"Eva is the end result of Project E, a massive effort to avert a Third Impact caused by the beings we dub Angels. Constructed out of replicated Angelic genetic material recovered from the meteorite that destroyed Antarctica, Evangelions are essentially docile biomechanical superweapons which respond to projected thoughts."

"Next slide."

On Akagi's order, the picture turns into an image on Unit 01, strapped with cables, its head different though, covered in a silver and white brace.

"Evangelion Unit 00, or the Prototype, was constructed in 2004. Shortly thereafter, Test-Type Unit 01 was constructed and tested. Following activation trial runs, Units 02, 03, and 04, the production models, underwent initial growth and construction.

"The armor of the Evangelion serves two main purposes. Primarily, it serves as a means of physical defense. Secondly, it acts as restraints should either the pilot or the Evangelion go out of control."

"Next…yes, Shinji?"

Looking around, and realizing once again he is the only new recruit in the small theatre/debriefing room, he lowers his hand and shrinks slightly into his chair.

"Doctor," he says, "Are the Angels really Angels?"

"No," Akagi responds, her expression blank, "We just refer to them as such because Second Impact is referred to as a 'Biblical Catastrophe.' Also, current theory applies that another meteor similar to the one that caused Second Impact may have originally seeded life on Earth. So, the Angels may be related to us, but we can't be entirely sure. Next slide."

"Wait, what?"

"The Theta theory. Four billion years ago, Earth was a meteor-pitted ball of acid. A rogue planet named Theta collided with Earth. When the damage settled, Earth had more hydrogen and oxygen to create water, and the remains of Theta became the Moon, which blocked meteors and asteroids."

"It didn't do a good job."

"The science community has a simple phrase to explain Second Impact."

"Really?"

"Shit Happens. Next slide."

One-way windows are a wonderful thing. They allow, for example, Asuka and Rei to observe Shinji as he receives his first bits of training from Dr. Akagi, watching as he asks the questions only someone completely naïve could ask.

"He's different than I thought," Asuka says, "He doesn't really look like his dad."

"Rugged," Rei asks/whispers.

"Creepy."

Rei nods.

"Ah, yes. You refer to the circumstances of my creation."

"Yeah. He has to start dating."

They turn from the window, and begin walking down the corridors towards the changing rooms. Both are still in their school uniforms, an eyepatch over Rei's eye and a cast on her arm, both still holding their bags and marching in lockstep.

"There are rumors."

"Yeah," Asuka snorts, "Mainly those spread by Aoba so he can score with Ibuki. Holding the torch is fine and all, but if by some miracle Ikari's wife somehow rises from the dead, I'm thinking the first thing she's gonna do is smack him around the head and neck until he cries like a little girl."

"You refer to his abandoning Shinji."

"Damn straight I do!"

"You are aware that the same almost happened to you."

Asuka grinds her teeth, nodding.

"Yeah…but it didn't. God knows how screwed up I'd be if my father left me…"

"Tell me what I'm seeing here."

Sitting across from the large crescent desk in the office of the Commander, blinking in the filtered sunlight in the Geofront, Doctor Ikari clears his throat, as if to hammer the point home.

"Those are the Third Child's synchronization scores."

"I'm aware, Ikari. I'm just looking for an explanation. Because these are absolutely and utterly impossible."

Sohryu tosses down the reports, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms, glaring at Ikari.

"The research you pioneered told me that the pilots have to be trained slowly. So we did. Asuka started training from the age of five just to be accepted into the program when she was eight! Rei's been in and out of an entry plug since she was born. The Fourth Child has been doing this since he was found. Yet, the moment your son enters Unit 01, he sets the record for first time synchronization ratio and passes Rei. You're holding something back from me, Doctor."

Leaning forward on the desk, propped up on his elbows, Gendo Ikari forms a bridge with his hands underneath his nose. It is his normal pose when he becomes pensive, serious, and scholarly, and for Sohryu it is a sign he's going to get to the point.

"I believe that if we put the Third Child in Unit 02 or the Prototype, neither Eva would as much as respond. I believe the anomaly rests not in the pilot, but the Evangelion."

"The accident."

"Exactly. My theories are well known to you as to exactly what happened, but they were proven with the Third Child's performance against Sachiel. Telemetry data indicated, when the Evangelion overpowered the Angel…"

"I see," Sohryu says, turning the chair and looking out over the Geoscape, "In the future, Gendo, I want to be made aware of these things at least five seconds before you do them. I'm passing proposals onto you and Akagi. I want all three Evangelions at full function and capacity. Unit 02?"

"Fully repaired and re-armed. Unit 01 is equipped with full shielding and weaponry."

"Akagi saw my latest proposal. She'll share it with you. I want concepts and blueprints by the end of this week."

Ikari rises, straightening his jacket and pushing his glasses up his nose.

"You know what you're doing, Gendo. I let you mess around as long as it gets the results we need and keeps us safe."

"Understood, Commander."

The chair turns around, Sohryu glaring directly into Ikari's eyes.

"But if this gets any of my pilots hurt, I will have you drummed out of NERV. Dismissed."

Ikari salutes, turns on his heel, and walks out. Staring at the door for a moment, Sohryu sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose and tapping the intercom button.

"Call me if there's a Blue. I'm going off grid for a few hours."

He rises, walking to the door at the edge of his office, and swiping a card. The door opens, revealing a lift.

"Take me down."

With a chirp, the lift descends.

School did not start like he hoped it would. Given, this was his first time in a public school, as the teacher he had lived with for the past nine years had made it a point to home school him, so at this point he probably knew more than the teachers. But it was not the lack of new information that was dashing his hopes.

It was the large kid bearing down on him, about to introduce his fist to Shinji's face, over something that he isn't sure is his fault, but he's definitely being blamed for.

All this, because he honestly answered when someone asked him if he was the new Pilot.

He's not a fighter. He's not physical. He's half the size of this guy. He clenches his teeth, closes his eyes, and accepts his fate.

And he never even saw her move. Neither did the other kid, or the kid's short, nerdy friend, and all it took was a split second, and the girl was in front of him. She grabbed him by the wrist, her other hand, the one not in the cast, grabbing him by the collar, and then she lifted him up and slammed him into the ground, pinning him.

"You. Will. Not. Touch. Him."

He could swear he saw her eyes glow.

"Rei!"

The girl turns, as Asuka turns the corner of the school, skidding to a halt. Shinji looks from her, then to the girl, then to the other boys, and finds his main question, mainly, 'What the Hell?' to be the last thing he's able to say. Mainly, his vocal commands are being rerouted to the part of his brain which keeps him from pissing himself, which needs extra reinforcement.

"Rei, let him go," Asuka says, walking over, "Suzuhara, kindly explain to me why Rei had to beat you up in front of witnesses?"

The larger boy groans, mainly because Rei's knee is jammed into his stomach. Asuka sighs, and turns to the other boy, and dismissively waving at him, turns to Shinji.

"Shinji, meet Rei. She's going to be helping me train you. Also, the esel Rei has pinned in Touji Suzuhara, the school jock, and his friend is Kensuke Aida. Now, I want explanations. Or I join in."

To accentuate that, Asuka cracks her knuckles.

"They…they said it had to do with his sister."

Asuka turns to Shinji as he speaks, then turns to Kensuke.

"Touji's sister got hurt," he explains, "When that monster attacked and the purple robot went out of control."

Asuka walks over to Rei, placing her hand on her shoulder. Slowly, Rei releases Touji, rising up, as Asuka holds out a hand and helps up Touji.

"Is that true," she asks.

Touji nods wordlessly.

"Then you tell me," she growls, "You don't go attacking my pilots!"

Rei's eyebrow twitches, as she turns to Asuka, then turns to the horizon. Shinji walks over to her, clearing his throat to introduce himself…and pauses, before turning back and walking over to Asuka, who is busy berating the clearly embarrassed boy.

"Uh…Asuka? Ma'am?"

She spins on her heel, turning to him…and her eyes go wide as she looks beyond him. There is something on the horizon, almost three hundred feet tall, shaped like a giant squid floating in the air.

"That's new."

"The Fourth Angel," Rei responds.

"About damn time."

Alarms begin blaring through the city. Buildings begin to descend, and Asuka and Rei take off in a run towards NERV, as the other students evacuate towards the bunker. Shinji, against his better judgment, follows the girls, reminding himself that he still has no idea how to pilot, and that today is really going to suck.