Stage 68: Crossing/Complex/Entangled 

Cover: Collage of Shinji, Rei (with bandanged eye) and 
Ritsuko 

Scene: Misato, Shinji and Rei in Nerv HQ hospital 
corridor 
Shinji: The third...? What do you mean... the third...? 

(Rei does not answer and Misato saying nothing.) 
(Ritsuko appears in the corridor walking up behind 
Rei.) 
Ritsuko: Rei, I thought I told you not to go walking 
around by yourself. Return to your sickroom. 
(Rei looks over her shoulder at Ritsuko, then turns 
abruptly away from Shinji/Misato.) 
Rei: Yes, ma'am. 
Shinji: Ayanami-... (reaches out towards Rei) Wait-... 
(Rei does not respond and walks away with Ritsuko.) 
(Misato and Shinji watch them walk away silently.) 

Scene: Gendo's office -> Gendo talking on the phone, 
Fuyutsuki standing in front of Gendo's desk 
Gendo: That's right. Maintain the present status for 
the First Children. Same for the Second, Third and 
Fifth. And keep them under observation. 
Fuyutsuki: Nevertheless, Ikari, Chairman Keel and the 
rest will demand answers once they find out Rei is 
alive. How do you intend to have Rei explain to them? 
Gendo: There's no worry. (shot of Ritsuko walking down 
a Nerv HQ corridor) I plan to present something else to 
the old men of Seele. 

Scene: Ritsuko enters her office and plops down in her 
chair with a tired expression and her hand over her 
forehead 
Ritsuko: *sigh* 
Ritsuko (thinking): Rei... How long must I suffer 
because of that girl... 
(A couple of Men-in-Black enter Ritsuko's office) 
MIB: Dr. Akagi. (Ritsuko sits up with a start) Please 
excuse our intrusion. We have orders from the Committee 
to take you to them at once. 

Scene: A dark corridor in Nerv HQ -> Kaworu's room -> 
Kaworu lying on his bed reading a magazine as Shinji 
gets ready to leave. Kaworu glances over at Shinji. 
Kaworu: Going home? 
Shinji: Yeah... Sorry for staying over so many days. 
Kaworu (sitting up): "Sorry"... huh? You don't really 
feel that way, do you? 
Shinji (without turning): I'm very grateful. See you 
later... 
(Shinji leaves and the door slides shut behind him.) 
Kaworu (thinking/sulking): Pretty 
mercenary/self-absorbed... leaving in a rush as soon as 
he finds out that First is alive. 
(Kaworu starts to read the magazine again, but then 
throws it on the floor in a small tantrum and rests his 
chin on his palm, thinking) 

Scene: Misato's apartment -> Breakfast 
PenPen: Que- Que- (eating fish) 
Shinji: Misato, what Rei said -- "the third" -- what 
did she mean? 
Misato: ..... I'm not sure either. But anyway, it's 
good that Rei was saved... isn't it? 
Shinji: Yes, but... I just can't feel completely glad. 
It seems like Ayanami isn't the same Ayanami as before. 

Misato (thinking): Of course, there is no way that Rei 
could have survived with only that degree of injury 
under those conditions. Some great secret, greater than 
any before, is being hidden. Yes, something that 
reaches to the very core of everything... I wonder what 
it is they are hiding? Ritsuko... 

Scene: Ritsuko standing naked before the Seele 
monoliths 
Seele 01: Enough is enough. Why don't you just be 
honest with us, Dr. Akagi? 
Seele 04: We also wish to proceed peacefully. 
Seele 03: We do not wish you to suffer any more 
humiliation. 
Ritsuko: I do not feel any humiliation. 
Seele ??: A strong tempered woman. 
Seele ??: We can understand why Ikari would want to 
keep her close. 
Seele 01: However, it was none other than Ikari who 
presented you to us. 
Seele ??: Refusing the interrogation of Eva-00's pilot, 
he presented you as her proxy, Dr. Akagi. 
Ritsuko (expressionless/thinking): Rei's proxy... Is 
that what I am? 

Scene: Rei's apartment -> Rei stands in front of her 
mirror, unraveling the bandages to reveal her undamaged 
face/eye. She stares at her reflection, and places her 
hand against the mirror. 
Rei (thinking): Why... Why am I here? (medicine on top 
of fridge and box of used bandages) Why am I still 
alive? (spartan pipe bed) For what purpose? (Gendo's 
broken glasses) For who? 
(Rei's gaze stops on the glasses, and she walks over 
and picks them up. She starts to squeeze them as if to 
break them further, but then stops as a tear falls.) 
Rei (surprised): Tears..... (thinking) These are tears? 
Why...? It should be the first time I have seen them, 
but it doesn't seem to be the first time. 
(Rei looks at herself in the mirror and sees the tears 
in her eyes.) 
Rei: I... I'm crying... (thinking) Why am I crying? 

(Shots of Shinji, Misato, Ritsuko, Gendo and Kaworu all 
thinking) 
Caption: Hearts that pass by each other without 
touching... 

- End Stage 68