before he'd signed on with NERV he would have probably been ecstatic that the girl he'd been crushing on all year might actually be into him but now... it wasn't enough to reduce or distract from the fear he was trying to keep under wraps. He couldn't help but think what would happen if they actually did get together and he got himself killed in battle. That was something he would never forgive himself for. It was best to just... keep things as they were... for now.

He set about cleaning the blackboard, his mind drifting to his sister. He had to visit her later in the day and tell her the big news. If anyone deserved to know first it was Sakura. He was doing it for her anyway...

Asuka was already in a bad mood before the harmonics test pissed her off but said test had elevated her already negative mood. Of course Shinji had scored top marks, surpassing both herself and Rei, what a surprise... It just drove home how she was slipping and that pissed her off to no end! After the test Dr. Akagi asked Rei to stay behind for some reason. This wouldn't have effected her but of course Shinji had elected to hang around NERV until Rei was free, further adding to her stress. That loyalty and devotion the two of them shared was infuriating. Where was someone to always be there for her like that? She was positively green with envy as she stalked off of the locker room alone...

After changing back into her school uniform she walked through the halls of NERV basically without aim. She didn't want to go home and sit in her room or the living room for hours until someone else got home but she also had nothing to do at NERV so she just... wandered the halls. That is... until she realized that she wandered right in front of Kaji's office. She knew that he was involved with Misato now but... she did miss talking to him. Maybe teasing him for old time's sake could make her feel better. Hell, anything at all would make her feel better than the loop of angst and loneliness she found her self spiraling down...

She tried to knob and found that his door was unlocked. Quietly she slipped inside and stepped closer to him. His back was to her and it looked like he was completely unaware of her entry as he typed on his computer. "Hey Kaji," she called out. "How's it going?"

"Oh, hey Asuka," he replied, still typing away. "I'm busy right now. Sorry, but can it wait?"

She scowled instantly. He always had time for Misato but with anyone else he never had time... She stepped over to him and leaned against his desk. "Come on, what's got you so busy?" she whined, putting on her best pouting expression.

"Oh you know, office things," he replied with a smile, clicking send on the email he had been typing and closing his browser window. "I'm sure it would bore you."

It was then that she noticed what was still open on his computer screen and leaned in to get a better look. "Hey, is this our sync data?" she asked. Then her eyes went wide when she read across the chart... "Fourth!?" she exclaimed in shock and displeasure. "Are you serious! Mein Gott im himmel, who the hell made him the Fourth Child!"

Kaji sighed. "Sorry that you saw that," he muttered. "It would have been better if Misato had told you first..."

Asuka clenched her jaw. Nothing would make it better. To think that of all people that Touji Suzuhara was going to be an Eva pilot was insulting. Sure, he wasn't as terrible as she used to think he was but still... she didn't want any more competition. Shinji was already scoring better than her in sync ratio, if he were to someday be better than her too then...

She didn't want to think about that and stormed out of the office with a frustrated snarl. As she walked she tried to focus on her breathing and calm down. The more she thought about that possibility the more upset she was getting so best to just shove it down and try to forget about it. He was probably going to suck at being a pilot anyway.

It was then she turned a corner in the hallway and nearly bowled into Misato. Just like that, her anger flared up once more. No doubt she was going to visit Kaji for some alone time in his office like the perverted woman she was... "Hey, are you okay?" Misato asked her as she stomped on by.

"No," she spat as she continued on her way. "I'm pretty fucking far from okay..."

Misato wasn't sure why Asuka was up in a tizzy but she could wait to find out. Before that she needed to speak to Kaji about the developments regarding the Fourth Child. The Marduk Institute selecting him so quickly... it didn't make sense. As soon as she'd finished the reports related to the latest harmonics test that Ritsuko had conducted she'd made a a beeline for his office, hoping to find him there and get some answers.

The door to his office was open so she stepped right in, finding him sitting at his desk with his chin in his palm. "Hey, you got a minute?" she called out.

Kaji turned around with a playful grin. "First Asuka comes to see me and now you, Katsuragi?" he mused. "My oh my I seem to popular today, don't I?"

Misato frowned. "Funny, Asuka usually isn't in such a bad mood after seeing you," she replied. "What did you say to her."

Kaji sighed and chuckled. "Well, you know how teenage girls can be..." he replied, that infuriating playful grin remaining on his face. "I'm assuming you came to me for something?"

Misato glared at him and stepped closer. "Yeah I did," she returned, folding her arms across her chest. "You know the secrets behind the Marduk Institute and that... Adam creature in Terminal Dogma don't you?"

Kaji looked away and folded his arms behind his head. "What secrets?" he replied.

Misato stepped even closer until she was almost on top of him. "Don't play games with me!" she hissed.

Kaji snickered and smirked up at her. "It's not like you to ask for help..." he mused.

Her frown deepened. "Yeah, well, I'm asking," she bit back. "Something's not right here. The way the Fourth Child was found was way too fast and way too convenient. You gotta admit that something seems fishy..."

Instantly Kaji's expression shifted, becoming much more serious. He stood up and walked past her without a word, shutting the door to his office before pivoting around and facing her. He leaned his head in close, so close that she could feel his breath against her lips as he spoke. "I can't say much but I will tell you this... the Marduk Institute doesn't exist," he replied. "NERV is the only one pulling the strings."

Those words came as a shock. "NERV's pulling the strings?" she asked nervously. "What does that mean?"

"Code 707 would be a good place to start looking into it," Kaji replied.

Misato's stomach lurched. She knew exactly what that meant... "That's Shinji's school..." she murmured darkly.

"Correct," Kaji returned. "I believe that NERV has purposely gathered all potential candidates in that one place."

Misato looked down at her feet. Just how deep did the conspiracies go? The Evas, Adam, the Marduk Institute being fake? What did it all mean? What was the ultimate purpose of it? One way or another, she was going to find out...

Kaji's seriousness expression evaporated, replaced with the playful smirk of moments before. He turned for the exit. "All this talk has gotten me thirsty," he said as he opened the door, standing in it and looking over his shoulder at her. "Time to grab some refreshments from the lounge I think! Care to join me?"

Misato begrudgingly began following after him. She hated how he could be so open and yet so shut off all at once. Then again, considering his real occupation it was understandable. In a way... it was actually charming, how he really fit the role of the spy he actually was.

She just hated that it kinda worked on her...

Gendo stood beside Rei and Dr. Akagi in the depths of Terminal Dogma before an entirely red entry plug suspended in the air above him in the dark room it inhabited. This was it, the finished Dummy Plug, one of the keys to SEELE's scenario which he'd been tasked with overseeing the creation of. He supposed it was a good thing to have though, in case a pilot were to ever become incapacitated or killed. Still, a part of him was aware that this system would ultimately be wielded against him in the late stages of his plan. By then it wouldn't matter though. For now its completion meant he could remain in good standing with the old men while he worked to undermine their scheming...

"This is the finished Dummy Plug prototype," Dr. Akagi stated. "Rei's psychological profile and combat experience have been imprinted into it. However, our current level of technology cannot digitize a human mind and soul. In short, this is merely a facsimile that merely emulates the pilot's thinking processes. It's still only a machine..."

"It transmits a signal pattern to the Eva, that is enough," Gendo replied. "If the Eva can be tricked in to believing there is a pilot present and synchronizes then it is adequate."

"Very true, sir," Dr. Akagi returned softly.

He scowled up at the device. He'd initially intended for the Dummy System to be used onboard Unit 01 but he remembered that Dr. Akagi was having trouble calibrating it for that unit. It was a shame, it could potentially alleviate his son's suffering in combat... "Are you still having issues adapting it for Unit 01?" he inquired.

"I am..." Dr. Akagi replied after a short pause. "Though I believe the problems can be overcome within a matter of weeks."

Gendo's scowl deepened ever so slightly. A few weeks of waiting could make or break so many things with the Angels that were predicted yet to come in the Dead Sea Scrolls... "Very well," he replied after drawing a deep breath. "Install the system onboard Unit 00 and Unit 02. Be sure to have it calibrated for Unit 01 as soon as possible..."

"Yes sir," Dr. Akagi replied.

He turned to Rei. It had been a while since he'd been able to speak with her, not since the day after the demise of the Twelfth Angel and so he'd requested Dr. Akagi bring her along for this event. Though he was busy, it was prudent that he make some time for her considering his plans ultimately rested on her. The fact that he enjoyed her company was an added bonus... "Rei, are you well?" he asked.

The blue haired girl nodded. "I am well, Commander Ikari," she replied. "Thank you for asking."

He nodded in response. "I see," he replied. "How are things at school?"

"Good," Rei replied. "My studies are going well as are my interactions with the other pilots."

"I see," Gendo returned, a small smile forming on his lips. It was his fault that she was so sheltered, purposefully so for the success of his plans, but it was endearing to see her speak in such clinical terms about normal teenager things... despite how detrimental it could potentially be. "That's good."

Rei fidgeted and bit her lip. "Commander Ikari..." she murmured.

His eyes narrowed behind his glasses. Why was she fidgeting? What was she nervous about? Since when did she display nervousness in front of him? "Yes?" he inquired.

"Pilot Ikari is... my friend," she replied. "We have been speaking casually and he informed me that he visited you at your office the other day. Is this true?"

Well... that was certainly an unexpected question. It actually surprised him how uncomfortable the question really made him. "Correct," he replied flatly, doing his best to conceal any and all elicited emotion.

Rei nodded. "He expressed to me that he enjoyed spending time with you," she returned. "And that he looks forward to seeing you again soon."

Gendo's eyes widened at this statement and was thankful that they were concealed behind his sunglasses. Knowing his son appreciated their time together the other day was pleasant but he had not expected Rei to tell him this, especially now of all times. Has his son asked her to relay this? Well... he supposed it didn't matter really why she'd felt the need to tell him these things... It was actually a bit endearing that she was so close with his son. At the very least it seemed his gambit of getting closer to the boy to keep her loyal to him was working, at least that was what he kept telling himself was the reason he'd indulged Shinji the other day. "I see..." he replied after a long pause. "I will take this under consideration."

Rei smiled softly and dipped her head in a slight bow. "Thank you, sir," she returned warmly.

Gendo nodded and clasped his hands behind his back. "Very well," he said before turning and walking away from the scientist and his ward. "You are both dismissed."

"Yes sir," Dr. Akagi replied.

"Understood..." Rei murmured.

He wasted no time in leaving for his office. Anything was better than continuing such an awkward conversation, especially in front of Dr. Akagi...

Rei breathed a shaky sigh of relief as soon as Commander Ikari left the room. It was a gamble to bring up his recent meeting with Shinji, especially in front of Dr. Akagi but... with what she knew was coming she might not have many chances to reinforce her efforts to influence him. She counted herself lucky that her words hadn't seemed to arouse any kind of suspicion. At the same time, it was very stark and glaring proof that her plans, at least in regards to his bond with his son mending, were hitting the mark. She couldn't know how close he was to abandoning his aims if at all but it was proof that their relationship was mending and that it meant something to him. It was further proof that she was on the right track...

"I have to hand it to you Rei..." Dr. Akagi said with a chuckle. "That was impressive."

Rei turned to face her and was met with a sly grin from the faux blonde scientist. Was she condescending to her of genuinely complimenting her? "What do you mean?" she inquired.

"Speaking to the commander like that? I don't think I've ever seen him so bewildered," Dr. Akagi replied her tone shifting from humor to seriousness. "Quite a risky move I will say..."

It would seem that the doctor understood her maneuver to be effective and also understood the risk she'd taken with her words. Perhaps she was scolding her... "I would agree..." Rei replied, looking down at her feet.

Dr. Akagi sighed. "Well... if that little exchange gets him paranoid, I'll be one of the first to know since I'm in charge of your health, physical and psychological," she replied.

Rei nodded. "I doubt he will sense something awry," she replied meeting the doctor's stern gaze. "This proves that his bond with his son is important to him, and exploiting that is key."

Dr. Akagi frowned and regarded her with a stern expression "That might be case but it was still very risky," she returned firmly. "And it may have unintended consequences in the future. It was already a risk for me to deny that the Dummy Plug could be installed on Unit 01, compounding that was a rash choice on your part."

Rei once again looked at the floor. "But... I doubt that unintended consequences will occur..." she protested meekly.

"Still, I would suggest greater caution in speaking on such matters with him," Dr. Akagi replied. "At least for my sake."

That was a curious statement. "What do you mean?" Rei asked in response.

Dr. Akagi chortled wryly. "We're in this together now, for better or for worse," she replied cynically. "But unlike you, I don't have a tank full of spare bodies I can slip into should things go poorly for me..."

Rei tensed. The fear of being replaced should the commander find it necessary came roaring back into her consciousness. The memory of losing parts of her memory every time that she'd died crashed over her and her heartbeat quickened. "I... I don't... it doesn't... It's not that easy..." she murmured softly.

Dr. Akagi cocked an eyebrow. "Meaning?" she inquired.

Rei bit her lip. Time to share another unpleasant truth of her situation... "Every time I've... died... the memories don't return fully," she replied, her anxiety spiking with every word. "They only returned in full during the Third Impact... If I... die... I might not come back... the same..."

Dr. Akagi's eyes widened. "Oh..." she muttered, looking away from her with a deep, remorseful frown. "Then... let's make sure that doesn't happen then..."

Rei breathed a deep sigh. "Indeed..." she murmured softly, just above a whisper.

Dr. Akagi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps we should... talk strategy more often," she replied. "To reduce the risks for both of us, going forward."

Rei nodded. Those words and her gesture were strangely comforting in the moment. "I would like that," she returned.

Dr. Akagi's lips turned upward. "We're in this together now," she replied. "Let's... start acting like it."

Rei nodded once again. "I agree," she replied, a smile of her own beginning to manifest.

With that, the two of them fell in step and started walking out of the room in the direction of the nearest elevator back to the surface. She knew it had been a while, but Rei couldn't help but wonder if Shinji was still waiting for her. The thought was certainly pleasant. Once she got changed out of her plug suit then she'd give him a call and ask if he was still available to spend time together...

Shinji was bored. Rei had been off with Dr. Akagi for a good while and he'd gotten tired of just hanging around in the halls of NERV. He'd thought about calling Rei to ask if he should continue waiting for her but he didn't want to be a bother to her. Besides, he didn't even know if she had her cellphone on her... After wrestling with that debate for some time he'd taken off to the surface of the geofront to try and relax a bit. Some good outside air was supposed to be relaxing and refreshing, right? That was why he found himself sitting on a bench beside a vending machine and taking in the nature park that encompassed much of the underground dome underneath the artificial orange evening light. The last time he was out and about in the geofront he'd been... unable to really enjoy its beauty.

"Hey there," a voice called out beside him on his left. "Fancy seeing you out here, Ikari-kun."

Shinji turned his head and took sight of Kaji stepping up to the vending machine. He inserted a few coins and selected a drink before turning around to face him with a grin. "How are you?" the scruffy man asked with a playful grin, moving to sit next to him. "You look to be in a more coherent state than when I saw you last."

Shinji cringed upon being reminded of that night. It had been... somewhat enlightening, but he shouldn't have let Asuka talk him into it. He thanked his lucky stars "Y- yeah," he replied uneasily. "I am."

Kaji laughed. "That's good to hear," he replied, taking a sip of his cola. "Can't go and save the world in a state of insobriety as fun as it might be to try."

Shinji flinched and shuffled in discomfort. Why was he making things so incredibly awkward... "Yeah... th- that's true," he replied with a slight stammer.

Kaji nodded. "What even prompted that episode of teenage rebellion?" he asked with a chortle.

Shinji sighed. "Well... Asuka and I both had a really rough day," he muttered. "She talked me into it..."

Kaji leaned back and smiled up at the hanging city above them. "I see. Asuka does have a way of imposing her will on others..." he replied. "She's definitely not the most pleasant to be around when she doesn't get her way."

Shinji almost laughed at that, the fact that he was basically calling her spoiled, which wasn't too inaccurate... "That is very true..." he muttered in response.

Kaji snickered and changed the subject. "So, what brings you out here this fine evening?" he asked. "Waiting for someone?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah," he replied. "I was waiting for Rei to finish whatever she's doing with Ritsuko-san."

Kaji's smirk widened. "So pardon me asking but is Ayanami-san your... girlfriend?" he inquired.

If it was possible to die of embarrassment, Shinji probably would have in that moment. "N- n- no!" he sputtered, scooting away from the scruffy man with an expression of complete shock. "Sh- she's not my girlfriend..."

Kaji laughed. "Sorry if I'm embarrassing you," he replied. "Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me..."

Shinji scowled. Why did everyone insist on making him uncomfortable? Even Kaji was apologizing for it, it wasn't an excuse... "You're even less serious of a person than I thought..." he muttered in response.

Kaji laughed. "Well, that just goes to show we don't know each other all that well," he replied. "Don't you agree?"

Shinji found himself in agreement with that statement. They really didn't know each other that well. Yeah, they'd met twice before and only once for any decent length of time, but most of what he know about Kaji came through Asuka and Misato. "I guess you're right about that..." he replied. "Sorry if my comment came off as rude."

"It's quite alright. My question was a bit forward I'll admit," Kaji replied. He proceeded to stand up and look down at him with a smile. "Hey, would you mind accompanying me for a bit? There's a place up here that you might appreciate."

Shinji stood. He had nothing else to do at present... "Sure," he returned softly.

Kaji set off down the paved path and Shinji followed behind. Eventually they turned of the path and under the cover of the nearby trees. When they popped out into a clearing on the other side of the treeline was a small field of watermelons. Shinji blinked in surprise. This is what Kaji thought he might appreciate? "You grow watermelons?" he asked.

Kaji planted his fists on his hips. "Yep," he replied. "Aren't they cute? It's my secret hobby, don't tell anyone though."

Shinji wasn't quite sure why it had to be a secret. Was it because of... some sort of zoning rules that NERV imposed on the premises? It didn't matter, it was just a watermelon patch... "Sure," he replied. "I can do that."

Kaji's smile widened. "There's something beautiful in helping things grow..." he mused. "One can see and learn so many things from the process. It also brings joy."

Shinji thought on those words. He definitely had a point. It was beautiful to watch things evolve and grow but the responsibility of tending to those things was a difficult task... "It can also bring hardship..." he replied softly.

"This is true," Kaji returned. "But being human means we have to balance pain and pleasure and decide if any given act in pursuit of joy is worth the hardship, don't you agree? As people who have been through hardship, I think it's easier for people like us to be kind."

Those words resonated deeply in his soul. It was very true that it was a constant battle, weighing the cost in pain versus the reward of pleasure in all aspects of his life. It was something he'd struggled with a lot before and in the early part of his time in Tokyo 3. But... now he had formed bonds with others, and even though they sometimes caused him pain he had overcome that with their help... On another note, those words also raised a certain amount of curiosity. "People like us?" he asked. "What do you mean?"

Kaji's smile became almost melancholic as he looked over his watermelon fields. "Ah well... that's a story for another time, I think," he replied.

Before Shinji could respond his cellphone rang in his pocket. "Hello?" he answered as soon as he put it to his ear.

"Shinji?" Rei's gentle voice rang in his ear.

"Oh, hi Rei," he replied. He was kinda surprised that she was calling him in all honesty. "How are you?"

"I am well," Rei returned. "My time today with Dr. Akagi is at an end. Are you... still waiting for me?"

"Yeah," he replied, his heart rate quickening. So she was waiting for him now... "I'm in the geofront with Kaji right now. Do you... still want to hang out for a bit before it gets late?"

"I would like that," she responded. "Where shall we meet?"

Shinji thought for a moment. "Where are you at right now?" he asked.

"I've just left the changing rooms," Rei replied.

That was quite a distance from where he was and considering how enormous the NERV complex was they could meet up basically anywhere. "Okay, uh, want to meet at the level one staff lounge?" he suggested.

"That is agreeable," Rei replied warmly. "I will see you soon, Shinji."

"Alright, see you soon," Shinji replied before ending the call. He turned to Kaji with an awkward smile. "I apologize but I gotta run..."

Kaji gave a wave from where he stood a few feet away. "Take care Ikari-kun," he replied with that playful grin of his. "Hope to speak again soon. It's been fun."

Shinji smiled back. For what it was worth, he had enjoyed his short time with him. Kaji really seemed like a genuinely decent person beyond his cavalier exterior. "Yeah," he returned. "You too."

Touji sat by his sister Sakura's bedside. She'd been asleep when he'd first arrived and he'd been happy to just watch over her but now she was waking up. Even though she'd been recovering, he hated seeing her tethered to so many machines... "Hey, big bro," she said groggily but with a happy grin none the less. "Sorry I was sleeping."

Touji reached out and squeezed her hand. "That's fine," he said. "I have some good news..."

Sakura looked at him with a curious expression. "What's that?" she asked.

No point in holding back now... "You're going to be transferred to a better facility," he replied. "You're going to get the best care in the world so you can get better faster."

Sakura's grin widened. "Really?" she replied. "That's great!"

Touji nodded. "Yeah..." he replied, debating for a moment whether he should tell her the... other news, ultimately choosing to be honest with her. "It's because I'm gonna pilot one of those giant robots..."

Sakura's smile never wavered. "Really? That's so cool!" she replied, her voice weak but filled with enthusiasm. "I'm sure you'll do great! I can't believe my big brother is gonna help save the world!"

Touji's grin faltered, the memory of the fear he'd experienced inside the cockpit with Shinji flashing before his eyes. "Yeah..." he replied. "Me too..."

Author's Notes

Well, this one is certainly a massive update. I did do my best to keep this condesed but it kind of ran away from me. Apologies for that, but then again, with how much has been unfolding in the story there's a lot more going on that in the original episode that this chapter is adapting the events of.

In case you may have noticed, I decided to rearange some of the events of the canon episode, spreading them out across two days instead of having them contained within one. The reason for this is simply because of one of my personal problems with the canon episode seventeen. Though NERV has massive authority to get things done in a short timeframe, considering my knowledge and appreciation for real life beaurocracy, I doubt that the destruction of the Second Branch, the selection of the Fourth Child, and the transfer of Unit 03 would happen within a single afternoon. That said, I decided to spread those events out and give them time to breathe.

Very much enjoyed writing Ritsuko and Rei's budding alliance. I have big plans awaiting the two of them! Also Gendo is always a pleasure to write considering the nature of his growing internal conflict. Hope that everyone appreciated Touji's pov scenes as well.

Please read and review! Your support of this project means the world to me!

Regards,

A.F.