[Joy of Man's Desire]

Faez Residence, Tokyo-3

Makoto Hyuga looked at the door in front of him, and hesitated as he shifted the wine bottle with the card attached to it in his grasp. He still wasn't entirely sure what he was doing, or why Major Katsuragi had given him the invitation meant for her with a wink.

'All I did was pull her out of the way of a piece of rubble. It's what anyone else would have done.'

'So why did I get a decent bottle of wine to go with the card, then? Is this really just a wish-you-well gift in addition to an invitation?'

But… he did have to admit that a part of him was somewhat excited to continue unraveling the mystery of one Adira Faez. She would likely maintain a clean space, what with a military background and all. What effects would she decide to keep in the open? Those would be the most telling of who she… he was stalling again.

He took a deep breath, then rang the doorbell.

It was quiet for a moment, then the door opened on a Lieutenant in a loose t-shirt and shorts as she raised an eyebrow. "Captain." she noted the somewhat tense man standing in front of her for a moment before she spoke again, a slight smirk edging up a corner of her mouth. "Is this just a courtesy call, or are you expecting something else, what with the bottle of wine?"

Hyuga blushed slightly. "No! No, not at all." he extended the bottle towards her. "I was just concerned with your health after the recent Angel attack, and with Christmas in a week, I figured you'd also want something to celebrate with."

He tried desperately not to blush as Faez took the wine bottle. She turned it over and gently pulled the card off from the tape it was attached to the bottle with as her smirk became more prominent. "And I'm guessing this is also a Christmas card, too?"

Hyuga shook his head again. "No. Well, yes, but it's also an invitation to the Christmas party that Major Katsuragi's hosting in a week. We'd both like to see you there."

Faez nodded for a moment, then looked at the clearly trying not to be uncomfortable captain. "Come in for a minute." she turned and walked away as Hyuga blinked, then blinked again.

Hyuga hesitantly stepped across the threshold of the doorway. "May I ask why you've invited me in so suddenly?" he said as he took off his shoes.

Faez peeked out from around the corner of the entry hall, holding out the bottle. "Because the first drink of any bottle should be had in company. It's just something I picked up while I served."

She turned back in as Hyuga stepped into the living room. As expected, it was a rather spare space, with little in the way of ostentatious decoration. A large window in the back wall provided illumination to the space, and Faez sat on a small couch, a coffee table with a single picture being the only thing that shared the tabletop with the wine and two glasses.

The cork came off with a pop as Hyuga sat down next to Faez, and the red wine soon filled the glasses.

Faez and Hyuga took their glasses, Faez tipping it slightly to the picture before holding out to Hyuga. "Cheers, Captain."

"Please, I'm off duty." he said, as glasses clinked together. "Call me Hyuga."

Faez nodded, and they shared a quiet sip. "Alright, Hyuga." she said. "I've gotta say, this seems awfully forward for a commanding officer, sharing drinks on the couch and all that." she said as her smirk seemed to return.

She blinked as Hyuga nodded. "It would be, wouldn't it?" he shrugged. "Well, for all of the military decorum and ranks, NERV is still technically a civilian organization."

Hyuga chuckled softly as Faez's eyes widened. "Most of our technicians aren't even technically ranked, and even the command structure, for all its pomp and circumstance, is really only a ceremonial thing to ensure that orders are properly followed."

Faez leaned back on the couch. "Damn. And with all that they ask you to do…"

Hyuga shrugged. "Well, we do it because if we didn't, who could?"

They let the question hang in the air unanswered as they both pondered on it for a moment.

Hyuga looked at the picture on the tabletop, one of Faez surrounded by other women in military fatigues. She was smiling in the picture, seemingly at ease. She had a very pretty smile…

Hyuga blinked, trying to get his mind back on track. "This picture," he said, "is that you with your unit in the Valkyrie Division?"

Faez regarded the picture, then Hyuga. "Yeah, it is." she said quietly after a moment. "They were the closest thing I had to actual friends, after all the shit I went through."

Hyuga looked over at how somber Faez had become. "Something happened, didn't it?" he said, gently.

It was quiet for a moment, as Faez looked back at Hyuga with… apprehension? Then, Faez sighed. "Yeah. Yeah, something happened, alright."

It was silent again for a moment. "If you don't want to tell me…" Hyuga began.

"No." Faez said quietly. She sighed after a moment. "I think… it's time to finally get this off of my chest. With someone who will talk back to me."

Hyuga was intent as he listened to Faez. "It was about 2008 or 9. Around now, actually. I wasn't quite sure at the time. We were in South America during an op that is still probably heavily classified. Me and Anna," she said, pointing to one of the women next to her, "were doing advance recon on a heavily fortified enemy position."

She paused for a moment. "We got to an overlook, and found that the camp was empty. We looked down, and there wasn't a soul in sight. Then, we heard gunfire from behind us. And as we were turning, a bunch of People's Army got the drop on us."

"We got in close, ditched our rifles. It was the only way we could make it out alive." She paused again for a moment. "Everything seemed to slow down. I remember every second of that 3 minute fight. The face of every person I tore a gun away from and broke in half."

Hyuga's eyes were wide with wonder and sadness, as he waited silently for her to continue her story. "You can… do that?" he said after a moment.

Faez took a deep breath as she looked at Hyuga, and he saw tears in the corners of her eyes. "Yeah. In order to prepare us for the sort of missions that they expected us to do…" she sighed quietly. "It's the sort of things that can keep a person up at night. It…" she looked down at the empty wine glass in her hand. "It made me something… more. I'm faster, stronger, have sharper senses, and have an almost perfect memory compared to any other soldier. That's how…"

It was silent for a heartbeat. Then another. "I remember hearing the crack of the bullet that killed my closest friend." she said, in a whisper. "How I remember finding all the rest of my teammates dead. How I remember… being alone."

It was silent again as Hyuga's mind was a whirlwind. He knew for a fact, however, that he was in way over his head when it came to something like this. What did he do? What did he say?

Instinct took over for his clearly defeated intellect, as he slowly raised a hand, and put it on her shoulder. In the moment he did, a single thought shone out in his mind. "I'm sorry to hear that." he said quietly.

Faez looked at him, then nodded after a moment. "I mean, this is war we're talking about." she chuckled softly. "I really should have expected it."

Hyuga shook his head. "Maybe. But…" he took his hand off of her shoulder and looked away, a slight blush coming to his cheeks. "This is probably presumptuous of me… but… would your friends, any of them, want you to be hung up on their deaths?"

Faez blinked, then looked back at the picture. "You know…" she said after a moment. "I've asked myself that question more than a few times. But… they were the closest thing I had to friends. To a family. In a long, long time."

Hyuga sighed. "And that's okay. But they don't have to be the only friends you have. I'm sure you know that. Like the technician from Black Mesa?"

Faez glanced back at him, then sighed. "Well… 'friend' is a strong word for Freeman. He honestly probably just put up with me."

Hyuga nodded. "Perhaps. But… I'm here too." he paused as Faez looked back at him with wide eyes. "And I'm willing to talk. About… whatever. I'm here to help. Not just as a commanding officer, but… as a friend, too."

He stood. "Thanks for letting me in for a moment and talking to me." he looked around, and noticed that what he had at first dismissed as a lamp was, in fact, something else entirely. "What's that?" he said, walking towards it.

Behind him, Faez blushed slightly. "It's a painting easel. Something I used to do as a child in Baghdad."

"Oh?" Hyuga said, looking intently at the cloth that covered… something. He looked back at Faez. "Are you working on something right now?"

Faez's head bobbed from side to side. "I mean… I've finished it. It won't stick around for very long. It's just paint on a canvas, after all."

Hyuga lifted the cloth, and found a surprisingly detailed reproduction of what he assumed was the skyline of Tokyo-3 at night, as seen from the living room window.

Hyuga's eyes went wide as he looked back at Faez. "Faez… this is amazing!"

Faez, beyond all expectation, blushed. "Oh, come on. It can't be that good."

Hyuga shook his head. "No, but it is! You say that this is going to go away? Why? It's… a part of you." he said the last part quietly.

It was silent for a moment as they regarded each other, and Hyuga composed himself. "Keep it." Hyuga said. "Like I said, it's a part of you. An expression of who you are. It's… like that photograph." he said, nodding down at the picture of Faez's unit. "It's a memory that's been made physical. And memories… they should be cherished. The good ones, at least."

It was silent again. After a moment, Hyuga shook his head. "I'm sorry." he said, blushing.

Before he could continue, Faez spoke as she looked down at the photo. "No. No, you're right." she sighed. "I guess… I just needed someone to just say it to me."

She looked back up at Hyuga, a small, soft smile on her face. "Thanks for coming over."

Hyuga nodded. "Thanks for having me in. See you at the Christmas party?"

Faez nodded in turn. "You can count on it. Do I need a fancy dress?"

Hyuga shook his head. "No. Normal clothes should be just fine."

"Okay. See you then." Faez said.

As Hyuga began to walk away, Faez spoke up again. "And if you're going to bring me a Christmas present… I'm more of a whiskey and rum sort of girl."

Hyuga looked back at her. "I'll keep that in mind. Have a good day."

He disappeared from sight, the swish of the front door opening and closing signalling his passing.

Faez looked back at the painting, then down at the picture of her unit. Her friends. Her family. 'Good memories…'

Theisman Residence, Infinity Box

Shinji, Asuka, Hikari and Toji all panted slightly as they faced each other. It was doubles sparring today, with their souls linked to their partners. It was a unique sensation, knowing what your partner was about to do, two minds looking at a situation with one, if not unified, then at least deeply connected mind.

The pairs danced around each other, a block from one person stopping a strike meant for another, a jab or kick surprising one combatant from an unexpected source. Hikari and Toji held their own, but Shinji and Asuka simply had the greater amount of experience working linked together as they were, and Hikari and Toji both ended up on their backs on the mat in short order.

Daniel, Eleanor and Rei, who sat by and refereed the match, stood up and began to walk over to the pairs, as Shinji and Asuka helped Toji and Hikari to stand again. "Excellent work, you four. You've made quite the advancements over the last few days."

Toji rubbed a forearm where a particularly pointed strike hit him early in the match. "Sure doesn't feel like it sometimes." he said mulishly.

"Hey, chin up, jock." Asuka said. "We're just a little more used to having our brains connected than you are. It's a matter of practice, is all."

Toji and Hikari nodded slowly after a while. They all could say that their skills had grown by leaps and bounds since they had started… was it really only 2 weeks ago? Shinji, once the scrawniest among them, could now claim a greater degree of skill in martial arts than he thought he ever could have. The training had left him so far, to Asuka's somewhat carnal delight, far more toned, his thin build now showing no small amount of muscle.

"Asuka is entirely correct, Toji." Daniel said. "It's all about practice. But, as much as I'd love to keep you guys doing martial arts and hand to hand combat, the unfortunate truth is that very few of the threats you'll face will be either stupid enough, or powerful enough, to try and engage you in hand to hand combat."

"They will be armed." he said, walking back over to the place he had sat, as a small box began to rise up. "And so," he said, sliding off the top of the box, and extracting the contents from within, "you will have to be armed as well."

He turned, and in his hands, he held a small pile of dully gleaming metallic handles. As he walked forward, he continued. "These are Control Surfaces. And they are what will allow you to begin making Frames that impact the world around you, instead of just yourself."

Asuka pumped a fist as she took one of the Control Surfaces from Daniel's hand. "Finally! We can start doing something more exciting!"

Daniel sighed quietly as the rest of the Children took their Surfaces. "These are colloquially known as Grips." he said, causing his own to appear. "These are perhaps the most simple kinds of Control Surfaces known to Interfacing."

Shinji examined the plain handle. "You mean there are other kinds of Control Surfaces?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. In time, you'll learn how to create your own, and very few are alike in form or function." he smiled slightly, stepping back. "For example…"

The Children watched in wide eyed amazement as three blades of crystal coalesced into being behind Daniel's head and back. Daniel couldn't help but smile at their wonder. "So," he said, holding his Grip out to show its inactivity, "where do you think the Control Surface is?"

The Children all scratched their heads. "Uh…" Toji said into the silence.

After a moment, Asuka, and Shinji along with her, decided to do the smart thing, and used their Sight. As they scanned the Frame of Daniel's soul, Asuka found it, in time. A slightly brighter glow around a patch of Framework around his lower back. "All the way back there?" Asuka said, slightly incredulously.

Daniel chuckled and nodded as the blades, and the Control Surface, disappeared. "Correct you are, Asuka. Like I said, Control Surfaces are important for the sort of Expressions you've been so terribly excited to make."

"Now, I hide that one so strenuously because, with this sort of Expression, the Control Surface acts as a conduit between you and the rest of Reality. Disrupt or destroy the Control Surface, the Expression goes with it. So, you have to be smart when creating a Control Surface."

Daniel waved his free hand. "Of course, that's for another day. Right now…" he paused for dramatic effect. "Think of a sword blade. Any kind will do. Focus on growing the Frame that results from the end of your Grip."

It was quiet for a moment as the Children focused, the Frames growing in their Sight slowly, but steadily. Daniel and Eleanor watched this with their own Sights, and nodded as the Frames finished. "Alright," Daniel said quietly, "now energize them."

In a moment, iridescent blades, hazy like frosted glass dipped in an oil slick, began to glow at the ends of the Grips. For Shinji, the blade was a graceful, curved thing, reminiscent of a venerable katana. Asuka's was straight and broad, the blade of a knight. Rei's was thin, and an intricate basket surrounded the Grip. Hikari's was like Asuka's but thinner, more elegant. And Toji… Toji just had a lightsaber.

As all of them recovered somewhat from the awe of seeing their first physical Expressions, they looked over at Toji with varying levels of skepticism on their faces. "What? I just like Star Wars, okay?"

Everyone chuckled, even Toji after a moment, when Eleanor stepped forward. "What you hold in your hands is… well, very complicated to explain comprehensively. Basically, it is the physical form of Metos. We call it Plasm. Right now, the only things you'll need to worry about is that it'll stay sharp as long as it's a blade, and you won't have to worry too much about breaking it. Understand?"

As the Children nodded, some more slowly than others, Eleanor nodded in turn. "Alright. Let's make sure you don't stab yourselves. Or each other."

As she spoke, her own Grip, seeming to be composed of coral, coalesced into her hand, and a blade that looked to be made of bright sea glass formed on its end. "At least, by accident." she said, with a slight smile.

. . .

As the Children got put into sparring pairs, Eleanor walking around the room and offering mentoring to the two couples, Rei faced across from Daniel, her rapier poised and at the ready, as she had seen the masters in her favorite movie do. Daniel chuckled softly. "I'll go ahead and fence with you this once, but I'll also say this. Combat Interfacing requires flexibility. You can't afford to stick with a single weapon for too terribly long. It's like… a dance of sorts. Except one of the dance partners dies at the end."

Rei blinked, then shrugged slightly. "I will accept your analogy for now."

Daniel shrugged in turn. "It's not a perfect one. But right now, you just need to worry about the basics."

He fell into a stance similar to Rei's, but subtly different, holding his Grip in his left hand. "For example, it's going to be less exhausting to have your blade down until you're ready to guard or strike."

As he said this, a long, thin blade extended from the grip. Whatever Daniel planned to say next died on his lips as the blade began to hum quietly, causing Daniel to break from his ready stance. As he raised the blade to look at it, the hum intensified as it moved, then softened as it came to a stop. It was a musical tone, like the blade was intoning the first note in a song.

Daniel's eyes were wide, and Rei's question was a muffled thing. 'She's singing again. Why?'

Brown eyes, filled with fear at the monster that loomed before her, flashed across his mind as he attempted to connect to what was contained within the weapon. "Nynrya?"

"Daniel?"

He blinked, and his eyes focused on Rei, her hand on the hand that held his Grip, and a concerned look in her eyes. Besides the hum of his blade, the rest of the room was silent, their eyes, concern evident within them, on him.

Daniel looked around the room, blinking for a moment. "I'm fine." he said, his expression desperately trying to show the truth in that statement, and mostly succeeding. Mostly.

They all sparred for a little while, Daniel's skill apparent in the fact that he was only slightly thrown off of his spar with Rei. She was able to learn what she needed. That was enough.

After the training session was over, and everyone had gone home, Daniel gained little rest that night, as he dreamed of a woman in a plain white dress, and the man who slew her.

December 24th, 1 Week Later

Misato was glad that the Theismans had offered up their apartment for the remainder of the Christmas party that the adults would be having. It was getting a little crowded in her own apartment, what with the Children, their friends, and what NERV staff she had invited. In addition to herself and Kaji, there was Ritsuko and Maya (who still hadn't admitted they were girlfriends yet), Hyuga and Faez (she knew she made the right call sending him. Thank heavens for woman's intuition!), Daniel and Eleanor, and Aoba.

'But at least I have a lot of people to spend Christmas with.' she thought, as a slight smile came to her face.

And there was a very, very good reason they were all crowded into her living room, the furniture cleared away for the moment, as four chairs, and four Children, occupied a dominant corner of the room. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and the new Nagisa kid had been practicing. She had been surprised when the Nagisa kid showed up with his own violin, and positively floored when Rei showed up with a viola (though she still couldn't quite tell the difference from this distance).

They set up and tuned their instruments, and as they finished, the low whispers of the crowd faded into silence.

After a moment more of preparation, Shinji's bow waved once, twice, three times, then the string quartet began to play. It was a slow, measured song, but that did nothing to detract from the beauty of it. Asuka's violin work was at the center of the stage, while the Nagisa boy kept up well, as their parts seemed to make the music float into the air that it made vibrate. But Rei and Shinji provided the base for them to work on, the low, deep notes blending with the higher ones of the violins to make the music have weight, depth, a place to fall back on should it ever seem to falter.

But it never did, and the sound rose and fell with what seemed like an almost expert precision for players so young. 'It looks like their pilot training carried over to their musical talents.' Misato thought with a slight smirk.

As the pilots moved into the final part of their piece, they finished the song with a flourish, and those gathered in the room all clapped.

As the clapping died down, Misato spoke up. "Alright then, everybody, thank you for coming, and thanks to our wonderfully brave Children for playing a wonderful little piece of music. Now, we'll go ahead and separate so we aren't crowded in one small apartment. If you'll follow the Theismans…"

. . .

They all flowed into their separate areas, and the party began in earnest. The Theismans had no string quartet to provide the music for their part of the party. But a disk player with a selection of Christmas piano music filled the gap at least decently.

As Misato sipped her beer, she scanned the room, her eyes falling on Daniel as he chatted with Aoba, probably about the latest thing with guitars, then sliding over to Eleanor, who had struck up a conversation with Hyuga and Faez.

Kaji, who was by her side, followed her gaze, smirking as his joined hers in looking at Hyuga and Faez. "You know," he said with a sly smirk, "he had a massive crush on you for a while."

Misato nodded knowingly. "I can recall. There's a reason that I sent him to give the invite to Faez. He's seemed interested in her for a little while, now. I just… gave him a little push, as it were."

Kaji nodded sagely. "I see. Playing matchmaker across the ranks are we? I thought that was frowned upon, having a superior officer fooling around with his juniors?"

Misato shook her head. "That's the thing. We may have military ranks, but NERV is really one of the most powerful civilian organizations in the world. We're in the gray area between civilian and military. We don't technically abide by military codes of conduct."

Kaji shook his head. "And yet, the powers that be have entrusted the most powerful war machines in the world to you."

Misato's expression became grim for a moment. "Yet another mystery of NERV."

Kaji nodded. "Yep." his gaze wandered back to Eleanor, then to Daniel. "Man. I've gotta say. This whole Interfacing stuff…" he trailed off, and Misato nodded. "Yeah," she said, "it's something else."

She thought back to a familiar room of blue stone. It had been a while since they had been here, but it seemed… bigger.

She remembered the strange, hypersensitive initiation, how everything became… more.

She remembered the connection to Daniel's soul as he connected her to… everything.

She remembered her decision, stupid as it was, to travel down the link, to ask one simple question of Daniel's soul. 'Are Shinji and Asuka finally together?'

She remembered the answer. And the argument that came with it.

She winced inwardly at that. She really should have been prepared for whatever answer she had gotten. And she thought she was. But not for an answer that… total.

"What?" she had stood up after it was done, propelled up by the shock and the anger. The looks on Daniel and Eleanor's faces said that they knew exactly what she was asking about. "Why? Why did they decide not to tell me? Why did you decide not to tell me that my pilots weren't just together, but that… they were having sex?" she had shouted.

Daniel at least had the grace to appear… defeated? Guilty? Resigned? She couldn't quite decide still. "Because, ironically enough, they trust you."

"What?" she had said incredulously. "How does that make any sense?"

Daniel had sighed. "They know that you intend to make the decisions that are best for them. Not only as a commanding officer, but as their guardian. As… well, their surrogate mother."

She had blinked at that. Did they really consider her, their lazy, teasing, honestly annoying former bachelorette… their mother? She said about as much.

Daniel had nodded. "Yes. They know that you care for them not just as the Children of NERV, but as… well, as a family. As your children, in a sense." he had sighed. "But they aren't really children anymore."

She had shaken her head. "No. No, just because they're going at each other hammer and tongs at night doesn't mean that they're grown up, Daniel."

Daniel had shaken his head in turn. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the fact that you, me, NERV… we've placed them in a situation where every day might be their last, one mistake could mean the end of the world, and, on top of that, in order to do their jobs, they have to commune with the souls of their once presumed dead mothers. We've put them in a place where even a professional soldier would crack and shatter under the stress by the end of it. We've forced them to act like soldiers. To be soldiers. To be grown up, and deal with that stress in a mature fashion."

He had paused. "It's a stress we're dealing with every day, Misato. How have you started to deal with it?"

She had glanced at Kaji, who was staying silent. A wise choice for now. She looked back at Daniel. "Look, just because we're theoretically responsible adults doesn't mean that they are in the same situation we are. They're still children, Daniel! You know how irresponsible they can both be."

Daniel had smiled slightly. "Did you ever know Shinji to not be responsible for something, for someone, he cares about?"

She pondered on that. Shinji was nothing if not responsible for the things that he wanted to do. Diligent in making sure that everything went well. And he did care for the people that he loved. She only had to look at herself, and her apartment, just as a start.

Daniel had sighed quietly into the silence. "Look, I'm not looking to be the one to reveal their love for each other. Ask them. See for yourself." Daniel smiled. "Love, found within the soul, is a beautiful thing to look on, after all."

Misato blinked, her focus coming back to the party around them. The low hum of conversation washed back over her. She blinked, and her gaze swept around the room. Only this time, she had the benefit of the Sight.

It was still nothing short of magical, seeing the souls of others. If anything, Shinji's all too brief description of looking at artwork had sold the experience short. Misato was still getting used to interpreting the emotions and what they looked like, but watching them, even the usually negative ones, as they sprang into being and raced across the Frames was like watching a light show.

Eventually, her gaze fell on Ritsuko and Maya, who were having a conversation with each other. Watching the things that they expressed to each other was interesting in its own right, but the things they didn't say or show…

Misato rolled her eyes. 'Come on, just kiss already.'

Misato looked over at Kaji. "I'm going to go talk to Ritsky and Maya. They seem to be having a very interesting conversation."

Kaji smiled back at her. "Well, then, I might just be inclined to join you."

Misato smiled. It was good to have him at her side. Even if it was only to rib at Ritsuko.

. . .

In time, the party winded down, and all involved went home. All, that is, save for six, who now clustered around a kitchen table, a single manilla packet on it, looking to save the world.

Misato and Kaji sat across from Ritsuko and Maya, and Daniel and Eleanor sat on either end. After a silent moment of regarding each other with no small amount of wonderment at the sheer fact that, yes, they were all together now, Misato snorted softly. "Look at us. Our own Anti-Instrumentality Committee."

A soft chuckle made its way around the table, dying off as Daniel leaned on the table. "Humorous as that may be, that summarizes our position quite well, I think."

Heads nodded, and he continued. "We're here as representatives of those whose will it is to stand against the plans that SEELE and Commander Ikari have in store for this world."

"Thus far we have been acting… well, if not alone, then certainly not together. But now, most all of the key players in this little game have come together. Now…"

He leaned back, putting his hands on the tabletop in a dramatic motion. "Now, we are in a position to really start doing something. So…" he said, looking around the table. "What are our assets?"

Misato snorted softly at the reference, then nodded. "Well, for one, we have a solid idea of what, exactly, SEELE and Commander Ikari want to do. That's probably the biggest thing we have right now."

Ritsuko nodded. "Yes."

Then she looked over at Daniel. "How exactly did you get the information on SEELE's plans, actually? I've been wondering that since I talked to these three." she said, motioning at Misato, Kaji, and Maya.

Daniel smiled slightly, and tapped on the packet. "This is a copy of the Human Instrumentality Project, as presented by Gendo Ikari to SEELE. I managed to get this from Commander Lutenhahl of NERV-3 in Neue Berlin."

Misato nodded. "Ah, Karl. It's been too long since we've spoken to him."

She looked at Daniel. "Have you been keeping in contact with him?"

Daniel nodded. "From time to time. He and I both understand the risks of communicating too openly. His operational security depends on us staying out of touch, more often than not."

Kaji smirked slightly. "It's classic cell work. We're the main cell, he's a secondary. Right now, he's useful, but for the most part, he's done his job."

Daniel nodded. "That's right." he looked over at Ritsuko and Maya. "We also have the assistance of the MAGI. Would I be too bold in assuming that we have your mother's assistance? And that she's been kept a secret from Commander Ikari thus far?"

Ritsuko huffed quietly. "Of course. She hates Gendo with almost as much passion as I do at this point. And she'll be kept secret from him. I don't want him trying to tie up a loose end."

Daniel nodded. "Good. Mrs. Akagi will be our trump card, more than likely. She'll be able to access things on her own time, and in secret, that would stick out like a sore thumb if we were to try."

"Like…" Maya said, cupping her chin thoughtfully. "Like, perhaps, whatever else might be a part of SEELE's plans."

Ritsuko nodded, her expression similarly thoughtful. "Yes, that's true. Even with the Instrumentality Project report here in front of us, it can only be assumed that there are developments that have occurred since the document's creation. My mother should be able to find whatever we need. With the necessary time for secrecy's sake, of course."

Eleanor's brow rose slightly. "Can Mrs. Akagi reach beyond Tokyo-3 like that? I always assumed that the MAGI system acted as an Intranet for NERV."

Ritsuko nodded. "That would normally be true, Mrs. Theisman. But we aren't dealing with just a purely artificial system divided into three nodes anymore. We're talking about the greatest scientific mind in the last three generations, hooked up to a computer system that allows her a degree of digital freedom almost unheard of. She's probably the first example of a truly artificial intelligence, at this point. If she wants to hook into the Internet, then there's nothing stopping her."

Daniel nodded. "And there are several things that we'll need to be able to access in order to ensure we have a full picture of what exactly we need… to…"

He trailed off, and slowly began to stand. The others followed his gaze, and looked out at the glass door that separated the living room from the veranda.

Standing in front of the glass, three figures, looking for all the world to be regular people, smiled slightly as their forms began to distort, the surfaces of their skin and clothes becoming iridescent.

. . .

Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Kaworu decided that the best after-party would be a quick movie before going to bed. Hikari, Toji, Kensuke, Sayaka and Kyoko had all gone home, and Kaworu said that, besides the Section 2 agents keeping an eye on him, there was no set curfew in place for him. Besides, it was a weekend, and there wasn't much in the way of schoolwork to be done.

So, the four of them sat on the couch, and watched as a man in black and a master swordsman face off.

Kaworu's eyes were glued to the screen as he watched them dance back and forth, their words and wits seemingly as sharp as their swords. "Is this really how people settled such matters in the past?" he said, almost incredulously.

Rei shook her head. "No, Nagisa. This is fiction. A story, made up by someone and put to film. Now please, be quiet and save your questions for after the film."

Kaworu nodded, and turned his silent focus back to the film. After some time, Kaworu blinked in surprise. The Section 2 agents assigned to watching him… weren't, anymore.

After a moment, the Children all felt a prickling sensation, as if a great many people were watching them from out of their sight. Asuka was the first to speak. "Guys…" she said. "Does anyone else feel that?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah…" a sense of dread began to build in the depths of his stomach, gurgling up like a rising flood.

Even Kaworu, inwardly used to the press of feeling when people were looking at him, blinked at this sudden weight of acknowledgement.

As one, the Children slowly looked away from the TV, their gaze drawn to the veranda window, as three iridescent figures passed through the glass door, and came to stand behind the couch as Asuka, Shinji and Rei all leaped to their feet.

As their Grips flashed into their hands, they heard a sound, like a voice hitting a short, powerful choral note, muffled by the far wall. Then they heard it again, then again.

"Friends..." Kaworu said, with no small amount of fear on his face and in his voice. "What is going on?"

. . .

Daniel fired another round, his Grip in the shape of a pistol made of star opal, and the tiny star-like round that shot out nearly howled as it slammed into the lead Revenant's chest, the Plasm rippling as the wound sealed itself yet again.

This one was more stable than its compatriots, glitching less and seeming more… defined, somehow. It glowed brighter in his Sight, and had a larger Frame, as well. 'Damn. Whatever Animist is controlling these is probably using this one as the focal point for their control. What did Rasczak call those again? Primes. Yes.'

He linked his soul to Eleanor. "Dear," he said through the link, "we'll need to take care of this Prime first. The others should be easy pickings after that."

Eleanor nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

She turned to Misato and Kaji. "This one's stronger than the rest." she said, nodding over to what was apparently the Prime of the group. "Keep the other two busy while we deal with this one. And watch out! They like to play mind games, too."

She turned back, and the bond between Daniel and Eleanor strengthened until they moved, they thought, they breathed, as one, slowly advancing towards the Prime as Daniel's gun became a punching blade, and a small, diamond shaped blade of deepest blue formed at the end of Eleanor's Grip.

The Prime had the sense to back away, as one of its arms slowly became a blade of its own, and the trio backed into the living room. The other two took the chance to slip behind them, and entered the kitchen area.

Misato and Kaji put themselves between the two Revenants and the quailing Ritsuko and Maya. "Misato! Kaji!" Ritsuko shouted, eyes wide in panic and confusion. "What the hell is going on?"

Misato risked a glance back as her senses sharpened, and everything seemed to slow down somewhat. "We'll explain later!"

She turned back as one of them swung a bladed arm at her. She dodged back easily. Almost too easily, as she slammed back against the table before ducking as the Revenant made a jab at her.

Kaji took a boxer's stance, regarding the Revenant in front of him. It threw a seemingly sluggish left hook, and Kaji blocked it, wincing as the edge still caught his arm, and threw a punch straight into the amorphous thing that stood in for a chest. Then he threw another one, and then another.

Each of his hits seemed to ripple like he was punching a water bed, pushing it back and staggering it, but seeming to do little else. He clutched at his arm as he glanced across at Misato, who seemed to fare little better than he did. 'Damn. This bites.'

He felt the tug of Interfacing, seemingly beyond his control, and lifted his hand from an arm seemingly free of any damage. He blinked. 'Huh. That's nice.'

He glanced back up at his opponent, who stood ready for him, and took the revelation he had received in stride. 'Alright. I need a weapon.'

. . .

Shinji, Asuka and Rei each held their swords at the ready as they slowly circled around the couch, eyes warily on the three figures as they spread out, one for each of them. Asuka smirked slightly at the situation. 'Good. I have a sparring partner.' she thought, as she held her iridescent blade at the ready. Shinji and Asuka were less confident, and the tip of Shinji's blade jittered slightly.

Shinji was, frankly, terrified. 'What are these things? Are they what caused our nightmares? The… the Revenants?' Shinji watched as the one in front of him glitched between different forms. Some of the Angels, his father, the Eva… finally, it settled on his father, and Shinji felt the cold stare of what could only be his father pinning him in place.

'Wow.' he distantly thought, as a wicked blade replaced his father's arm. 'It really feels like he's here. They even got the cold glare right.' the sounds of battle muffled as his blade slightly dipped. 'Father…'

As his father raised his arm, Shinji blinked as it was sliced off, a sudden clarity of thought came to him as she looked over at Asuka, who was already parrying a… a nurse? "Focus, Shinji!" Asuka said, ducking another strike. "Get in the zone!"

Shinji nodded as he watched the Revenant's stump of an arm congeal, a replacement seeming to drip down to replace what was now lying on the floor. The zone. Right.

His surroundings, the slight ripple of his enemy's arm as it formed into another blade, became sharper, even as they seemed to slow down. The Revenant, his father, took another swing at him, this time seeming far more sluggish. Shinji was ready this time, and batted the blade aside, swinging at its chest and making deep gashes that seemed to slowly start closing.

. . .

Misato was getting tired of this. The thing that stood in front of her barely seemed to react, even after she had grabbed one of the larger kitchen knives that Shinji used for cooking, all her cuts seemed to do was annoy the thing more than anything else. Kaji had followed her lead, slashing at the thing in front of him. And Daniel and Eleanor…

She glanced into the living room. Daniel and Eleanor danced around the one they mentioned was stronger, as it shifted and contorted in impossible ways, its limbs lashing out like whips. The living room also seemed… bigger, somehow, and at times, Daniel, Eleanor, the monster, or a combination of the three floated up into the air, onto the ceiling, or slamming into the floor. At least, that last one mostly applied to the monster.

It held her gaze for a split second, until she heard a voice she thought she'd never hear again. "Misato…"

Her head whipped back as her eyes widened, and she saw a man with long black hair, wearing a simple black shirt and jeans, with a familiar silver cross hanging from his neck. "Dad…"

The figure stepped towards her as her vision began to tunnel, the sounds of battle becoming muffled as a chill began to settle in her bones. He was back. She was back there, in Antartica…

"I'm here, Misato." he said, as… as snow began to fall.

Misato couldn't help the tears in her eyes. "Dad…" she felt something slip from her hand. It didn't matter, really. He was here again. He was here!

Her father stretched out his arms. "Come here. I'm sorry, Misato. For everything."

She stepped forward, her own arms beginning to reach for a hug she didn't even know she needed.

Another voice became evident in the muffled distance. It might have been calling her name. Then she heard it break through clearly. "Misato!"

Clarity rushed back to her, as her father stumbled forward, becoming slightly iridescent again.

Misato blinked, then shook her head slightly as her surroundings came back into focus. She was in the Theismans kitchen, and Kaji had just stabbed a monster. A monster that still held the face of her father, as it scowled and tried to throw Kaji off.

A spark of rage lit a fire in Misato's chest, and her heart began to feel like it was pumping magma. How dare this... thing, this bastard, have the gall to try and use her father to… to…

She shouted, and picked up her knife again as her and Kaji sliced and stabbed at the monster, driving it into the wall.

As its compatriot became tied up by the couple, the other Revenant turned to Ritsuko and Maya, who had crowded back into the kitchen.

It glitched, then glitched again as it looked at Ritsuko, and became Gendo Ikari. Ritsuko's breathing quickened. It… it couldn't be him. And yet it was… a slight smile crept up his face as he advanced slowly.

Ritsuko blinked. It was her first night in his room. Old feelings of expectation, of nervousness, suddenly sprang to life within Ritsuko, now underlaid by a current of roiling dread. 'This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.' repeated over and over in her mind.

But it was real. She felt the sheets beneath her, felt utterly naked, as Gendo took off his shirt…

And was promptly punched by Maya across the face. Ritsuko blinked, and she was back in a kitchen, fully clothed, watching Maya continue to punch an also fully clothed Gendo. "You get away from her!" Maya shouted, as she pounded against the creature's chest.

The thing seemed more surprised than anything at the sudden barrage of fists. Ritsuko's eyes widened as Gendo, the thing, whatever, raised its fists above its head, the hands turning into wicked claws.

As Ritsuko reached out a hand, a blade flashed, and a deep cut appeared in Gendo's side, and he, it, turned, and looked at Kaji as he backed away. "That's right." Kaji said, motioning the Revenant towards him with his free hand. "Look at me. I'm the dangerous one."

. . .

Rei felt a very rare emotion as she dueled with the Revenant in front of her. Annoyance. These things barely reacted to any of their attacks, seeming to heal, however slowly, and used their seeming unfeeling to their advantage, reaching through their attacks to swipe at them with claws or blades or bludgeons.

"I believe we require a new strategy." Rei said coolly as she narrowly avoided another swipe.

Asuka glanced back at Rei. "You think?" she said incredulously, stepping back from a taloned grab.

Shinji's eyes narrowed as he thought for a moment, then widened as he stumbled on an idea. "Get ready." he said, beginning a chain of attacks that slowly drove his opponent, still wearing the face of his father, back.

Asuka shook her head. "Get ready for-"

The words died on her lips as she felt Shinji connect to her soul, then felt him connect both of them to Rei.

Then, the connection deepened further than it had ever gone, as Asuka, Shinji and Rei began to… well, Asuka didn't quite have the words for what she was experiencing. It was almost a level above synching with the Evas, as she understood exactly what Shinji and Rei were going to do before they did it, could almost see from their eyes if she wanted. It was almost dizzying, but not quite.

"Alright," Shinji said through their link, "we need to focus on one of them. If we bring it down fast enough, we'll be able to take care of the rest more easily."

Asuka nodded. "Makes sense. Which one do we pick?"

Immediately, Shinji brought to their attention that his Revenant still looked like Commander Ikari. Understanding and excitement sang through Asuka as she realized what Shinji was implying.

"Oh yeah." Asuka said. "That's the one."

Rei rolled her eyes. "We will need to stand together in order to ensure such a concept will be effective."

They had become slowly separated as the fight progressed, and Rei's opponent, an almost ghostlike mirror of herself, tried to press her back down the hallway out of the living room.

"Fair point." Asuka said with annoyance as she backed closer to Shinji.

Rei pressed the attack, driving the Revenant back until an opening presented itself, then ducked under a swipe of its claws to dash to Asuka and Shinji's side.

They regarded their foes for a moment, their swords a hedge against their advance. Then, after a moment of stillness, they launched their attack against their target, perfectly in synch.

The image of Gendo Ikari stumbled back, throwing its arms in front of it before they were mercilessly hacked off by Shinji and Asuka.

Rei turned on her Sight, and all of them saw the glow of the Revenant's Frame as it tried to regenerate under the withering storm of slashes and stabs. "We need to attack the Frame directly." Rei said through the link. "Otherwise this will only take up precious time."

"Right." Shinji said as he focused. They needed to make it so their blades could cut through the Frame. How did they do that?

After a moment more of focus, the blade of Shinji's sword began to shimmer and glow, and his next slash shattered the Frame that he hit like glass, causing the Revenant to writhe as it finally seemed to feel pain. "How did I do that?"

"Well, we know how you did it," Asuka said, as har and Rei's swords began to glow as well, "but explanations later, stabbing now!"

The Revenant, for all its former terror, seemed to wail as it stumbled and tripped onto its back, its arms and legs gone as the Frame shattered under the Children's blows. Finally, with a stab, Rei speared through the core, shattering it completely.

And thus, the Revenant that was in the image of Gendo Ikari turned into nothing but iridescent Plasm.

"Gotta admit," Asuka said as they turned to regard the other two Revenants, "that was a great stress reliever."

. . .

Daniel tsked slightly as he and Eleanor faced down the Revenant Prime. It was a slippery creature, more flexible than its underlings, bending and stretching out of the way of their strikes with almost impossible ease. "We need to pin this thing down, Eleanor. I'm starting to get up there in terms of Flux, even with my Vent Frames."

"Me too." Eleanor said. "I'll see what I can do. Distract it."

"Got it." Daniel said, as he dashed towards the Prime with a flurry of slices and stabs, Eleanor sliding out of the Revenant's view as it put its focus towards blocking Daniel's storm of crystalline fury.

As Daniel wailed on the Prime, it's own attacks started to slip past his defenses, a cut here, a gash there, and Daniel's healing could only keep up so much. "Eleanor…"

As he spoke, four tendrils of water whipped around the Prime's limbs, coating them in almost the blink of an eye. As they did, the water went from clear to blue, to an almost pitch black, as the space of the water seemed to become impossibly deep, as a deep, muffled crackling sound filled the air. The Revenant writhed in its restraints, and Daniel considered his next move.

After a moment, Daniel stepped towards the writhing, jerking Revenant, his free hand becoming encrusted with sharp crystal claws that glowed with what seemed like starlight, and lined up his aim at the core with his Sight.

With a quick motion, Daniel's hand hit the Prime's chest, then sunk past skin to reach into the space the Prime's Spirit occupied.

He grabbed it, and with a wrenching motion, tore it out of the Prime's chest, causing it to collapse into a pile of Plasm.

As Eleanor released her grip, Daniel held the Spirit's core in his hand, a lattice of tiny constellations linking it to his clutching hand, and focused, linking himself to the Spirit. He felt the remaining four Revenants, and projected a single, simple command. Run.

The Revenants clutched their heads, or what passed for them, but after a moment's struggle, the ones in his sight streamed back out the veranda doors, disappearing into the night.

Before Daniel destroyed the Daemon, another idea flashed into his mind, and he began to construct an Expression, his blade disappearing into his Grip with a quieting hum as he put it away.

Eleanor looked at Daniel for a moment, then as she understood what he meant to do, nodded and turned towards Kaji and Misato.

Time slowed to a crawl as Daniel used the Spirit as an access point to the soul of the Animist who had conjured it into being, and figuratively barreled his way past a familiar multihued sphere, and linked directly to the Animist, Aaminata's, soul.

An entire life flashed before his eyes. A harsh, unforgiving young life. An abundance of death. The promise of a world where all were united, and death was no obstacle. 'Typical recruitment tactic.'

A new purpose in uniting all Reality. A new perspective, a new control, in Interfacing. A bestiary's worth of Spirits to bind to bodies of Plasm and will.

Daniel needed something else, though, as he dived into the present. He found what he was looking for. Plans to take advantage of the next Angel. A device created to capture an unholy light. A map of Tokyo-3, with particular buildings noted with a dot. 'Perfect.'

He hid as much of his exploration as he could, wiping Theia's memory of his presence as carefully as he could, then withdrew, crushing the Daemon's Spirit in his hand. It had all happened in an instant.

As Eleanor talked quietly to Misato and Kaji, Ritsuko looked up at Maya as she reached a hand down to her. "Are you okay, Senpai?"

Ritsuko stared at Maya as she took her hand, getting to her feet. She held Maya's hand for a moment. "Maya…" Ritsuko said, a dreamlike haze in her eyes.

"Yeas, Senpai?" Maya said, worry still evident in her own eyes.

"Do you love me?" Ritsuko whispered.

Maya blushed madly, but still nodded. "Yes. Yes, I do."

Ritsuko smiled slightly. "Oh, good."

Ritsuko then pulled Maya in for a long, deep kiss. Maya stiffened for a moment, then melted as they embraced each other.

After what felt like a wonderful forever, they parted, and Ritsuko looked at Maya with tears in her eyes. "I love you, Maya. And I should have said that a long time ago."

Maya stared back, as tears began to well up in her own eyes. "Senpai…"

Ritsuko chuckled slightly. "Please. It's just Ritsuko."

Maya's smile, radiant and pure, lit up Ritsuko's mind like a fireworks display. "Okay, Ritsuko."

After a moment of gazing into each other's eyes, Ritsuko turned to look at Eleanor, who had sat down Misato and Kaji at the table as she looked at them with a bemused expression. "I assume that's been a long time coming?"

Ritsuko chuckled slightly. "You have no idea." her gaze settled on Misato and Kaji, and her brow furrowed in concern as she stepped forward. "What's going on with them?"

. . .

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei watched as the two Revenants still standing clutched at their heads as they lost their forms, and ran, phasing through the veranda doors and disappearing out into the night.

Asuka nodded self assuredly. "Alright then." she said, as she severed the link to Shinji and Rei and stopped energizing her Frame. "That wasn't too…"

She trailed off as the world seemed to rip itself out from beneath her, and she counted herself lucky to grab a hold on the back of the couch. That was, until she realized she could taste the couch with her hand.

Shinji and Rei were similarly stunned, and visions of… something… a lot of little somethings… danced in and out of their sight.

As the room spun around them, Kaworu stepped out from behind the couch, his eyes wide. "Friends?" he said, crouching down by Rei and Shinji. "Are you alright? Are you wounded somehow?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, Kaworu. We're fine. Or at least we should be…" he squeezed his eyes shut to try and keep the world from tilting so madly. It was terrible for his stomach. Even still, the vision of whatever he was seeing still danced across his view.

Asuka looked at the back wall as it began to shine, then the light coalesced into Daniel, as he walked across to them.

Kaworu looked up at Daniel as he appeared, and a thoroughly confused look battled with the concern already present in his eyes. "Mr. Theisman? How did you do that? What's happening to my friends?"

Daniel ignored his questions for the moment, putting a hand on Shinji. "Shinji? Shinji, can you hear me?"

Shinji nodded. "Yeah. I'm seeing the color orange whenever you speak, but I hear you."

Daniel nodded, a serious look on his face. "Flux Daze. Happens whenever you get too much Flux in you too fast. It's what happens to first time Interfacers, and those who don't regulate their Flux levels. Right now, you'll be dealing with nausea, dizziness, intense synesthesia, and a peek into the Mental realm. Eleanor can get you patched up."

He gently lifted Shinji and Rei to their feet. "Alright. Up you come, and just lean on me." he turned to Kaworu. "Mr. Nagisa, go help Asuka."

As Kaworu nodded and moved to help Asuka up, Rei groaned slightly. "Daniel?"

He looked down at her. "Yes, Rei?"

Rei shook her head slightly. "Your words taste fruity."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure they do. Come on."

. . .

Daniel stepped back into his apartment, the Children in tow, as Ritsuko tried to examine Misato and Kaji at the same time as pestering Eleanor with questions. "What exactly were those things that attacked us? How did it manage to project… images into my head? And how did you do what you did?"

Eleanor's hands glowed slightly, a rippling effect reminiscent of a disturbed pond playing across them, as she waved over one section of Misato's head, pressed gently at another section of Kaji's. "We'll explain everything, we promise. Right now…" she looked up as Daniel and the Children arrived. "Right now, let's make sure everyone's able to get back on their feet. How are they doing, Daniel?"

Daniel smirked and chuckled slightly. "They held their own, it seems. Managed to take down one of the Revenants."

Eleanor nodded as a slight smile came to her face. "Good job to them. Flux Daze?"

Daniel nodded. "Yep. Same as Misato and Kaji, most likely. Maybe even a little worse."

Eleanor nodded as she finished her ministrations on Misato and Kaji, who slumped over slightly and clutched their heads, as she walked over to the Children to begin her Mending once again.

Daniel walked over to Ritsuko and Maya's side, as Maya looked at the puddle of Plasm that the Prime had become. "Is that stuff still… dangerous?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, it isn't. In fact, it's entirely safe for you to take samples and research it."

Ritsuko shook her head. "But what is it? What's going on? What attacked us?"

Daniel sighed slightly, then nodded. "You deserve those answers more than ever right now. To put it simply right now, you three," he said, gesturing at Ritsuko, Maya, and Kaworu, "have gotten caught in the crossfire of something much larger than even SEELE, this world, or even this universe."

He paused as he let that sink in. "And the long answer…" Daniel said. "Well, you'll have to come with me and trust me."

He paused as he waited for their answer. After a moment, Ritsuko and Maya nodded. "Alright. We'll bite." Ritsuko said.

Daniel smiled slightly. "Good." he looked over at the Children, and at Kaworu as he stood next to Rei, looking rather uncomfortable. "Kaworu?" he said, pausing for a moment as he looked up at them. Daniel nodded towards them. "Come with us. I have a lot to tell you three."

Kaworu looked back at Rei, then at Shinji and Asuka, then back to Daniel, as he slowly nodded, walking towards him.

Daniel nodded, then looked at Eleanor. "Take care of them, alright? I'll be back in a second."

Eleanor looked up at Daniel as she moved on from Kaji to Shinji. "Alright. See you."

Daniel led the trio back towards the Infinity Box as Eleanor continued her ministrations. As she moved on from Shinji to Asuka, Daniel and the trio, now with far more dazed, awed expressions, soon stepped out of the master bedroom door.

Misato looked over at Ritsuko, and chuckled slightly. "Behold, Reality?" she said.

Ritsuko looked at Misato. "Reality… this is the most important discovery… ever."

Misato nodded as she chuckled. "Yeah." she paused for a moment. "Now, if I wasn't mistaken, did I watch you and Maya kiss?"

Ritsuko turned red, but smiled regardless. "Yes."

Misato pumped her fist. "Finally! Kaji owes me 1500 yen for that."

Ritsuko and Maya's eyes widened, then Ritsuko shook her head slightly and chuckled. "Why am I not surprised?"

Misato grinned, then her expression became serious. "So, now you know just how deep in it we could be."

"Ritsuko's face became a mirror of Misato's seriousness. "Yes. And it seems we'll need every advantage we might have, if they're escalating things as Daniel suggests."

Daniel nodded. "And make no mistake, they are escalating. Not just with this attack, but also with their upcoming plans, specifically surrounding the next Angel."

All eyes turned to him, some wider than others. "What do you mean?" Shinji said with a concerned expression each of the pilots shared.

"With the lead Revenant's death, I was able to take a hold of its Spirit core, and use that to link up to the Animist who gave them life. She is privy to a scheme to harvest the energy that the Angel outputs, a light that allows it to invasively link to a target's mind, and store it for later use." he let that sink in for a moment before he continued.

"With that in mind, I've been working on a defense to protect you against this energy, using the space in your A10 connector clips, in order to shield you against its attacks."

His expression grew grim. "I'll be frank with you. I haven't the slightest clue how long the defense will last until the Angel breaks through it. But it's going to give you time to work against it."

Asuka leaned forward. "Alright. So, what's the plan beyond that?"

Daniel looked around the room at the assembled group, then smiled slightly. "I have some ideas. But ideas are rarely ever a complete plan. Let's talk in the Infinity Box. We'll need the time."

Next Time on Apotheosis Echo...

An Angel from on high signals a perilous beginning to a new year, and the beginning of the Anti-Instrumentality Committee's battle against SEELE. Old secrets come to light, alongside old memories. What are the origins of Adam and Lilith? Next Episode: An Uncaring Heaven's Glare.