Shinji gave a withering sigh, as he sank into his futon and listened to his music through his earbuds.

There failure (cough! Asuka's failure cough!) to defeat the Angel, had resulted in them both getting chewed out, which Asuka blamed solely on him, and remained him of daly.

It had also led to the most unorthodox and taxing training of his short career as a pilot.

Not taxing from the training it's self, but taxing because Asuka was the one he had to do it with…

"Why can't they just pair me with Rei!?…We already know that me and her can sync better then with Asuka" Shinji bemoaned from his bed.

Admittedly, Rei was still a bit of an enigma to Shinji and perhaps they wouldn't work as well together when actually placed out in the field.

After all, he and Asuka had done pretty well when placed in the same Eva. But that was a different situation all together, and after butting heads.

Shinji squeezed his eyes shut as his frustrations boiled over. He forced it back down though, as he took a deep breath.

Asuka's attuned towards him was nearly unbearable.

She'd kicked him out of his room and planned fully on replacing him. An idea that in and of it's self wouldn't have bothered Shinji, if it didn't mean ripping him away from the one good home and guardian he'd had in his life.

Now she belittled him every chance she got, while showing off her nonexistent achievements and making him do all the work around the house.

Shinji had dealt with abuse before, but something about Asuka in particular, seamed to prod a nerve he'd never dealt with before.

Shinji took another breath to calm himself.

They had SOMEHOW made progress and tomorrow they would see if their hard work was worth it. The last thing he needed was to bring their bad blood into the fight tomorrow.

He just needed to calm down and get some rest.

Apparently that was something he wasn't going to get though, as he faintly heard his door sliding open and clicked off his music.

Shinji held still and pretended to be asleep, as he heard footsteps padding towards him.

To his shock, he heard someone laying down and cracked his eyes open to see Asuka of all people, apparently having sleepwalked into his room and laid down next to him.

Shinji held his breath for a moment. Unsure what to do.

On one hand, this was his room and she'd just sleepwalked in on him. So ideally he would be well within his rights to to NOT get beat over the head for something out of his control.

On the other hand, this was Asuka that sleepwalked into his room…

So yah…he was probably in for a beating of some kind, regardless of what he did now…

Shinji just sighed quietly as he accepted his fate. After all, he was already accustomed to disregard for his own feelings and wellbeing. What was the point in fussing over the next in the long line. He was far too tied to worry anyway.

That still left him to wonder why she'd come here though. What had compelled her subconscious to walk her into the room of the boy she hated.

While pondering this, Shinji found himself mesmerized by Asuka's face, illuminated by the faint moonlight.

She was beautiful underneath that scathing personality. Like a rose, with abnormally sharp thorns. Her long, red hair and German features, exotic and otherworldly.

Would she even notice if he stole a light kiss…

Any movement Shinji may have started, was frozen in it's tracks, as Asuka gave a light gasp in her sleep and acted almost distressed.

"…ma…ma…" she muttered in her sleep with a sad and broken tone.

Shinji's eyes widened as the demon that tormented him was replaced its a sad, broken little girl…just like him…

Shinji felt disgusted with himself, as he rolled over and moved away from Asuka.

Was he really so desperate for affection, that he'd steal a kiss in the night.

Shinji would find it difficult to sleep, as guilt strangled him through the night. But eventually, sleep would claim him, as exhaustion strengthened it's hold, and he would drift off into a fitful dream, haunted by self loathing. Unaware of the emotional turmoil mirrored in Asuka.

The two truly were cut from the same cloth. Only their methods for dealing with their trauma were vastly different from each other.

And so the two would got little rest, as nightmares haunted them.


Gendo sat awake in his office. Sleep eluding him as the next confrontation with the Angels neared.

He didn't know why. He'd never really had issues sleeping on the eve of battle before, and guilt had never really been an issue for him.

And yet this night, he couldn't sleep.

A foreboding sense had taken hold of him. As if something was not right. A variable he hadn't accounted for or a loose end he'd left to get snagged by someone.

And so he decided to calm his mind by going back and reading over the one absolute he had in this world.

The Dead Sea Scrolls.

Gendo spent his time pouring over the prophecies written within. The immutable fate they all shared and were bound to fulfill.

Nothing could be done to change fate.

Or at least that's what he believed…

Now though, he just couldn't find comfort in the assurance of the texts before him.

"Why do I falter now?…There is nothing to be done but fallow our fates…there is nothing that can stop my scenario…" Gendo thought as he scanned the ancient pages.

And yet he couldn't stop the doubt that invaded his mind, like a parasite.

Gendo would find no rest tonight.


Meanwhile, directly above Gendo, on the surface. A white haired boy with red eyes, glared at the ground. His gaze seemingly piercing the many layers of concrete and armor plating, meant to protect NURV from Angels.

And yet his AT field subtly penetrated it with ease. Not enough to set off an alarm, but enough the begin his slow torment of Gendo Ikari.

Tabris gave an extremely rare frown. He was almost always cheerful, even when fighting or about to die.

But even he had his limits…

And watching the one Lillim he cared about most in this world, regardless of which timeline it was, be tormented and abused for millennia, had worn down his iron clad patients to paper thin.

Furry burned in his eyes, even as his face remain unchanged.

No monologue, internal or otherwise, was needed.

His intentions were clear.

The Angel of Freewill vowed to make Gendo suffer as Shinji had. Even if it was only a fraction of the suffering Shinji had endured over the countless cycles.


Morning inevitably came, as the sun made it's eternal march across the sky.

Everything was set up and ready.

Or at least as ready as it could be, with two sleep deprived pilots and one Commander who was fairing even worse, though he hid it well.

"Really…today of all days" Misato thought with a sigh, as she observed the bags under the pilots' eyes through the monitors in their Evas.

But, even from up on his pedestal, cloaked in shadows and red tented glasses, Misato could see the weariness in the Commander.

Misato just sighed. There was nothing to be done for it. All she could do was focus on the upcoming battle and pray that her charges would come back unscathed.

A ping of guilt suddenly hit her.

Shinji and Asuka both had issues that seamed to only be exacerbated by piloting the Evas. And yet here she was, throwing traumatized teenagers into battle yet again.

She clutched the cross hanging from her neck and hardened her features though. The need for revenge and the excuse of duty, pushing aside the guilt for now, as she ordered the deployment of the Evas.

-x-

Shinji yawn from within the entry plug as he waited for the order to begin. His foot already tapping to the beat of the music he'd soon be fighting to.

Asuka wasn't doing much better then him apparently. Which may have played a role in her not pummeling him the moment she woke up on his futon.

A small mercy for the restless night they'd experienced.

"You ready baka?" Asuka asked over the comms. Her words not carrying the usual bite to them, as her tired mind, focused on the task at hand.

Shinji grunted as he blinked the weariness from his eyes.

"Yah…I'm ready…" he said as he gripped the controls tightly and the music began plying.


Israfel was giddy with excitement.

For the first time in, he didn't even want to think how long, he was actually excited for the upcoming battle, as he saw the two Evas catapulted into the air to start the dance.

He could practically hear the music and felt like dancing himself but held back. He couldn't afford to waist this opportunity after all.

He had to exercise the utmost percussion, or this would all be for nothing.

The Evas began their dance of death while still airborne. Throwing javelins at him that connected as soon as he deflected them and rent him in twain. His twin cores separating into their component parts.

Israfel knew the movements by heart. The choreography was seared into his mind.

He followed along as he always had before. Only now did he see the beauty in their movements, as they somersaulted back behind cover.

Israfel played is role with practiced ease. Even as missiles, bombs and cannon fire, peppered him.

The giddiness did not leave him though.

Even as they forced him back together, into his joined form.

"Here it comes" he thought with excitement, as he saw them jump into their flying kick that had ended him so many times before.

"Not yet. Not yet" Israfel thought as he waited for the perfect timing.

Even as those watching this all play out. Felt their hopes rising and cheered for their champions. Israfel felt a smirk come to his non-existent face…

"Now!"

And with that, a record scratch could practically be heard, as a second AT field appeared.

Tabris smiled from his place, hidden in the trees below.

His AT field, combined with Israfel's, wasn't enough to stop the two Evas, but it was enough to slow them down for a fraction of a second.

A fraction of a second was all he needed…

To everyone's horror, Israfel separated himself again. Dodging the attack as it passed.

That wasn't the end of it though.

The two halves of Israfel grabbed the two Evas. With their batteries drained, they could do nothing to fight back.

Then the real fun began.

Normally an Angel couldn't change their form after they had chosen at birth.

Tabris had not spent the eons idle though. And this wasn't really a full transformation.

The red half of Israfel, tossed the red Eva to his other half, who then enveloped them like a sphere. The red half then picked them up and faced out to sea.

He took a moment to be sure of his aim.

He had little time to work though. He could only resist the call of his instincts for so long and the Lillim would not sit idle while their best protectors were in jeopardy.

And so, after making sure of his aim, Israfel fulfilled his purpose.

Fate demanded that he die fighting the Evas here.

It didn't say how though…

And so Israfel's red half glowed before detonating in a magnificent flash of light, just before bombs could hit him.

The self destruction of his red half, propelled the other out towards the sea, with the Evas still held within his grasp.

Israfel then took one last look at the sun, as he flew through the air.

"At last…freedom…" he thought, before opening up and letting the Evas free, before his final half began to glow.

"At least my final death was spectacular" he chuckled to himself, as his final half self destructed as well. Propelling the Evas even further and obscuring their corse with the light and shockwaves of his death.


BOOOOOM!!!

The Geofront shook and lights flickered as the shockwave hit them.

Even from so far away, the explosions had been massive, and everyone had to hold tightly to their consoles and railings to keep from falling to the ground.

"Ah! Status! Where are Units 01 and 02!?" Misato ordered as the rumbling subsided and the techs got to work rebooting everything.

"Standby! We're still getting everything back online!" one of the bridge bunnies called out. Misato wasn't sure which and she didn't care. All she felt at that moment was fear for her wards.

"Ritsuko! Give me a status on Unit-01 ASAP!" Gendo called out with an uncharacteristic level of concern.

Misato might have enjoyed seeing the man actually worried for his son. But she knew well enough to understand it was the Unit it's self he was worried about. Not Shinji or Asuka.

Something that made her grimace, but she held back her anger as she focused instead on the condition of the pilots.

"Systems are back up, but it will take time. There's a gap in the intel, do to the interference from the explosion, and lingering effects may slow progress" Ritsuko informed them as the teams worked furiously.

"I don't care! I just want the location and condition of Unit-01!" Gendo barked irritably.

Fuyutsuki frowned from where he stood, next to Gendo.

"This isn't how the scenario was supposed to play out" he spoke quietly.

"I know!" Gendo whisper shouted back. His nerves, already frayed from sleep deprivation, were now stretched especially thin.

Meanwhile, the techs were hard at work, though Ritsuko seamed disturbed by something.

"That can't be right…check it again!" she ordered.

"I already have ma'am. I've checked and rechecked five times now" the tech responded.

"Rits!? What's going on!?" Misato demanded.

Ritsuko just stared in shock for a moment though, before finally answering.

"They're gone…" she spoke quietly.

"Ritsuko!?" Misato practically yelled at her friend.

"The Evas are gone" Ritsuko answered in shock.

"Gone!? What do you mean gone!? Gone where!?" Misato demanded as she marched up to Ritsuko.

"I mean they're just gone! Their signals have vanished and there's no sign of them!" Ritsuko clarified.

Misato just arched a confused eyebrow at her, before she gasped in horror.

"No…You don't mean they're…" she trailed off. Not daring to finish her sentence.

Ritsuko just shook her head.

"No I don't mean their dead. They've simply vanished without a trace! Against all logic and reason, there's nothing left of them. No wreckage, no signals, nothing along the projected path of the explosion. I can't even pick up the Evas' emergency beacons or AT fields! It's like they just vanished off the face of the Earth!" Ritsuko explained.

The horror was only mildly diminished, as Misato looked up at the screens, showing nothing but empty space where the Evas should be.

"No…" Misato muttered as guilt crushed her under it's titanic wight.

She had ordered them out there.

She'd come up with the plan.

And now she had no idea where Asuka and Shinji were or if they were even alive.

Gendo meanwhile, was furious as he clenched his fists.

Unit-01 was gone.

Yui was gone.

And fate had not played out the way it was supposed to.