Rei stepped quietly across the threshold of her apartment. Behind her, she heard Asuka suck in a gasp of surprise.

She frowned. Is it truly that bad? Shinji had thought so, but she never thought the Commander would have let her, ordered her to live somewhere unfit…but then again, there were a number of things she would have never thought the Commander capable of. It seems she still needed to reassess her opinion of the man.

Rei shook her head. Misguided, She told herself. The Commander is still a good man. He just needed to be reminded of the fact.

Asuka stomped her way past her, shutting the door forcefully. She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at Rei with a scowl. "Well?" She demanded. "You dragged us all the way here, spit it out! What's going on with Shinji? And why don't you want the Commander overhearing us? I never thought you'd actually go behind his back."

Rei had to choose her words carefully. She knew this was the most important, and most difficult aspect of her plan. Not least of all because she had little experience in these matters…connecting to people, speaking with them, convincing them. And Asuka…Asuka was more challenging than most.

She shut her eyes. This is for Shinji, She reminded herself. Therefore, the challenge is irrelevant. I must convince Pilot Soryu. There was no alternative. No room for error, or for failure. It simply must be.

"I am not going behind the Commander's back," She clarified. "Only…we…have differing opinions on the matter of the Third Children."

Asuka's eyes widened. "Differing opinions?" She shook her head. "I'm gonna assume that's the equivalent of a shouting match with the Commander for you."

Rei frowned in confusion. "I did not shout at anyone, certainly not the Commander."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "...always so literal," She muttered, just barely in earshot. "Whatever. It doesn't matter, just get on with it. What did you two…disagree on?"

"The Commander believes that we will be able to retrieve Shinji, but not until the last of the Angel's have been defeated," Rei said.

"But we don't even know when that'll be!" Asuka blurted. "We don't know how many Angels there are, or when they'll even come! It could be years, decades! They might never stop coming!"

Rei didn't bother to correct her fellow pilot. Even…even if she was willing to…reinterpret the Commander's orders, she was not going to act against the Scenario. Not yet, when there were still too many variables in play. She needed Asuka's help, but Asuka didn't need to know the truth.

They knew exactly how many Angels there were. And rough estimates of when they would come. The Dead Sea Scrolls were not perfect, but they were more reliable than any other form of preparation they had against the Angels.

For now, however, it aided her cause to allow Asuka to believe the lie. She nodded along in mock agreement. "I am not prepared to wait that long for Pilot Ikari's return," She said. It wasn't even a lie. "I believe…I know there is a way to bring him back sooner."

"Then how?" Asuka pressed.

Rei paused, trying to balance what to tell her with what to withhold. It was harder than she thought. Is this how the Commander always acts? "Pilot Ikari and I had abnormally high synchronization scores when we synced with each other's Evas's during the cross testing. If…if I were to synchronize with Unit 01, I believe I could reach out to Pilot Ikari. Bring him back." Again, not the full truth, but not quite a lie either.

Asuka raised her eyebrow, crossing her arms. "That's the best you've got?"

"There is precedence," Rei defended. "It is a plausible plan of action."

"Plausible," Asuka mocked, shaking her head. "What do you even need me for? Sounds like you got it all figured out. Just hop into Unit 01's entry plug, problem solved."

"If it were so simple, I would have done so already," Rei said. "The Commander has forbidden me from making the attempt. He will be watching me."

"So you want me to risk my life instead?" Asuka scoffed.

Rei frowned. "No. That isn't what I said." What was so hard to understand? She was explaining it to her, wasn't she?

"Sounded like it," Asuka grumbled. "After all, we shared an entry plug when we took down my first Angel. And we spent a whole week synchronizing together while getting ready for that stupid twin Angel. Wouldn't it make more sense for me to try and sync with Unit 01?"

Rei blinked. She…hadn't considered that. For all she considered herself close to Shinji…close for her anyways, Asuka was right. They did have more experience working together, and Asuka had gone through extensive training specifically so they could better sync together.

But Asuka did not know the real reason Shinji was trapped inside of Unit 01. She did not know Rei's real plan to get him back, or why she needed to keep it a secret from the Commander, and everyone else as well. And she wouldn't be able to generate an AT field on her own to reach out to Shinji. It couldn't be her.

But how was she supposed to explain that to her without revealing herself? I don't need to, She realized. I just have to tell enough of the truth to keep her satisfied, and nothing more. "The Commander will never let either of us near Unit 01," Rei said. "Not by his choice. Any attempt by you or I to enter ourselves would result in detainment and punishment."

Asuka frowned. "That's stupid. Look, I don't exactly enjoy the idea of syncing with another Evangelion besides my Unit 02, but an Eva's an Eva, and with only two pilots left wouldn't it make sense we all know how to pilot each other's Eva? In case ours is damaged, and can't be repaired before the next Angel comes?"

"I…" Rei flexed her fingers, suddenly realizing how uncomfortable she felt. "I am not permitted to discuss such matters."

Asuka laughed. "You can't be serious? After all this cloak and dagger crap, you still can't spill the beans? What's so important about Unit 01? What makes it different?"

"I am not permitted to speak of such matters," Rei said, more confidently. Falling back on routine, on the familiar felt good. It felt safe.

Asuka grimaced. "What the hell did I expect? The first time you show an ounce of actual humanity, and you still wind up licking the Commander's boots even when you're trying to go behind his back."

"I am not going behind the Commander's back," Rei denied. "I…am fulfilling his wishes in a manner he did not approve of. That is all."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself," Asuka sighed. "It's not my problem. You don't want to tell me what's actually going on, then this was a waste of time."

Asuka began to turn, but Rei stopped her. "But…you are supposed to help me."

She turned with a mocking smile. "Oh, am I? And what makes you think I'm supposed to do anything?"

"You want Pilot Ikari back," Rei stated. "I can get him back. It stands to reason you will aid me."

The grin fell, and Asuka snarled. "Don't tell me what I want, or what I'll do! I'm not like you, first, I actually have this little thing called a will of my own. I do what I want, not what some old man tells me!"

Rei tilted her head. "So if Mr. Kaji told you to help me, you wouldn't listen?"

Asuka flinched, then slapped her on the side of the face, hard. Rei fell to the floor from the impact. She held a hand to the side of her cheek, still stinging, and looked up at Asuka.

"The fuck is wrong with you, you little freak?" Asuka screeched. Her face was red from anger, but Rei saw tears falling down her face as well. "You were the one who brought me here, just to not even tell me anything! And who do you think you are lecturing me, Miss Commander's pet? You have no right to talk about me or Kaji! You have no idea what kind of person I am, or he was!"

Rei's eyes widened. Was. Asuka had said he was. That…would certainly explain her anger.

She nearly apologized, but caught herself at the last minute. How often had she seen her berate Shinji for apologizing for every little remark that set her off? If she wanted Asuka to take her seriously…if she even wanted a chance of this ending with them in agreement…she couldn't waver.

"And you have no idea what kind of person the Commander is," She said instead, causing Asuka's anger to be replaced with shock at her actually speaking back. "Or what kind of person I am, for that matter." Her eyes narrowed, a thin veil of annoyance falling over her. "You keep calling me that. The Commander's pet. Wondergirl. Doll. You have no idea who I really am. Why I pilot. Why I want Pilot Ikari back."

She snorted. "Of course I do. Your stupid little crush-"

"I have no romantic feelings for Pilot Ikari," Rei denied with a shake of her head, interrupting Asuka. "I want him back because he is my friend. My first friend. My only friend. The only person who told me I should smile more. Who was genuinely concerned for my well being. He helped clean my home, made me lunch, always thoughtful to keep it vegetarian, promised to stand by me. He never wanted to pilot in the first place. He did it for me, so I wouldn't be alone." She lowered her head, strangely unable to keep Asuka's gaze. "I…am not unaware of my own shortcomings. I do not mix well with other people, and I have never claimed to understand them." She paused. "But Shinji made me want to. I thought piloting Eva would be enough, that I would be content for that to be my connection to the world. But I was wrong. Shinji showed me I was wrong. And I do not think I would be a very good friend if I didn't help him when he needed me."

Asuka growled. "Good for you. Why does that involve me?"

"Because Shinj is your friend too," Rei said.

"That little twerp is not-"

"If he is not your friend, then leave," Rei said, unwilling to put up with anymore of Asuka's willful ignorance. "If you want him to stay trapped in Unit 01, then go back to Colonel Katsuragi's apartment. With Shinji gone, you will be the number one pilot again. All the glory will go to you. You'll be praised, famous, a hero." She paused once more. "And Shinji will stay trapped inside of his Eva."

Asuka's knuckles were white from how tightly she was clenching her fists. Her nostrils flared, and for a moment Rei wondered if she had erred. Perhaps she had gone too far.

But Asuka didn't move. She stood shock still, frozen as a rock.

"Pilot Soryu?" She asked tentatively.

Then leave.

How dare she! Who was she to tell Asuka to leave? She wasn't the one who ran away. She wasn't the one who got himself trapped in his own Evangelion! Stupid doll. Maybe she should leave. If Wondergirl wasn't going to do the bare minimum and tell her the truth, why the hell should she stick her neck out and risk pissing off the Commander? It wasn't her problem.

Except, it is, A voice whispered in the back of her head. She's right, isn't she? You want him back too. Because for all you pretend otherwise, you still think of Shinji as your frie-

She shut her eyes tightly, taking a shaky breath as she tried desperately to focus on anything else.

Shinji…Shinji had left her. Like Misato. Like Kaji. Like her mother and father. Like everyone else in her life. He was a whiny doormat who wouldn't be able to stand up for himself if someone inserted a metal rod into his spine.

But…for all that they argued, for all that he irritated her, and for all she yelled at him…he had still put up with it. Maybe it was only because he wasn't willing to do otherwise, but he still put up with it all the same. No one else ever had. They all grew tired of her eventually, ran away from her or passed her off to someone else.

And while Shini may have been a doormat…she couldn't really call him a coward, could she? Hadn't Rei just gotten done saying the only reason he kept piloting after his first sortie was so she wouldn't have to pilot alone? And Asuka hadn't forgotten the 8th angel. She would have burnt alive inside of a volcano along with Unit 02, if Shinji hadn't gone against orders to pull her out. And that week they spent preparing for the seventh angel…it had been hell at the time, forced to go through that stupid dance routine, but in the end they had managed to work together, hadn't they? It was…nice, having someone else by her side.

Someone who was gone, now.

"Pilot Soryu?"

Asuka raised her head and blinked. Rei was looking at her oddly, and she realized she must have spaced out. Well? The treasonous voice crept back up. Are you going to run away now? Take the easy road to victory and let Shinji rot? After he saved you?

Her eye twitched in frustration and anger. "I don't owe anyone, anything," She hissed. Rei frowned, before Asuka continued, taking another breath. "Shinji is stuck inside of his Eva, and the Commander refuses to do anything about it. Akagi and Misato think there isn't anything we can do about it. You're the only one who says we can get him back, so why should I believe you over them?"

Rei contemplated before answering. "I would not lie about this," She finally said. As simple as that, as if it explained everything.

To Asuka's irritation, it did. She knew Rei wouldn't lie about something like this, not when it came to Shinji. "Then…then as the premier pilot," She forced out, failing to keep her voice even. "I am responsible for the safety of the other pilots. Naturally, Shinji getting himself trapped inside of his Eva is a stain on my reputation. So…if you do need help…I suppose I have to make sure the idiot doesn't stay trapped, don't I?"

Rei blinked, and a frown returned to her face. "I don't understand. You have spent this entire conversation insisting it isn't your responsibility to-"

"I wouldn't expect you to understand," Asuka huffed, crossing her arms. "You wanted my help, didn't you? Gonna change your mind now that I've so graciously offered it?"

"...No," Rei replied after a brief moment of silence. "Thank you, Pilot Soryu."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "For the love of god, enough with that crap! You just got done calling Shinji one of your only friends, and even now when he's MIA, you mostly just call him Pilot Ikari. We have names, first. Use them."

"Ikari is his name, as Soryu is yours," Rei countered. "I at least give the courtesy of addressing you and…Shinji by your names. I do not, for instance, call you Wondergirl, or first."

Asuka snorted in disbelief. "Was that sass I just heard?"

"No."

"It was!" Asuka laughed. "Not so emotionless after all, are you? Was that so hard?"

"I have never been emotionless," Rei said. "You simply never bothered to notice otherwise."

Asuka's smile faded, and she shifted uncomfortably, clearing her throat. "What exactly do you need my help for anyway?" She asked, changing the subject. "If the Commander won't let you into Unit 01's entry plug, he sure as hell won't let me inside of it."

"I already said I don't need you to enter Unit 01," Rei repeated. "But…the Commander is going to be watching me. If we are going to help Shinji…I need someone to aid me. Work with me. While the Commander focuses on me, you can act in my stead. It is well known that you do not like me. They would not expect us to come to an arrangement like this. I cannot bring back Shinji alone…but with your help, I can free him from Unit 01."

Asuka nodded. "Good. I have a few things I'd like to say to that moron, for leaving me stuck here with you and the drunk."

"Then we have reached an agreement?"

Asuka paused to consider. Rei was obviously keeping things from her. She never did tell her what was so important about Unit 01, after all. And no matter what Rei tried to tell herself, the fact of the matter was, they were going explicitly behind the Commander's back. This could get them into serious trouble if they were caught. She could get punished. Put in a holding cell for a few days.

She might even be released from NERV, with someone else picked to…to replace her. To pilot her Evangelion.

All this risk…just to work with the Commander's pet. Someone she all but hated, another damn doll…

But then…she isn't all that much like a doll after all, is she? This entire conversation had gone against all of her preconceived notions of Ayanami.

Rei had approached her. Asked her for help, going against the Commander of all people. She had called Shinji a friend, stood up to Asuka and even insulted her, if only by implication. She had even sassed her!

Maybe she wouldn't be so awful to work with after all.

Asuka nodded. "Fine," She agreed. "I'll help you get Shinji back. We'll do whatever we have to in order to get you into Unit 01, and you'll bring the idiot out of his Eva."

"Yes," Rei breathed, her shoulders falling ever so slightly in a faint sign of relief. "I am…glad, that you've decided to assist me. Thank you, Asuka." It was weird, hearing Rei use her name, but she supposed it was better than 'Pilot Soryu'. "You are free to leave," Rei finished, turning around.

"Eh?" Asuka narrowed her eyes. "Hey! Don't you have any manners?"

Rei turned with a frown. "I do not understand. Why have I offended you?"

"We just made a serious deal between the two of us!" Asuka reminded her. "It's rude to just kick me out like that without any sort of finality! Important agreements are always sealed with a handshake."

"Oh," Rei said quietly. "I was not aware."

"Hm," Asuka shot out her hand expectantly. "Well now you are."

Rei stared at Asuka's outstretched hand, and for several long, awkward seconds she just let her hand rest in the air. Then slowly, hesitantly, Rei took it. Her hand was cold, freezing cold. "What now?" Rei asked curiously.

Asuka shook her hand up and down, then gave a satisfied noise of approval. "There! Now we're stuck together, you and I. It's a proper pact now. The two of us are gonna bring Shinji back, come hell or high water. And the great Asuka Langley Soryu doesn't break her word after she's given it!"

"I promise as well," Rei affirmed. "I won't let Shinji stay trapped."

Good. They got off to a…shaky start, that was for sure. Rei's cheek was still red from where she slapped her, after all. But they had a plan. A crappy plan, sure, but at least it was still a plan. More than that bottle blonde Akagi could scramble up. And hey, It might even work!

Asuka grinned. You are gonna make me the best thank you dinner EVER when you get back, Idiot!

She frowned, all of a sudden realizing neither she nor Rei had moved in several seconds. "Uh…Rei? You can let go of my hand now."

"Oh."

Misato sunk in her chair, letting her head fall on top of the table with a labored sigh. Her muscles were sore, aching, heavy bags lidded darkly over her eyes, and her hair was a raggedy mess. Spending so much of her time at NERV was beginning to take a physical toll now in addition to the mental strain.

But what choice do I have? Shinji was still trapped inside of Unit 01, and while she couldn't do much herself, she could at least take some of the workload off of Rits so she could focus on finding a solution.

She was stretching herself too thin. Panicking about Shinji, helping Ritsuko, handling her normal workload, doing the little she could for Asuka, all the while trying to piece together the clues Kaji had left her…

I can't keep this up, Misato thought wearily. Not for long. Something needed to change, and it needed to change soon. Maybe she would have a breakthrough. Or maybe Ritsuko would. Maybe Shinji would just come back all on his own, or maybe the next Angel would reach that…that thing the Commander was keeping in Terminal Dogma, and it wouldn't be anyone's problem anymore.

She sighed. What am I supposed to do, Kaji? She missed the days when her life was simple. It had never been easy, but at least it had been simple once. The Angels were her enemy, and it was her duty to defeat them.

Only, so was the Commander, it seemed. And the Commander had an Angel crucified in NERV's basement. She used to think she knew what she was doing, what she had gotten herself into, but only with Kaji's death had she come to understand just how far out of her depth she really was.

I'm still just a child, aren't I? She mused. An angry, vengeful child who never grew up. Who had she been kidding? She wasn't fit to be NERV's operations director. She had the ability, sure, but the reasoning was all wrong. A lifelong vendetta against the angels, fueled by her father's death. A father she barely knew, and only realized how much he loved her in his dying moments.

But she was the only one capable of her job, and it wasn't just her own life affected. It was the whole worlds. More importantly, she had other obligations to fulfill. To Kaji, to Shinji and Asuka, to the world.

She was a sorry excuse for a guardian, she knew that well enough. She could barely look after herself, let alone two children. But someone needed to be there for them, and she had tried. She had tried, damn it…

And look how that turned out? How many times had she driven off Shinji? Guilted him into piloting Eva even as he begged not to be put back into the entry plug? He was gone, now, trapped inside of Unit 01. And no matter how hard she tried, she could never make enough time for Asuka. Not as much as she needed.

It was all she could do for them. It wasn't much, and she wasn't sure she even helped them…but it was all she could do.

The sound of the front door sliding open and closing again caused her to lift her head in curiosity. When no greeting was shouted down the hall, she tried to put a bit of cheer in her voice, calling out. "Welcome home, Asuka!"

Asuka grunted as she came into the kitchen scowling. "Is there any actually edible food today?"

Misato nodded. "I got a few things from the store after last night." She figured she had owed the girl an apology. It wasn't her fault Misato was forced to spend so much time at NERV now, and it wasn't fair she had to suffer for it. "I know you don't like my cooking, so I put some stuff in the fridge. I can run out and grab some hot food later if you're hungry."

"Don't bother," Asuka muttered bitterly. "I'll be fine. I'd hate to keep you from a riveting night of drinking yourself to sleep again."

Misato shut her eyes, a sharp pain tightening in her chest. She's angry because she's hurting, She told herself.

Misato hadn't touched a drop of alcohol since Kaji's death. She hadn't had the time, or the urge. Not…not after everything that had happened. But she didn't expect Asuka to pick up on that. Why would she? From Asuka's perspective, she had been nothing but an immature slacker with a drinking problem. Asuka had enough issues of her own to be expected to notice her change.

Not wanting to start an argument, she didn't bother correcting her. "What did you do all day?" She asked, smiling lightly in a forced effort. "You're usually home a little earlier. Have some fun after school?"

"Hardly," Asuka snorted, and Misato's smile fell. She had hoped maybe Asuka had found something to occupy her time. "I took a walk, that's all."

Misato frowned. Strange. "Well, so long as you're staying safe."

"I don't see how I could possibly be in danger when I have a security detail tailing me twenty-four seven," She snapped. "Shouldn't you be at work anyways? What happened to complaining about twelve hour shifts at the Geofront?"

"They gave me a half a day off today," Misato answered. "I figured…since you mentioned me spending so much time at work now, I could stay home for a while…maybe we could-"

"What?" Asuka interrupted irritably. "Make some popcorn and watch a movie? Go to a sauna?" She scoffed, shaking her head. "If the only reason you bothered to remember I existed was because I said something about it, then you wasted your time getting time off." Asuka brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes, stomping past her with a growl.

The door to Asuka's room was slammed shut shortly after, and Misato sighed deeply. Another one of my fuck ups. The worst part was she couldn't even say Asuka was wrong. She had taken Asuka for granted for so long, focused on Shinji because she felt he needed her attention more…but Asuka was still a child as well, and had never taken kindly to being ignored. She…she hadn't meant to ignore her…but she couldn't deny it's what ended up happening, either.

Some guardian I am, huh? She laughed miserably. Ritsuko was right. About that…that stupid hedgehog metaphor. Shinji, Asuka, Kaji…whenever any of them tried to get closer to each other, whenever they made an effort to open up, they would only end up hurting one another. It was all they knew how to do.

Kaji was dead. Shinji may not be far behind. And Asuka seemed to hate her with every fiber of her being.

Misato remembered when they used to be close. When she had first been her guardian, back in Germany. Asuka had idolized her, spent all of their time together trying to impress her. She was every bit as arrogant and haughty back then as she was now…but back then it had only been adorable. She was nine, after all, she was expected to act childish.

When Misato left her for the first time, it seemed to have left a mark on her. Asuka was more bitter when they reunited, jaded. Quicker to bite back with an insult.

How many mistakes had she made? How many would she never have a chance to fix? If she never left Asuka's side, would she have been able to make sure she grew up a bit more stable? If she hadn't pushed Shinji so much, would he still be here?

Could she have saved Kaji somehow?

Her eyes flickered down to a report Ritsuko had handed to her before she left the Geofront. From the Marduk Institute, of all places. Not that it exists in the first place. But Ritsuko and the Commander were unaware of how much she knew, and so she had to keep up the pretense.

Misato frowned. She should tell Asuka. It was her right to know, as one of the last two pilots. But…it had gone poorly for everyone last time. Besides, with Asuka how she was, she didn't see the point in burdening her further. She would find out on her own in a day or two.

That's what you thought last time as well, and it wound up with Shinji's friend crippled.

Misato winced. It wasn't the same. They weren't getting a new Eva this time. There wouldn't be any opportunity for an Angel to slip in. Asuka didn't need the extra stress, not now.

And as for her…she needed time to think.

Fuyutsuki placed a stack of papers on his desk with a sigh. Gendo looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "And what exactly is this supposed to be?"

"Various status reports regarding repairs for Unit's 02 and 00, all of which place both units in near perfect condition," Fuyutsuki began. "Two separate updates on the status of Unit 01 and Shinji, one prepared by Dr. Akagi, and the other by the Magi. A request for half a day's leave on behalf of Katsuragi, which has already been approved." He paused, before withdrawing one final letter from the pocket of his coat. "And a message from the old men."

Gendo grimaced, steepling his fingers. "What does SEELE want now?"

"They suspect Shinji's absorption into Unit 01 is some plot of ours," He answered. "Either that, or they're getting tired of our little interferences. Regardless, they've chosen to do a little meddling of their own."

Gendo grunted. SEELE's idea of meddling never meant anything good for them. "How so?"

"With Shinji''s absence, SEELE has taken it upon themselves to select the Fifth Children," Fuyutsuki announced. "They claim with NERV down a pilot, the vacancy must be filled immediately. I think they just want a pair of eyes on us."

Gendo let out a laboured sigh. "A report from the Marduk Institute will have to be falsified and distributed."

"Already handled," Fuyutsuki said. "Katsuragi has been supplied with one. It will be released to public records before long."

Gendo frowned. "Katsuragi was close with Ryoji Kaji. Intimate. Is it possible he may have…?" Let something slip?

"Possible, but the risk is negligible," Fuyutsuki. "I doubt he'd have tried risking Katsuragi's life bringing her into things she had no knowledge of. And even if he did, what of it? Katsuragi is too tightly bound to the pilots, and to us. And we are far, far too close to the end to back out now. We must make do with what we have."

"Indeed," Gendo agreed. "We must pray it is enough. Is there anything else?"

Fuyutsuki shifted. "Section 2 delivered a…strange report, not long before I came here."

"Strange how?"

"Unusual," Fuyutsuki amended. "The Second Children was observed returning with Ayanami to her home."

Gendo was silent for a moment. "Is there some practical reason for it? Were they assigned a project by a teacher? Scheduled for a sync test later?"

Fuyutsuki shook his head. "There seems to be no obvious cause for the irregularity. What's more, Section 2 says Ayanami approached Pilot Soryu."

That was unusual indeed. "And how did Soryu react?"

"Section 2 was not close enough to make out their conversation," Fuyutsuki informed him. "But she seemed irritated."

At least the Second was acting in accordance with her expected behaviors. Rei, however…

"I do not like such a drastic change so close to the end, with so much on the line," Gendo admitted.

"I wouldn't call it drastic," Fuyutsuki chuckled. "They are children, Ikari. Don't forget that. And with everything we put on their shoulders, I daresay a bit of time together would do them some good, don't you think?"

"With all that we put on them, they have become much more than simply children," Gendo pointed out. "Especially Rei."

Fuyutsuki scoffed. "You aren't considering switching to one of the spares over two children hanging out, are you?"

"No," Gendo sighed, resting his hands on his tables. "It would be inconvenient at this juncture. If Rei's death can be avoided, it would be for the best." He narrowed his eyes. "Though we will have to keep a keen eye on her, just in case. She is the catalyst for everything, particularly with Shinji out of commission."

"We'll have our hands full as it is," Fuyutsuki reminded him. "The Fifth is almost certainly a SEELE spy. We will need to be on our guard around him."

"The Fifth…" Gendo murmured, folding his hands over one another. "Just who is he, anyways? And when is he meant to arrive?"

"All records, official and unofficial, have been completely scrubbed," Fuyutsuki said. "Just as we would have expected. We have a name and a date of birth, and little else."

"Tell me," Gendo ordered.

"Kaworu Nagisa," Fuyutsuki said. "Apparently born the day of Second Impact, though it's very possibly a fabrication."

"Kaworu Nagisa," Gendo echoed.

"He is scheduled to be arriving within the next few days, possibly sooner," Fuyutsuki said. "SEELE has already enrolled him in the same class as the pilots, and the backups."

"Schedule a sync test that day," Gendo instructed. "I want to see what the Fifth Children is capable of. If SEELE insists on throwing their tool into my hands, I intend to use it well."

"Tools," Fuyutsuki scoffed. "You could always call them what they are, Ikari."

"I do."

"They are children, not tools," Fuyutsuki insisted.

"For the purposes of our Scenario, Kozou, they are one and the same."

Didn't expect to upload this so soon, but hey. Like I said, this will be written as a way to help with writer's block, and also to keep myself busy. So, it may be I release chapters within days of each other, it might be a couple weeks. I genuinely can't say, so the best way to keep up to date is to bookmark or follow the story.

This won't be a super long fic…at least, not as long as Shattered Mind, or The Eleventh Prince will be. I won't say how long it is, or how much it will cover, because I don't actually know yet, but I have an initial feeling of around fifteen-twenty chapters max. Maybe even less than that. The point of this fic is to be more relaxing for me to write, so it isn't as stressful.

Anyways, I hope you're enjoying this so far! I'm having a blast writing this as I rewatch Evangelion. Please leave a comment if you like it, I read through them all.

Next Chapter: No clue, lol. Probably not too long if my current pace keeps up, but I also want to find more time to work on my other fics that are, you know, my MAIN fics I'm focusing on.