Chapter Eight: Dinner Party, Section Two Stake Out, Ryoji Sensei.

It was a relatively quiet evening at the Major apartment. Relatively quiet. As in nobody was slinging N2 mines, positron weapons, or Misato's cooking about. In fact it was fortunate that Misato WASN'T cooking tonight, it was fortunate any night Misato didn't cook.

The primary reason it was good tonight was that Commander Ikari had been invited . . . correction . . . HAD invited HIMSELF to the Katsuragi/Ikari/Ayanami/Soryu residence for dinner.

'I really need to consider a bigger apartment.' Misato decided as she looked about, Asuka and Yui were arguing, Rei was in the kitchen with Shinji just for the sake of escaping the noise, even the sound of construction near her old apartment was less obnoxious then this! And Misato was stuck in the middle of it all, pulling on a semi presentable outfit for the commander's visit.

As if on cue the door bell rang.

"I'll get it!" Yui shouted as she untangled herself from a conversation with Asuka and shot down the hall towards the door.

Gendo bowed his head as he entered the apartment, gave Yui a smile and handed her a bocce. Yui didn't know whether to find this charming, or kind of disturbing . . . She shook her head, she still loved Gendo, and the opposite was still true, despite her appearance she still had nearly thirty years of operative life experience, she was an adult mentally and emotionally. Yui decided charming was the right word.

"Come in Rokubungi", Yui said teasingly, pulling the commander of NERV in by the arm of his jacket like a child would her father. And leaving Gendo quite surprised before he hid it as best he could behind a mask of indifference.

Yui blinked a few times, mouth pursed, "Don't be like that."

"Hmmm?"

"That! Your trying to hide behind your creepy face, don't do it!" Yui teased, poking his shoulder gently.

Gendo loosened up a bit as he took the Major's apartment in for the first time. He honestly would have proffered that Yui live with him, but as it was, his apartment amounted to a studio room where he came to sleep some nights. Otherwise he essentially lived at the Geofront. Yui had never been one to stand for so much time spent inside proffering the open air, and the perpetual warm days since Second Impact, to the tight confines of Tokyo-3's underground bastions. This, he had to agree, was the best arrangement to be made.

The apartment was satisfactory, everything appeared clean and in order. The Second Child was occupied watching TV. "Good evening Commander", she said absently as she watched a soap opera intently.

"Asuka! You could at least be a little more polite!" Misato berated as she turned to face her superior officer. "Sir, good evening." She gave a slight nervous salute. At least she'd had the decency to wear something appropriate for the engagement.

"Where are the First and Third Children?" The Commander asked.

Yui smacked him on the shoulder.

Gendo glanced at her apologetically, " . . . Where are Shinji and Rei?" He asked this time, gaining a nod of approval from Yui.

"Oh, their in the kitchen." Misato replied as she gave the Commander of NERV a mischievous wink. "There quite cute together."

Yui coughed into her hand slightly at the comment, nudging Gendo slightly toward the kitchen. It was time for him to speak with his son, whether he liked it or not. She didn't expect them to become a family, too much time had been lost for that, but she did want to see both of the men in her life get along. More importantly though it would break Shinji and Rei apart for a little bit.

It wasn't that Yui didn't adore Rei and think she and Shinji would make a good couple, and there was no reason to prevent it. But her motherly instincts were shrieking for her to carefully manipulate her son's relationship. All good mothers did that, right? RIGHT!

Gendo seemed to get the message hurriedly excusing himself politely under the scrutiny of Yui.

The apartment's arrangement was straightforward so he had no trouble finding the kitchen as it was the first door off the hallway. He paused for a moment, noting the situation, a slight smirk showed through before his mask fell back in place.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

The door bell buzzed out in the living room. "I'll get it." A voice rang out.

Shinji sighed as he worked on dinner, his mother was very, energetic. Not one to take anything lying down in the least. Rei stood next to him slowly chopping vegetables, she was considerably better at it then Yui, following his instructions and precisely duplicating the technique he had shown her.

Rei glanced over at Shinji curiously, Rei paid more attention then most people realized. Many of her fellow students just thought she was stupid. They couldn't be farther from the truth. She tried to see the flaws that other girls saw in Shinji, but she couldn't. She liked his feminine features, she liked his sad eyes, she liked his kindness even if it was mostly due to his normally wimpish nature.

"Ikari?"

"Hmmm, yes?"

"Do you . . . like me?" She asked, continuing in her work without pause despite how apprehensive she was. 'Why am I like this? I am confident Ikari likes me . . . but he has not said so himself . . . And I am not . . . adapt at such things. . . I could be mistaken . . .'

Shinji however was frozen in abject terror. 'Quick, she asked if you like her, say YES! Wait! What if it's a trick question! Don't answer!'

The silence that followed made Rei feel slightly ill. She let it continue for a full minute. "I . . . see." She whispered as she turned back to the vegetables.

"No, i-it's not like . . ." Shinji began startled.

"Not like what?"

"N-nothing."

Rei did not inquire further, instead continuing with her quite task.

"Shinji."

He turned startled at that cold voice to see his father in the doorway. Shinji paled visibly he hadn't been sure how he would act with in his fathers presence for any prolonged time but he had promised his mother he would try. Rei simply continued with her work. If somebody had payed attention they might have noticed the slight tenseness as if she was forcing herself to ignore the Commander.

"Rei . . . leave." Gendo ordered as he entered the small cooking space.

Rei froze for an instant, part of her psyche was screaming to stay near Shinji, another part of her was pulling at her to leave the room as her superior officer had ordered. She'd never had such a conflicting tangle of thoughts and emotions. On the outside none of this could be seen, after a long pause Rei quietly inched past the Commander and Shinji before finding a convenient place to stand in the hallway within earshot but out of sight.

'The Commander told me to leave he did not tell me where to leave to.' Rei reasoned as she took her vigil listening in on the soft chopping and preparation of the meal.

The silence was almost unbearable for Shinji as his father stood in Rei's place cutting the vegetables while saying nothing, he finally couldn't stand it any longer.

"Y-you lied." He whispered, his throat going tight.

Gendo did not reply, instead continuing to chop the vegetables in Rei's stead.

"I get it now, why you didn't keep any pictures, you used Rei!" He turned his voice only a little louder but as defiant as a shout in his father's face, the elder Ikari was perhaps the only man Shinji could ever get angry at and his tempter had finally reached the boiling point.

"You used Rei as a replacement for Mother, WHY? Why did you do something like that!"

Gendo didn't say anything at all, he seemed totally unfazed by Shinji's outburst. After several long agonizing moments he spoke.

"I was afraid . . . I would forget what I was doing this for." Gendo said simply, it was a partial truth he had been afraid he would forget her face, her smile . . .

Shinji didn't speak, and in fact grew quiet and perhaps very slightly sympathetic as his father continued.

"You see, your Mother and I wanted to be sure the Angels would be defeated so we pushed for the development of the EVA system. It was . . . My own fault that she was in Unit-01 to begin with. During the testing, we were so sure it would be safe. . ."

Gendo trailed off. "I seriously considered suicide after your mother was . . . absorbed." He continued, it was a testament of Gendo's own tremendous strength of character the he managed to tell this much of his story to his son without quaver and why he had decided now to tell it he was not sure himself strange events caused people to do strange things. "But I still had responsibilities to discharge, the operation of Gehrin and then NERV, and the defense against the Angels. Yui . . . always wanted a daughter, so you would have a playmate. And we agreed that once Unit-01 was completed and the testing was done we would conceive your little sister. But after the accident . . ."

The chopping stopped and Shinji turned to see the vegetables neatly cut.

His father was already stepping back out towards the hallway when he paused. "Shinji, you can never understand another person completely, but . . . perhaps you can understand them, enough." With that Gendo stepped out into the hall and walked quietly back toward the living room.

Shinji didn't know what his father was referring to but he nodded slowly. 'Maybe I understand a little . . . father but why couldn't you have been kinder to her . . . why couldn't you have accepted her as your daughter if you were so . . .'

Rei's head poked back in curiously, she said nothing as she stood quietly beside Shinji.

"What is wrong?" She asked noting the stiffness of his arms as he worked on the meal.

"N-nothing Ayanami." He replied trying to avoid her gaze as he focused on his work cooking the beef.

"You are lying." She stated simply, Rei may not have entirely understood emotions or what motivated them but she COULD read them in others.

"W-What?"

"You are lying." She repeated, "Something is bothering you."

"Yeah, maybe its . . ." Shinji felt something wrapped tight against him and blinked as he felt Rei press her head against his back. "A-Ayanami what are you . . ." He swallowed as she tightened the grip slightly.

"Major Katsuragi explained that when a person you care for is troubled you try to make them feel better." She replied, 'I did not expect this to be so comforting for myself.' Rei thought, and brushed that track of thought from her mind as she focused on Shinji's well being. He had cared and worried about her, now she would return that care and worry for him.

Shinji swallowed, but managed to smile slightly, he hadn't expected anything like this from Rei, but it also seemed so much in kind with her, simple and to the point.

"Its alright Rei, I just feel bad about everything my Father has done."

Rei looked at Shinji curiously. "The Commander has done great things Shinji, if it were not for him project-E may have been derailed at any point and the earth would have found itself in grave peril. It is thanks to him and his associates that the EVA's were ready when the Angels finally came. Because of his actions the entire human race can have hope of a better future."

Those words startled Shinji, he didn't doubt that his father had at least to begin with some kind of selfish motive, his own hatred and slight fear of the man allowed no other possibility. But he couldn't deny that great good had come from his actions and sheer determination.

"Yeah Rei . . . maybe your right." Shinji said distantly, Gendo may never have been a good father or even a good human being, it did not stop him from having done great things and it didn't stop a certain pride from welling up in Shinji. "But I still feel bad about things like how he hurt you."

Rei pulled out of the embrace so she could look Shinji in the face. Shinji flinched afraid she was going to strike him, instead however he just saw her staring at him curious. "The Commander has never harmed me Shinji of that I am certain." Rei whispered firmly.

She didn't add anything about her fated death, that was the Commander making a command decision, it was simply the brutal truth of the equation in her eyes and she felt no betrayal over it.

Shinji simply nodded, "Maybe Rei . . ."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"Nothing unusual." Agent Tanaka muttered as he took a sip on his drink. Three other Section Two agents of the Special Operations squad sat in the van around him, monitoring sensor taps, including a laser mic aimed at Major Katsuragi's residence.

"Keep your eyes peeled." Agent Miyazaki replied as he sat with his feet on the dashboard keeping watch for any unusual activity along the vehicles forward arc and glancing down at the video feed from several observation camera's hidden in the area around the apartment. They had their orders, don't let anything get close to the Majors residence without authorization. Those orders now applied to over two thirds of Section Two, one hundred and twenty men and women sat in a perimeter stretching out for several blocks, invisible to the untrained eye.

"Hmmm . . . Anyone else here think we have a weird line of work." Tanaka asked.

"No not at all, we keep an eye on a bunch of mentally dysfunctional kids who should be taking medication or at least going to weekly psychiatric sessions, oh yeah and said kids are the saviors of the Earth. Nothing odd at all." Miyazaki replied. He stared intently across the streets where a three man team stood guard from the second story window of an apartment before shifting his eyes to study a man in plain clothes walking his dog. Of course the dog was a Police Trained Doberman and the man himself was a Section Two Agent.

"You know I gave up a job working in the CIA for this." Jankowski, a foreigner and rather irritating man to be around chimed in. "I expected more then just grunt steak out work." True, his line of work had been much more interesting as a Shadow Martial . . . you heard nothing, you saw nothing, what shadow marshals? We don't know what those are, good day . . . Best kind of work in the world in Jankowski's opinion.

"Hey we've got movement up front."

"Eh, oh its just that kid Aida, he's harmless." One of the Agents dismissed him absently. "Still . . . the boss did say no interruptions . . . Tanaka noted with an evil grin on his face. "Can we please . . . please just go and scare him?" The rather intimidating Section Two agent asked in a falsely sweet voice.

"As long as he's not permanently injured . . . Go ahead." The Unit Commander decided.

"I love my job sir." Tanaka said happily as he stepped out of the back of the van with a stun gun at the ready.

Kensuke Aida stayed low as he approached the apartment, he didn't want to attract any attention after all. Camcorder in one hand and a handmade periscope in the other he had several objectives. ONE: Get shots of Asuka which were STILL selling well, and TWO: Get Shots of Yui, which had started selling even better then Asuka at her best.

"Hey kid."

Kensuke did a good imitation of a statue as the grating voice sounded from behind him. He turned slowly to see a tall thin man in plain clothes, a pair of baggy pants, and a sweatshirt, there was a smirk on his face. "You shouldn't be out this late . . ."

"Well erm, I was heading home and . . ."

"What's with the Camera? You been spying on the Majors residence?" He asked, an evil glint in his eyes.

"NO, No, no, no I was just I mean . . ." 'This guy must be Section Two, oh man I'm dead!' Kensuke was sweating.

Tanaka was enjoying this to no end, 'Wish I'd brought a camera.' He thought as he escalated the situation withdrawing a small black shape from his pocket. Kensuke paled to levels that would have rivaled Rei. "Now, now, I m-mean no need to be hasty . . ."

"The Commander has ordered us to keep a close watch on you . . . maybe you're an agent for a foreign government that's trying to steal the designs for the EVA's, or perhaps your some kind of assassin after the children?"

"WHAT!" Kensuke felt his life flash before his eyes as he imagine this man pulling the trigger and silencing him . . . "Oh god all I was going to do was snap pictures . . ." He shouted in fear.

"Aha, so you were going to take pictures to identify the targets for your snipers." Tanaka countered, by now he was cackling away within his own head. "Well then, the Commander's standing orders are to execute any threat to the pilot's on site, sorry kid."

"NOpleasedon-" Kensuke Aida went silent as the Stun Gun discharged, knocking him out with enough voltage to stun a cow. "Nighty night kid." Tanaka muttered, grinning as he thought of what fun they were going to have with the poor boy when he came too. Section Two hired agents based on performance and loyalty, if they were sadistic, cruel, or just plain mean in their spare time . . . well, that was up to them.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Dinner was a quiet affair, some conversation went back and forth amongst everyone crammed around the small dining table. In general it was the discussion of everyday life, it seemed so out of place.

Yet it also was comforting to think that their lives could be like this even with all of the impossible things that had happened in the last few days, Yui commented on the cooking as she dug into her third serving, Misato and Asuka tried their best to keep up with the energetic young (again?) woman's pace.

An unseen smile crossed Gendo's face as he watched the scene, it was soothing somehow to him. If he had only had the chance to have lived life would there have been nights like this? . . . His attention came to be fixed on Shinji, who was in turn focused on Rei. The girl was eyeing the meal on her plate, Rei had never had many kinds of food and this was one of the ones she had no experience with. Some kind of vegetable and rice dish with a sauce over it that Shinji had made just for her and Yui.

She shifted uncomfortably, new things were not good, new things were uncontrolled variables, they could affect her when she didn't want to be affected, change her when she didn't want to be changed. And yet . . . and yet . . . 'It will taste good.' She told herself with absolute belief, she wasn't sure why, but she felt that even if it tasted terrible she would like it because Ikari had been considerate enough to make something for her and Yui.

She steeled herself and took her first bite . . . It was good . . . She took another bite, and another, eating quickly but neatly. Shinji relaxed a little seeing that Rei liked it before noting his mother sitting back contentedly, she looked over to Gendo and gave him a small nod before getting up and heading out the front door to get some fresh air, Gendo followed her quietly, Shinji wondered what they were going to do before noting Rei tugging on his shirt for seconds.

"Its cooler then a remember . . . Yui noted as she stood out on the patio before the apartment.

"The earth is healing." Gendo replied as he draped his jacket over her shoulders.

Yui cocked her head smiling sadly, "That's very romantic coming from you."

"I've had a lot of time to think about romance."

Yui bower her head, "I'm . . . sorry that I can't share it with you."

"That isn't important Yui . . . It never has been." Gendo turned his wife around to look her straight in her eyes, even blood red they were kind and gentle. He wrapped one hand around her back and placed one on the back of her head, and simply held her close.

Gendo was surprised when Yui started to shake gently, he felt the tears soaking through his shirt . . . "Yui?" He asked worried.

"Its . . ." She hiccuped softly as she kept crying "I . . . d-don't deserve to be forgiven . . . I." She stuttered trying to speak clearly through her own misery.

"What is it Yui? What is it that you don't deserve forgiveness for?"

She didn't respond, it hurt too much to think about it. Gendo had done some astonishingly cruel things in pursuing Yui, murder, manipulation, and yet Yui could forgive him because if those acts had not been committed by him then they would inevitably have been committed by another, that was a harsh way to look at it, but she couldn't help but forgive Gendo.

He had been driven to his insanity, she had taken to hers by choice. For a time after she had been absorbed Yui had been aware that she could have escaped while her remains were still within the LCL, she could have left the Core of Unit 01, yet she stayed because her own ego told her to exist here, to make Unit-01 a reminder of humanity for all eternity, such a idealistic and foolish, selfish, goal.

She knew Gendo would have stopped at nothing to get her back, she knew he would use whatever means necessary, she had seen him send away their son and yet had been too far gone to care. Not for ten years, until she saw him again did she finally realize what she had done.

'Oh God . . . Oh God I started this all . . .' Yui thought as Gendo hugged her tighter. 'I started this all, what would have happened, God, what would have happened if I hadn't realized what I had done . . .'

She cried hard into Gendo's shirt until she couldn't go on, falling asleep emotionally exhausted after her failed attempt to admit her own sin. Misato came out after a while worried about what could be taking so long. She saw the Commander lifting Yui softly to carry her back inside.

"What happened?" She asked, looking suspiciously at the Commander as he passed by and continued down the hall, Shinji and Rei had already gone to bed with Asuka sitting out after dinner watching TV and muttering to herself about how stupid Japanese commercials were.

"Yui seems to still be dealing with the residual affect of her emergence from Unit-01, she needs to rest . . . That is all." Gendo explained as he took the girl to her shared room and gently placed her on her futon matt. He brushed her hair aside gently and kissed her on the forehead, "Sleep well Yui." He whispered before standing back up.

He glanced at Misato who was working on her second after dinner beer. "Major . . ." He nodded towards the alcoholic beverage as he headed out into the hallway and into the kitchen. Misato goggled as the Commander snapped the tab on top of the beer can, ignoring the foam that spilled over onto his glove he took a long swig before slamming it down on the table eyes closed for a moment. He exhaled slowly.

"Much better." He turned to the Misato who stood in utter shock . . . Her boss had just drank her beer, her boss had come in and drank her beer . . . The COMMANDER and penultimate dark lord of NERV had come in and drank HER beer.

"Major please keep a close eye on Yui, I fear for her right now she seems . . . troubled, I do not wish to see her hurt." The Commander said not noting Misato's look of shock as he walked past her and headed out the door.

"What's wrong with Misato?" Asuka asked as the Commander passed by her on his way out.

"She is troubled that her world view could be so easily shattered" Gendo replied simply, a smirk on his face, for the elder Ikari fucking with peoples minds was a subconscious thing . . . And . . . he really had needed the beer. Things were going to get very dangerous very soon, with Unit-01 disabled great care would have to be put into defeating the 14th Angel. Great care indeed.

Asuka nodded absently not looking up and continued to watch the movie that she had put in the player. 'Wonder why Yui's already asleep?' Asuka thought.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Shinji sat starring up at the ceiling in his room, Rei was less then an arms length away. Apparently asleep . . . "Shinji?" Apparently not. "Uhh, Yeah Ayanami?"

"May I ask you something in?"

"Uh, sure go ahead."

"What is the difference between caring for someone and . . . liking them."

Shinji paused as he thought about that, it was an odd question from an odd girl. "I guess its mostly that you can like someone but not care for them, but you can't care for someone without liking them, or at least that's how I've always thought of it."

"I see."

There was silence before the next question.

"Do you care for me?" Rei asked.

Shinji's eyes widened as he turned to look at her, Rei's eyes were still shut, she seemed to be listening intently for his response. "O-of course Rei." Shinji stuttered slightly, "You've been through all of this with me, and I . . ." He trailed off as Rei starred at him.

"Why did you not tell me you liked me when I asked?"

He froze as he realized the snare he had tangled himself in, he glanced away ashamed, "I was afraid that . . . you were going to be mean and tease me like Asuka."

"Why would I do that?" Rei asked genuinely confused, she had never in her life thought of harming someone for the sake of cruelty.

"It's nothing, I'm sorry Rei I shouldn't have thought that."

"There is nothing to apologize for, though I would like to request . . ."

"What?"

Rei didn't explain, instead she pushed her futon over and then squirmed until she was up next to him, she snuggled slightly against him, Shinji flushed embarrassed, "A-ayanami?"

"You're warm, I like being next to you." She explained simply as she pulled one of his arms over herself. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly and she buried her face into his chest. They lay there for a few moments. "It is . . . very nice . . ." She trailed off, eyelids already growing heavy. She fell asleep in seconds mind at ease, body content, nothing would hurt her as long as she was like this, her subconscious insisted, her body reacted in much the same way.

Shinji was terrified, overjoyed, and scared beyond any imagining all at once. Rei snuggled a little closer in her sleep exhaling softly. He didn't know what else to do, so he just let her be, that night, laying there, he realized that he wanted this . . . Nothing more and nothing less . . . then to be amongst those who cared for him and for whom he cared in return.

"Good night." He whispered to Rei before closing his eyes and wrapping his arms protectively around her, now unafraid.

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Agent Kaji Ryoji cursed slightly as he continued to quicken his pace, something just didn't feel right about this. He could smell it, the Commander was hiding something involving that girl. Kaji was pretty certain Rei didn't have a sister, and he had checked the girls files. There were a few discrepancies, nothing that would catch an investigators attention but enough to tell Kaji something just wasn't quite right.

Which made this assignment either a blessing or a curse, he wasn't sure which. Part of him wanted to say this had been a blessing because it put him in close proximity to the children who seemed more and more to hold the key to what was going on, while another part of him warned that it had to be a trap, the Commander might have known that he was a spy and be isolating him in case he was a lackey of SEELE rather then killing him in cold blood.

He brushed off such thoughts, they wouldn't help him in any case, acting suspiciously now would only seal his death warrant if it wasn't already. And besides the assignment was perfectly legitimate when he considered the spike in Section Two security Activity surrounding all of the pilots. There was only one place in Tokyo-3 where the pilots couldn't be covered by an agent within twenty seconds, and that was his new post.

Still, what was he doing here? He couldn't refuse because it came from the Commander, and he couldn't necessarily say he was qualified for it, then again what was the worse he would have to do.

Kaji came to a stop before the appointed room, swallowing slightly as he realized the number above it, he had a sinking sensation as he worked out what that meant was going to be behind that door. Most likely exactly who he wanted to observe, and exactly who he wanted to avoid . . . wonderful.

Yui looked haggard as she sat down and placed her head against the table top. She hadn't slept well after she had tried to force her own confession. The entire affair had left her emotionally drained to a point beyond wariness.

"You okay?" Hikari asked concerned, Yui's eyes were baggy and dull, her hair was not just unkempt but downright bedraggled and her uniform wasn't much better, but she managed to smile with at least a little bit of her spirit behind it. "Just tired, I had a difficult night, Shinji's father came over for dinner." Yui explained.

Hikari nodded, "Well your not the only one who had a rough night", the class representative gestured to Kensuke, who's current state of appearance would have made even Yui's miserable state seem neat and trim.

His camera was missing, his face was extremely pale, and he had a gaunt look about him as if he had been in a starring contest with death.

"His father found him tied up in his underwear on the front porch." Hikari explained.

"That's awful!" Yui exclaimed head snapping up, "Children can be so cruel to one another." She continued, "When I was . . ." She caught herself.

"When you were what?" Hikari asked.

"Oh, n-nothing when I was going to school in Tokyo-2 the students were taught to be much more mature, things like that would never happen." Yui recovered quickly.

"Yeah, I guess we may be a bit too relaxed on discipline", Hikari agreed watching as Touji sat with his feet up on his desk. She rushed off to berate him for it leaving Yui to her thoughts.

'At least I can sleep through the first class.' She decided. The first thing Yui had learned was how thoroughly boring their history teacher was. She'd had all of this stuff pounded into her brain long before and she just dusted it off whenever it was something of any great importance.

She dropped her head back on the desk just as the bell rang and the teacher stepped in. The room was silent accept for a muffled gasp from somewhere to Yui's right, Yui frowned what could be . . .?

There was a ticking of chock against the blackboard.

Yui finally gathered the power to look up. The old man who usually taught history was nowhere to be seen. Instead a man in his early to mid thirties, face unshaven, eyes relaxed, hair a bit messy but clean stood in his place. A hand came down hard on the history book on the desk.

"Good morning class, Mr. Yamada I'm afraid is no longer going to be teaching here." All of the girls were goggling at him now, everyone with the exception of Yui. He had the kind of charm that was a blessing for a man going after women his age and younger, unfortunately it was a blessing you couldn't turn off.

"I'll be your new history teacher, just call my Ryouji Sensei."

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I apologize for the long wait, things get grimmer, much grimmer next time and hopefully much longer with the arrival of Zeruel, will Yui's plan work, what is Yui's plan anyways? And may its backfiring be a greater punishment for her then imprisonment within Unit-01's core?