"I don't get it. Why are they mad at us?! We just saved all their asses!" Sachiel buzzed around the room angrily, shaking his incorporeal fists in the vague direction of wherever "they" were.

Shinji took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning back against the cold concrete wall. He was currently under quarantine in some small room in NERV HQ, in case he had "mental contamination" from… whatever it was that he and Sachiel had done in the fight. It was done seemingly out of concern for his well-being, but the whole thing stank of punishment to him. He hadn't even been given the chance to get out his plugsuit.

"Probably because I disobeyed orders." Frustration and bitterness leaked into his dull voice.

"Pfft, what kind of stuck-up ass would care about that, so long as we won?" Sachiel pouted, folding his arms. "I don't care what they say, but you were pretty badass out there, and don't let 'em tell ya differently!"

The boy smiled at that. "You weren't so bad yourself, Sach. Without you, I doubt I would've survived."

"Nah, you woulda been fine without me. Although you probably would've looked less cool." Sachiel smirked.

Shinji snorted. Funny how just a few words with his ghostly companion already made him feel a little better. And since he was no longer quite as upset with his current circumstances, his thoughts turned back to the events that led them there. "So… what did you do, back there?"

"Hm? Oh, during the fight. You remember how I told ya I could sense Unit 01's soul and stuff?"

Shinji nodded.

"And that it was calling out to me whenever you synched with it?"

Another nod.

"Well… I suppose you could say I called back. I synched with her (the soul is totally a she, by the way) and we came to an agreement, of sorts."

Shinji tilted his head to the side. "And you said Unit 01's soul was human before, right?"

"Yupper-doodle."

He frowned at that. The implications of that were… disquieting. "How did a woman's soul get in an Eva?" he asked quietly.

"Hell if I know, dude," Sachiel shrugged. "Anyway, she allowed me to piggyback on your connection to her. That gave me access to the Light of the Soul, and from there it was a piece of cake to modify it into a form that could help you."

"The Light…? You mean the AT-field?"

"Yeah, that's what you lilim seem to be calling it lately. Don't get why, but then again I don't get a lot of things you people do."

"Huh." Shinji scratched at his cheek, mulling over what he'd been told. He had felt something during the fight, like a second synchronization but more personal, a clear exchange of emotions and thoughts that he understood far more easily than when he was synched with Unit 01. That would explain why he and Sachiel seemed of one mind after the Impact Lance appeared. "So that… what was it called, Instrumemory System, was made by you?"

"I honestly couldn't tell ya," Sachiel smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "The words just kinda came out like I was on autopilot. It must've been something already there. Hell if I know why or how, though."

Shinji felt another headache coming on. This whole situation just kept getting more and more complicated. At this point, he wasn't sure how it could get even more…

"Ahem."

A crisp but soft female voice interrupted his thoughts. Shinji and Sachiel turned to see that they had been joined by a third-party when they weren't paying attention. It was roughly the same size as Sachiel and resembled an upright, thin pink tube with a bright red orb at the center that was surrounded a bone-white ribcage. A pale tentacle dangled from each shoulder in place of arms, both wiggling slightly as it floated idly in the air. The head, disproportionately large for its body, looked like a more cartoonish interpretation of the Fourth Angel's.

After a few seconds passed by in silence, Shamshel spoke. "I require an explanation."

-0-

Little Angel Thesis

Chapter 5: Debrief

-0-

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes, glaring down the purple behemoth from her perch on the observation deck as it slid back into its place in the Cage. Damage reports were already flooding in, along with estimated repair costs, maintenance schedules, and a load of other inconsequential minutiae that could easily be dealt with by Maya and her other subordinates. None of that mattered right now.

Because all she wanted to do was figure out how a completely undetected weapons system that could somehow copy the Third Angel got into her Eva.

Something nudged her elbow, briefly snapping her from her reverie, and an offered cup of coffee appeared before her.

"I'd say penny for your thoughts, but I think your expression paints me a clear enough picture," said Misato as the doctor took the cup from her. "You figure out what happened yet?"

Ritsuko took a big gulp before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, no. There's no trace of the changes Unit 01 had undergone, so all we have to go by is the data we got during the battle. But we've only done preliminary scans so far. If we get anything else, it'll be from a more in-depth analysis."

"Hm." Misato nursed her own coffee, blowing on it and sending trails of vapor fluttering away. "And since the audio from the entry plug was erased right before the changes started, it'll be pretty difficult to see if Shinji had any direct part in it." She sighed. "Awfully convenient, isn't it?"

"Aggravatingly so," Ritsuko groaned. "Speaking of, why aren't you debriefing Shinji right now? I thought we agreed I'd deal with this while you handled the human element of this mess."

"Well…" Misato slumped where she stood, avoiding looking at her friend. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't putting it off a little. Besides, he disobeyed orders. A little detention time alone should give him time to think about what he did."

"Even if he did save our lives."

Normally, Ritsuko playing Devil's Advocate would've gotten at least some rise out of her, but Misato didn't rise to the bait. "Yeah, he did," she muttered quietly, "Though we have no damn clue how he did it. Agh!" Misato angrily rubbed at her temple with her free hand. "None of this crap was in the job description!"

"Complaining about your job right when things get difficult is childish," Ritsuko chided. A monitor to her left chimed, and she glanced at it momentarily before asking, "Have you spoken with his classmates yet?"

"Yeah, they had some interesting things to say, even if it was a bit confusing. Shinji was apparently talking to himself before it happened, and then a voice came out of the Eva. Does 'Instrumemory System' mean anything to you?"

Ritsuko's eyes widened at the words. It couldn't have been the same thing, but it sounded dangerously similar to… No, it couldn't have been. If it had been anything like the actual Instrumentality, to say the results would've been catastrophic would be an understatement. More like apocalyptic. It had to have been a coincidence.

Now now, there's no such thing as coincidence, Ritsuko, chided her mother's voice in her head, Not when you're playing God.

"Um, Rits?" Misato asked, snapping the doctor from her reverie. The purple-haired woman leaned forward, titling her head to get a better look at Ritsuko's face. "You okay?"

"Fine, fine," Ritsuko hastily answered. She shook her head, blonde hair wafting. "Sorry, I was just thinking if I recognized it. But I've never encountered anything like that before." She moved to take another sip.

Misato sighed. "I suppose it was too much to hope for. Those kids also said that the Eva's voice called that weapon it created an 'Impact Lance'.'"

Ritsuko spat out her coffee.

"Yeah, that's not ominous at all, right? It's almost like whoever made the damn thing had a sick twisted sense of humor." Misato said sourly.

"This keeps getting better and better," Ritsuko grumbled as she wiped off the coffee dripping from her chin. "I have a few theories on what it could be, but I'm not making any assumptions until I know more. Did Shinji's classmates have anything else to say?"

Misato shook her head. "Nope. Well, they asked how Shinji was, but I just told them he was fine then sent them on their way. After making them sign a bunch of nondisclosure stuff, of course."

Ritsuko quirked an eyebrow at her friend. "You're just letting those two go? Despite their involvement with the incident?"

"Eh, they had nothing to do with it. Besides, they're just kids," Misato waved dismissively.

"That sentiment would mean a bit more if we weren't sending kids out to fight our battles."

"…"

The two stood in silence after that, both sipping at their respective drinks. Beyond the window, maintenance crews were beginning the process of repairing Unit 01, but avoided touching its right arm. Maya was down there as well, examining the arm in-person with other Project E specialists for any physical traces of the changes.

And above them all, the demonic and horned visage of the Evangelion loomed, watching over the proceedings behind its darkened eyes.

-0-

"I'm going to assume this wasn't accounted for by your Scenario," Fuyutsuki muttered dryly.

Gendo was silent as he stared at the frozen image, a snapshot of Unit 01 during the battle with the Fourth Angel. Behind orange-tinted glasses, he observed every last detail of the odd transformation its right arm had undergone. He didn't like what he saw.

"It looks like the Third Angel," Fuyutsuki noted."What was its name again? Sahaquiel?"

"Sachiel," Gendo corrected, pushing up his glasses with gloved hands. "And it does, disquietingly so." There were very few individuals in the world that Gendo Ikari would ever admit to finding something disquieting; the only one left alive was in the room with him. "The Dead Sea Scrolls said nothing of this."

Fuyutsuki snorted. "You already sound like the old men. Yellow and Green will likely only bitch and moan about that for the duration of the coming meeting."

"It matters not. The Scrolls were written before mankind even existed and are beyond true understanding. To take everything translated from them as gospel is the height of foolishness."

"And yet here we are," Fuyutsuki sighed, shaking his head. "Either way, this… Sachiel. Do you think Unit 01 somehow absorbed some its abilities after its defeat?"

"Improbable, if not impossible," Gendo answered. "The Eva would've had to physically consume the Angel if that were the case. However, it is not a possibility we should rule out."

"Hm."

A few moments passed in silence as they both stared at Unit 01, triumphant as it speared the Fourth Angel. Both men wondered at the implications of this recent development, and how it would shape the battles to come, against the Angels and otherwise.

"It could be her," Fuyutsuki found himself saying, well aware of the minefield he was stepping through. Still, he felt that the possibility needed to be stated.

Gendo didn't react in the slightest, his body an emotionless statue. Fuyutsuki saw the façade for what it was, but said nothing else. It was too soon to know how things would end up in the coming war. Two Angels had been defeated, but thirteen still remained. And after that…

Well, if all went as planned, then God would no longer be in His Heaven.

-0-

"SAMMY!" Sachiel cried out in delight, crashing into his sister and wrapping his arms around her in a tight bear hug. Shamshel let out a surprised yelp as she was crushed by his grip, clearly not expecting the sudden burst of affection. She shifted slightly in his embrace and awkwardly wrapped a tentacle around his back.

"Sachiel," Shamshel eventually said, her voice still full of that dignified air from before, if somewhat tempered by unsure emotion, "'tis… good to see you."

"Oh, you have no idea." Sachiel pulled away from her, a silly grin plastered on his face.

"But that itself begs the question," Shamshel said, all business, "Why are you and I still here? I would not have awakened if you were still alive."

"That's cuz I'm not alive," Sachiel answered, before considering for a moment. He shrugged. "Well, not in the typical sense, I suppose. I dunno exactly why, but our souls somehow attached themselves to the person who killed us. Speaking of!" He whirled around, gesturing with a three-fingered hand behind him. "This is my friend!"

Shinji, who'd been patiently keeping quiet in an inconspicuous corner, something he'd had plenty of practice with, jumped a bit at the sudden attention. He meekly waved a hand at them. "Uh, hello. I'm Shinji. It's, uh, nice to meet you."

Shamshel bowed her head slightly. "I am Shamshel, the Angel of Morning. 'tis an honor for me, Destroyer. Though, to be honest, I did not expect you to look so… ah, small."

The Third Child couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at that. "You're one to talk." He blinked. "And could you please not call me Destroyer? That feels kind of weird."

"But 'tis who you are," Shamshel insisted, "Even if you did have the assistance of that… delightful creature, defeating me in single combat is no small feat and worthy of acknowledgement."

"Oh, come on!" Shinji groaned, throwing his hands up in the air. "You too?!"

"Beg pardon?"

"Hey now, I saw her first, Sammy!" Sachiel protested, waving a tiny fist in the air. "Besides, I totally merged souls with her, so you might as well just give up now."

"Ah, you mean that fusion earlier? So that's what that was," Shamshel nodded, a pink tentacle rubbing at her 'chin,' "Well, I daresay I'll have to make an attempt as well…"

"Um… is there any chance at all that we could not talk about Unit 01 like it was a sexual object?" Shinji pleaded.

Sachiel and Shamshel, in a moment of true sibling understanding, just stared at the only human in the room like he was insane.

Shinji groaned, palming his face. Why did he even bother? There were only two of them, and he already felt like he was getting ganged up on. She didn't even seem bothered at all by the fact that Sachiel fought against her… That was actually pretty odd. "Hold on, you don't have any problem that your own brother helped beat you?"

"I can't say I bare him any ill will, no," Shamshel answered, "Especially now that I see his connection to you. He was merely doing what he could to survive, and I could never begrudge him that."

Beside her, Sachiel chuckled. "You haven't changed at all, sis."

"Neither have you, brother." Shamshel said warmly.

"So… does that mean you'll be sticking around, too?" Shinji asked.

"Why, 'tis not even a question. I'd be honored to join your retinue, Destroyer, especially if I will be able to spend more time with my kin. And perhaps if you could also introduce me to this "Unit 01" you speak of…"

Shinji sighed. "This is going to be a thing, isn't it?"

The metal door handle squeaked, startling everyone in the room. Shinji gulped, preparing for whatever was to come. A punishment of some sort, no doubt. When the door opened, he was momentarily blinded by the sudden light, and he rose a hand to cover his tearing eyes.

Misato stepped in the room, arms folded. When she didn't comment on the floating mini-Angels, Shamshel asked her brother, "Can she not see us?"

Sachiel shook his head. "Nah, only Shinji can see and hear us. Oh, that reminds me, don't bother trying to talk to him when other people are around. Apparently it's weird for lilim to talk to the ghosts of their fallen enemies that only they can see."

"I see. It would seem our Destroyer is a deviant among his own kind." Shamshel nodded, clearly satisfied with the conclusion she'd come to all on her own.

Shinji ignored their exchange, instead focusing entirely on the woman standing before him. Gone was the laidback guardian, guzzling booze while teasing him mercilessly with a knowing wink. All he saw now was the disappointed captain, her brown eyes hardened and judging.

He couldn't even look at her, despite his own bitterness. The passion and courage from the battle had abandoned him.

After a pregnant pause, Misato finally spoke. "You disobeyed my orders."

"I'm sorry," was all he could say, as if on autopilot.

"I'm in charge of your operations. You're supposed to follow my orders to the letter. Understood?"

Shinji's hands tightened, plugsuit scrunching up as he gripped his knees. He hated this. Misato sounded so cold, so unlike herself. Or maybe this was who she really was, and everything from before had just been an act. All of that supposed familiarity and caring, it could've all been a trick just to make sure he stayed.

"Yes," Shinji whispered. Beside him, Sachiel frowned.

"This is the last time I'll allow this."

"Yes."

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes."

"Stop that!" For the first time, Misato sounded actually angry. Secretly, Shinji reveled that he was able to provoke a reaction out of her. "Saying yes all the time won't get you very far in life."

"What else do you want me to say?" Shinji asked, voice distant. "It's not like it matters. We won, didn't we?"

"Shinji…" Sachiel began to say, but Misato cut him off.

"That attitude will get you killed," she almost spat. This time the vitriol caught Shinji off guard. "You can't just go along with whatever people say!"

"I believe that was a hypocritical statement," Shamshel observed, which caused Shinji to chuckle lowly.

"What's so funny?" Misato asked.

"It's…" Shinji wanted to say it, but something kept him back. He just wanted this to end. He sighed, shoulders sagging. "Never mind. Are you done?"

Misato stared at him for a long moment. Deep down, she didn't like treating Shinji this way, but she felt like she had no other choice to get the message through to him. Professionally, of course, subordinates had to follow orders without hesitation or complaint for the sake of the group, but… that wasn't the only thing she was worried about.

Still, she knew better than to keep pushing at the moment, for both her and Shinji's sakes. Back to business, since she still had to ask him a few more things.

"Do you know why Unit 01 changed during the battle?" Misato asked.

Shinji kept staring down, considering whether to answer or not. Sachiel and Shamshel looked at each other, before the former drifted closer to his side.

"It's not like you gotta tell her the whole truth, man," Sachiel said to him, "Just give her something and she'll let you go."

Shinji took a deep breath and let it out, but still didn't look up. Well, if it would get him away from here faster… "I'm not sure. I was so scared, and I guess… the Eva responded. I didn't tell it to change, it just did."

You gotta love those technical truths.

"So you don't know what the Instrumemory System is?" Misato pressed.

"No," Shinji shook his head. He thought about it further and figured what her next question would be. "And I don't know what the Impact Lance is, either."

"I see," Misato let out a long sigh, suddenly feeling exhausted. She should've figured that he wouldn't know that much, since even Ritsuko seemed stumped by recent events. "Then you're dismissed. I won't be home for a while, so I'll see you when I get back."

Without another word, Shinji stood up and shuffled out of the room. When the sounds of his squeaking plugsuit faded away, Misato palmed her face and her shoulders sagged. "Am I really cut out for this?" she asked what she thought was an empty room.

Unbeknownst to her, Shamshel had waited a little longer to follow Shinji and Sachiel. The Angel of Morning watched the woman for a few more moments, trying to get the measure of her. After coming to some sort of conclusion, Shamshel departed, leaving Misato alone. For now.

-0-

"Destroyer, I would have a word."

"Hm?" Shinji looked up from the kitchen counter, where he was preparing dinner. Misato still had yet to return, so he was only making enough for himself, which was just fine by him. "What is it, Shamshel?"

"This 'Misato' individual," Shamshel started. Shinji's expression instantly darkened. "She is both your commander and your guardian, yes?"

"Yeah," he grunted, returning to work on chopping up the vegetables. "What of it?"

"I believe your behavior towards her earlier was immensely disrespectful."

The knife came down with a loud thunk on the cutting board. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Avoiding the issue will not solve it," Shamshel admonished, hovering closer. "Perhaps if-"

"Shamshel," Shinji interrupted her, "I'm a little busy here. Could you please give me some space?" The tone was polite, but backed with a will that left no room for debate. It was clear nothing she said would get through to him. It would usually be at this point where Sachiel would get in his face and slap him into shape.

So Shinji's eyes widened with surprise when Shamshel bowed deferentially and did as he asked. "As you say, Destroyer. I will be here to provide counsel should you seek it. If you need me, I shall be with Sachiel." At that, she left.

When he was sure she was gone, Shinji let out a long sigh and returned to cooking, finding solace in the calming effect the simple process had on him. Still, he couldn't help but ponder her words.

I don't really see what the big deal is, he thought. I've always reacted to painful situations this way. Like it didn't really happen to me, like I was watching it happen to someone else.

That way, it didn't hurt as much. It was better that way.

Shinji shook his head. Sachiel would've hated to hear that. He could tell that Sachiel had wanted to say something earlier, but the Angel had held back for some reason. Shinji sometimes just couldn't make any sense of his little green friend.

It's almost like he was an undead alien, or something.

-0-

Shamshel found her brother on the balcony, sitting on the railing and staring out at the city beyond. He smiled when she joined him, his legs idly kicking in the empty air.

"You tried talking to him, huh?" Sachiel asked.

She nodded. "I did. However, he was… less than receptive of my attempts at reasoning with him." Shamshel frowned and folded her tentacles. "Our Destroyer is a most vexing individual."

Sachiel snorted. "Don't I know it. I wouldn't beat myself over it if I were you, sis, he just needs some space right now."

"But I fear that if he does not resolve his clear issues with authority, the issue will only worsen," Shamshel insisted, "His behavior is-"

"Look, I get it, sis, I really do. But, for now…" Sachiel's gaze turned upward, to the stars. "Just chill with me, alright?"

Shamshel went quiet and mimicked him. For a few moments the two Angels simply sat there in silence, letting the sounds of the world around them fill their ears. The chopping coming from the kitchen, followed by shifting vegetables and running water. The soft padding of Pen-Pen's feet inside. And beyond them, the bustling city, full of light and honking horns, thousands of people returning home from work or going about other business.

"I'm really happy I died," Sachiel said, suddenly. His sister tilted her head to the side, confused.

"Why do you say such a thing?"

"Because of all this," he explained, gesturing toward… well, everything with open arms. "I didn't exactly have a chance to really see it, since I was, y'know, trying to destroy the world and all, but now that I can I just love it. It beats those fifteen years of utter solitude, I'll tell ya that much."

"… You do have a point, I suppose," Shamshel conceded, nodding her head. "I must admit, there is a certain peace to be found in the presence of so much life."

"But do you know what makes me the happiest that I died?" Sachiel asked.

"Please."

Sachiel turned to face her. "I got to meet Shinji." He smiled sheepishly. "Dumb as it sounds, I've always wished I could have a friend. Yeah, I had you guys, but… we never really saw each other, y'know? And I didn't think I'd ever see you all again, so… I latched onto him. Shinji's a great guy. Sad thing is, he doesn't know it yet."

"That seems evident even to me, despite my limited time spent with him," Shamshel agreed, "A weaker individual could not have defeated beings such as you or me, so he certainly has a warrior's heart. And yet he seems… lost? 'tis difficult to explain."

"No kidding," Sachiel sighed and rubbed his chin. "Regardless, I plan on sticking with him for now, maybe even 'til the end. He's fun, and helping him makes me happy."

"Hence why you aided him during our battle."

"Yeah." Sachiel paused, mulling over his next words. "Though I'd be lying if I said I was doing it solely for his sake."

Shamshel looked at him curiously, her eyes questioning.

He looked down and fiddled with his hands. "I just thought, ya know, maybe, if I got a second chance of 'life', then all of us could, and maybe, I dunno, we could all be together again and… um," he rambled, fully aware he was doing so, "Maybe… we could be a family. Since we never had the chance."

She stared at her brother, unsure of what to say. The idea had never occurred to her before, simply because it had long ago been tossed aside as an impossibility. The Angels had always known that they were temporary beings, since they would either die before their time or their individuality would fade the moment they merged with Adam. Such was the price of Complementation, and they'd all accepted it.

But now… could there really be a different route?

The feeling that such a thought stirred in her chest was… not unpleasant.

"Sachiel…" Shamshel said, after a few moments of silent consideration, "I believe that goal is worth reaching for."

Sachiel beamed, suddenly wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. "Glad to hear it, sis! We'll help Shinji kick our bros' and sis' asses and we'll be one big happy ghostly family!"

Shamshel allowed herself a small smile. "Indeed. It would be nice to see everyone again." She paused. "Except perhaps not Gaghiel."

"Or Iruel."

"I could do without seeing Bardiel for a while yet."

"I'll have to buy earplugs if we're gonna be seeing Zeruel anytime soon, too."

Shamshel laughed, filling the air with melodic sound. "Perhaps we shouldn't say such rude things about our kin."

"Eh, they're not here yet." Sachiel then laughed with her, leaning forward to look at the city. "Let's just enjoy the quiet while we can, huh? Things are gonna be a LOT nuttier once they start showing up."

-0-

The next day, Shinji's bad mood persisted. School was canceled after the day of an Angel attack, so he'd decided to spend the day in the apartment watching TV. With Misato gone at work dealing with Shamshel's fallout, Shinji thought that he'd be left in peace with nothing but his own thoughts for company.

Sachiel took issue.

Bzzzt!

"Ow!" Shinji yelped, jumping from his spot on the couch. Pen-Pen, who was lying on the floor with an empty beer can at his side, spared the boy a cursory glance before returning to the TV, deigning this a mundane affair. "What was that for?!"

"You know damn well why!" Sachiel accused, keeping his tiny Impact Lance at the ready, "I gave you some space for the night thinking you'd get over it, but you're still mopin' around like it's the end of the world! Now c'mon, you got a free day, do something with it."

"I am doing something with it," Shinji muttered, already reclining back into the cushioned seat. "This is how I enjoy myself."

"That's funny, cuz you don't look like you're enjoying yourself," Sachiel said, "Why don't we show Sammy around the city? Or check out the bookstore again?"

"You don't need me to do any of that, right? Just take her yourself."

"That's not the point, man." Sachiel sighed, frowning. "You need to get outta the house, bro. The stuff with Misato will clear up soon, so why let it ruin your day?"

"It's not."

"Okay, that's it!" Sachiel shouted as he zipped over to Shinji's collar and tugged on it with all of his strength.

"Gack!" Clearly not expecting this new development, Shinji nearly fell over and almost choked. "Will you-gah!-cut it out!"

"Hell no!" Sachiel gritted his teeth as he pulled harder. "Not until you! Get! Your! Whiny! Ass! Up!"

A struggle between the two ensued, although it was a little pathetic and admittedly painful to watch. Seeing a boy stubbornly clutching to the couch while a tiny ghost almost choked him out didn't quite inspire the same awe that their first battle had. Granted, Sachiel was alive and Shinji was in a giant robot/cyborg/creator of all life on earth at the time, but still.

Shamshel, who had been watching from the sidelines, sighed and shook her head in disappointment. "Boys and their squabbles," she grumbled, then turned to Pen-Pen. "Surely you understand, yes?"

Pen-Pen stared at her for a moment. Then he licked his beak, a dangerous gleam in his eyes that set Shamshel on edge.

"Whatever you may be thinking, I believe I can safely say I take issue with it."

-0-

Miraculously, Sachiel had succeeded in dragging Shinji outside, although it had taken dropping Rei's name to get him to budge.

"We should go see Rei!" Sachiel had declared he tugged harder on Shinji's collar. "Since she totally saved you from that jerkwad earlier, you should thank her!"

"GACK!" was Shinji's response to that.

So there the odd group was, making their way through the city to Rei's apartment. It was starting to get overcast, the skies slowly becoming covered in steely grey clouds. Construction crews were buzzing about, frantically trying to repair as much of the city as possible before any rain came, filling the city with the din of shouting men and creaking machinery.

Shamshel was transfixed, watching the humans fix the damage that she had caused. "Such determination in the face of certain destruction! These lilim are to be commended!"

"They're just doing their jobs," Shinji dismissed, still a little sour from losing his battle with Sachiel.

"Even so, their efforts are laudable," Shamshel said, before drifting from his shoulder into the air. "Please tell me of this 'Rei' person of which you speak. Is she a warrior such as yourself?"

"Um, yes?" Shinji answered, scratching at his chin. "She's an Eva pilot, but she hasn't actually fought yet since she was injured."

"And Shinji wuuuuuuuuvs her!" Sachiel interjected, cheeky grin on his face.

"I do not!" Shinji protested, his face blazing red.

"I see." Shamshel nodded. "Well, she must be an exceptionable individual if she is among your ranks, Destroyer. Has she recovered from her injuries yet?"

After sending a glare at the clearly-enjoying-himself Sachiel, Shinji faced her. "Would you stop calling me that? And mostly, she's supposed to be put back on active duty sometime next week."

"Excellent," Shamshel said, completely ignoring the first half of his statement. "I do not doubt your abilities, but having a stalwart ally by your side in the coming days will be most helpful."

"Riiiiiight," Shinji drawled. He was starting to pick up on Shamshel's… odd sense of priorities. It felt like he was talking to a knight half the time, or some blue-blooded noble the other half. Well, it could've been worse, he supposed. "Anyway, we're here."

The building was just as destitute and dreary as it had been the day they'd dropped Rei off. If anything, the overcast sky above made it looking even more miserable.

Shamshel looked around, tapping a tentacle on her chin. "… Surely you jest, Destroyer. This is no place for anyone to call home. And I do not recall our battle entering this part of the city."

"It was like this before you came," Shinji informed her. His gaze faltered slightly when he realized something. "And probably even before I came here, too."

Why is she living like this? For that matter…

He remembered seeing her for the first time on the stretcher, bleeding and wincing with every move, her face twisted with pain. Then at the hospital, a blank pale face stared back at him with red eyes that held nothing in them.

Why is she the way she is? Is it really because she isn't fully human?

Hell, Sachiel and Shamshel acted more human than Rei did. Sure, the little Angels were pretty weird, but at least they felt, perhaps ironically, alive. Rei on the other hand seemed like… she was just going through the motions.

Kind of like Shinji used to. Still did, although to a lesser extent thanks to a certain friendly ghost.

"Which is why we're here," said that certain friendly ghost, "We're gonna get her outta this dump!"

"I wholly endorse this endeavor," Shamshel said, nodding seriously. "Lead the way, Destroyer. I am eager to meet your fellow warrior."

And so, with a deep breath and his two Angel companions, Shinji climbed his way up the slate-grey stairs. Thankfully, he'd remembered her apartment number, so it was an easy matter of locating it. It wasn't long before he stood before her door, finger tentatively hovering over the buzzer. He'd told himself countless times that he would go through with this, but why did he waver now?

A gentle nudge on his shoulder. Shinji looked to see Sachiel smiling up at him. "You'll be fine, bro."

Shinji returned the smile and moved forward. The buzzer rang, and he waited. And waited. And waited some more. The smile faltered somewhat as he pressed it again. Perhaps she was away? Was all that time spent building up his confidence wasted?

"Well, let's just go inside then," Sachiel said, already floating toward the door.

"We can't just barge in!" Shinji replied. "Besides, it's probably locked…"

Sachiel shrugged. "You did the same thing at the hospital that one time and she didn't care. Why would that change now?"

"In either case, we have already come this far, so it would be a waste if we did not fully commit to this," Shamshel chimed in.

Well, he supposed they did have a point. It was unlikely she was home anyway, probably back at base doing test or something. Comforted by that assumption, Shinji reached for the doorknob and tried to turn it, expecting it to not budge.

Instead, it turned easily at his touch and the door opened slightly.

"Bingo!" Sachiel cheered. Still, Shinji frowned, but not because it meant he had to go in.

"Who would leave their door unlocked in a place like this?" he breathed, mostly to himself. Despite his mostly rhetorical question, Shamshel saw fit to answer.

"Well, she is a warrior much like yourself, correct? Perhaps she feels no fear from potential intruders."

"I'm not sure that's it," Shinji replied, scratching his chin. Even as he said the words, he was already swinging the door open all the way and stepping inside.

What he saw made him even more uneasy.

"You know, for some reason, I thought she was someone that'd take care of her place a little better," Sachiel commented as he floated through the apartment. Shamshel followed him, frowning at the sight.

Dirty shoe marks smudged the carpet, as if Rei had never bothered to take them off. A thick clump of letters filled the mailbox, woefully un-emptied for who knew how long. Dust caked almost every surface, and Shinji had to wipe his nose to deal with the musty scent in the stale air. Clothes, all consisting only of school uniforms, were scattered haphazardly on the floor, left where they had fallen.

Shinji's fingers twitched, and he had to viciously fight down the overwhelming desire to clean literally everything. Out of habit and despite Rei's clear disregard for such things, Shinji took off his shoes before stepping onto the carpet. "Um, hello?" he called out, glancing nervously around the small apartment. "Ayanami?"

"Yes?" came a soft voice right behind him.

"GAH!" shrieked all three of the intruders, though only one jumped from where he stood and almost tripped on himself. Shinji spun around to face an utterly-expressionless Rei Ayanami staring back at him. Sachiel and Shamshel briefly had expressions of wide-eyed shock on their faces, before both coughed lightly and acted like nothing had happened, with Sachiel even nonchalantly whistling.

Placing a hand on his heaving chest, Shinji took a deep breath and looked the girl over. Thankfully, she was in her school uniform; the situation could have been a LOT more awkward.

"Um, hi," he offered weakly.

"Did you need something?" Rei asked.

"Not really," Shinji answered, nervously scratching the back of his head, "I, uh…"

"Thank her!" Sachiel chimed in.

"Oh, right! I wanted to thank you for helping me yesterday," Shinji said. He bowed slightly. "So… thank you!"

Rei's eyebrows twitched, the only visible sign of her confusion. "'Thank you'? For what?"

"For stopping that guy from hitting me again," Shinji explained, a little surprised that Rei needed clarification on that point. "I didn't expect anyone to do something like that for me."

"I would've if I could've…" Sachiel grumbled, folding his arms. Shinji's expression fell at the words, for some reason feeling bad even though it was something neither of them could help.

"I see," Rei said as she finally recollected the event. Her reasons for taking action were ambiguous, even to her, as a strange rush of emotion had overcome at the sight of Ikari being threatened. She looked down at her hand, which had acted before she could even process what was happening. "Was such an action worthy of gratitude?" she asked.

Shinji nodded and smiled. "Well, I thought so, at least. Usually you thank someone for helping you."

"I see," she responded, filing away that fact for future interactions. "Was that all?"

Shinji blinked, taking a moment to gather what she meant. "Well, uh, I suppose I just wanted to see how you're doing?"

"I am well," Rei replied.

He frowned, his eyes darting around the apartment. Or rather, the dismal state it was in. "Are you, really?" he breathed, without realizing it.

"I am," she repeated.

"Is she usually like this?" Shamshel stage-whispered to Sachiel.

He nodded.

"The lilim have made very odd choices for their champions."

"No kidding. Anyway, this is going nowhere fast. Yo, Shinji! Ask her if she wants to go to the bookstore with us!"

"Then, uh, want to go to the bookstore with us - er, I mean, me!" Shinji corrected himself hastily, praying she didn't notice his slip. "You could pick out a book there and I'll get it for you. You know, like I promised earlier?"

A pregnant pause ensued, and for a moment Shinji was worried she'd just give him the cold shoulder. When she finally nodded, he let out a sigh of relief.

They left shortly after, though Shinji couldn't help but look back at the apartment building once they were out on the sidewalk. The ruined building had no place in the supposed futuristic and progressive city of Tokyo-3, and the fact that it housed one of the very few Eva pilots in the world made it even more suspect. And after seeing the state of her room…

She shouldn't be living there.

"Hey, Ayanami," Shinji started, turning away from the building behind them. The two pilots were now making their way to the old part of town, the overcast sky looming over them like a grey curtain. "Why do you live there? It seems… unsafe."

"Because I was ordered to," Rei answered.

"Sound familiar?" Sachiel commented.

Loathe as Shinji was to admit it, it did indeed sound familiar to something he'd said before. But this seemed like a much more extreme case.

"You don't have any problems with living there?" Shinji asked.

"I am grateful for what I am given."

"She is one of the few chosen to defend lilimkind," Shamshel said, and to Shinji's surprise she actually sounded a little peeved. "Her station deserves more than squalor." He couldn't help but agree.

Still, Shinji decided not to press the matter any further. For all he knew, if he asked any more questions than she would just leave without another word.

A wet drop on his head shook him from his thoughts. Startled, he looked up at the darkening sky, which began to rumble as more and more droplets began to rain down on them.

"Brother…" Shamshel looked up at the sky worriedly, her tentacles twitching anxiously. "Please explain this strange phenomena."

"Chill out, Sammy, it's just rain." As he said that, the rain started to come down harder and grew louder. "We might wanna find some shelter though, Shinji."

"Crap, I should've brought an umbrella," muttered the Third Child, shielding his eyes and running ahead. "Come on, Ayanami, there's a bus stop ahead!"

The rain was almost deafening at the point, and Shinji let out a sigh of relief once he reached the safety of the bus stop. Thankfully they were close enough…

… Wait a second. Where was Rei?

"Wow, leaving a girl alone in the rain?" Sachiel jabbed, "That's kinda lame, dude."

"What?!" Shinji spun to look back the way he came, and sure enough Rei was simply walking toward them as calm as can be while getting soaked to the bone. "What's she thinking?!"

Without another thought, he ran back out, getting sprayed in the face almost instantly. When he reached her, Shinji grabbed her pale hand and pulled her forward. "Come on!" he shouted above the din.

Turning around too quickly to catch the look of genuine shock on Rei's face, all Shinji could focus on was getting her out of the rain as soon as possible. The two ran into the bus stop, where the watching Sachiel and Shamshel waited. "What… were you thinking?" Shinji asked her in-between breaths, plopping down on the plastic bench with a wet squish.

"I was heading toward the bus stop like you suggested," Rei calmly replied as she rung out her skirt. "Your actions were unnecessary."

"Maybe not necessary," Shinji said, leaning against the back of the bench. "But I wanted to."

"Why?"

"Because it was the right thing to do," he answered easily.

Silence fell between them at that point, overtaken by the ceaseless rainfall. Shamshel seemed transfixed by the weather as she pressed her face against the glass of the bus top. Happy that his sister was enjoying herself, Sachiel laid down on Shinji's shoulder with a soft smile, closing his eyes and idly swinging a foot. Shinji and Rei both gazed into the rain, watching it wash away trash and grime from the streets.

A few minutes passed in that manner, with the four of them in peaceful contentment. After the whirlwind events of the yesterday, it was appreciated.

Which was part of why it was so surprising when Rei was the one to break it.

"Ikari… may I ask you a question?"

"She just did, didn't she?" Sachiel commented, eyes still closed. Shinji, after he'd gotten over being dumbfounded, jerked his shoulder in response and sent the little Angel flopping off. "Hey!"

Shinji turned toward his fellow pilot. "Of course."

Rei paused for a moment, as if struggling to find the words. Finally, she asked, "What is your bond with Eva?"

He blinked rapidly and tilted his head, thrown off a little by the question. Well, that kinda came out of left field. "Um, how do you mean?"

"Your synchronization ratio is consistently high. The Eva has responded twice to your distress, but each time in very different manners," she listed off, her crimson gaze never wavering from straight ahead. "And yet you dislike it. You disobey orders. Why?"

Shamshel turned away from the rain to face them, clearly curious for the answer as well.

Shinji frowned as he mulled it over. His relationship with Unit 01 was pretty complicated, to say the least, but telling Rei that felt like a copout. He thought about why he'd first piloted; to save Rei. And because Father, Misato, and Ritsuko told him to.

No, she didn't ask why he piloted, she'd asked what his bond with it was. If he'd been asked a day ago, he would've said that he hated everything about it. The pain, Father staring back at him, that cold voice with which Misato commanded, so different from how she sounded at home…

But when he looked at Sachiel sitting on his knee, grinning and giving him a thumbs-up, he remembered how he'd felt at the last battle. He'd never felt more connected with someone, like he and that person understood each other more than anything in the world. And it was all because of the Eva.

And so it was with a smile when Shinji finally answered. "My bond with Eva… I suppose that I'm thankful for it."

Turning to face him, Rei's blue eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. "Thankful?" Her tone was almost at the level of disbelief.

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, I think so. Because… it helped me make a friend."

Sachiel's eyes widened at the words.

The Third Child nodded again, this time to himself. "That's right. It was only because of the Eva that I was able to meet this person, so even though it's painful, and I get yelled at… it's worth it."

Sachiel made a sniffling sound, and Shamshel rushed to his side, patting him on the back with a tentacle.

"Who is this person?" Rei asked. "The Captain?"

He shook his head, looking down to see Sachiel barely holding back tears. "He's my best friend."

A loud pop echoed in the bus stop, and Rei gasped.

And then stared. Stared really, really hard at Shinji's knee. Right where Sachiel and Shamshel now stood.

It took the other three a few moments to understand what had just happened. The how and why escaped them, but the undeniable fact dawned on them, much to Shinji's rising horror.

Rei said nothing for a full minute, during all of which Shinji was sweating profusely with his heart pounding in his chest.

Finally, still keeping her crimson eyes firmly locked on the two undead Angels, Rei spoke. "I require an explanation."