text: Rei watches Unit 02 fire at Jet Alone Prime, but the robot hurls its hammer at Asuka. Unit 01 jumps between Asuka and the club, so Shinji takes the brunt of the blow. "No!" Misato covers her mouth with her hand. Their lights flicker, but the backup generators kick in. Shinji's Eva lies on the ground mauled and bleeding. Jet Alone Prime has fallen beneath the waves. The force of the impact must've broken through Shinji's A.T. shield. Maybe he didn't get the chance to deploy it on such short notice.
  
  Rei feels fear. What if Shinji is injured or dead?
  
  A fearful voice pierces the silence. "Shinji!" Asuka shouts. "Is he alive? Tell me!" Fascinating, she worries for him. Why does she not worry like that outside the Evas?
  
  Behind Asuka, Jet Alone Prime rises from the water. The right arm is missing, but the robot still functions. It charges at Asuka.
  
  "Asuka," says Maya, "Weak vitals. Worry later. Fight Jet Alone Prime!"
  "You have vitals?" asks Misato.
  "No, I lost his signal," says the lieutenant, tears filling her eyes.
  "Dispatch two recovery teams." The major stares at the monitors, but Rei sees fear in her eyes.
  
  Everyone in the Command Center observes the battle before them using video from the military's helicopters. The two machines meet and fight. Soon, Jet Alone Prime strangles Unit 02.
  
  "Asuka!" Misato appears worried. "Use your Progressive Knife!"
  "Her vitals are falling!" Maya types something into the computer. "I'm decreasing the sync ratio." That will decrease Asuka's pain.
  
  Unit 02 tumbles to the ground. The robot doesn't let go of her neck.
  
  "Stop!" shouts Asuka. Her knife tears through the robots armor. "Help!"
  Ritsuko flips through data on a computer. "Jet Alone Prime is overheating. The core will meltdown."
  "No." Asuka's voice sounds weak. She struggles less.
  "She's dying." A tear falls from Maya's face onto the monitors.
  
  Rei cannot look away from the screen. How can she be so helpless? Shinji and Asuka are dying, but Rei can only watch. She feels useless. How can she end their suffering or ease their pain?
  
  A bright light envelopes their visual feed before it goes offline. Rei covers her mouth.
  
  "I lost both signals." Maya tries to recover them, but her efforts are futile.
  "Prepare for emergency care." Misato cries, but her voice is firm. "Ritsuko, did Jet Alone Prime explode?"
  "Yes," the scientist says, "It no longer poses a threat."
  
  Rei stands and walks out of the Command Center. She will meet Asuka and Shinji at the hospital. The NERV staff does not speak during her journey, and full power comes back when she reaches the medical ward.
  
  The sanitized smell overwhelms the girl. It used to be pleasant, but now she hates the unnatural, lifeless stench. It symbolizes their warfare. They should not be fighting, and they should not be dying. Still, Rei and the other pilots cannot escape, for they come back to the hospital broken and bleeding.
  
  The blue haired girl sits by the front desk. She doesn't move. The electric lights buzz overhead and footsteps echo in the halls. She will follow her friends wherever they will be taken.
  
  She hears running. Wheels squeak. Doctors come through the door, pushing a bed with Shinji on it. Rei sees an IV with a pouch of blood inserted into each arm. He is covered with so much blood. The girl follows the doctors until they enter an operating room. She sits outside. Where's Asuka?
  
  "Life is suffering," says Gendo. His voice is impassive. Rei turns her head and sees the man standing beside her. How did he get there? "When people live, they suffer. Soon, the ones you love will be taken from you. It is just a matter of time."
  "Will Shinji live? Where is Asuka?"
  "Everyone deals with loss differently. Dreamers hope of a day where there is no more loss or suffering, but those fiends will always follow us. They'll follow you until humanity is no longer human."
  "I do not understand."
  "Do you wish to submit to me, to end your friends' suffering?"
  
  > No
  Rei shakes her head, and he walks away. She doesn't know what to think. She becomes a true statue, neither thinking nor moving. She wants to hear a sound. Even if Shinji's scream pierces the silence, she would be satisfied, since that would mean he's alive.
  
  "Rei," says Misato. Her voice sounds soft and reassuring. Streaks of dried tears run down her cheeks. "Asuka can take visitors."
  "What about Shinji?"
  Misato gives a thumbs up. "Blood loss mostly. He'll live. It's a small miracle on this damned day."
  
  Rei nods and follows the major. They wind through the halls and down a floor. They enter a room together. Asuka lies in a bed. The left side of her face shows a massive bruise, and her left arm has bandages at the shoulder. The room has grey walls, and the dying rays of the sunset enter from the window.
  
  "That baka Shinji," Asuka moans. She stares at a wall with cold eyes.
  "Hey, you won," says Misato. The woman puts on a cheery smile.
  "Really?" She does not sound convinced.
  "You caused meltdown."
  "Oh..." She turns her head and looks at her visitors. "Can you leave for a moment? I'd like to talk with Wondergirl, alone."
  
  The major shows surprise, but she shrugs and eaves. The heart monitor beeps again and again.
  
  "Do you keep secrets?" she asks. Rei nods. She can. "I thought I was being raped by the fucking robot."
  "Why?" Rei sits at the foot of the bed. That doesn't seem logical.
  "Last time I piloted, Ariel violated my mind. It felt too close to that, and I... Did I lose my mind?"
  
  Maybe, but the Second Child cannot hear those words. "Pilot Langley, you are strong."
  "I wish I was. Also, call me Asuka. Cut out that sheisse. Got it, Wondergirl?"
  "I will, Asuka."
  
  Neither girl moves. Rei thinks that holding the girl's hand would help, but she might try to kill her. She does not enjoy closeness.
  
  "Weren't you violated?" Asuka asks. "They ripped your soul from your dead body. Then, they dumped it in this one." She points at Rei. "When you awoke, you were different. NERV forces themselves on you all the time, arschlocher."
  "Are you on painkillers?"
  "Yes."
  
  The girl nods. That explains a few things. Rei makes a bold decision and takes hold of Asuka's right hand. The redhead doesn't protest. She seems comforted.
  
  Misato comes back inside.
  
  > Going In
  Shinji opens his eyes. He blinks, trying to see the room better. Everything looks blurry. He moans and rubs his throbbing forehead. Didn't he die? No, he's still alive. The boy sees a girl sitting next to him.
  
  "Mama?" he asks. His vision returns. "Rei." The blue haired girl nods. She points over Shinji, so he turns. Asuka sleeps in the bed next to his. He smiles. "How long was I out?" he asks.
  
  "Eight hours. No casualties. The world is angry." She sets down the book she was reading. It's in German.
  "Why?"
  "Jet Alone project was funded by China and Russia. Japan is angry."
  
  He looks at the redhead. Unlike the time in the hospital, she appears to be sleeping peacefully. She deserves some rest. "She's fine, right?"
  "Yes. They call you heroes again."
  
  Shinji looks at Rei. From the window, a beam of moonlight illuminates her body. She wears her school outfit. She's just a child and not an adult, right? Her reaction to the world is like a lost little girl. She hides within her own walls, yet she's beyond her years. Her caring nature... yes, she cares... is that of an older sister. It was his blurry vision that made her seem like his mother.
  
  "Have you been waiting here the whole time?" Shinji asks.
  "Yes." She nods. After a few failed attempts, she manages to smile.
  
  The teens enjoy each other's presence. Words don't have to be spoken. Despite their shortcomings in social interaction, Rei and Shinji understand each other's pain. Isolation, fear, and helplessness live inside their souls. Knowing that someone empathizes with their plight lessens it a little.
  
  Shinji holds out his hand. Rei grasps it. He doesn't have to see his friend smiling to know her feelings inside. She's happy. Shinji drifts into a peaceful sleep. Rei leaves once she's sure her friend won't wake up any time soon.
  
  When the boy wakes up, he notices Rei left. Sun shines through the window. Asuka has dressed and stands next to Misato. The major looks more tired than ever. "We can go home now," she says. Shinji nods. Misato tosses his clothes on the bed. "We'll be outside." She'd better rest soon.
  
  Shinji changes, groaning the entire time. The doctors wrapped his torso like a mummy. If he makes even the smallest wrong move, a stab travels up his side. Still, he manages to do it.
  
  When he steps out the door Misato hugs him. "I'm so sorry for sending both of you in harm's way again," she says. "You were both amazing out there."
  "Why?" huffs Asuka.
  
  The sanitized stench isn't potent when compared to the girl's seething aggravation. She doesn't look either in the eyes and clenches her fists.
  
  Misato shakes her head. "Asuka, you destroyed Jet Alone Prime and saved Shinji. Yes, the reactor went into meltdown, but no one was killed. It's N2 as well, so no radiation is around."
  
  "Fuck off, schlampe." Asuka flicks off both of them and runs away. Confused, the boy looks to the woman for guidance.
  
  "She'll come to the car," she says, "The hospital won't let her out without me, but let's be nice."
  "Is she okay?" Even Asuka doesn't act this moody. She scares him.
  "I think you should find out."
  
  The child and guardian walk down the halls. When they reach outside, Shinji takes a deep breath of clean air. The sun warms both his skin and his spirits. In comparison to the white and disinfected hospital, he entered heaven.
  
  Shinji sees Asuka sitting in the front passenger seat. She pouts with her arms crossed. Why is Asuka like this?
  
  They drive home in silence, but Shinji's mind remains active. Why does Asuka act grumpy? Wouldn't she be happier to be less aggressive? Why can't she be nicer? Then, they could get along. Rei is so much easier to be around.
  
  He thinks about the time they kissed. The redhead guilted him into the act by mentioning his dead mother, how heartless. She has always despised him, but she seems to hate him even more this month, if that's possible. They were compatible when they met, but no one can get along with Asuka. Shinji hasn't changed, so it must be her. Yes, he blames her for feeling bad.
  
  The car pulls up to the apartment. Misato says, "I'll get some good food. You two deserve a great meal, not my cooking. Shinji, don't you dare cook tonight. Hands to yourselves when I'm gone."
  
  Blushing at what she insinuated, the children step out of the car before it pulls away. They glare at each other for a moment before walking up the stairs. They reach the door, and Asuka enters first. She slams the door in Shinji's face causing him to stumble back. He regains his footing and enters the house.
  
  Shinji hears another door slam. This time, it's to Asuka's bedroom. Shinji travels through the house, but stops in front of the door.
  
  "Asuka?" he asks. He opens and closes his sweating hands.
  "Leave me alone, fool!"
  "Did it not work?"
  "What are you talking about?"
  
  Is she crying? No, it's his imagination. She's angry; that's all.
  
  "You wanted to feel better, and you thought piloting your Eva would fix you. We won. Asuka, you killed the enemy and protected me. Why don't you feel better?"
  "I don't need you! Go do perverted things with your doll Wondergirl!" What made her so angry?
  
  Shinji breathes in. Perhaps he still feels empowered after being in his Eva. Maybe some of his painkillers are clouding his judgment. No, he's fed up with Asuka.
  
  Either way, he opens her door. Consequences be damned.
  
  > Kozo Fuyutsuki
  Kozo Fuyutsuki watches Gendo manipulate the politicians like an artist painting a tapestry. Dozens of faces stare from the video monitor, all called to their feeds by the apparent savior of Japan. Time has become their greatest resource when public opinion, that fickle number, favors NERV like a politician favors bribes.
  
  "...which is why NERV needs more funding," continues Gendo Ikari.
  "What do we receive in return?" asks the Japanese ambassador of the UN.
  
  NERV follows the orders of the UN, but not one man here believes that lie. NERV follows one man, and that one man answers to no one despite what SEELE may think.
  
  "Do you remember those history lessons about the Huns?" Gendo doesn't pause for a response. "Using horses and bows, they conquered almost the entirety of Asia and could've taken Europe. Do you remember the British Empire?" The UK ambassador looks uncomfortable. "They conquered a fourth of all humans using trade, ships, and money. All of us remember what the United States used to be."
  
  The American ambassador doesn't care, though Fuyutsuki isn't surprised. After the Second Impact, the nation went back to its original status, isolationist. Gifting most of their military to the UN and ending almost all diplomatic ties, the United States has no worldwide presence beyond commerce, the Americas, and the UN. The United States of America was the last traditional world power, and everyone knows it. NERV alone holds the status as a superpower.
  
  "They took the world using ideals and atomic power. I am NERV, and NERV has the newest form of world domination, Evangelions. Therefore, we should transition NERV into a real UN organization."
  
  It takes a small miracle to make a politician show their surprise, but dozens of faces have a dumbfounded look on their face. Deputy commander Fuyutsuki tries not to smile.
  
  "I wish to rely on your military and funds to carry out a simple plan to save humanity." The man finishes and stares at the leeches. SEELE may control the UN like a puppet master, but these puppets are greedy. To them, the situation is too good to be true but too good to pass up.
  
  The French ambassador says, "Let us discuss this for a moment. We will speak soon."
  
  Gendo and Fuyutsuki step away from the camera. The old man smiles while the commander remains stoic.
  
  The aged professor comments, "We got them."
  "Yes, it didn't take much for Ritsuko to find SEELE's virus. They took the offensive, but now we do as well. Except for Rei and our old records, we have nothing to hide. Stepping into the light will make us loved and desired. SEELE has no way to touch us without fighting everyone else."
  "But they will."
  
  SEELE has caused billions of deaths already. A few million casualties in an assault against NERV seems like a best case scenario at this point. Now, they've secured the backing of the UN making their defenses all the more secure.
  
  "Yes, but they haven't finished the eleventh or twelfth yet." Where does Gendo get his information?
  "Oh, they finished the tenth massed produced Eva?"
  "Now, we have an army with us instead of against us. Red tape does not bother me, not after we killed the angels. Besides, Rei will need time. She has been uncooperative."
  "When she changes her mind, we win," says Fuyutsuki.
  
  Still, he cannot help but fear and marvel at the man before him. If God exists in this damnde world, then he set Gendo apart from the rest and gave him a purpose no one else could follow.
  
  The two men hear a ping. The ambassadors are ready.
  
  Yui, don't worry. He and SEELE can still be stopped.
  
  > Choking
  "I said get out! Verdammt!" Asuka presses her head into her pillow, and her legs kick down onto the bed. Shinji walks in like a puppy wanting to be beaten.
  
  "Asuka, you are not alright," he says. How can he be so dense? Of course she's not alright! She's hurting! She screamed out for help during the battle! She thought a one armed robot was trying to rape her! Is she crazy? Yeah, she's a fucking crazy bitch.
  
  "Leave me!" She lifts her head up for a moment and stares daggers into the baka. "Or I'll kill you." When she piloted Unit 02, it was supposed to fix her. At least it could've provided some rest. No, Asuka feels worse. She's a horrible pilot. Shinji could've died and she almost perished because the great Asuka Langley no longer has the ability to control an Eva.
  
  Run, Shinji. Run. It's what you always do. You don't care enough to understand, and I don't need you. I'll stand on my own as I always have and always will.
  
  "Then get it over with," says Shinji. He holds his arms out, inviting her to attack. "I'm tired of listening to your damn whining."
  
  Rage. Asuka cannot see beyond a surreal rage. He thinks she's whining? Of all the dumb, insensitive, ignorant things to say! How could he?
  
  She stands on her bed and points at the boy. "I hate you, Shinji!" she shrieks. "I hate you! I hate you!" She repeats the words like some godless chant.
  
  "Asu-" says Shinji in his pathetic, weak voice. He shakes his head, and his eyes light up with a fire. "Asuka, I saved your life! You never saw the club coming! Do you know why I didn't let you die?"
  
  The girl snarls. She jumps of the bed and onto Shinji. They wrestle, grunt, and cry out on the floor. Asuka wraps her hands around Shinji's neck. He needs to suffer, like she did with Jet Alone Prime.
  
  > Relent
  No, this is wrong. She rolls off Shinji. They gasp for breath. Asuka laughs; Shinji laughs.
  
  "We tried to kill each other." Asuka smiles, feeling much better.
  "Sorry. You okay?" He looks at her as his chest rises and falls.
  "Yes." Her tone says otherwise.
  "You know why I didn't let you die?"
  "Why?"
  
  Asuka rolls on her side to face Shinji, and she props herself up leaning on her elbows. The boy has already positioned himself in the same way. He's covered in sweat, but it doesn't look bad on him.
  
  "I think it's the same reason you saved me. Deep down inside, I don't think we dislike each other." He has become serious, like his father but less scary.
  "No, I saved you to prove I'm better, baka."
  "I used to tell myself that I am piloting for Gendo's approval."
  "But you don't? Why then?" Curious, has pervert Shinji changed in at least one way?
  "Even though it destroys my life and the lives of everyone who I care about, I pilot because I can't let any more suffering happen. Not anymore. Not after seeing Rei... die, and you... well, you know..."
  
  Asuka stands. She walks out of her room facing away from Shinji. She cannot let him see her pained expression. "I'm going to take a shower, because I'm sweaty. Don't peek." She closes the door and turns on the water.
  
  Shinji rubs his neck. Did she just run away from him again? She laughed. What does that mean? He could sense that she was glad he stayed, but it's just a feeling. He could also be wrong.
  
  Asuka shivers. The water feels too damn cold. Warm water is a bad idea since she needs to cool herself down, in more ways than one. She tried to kill Shinji after he saved her, and she'd kill herself if she killed him. Yes, she saved him too, but that's not the point.
  
  She is the human incarnation of fire, all consuming. Others cannot touch her, for she lashes out and scorches them. Take away her fuel, her piloting abilities, and she burns out. For the Second Child's entire life, she has been reaching out with her flames, only being useful when directed at an Angel. The reason for her success also causes her to fail. A wild fire destroys. It cannot refine or warm a weary soul. It does not care what it consumes.
  
  Rei is water. No, she is an ocean. Cold, dark, and mysterious, the blue haired girl floats through life like the currents far beneath the surface. People see her surface, still waters, but they cannot enter her abyss or else they drown. Water and fire cannot mix, so they hate each other. But Rei changed. She does care now, just a little. If Wondergirl evolves, why can't Asuka?
  
  If Rei is an ocean and Asuka is a fire, what is Shinji? Dirt? That might work. He just lies on the ground and lets others walk all over him. Dirt kills a fire and disintegrates in an ocean. No, dirt doesn't encompass all of Shinji.
  
  Maybe he's a stick. Yes, a tiny little stick. He broke off from his tree and is now being tossed around in the big scary world. He floats on the water and bobs under the surface. After he dries from Rei, he acts as kindling for Asuka to keep her alight.
  
  No, I don't need him. She turns off the shower and dries herself. On other days, she would walk through the house wearing the towel, but now it seems weak. It was weakness. I did it for Shinji's attention. Then, I'd push him away. No more. If he does care for me, I don't need to show myself off like Misato.
  
  Asuka puts on her undergarments and sweaty clothes. It's gross, but she won't show off her assets today. She opens the door and strides into her bedroom. Shinji stares at her with his mouth agape, though the girl pretends not to notice. She enters her room, closes the door, and changes into clean, comfortable clothes. The redhead enters the living room and sits in the middle of the sofa. Shinji sits on the far right side.
  
  "Um, how was the shower?" he asks.
  "Are you making small talk?" He hasn't done this in a while.
  
  Confusion engulfs the boy. He doesn't know how to respond, so he blurts, "Yes, sorry."
  
  "Shinji," she says, sighing, "We'd get along if you weren't so damn awkward."
  "I wish I wasn't, but that's who I am." The boy looks disgraced.
  "Rei changed. Maybe we can, too. It'd be better." She scratches her wrists.
  "On the battlefield, we fought for each other's lives. I didn't even think about my decision. I, um, jumped. That's all."
  "I didn't hesitate either."
  
  Shinji is right. They don't dislike each other, not all the way. When neither has time to think, they'd both sacrifice their lives for their teammate. It sucks that they're so bad outside of the Evas.
  
  "Maybe, we could, um, treat the world like the battlefield."
  She shakes her head looking down at her two scars. "This is a battlefield."
  
  They sit in silence until Misato arrives with the food. The major wonders what they did after she left, for they are content, almost happy. They don't have a single argument that night.
  
  > A Decision
  Rei sits on a bench. She shivers as the morning's dew dampens her hair and clothing, but she won't move. A day without sleep is not lethal and being so close to the other pilots comforts her.
  
  She sees Shinji and Asuka exit their apartment carrying supplies for school. They travel down the stairs to the world below them, where Rei resides. It would be wonderful to live with them. In the heavens above, one could be the first to see the sunrise and the last to witness the sunset. Oh, to live with the other pilots would be... a feeling. A good feeling...
  
  "Wondergirl?" asks Asuka, "What the hell are you doing?"
  "I am sitting on a bench." She looks at the other pilots with a blank stare.
  "I can see that, but why?" Her arms move around in an animated manner.
  "Why are you going to school hurt?" Their bodies have bandages and bruises.
  "Rei," speaks up Shinji, "You did as well."
  
  His words ring true. When her predecessor met the boy, she was injured from an accident with Unit 00. Other details are less clear, but being seen in such a compromised position may have caused sympathy and curiosity from Shinji. What an interesting thought. Perhaps Shinji desired to protect me before we even spoke because I was injured.
  
  "May we walk to school together?" asks Rei. Shinji looks to Asuka for approval. She shrugs. "I am thankful." Rei bows.
  
  The trio makes their way to the train station, and they ride the train before walking to school again. All the while, none of the children say anything. They experience an awkward silence, but the very silence keeps them from speaking. It generates fear.
  
  When they reach the school, Asuka speaks up. "They'd better clap, a lot. We saved their asses again."
  
  They hear a noise. It starts off quiet, like a mouse speaking at a circus. Then, it grows in intensity until the squeak progresses into a mighty roar. All the students cheer and clap for the pilots.
  
  "They appear less hostile than before." Rei does not make eye contact with the other students.
  "Because we are heroes." The redhead beams at the masses clapping for her.
  
  The students move away, letting them enter. Rei can imagine Asuka's thoughts. She has respect again, and god damn it, she can still pilot her Eva after all. It may have been her last run as a pilot, but they will remember the Great Asuka Langley as their savior... oh, Shinji too. It would not surprise her if those were her thoughts.
  
  "They like us again." Rei does not see anyone who wishes to kill her. The eyes of those filled with hatred have always been easy for her to spot.
  "Of course." The Second Child says in a matter of fact manner. "Now, we're Angel killers and robot destroyers. We're super badass. If any more Angels come, I'm sure we'd kill them, no problem at all!"
  
  The redhead has a spring in her step.
  
  "Go ahead." Rei looks to the ground, hiding the fear and sadness in her soul.
  "What?" the two say in unison.
  "I will be in the bathroom." Like Shinji, she runs away.
  
  Shinji says nothing as the blue haired girl walks away from them. The crowd follows Shinji and Asuka, since they were the ones who defeated Jet Alone Prime.
  
  Rei enters the girls' bathroom and sits in a stall. Asuka identifies herself as an Angel killer. Her love for attention, proving herself, and combat causes her to love slaughtering Angels. I'm an angel. The girl has made the tragic connection. If Asuka and Shinji kill Angels and I hold the Angel Lilith's soul, then won't they kill me when they learn? The thought of Shinji killing her distresses the child. They bonded, so Shinji would feel hurt after the act, even more than he did with Kaworu.
  
  What is my purpose? I know I once knew it, but now it floats beyond my conscious. Other Rei, give it back to me. Gendo alludes to it, but my life needs a purpose beyond being one of the monsters my friends kill. No one else has it but... Unit 00 knows. Rei walks out of the bathroom and out of the school. She boards another train to NERV.
  
  Despite the clanking of the tracks, her thoughts remain clear. The Rei who died long ago resides in Unit 00. She synced with my predecessor, so she should know those details. Syncs are two way connections. The pilots assume that no one listens on the other side, but Gendo said I have a part of me in that Eva. When I know my purpose, I will know who I am.
  
  Kaworu told me we are alike. He was Adam. I am Lilith. Kaworu's purpose was the Third Impact, but he rebelled. Does this mean Lilith will cause the Third Impact? It makes sense. Defeat Adam. Then, Lilith wins. Gendo wanted me alive due to the clones, so his purpose for me must be important, but how do I fit into ending the world's pain?
  
  No, I am Rei. Lilith hangs in the basement of NERV. I don't want to go there anymore. What if they crucify me like her? Gendo is NERV. I don't know Gendo, so I don't know NERV. Do I even know if Shinji and Asuka are trustworthy? My memories could've been implanted. For all I know, nothing I've known is true.
  
  A memory comes to Rei from her predecessor. It has a feeling, happiness.
  
  She feels pain. The Eva melts from the blast. So does Rei, but she stands her ground. If she moves, then Shinji would be hit. He has to fire at the Angel. If she dies, then she can be replaced. Shinji fires, so Rei knows she completed her job. She lets herself fall into unconsciousness not caring if this is her last sight. She could always be replaced.
  
  "Ayanami! Are you all right? Ayanami!" Shinji yells. Rei fades back into consciousness and opens her eyes. Shinji stands in the doorway to the entry plug. He must have pried it open. His eyes water.
  
  He steps inside. "You had nothing, really?" he asks. "You were just gonna leave me?" He appears relieved. "And that whole dramatic goodbye thing? Don't do that again, okay?" The Third Child looks down and cries, whimpers. Is he not supposed to be happy? She is alive.
  
  Rei sits up and asks in an impassioned yet curious tone, "Why are you crying?" The boy continues to cry, so Rei looks away. She is supposed to do something now, but nothing makes sense. "I am sorry. I guess I don't know what to do in situations like this."
  
  "You could start by smiling." Rei looks at the pilot. Shinji smiles as if to show her how, or maybe he smiles because he feels happy. Before her stands a person who... cares. Rei smiles, a true smile. He holds out his burnt hand, the hand he burnt opening her entry plug. She reaches out and takes hold. Though she almost died from being boiled alive, only now does she no longer feel cold.
  
  The memory ends.
  
  So, is that why my predecessor killed herself for Shinji? He is what he seems to be. Weak, pathetic, and most of all compassionate. I know where I must go. Home. My true home.
  
  She doesn't stop at NERV. The blue haired girl goes to the other Rei's home and puts all of her clothes in a bag. The painkillers are left in the drawer. She crushes Gendo's glasses under her foot, bruising her heel.
  
  > She Leaves for Her...  Family
  "Don't you care at all?" asks Shinji. "She left without telling us anything."
  "So? She's been absent countless times before." Asuka doesn't turn around to look at the boy.
  "Not after already being at school. What if she wanted to talk to us?"
  
  The trip home has been much livelier than their walk to school. Neither separates from the other, yet both seem to hate each other's presence. All the while, Rei's absence hovers over their head like a raincloud.
  
  They walk to the door of the apartment. Misato won't be home, so no sane presence will quell their animosity. It won't matter. Shinji will not let Asuka push him away. Despite their bad feelings, it feels worse to be alone. He knows that now.
  
  They enter the apartment. Pen Pen greets the pair and waddles off again.
  
  Asuka walks away from him. Fearing that she might close her door on him, Shinji calls out, "Asuka, wait!" She stops at the edge of the kitchen. "I'm worried. Rei's been acting strange, um, stranger than normal. I wanna be sure she's alright."
  "Something's wrong as fuck." He can't see her face, but the girl clenches her fists.
  
  "You agree?" Why is she agreeing all of the sudden?
  "What are you doing here?" Asuka points into the living room and trembles. He doesn't know if it is out of fear or anger.
  "Wha-" starts Shinji, but another voice cuts him off.
  "I am alone," says Rei. "I have nobody."
  
  Shinji steps next to Asuka. Rei sits on their couch, looking lost. A bag of clothes lies next to her feet and her red eyes stare at them.
  
  "Get out!" Her face flushes red. "Go back!" Shinji sees her fury, but the she doesn't attack the pale girl.
  
  Rei ignores the order and says to Shinji, "I remember the time you saved my predecessor. You were crying and asked her to smile, so that Rei did. I think you loved Rei; you loved me."
  
  Somehow, Asuka becomes even angrier. She spews out German words that Shinji would never like to know the meaning of.
  
  Shinji sighs. Those memories are painful. "You are one of the two closest friends I ever had."
  Through Asuka's alien cursing, he hears Rei ask, "Who was the other?"
  "My other dear friend is... ah, well..." Shinji stumbles on his own words. He blushes.
  "Asuka," finishes Rei. Shinji nods, and Asuka stops speaking German which worries the boy.
  "Uh, yes, Asuka is my friend." He puts his hands in his pockets and braces for verbal and physical abuse.
  
  Rei tilts her head before looking down. The girl feels confused. What should she do? Asuka looks torn. Two forces tug at her, but neither wins. Instead, her body refuses to move.
  
  Rei asks, "Why is she your friend? Asuka demeans you, hurts you, taunts you, fights y-"
  "Shut up!" yells Asuka. "The idiot is wrong. We are not friends. The human doormat could never be my friend because he's too submissive to care or take action! Leave now, Wondergirl!"
  
  The redhead marches into her room and slams her door shut. Shinji doesn't move, but he cries. He's hurt. Somebody just stabbed his heart.
  
  He turns around to run away, but he hears a strong voice. "Stop."
  "Rei?" he asks, confused. Has her voice ever been this forceful?
  "You are my friend. Go see Asuka." Her intense red eyes gaze into his.
  "Why?"
  "She wants it. She said, 'take action'."
  "You don't know what she's like, Rei."
  "Shinji, go." She motions to Asuka's bedroom. "Worry about yourself later."
  
  Shinji gulps. Remembering their fight last night, his hand trembles. What should he say? How will she react? Why do