Disclaimers are for wimps! Never give in!

Fizzy Pop, Inc. presents

A story by }=]DarkNate:

Knowledge is Power

Book One: Know thy Enemy

"Risin' up -- straight to the top,
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive --"
-Survivor, Eye of the Tiger

Chapter 6

After the Second Impact, the climate changes of the Earth froze in time. Japan was engulfed in an endless summer, with the only difference in seasons a slight increase in temperature during the summer months. While most people mourned the loss of spring and fall for their beauty and color, those who were born after the great catastrophe were less sympathetic. The only thing they complained about was the heat in the summer.

Right now, Shinji was about to complain too.

"Shiest, it's HOT!" Asuka moaned, beating him to the punch. Shinji nodded his head in assent, and Rei made a small, non-committal noise.

"Well, we'll be home soon, so we can enjoy the air conditioning," Shinji said. "And I bought sodas yesterday and had Pen-Pen keep them in his fridge so Misato wouldn't drink them."

"Good thinking, Shinji!" Asuka praised. Shinji went red with embarrassment, but Asuka didn't notice. "Now we'll have a nice cold drink when we get back!"

Rei, who had been urged time and again by her companions to speak her mind and offer opinions on things, suddenly spoke up. "I... have never had soda."

Asuka whirled on the blue-haired pilot. "WHAT?! I knew you were odd, but that's ridiculous! You're coming home with us, First Child!"

Asuka grabbed the girl's hand and began jogging down the street, tugging Rei along behind her. Shinji, inwardly amused, followed at a swift clip. In his head, he heard the tell-tale chuckle that said Shizuka Kansatsusha found something humorous.

"And what's so funny?" Shinji thought.

"Just the look on Rei's face when Asuka grabbed her hand!" Shizuka replied with a lilt to his voice. "It was priceless!"

Shinji smiled. "Yeah, I haven't seen her that surprised since... Well, since I've known her! And Asuka's been a lot nicer to her lately too."

"Hmm, she has at that," Shizuka mused, and Shinji shook his head and kept running.

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While the trio lounged in the apartment, Shinji had a sudden thought. It was fairly random, but he was surprised he had thought of it at all.

"You know," he began cautiously. "Those apartments you live in are pretty run down, Rei."

Ayanami looked over at him, confused. "I don't understand."

"Well, I looked up a few things, and there's no one in that complex anymore. They all live in the newer structures. So I guess what I'm trying to say is..." Shinji looked up at the ceiling for inspiration. "Why do you still live there? I mean, you could have a home anywhere else in the city! Why that dump?"

Asuka, who hadn't seen Rei's apartment complex, was a bit confused as well. "What's wrong with it?"

"Well," Shinji began. "They used it while they were excavating the Geofront years ago. Then, when they had finished building the new quarters in the Geofront and in the newer parts of the city, they closed them down to new residents. Rei's the only one who lives there. It's dirty, rusty, and old."

Rei was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. Then, she said. "I have never felt a reason to leave."

Shinji was indignant. "That's ridiculous! The place is a dump, and my father never had you move somewhere nicer? You're the First Child! You should have had the best accommodations in the city!"

Asuka joined in. "He's right! You shouldn't stand for it!"

Rei looked down at the floor. "I-I would not want to upset Commander Ikari..."

Shinji looked over at Asuka. "Let's ask Misato tonight. She'll think of something we can do."

Just then, Asuka smacked her head. "Oh, man! We've got a synch test today! We better get a move on or we'll be late!"

Shinji glanced over at the calendar, and heard a moan in his brain. "You might want to hurry, Shinji. There's an Angel due, and you'll have a tough fight."

"Great. Just great," Shinji thought back. Out loud, he said, "Well, now that we're nice and cool, let's jog. Last one there buys drinks for the others?"

"You're on, Shinji!" Asuka yelled, and the three of them left, heading for the elevators.

Arriving at the Geofront checkpoint a bit winded, but none the worse for wear, the three teens discovered their path blocked by doors that wouldn't open. When Shinji's card didn't work, Shizuka piped up in his head.

"Yep, the Angel's on its way for sure. The power's out, and you'll have to get in manually. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just go with the flow."

As Asuka yelled at the door, Shinji spoke aloud to his companions. "If the doors were working, we'd have gotten SOME response, so the power must be out. In the event of a crisis like this, we're supposed to report directly to HQ, but we'll have to get in some other way."

Asuka looked over at him, as if evaluating his reasoning. "You're right, Third Child. Of course, I was about to say that. But, before we go anywhere, we'll have to decide on this group's leader! And I'm obviously the most qualified, so that'll be me!" She turned on her heel and started walking, when Rei brought her up short.

"NERV headquarters is this way, Asuka." Her finger pointed in the opposite direction of Asuka's path.

"I knew that, Wondergirl!" Asuka shot back testily.

"Oh man, this is gonna be a long day..." Shinji thought.

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After several minutes of walking in the dim corridors, they heard a truck passing by overhead. Recognizing the voice, Asuka and Shinji began to call out to him, but they were silenced when they heard the chilling words:

"An Angel is approaching! Go to full alert! An ANGEL is approaching!"

Shinji and Asuka turned to each other. "An Angel!?" Asuka exclaimed.

"I have to say, I suspected this," Shinji replied. "The power can't normally go out in NERV with all the backups we have." Then, he looked over to Rei. "Perhaps we should let Rei guide us the rest of the way? She HAS been here longer, and she knows this place like the back of her hand. Unlike either of us."

Asuka debated that for a moment, then stated in her usual demanding manner, "Okay, Wondergirl! Time for you to prove your worth. Let's get going!"

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With Rei leading, the children were soon in an air duct, crawling towards HQ. Rei was first, with Shinji in the middle so "Asuka wouldn't have to worry about someone looking up her skirt," as he had put it. Just then, Shizuka took over Shinji's mouth and said, "Wait a sec. I think I hear voices!"

Sure enough, when the children stopped, they could hear the voices of several NERV people shouting orders about preparing the Evas for launch. Shinji got his control back, and began pounding on the sheet metal floor of their vent. He was a bit surprised when it gave way underneath him, but he somehow managed to land on his feet. Asuka and Rei followed him out, landing lightly on their feet and turning to face Ritsuko, who said, "Oh, there you three are! We've been waiting for you!"

Shinji took a quick look around the Cages, and noticed that all the restraints were relaxed, and the Evas were ready to go. "We're ready to launch, with no power?"

"Yes, your father did this. He prepared the Evas manually! He always knew you'd come." There was an edge of pride and admiration to Ritsuko's voice, and Shinji couldn't help but look over at his father, straining away at a chain to move the last entry plug into place.

Then, he and the others took off for their changing rooms to get ready for battle.

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As the three Evas crawled through the access shaft, Shinji took the opportunity to ask Shizuka for more info on their opponent.

"Well," Shizuka said, "It uses orange acid to dissolve things. It plans to melt straight through to NERV HQ, and then drown the area in acid. Don't worry, though. Asuka will come through again."

"Just what she needs, MORE ego!" Shinji thought back, then noticed they were approaching the vertical shaft. As Rei confirmed his observation, they swung out and began climbing up. Shinji, cautious, took the rear position, and dug in for grips with every movement.

Just then, an orange rain began to fall down the shaft. Rei yelled, "It's acid! Watch out!"

The orange liquid connected with Unit-02's foot, and Asuka's Red Devil began to fall. She crashed into Unit-00, and the two smashed into Unit-01, who was dug in far enough to only fall a few inches. Shinji relaxed his grip on the walls slightly until they slid down to an access shaft, where they hid out after dropping their extra equipment.

"Now what?" he asked. "All our weaponry fell down the shaft, and the battery packs won't last more than five minutes!"

Asuka closed her eyes for a moment, then began firing orders into the comm. "Okay, here's the plan. There'll be three positions: offense, defense, and backup. Defense will neutralize the Angel's AT field and protect the others from the acid bath. Backup will go down the shaft to retrieve the rifle and throw it to the offense, who will fire a volley and destroy the Angel."

"I will take the defensive position," Rei replied hotly.

"Sorry, Wondergirl, but that'll be MY job!" Asuka shot back.

"Are you sure, Asuka?" Shinji asked. "That acid eats right through our armor! It's way too dangerous!"

"That's why I'm doing it!" Asuka muttered. "This is for what you did for me in the last battle." Then, she continued her orders. "Shinji is offense, and Rei's backup. Ready?" The other two pilots nodded, and Asuka yelled, "Evas CHARGE!"

The Red Devil swung up into the shaft, bracing on all four limbs and blocking the acid. The Blue Giant dropped down the shaft, braking with its thrusters and grabbing the rifle. It threw the massive gun up to the Purple Beast, which caught it and took aim.

"Asuka, get out of the way!"

"I'm clear!"

The sound of gunfire was amplified greatly by the enclosed space, and the noise would have deafened the pilots if they had had their external pickups online. Fortunately, none of them did. Shinji threw the gun away just in time to catch Asuka's Eva as it fell. Then, over a private line, he told her, "Great plan, Asuka."

"Yeah, we should see if we can get some kill markers on these things! That might psyche those Angels out and give us an advantage!"

"I don't think so. Besides," Shinji said with a smirk, "I don't think you'd like having fewer than me. I've got two solos and, umm, one..., two..., three..., four..., five group kills. You've only got one solo and three groups."

Asuka smiled. "Well, no less from the invincible Shinji-sama! I think you'll have to take me out again if that record doesn't close up."

"Any time, Asuka. Any time." And with that, Shinji began the laborious task of moving Asuka's damaged Eva back to the cages.

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After the battle, the children were sitting on the hill outside the city, looking out over the valley. The stars shone brightly with the lights still gone, and the soft twilight was casting everything in an ethereal glow.

"The stars look so wonderful without the city lights," Shinji commented with a sigh.

"Yeah, but without the lights, it's like there are no people left!" Asuka replied. As the city began to light up again, she sighed in relief. "That's much better."

Shinji looked over at her, and Rei. They both looked nice in the dimmed light, and the look of peace on Asuka's face made her appear almost angelic. "Like a REAL angel," he thought. Rei on the other hand, with her usual calm expression and the breeze playing with her short hair brought to mind an image, strangely enough, of Shinji's own mother. Her could just picture her, sitting in the same place with the same expression, only smiling.

Asuka interrupted his reverie. "So, we beat another angel, took minimal damage doing so, and we all got to see the stars come out. What's got YOU so pre-occupied, Shinji?"

Shinji blushed. "I was just thinking...oh you'll just make fun of me."

Asuka's expression hardened. "Oh? Spill, Third Child."

"Just tell the truth," Shizuka suggested. "You're a rotten liar."

"Well," Shinji gulped, "I was thinking how lucky I am to be spending so much time with two beautiful young ladies, and how much prettier they look on this starlit night."

Asuka blushed, embarrassed. "Hentai! I bet you were thinking some perverted thoughts about us too!"

"Nope! It's enough just to be with you," Shinji replied smoothly, at Shizuka's urging. "But if it makes you feel better, I could try thinking about you like that."

"No, thank you!"

Shinji got a wicked idea. Briefly conferring with Shizuka, he turned to Rei. "Well, I'm sure Rei appreciates my compliments." He took her hand gently. "Don't you, Rei?"

Rei blushed. Shinji hadn't seen her do that before. She looked, well, CUTE like that! "I-I... Thank you, Pilot Ikari."

"Please Rei, call me Shinji."

"Very well, Shinji." Rei's blush was actually deeper! Shinji held that image in his mind, deciding to laugh at it later. She looked so confused!

Asuka had had enough. Grabbing Shinji by the hand, she began to drag him off. "Come on, lover boy! We're going home so you can make lunch for us tomorrow."

Shinji laughed, and began to follow along, eventually speeding up enough to match her pace. It was rather nice, actually. Her hand was very...warm.

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The next day, as Shinji packed their lunches for school, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander back to Asuka. She really HAD looked pretty last night, and his dreams had been...less than innocent. He'd had to replace his tissue box this morning.

Shizuka, of course, had an opinion on the matter. "Just don't let her CATCH you! That's the last thing you need. Fortunately, you're quiet."

Shinji blushed. "Thank you SOOO much."

Asuka walked in, her uniform clean and her hair neatly brushed. With the mood he was in, Shinji's breath was gone in an instant as he took in her form.

"G-good morning, Asuka-chan!" he stuttered.

Asuka looked over at him, frowned, and turned to her breakfast plate.

Shinji sighed, finished off the lunches with a few of Asuka's favorites in her lunchbox, and sat down. Flipping through the newspaper, he did his best not to glance at Asuka every five seconds. He sighed. "She's just too pretty! Too bad she's so obnoxious."

Shizuka was helping a little, changing the direction of Shinji's gaze whenever his eyes wandered. Finally, it was time for them to go. Shinji slipped on his shoes, left Misato a slice of toast and a beer (she had been up late doing paperwork) and stepped out of the apartment. Asuka was right behind him as usual. Shinji suspected she had reasons other than her, "I don't want you staring at me, you pervert!" but he had yet to think of any.

When they arrived at an otherwise ordinary intersection, they were joined by Kensuke and Touji. The 'Three Stooges' thus reunited, they began to talk about their days, and Kensuke began grilling Shinji for info on the latest attack when they'd been in the shelters.

When they arrived at their classroom, Asuka hooked up with Hikari and the pair began talking up a storm. Shinji and crew all just sighed and shook their heads, and returned to their own discussions, with the topic of the day being what kind of acid could eat through Eva armor so quickly.

Shizuka, on the other hand, was bored. Being trapped in the mind of a fourteen year old was boring, and not having anything to do to relieve it was worse. Fortunately, the odd mental presence had noticed his abilities growing, and now he was able, to an extent, to leave Shinji's mind and explore the nearby area. Reading the thoughts of Shinji's classmates often provided a distraction, and he could always hear Shinji, for some reason. Today, he turned his attentions to Rei Ayanami, Pilot of Unit-00, and the biggest challenge in Shinji's life.

As usual, Rei was looking out the window. She did this often, as class tended to be boring, and she had already learned all she would ever need to know to fulfill her purpose. So, like most days, she simply observed the school grounds, looking for and noting each change.

"The bird's eggs have hatched." "The flowers near the old tree are in need of water." "The Section 2 agent who normally works this part of the grounds must be sick, this man is different." The train of thought went on and on, until she noticed someone calling her name.

"Rei!" Shinji said for the third time. "Kensuke has a question for you."

Rei turned to face Kensuke, who appeared nervous. Trying her best to be polite, as her fellow Pilots usually were in this situation, she replied, "Yes? What would you like to ask?"

Kensuke fumbled for a minute, then asked, "Rei, umm, how do I put this? You were the first pilot ever selected, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, umm, that is... What ARE the requirements to be a pilot? I mean, since you were the first, you ought to know. Shinji sure doesn't."

Rei pondered this for a moment. She knew from listening to Shinji and his friends talking that they would not like to hear 'that is classified.' However, this was a subject that even she knew little about. She decided on telling what she did know, and leaving out anything dangerous.

"Apparently only people born after Second Impact are capable of Piloting an Eva. Candidates are chosen based on their projected synchronization rate with the Eva in question. Each Eva is slightly different, so no one Pilot will be suited for all of them."

Kensuke, shocked at hearing such a long statement from Rei, took a minute to recover. Then, he asked, "How do they determine the projected rates? Wouldn't they have to test the person first?"

Rei thought about that, then replied, "Testing is done afterwards. The reports on synch rates have never been wrong."

"But what are they based on?"

"I do not know." Rei was confused. She should know this, but she didn't. She would have to ask Dr. Akagi about this matter.

Kensuke, however, was already coming up with his own theories. "It must be a personality thing. There's no way knowledge could be the deciding factor, because nobody outside of the pilots know HOW to pilot. So the personality of the pilot must have to match the Eva they will be piloting. But," he whispered, "how can a robot, even an organic one, have a personality?"

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A few days later, Shinji, Touji, and Kensuke were walking around, goofing off and generally wasting time on a nice afternoon, when a massive downpour suddenly burst on them. Running for cover, Shinji led them back to his apartment. He let them in quietly, and remembered Misato was probably taking a nap. Admonishing his companions to be quiet, his plan failed when Asuka yelled at them, poking her head out of her door.

"Hey! What are these cretins doing here?"

"Drying themselves?" Shinji said sarcastically.

"Well, I'm changing in here, so you'd better not be peeking in on me!" she countered.

Touji was outraged. "Yeah? Who'd wanna watch a SNAKE changing its SKIN anyway?!" He 'humph'ed, and turned away.

Just then, Misato came through the door, wearing her uniform. Kensuke, being a military otaku, noticed her new rank pin immediately. Touji, having listened to his otaku ranting most of his life, also noticed (after he stopped staring at her chest). Together, they snapped to attention.

"Congratulations, Major Katsuragi!" Kensuke said in his crisp 'military voice.'

"Yeah, congratulations!" Touji echoed.

Misato smiled her best 'male-melting' smile, and replied, "Thank you very much." then, she turned to Shinji. "I'll probably be home late, I've got a lot of paperwork to do today."

"I'll make sure there's something left for you," Shinji told her, and she left.

Kensuke immediately turned on Shinji. "Why didn't you tell us Misato got promoted?!"

"She did?" was all Shinji could reply.

Asuka, by this time, had finished changing clothes and came out to see what all the commotion was. "Did something happen to Misato?"

Kensuke sighed, and replied, "You mean you didn't notice? Her pin has two stripes now! That means she's a major!"

"Wow, I wouldn't have noticed at all!" Asuka said. She was more impressed that Kensuke had recognized the change than at Misato's promotion.

"Yeah," Shinji added, "she NEVER wears her uniform around the house, and when she wears it at work, we're usually too busy to keep track of things like that."

"Well, I suppose that excuses you then. But you really need to pay more attention to that poor woman!" Kensuke exclaimed. Then, getting a sneaky idea, he said. "How about we throw her a surprise party?"

Shinji thought for a moment, then nodded. "Tomorrow night? It's Sunday, and we don't have any synch tests or anything."

"Sure!" Kensuke responded enthusiastically. "I'll e-mail you a food list tonight. Think you can have everything ready by then?"

"If it's not too complicated, sure."

"Great. See you tomorrow then!"

As Kensuke and Touji left, Shizuka added another idea. "Invite Rei, Ritsuko, and Kaji too. Oh, and let Asuka know she can invite Hikari as well. No sense making her mad."

Shinji sighed, and booted up his laptop. Composing a quick invitation, he fired off copies to the parties concerned, and went to check the kitchen and make sure he was set for supplies.

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The next night, as the Pilots, Touji, Kensuke, Hikari, and Major Misato Katsuragi sat around the table, Shinji couldn't help but notice that despite the fun the others were having, Rei seemed rather distant. Misato flirted with the other two boys, and Asuka and Hikari were gossiping about Kaji, but Rei just sat there, sipping her drink.

Shinji, sitting next to her, leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you enjoying yourself, Rei?"

Rei was surprised by the question, and it showed. "Why do you ask?"

Shinji smiled softly. "Well, the others are talking and having fun, but you're just sitting here. I'm sure there's SOMETHING other than Eva that interests you."

Rei did not respond.

Shinji tried again. "You mentioned once you played viola. I was thinking of getting my cello out of storage, and I think Asuka plays an instrument as well. Would you like to try playing with us sometime?"

"I-I would enjoy that. Thank you." Rei seemed uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Kaji and Ritsuko took that moment to make their entrance. While Misato fumed at him for being with someone else, Shinji laughed to himself. He would have to remember to have his cello delivered, and find some new strings.

Then, he remembered an old conversation. He turned to Misato, only to find she had left the room.

Getting up, he went into the kitchen, where he found her nursing another beer, her sixth tonight. A little nervous, he cleared his throat and said, "Could I ask you something, Misato?"

"Sure. What's on your mind?" she responded with a smile.

"Well, I was wondering... Why did you join NERV?"

Misato was clearly not expecting that one, but she recovered quickly. Leading him out onto the balcony where they could be in private, she closed the door and began her tale. "Well, it began with my father. He lived for his work, to the exclusion of everything else. I was never able to forgive him for that. In fact at times, I even hated him."

"That sounds like my father," Shinji whispered.

"He never really took care of me or my mother. His friends all said that he was too 'sensitive and fragile,' but the truth was, he was just a weak person. He didn't want to face reality, so avoiding his family was easier than dealing with it.

"When my Mother decided to divorce him I was actually happy, because I was so sick of hearing her cry herself to sleep. And when my father got upset about it I actually laughed at him because I thought he got what he deserved.

"But then, he sacrificed himself to save my life during the second impact. Then I didn't know whether I hated him or loved him. The only thing that was clear to me was that I wanted to destroy the Angels who had caused the Second Impact.

"And, that's why I joined NERV. It might be that I STILL hate him, and I just want to avenge my father so that I can finally free myself from him. It's the only way I can escape."

Shinji was a bit surprised to hear someone with a story so similar to his own. "Thank you, Misato," he said. "I guess you kinda know how I feel, huh?"

Misato smiled at him. "Yeah. I guess I do."

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The next day was a storm of activity. Another Angel had been sighted in high orbit, and Shizuka was busy coaching Shinji.

"Alright, this Angel is going to let you prove yourself. It's going to drop itself onto NERV, and you have to catch it, right?"

"Right," Shinji replied, sitting in his plug waiting for the 'GO' signal.

"Okay," Shizuka said, and Shinji could almost imagine the voice nodding its head and ticking off points on its fingers. The image was rather funny. "I think I remember exactly where it lands, so you focus on making this bucket of bolts run AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, and I'll steer you in the right direction. We need to catch this Angel as high in the atmosphere as we can, so spread the AT field at its upper limit, just under the Angel. When you get there, you'll act as a beacon for the others, so they'll arrive faster too."

"What's the top speed on this thing anyway? No one seems to know!" Shinji said.

"The top speed?"

"Yeah."

"As fast as you think you can go."

Shinji snorted. "No, really, how fast can it go?"

Shizuka replied in a no-nonsense tone. "I'm totally serious. Unit-01 can be an extension of your self if you get your rate high enough. Right now, you're synched at a level where you can FEEL the Evas movements as though they were your own. But, the Eva isn't you. It doesn't get tired. It doesn't get cramps, it won't get sore or winded. The only limitations it has are the ones you have in your own mind. If you will it hard enough, you could jump to the moon, or race across water at such high speed you'd never have to swim. You can even fly on your AT field, if you work it right. You only need two things."

"And those are?" Shinji asked, excited.

"The will to make it happen, and the imagination to figure out how to make it work. All you need is the will to survive. The 'Eye of the Tiger', to quote an old pre-impact movie."

Shinji thought that over for a moment, when suddenly he could FEEL the Angel approaching in the very core of his being. He knew it was Shizuka, guiding him in the right direction, and he got on his mark to take off. As soon as he heard Makoto on the radio, he took off running, not waiting to hear the words, "Angel sighted, maximum magnification!"

Misato hadn't even given the order to start before Shinji was almost half a mile closer to the target. As she told the other two pilots to move out, she smiled and said on a private line to Unit-01, "Nice job, Shinji."

Unit One lived up to its nickname of Purple Beast that day. Shinji pushed the huge machine to its limits, leaping buildings as tall as his Eva easily, and leaving a wake behind him as he surpassed the speed of sound. He reached the target area with almost a full two minutes to spare before impact, and spread his field as high as he could.

The Angel, much to massive to be stopped by an AT field alone, continued to fall, but its pace had slowed to a crawl. It had only fallen half the distance to the ground by the time Units Zero and Two arrived. The Blue Giant and Red Devil worked quickly and destroyed the Angel's core, while Shinji held the Angel at bay almost three hundred meters off the ground. After she removed the knife from the Angel, Asuka also spread her AT field, and Rei added hers as well. Together, their fields were strong enough to deflect the entire blast into the air, and only superficial damage was done to the surrounding area. The Evas, by this time running dangerously low on power, all slumped to their knees, and spun out their plugs.

As Shinji climbed the emergency ladder to the ground, he could see Asuka and Rei coming towards him. Steeling himself for the worst, he was pleasantly surprised to hear Asuka's words.

"That was INCREDIBLE!! The Evas shouldn't be able to move THAT fast, even under the best conditions! You really are something, Shinji."

Shinji blushed profusely, but it vanished when Asuka continued, "But you're still not as good as me!"

Shinji glared at her. "Oh yeah? What say we arrange a race, huh? I'll whip you so bad, your GRANDKIDS will feel it!"

"WHAT WAS THAT?!?!" Asuka yelled. Drawing back her fist, she made a move to punch him, but Shinji dodged nimbly, with a little boost by Shizuka. Sticking out his tongue at her, he was momentarily distracted by an unexpected sound. Asuka also turned to identify the noise, and they both were shocked to see REI!

She was LAUGHING!

"Mein GOTT in HIMMEL! Wondergirl just LAUGHED!" Asuka yelled. "The world is coming to an eeeeennnnnnnnnnnddddddddddddd!"

Shinji just looked at the laughing girl, and then added a chuckle of his own. The pair continued to enjoy the moment for a few more moments, then Shinji trailed off, and asked, "Rei, what was so funny?"

Rei wiped her eyes, which had gone teary from the laughter. "Asuka's face when you challenged her! And then when she missed you!"

Asuka pouted. "You just know something's wrong when even WONDERGIRL starts laughing. I swear, I live in a town FULL of fools!"

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At the debriefing, a call came in from Antarctica. When it was turned on,Gendo Ikari's gruff voice spoke clearly over the comm. "Report, Katsuragi."

"The Angel was destroyed. However, due to my negligence, Unit-01 has incurred some damage. I take full responsibility for this, sir."

The Commander dismissed this in his usual manner. "No, an Eva's purpose is to destroy Angels. On that note, is the pilot of Unit-01 there?"

Shinji stepped closer to the mike. "Yes, sir?"

"I've read the reports. Good work, Shinji." And with that, the connection closed. As Misato smiled at her young charges, Shinji had the oddest thought in his head.

"I've waited so long to hear my father say those words to me, so why do they seem so worthless now?"

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Shinji still hadn't gotten over how HAPPY Rei had looked that afternoon. And how hollow his father's words seemed to ring in his mind as he thought them over. The pilots and Misato were now at a small ramen stand for their celebratory dinner. Shinji was eating quietly, when he suddenly remembered something.

"Say, Misato? We never did hear about Rei moving to somewhere nicer. You DID look into it, right?"

Misato looked back at him and nodded. "Actually, I was going to tell you all tomorrow. Rei's moving to the apartment next to ours. Asuka's going to move in with her, so you can get your bigger room back. Also, we got permission from the landlord to make a door between the two apartments, so we can all still eat together. Unfortunately, the bathtub, shower, and laundry room in the new place don't work, so Asuka and Rei will have to use ours."

Asuka moaned. "The toilet works, right?"

"Yes," Misato giggled. "But look at it this way: you won't have to do your own laundry! Shinji can still do it!"

Asuka got an evil glint in her eye. "Well, that's good news. I call dibs on the master bedroom! Then I can get that stuff out of storage!"

The words sparked something in Shinji's mind, and he heard Shizuka say, "You might want to get your cello, too."

Shinji smiled and turned to Asuka. "Say, Asuka?"

"Yes, Shinji?"

"Well, I was just wondering... Do you play an instrument? I remember your profile saying you did, but I don't remember what."

"I play violin, and I play very well, thank you!" Asuka said with a sniff of disdain.

Shinji relaxed visibly. "Well then, maybe once we get Rei moved, we should all try playing something together. We've got all the parts for a string trio!"

Asuka looked over at Rei, then back to Shinji. The pair were sharing a look, and Asuka was beginning to become annoyed with them. To break them up, she asked, "So Shinji, now that you've heard from both of us why WE pilot, why don't you tell us why YOU do it!"

Shinji was throw for a loop by that question. He would have said, 'to hear my father praise me,' but now that didn't seem quite right. Fortunately for him, Shizuka had an answer and gave it.

"To protect."

Asuka gave him a look. "To protect what?"

Shinji suddenly found himself back in control, but he saw where Shizuka had been going. "To protect my friends. The people most precious to me. If it were just my life on the line, I wouldn't have to fight, but the whole world is at stake! I have to do what I can to protect the people I love." As a blush crept up his cheeks, he pointedly looked down at his feet.

Asuka, guessing what he meant but deciding not to mention it, replied, "So, that's why you're a pilot?" She laughed, and raised her glass. "Well, here's to the Invincible Shinji-sama, defending us 'helpwess widdle goils!'"

As Misato joined her in the toast, Shinji just sat on his stool, smiling slightly. He heard the quiet voice in his mind and took comfort in its words.

"And may we never fight without him."

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That evening, as he lay in bed, Shinji asked Shizuka about the words his father had said.

"I mean, all I've ever wanted is for him to accept me! Why doesn't it seem so important now that he finally did?"

Shizuka made a small 'hmm' before answering. "Well, it could be because you don't need it anymore."

Shinji thought about that for a long time before finally falling asleep, with the unanswered question still looping in his mind.

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Four days later, Shinji carried the last box into the new apartment. Asuka had had a LOT of stuff, and she had made him carry a large portion of it to her new room. He had to admit, though, this new arrangement was much better. With all three pilots so close together, they would have no choice but to get to know each other better. Hopefully, they would learn some teamwork. And maybe Rei wouldn't be so sad and lonesome looking all the time if she interacted with other people all the time.

As he passed by the calendar, he heard Shizuka's voice. "Shinji, you need another swimming lesson soon."

"Why's that?"

"Let's just say you'll be needing the knowledge within the next couple weeks or so. See if you can go on Sunday."

"Alright."

As Shinji deposited the box with the others, he turned to Asuka, who was starting to unpack the nearest stack. "Hey Asuka? Think we could go to the pool on Sunday? I'd really like to learn how to swim sometime soon."

Asuka looked back over her shoulder at him, scowling. "Yeah, right. I bet you just wanna ogle me in my bathing suit again!"

Shinji frowned at the suggestion, but turned away. "Fine. If you won't I'll have to ask Rei to teach me."

"WONDERGIRL!?" Asuka exploded. She whirled on him, pointing an accusing finger. "Alright, fine! I'll teach you! But you try anything sneaky, and I'll drown you!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Asuka-chan!"

Shinji walked out of the room, and was surprised to see Rei standing in the hallway.

"You do not know how to swim?" she asked in that oddly soft voice that seemed to mean she was embarrassed or confused.

"No," Shinji replied. "There was nowhere to swim where I lived before, so I never had the chance to learn."

"If Pilot Sohr-, I mean Asuka, is unwilling to teach you, I would have no problem doing so."

Shinji smiled at her. "Thank you very much Rei. I appreciate it. We're going to the natatorium Sunday. Would you like to join us?"

Rei's cheeks developed a tiny hint of blush. "I would like that very much," she said quietly.

Shinji beamed at her, and said, "Then I'll see you at dinner. I have a lot of work to do. And don't worry, the meat is always separate from the rest of the meal."

"I-I... Thank you." Rei's blush now went from microscopic to barely visible. Shinji was paying close enough attention to catch it, and noted the rare occurrence for later thought. For now, he simply went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

As he worked, Shizuka held a quiet conversation in his mind. "So, what do you think of the new arrangements?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not sure I like it. I mean, it's nice to be able to see Rei more often and get to know her a little, but..."

"You miss being near Asuka?" Shizuka asked.

"NO! It's not like that... I just feel like we were finally starting to connect. She hasn't called me a name in at least two days! I just kinda wish I could help her be a little more friendly. The only girl who'll even talk to her is Hikari, and the guys just try to hit on her. I want her to be happy."

"Did you stop to think that maybe, for some reason, she doesn't WANT friends?" Shizuka asked, so quietly Shinji almost didn't catch it.

"Why not? Everyone wants friends!" Shinji shot back, not noticing he had spoken aloud. Fortunately, no one else noticed either.

"You didn't when you first came here. Oh, sure, you would have liked to have someone to talk to, but you were trying so hard not to hurt anyone's feelings you couldn't risk it."

"Go on..."

"Well, Asuka is the flip-side. She appears outgoing, but inside she wants to be left alone. She has a lot of hate, hurt, and misery stored inside that shell of hers. And one day that armored shell--which has been impervious to anything and everything for so long--will shatter. And it'll be up to her whether she can survive without it."

"Well, she could at least let ME be her friend..." Shinji grumbled, but didn't argue further.

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Sunday found the pilots back at the NERV pool. Shinji, now much less worried about the water, slid in quickly. Asuka followed with a flashy dive, while Rei slipped in from the edge. Both girls were wearing one-piece suits, although Asuka's was still very revealing. As Asuka tried to get Shinji to position his arms properly for a backstroke, Rei helped out by demonstrating the movements very slowly at Shinji's side. When Asuka noticed, she was furious.

"I'm the one teaching, NOT you, Wondergirl!"

Rei simply shrugged. "I am only trying to help."

Shinji tried to defuse the situation. "Let's just get this done. If we ever have to eject into a lake or something, I want to be able to leave."

Asuka let out an exasperated sigh, and continued her lesson. After two hours of work, Shinji could do the backstroke, front crawl, and a barely passable sidestroke. Rei and Asuka had both been swimming near him, keeping him afloat when he started to sink.

The three climbed out of the pool, tired but satisfied with their work. As they took seats on the chairs, Asuka turned to give Rei an odd look.

"If you're so good at this, why don't you ever swim during gym class?" she asked.

Rei shrugged and replied, "My skin is very sensitive to sunlight. I could get irreparable skin damage. So I swim here. I find it...relaxing."

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Alright, fine. And we already know why Shinji couldn't swim, of course." Then, she leaned back to stretch, and sighed. "You know, this was kinda fun. We should do this more often!"

Rei nodded. "I agree."

Shinji smiled. "Well then, that settles it! Every Sunday we don't have tests, we'll spend a couple hours swimming."

Asuka and Rei both nodded in agreement.

The trio went back to the locker rooms, showered and changed, and set off back to their apartment. On the way, Asuka noted that Rei was still in her school uniform. "Don't you own any OTHER clothes, Rei?"

Rei seemed confused by the question. "Why would I need them? I am either at school, or at NERV. I do not require other clothing."

Asuka moaned and smacked her forehead with her palm. "Wondergirl, we've GOT to take you shopping. You REALLY need to wear something nicer while you're living with us. Come on, I know just the place!" As they turned down a side road, Asuka called to Shinji, "Come on Shinji! You can help us carry!"

Shinji sighed, but knew better than to argue. "Hai, Asuka-chan!"

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*maniacal laugh* At last, it is DONE!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! This chapter is one of the most important of all, because even though it was two fights condensed together, this one set the stage for the rest.

The decision to move Rei was based on two things:

1. Rei needed to be able to interact with Shinji and Asuka on a daily basis outside of school. The easiest way to do so is put her in close proximity to them.

2. I wanted Asuka moved OUT of Misato's apartment. Certain future things may require her to be nearby, but out of the picture. I say may because I don't always know how things will play out.

Yep, that's right folks, I'm making this up as I go. I have an outline, of course, but it's mostly to keep major timeline issues in check. The detail level on it is very low, and lots of things can change. So if I suddenly decide to write in something I didn't plan on before, I can do that without changing a million lines on my outline. This makes for a very flexible format, but it also means that I have to work harder to maintain continuity. Hopefully, I've succeeded.

Chapter Seven will be the last in this first Book. By the end, Shinji will know almost everything he needs to know about Angels. Now, he must try to understand his own kind.

Be prepared, the beginning is coming to an end. The stage is almost set, and nearly all the actors are in place. All that remains are the final props, and then we can raise the curtain.

Hang on, it's gonna be a wild ride!

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AND NOW, EVERYONE'S FAVORITE PART!!!!!!!!

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| | | \ / | /__\ |/ |___ ||
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As he passed by the calendar, he heard Shizuka's voice. "Shinji, you need another swimming lesson soon."

"Why's that?"

"Let's just say you'll be needing the knowledge within the next couple weeks or so. See if you can go on Sunday."

"Alright."

Asuka looked back over her shoulder at him, scowling. "Yeah, right. I bet you just wanna ogle me in my bathing suit again!"

"Well, yeah! Who wouldn't, with a body like that?"

The last thing Shinji heard before his head was sliced off his shoulders by the miniature smash-hook Asuka pulled out of nowhere was Shizuka's voice.

"Oh well! Back to the drawing board!"

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