"Asuka?"

She shot bolt upright and whirled around. "Shinji!" she whispered harshly. "Don't do that to me!"

"Sorry... What are you doing?"

Asuka frowned and looked back at the door she'd been listening to. She turned back to Shinji, "Nothing."

Shinji motioned at the door and started to step forward. "Isn't this Cirus' room? Let's go in."

Asuka grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back from the door with a mildly panicked look on her face. "Don't go in there. He's sleeping."

Shinji frowned at her and shook his head. "I wish you'd do that for me when I was in the medical bay."

Asuka's cheeks turned bright red for a moment. "Yes, well... You're the all powerful Shinji, you don't need sleep!"

"Yes, I do," Shinji replied firmly.

Just then the door opened with Rei standing there, looking at them calmly. "You two may come in, if you wish," she said before disappearing from the doorway.

Asuka and Shinji looked from the doorway back to each other with widened eyes before standing up straight and walking in. With the exception of monitoring equipment, the room was silent. Rei was sitting in a chair to the right of the bed in which Cirus was resting. The bed itself rested against the left wall of the room, a large window in the back wall, and the rest of the room remained featureless.

"Have you been here very long, Ayanami?" Shinji asked quietly.

Rei looked up at him and shook her head lightly, making her hair dance somewhat. "No, I was just relieved from my duties a few minutes ago."

Asuka walked up along the other side of the bed, looking at Cirus until she stopped near the mid-line of the bed and looked up at Rei. "Is he okay?"

"He is resting," Rei answered with a nod.

"I heard the wound wasn't really bad, why is he still in here?" Shinji asked. "If you don't mind my asking, that is," he added quickly, looking at Rei.

"They are simply letting him heal here."

Shinji nodded and looked back at Cirus. He realized that when he was asleep, Cirus looked like the boy he really was, and not the mature young man that he appeared to be when awake. It made it easier for Shinji to relate to Cirus, even if just a little. He looked back up at Rei and noticed that she had a very faint smile on her face as she looked down at Cirus herself.

She suddenly looked up, past Shinji, causing him to avert his eyes. The door opened and Misato and Ritsuko walked in.

"Well," Misato started softly, "it looks like everyone's here already."

Shinji smiled, though a little nervously, and nodded. "Yeah."

Asuka nodded before looking back down at Cirus.

Misato looked at Rei. "We didn't mean to make so large a crowd, Rei. We just came to see if he was doing okay anyway," she said with a warm smile and started to leave herself.

"You can stay if you wish," Rei replied, looking up at Misato calmly.

Misato looked back with another smile. "Don't worry, Rei." And she softly closed the door behind her.

Ritsuko intended to do the same, but went up to Cirus and checked the monitoring equipment first. She came to check on him, so she was going to do so. They all showed perfectly normal readings and so she left with a smile to Rei and a wave to the other two. "See you three later."

Shinji and Asuka said a quick bye to her in response as the door closed again.

"It was nice of them to come check on him," Shinji commented with a light smile.

"Yeah, I suppose," Asuka replied indignantly. She looked from Cirus to Rei with a raised eyebrow. "So are you two a couple or what?"

Rei looked up at her with a softly creased brow. "What do you mean?"

"Asuka, not now," Shinji tried to head off Asuka's response before it came, but she was a very stubborn young woman.

"You know what I mean. If you two aren't hanging off of each other, you're always thinking about each other. If that doesn't make you two a couple, I don't know what does."

"Getting jealous again, Asuka?" Cirus suddenly said, his eyes still closed, but a wry smile playing over his lips.

Asuka�s face turned red. "Y-you were awake?!"

"Just for your last tirade," Cirus answered, sitting up and opening his eyes. "Now out of curiosity, I'd ask just when you've seen us 'hanging off of each other'?"

"...Well it's logical to assume that considering how you two act in public!"

Cirus raised his eyebrow to that response. "So you've never actually seen it?" The solid black depths of his gaze were particularly obvious in the pale room.

"Of course not! I'm not a peeping... person!"

"Then you had no right to say that remark to Rei," Cirus said firmly.

Asuka pointed at him. "You see?! You're always defending her and worrying about her! You two are a couple, just admit it!"

Cirus' brow creased at her comment. As much as he could wish for Rei to be interested in him in that way, he couldn't dare presume it... ever. "I may defend her and worry about her, but that is nothing beyond common decency, which some seem to have forgotten," he replied sharply.

Asuka's mouth dropped open. She shut it and narrowed her eyes. "Fine, be that way. Let the wind-up doll have you."

Rei looked down at the ground and Cirus narrowed his eyes. "That was out of line, Asuka," he warned her firmly.

"Was it? Really? I think it's the truth and you just don't want to admit it because she's your girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend unless she thinks so. But then what's worse? A wind-up doll or a person who can't survive without being the center of attention? I'd pick the doll any day, yet alone her."

Asuka froze, her face a model of shock. Rei looked up at her, her brow creased again. "Y... you really think about me like that?" she asked softly, backing away from the bed.

Cirus winced. He's snapped at her before he'd thought about what his words might do. "...I'm sorry, Asuka. I shouldn't have said that," he apologized, looking down at the bed.

"But is it true?" Asuka asked back.

"Stop, please," Rei's voice suddenly cut through the tension.

Shinji, Asuka, and Cirus all looked at her. Cirus looked down at the bed again before looking up at Asuka and shaking his head. "No Asuka, it's not. I'm very sorry."

Asuka nodded numbly before running out of the room quickly. Shinji looked at Cirus, who tipped his head back to him. Shinji took off after Asuka.

"Why did you say that?" Rei asked.

"...I'm sorry. She's always picking on you and I just... snapped."

Rei looked down at the ground for a moment. "...Do you always worry about me?"

Cirus nodded. "Yes..."

"Why?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"...Are we a... couple?" Rei asked him, rather unfamiliar with the word. Cirus almost choked and his cheeks turned noticeably pink.

Rei's eyes became concerned. "I'm sorry, I did not meant to upset you."

Cirus shook his head with a slight smile. "No, no, not at all, Rei. The question just surprised me."

"Why?"

Because I prayed you'd say that once... "I... I don't really know."

"Your eyes know," Rei responded softly.

Cirus smiled again, he couldn't hide anything from her. He looked up at her with a warm, gentle smile. "Honestly, because I would love for us to be... a couple, but it's not my place... to..." he shook his head, "I don't know what I'm saying anymore," he admitted with his usual honesty around her.

Rei tilted her head a bit. "You're afraid of hurting me again?"

Her soft voice drifted into his ears so delicately, and always so true. This young woman, who supposedly had little understanding of feeling, of the human heart, could see through him like glass. Remembering this familiar fact was still enough to overwhelm the dark-haired boy's heart. All he could do was nod, and close his eyes against the silent tears starting to seep out of them. ...Her voice was so beautiful.

Rei's brilliant eyes widened slightly in surprise. "...Why are you crying?"

Cirus looked up at her with a gentle smile. "So much has been going on that I wasn't able to appreciate your voice again until just now. You have the most beautiful voice, Rei."

Her usually pale cheeks turned pink. "...T-thank you." She didn't know what else to say, glancing down with embarrassment. She let her face cool down before looking up at the young man again. "...Asuka?"

Cirus nodded. "I do need to talk with her."

He started to get out of the bed, but Rei rose up, and reached out, putting her hand on his shoulder. Though her touch was, of course, as gentle as a soft breeze, it stopped him more effectively than an AT field. He looked up at her with a calm face, despite how nervous he was with her hand on his shoulder. Her touch was so gentle and soft.

"I will go and bring her back here," Rei said calmly.

Cirus' brow creased. "Rei, you don't need to do that. It's my fault she was hurt, I should go." He would have started to stand up again, but her gentle touch remained to stay him.

The soft smile he loved so dearly blossomed on her subtle lips. "It is alright, I will go," she replied, gently lifting her hand away, and then walked toward the door.

After the door closed behind her, a single tear fell down Cirus' face silently. So gentle.

Within a few minutes the door opened and Asuka walked in slowly, eyeing Cirus with a wary gaze as she did. He was sitting at the end of the bed in his normal clothes, his coat hanging over the chair near the door.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you came," he said calmly.

"...Rei told me you wanted to apologize..."

Cirus nodded. "And you weren't misinformed. I was out of line."

Quite serious herself, the red-haired pilot came back, "Was it true though? I know you said it wasn't with Shinji and Rei here, but now it's just you and me."

Cirus looked at her with a raised eyebrow for a moment before responding. "I'm not an idiot, Asuka."

"Just answer the question."

"Yes. You can't stand losing, you can't stand not being the star, you can't stand not being the main attraction," Cirus replied plainly.

Asuka went for the door, but Cirus hopped off the bed and slammed it shut in front of her.

"Am I wrong?" he asked her calmly.

Asuka narrowed her eyes at him. "Of course you are! I just want what I deserve! I'm the best pilot with the most training-"

"Are you? How do you arrive at that conclusion?" Cirus cut her off calmly, looking at her frankly with raised eyebrows over his glasses.

"Because... I... I..." Asuka let her voice trail off as she tried to list them off. "I defeated all of SEELE's Evas!"

"That's one battle out of, oh... twenty?" Cirus replied. "What makes you the best pilot?"

"I'm much better than that wind-up doll, or that idiot!" Asuka shouted back.

"Really? Are you? The real point is, Asuka, that you're the average pilot of the group and you know it. That just tears you up inside. You can't stand that Shinji's the most powerful, or that Rei is the more reliable. You just can't stand to have anyone be even the slightest bit better than you. You have to be the best, because you feel you've worked harder and earned it."

"I have!" Asuka replied.

"How?"

"I've been trained, not like those two. I've got the better Eva, I've got more raw talent, I've got more of all of it!"

"You're lying to yourself and you know it. That's why you went catatonic for a month until your Eva woke you up."

Asuka sank back with a shocked expression. "You knew about that?"

"I know all of it," Cirus answered firmly, crossing his arms over his chest. "And for what it's worth, you have the best excuse for being a self-obsessed little brat of anyone."

"...Wh-what do you mean?"

Cirus' features softened. "...Your mother."

Asuka's eyes widened. "You know about..."

Cirus nodded. "Like I said, you have the best excuse. Your mother paid no attention to you while she was alive, so you decided to get your attention from any and everyone else. You learned very fast that it meant you had to be the best because only that can compare to the love a mother should give. And even then it pales in comparison. Which is why your Eva woke you up, isn't it?"

Asuka sank back until she sat down on the bed loosely. "...Yes."

"You've got your mother's attention now, it just came a little too late to matter."

Asuka nodded.

Cirus pulled away from the door and got down on his haunches in front of Asuka. "Now let me tell you something. You've seen what Shinji's Eva does when he wins. He's seen your Eva take out an army, and you've both seen Rei risk herself for everyone several times over. You shouldn't compare yourself to either of them so directly. Shinji's relationship with his Eva is... unique, to say the least. Your relationship with yours is also. That's why we were chosen as pilots, that's the requirement."

"But it's not fair!" Asuka shouted, tears starting to come from her eyes. "Shinji got everything handed to him on a platter... and Rei... Rei's just a doll!"

Cirus' face hardened, but he didn't reply directly to her remark. "Shinji's paid his price in a different way, Asuka. And Rei disturbs you because she reminds you of that doll, doesn't she?"

Asuka's eyes shot up and looked into Cirus'. He smiled at her and nodded. "Well I for one can tell you, she's not a doll now, if she ever was."

Asuka swallowed hard and looked at him again. "...So where do we go differently in your mind then?"

Cirus looked down at the ground quickly. "Not now, Asuka," he replied and started to stand up.

Asuka hand shot out and grabbed him by the wrist. "Yes, now. What does she have that I don't?"

Cirus looked back at her with a firmly set expression on his face. "That's the wrong way to think about it."

"Then how should I?" Asuka asked softly.

"I'm not your taste, Asuka," Cirus answered lightly and started to turn again.

"Well at least tell me why she's so attractive to you," Asuka continued, but her tone was going back to normal.

Cirus turned back around with a deep exhale. "Why do you want to know?"

"Because I don't understand why you like her," Asuka answered honestly. "She never talks, she's rude, everything about her seems irritating," she explained.

"And to me, everything about her is beautiful," Cirus replied with a wry half-smile.

Asuka frowned and let go of his arm. As Cirus picked up his coat Asuka stood up and walked over to the door.

"Cirus?" she asked softly.

Cirus looked up at her as he put his coat on. "Yes?"

"Do you love her?"

Cirus looked out the window for a moment before looking back at her rather haltingly. "I don't know what I'm feeling, Asuka."

Asuka shook her head. "Hmph, looks like love to me," she commented and left.

Cirus chuckled at her comment as he started to leave himself. "That's what I'm hoping for."

Ikari sat at the end of the synthetic table before him, basked in white light as he looked at the SEELE members before him.

"Ikari, the situation has become quite absurd. More Angels have appeared than we ever expected," SEELE 09 said calmly, his hooked nose pointing straight ahead as he eyed Ikari with his peripheral vision.

"And there are presumably more to come," Ikari responded.

"This is what disturbs us," SEELE 01 spoke up, the mechanical visor over his eyes glinting in the pale light of his seat. "The Instrumentality Project should have occurred as planned, and we still do not know why it didn't."

"We must assume you had something to do with this," SEELE 03 added. "What evidence do you have to prove such a hypothesis?" Ikari asked back.

"Your sudden disregard for the child's safety. She is the key to your plan for Instrumentality. This sudden change in behavior is enough for suspicion to grow," SEELE 02 answered.

"My plan for Instrumentality?" Ikari asked.

"Yes, yours. The girl is not required for Instrumentality to occur," SEELE 01 answered.

So they know more than I thought... "Still, we are both at an impasse."

"This was acknowledged earlier, Ikari. Otherwise your command of NERV would have been removed long ago."

"It has also come to our attention that you have tested the designated pilot for Unit 14 on more than one occasion. What purpose was there for these tests?"

"All pilots were put through the same tests-"

"We are not referring to system checks, Ikari. We mean during live battle, you have tested the boy's loyalty openly. This is not acceptable if he is to continue service at NERV."

Ikari smiled faintly under his hands, which were clasped in front of his face. "Then remove him from NERV."

"You do not want an extra pilot and Eva? I thought destroying Angels was your job, Ikari. Is it suddenly not as important as your own needs?"

"He has caused difficulties for NERV's operations during battle. Angels are still NERV's top priority."

"Yet his record indicates that he destroyed one Angel and assisted in the destruction of several for you," SEELE 01 continued. "We shall watch you closely from now on, Ikari. Remember this. Dismissed."

And with that Ikari was alone in his office once again. Fuyutsuki entered through the main doors and walked up to his desk.

"Ah, Fuyutsuki, what news?" Ikari asked calmly.

"Little. SEELE has not made any open moves against NERV, and their closed operations are not involved with us at all," the Vice Commander answered with a slight shake of his head.

Ikari narrowed his eyes and lowered his head behind his clasped hands. "So we are indeed at an impasse still."

"That's impossible to avoid with the situation as it is. With more Angels than ever anticipated, Third Impact seems less and less likely," Fuyutsuki commented.

"There is one alternative," Ikari said calmly.

Fuyutsuki narrowed his eyes and looked up at Ikari more firmly. "...You can't be serious... That could be disastrous!"

"Third Impact must occur, one way or the other. Humanity must move forward."

Fuyutsuki slammed his hands onto Ikari's desk. "Damn it, Ikari, how do you know!? Perhaps you have misunderstood third impact?"

Ikari calmly sat back in his chair. "That is unlikely if not impossible, Fuyutsuki."

"And how do you know?"

"The Dead Sea Scrolls-"

"Were proven wrong already!" Fuyutsuki cut him off. "Why do you find it so hard to let humanity exist as it has?" he calmed slightly as he added the question.

Ikari raised an eyebrow. "Then we would die out."

"And the difference between that and Third Impact is?" Koso persisted with a tip of his head.

"They are opposites. Man would become one being, as it has been intended."

"How is that not wiping us out?"

"What do you mean, Fuyutsuki?"

"If Man becomes one being, all individuality is lost. We do die out, just in a different way. I would rather we remain human to the last, than become some all-being with no sense of itself," he finished, standing up straight.

"Humanity must live on."

"How do you know it won't?"

"If it dies out, Man will cease to live on, that is a logical conclusion."

"With all your talk of gods and moving on, have you disregarded the belief of the peace of the next world? A belief that is shared by almost all religions?"

"You believe we die in either case, so in either case we would move on to this next world, Fuyutsuki."

"What is the point of saving humanity if there's nothing left worth saving?" Fuyutsuki asked calmly before turning around and walked toward the doors. "You'll be united with Yui one way or the other also, but you can't have the patience to let humanity get there by itself."

As the doors closed Ikari narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Fuyutsuki had a valid point, but it disregarded Third Impact completely. It was as if the Professor did not want it to happen. This was curious considering how much work he'd put into NERV and Eva himself. But then he was thinking in terms of defense, wasn't he? Defense against a threat to humanity that could wipe it out. Which he saw Third Impact as a cause of. No, before he was in agreement. Something had happened to the Professor since SEELE's attempt at Third Impact. SEELE had failed, despite the assumption it was impossible for them to do so at that day. Fuyutsuki had believed that, Ikari himself had believed it. All those involved believed it. Yet the Eva had stopped it.

Perhaps Fuyutski was correct? The idea was preposterous, but so had the Eva been upon first inspection. There was one last attempt he had to try. If this attempt failed, then perhaps Fuyutsuki was correct. Ikari hit a key on his desk.

"Yes?" a voice came back.

"I am requesting permission for Project 7."