Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Rewrite of Evangelion ❯ Reflections ( Chapter 9 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

[OPENING ANIMATION]

---

(flashback) Misato glares, although she still looks scared.
Misato “Hey. Drop it.”

The present day. Nerv pyramid.

Fuyutsuki sighs and leans back in his desk chair.

He is mostly alone in the Command Center.
Fuyutsuki “It’s been a week…”

(flashback) Shinji and Fuyutsuki on the boat in the previous episoe.
Fuyutsuki (MONO) “He and I haven’t talked since…”

Shinji is synching in the Entry Plug.

Outside the Eva cage, Ibuki and Ritsuko monitor him.
Ibuki “Our work load sure has increased lately…”

A display picture. All five pilots are synching.
Ritsuko (OFF) “Yes…”

Ritsuko “But on the plus side, we’ve proven that our simulations of Evas can increase synchs.”

Ibuki taps away at the display screen.
Ibuki “Sempai…”
Ritsuko “Hmm?”

Ibuki’s fingers move extraordinarily fast.
Ibuki (OFF) “Why did we send the Vice Commander away for so long?”

Ritsuko seems uncertain.
Ibuki “Surely a lieutenant could have handled the tasks of gathering the new Children?”

Ritsuko’s eyes close-up.
They narrow.

Ritsuko “Yes, a lieutenant or even some lower-ranked individual could have.”

Ibuki looks a bit awkward.
Ritsuko (OFF) “But it’s not our place to ask questions, now is it?”

Ibuki lowers her head.

Shinji opens his eyes in the Entry Plug.
Shinji (MONO) “This place smells so familiar… and so strange…”

The plug makes a grinding noise. It’s moving!
Ibuki (OFF - RADIO) “Plug depth increasing…”
Shinji begins to freak out.
The plug grinds to a halt.
Ibuki (OFF – RADIO) “It’s stabilized again…”

Ritsuko “His plug can move all by itself?”

Ibuki “Apparently… Unit 00 and Unit 02 have never behaved like this…”

Both women looks slightly afraid.

Asuka in her plug.
Asuka “Activate radio connection to Unit-02 beta…”

Kaworu’s simulation plug.
A picture of Asuka appears.
Asuka “Hey, Fourth!”

Kaworu opens his eyes.
Kaworu “Second?”

Asuka “Don’t think that just because they’re letting you sim in Unit 02 they’ll let you actually use it!”
Kaworu (RADIO) “I hadn’t expected any such thing.”

Asuka (RADIO) “Go-”
Ritsuko (OFF – RADIO) “Second Child!”

Ritsuko “There are to be no radio contacts during this experiment!”

Asuka sulks.

Shinji, Kensuke, and Kaworu change in the locker room.
Kensuke “Isn’t this great? They’re letting me use a sim of Unit 00!”

Kaworu buttons his shirt.
Kaworu “…I would have thought you’d like to pilot a real Eva…”
Kensuke (OFF) “Well, yeah!”

Kensuke ties his shoe.
Kensuke “But the sim of Unit 00 is a lot better than Unit 05!”

Kaworu “And Unit 01? What is it like, Shinji?”

Shinji has already left the locker room.
Kaworu and Kensuke both look disappointed.

Shinji pulls headphones out of his pocket.

He sticks them in his ears.

Fuyutsuki approaches him quietly.

Shinji and Fuyutsuki walking down the corridor.

Shinji enters an elevator.

He presses the door close button.

Fuyutsuki watches as the doors close.

---

Text: “Episode #09: Reflections”

The school building.

BGM START: C-1 [Pleasant Morning]

The five pilots walk into the school together.
Asuka “I don’t know why I have to go to school…”

They enter the classroom.
Asuka “Spending time training would be smarter.”

Hikari looks up in shock.

Hikari (OFF) “Aida-kun?!”
Kensuke cringes instinctively.
Kensuke “Cl- class rep?”

Hikari then notices the two new students.
Hikari “Oh… hello…”

Both smile at Hikari.
Kaworu “Hello.”
Asuka “Hi! I’m Asuka, one of Eva’s pilots!”

BGM END

The whole classroom.
Students “Wha--?!”

They all crowd around the five pilots.
Student A “Why didn’t you tell us, Ikari?!”
Student B “Is that why you were gone, Aida?”
Student C “The new girl… she’s so pretty!”

Shinji is horrified by the attention.

Kaworu smiles at a girl who stands nearby him.

Asuka looks annoyed.

Kensuke grins like an idiot.

Rei is nonplussed.

Later, Asuka writes her name on the chalkboard.
She turns around.
Asuka “I’m Soryu Asuka Langley!”
She bows slightly.
Asuka “Nice to meet you all!”

The male portion of the class is drooling, excepting the three pilots.

Kaworu stands in front of the class.
Kaworu “I am Nagisa Kaworu.”
He returns to his seat.

The female portion of the class is drooling, excepting the two pilots.

Old Teacher “Yes… well… as you know, these two are some of the pilots of Evangelion, which, as you know, were built…”

Later that day, during lunch, Hikari approaches Asuka.
Hikari “Uhm… excuse me, Soryu?”
Asuka looks up.
Asuka “Hmm?”

Hikari holds out a paper.
Hikari “In a week, we’ll be going to the IEC’s aquarium. You’ll need your parents to sign off on this.”

Asuka takes the paper.
Asuka “I’m my own guardian.”
She signs it with a flourish.

Hikari takes it.
Hikari “Okay, then.”

She turns to the three male pilots.
She takes a few steps forward.
Hikari (MONO) “Why is Aida back, but not Suzuhara…?”

She hands Kaworu his paper.
Kaworu “A field trip?”
He considers.
Kaworu “Is Ayanami going?”

Hikari “No.

Kaworu frowns.
Kaworu “Then I am uninterested.”
He turns away.

---

A hospital building.
Kensuke (OFF) “We’re looking for a Suzuhara Mai?”

Another hospital building.
Kensuke (OFF) “Suzuhara Mai? She was transferred he-”

A third hospital building.
Kensuke (OFF) “Are you sure you’ve never heard of her?”

A fourth hospital.

Kensuke and Shinji are at the main desk, looking exhausted.
Kensuke “She’s not in the records at all?”

A computer.
Text: “No results found.”
Secretary (OFF) “Sorry, no…”

Shinji “But we’ve checked every hospital in town.”
Kensuke “And none of the hospitals have her.”

Secretary “Well, I’m sorry… are you sure she’s been hospitalized recently?”
Kensuke (OFF) “Of course!”

Shinji and Kensuke are walking along one of Tokyo-3’s busy streets.
Kensuke “It doesn’t make sense! Toji visited her only a month ago! They would have some information on her!”

Shinji looks concerned.
Shinji “Then…” (gulps) “Then what happened to his sister?”

Kensuke “I don’t know… They might have moved her somewhere else, but…”

The two boys in the middle of the crowd of people.
Kensuke “But why wouldn’t they have any information on her at all?”

Both boys look very uncomfortable at the thought.

Asuka slowly pulls on her fuku in the Nerv locker room.
She glares over at Rei.

Rei is calmly reading a book.
Asuka sits beside her.
Asuka “So, you’re Pilot Zero?”
Rei “Yes.”

Rei’s book.
Asuka (OFF) “So, you’re the only other girl around here…”

Rei “Yes.”
Asuka rises.
Asuka “Then we should be friends!”

Rei seems uninterested.
Rei “If I am ordered to…”

Asuka twitches.
Asuka “Ordered?”

Rei “Yes. I see no reason to be friends with you.”

Asuka looks offended.
Rei (OFF) “But if I’m ordered to, I will.”

Rei returns to reading her book like nothing ever happened.

Asuka stands there a few moments, twitching slightly.

Misato’s apartment.
Misato drinks a beer while Asuka paces back and forth, fuming.
Asuka “Who does she think she is?!”

Misato tries to smile.
Misato “She’s… she’s a bit cold, I know, but…”

Asuka “She said she’d only be friends with me if ordered too! She’s like a doll!”

Misato sighs.
Misato “Asuka, I know I said you could come here at any time, but… can you please calm down?”

Asuka “Honestly!”

Pen-Pen hides in his fridge.
Misato (OFF) “How about I order the two of you to be friends, then?”

Asuka seriously considers this for a few moments.
Asuka “Ugh, I don’t care anymore. Whatever.”

She goes to the front door.
Asuka “Bye, Misato!”
She leaves.

Misato takes a long drink, and doesn’t do her standard war cry.
Misato (MONO) “I wish she’d get along with the others better…”

Kaworu looks up at Eva-01.
Kaworu “It’s quite impressive…”

Shinji stands nearby.
Shinji “Kaworu-kun, are you listening?”
Kaworu turns.
Kaworu “Hmm?”
Shinji sighs.
Shinji “I said, Toji’s sister has disappeared.”

Kaworu shrugs.
Kaworu “I’m sure it’s just a clerical error…”

Shinji shakes his head.
Shinji “I don’t think so…”

Kaworu “Well, it doesn’t matter much. I’m sure Toji’s father knows where the girl is.”

Shinji brightens up.
Shinji “Of course! That’s genius, Kaworu-kun!”

Kaworu shrugs.

The Evangelion seems to be watching both of them.
Kaworu “Is that really all you had to talk to me about?”

Shinji blinks.

Kaworu “It’s not nice to invite someone on an outing only to talk about your troubles.”

Shinji blushes.
Shinji “I, I didn’t mean it like that…”

Kaworu almost looks disappointed.
Kaworu “Oh well…”

Shinji blushes all the brighter.

Kaworu “I suppose I’ll just have to talk to Ayanami…”

Hikari’s apartment.
She is writing something.
Hikari (MONO) “I wonder if a note is the best of ideas…”

She sighs and crumples up the paper.

She throws it into a trash can.

She dials a number into her cell phone.

Cell phone screen.
Text: “Aida Kensuke… calling”

She looks at the phone for a few seconds.

Cell phone.
Text: “No answer.”

She sighs and lies on her bed.
Hikari “I wonder if I’ll ever see him again…”

She rolls over and stares up at the ceiling.
Hikari “They didn’t even say goodbye…”

---

A large building. Surrounding it are four pools of water, the first deep red, the last properly blue.

A school bus pulls up.
SE: chattering of people.

The students eagerly get out.
Student A “This is so cool!”
Student B “I can’t wait!”

Shinji is listening to his SDAT.
Kensuke walks behind him, looking at him concernedly.

Asuka looks immensely bored as she walks along with the rest of the group.
SE: car tires screeching
Asuka turns.

BGM START: B-16 [“MISATO”]

Misato pulls up to the building.

She gets out of the car and waves.

The male half of the class stops to drool.
Student B “Whoa! She’s a babe!”
Misato (OFF) “Shinji-kun! Hi!”

Shinji turns.

Kaworu and Rei are standing with Misato outside the car. Kaworu waves.
Misato “They changed their minds!”

Rei “She ordered us to come.”

Asuka rolls her eyes dismissively.
Asuka “Of course.”

Shinji grins at Rei.
Shinji “I’m… I’m glad you came, Ayanami.”

BGM END

A few more cars drive up.

Section 2 agents (reused from episode 4) climb out.

Shinji sighs.
Kensuke “Even here, we’re being watched!”

Fuyutsuki also gets out of the car.

Asuka “The Vice Commander? What is he, a babysitter?”

Misato silently gets into her car.
Several male students groan (OFF) as she drives away.

Shinji stares at Fuyutsuki for a moment before he realizes Misato is gone.
Shinji “Uh…”

Fuyutsuki approaches.
Shinji (OFF) “I wonder why she left so quickly…”

Kensuke shrugs.
Kensuke “She doesn’t seem to like that guy very much…”

The Section 2 agents approach.

Asuka “Ugh, are they gonna follow us around here, too?”

Rei stands next to Asuka.
Rei “Yes.”
Asuka “But why?!”

Rei pulls a book out of her bag.
Rei “Because they have been ordered to, ‘friend’.”

Asuka looks away uncomfortably.
Asuka “Er… about that…”

Rei is reading.
Rei “Yes?”
Asuka (OFF) “Well, you…”

Asuka “Oh, never mind.”
She storms off.

Rei follows her new friend.

Kaworu steps up to Shinji.
Kaworu “Shinji?”
Shinji “Yeah?”
Kaworu “Ayanami seems hostile…”

Rei is still following Asuka, reading her book.
Shinji (OFF) “Ayanami?”

Shinji “But she’s so nice to me…”

Kaworu “Perhaps…”
Shinji “Have you done something to offend her?”
Kaworu “I do not think so…”

Shinji sighs. The thought that Rei and Kaworu are both a little odd occurs to him.
Shinji “Then… what did you say?”

Kaworu “It’s private, I’m afraid. I am sorry, Shinji-kun.”

Shinji shakes his head.
Shinji “I can’t help, then…”

He reaches for his SDAT.
Kaworu grabs his arm.
Kaworu (OFF) “Why are you always hiding?”

EYECATCH

---

Text: “Neon Genesis Evangelion: Episode: 9: A School Trip”

The schoolchildren walk into the aquarium.
Student C “This is amazing!”

Fuyutsuki coughs slightly.
The children slowly turn to him.
Fuyutsuki “I should warn you…”

Text: “Decontamination Chamber”
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “There’s something you’ll all have to do first.”

The decontamination chamber. A barrier divides the boys from girls.
Students scream as they are sprayed by water. Only Rei seems unaffected.

All the students emerge in white robes.
The Section 2 agents follow.

Fuyutsuki looks around the room.

BGM START: B-21 [“A Moment When Tension Breaks”]

Tropical fish swim in the aquarium.

Turtles swim past a couple of students who are in awe.

A shark idles by.

A cluster of penguins wark at the students.

Kensuke runs around with his video camera, trying to see and film everything at once.

A couple of girls (the two from Episode 3) giggle at him as he runs around.

Kensuke “This is all so amazi-”

BGM END

He gasps as the shark gets close to the tank.
A couple more kids guffaw at his jumping back (off).

Hikari approaches him slowly.
Hikari “Aida-kun?”

He turns.
Kensuke “Oh! Class Rep!”

She looks very awkward.
Kensuke (OFF) “What’s up?”

She gulps.
Hikari “I was wondering…”

The whole class, scattered around the aquarium. Of note are Shinji and Rei standing close together.
Hikari “I was wondering…”

Hikari “Where’s Toji?”

Kensuke blinks in surprise.
Kensuke “You- you called him-”

Hikari “I mean Suzuhara!”
She is blushing quite fiercely now.
Kensuke (OFF) “Yeah…”

Kensuke looks regretfully at the tanks.
Kensuke “They separated us at an airport.”

(flashback) The Siberian wilderness.
Kensuke (OFF) “I went on to Sakhalin and into Siberia,”

(flashback) An immense city.
Kensuke (OFF) “They sent him to somewhere in China.”

(flashback) An explosion.
Kensuke (OFF) “When Unit 05 got destroyed, they sent me back here.”

Hikari “Then… what’s he doing right now?”

Kensuke shrugs.
Kensuke “I guess he’s training in China still.”

Hikari “Do you know when he’ll be back, then?”
Kensuke (OFF) “No.”
Hikari looks very disappointed.

She looks around the aquarium.
She sees something!

Fuyutsuki talks to a section two agent for a few brief moments.
He then steps off down a corridor.

Hikari grins.
Asuka (echo) “The Vice Commander?”

Hikari follows Fuyutsuki down the corridor.
Hikari (MONO) “He’ll know… he has to…”

---

Shinji stares at some small fish.
Shinji “Their tank… it’s so small.”

Rei “They’re small...”

The fish swim around without a care in the world.
Rei (OFF) “They couldn’t live anywhere else.”

Rei “Like me.”

Shinji looks concerned by this statement.

Asuka walks up to them.
Asuka “Ugh, this place is getting boring…”

Shinji looks at her.
Asuka (OFF) “I mean, it was cool at first, sure, but…”

Asuka “Now it’s just a bunch of dumb fish.”

The ‘dumb’ fish. A beautiful collection of colors.

Rei is watching them intently.

Asuka “Makes me wish I’d brought a video game or something…”

Shinji shakes his head.
Shinji “I’ll be right back…”
He walks off.

Asuka looks annoyed.
Rei (OFF) “I think it’s beautiful.”

The men’s restroom.
Shinji is washing his hands.
Fuyutsuki approaches the sink next to him.

Fuyutsuki’s hands in the running water.

Shinji looks at him cautiously.
Fuyutsuki (echo) “Your mother had a saying…”
Shinji quickly turns off the water.

Shinji leaves the bathroom.

Fuyutsuki sighs.

A corridor. Fish tanks line it.
Shinji (MONO) “I don’t know why I don’t want to talk to him.”

Shinji is curled up, listening to his SDAT.
Shinji (MONO) “Is it what Misato said?”

A section two agent stands at the end of the corridor.
Shinji (MONO) “Or is it something else?”

Fuyutsuki walks down a different corridor.
Shinji (MONO) “Is it just because he knows Mother?”

Kaworu is standing over Shinji.

Shinji looks up and starts.
Shinji “Ka- Kaworu-kun!”

Kaworu “Shinji-kun…”
He looks down on him.
Kaworu “What are you doing all the way down here?”

Shinji “I…”

Kaworu “You can’t say you were done looking at the fish…”
Shinji (OFF) “Uhm…”
Kaworu “They’re so calming… You Lilin like that, don’t you?”

Shinji looks confused.
Shinji “Er… Lilin?”

Kaworu “Humans…”
Shinji (OFF) “It… it is calming, bu-”

Kaworu “But you have something on your mind?”

Kaworu sits next to Shinji.
Shinji scoots away slightly, astonished.

Kaworu’s enigmatic smile has returned.
Kaworu “Why don’t you talk about it, then?”

Shinji doesn’t make eye contact with Kaworu.
Kaworu (OFF) “You don’t have to run away, you know.”

Kaworu “If you don’t talk to anyone, how can you expect life to get better?”

Misato’s apartment.

BGM START: B-16 [MISATO]

Misato hums to herself happily as she puts on lipstick.

And eyeshadow.

And a bit of blush.

Misato in make-up. She smiles to herself.
SE: doorbell

She opens the door.
Her smile falters just a little.

Her date. He isn’t anywhere near as dressed up.
Date “Hey.”

He pulls her into a passionate kiss.

BGM END

Date “What’d you get all dressed up for, anyways?”

Misato blinks.
Misato “I… I thought you said we were going out.”

Date “Who needs to go out? We’ll order some take-out, have a few beers, and spend the rest of the night in the comfort of your bed.”
Misato seems less and less happy as this list goes on.

She looks over at her bedroom.
Misato “Well… uh…”

Date “Seriously, what’s the problem here?”

Misato looks at Shinji’s room.
Date (OFF) “Is it the kid?”

Misato “Er…”

Date “Don’t worry about him…”

Misato sighs.

Date “We haven’t talked much since that kid moved in…”

Misato “I’ve… I’ve been busy!”

The date shrugs.
Misato (OFF) “But… I guess we can stay here…”

---

Hikari watches Fuyutsuki from afar.

He seems to be curious about where Shinji and Kaworu have gotten off to.

She approaches him slowly.
Section 2 A (OFF) “Hey!”
She turns.

An angry Section 2 male approaches.
Section 2 A “You the Class Representative?”

Hikari nods.
Section 2 B (OFF) “Then you’re keeping an eye on everyone?”
Hikari nods again.

Both Section 2 agents look down at Hikari.
Section 2 A “Then do you know where Ikari and Nagisa are?”

Hikari “Ikari and Nagisa…?”

She looks around. They’re not there.

Hikari “No… Sorry.”

Both Agents frown and walk away quickly.
Fuyutsuki was obscured by them. He is looking at Hikari.

She gulps, but decides to approach him.

Fuyutsuki “…Yes?”

Hikari “Uhm… you are the Vice Commander of Nerv?”
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “Yes.”

Hikari grins.
Hikari “Um, I was wondering…”

Fuyutsuki seems distant and uncaring as he looks down on her.
Hikari (OFF) “I was wondering about one of the pilots…”
Fuyutsuki “Perhaps you should talk to them then.”

Hikari “Well, you see, I can’t…”

(flashback) Toji asking Hikari about “using the restroom” during the fifth angel attack.
Hikari (OFF) “You see, it’s one who didn’t come back.”

Fuyutsuki looks surprised.
Fuyutsuki “You knew him?”

Hikari seems concerned.
Hikari “Of course! I am the Class Representative…”
Fuyutsuki (OFF) (sigh) “Yes… I suppose you would know him…”
Hikari “So is he coming back?”

Fuyutsuki “Yes, we expect his training will be done in a few weeks.”

Eva-03. Part of the head armor is not completed yet.
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “And then he and his Evangelion, Unit 03, will be shipped here from China.”

Hikari smiles happily.
Hikari “Really?!”

Fuyutsuki nods.
Fuyutsuki “A close friend of yours, I take it?”

Hikari blushes furiously.
Fuyutsuki (OFF) “Ah.”

Fuyutsuki “Well, you’ll see him again soon enough.”

Hikari bows deeply.
Hikari “Yes. Thank you for telling me!”
She rushes off.

Asuka was watching. Rei stares at the fish.
Asuka “What’s her deal?”

Rei “She misses the Third Child.”

Asuka “Oh, that one?”
Rei (OFF) “Yes.”

Asuka (scoffs) “I saw a picture of him.”

Toji’s personnel file.
Asuka (OFF) “He’s not much to look at.”

Rei “…”

Asuka’s eyes narrow.
Asuka “Ugh.”

Asuka “You need to talk more!”
Rei (OFF) “Why?”
Asuka “Because no one will pay attention you if you don’t talk!”

Rei “You talk. Do people really pay attention?”

Asuka glares even harder.

Kaworu and Shinji remain seated in the corridor.
Shinji “I…”

Shinji “I don’t want to talk to people.”
Kaworu (OFF) “Why not?”

He grins jokingly.
Kaworu “Is it that hard to be social?”

Shinji shakes his head.

Kaworu “Then what is it?”

(flashback) Young Shinji, crying.
Kaworu (OFF) “Bad experiences?”

Shinji nods, grateful to have an excuse.
Kaworu (OFF) “So?”
Shinji looks confused.

Kaworu “You’ll always have bad experiences.”
Section 2 B (OFF) “There you are!”
The boys look up.

Section 2 B “Come on, go back to the main group where we can see you.”

---

A train moves through a dreamscape.
SE: train sounds

Shinji sits at the bench, again.

Rei is across from him. You cannot see her eyes.
Rei “Ikari-kun.”
Shinji (OFF) “Huh?”
Rei “Have you had bad experiences with other people?”

Shinji glares.
Shinji “Of course I have! That’s why I ran away!”

Rei “So you just gave up?”

Shinji “Why not?”

Rei “You’re just going to end up running aw-”

Shinji covers his ears.
Shinji “I don’t care! What’s wrong with running away when reality sucks?!”

Rei looks up. Her left eye is colored incorrectly. Blue.
Rei “There are many reasons why that is wrong, Ikari-kun.”

Shinji “I don’t care! Just leave me alone!”

The doors to the train open. Black shapes pulsate beyond the doors.
Rei (OFF) “But you aren’t alone…”
The black shapes begin to flood into the train.
Kaworu (OFF) “Shinji-kun?”

Kaworu looks vaguely concerned.
Kaworu “Shinji-kun?”

Shinji blinks in shock.
Shinji “Huh?!”

Kaworu “Are you all right? You look a little bit out of it…”

They are sitting on the bus, going back to Tokyo-3. Asuka and Rei also look towards Shinji.

Rei “Are you okay, Ikari-kun?”

Shinji looks at her with fright for a moment.
He shakes his head to try to wake up.
Shinji “I… I guess I started dozing or something…”

Asuka shakes her head.
Asuka (MONO) “I’m surrounded by crazies!”
She looks to her left.

Across the aisle is Kensuke, reviewing his films.
Kensuke “I didn’t know this many kinds of fish were still alive!”

Asuka sighs.
Rei “Second? Is something wrong?”
Asuka shakes her head.
Asuka “No, of course not…”

Shinji looks disappointed.
Shinji “…You two don’t get along?”

Rei “Nonsense. I am her ‘friend’.”
Kaworu chuckles (OFF).

Asuka “Shut up about that already!”
Rei “I will if I am ordered to.”
Asuka looks pretty mad.

She rises.
Asuka “I give up!”

She awkwardly (the bus continues to move) walks to Hikari’s seat.
Asuka “Hi.”

Hikari doesn’t seem to approve much of the idea of Asuka walking in a moving vehicle.
Hikari “You should be more careful, you know…”

Asuka “Yeah, I know, but… ugh, they were all being stupid…”
Hikari (OFF) “That sucks…”

Hikari “I’m Horaki… Horaki Hikari.”
Asuka grins.
Asuka “I’ve already introduced myself….”

Hikari “So what’s it like, piloting?”
Asuka (OFF) “Oh, that?”

Asuka “It’s great, of course!”

The whole bus. Several students are listening in.

Asuka “And of course, I’m the best at it. You should have seen me against the seventh angel.”

Hikari “There have been seven already? Wow…”
Asuka (OFF) “Well, of two of them were from the first impacts or something, I guess.”

Asuka “So it’s really only five, but still.”

Hikari “Very impressive….”
She seems genuinely enthused.

Asuka “So…”
She bites her lip hesitantly.
Asuka “Wan…. Want to be friends?”

Hikari “Sure!”

Kensuke is sitting next to Rei now.
Kensuke “This was almost as cool as piloting…”

Kaworu seems bored and stares out the window.
Kensuke (OFF) “I mean, it’s a shame we didn’t get a chance to see deep-sea stuff, but…”

Rei opens her book quietly and begins to read.
Kensuke (OFF) “The point is… we saw all sorts of stuff and it’s great that it’s all still there!”

Shinji almost reaches for his SDAT.
Kensuke (OFF) “Think about how great it is that humanity could save so much!”

Kaworu smiles at Shinji.

Shinji looks at him awkwardly.

Shinji decides not to listen to his SDAT just yet.
Kensuke (OFF) “Don’t you agree?”

Shinji “Huh?”

Kensuke “That it’s so great we’ve accomplished so much!”

Shinji “Er… yeah, I suppose…”

Kaworu scoffs.
Kaworu “That hardly counts as accomplishing much…”

The bus moves down the road.
Kaworu (OFF) “Music is so much more impressive, as far as Lilin go…”

Misato’s apartment.

Shinji opens the door.
Misato (OFF) “Shh! He’s come home!”

Shinji blinks in confusion.

Misato’s sofa. A different pair of boxers lies on it.

Shinji looks all too aware.
He backs up and shuts the door.

He walks away from the apartment.
Shinji (MONO) “So where am I going to go now?”

Nerv pyramid.

Shinji is walking down a hallway.
He stops, and looks up.

Fuyutsuki is nearby.

Shinji “…Hello, Vice Commander.”

To be continued…

---

Text: “Next Time”

Asuka kicks Shinji off the dance mat.
Misato (OFF) “Having far from united minds”

The 8th Angel tackles Eva-02.
Misato (OFF) “Asuka and Shinji are badly beaten by an Angel”

Rei glares at Kaworu.
Misato (OFF) “so to make the pilots work together”

Misato holds a cassette tape.
Misato (OFF) “Misato devises a plan.”

The five pilots, standing together.
Misato (OFF) “Next Time: ‘Hearts Alone’.”