The boy's smile stretched across his face. He was in. Everything led up to this moment. All he had to do now is convince a paranoid psychopath that he needed another pilot, a competent and versatile pilot. Someone who couldn't be denied a slot in the ranks. That was the easy part. Simply put, there was no competition. Shinji wasn't here yet and Rei was having a hard time taming the cyclops. NERV's piloting situation was strained to say the least. If the boy could prove that he was an essential tool to have to help the "scenario", it would be a no brainer to use him. Even if he held knowledge that was strictly prohibited… Even if he was plotting against his employer. Hell, Gendo and his relationship with SEELE was a good example of that. The constant scheming behind the other's back, the lying, and the backstabbing when the opportunity arose. Who was really using who? They were just a bunch of sociopaths trying to obtain dominance and control over the other. Yet they still spoke as if they were on the same side. Those who sought immortality vs the one who sought a reunion with a lover. Both were childish in the boy's mind.

He followed behind Rei. They eventually reached a large platform elevator. With a few clicks of some buttons, the elevator jerked to life and begun its slow decent. Rei stood in front of him, looking straight forward. The silence between the two was filled with the soft hum of the elevator. Until a certain blue haired girl raised a question.

"You know of NERV, correct?"

The boy looked to the girl, she hadn't turned around. He sighed. "Yes I know about NERV. Is there something on your mind, Ayanami?"

Rei paused. Then spoke again. "I would like to know your thoughts on NERV."

The boy blinked, a familiar feeling of déjà vu struck him. "Well … that depends, what part of the organization do you want me to talk about?"

Rei thought about it. He already seemed to know about the Eva Units and her dirty little secret. She noticed he hasn't talked about the person behind it all. "...You know about me. What is your opinion on the Commander?"

"The Commander, huh. To put it bluntly, he's a failure of a man." The boy answered, he could already feel his cheek stinging.

The bluenette turned her head to face him. He had her full attention now.

"The Commander built all of NERV. Don't you have any faith in his work?" she asked. Her piercing crimson eyes were glued to him.

"His work, yes. He is a perfectionist, as such, he would never stop working until his projects are perfect." He let that sink in for a moment. "However, as a man, he has failed. He threw away his wife's legacy. The Commander of NERV shamed himself by throwing away his pride and joy … He threw away his son, Rei. Abandoned him when he was a defenseless child."

Rei's gaze traced the boy, taking in all the visual information she could. She felt a cold feeling creep through her as the boy's smile faded into a frown. His eyes were dull, but held an intent stare. The bluenette turned around and contemplated about the exchange. She felt conflicted again. She was irritated that the boy spoke poorly about her Commander, but another part of her felt … well, she didn't really know. It was a heavy feeling. The boy struck something within her. He didn't outright insult him and berate the Commander, he just stated the facts. That bothered her because she couldn't argue his words, she couldn't defend Commander Ikari. Her feelings for her beloved leader were broken to say the least. Her heart pounded in her chest as her breath quickened. Her pupils dilated when the boy spoke again.

"He threw away his son, just like he did you. Isn't that right? Rei II. "

The bluenette's head became foggy as time seemed to slow to a stand still, her world spun to a nauseating degree. Two words echoed in her mind, making her gag mentally, "old hag" … those words rang in her ears. The memory of why she said that escaped her, but it felt wrong, so, so wrong to Rei. She turned her head again to see him smiling at her. His dull eyes were half opened. Her heart raced as her breath hitched. Unbelievable fear rushed through the girl's mind. He really did know. It was no longer a question she had to ask. He knew her secret. The boy's dull steal eyes reverted back, renewing their sparkly luster.

He gave her a warm smiled. "That bastard hurt the people I care about, that's just unforgivable."

Rei blinked at the boy. Just like the flame of a candle, her fear was snuffed out in an instant. She caught on to what the boy just said. Not only did he care for a girl he had never met, he cared about her, Rei. Even though he knew what she was. Her pale cheeks coloured pink at the thought of that. A warm glowing feeling spread through her chest, a familiar feeling she slowly came to like.

The rest of the elevator ride was silent. With a hiss and a jerk, the platform had reached its destination. Rei and the boy stepped off. The vast emptiness of the building was filled with the soft tapping of shoes against the metallic flooring, unit another hiss of a door sounded. The boy groaned to himself as they found themselves on an escalator, heading deeper into the belly of NERV. At some point they had to go up, right?

To the boy's surprise, Rei spoke again.

"I have obtained your view on the Commander." She stated. " … I would like to know your opinion on … me." She fidgeted ever so slightly and turned her head to face him once again.

The boy's eye widened. He wasn't expecting that, she kept surprising him. He giggled.

"Well, you're the wonderful Rei Ayanami. An intuitive and observant girl who seems to never lose her cool. A girl coming into her own, but struggling with her heavy burdens and lack of experiences. Someone who I can call a friend, that is, if you are okay with that." He said with a genuine smile on his face.

Rei didn't know how to respond to the zombie child, her face was a light with new heat flushing her cheeks.

"That is … acceptable." She stated.

"But what of … the other part?"

"Ah, that." the boy rubbed the back of his head. Rummaging through his brain, he found a few words to say. "I will be blunt with you, Rei. I am aware that you're the second Rei to exist. A clone if you will. But my opinion hasn't changed. Clone or not, you're still you. The Rei Ayanami in front of me is a unique individual, because there's only one of you-"

"But, I am as you say, a clone-" She interrupted.

Chuckling to himself, the boy continued. "I'm not done Rei. You are not the previous Rei nor is she you. The both of you were different people. The only thing that remained consistent were your looks and even those had subtle differences. The point is, your are an individual, you are you."

The boy sighed, he decided to nip a problem in the bud before it came up. "Look … you have a right to live, just as much as everybody else does. Clone or not. You have thoughts and feelings, right? A heart beats in your chest, you are alive Rei. You are not replaceable, Rei. Being a clone doesn't change that. I still want to stand by your side and be able to call myself your friend." He finished.

The bluenette stood in silent shock. There was a hefty amount to take in. Her lip twitched upwards, with cheeks that were unapologetically pink. He saw her. He saw Rei Ayanami. Not a clone or an object, but a person. This boy challenged her world and he was slowly winning. All of her existence was for one purpose and one purpose alone, the will of Commander Ikari. She never once thought about herself being anything else except a tool used for that specific end. Rei's mind work tirelessly, failing to figure out the boy. She was still pretty tired and decided to leave some questions for a later time, preferably when she had optimal cognitive functions.

On the other hand, the dried-lipped boy analyzed the scene around him. NERV wasn't all too different then previous ... lifetimes? timelines? Hell if he knew at this point. The structure was more or less familiar to him. Looking at the blue hair in front of him, his mind drifted to Rei again. She was a little more open to interacting and speaking than the others he'd encountered, well, when asked the right questions … and know all of her secrets. Maybe it was just him then.

Rei was always a hard one to read at times, but in contradiction, she could be read like a book sometimes. It was confusing to say the least, but having experienced Rei, and all of her personality deprived glory, countless of times was quite helpful in understanding the her slight gestures and what they meant. The boy found it funny to see how normal she could be when she was tired. Who would've guessed that Rei had a bashful side.

Unfortunately, the calm ride was coming to an end. The two weirdos stepped off the escalator, and continued through the labyrinth. It was time. Roaming through the maze-like halls, they approached another elevator. The boy stared at the elevator doors in front of him, they were quite big to say the least. The chrome shine was always alluring. With a soft ding, the doors hissed opened. With a step, they entered the maw of the moving box. The jaws closed behind them, sealing shut. Rei clicked a button and within seconds, the elevator jerked to life and began it's ascent.

The numbers ticked by as the boy stood in waiting. As time passed, he got closer and closer to the bastard king's layer. A large smile stretched across the boy's face, breaking his lips and allowing blood to flow down his chin. His heavy and dried eyes hardened. the heart beat in his chest was eerily calm. The zombie child was about to confront the most predicable man he'd ever had the displeasure of meeting. A person who he didn't even want to share the same air with.

Gendo Ikari.

Within minutes, the elevator dinged again as the door slid and rattled open. A hall with only a tall double door stood at the end of it. Even if the boy tried, he couldn't wipe the grin from his face. Rei led him to the door. She reached for the handle, but hesitated. Why would she hesitate? The bluenette felt a strange amount of anxiety build in her chest. It was baffling to why that would be, she was just going to speak to the man she trusted the most. So why? A word rang in her head "careful", the boy's words struck an annoying cord in her, but she wasn't fearing for herself. She was replaceable, but just as she thought that, "you have a right to live, just as much as everybody else does. Clone or not." Again, his voice rang out. "You are not replaceable, Rei." It didn't make sense, it felt good, but why!

Rei let go of the breath she didn't know she was holding and knocked, then opened the door.

There Gendo sat, hands clasped in that pose. Eyes barely peering over the ridges of his hands. His tinted glasses hid his eyes and reflected the bright light filtering in through the massive window that stretched across the room. Little lights on the ceiling and floor didn't help in the matter as his eyes were hidden behind the glare of the glasses. He looked to Rei with a ghost of a smile.

"Rei." He spoke.

"Commander, I've come to clarify a situation. I would like you to speak to him." She stated.

Gendo's brow twitched in curiosity. This was a first. He heard a day old rumor about Rei spending time with someone, but wasn't sure what to make of that. The situation part was also interesting, was that why she came to him? Before he could ponder any longer, the tapping of shoes filled the room as the commander of NERV was faced with a sight, even he, wasn't expecting.

A boy clad in black. His dark brown hair was long and messy. The boy's skin was sickly. Piercing gray, blood shot eyes looked onward from under his out of control bangs. What looked to be either scar tissue or bags lined the bottom of the kid's eyelids. The sight was rather odd, but what stood out the most was the grin plastered on his face. Blood leaked from his cracked lips. Gendo took note of something, there was no pride or ego behind that grin. It was like a default expression the boy wore. But there was still something … unsettling about it. Gendo had seen many grins, smirks, and smiles in his time. Intent was something he learned to pick up from them. From a weasel-like deceit, to the arrogance and ego of a superiority complex, this was different from everything he'd seen before. He couldn't put his finger on it. The boy huffed a humored breath and spoke.

"Nice place you got here." He commented and craned his head to the side, looking up in an awkward position. Taking in the office and view.

His voice was a dried rasp. Causing some surprise to the commander, Gendo stared at the new figure who dared step into his domain with a half-assed attitude.

He looked to Gendo again. "So … you're the great commander of NERV, Gendo Rokubungi, huh?" He stepped forward and took his hands out of his pockets. Raising his arms in false hailing to a great champion. The boy took note on the twitch he got from Gendo in response.

Gendo sat in silent shock. Who was this boy and how did he know the name he long since buried? Before he could voice his question, the boy continued.

"I'm not going to waste either of our time Gendo, I know you're a real busy man and all. So, I'll make this quick before we play a game of twenty questions." He smirked, "I am hear for one reason, I came here to become the Fourth Children … Child of NERV."

Gendo blinked, he wasn't prepared for anything like this. He usually sought people out, not the other way around. He silently composed himself.

"Based on your demeanor, I'm assuming you know what that entails, correct? So tell me, why would you purposely put yourself in such a position? Also, I'm curious of why you say fourth instead of third."

"Perceptive as always. I'm of the understanding that you're having trouble taming the cyclopes in the basement along with the purple berserk model kit. I want to alleviate those issues, you only have one active pilot after all. To quench your number curiosity, I already know that your son is arriving next month or so." He said.

Another twitch came from the bastard king when the boy mentioned his son.

"How do you know-"

"Oh come now, Rokubungi. You're a smart man, I'm sure you can figure it out … eventually. Besides, you're not the only one who knows things." The boy said. He chuckled, his grin morphed into a knowing smile.

"It's Ikari."

"No, that doesn't sound right to me. Yui Ikari's husband died around ten years ago, along with the former going missing. I wonder how'd she feel to know how her pride and joy was so wrongfully violated and betrayed by a pathetic man posing as her husband, pretending to be a father to her son." The boy tilted his head, his eyes lowered with his smile sharpening.

The Commander of NERV quickly began to realize that this kid wasn't just a boy who knew of a few rumors or heard something from the grape vine. No, this kid knew far more. Gendo, for one of the first times, felt raw fear. Much like the fear of a child who stole cookies from the cookie jar, lied about it, and was caught. His chest tightened as a cold chill shot through him. He made it a priority to keep up the smoke and mirrors so no one could figure out about anything going on within the heart of NERV. This boy cracked that barrier within a few seconds of talking. Gendo began to understand this kid a little more clearly. His demeanor made sense now, the boy knew he had control in this situation. The man looked to the kid in question to see a glint in his eyes, that damn smile grew bigger.

"Your catching on, huh? Well, no matter. Tell you what, let's a play a game." He offered, extending his unreachable hand. "Here's the deal, if I'm able to get a higher sync rate than Rei for both Eva's, I become the Fourth Child and work under you. If I lose, you can do whatever you want. Including putting two bullets in the back my head and calling it a suicide. Fair?"

Gendo paused, perhaps … the boy was more foolish then he thought. Relief washed over the man as control was back in his court. He debated whether or not to outright dispose of him right here and now, the silenced magnum in his jacket was tempting and Rei wouldn't say a word if he told her not to. But this was an interesting turn of events. He knew Evangelions were like scanners, if you didn't have an acceptable bar code, it would reject you. It was a guaranteed win for Gendo either way. Better yet, he could take advantage of this, a work place accident was always a risk. He could hear it now "Pilot died from recklessly actions and tampering with Evangelion." That was all that was needed and his pawns wouldn't bat an eye. If the boy won, he could use him in means to an end. Just another tool at his disposal.

"I will partake in this wager and you have my permission to access the cages. I look forward to see your results." He gave the boy a smirk of his own. Reminding him that this was HIS castle, NERV was HIS kingdom.

Rei watched on. To the boy, it was obvious she was nervous of the whole thing. He flashed her a confident smile and walked by her, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Rei, could you show me to the Eva cages? Oh! And tell me what what your sync score is, I want to now what I'm aiming for." He said. Enthusiastic about the competition.

She nodded and turned to face her Commander. "I will be escorting him to the cages." She said.

He hummed in response and let her walk away with the dead man.

The bluenette gulped. Her nerves landed in her belly, causing it to roil and feel weighed down. She lead the zombie child back to the elevator. Leaving Gendo in his office. The doors hissed and slid open and they both stepped into the box. The doors closed and began it's descent.

"Rei, how about you go home and rest for a while. You've had a long day as it is, I can find my way around here. Besides, I like a good maze!" He said with a smile.

She didn't respond, only gave a single nod. His smile did little to help her stress. Her heart thumped hard in her chest with her stomach bubbling in anxiety. The bluenette wasn't used to this feeling, maybe rest was what she needed? She needed her mind to be clear again. But yet, she was worried for the boy. Round and round it went in her head, from worry to exhaustion. The ding of the elevator pulled her back into the present.

She looked to the boy again. "Twenty 26.9%. That is my highest sync score."

The boy blinked at Rei. She hesitated, but stepped out of the elevator, leaving the boy behind. He notice as she left, her hand touched his. Looking to her, the doors began to close. She looked over her shoulder as the doors fully sealed. The boy blinked. That was new for Rei. Touching him on purpose like that … she was that worried, huh. The boy smiled, he wasn't expecting Rei to be so sentimental about him. Gendo … eat you're heart out.

Stepping out of the elevator, he entered into a new domain. The science division. Ritsuko Akagi's layer. He took a breath and pressed on. Waltzing through the halls, the workers started to notice him. They looked unsure what to do or think of the boy walking around the halls. He chuckled to himself at the reaction. In a short while he made it to the laboratory. He heard tapping of keyboards and beeps from machinery. He crossed the threshold and entered. Taking in the environment, he noticed no blond hair to be seen, no Akagi in sight. Instead, a brown-haired woman with a beige jacket was typing away on a computer of sorts. Working on the M.A.G.I. He smiled and sighed.

"Working hard I see." His voice rasped out.

The girl jumped, a few papers fell to the ground. Her coffee was launched into the air, but with a swift move, she caught the mug without a drop. She, rather flustered by the whole ordeal, turned to face the perpetrator behind her embarrassment. The woman whipped around and saw no one, until she angled her head down and found a boy standing before her. He was odd looking, but normal at the same time. Messy brown hair, darker then hers. Full black attire, from hoodie to pants. She noticed his eyes and cracked lips. A concerning sight indeed.

The boy blinked in surprise, the girl was more animated then he remembered. "Sorry to startle you, heh, heh."

Composing herself she cleared her throat. "It's okay. But, uh, who are you?" She asked, placing a finger to her lip as if she was trying to solve a puzzle.

"That's good question."

"...Um?"

"I'll let you now when I figure it out. Instead, let's start with you, what's you're name?" He asked.

The girl tilted her head and gave a small smile. Her brows lowered in worry. "I'm Maya Ibuki, First lieutenant!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Ibuki." He gave a playful bow, "I am going to be the Fourth Child, guess you're gonna have to put up with me for a while."

The boy gave out a little giggle as he stood up and faced her once again. "I came here to do a sync test with both Unit-0 and Unit-1. It more or less a capability test to see if I can pilot an Evangelion."

Maya blinked in surprise. "The Commander gave you permission?"

The boy nodded. "But, I believe we're missing one." He said. His eyes bounced around the room, it was only him and Maya at the moment.

"Yes, we just have to wait for Senpai's- er, I mean, Doctor Akagi's return!"

Shrugging, the zombie child stood in waiting. He looked to Maya in front of him, damn, even she was taller then him. One day he wouldn't be the shortest in the room! Shaking off the thought, he took a quick glance around the lab. He found it more-or-less the same as previous incarnations. Some of the things that were different was the double set coffee machines and a few boxes of doughnuts scattered around the room. A high-tech looking water dispenser sat in the corner next to a plant. The boy turned his attention back to the nervous-looking girl in font of him. She was more stressed then the supposed newbie pilot it seemed. He sighed, maybe he could lighten the mood a little bit. With that being said, he let his dumb humor shine.

"I have a question. If an athlete gets athlete's foot, do astronauts get missile-toe?" And there it was. Maya blinked and stared at him for a second. A smirk grew on his face.

"Sometimes at night, I wonder where the sun had gone, then it dawned on me."

A short giggle came from the girl as she caught on. Minutes passed, Ibuki's giggles turned to chuckles. Within a short period, she was laughing at the dumb puns and stupid jokes that spewed from the kids mouth.

Outside the room, the elevator hissed as the doors opened. A blonde woman wearing a long white lab-coat stepped out. Her tired eyes looked to the clipboard in her hands, rereading the same sentence over and over. She had just gotten back from some meetings and irritating conversations that took up her valuable time. Not to mention her relations with Ikari weren't fulfilling to say the least. To top it all off, she had paint thinner disguised as coffee and stale doughnut waiting for her when she got back to the laboratory. Bad day was an understatement to be sure, more like bad few years by this point. Eva was her curse and NERV was her prison. All of this was because she feel in love with the commander, why did she love him again? The lady closed her eyes in thought, but suddenly opened again. She heard something so alien to her, something she hadn't heard in a long time. Laughter, real genuine laughter. Coming from … the lab? As she got closer, she could hear wheezing and unladylike snorts coming from the room. It was Maya laugh, she was sure of that. Music to her ears, really any laugh would be after this long. Another muffled voice caught her attention, it was not one she recognized. With a new curiosity, the good doctor stepped into the room.

The sight that befell her was odd. Maya was clutching her stomach and wheezing. To the laughing girl's side was a short male. Black clad and pale skin. Messy, dark chocolate brown hair covered his head and parts of his face. Speaking of which, a massive smile stretched along it. His pink cracked lips bled slightly. The doctor wasn't expecting anything like this to happen within the hour she was away.

The lieutenant noticed the doctor standing there, watching the scene. Panicking, she quickly adjusted herself.

"Hello Senpie! W-welcome back!" A few more giggles escaped from her as she tried to suppress them.

The woman could only smile. "I see you been having good time in my absence." A chuckle of her own escape her lips. She turned to look at the calm boy who seemed to have a constant smile plastered on his face. Now, it was directed at her. "It seems you have a new friend, care to introduce me to him?" she asked.

She didn't seem all to worried about his presence. This was a highly secured facility, no one could just walk through the front door. The laboratory was off limits to unspecified personnel, not just any one can enter. Especially a kid. He couldn't waltz around and find these locations without a map. That would be impossible. So him being here means he was already accustomed to NERV and probably worked with or worked here in the organization. Her only question, who was he?

Maya cleared her throat. " Senpie, believe it or not, this boy claims to be the Fourth Child. He's here to do testing with Unit-00 and Unit-01. He has permission from the commander … apparently."

A few seconds ticked by. The clipboard nearly cracked under the pressure of the doctor's hands. This boy was the what? She didn't expect this turn of events. The Third was due to arrive sometime next month, but the Fourth! She was told nothing about even the prospects of recruiting a Fourth Child yet! Damn that man! Did he know nothing about communication? Why was it that need-to-know information never got to her and when it did, why was she the last to know about it! There was nothing that could be done about it now. The Fourth Child was just dropped into her lap, so now it was her problem to deal with. Her attention switched to the boy, who decided to speak.

"You must be Doctor Akagi. It's a pleasure to meet you. Heh, heh, I guess your kinda stuck with me now. Sorry to cause such a disturbance, but, I look forward to working with you!" He said as he scratched the back of his head.

Well … at least he had nice manners. Her nerves lightened a bit by that. "Please, you don't need to be so formal. You may call me Ritsuko, if you'd like." Ritsuko said with a warm smile.

The boy looked to her, meeting her smile with one of his own. He nodded to her request. Taking a glimpse of the doctor, she was pretty much the same as the others, appearance wise that is. She had her iconic lab coat and deep purple shirt with the ringed zipper. The rest of her attire consisted of her black skirt, nylons, and black heels. He noticed her posture, instead of the tall and stoic form she usually had, she had a slight slouch and bags under her eyes. That was cause for concern to the boy. It was rare to see Ritsuko this worn down this early on. Analyzing more, he found something else about her figure. The tall woman wasn't as lean as he remembered, Ritsuko … gained weight? Her stomach pushed against the shirt and dug into her belt, causing a noticeable round bump. Her thighs filled out a little more of her skirt as well. He knew things were stressful for her, but he didn't know it was this bad. She was a fairly lean woman every time he saw her. Ritsuko didn't really do any physical activities and mostly did research, the smoking wasn't helping her already health staggering life style either. Yet, all those times, she was as lean as a super model. This time however, she had some baggage. Her form exposed a lot more about this NERV and how the victims of it were fairing. The good doctor's emotional baggage was now shown in a physical form. The boy cursed the man most likely behind her dismay. The one who used her affection for only gain, the one who continuously broke her heart, the one who used her mother and threw her away. Gendo "Ikari".

A humored thought crossed his mind, as much as the doctor disliked Rei, the two had some things in common. The betrayal of trust and love was one of them. The second was the manipulation. Both being used as tools and means to an end. The boy sighed to himself, she was another one he'd cut the string off of. If Gendo didn't do that himself already that is. Charm wasn't that thing's strong suite. Rei and Ritsuko would probably get along pretty well … if circumstances were normal, that is.

"Forgive me, but what tests were you here for again?" Ritsuko asked, breaking the boy's thoughts.

"A sync test with Unit-00 and Unit-01, Miss Ritsuko." He said.

The good doctor was going to make a remark about the "miss" business, but that could wait. She gripped her clipboard and huffed. "Unit-00 AND Unit-01! I'm starting to suspected our dear commander is either ignorant, incompetent, or stupid. Perhaps he's all three!" She switch over to Ibuki.

"Maya, don't you remember what happened last time we tested Unit-01? Why are we attempting to do it again, that's just blatant insanity! What happens if it goes berserk and, god forbid, eats someone!" Ritsuko ranted.

Maya stuttered. "B-but the c-commander gave the order, Senpei! I-it's not like we have a choice."

Ritsuko pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, I say to hell with him-"

"Your concerns are noted, Doctor, but I assure you that both the cyclops and the purple action figure will not go berserk. I can bet my life on it safely." The boy spoke, his calm rasp butted into the woman's frustration. "All I have to do is get a sync score higher then 26.9%. That was my wager with the commander. If I can't do that, then I will be removed." He explained.

Ritsuko stared at him for a moment, a fire burned in her belly. Gendo made a bet with this kid? Why in god's name would he do something that childish and reckless! Further more, how did this child know about the Evas! She looked back to the boy and observed him more closely. Those dull gray eyes stared back, his smile was in a constant calm state. It gave her a weary sense of confidence, but also … a sense of caution. She cleared her throat.

"You mention a specific sync ratio, may I ask why?" She had a feeling she knew the answer to that.

"That's the First Child's sync score. Rei Ayanami's sync score to be more specific. My goal is to get above that."

So, he knows about Rei, … lovely. The doctor dwelled on the situation at hand. Her overworked mind chugged along, trying to find out the best possible out come to this mess. She gave out a small sigh.

"I will prepare the cages for you. Once you're ready, we'll begin the tests." Ritsuko relented.

She made her way to the computer and typed away. "You may enter the cage whenever, once you do, wait for further instructions."

The boy nodded and walked out of the lab, disappearing from sight. Ritsuko huffed an irritable sigh and messaged her temples. While she had time on her hands, the faux blonde decided to check around and poke at some files. If the 'commander' already planned for the Fourth Child to arrive, then their would be a file on him, right?

"Hey Maya, what was the child's name again?" She asked.

"Well … I don't know his name, Senpei. Apparently, he doesn't know his name either." The first lieutenant replied.

"He doesn't know his own name … " Ritsuko reiterated. She hummed in thought and furrowed her brows, there's no way this kid didn't have a name.

Narrowing down her options, she still couldn't recognize any of the files. After another quick search, the doctor came up empty handed. Once again adding fuel to her frustration, her stomach bubbled with an angry fire. Similar to that of a boiling cauldron. Ritsuko grabbed a stale doughnut, giving her belly something else to fight besides itself. She growled, the good doctor was flying blind with this one. No file, no nothing. Not even a blood record. To the supposed Fourth Child's credit, he seemed alright enough. He actually seemed competent in her opinion … a rare sight indeed.

She looked to the monitors to see the boy standing in front of the purple berserker, Evangelion Unit-01. Her heart sped up when the realization kicked in, she essentially just sent this kid to his death. Her fair skin turned sickly pale as her stomach flipped and knotted. With a deep quaking breath, she talked into the mic in front of her.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this? We do offer safer options such as simulations, they work just as good as the real thing. Without the risks as well." Her conscious refused to let the boy die without a chance to reconsider.

The boy simply chuckled and shook his head. "Thank you for your concern, Ritsuko, but that wasn't the deal. You seriously don't need to worry so much. I'm ready whenever you are." He said.

Ritsuko bit her lip and nodded as if he could see her. She tapped a few keys.

"Eva Unit-01, papered for testing!" The blonde announced.

Looking up in amusement, the boy watched as platforms shifted and moved. The red LCL liquid drained from the cage. The boy smiled as the sickening feeling of nostalgia washed over him. Walking up the grated staircase, he approached the massive humanoid's back. With a hiss, the Entry Plug popped out. This was it. He was drowning in all sorts of emotions as memories, that weren't his own, flashed in his mind. From him screaming from within the purple beast, to feeling at peace as he inhaled the blood of an angel. The feelings of tranquility and belonging were revolting to him.

With a skip, he leaped into the plug and took a seat in the overly designed cockpit. Slipping into it like a snug glove, the hatch closed. Sealing him in the violent angel killer. LCL began to fill the chamber. The boy inhaled it like a fish desperate for water. Once he was all settled in, the comms chimed.

"I'm curious, how did you know to breath in the LCL?" Ritsuko questioned.

He panicked a little, he couldn't blow his cover too quickly. Thinking fast, he spoke. "Well, it was a guess. I doubt that you would drown me before the test even started, I kinda thought of it like how fighter pilots wear oxygen masks or the gel that deep sea divers use."

The doctor blinked, he wasn't too far off with that random guess. It could have been a decontamination solution for all he knew, so why didn't he hesitate and hold his breath until it was proven safe? That was … an interesting question to her. However, she didn't have time to ponder that at the moment.

"You're in the ball park with that train of thought. The LCL liquid transfers oxygen directly into your blood stream, so you don't have to worry about breathing." Ritsuko clarified.

He nodded to that. He'd heard that plenty of times before, but might as well humor the poor doctor. With a hum, the Eva began its activation. The boy closed his eyes and relaxed himself as the world around him lit up in a florescent display of bright flashing lights. His mind connected to the Eva.