Even construction of a new cover above the Geo-front was beginning. This one would be able to be opened and closed for whatever reasons, and was made of the same metal as the special walls had been before, but now it was solid block of it. Once that was done reconstruction of Tokyo three would begin.

Of course so much construction was going to take a very long time. It would be two years before the cover would be completed, and another five after that to even begin to fix Tokyo three.

It was because of this time slot that Misato was in Ikari's office.

"Hmm, it is logical, but I'm not sure we should risk keeping the Evas active for such long periods. We risk losing a battle against any Angels that attack," Ikari pointed out.

"We've been needing to conduct long term activation experiments anyway, and what better way than to kill two birds with one stone, and let them help rebuild the city and the covering?" Misato pointed out.

"What do you think, Fuyutsuki?" Ikari asked without looking up at the Vice Commander.

"She has a point," he agreed.

Misato's eyes brightened up, forcing Ikari to narrow his. "Very well then. You may proceed, Major Katsuragi," he replied finally.

"Yes, sir!" she said happily and hurried out of his office.

"We really have no idea what to expect next do we?" Fuyutsuki asked.

"None whatsoever," Ikari answered.

Unit 14 picked up one of the massive crossing pylons and hefted it above its head. The Eva marched over to the side of crater that was NERV headquarters, lifted the pylon up, and ran it along the one that had been in place before it. As Unit 14 held it up, Unit 01 came over and riveted it to the prior pylon with Unit 02 doing the same on the other side of Unit 14. Within five minutes the pylon was attached.

The covering was an interlocking network of pylons that would, theoretically, pull apart to the sides if need be. Reconstruction of the elevators and trains were also underway, which Unit 00 was assisting in on the other side of the crater.

"Unit 14, get another pylon. That's the third time I've had to tell you, hurry up!" Misato ordered.

"My apologies, Major, but I've been working my Eva for three hours straight, it's getting tired," he explained.

"You weren�t even moving, just go."

Cirus shook his head; Misato would never understand what he meant unless she got in the Eva and had Unit 14 synch with her like it did with him. Which was impossible. However, just to keep her from irritating him again, Unit 14 picked up two pylons at once, and then marched back over to Shinji and Asuka. He slammed both into place and held them solidly as Units 02 and 01 riveted them to the previously installed pylons.

"Show off," Misato said quietly to herself with a wry smile.

Meanwhile, Unit 00 was holding two portions of sky-way track together as the workers fused them solidly together with bolts, rivets, and solder. They finished shortly, and Unit 00 moved over to another section where it had to hold up the pylons at that side of the crater as the workers attached a train tube to it. They would burrow through the metal and finish later, but for now they had to just attach it.

Just as they were finished with the attachments the entire structure started to shake and bindings started flying loose.

Misato's eyes widened as she watched the entire structure begin to fall apart on the large screen above her. "Rei!" she shouted.

Unit 00 reached up and held the pylons up as the workers retreated, the pilot remaining silent as she did so.

Units 01, 02, and 14 instantly started to run over to Unit 00. Shinji was pumping Unit 01's legs powerfully enough to not see any form in the ground beneath him, only flying colors. He looked up, and was shocked to see Unit 14 brush past him in a flurry of black.

The pylons started to fall and Unit 00 couldn�t hold them up or let go of them enough to get away. Just as the Eva finally fell to the ground and the pylons started to fall onto it, Unit 14 appeared above Unit 00 and below the pylons. It slammed one arm into the pylons, holding them off of Unit 00.

"Go, Ayanami!" Cirus shouted in a strained voice. His Eva was starting to shiver with exertion.

Unit 00 paused for a moment, but pulled itself out from under the wreckage and scrambled up to its feet as Units 01 and 02 arrived at last.

"Shinji, Asuka, get your riveting guns!" Cirus shouted as Unit 14 suddenly lifted the entire collapsing structure up to its former location. Its arms were still trembling and Shinji guessed the pilot wouldn't hold much longer.

Unit 00 appeared underneath Unit 14 and then shoved up at the pylons with its hands, helping in maintaining their position as Shinji and Asuka riveted them back into place.

"Major Katsuragi! His heart rate is increasing rapidly, he could have a heart attack if he doesn�t stop!" Maya shouted quickly.

"What?" Misato asked in disbelief, looking to the younger woman instantly.

"Cirus. He's pushing his own body too hard!"

"Cirus, Rei has it. Pull back!"

No response.

"Cirus! You're at risk! Pull back!" Misato repeated.

Cirus couldn't hear her second command, his heart was beating too loudly in his ears, but he would not leave Rei alone under a possibly crushing pile of metal.

"Shinji!" he roared, though his voice was hoarse.

"Almost!" Shinji shouted back as he ferociously riveted pylons to each other. Finally he was done and he hurried over to Unit 14, his Eva�s arms waving to the other. "Cirus, stop!" he shouted.

Cirus saw that Asuka and Shinji had stopped and he relaxed. Blood rushed to his brain again and he fainted, his Eva falling to the ground in a heap with a moan and a loud crash.

Unit 02 got down and picked up Unit 14 over its shoulder by the arm. Unit 01 did the same on the other side and they started to carry it back to the elevator.

Unit 00 was still standing back at the pylon, looking on after them. Rei looked on calmly.

"Rei, are you alright?" Misato's voice came through the comm system urgently.

"Yes, I'm fine," she answered.

"All four Evas and pilots are taking an hour break. Come back and get some rest."

Rei nodded and Unit 00 started back to its own launch pad.

A thought flashed into her mind. No... not a thought, a memory. Her plug hatch being opened and Ikari appearing in the halo of light, asking if she was alright. He seemed concerned for her. And then another thought flashed into her mind. Ikari's son, Shinji, trying to save her from an Angel, but she couldn't let him do it. And then she remembered what she�d realized then.

"I know loneliness," she said softly as he Eva descended down towards its cage. "That is all I know," she added and bowed her head. She suddenly opened her eyes in shock as she realized she was crying. "Loneliness is all I know," she repeated and let her head relax down to her chest again, holding her mouth with her hand as more tears came out of her eyes. "My soul wanted to become one with Shinji...? No. Why? All I know is loneliness, how can I be expected to understand what my soul wants?" she asked, looking up as her Eva docked. She wiped away the water from her eyes and managed to stop crying, though she still wasn't sure why she was. Her plug spun out and the LCL drained. The hatch opened and she got out, then hopped down to the metal grating.

She looked up and saw Cirus being carted away quickly by medical bay officers.

She watched them wheel him off, out of the hangar with a slightly tilted head, her red eyes calmly remaining on them until they disappeared from sight.

"Are you alright, Ayanami?" Shinji asked her from behind.

Rei turned around and saw Shinji and Asuka standing behind her. "Y-yes."

"Did something get into your eyes? They look watery," Shinji asked.

Rei wiped her eyes again on her suit sleeve. "Yes, some LCL is still in my eyes. I'll wash it out in the shower," she answered and then walked to the locker room.

She'd actually given Shinji an answer. His eyes widened substantially as he watched her walk off. She scared him usually, especially after what he'd learned about her, but right at that moment she seemed very normal.

"That was weird," Asuka commented.

"Yes..."

Cirus woke up, looking up at the ceiling of the medical bay. He raised one eyebrow and realized they'd taken off his glasses. He closed his eyes again to prevent anyone who might be walking by from seeing them.

Almost as if on cue, the door to his room opened and footsteps walked up to his bedside. "Why did you ignore my order to fall back?"

It was Misato, and her voice was cold and authoritative.

"Unit 00 couldn�t have handled the entire structure from her position, I didn't want to lose more Evas than we already had. For what it's worth, I apologize," he added calmly, still not opening his eyes.

Misato narrowed her eyes at him. "I can't have you piloting an Eva knowing you'll switch to your own agenda when the time comes. I need your loyalty if you're going to be here."

"Major Katsuragi, Unit 00 would have been crushed and I was in no position to speak, you know that. Would you have rather I let it be destroyed and follow your orders, or would you rather I think of what you would do if you understood the situation more completely?"

"That's the wrong attitude and you know it," Misato reminded him.

"Answer the question please."

"Of course I'd rather not have crushed Unit 00, but that's beside the point! You were given direct orders!"

"Very well, Major, I will not disobey you again," he replied calmly and appeared to settle into his bed.

"...That's twice you've risked your neck for Rei. Don't think no one has noticed that."

"Rei happened to be the one in need of assistance in both circumstances, and I was more capable of giving assistance in both circumstances. It is a coincidence, nothing more."

"Fine," Misato said wearily and walked back to the door. She was about to step out when she stopped and turned her head back to him. "And don't worry. No one saw your eyes. They were closed."

"...Thank you, Misato," he replied in the tone she�d spoken in.

"Don't mention it," she said back as she left the room and walked down the hall.

Cirus covered his eyes with his hand, at least from the window�s perspective, and opened his eyes to look around. He saw his dark glasses on the table to his side and he picked them up and put them on. He worried enough people already without them knowing about that.

"Where's Rei?" Ritsuko asked as she looked at the three pilots standing in loose formation in front of her.

"I don't know, Miss Akagi," Shinji answered, looking down at the floor as usual.

Cirus briefly shook his head at her look and Asuka did a quicker variation of the same.

Ritsuko turned and looked up at Ikari, who was sitting at his desk in central control.

"Someone should at least go check on her," Misato said, walking up to them.

Cirus noted that her eyes drifted over him as she recommended it. He showed no signs of reaction to it though and she quickly glanced over the others.

"Shinji, go to Rei's apartment and see if she's there," Ikari said suddenly.

"Me?" Shinji asked, looking up at him.

"Yes, you."

"Uh... yes, sir," Shinji replied and hurried out of the command center.

"Why would she not come?" Dr. Akagi asked, looking up at Ikari.

"She was in an ordeal yesterday. She probably just wanted to rest," Ikari answered.

Ritsuko didn�t buy that for a moment.

Shinji rang the doorbell for Rei's apartment three times quickly, as he always did. Though he finally realized she probably never answered it and was getting ready to announce that he was coming in anyway. Suddenly, however, the door opened and Rei was standing there, looking at him calmly.

"Oh! Miss Ayanami. We were worried about you since you didn't show up. Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I forgot what time it was. I'll come back with you," she answered simply and stepped out of the doorway.

Shinji stepped back to let her out, she closed the door behind herself, and then the two of them proceeded on their way back to NERV headquarters.

"Miss Ayanami, no one will believe you just forgot what time it is..." Shinji said after a few minutes.

"I know."

He glanced at her sidelong. "Then why are you using that as your excuse?"

"No one will question me about it, they don't think of me like that," she answered calmly, still looking ahead.

"What do you mean 'like that'?" Shinji continued, turning his face to look at her fully.

"No one thinks about me as a human. I'm just a pilot for Unit 00. I will not be missed for one day unless an Angel arrives."

"Aren't you lonely in that apartment though?" he asked.

"Yes, but that is all I know."

Shinji didn't ask any more questions of her.

"Ah, Rei, there you are," Ritsuko said as she saw Rei and Shinji come into the command center.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I forgot what time it was," she replied.

Shinji split away from her and walked over towards Misato.

"Did you now?" Ritsuko asked back. "That seems rather odd, Rei. You're always early."

"Perhaps she needed rest, as Commander Ikari said. She was in a bit of an ordeal yesterday," Cirus said from behind the young female pilot.

"Ah, that's true. I'm sorry Rei," Ritsuko apologized to Rei and then looked back down at her screen.

Rei turned around and looked up at Cirus. "Why did you do that?" she asked quietly, but seriously.

"You have your own life, to do with as you please. Others shouldn't question that," Cirus answered and then bowed his head to her before leaving the command center.

The comment struck Rei and her eyes widened slightly as she thought about it. Her head bowed for a moment as she glanced from side to side subtly, but then calmed herself. She looked up and saw Ikari looking down at her. He looked away and Rei left.

The four Evas launched and went to work again. Unit 00 was working with Units 01 and 02 this time, and Unit 14 was assisting the human workers at the other side. Unit 14 was holding two transport tubes in place while the workers attached them to the completed parts of the covering. Progress was slow, but steady.

"Alright, Units 00, 01, and 02 move over to the other side. Unit 14, do the same, vice versa. Then continue your work," Misato ordered.

The four Evas stopped and then started to walk to opposite sides.

Hyuga looked down from the main screen calmly as the Evas moved and checked his console. His eyes tensed and his eyebrows came together instantly.

"Major! There�s something wrong in the power connections," he explained quickly, clicking away at his keyboard.

"Identify," Misato ordered.

"Energy disruption of some kind. It's not doing anything yet, but it will soon," Ayobi explained.

Misato's face sunk. "Maya, do a scan."

"If it is an Angel I have no way of telling. We'd have to shoot the power connections and see if an AT field came up," Maya explained quickly.

"Have all Evas-"

"Units 14 and 00 are down!" Hyuga shouted.

Misato's head rocketed up to look at the screen just in time to see Cirus and Rei's Evas fall to the ground.

"Shinji, Asuka, detach power cables now!" she shouted.

Shinji and Asuka complied quickly by yanking their power cords off. Both of their timers started ticking as the Evas' internal batteries began to wear down.

Just as the power cords hit the ground energy sparks flew off the ends.

"Detach Unit 00's and Unit 14's!" Misato ordered quickly.

Shinji took Cirus and Asuka took Rei. They quickly had the power cords detached.

Suddenly, the four exposed power cord ends came to life with electricity and it shot off into the center of the crater.

"Is that electricity the Angel?" Misato asked, half-hoping she was wrong.

"AT field confirmed... but how do you defeat energy?" Maya asked quietly.

"Shinji, Asuka, expand your AT fields and try and trap it!" Misato shouted.

"Understood."

"Got ya."

The two Evas closed in on the electric cloud and expanded their AT fields. The three fields collided in a multicolored explosion, but the Angel was indeed stuck in the air.

"We have it stuck for about four minutes, now what?" Ritsuko asked.

"I don't know. Energy is tricky."

"Wait!" Maya spoke up. "Energy can't be destroyed, but its form can be changed. If we can somehow use the Angel, it would be changed into an almost useless form."

Ritsuko looked down at her young apprentice with a proud smile. "Very good, Maya. Now we need to figure out what could use up that much energy quickly enough."

"I can..." Cirus' hoarse voice came over the comm system.

"What?" Misato asked back.

"Unit 14 can take that much energy, I just wasn't expecting it before. Attach the power cord again."

Misato quickly weighed the option in her mind. "I think it's our best shot considering the time limit!"

"Do it," Ikari ordered calmly.

"Unit 01, attach Unit 14's power cord to it and then return to your holding job," Misato ordered quickly.

"Yes," Shinji replied and Unit 01 quickly pulled away from the electrical cloud and ran over to Unit 14.

Shinji grabbed the power cord and plugged it into Unit 14's back. Unit 14's eyes blazed to life and then it stood up. Shinji started back towards the Angel, but it broke loose of Unit 02's AT field grip and rocketed toward Unit 14.

Unit 01 started to dive for Unit 14, but Unit 14 grabbed him by the arm and threw him to the ground and leapt over him as he did. Unit 14 and the Angel collided in mid air.

"Cirus!!!" Shinji shouted into his comm window with Unit 14.

"Hold Shinji. It was his idea," Misato ordered Shinji tensely.

Unit 14 fell to the ground, no sign of the Angel anywhere.

"Energy change complete, but it's not dead," Cirus' voice came over the comm and suddenly Unit 14 was thrown back and plowed into the ground as an Angel appeared where he had been lying. It had dozens of long, spindly arms, and a rotund central body, all white.

"It's solid!" Maya shouted.

"Units 02 and 01, take the target down!" Misato shouted urgently. The two Evas only had two minutes of energy left.

Asuka and Shinji ran at the Angel, but it was still incredibly fast. It skittered out from underneath them and then started to flee. Unit 02 pulled its progressive knife and ran after the Angel as Unit 01 yanked a gun from a launch pad near it.

Unit 02 leapt onto the Angel and stabbed it ferociously. The Angel fell down slightly, but managed to kick Asuka off.

It did so just in time to get a volley straight in the middle of its body. Blood splattered the wall of the crater and then the Angel exploded. Unit 02 used its AT field to stop the explosion from destroying the construction.

"I've been working on that for days. You're not going to blow it up," Asuka said as she did so.

"All Units, well done," Misato congratulated them finally.

Unit 14, which now had its power cord in, helped Units 01 and 02 attach their power cords before their batteries ran out.

Unit 02 walked over to Unit 00 and reattached its power cord. Unit 00 stood up slowly and then they all proceeded back to their launch pads.

"Well done, Maya. If it wasn't for you we might have lost this," Misato said to the young technician.

"T-thank you, Major Katsuragi," Maya replied with a smile, though her cheeks were turning red.

"That's our Maya," Hyuga and Ayobi said at the same moment in a mock tone.

Maya covered her face finally. "Stop it, please. You're embarrassing me."

Asuka looked to her right as she hopped down from her entry plug and saw Cirus get down from Unit 14 much slower than usual. Her forehead creased with curiosity, and she walked around the catwalk and down to his Eva.

"Are you okay, Cirus?" she asked.

He was still facing the side of his Eva when she asked, and when he turned to look at her she saw the blood running from his nose. Her eyes widened and she ran up to him. "Do you need to go to medical bay?"

He shook his head and gently pushed her aside. "No, thank you for the concern, Asuka," he said with a smile, wiping the blood away with one hand.

When she was sure he was too far around the catwalk to see her, she climbed up to his entry plug and looked in. The LCL still at the bottom was full of blood adding to the already powerful smell of the substance.

How much blood did he lose in there?

Rei climbed down from her own plug just in time to see Cirus walk off to the locker room, holding his hand to his face. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at him, but didn't pursue the matter.

"Are you alright, Rei?" Shinji's voice asked from behind Rei.

She turned around and nodded to him, then proceeded on her own way. Shinji started to turn back around, but saw her start to fall off the catwalk. He spun around and ran after her as she fell.

"Ayanami!" he shouted as he crashed into her, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back onto the grated walkway with a loud crash. He leaned over her to check her face and saw that her eyes were closed and her body was limp. "I need help!"