Why would I have to?
Shinji. Ikari Shinji. He was an unknown
Ayanami Rei stared from a distance. He was oddly competent, and learned things abnormally fast. He was far too talented in everything for it to make sense. Knowledge on school that surpassed their years. Physical results that did not match his physique, weight or height. World record shattering improvement in a short amount of time.
Ikari Shinji. How are you so odd?
Ayanami looked out the window from the classroom during class. He was outside today as well. Walking and joking with his friends. Aida Kensuke and Suzuhara Toji. They were both physically more fit than Shinji. Kensuke hiked every day, Ayanami knew as much because she met him in the way to NERV. His stamina should be higher than that of Shinji's, but looking at the friend group, the least tired of the three was Shinji himself.
Suzuhara Toji was part of the school's basketball team. His explosive force should far surpass Shinji's, but it didn't. Ikari Shinji could run faster, jump higher and throw the basketball further and with more accuracy.
Ikari Shinji. Someone like you should not exist.
He was a better pilot than Ayanami too. His grin as he dribbled past Toji to score a dunk on his friend widened as he stole the ball and did the same again. It made Ayanami put together just how much of an oddity he was.
No piloting training, no physical military training, only the bare minimum. Somehow he'd managed to defeat two angels by himself.
He had a higher first-time sync rate with his Evangelion than the Second Child, and Ayanami herself. Not much time had passed either. A mere three weeks and he'd gotten used to piloting the EVA.
Ikari Shinji. Why do you exist?
It was not as though Shinji did not work hard, Ayanami Rei had spent two days observing him from afar. An order given to her by Dr Akagi. He went on runs every single morning, then worked out at home, then went running again.
In the past his grades were bare minimum, and his physical scores were below average. His background check made little to no sense.
Ikari Shinji. Why do you hate your father so much?
Ayanami Rei narrowed her eyes, she looked at the small notebook she'd been compiling Ikari Shinji's information in -- her report to Akagi -- he'd been sent to live with his uncle and aunt because his father was too busy being the commander. Could he not see the full picture?
It made Ayanami's heart heavy, and her grip stronger. This had been the angriest she'd ever been, it was quite the odd sensation she felt in her chest. It was clear Commander Gendo took care of him while he was away, sending money for him to use, and yet his son does nothing but glare every time he stares at him.
So what if the first time he formally contacted Ikari Shinji was to pilot the EVA-01? Most would consider it an honor, and it was at a time of emergency. Was he supposed to let the angel terrorize the city and reach NERV?
Ikari Shinji. You are ungrateful.
Ayanami Rei noted down Shinji's past-times and put away the notebook. From what she had gathered, Ikari Shinji could be categorized as a genius. He picked up things around him extremely quickly -- scans taken from the lab showcase his brain was more developed than others. He picked things up quickly, and became proficient in days.
If Ayanami Rei could do what Ikari Shinji could, then there would be no need for more Children, she could kill Angels by herself.
Ayanami took the small floppy disk she'd been given and put it inside the school computer while everyone else was talking amongst each other. Footage of EVA-01 punching the core of the angels played at twice the speed.
Ayanami stopped it int he moment of impact, then slowed it down. The initial strike did no damage, and then subsequently -- as if a force larger than the fist of the EVA itself crashed onto the Angel -- the core shattered into pieces. It was unnatural. The lag was barely noticeable, but Ayanami had spotted it. It happened twice too. She played the footage back and pressed resume.
There were no weapons on EVAs that could do such a thing other than the Progressive Knife on their shoulders, and at worse that knife would cut the core in half, or maybe a few other parts if it was forcibly injected into the core. It wouldn't shatter like glass.
Because of his lack of finesse, the core could not be retrieved.
As Ayanami watched the playback of the EVA, someone came up from behind her.
"OOH! I forgot you work for NERV Ayanami! Could you give me that footage!?" Kensuke and the others had returned. Ikari Shinji followed closely behind him, and the instant he spotted her he was put on guard. His smile fell into a more neutral expression.
She couldn't understand that reaction. He looked like a threatened cat every time he looked at her. According to the audio in the footage -- which he had muted now, but had heard before -- he could feel when other angels were near him. Could he differentiate and pin-point the difference between both of them?
"Stop bothering Ayanami Kensuke!" Suzuhara Toji appeared from behind Shinji and put his arm around him.
"I'm not bothering anyone. I'm just asking for a copy."
"Sorry, but this footage is not something I'm permitted to hand out."
"Then why would you be allowed to watch it in class?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. Ayanami stared into his eyes and narrowed her own. As if responding to her slight sign of hostility he did the same.
"Government tools can be used outside NERV headquarters, but cannot be distributed. That much should be common sense, though I suppose you wouldn't comprehend." Ayanami felt her chest decrease in weight, an involuntary tug came from the corner of her mouth. He was for whatever reason pretending not to be involved with EVA 01 in school.
If Ayanami wanted, she could shatter his glass castle of dreams, but she didn't care enough for his dreams for a normal school life.
"You..." His eyebrow twitched, "...Sure. You're right." He calmed himself before saying something, and sat in his place. What was he going to say, Ayanami wondered.
"If you two weren't cousins I'd think you were a married couple." Suzuhara sat down on his place in class, right next to Shinji. Ayanami stared at him and narrowed her gaze. "Damn, no need for both of you to glare at me that hard. I'm gonna get a hole in my head if you keep that up. Sheesh." Suzuhara turned his chair to face Shinji. "How'd you improve so much at basketball anyway? You weren't shooting so many threes last time."
"What do you mean? Improved?" Shinji knit his eyebrows and leaned back, "did I? Are you sure you just don't suck?"
"Ok buddy," Suzuhara rolled his eyes, "keeping your training methods a secret I see."
"I'm not lying dude, I literally only run in the mornings, work out and stretch."
"Yeah yeah." Suzuhara rolled his eyes again, and turned his chair again. "Class' about to start."