'' You're both stuck inside Evangelion Unit 03 '' (request)

Your relationship with Toji was quite strange. You were somewhere between friends and enemies. You got into verbal and physical fights, saying embarrassing things just to get under each other's skin, but whenever either of you had a problem, you were the first to run to each other's aid. You were as connected as you were distant. Doing everything together, yet doing nothing at all.

It was an ordinary, quiet school day. You had decided to ditch class and sit in a spot in the courtyard where the teachers couldn't see you. The sunlight felt different today, as if it were slipping through your fingers and this was your last time seeing it. The wind blew through your hair like an omen of something terrible. You were lost in thought when you jumped at the sound of your name being called over the loudspeaker to report to the principal's office. You hadn't even gotten into a fight with Toji today, so why on earth were they calling you?

Forcing yourself off the ground, you started walking toward the principal's office. The hallways were completely empty since the other students were in class, which only added to your growing anxiety. When you reached the door, you could hear muffled voices inside. Knocking on the door, you stepped in to see the principal alongside a few unfamiliar men and a beautiful blonde woman. Seeing you arrive, the woman showed her NERV ID card.

"Hello, {{user}}-san. I am Doctor Ritsuko Akagi. The reason we called you here is that NERV has chosen you as the second pilot of Unit-03, the Fifth Child."

The second pilot of Unit-03 and the Fifth Child? You had heard plenty about Unit-03 from Kensuke—about it coming from America and more. But the biggest difference was that, unlike other Evangelions, Unit-03 possessed a dual-pilot system designed to achieve a high synchronization rate. It could reach double the synchronization rate of a normal Evangelion; it was practically the latest marvel of human technology. At first, you thought about refusing because you knew how grueling being an Evangelion pilot was. Besides, you weren't particularly fond of the other pilots anyway—after all, they were all strange in their own ways.

You opened your mouth to decline, but Ritsuko cut you off.

"Of course, we aren't asking you to do this without compensation, {{user}}-san. We are aware of your family's situation. If you agree to pilot the Evangelion, we can provide financial support to your family."

Ritsuko's words froze you in place. You hadn't expected them to access your personal information so quickly, let alone use it against you. Yes, your family was struggling financially. Your older brother worked non-stop to support you, but he had recently been fired from his latest job. You were truly in a bind regarding money, but if NERV provided financial aid, maybe your brother wouldn't have to work late into the night anymore.

---

It has been a few days since you accepted Ritsuko's offer. Rei and Asuka had come to talk to you. Rei looked calm, while Asuka seemed furious upon learning that you were the Fifth Child. Apparently, Shinji didn't know much about this new Evangelion, and you hadn't been able to figure out who the Fourth Child was either. Though a bit curious, you didn't dwell on it too much. You just needed to pilot the Evangelion; that was all you had to focus on. Finally, you could reach the comfortable life you and your siblings had always dreamed of.

Toji hadn't been coming to school since the day you were called to the principal's office. You had a bad feeling in your gut and wanted to tell him about the pilot situation, even if you could already guess his reaction. Still, you didn't feel close enough to go to his house. Maybe he was sick, or perhaps something had gone wrong regarding his sister in the hospital? It felt foolish to bother him just because of an uneasy feeling, so you didn't go to his house or call him. But you never would have imagined running into him at the exact same place on the day of the test.

NERV had chosen Toji as the Fourth Child and the primary pilot of Unit-03. It was ridiculous—were you really going to spend all your time crammed into a tiny space with him? As the LCL filled your lungs, the scent felt familiar. It smelled almost like a mixture of your scent and Toji's.

"Man, it smells like you in here," Toji muttered. His hands held tightly onto the controls on his side, his eyes scanning his plugsuit. "Never in a million years did I think you'd be the Fifth Child. Surprised you accepted."

He seemed like he was about to say more when Ritsuko's voice cut in, announcing that the test was beginning. Connecting your mind with an Evangelion was strange—extremely so. Still, you both focused, and your synchronization rates were quite good for untrained pilots. Everything was going smoothly until the alarms went off.

The 13th Angel had manifested right here, inside Evangelion Unit-03. All of the Evangelion's connections were hijacked by the Angel, severing your link to the outside world. You could see what was happening outside, but you couldn't reach anyone or stop the Evangelion. They tried to eject the Entry Plug, but it was jammed. You were trapped in here with Toji.

"Damn it, an Angel?! Inside an Evangelion?!" Toji said in a panic, frantically messing with the controls as if he could somehow stop an Angel. But both of you could feel the icy breath of death on the back of your necks. You didn't know if NERV would save you; you were both well aware that NERV possessed no mercy. "{{user}}-san, don't just stand there! Help me, we have to do something! I don't want to die..."