Shinji Ikari zipped up the last of the bags that he was bringing with him to the United States. He looked at the room that was once his, but now just a blank canvas to be written upon again. He didn't care. He didn't care about anything. The one and only thing that he did care about had been taken away from him. "Damned world." He said, picking up his bags and walking out of the room into the hallway. Misato Katsuragi was waiting for him. Her arm had been broken during the failed activation test of Unit 0-3, and she had a fractured rib. She had been Shinji's best friend since the time that Shinji had arrived in Tokyo-3, but now was just another person to him. Shinji placed the cell phone that Misato had gotten him for his birthday in her hand and walked past her without a word.

"Please don't go, Shinji." Misato begged, following the young boy to the front door of the apartment. There was no answer. "Please, Shinji." Again, there was no answer. "Goddamnit, Shinji! Don't go!" Misato turned Shinji around with her good hand, making him drop his bags, and slapped him clean across the face. Shinji placed a hand on his face, but other than that there was nothing. No emotions, no reactions.

"My life is over, Misato. There is nothing for me here." Shinji picked up his bags again and continued towards the door, but again was stopped by Misato.

"Do you really thing that, Shinj?" She asked, tears flooding her eyes. "Don't you feel anything for me? For Kensuke? What about for Toji or Rei? Don't you feel anything for the rest of us?"

"I'm sorry, Misato." Shinji said, his tone becoming sad. He knew that it would be best for him to stay with Misato and to stay in Tokyo-3, but he couldn't. The pain of living in the place where the love of your life had been brutally killed by his own hands was too much for him. "I just can't."

"Do you think that Asuka would want it this way?" Shinji's eyes widened. He hadn't thought of what Asuka wanted of him. Would she have wanted him to stay? No. She hated him. To her he was nothing. He was just Stupid Shinji to her.

"Yes, Misato. I do think that." Just at that moment Misato's phone rang.

"Please, Shinji, just stay here for a few minutes." Misato ran to grab the phone, while Shinji pondered in his head about what to do. 'I can't stay here.' Opening the door, Shinji made it halfway across the balcony until Misato hollered frantically for him. "Asukas' coming home, Shinji! Shes' going to be okay!" Shinji stopped dead in his tracks. His heart began beating faster and faster. Asuka was going to be okay? How did he survive the Angel's contamination and the Dummy Plug System mauling her? Many thought flooded Shinji, but he didn't care. Turning around, he ran back to Misato's apartment. He ran back home.

"I guess I better get started on dinner then." He said, throwing his bags next to the front door. His life had not ended after all. In fact, it was just beginning…

-/-

The bus came to a stop just outside of the apartment complex that Misato lived in. Waves of people exited from the catapillar of a vehicle and flooded the streets of Tokyo-3, going about their normal everyday lives. This was different for one red headed girl who had removed herself from the bus behind everybody else. She wasn't going about her normal everyday routine. No. Life as she knew it had been destroyed once she stepped foot into the ill fated Evangelion Unit 0-3.

"Looks like nothing's changed," She said, placing a hand over the eyepatch that covered her left eye. "Well nothing but me anyways." Asuka walked up the stairs to the second floor of the building and walked in the door of the last apartment in the row, not even bothering to knock. Placing her bags next to Shinji's, the girl... Wait a minute? Shinji's bags!? 'What does Stupid Shinji think he's doing?' The girl got a whiff of something delicious smelling and ran to the kitchen, finding what she was looking for.

"Aha! I found you!" The girl exclaimed, anger and happiness filling her voice. Shinji jumped, nearly dropping a hot skillet full of fish onto him. Misato, who was sitting at the kitchen table sipping away at beer nearly jumped clean from her chair.

"Asuka!" The two of them exclaimed together, both removing themselves from their business and walking over to the red head. Shinji's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Was he happy to see her?

"Asuka! You're oka-" Shinji was interupted by a harsh smack across the mouth, making the boy fall flat on his backside. "What the hell was that for!?" The question landed him with a kick to the stomach.

"Damnit, Stupid Shinji!" Asuka screamed, helping the boy up to his feet. She wanted, no, WAS going to beat the hell out of the boy, but found herself doing something completely different. Wrapping her arms around Shinji, Asuka placed her head delicately onto his chest. "I missed you, Stupid Shinji." She said passionately. Shinji looked at Misato, dumbfounded, but he got no help. She was just as confused as he was.

"Uh - I - I missed you too, Asuka." He said, wrapping his arms softly around Asuka's waist. He was trying not to say or do any of the wrong thing. The last thing that he wanted was to get into Asuka's path of rage. Then, as quickly as the moment had come, Asuka's eyes widened. She pushed herself away from Shinji, her face as red as the LCL within the Evangelions.

"Bah! What the hell do you think you are doing, Baka!?" She demanded, arching her arm on her hip.

"I was hugging you back. You hugged me and said that you missed me so I thought that-"

"Gah! You actually thought I meant something behind those things? I was bored being pent up like I was! I would have done it to anyone! Get over yourself, Second Child!" Misato sat back down in her seat and watched the show, opening another beer for her and another for PenPen, who just exited the bathroom.

"Like old times, ol' buddy." She said. PenPen squaked back at her in agreement.

-/-

Rei walked around seemingly forever. She was in the slums of Tokyo-3, looking for Kawuro. She had given much thought about what he said the day before, and had decided that he was ultimately right in the end. The day before flashed suddenly before her eyes like a flash of light...

Rei awakened late from her slumber. She was on the ground, unaware of where she was. 'Where am I?' She asked herself frantically, looking around desperately for any sure signs of where she was. She was still in the theatre. She gasped, remembering the events from right before she passed out on the ground. "Nagisa, Kawuro!" She called. There was no answer. She called again, but she got the same results as before. He was gone.

"That bastard." She said simpily as she exited the building to leave for home.

Rei found herself standing before an old, abandoned warehouse. The building was made of rusted metal, and many holes protruded the place. "This is the place." She said, walking towards the huge double door that was the front door. Placing her hand on the rusted metal handle, more flashbacks came to her...

Rei made her way to Commander Ikari's main office, walking through tides of NERV personnel working their butts off. It was early morning, but that hadn't stopped Gendo from calling Rei in to have a personal meeting with her. What was it that the Commander wanted with her?

Ayanami rounded the sharp corner into a small hallway and knocked lightly on Commander Ikari's door. "Come on in." He said harshly. Rei could already tell that she was going to get a mouthful.

"Good morning, Commander." She said with a bow. Gendo stayed perfectly silent. A cold chill caressed Rei's spine menacingly.

"Why were you out so late on the surface, Rei?" He asked, his voice cruel, but also hint full of possible worry.

"I was at the theatre," Rei replied innocently. "I was out with Nagisa, Kawuro-kun. We talked about things and we played the pi-"

"What all did the two of you talk about, Rei?" Gendo asked without skipping a beat.

"We talked about Shinji and Asuka. And he told me some lie about you wanting to start the Fourth Impact to start something called Human Instrumantality, whatever that is." Gendo sighed, annoyed.

"Well, Rei," Gendo crossed his arms on the desk before him. "What Nagisa, Kaworu told you is not a lie, but in fact truth. I wasn't going to tell you until right before the events were to have gone through, but looks like you already know. That damned SEELE brat." Rei was dumbfounded.

"Why wearnt you going to tell me of any of this, Commander?"

"Because I knew that you were beginning to get a mind of you own. You wearnt going to be just my puppet anymore if you had known of any of this. You are a vital component in all of this, Rei." Rei stood from her chair and ran. She ran back to the door of the office. She didn't know where she was going to go. She just had to get away from NERV and the GeoFront. She couldn't stay there any longer...

"Ah! You've finally arrived I see!" Kawuro ran from a piano in the center of the warehouse to join Rei at the front door. "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes." Rei announced, taking a deep breath. "I am teaming up with you to destroy NERV and SEELE."

-/-

Gendo Ikari let out a long exadurated sigh. He had had a long day, and now was back in the comfort of his main office. Kōzō Fuyutsuki was already waiting for him. "How do you plan on going on with our plans, Gendo?" The old man asked bitterly.

"Easy. We activate Rei Quatro and prepare her and Unit 0-1."

"How long will it take?"

"Roughly two years. We have two years until our dreams will finally become a reality."