The New Normal

by ChangTheNerd14

After the Third Impact, Asuka returned to Germany while Shinji remained in New Tokyo-3, each struggling with coming to terms with the trauma they experienced. Years later, after settling into fulfilling careers, the two reconnect when Asuka makes her return to New Tokyo-3 for business.

1. Prologue

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Shinji stood in front of an enormous, shadowy figure. The figure before him slowly revealed itself to be an Angel, staring down at him with eyes glowing with an otherworldly light, which sent unpleasantly cold chills down his spine.

With his heart pounding hard against his chest, Shinji watched the sentient giant advance towards him with its hands outstretched and its voice releasing an ear-piercing scream.

Suddenly, Shinji found himself inside the cockpit of his EVA Unit 01, surrounded by a sea of flashing red lights and beeping alarms. All he could hear was the sound of his own breathing, ragged and panicked as he rapidly pushed around the controls, trying to make sense of the chaos happening around him.

Standing outside the entry plug was the Angel looming menacingly over him with its hauntingly ambiguous form casting a shadow across the battlefield. His EVA roared as it lunged forward with its giant magenta armoured fist colliding into the Angel's body with a deafening blow.

But the Angel still stood unaffected by Unit 01's attack. Instead, it retaliated by releasing a devastating blast of energy, knocking Unit 01 to the ground. Shinji felt the impact of the attack inside the entry plug as the EVA was sent rolling across the battlefield like a doll.

Suddenly, Shinji found himself standing in front of a pond, his reflection staring back at him with a stoically emotionless gaze. Then, his reflection began to shift and contort, its skin ripping apart as its fleshy and veiny muscle pulsed and grew, taking a monstrous shape.

Fear and terror plagued Shinji's nerves as he took several steps back before losing balance and falling on his butt. He watched in horror as his grotesque reflection emerged from the pond like a corpse resurrecting from the dead. But not before leaping towards him, straddling him and wrapping its cold but bony hands around his neck and choking him.

That was when Shinji gasped for air as his eyes snapped wide open, only to see the rotation fan hanging from the ceiling. Sweat was pouring down his face, his heart was racing and pounding so hard against his chest that he could have sworn that it was going to burst out.

Finally, after catching his breath and steadying and calming his racing thoughts and reducing his adrenaline, he realised that he had just survived yet another nightmare.