AUGUST 11th, 1998

KYOTO UNIVERSITY, CAFETERIA

12:58pm:

Crowds of people talking among themselves.

The cacophony of more than fifty voices in a single room.

Mundane, it all seemed so mundane.

It didn't make any sense.

Why go through such a tedious cycle of friendship, when one could focus on themselves?

What a waste.

That was the mindset of one Gendo Rokubungi, who was in line for his lunch while he was on his break from class. He always disliked big crowds, often seating himself on a bench outside of the cafeteria to avoid the mass of people that irritated him so much.

No one dared to talk to him. Wherever he walked, a frown was carried on his face. Universities were never much of a place for gossip, that was something for the high schoolers. But this man, with his constant look of gloom, managed to have rumors spread around campus about him. No one could read him. No one.

He wished this line could move more quickly, since the loud chatter was close to overwhelming him. Thankfully, there was only one more person in front of him now, so he knew it wouldn't be long before he could grab his food and leave.

"What will it be for you, sir?" The lunchlady asked him.

"I'll have the B meal, please." He said in his monotone, deep voice. From behind him, a much softer and peppy voice rang out.

"I'd like that one too, please!" The woman said from behind the man.

"I'm sorry, Miss. That was the last one." The lunchlady said.

"Ah... well that's alright, then." The woman said, sounding a little disappointed.

Gendo grabbed his food tray and walked off, but not before looking back at the woman who had just watched him take the last one of what she wanted. He showed no emotion, but did feel bad about it.

'What difference does it make the meal I eat? It's all food, anyway.' He thought. 'She probably wants this more than I do.'

He stopped walking and looked back, spotting the woman sitting herself down with a meal she was not too enthused about. He approached her and placed his tray on the table she was at.

"Here, I'll switch with you. Give me that one." He told her.

"What? No! I don't want to take something you want from you!" She protested, now feeling bad for even speaking up back over at the line.

"It's fine. You can have this one." He said as he switched their trays and turned around to leave the cafeteria.

"Well, thank you..." She said to him, grateful for his kind gesture.

"See you." Gendo said without even looking at her.

'My, he's that quiet guy everyone talks about on campus! He looks so alone...' She mused. 'I can't just let him go without talking to him just a little bit.' She then stood up and took her tray with her as she followed him closely behind.

"Hey, wait up!" She exclaimed to him. He turned around, wondering what she could possibly want with him now.

"Don't you want to eat together? You look like you need company!" She said.

"What?" He asked, looking baffled by her offer.

"Oh, do you not want to?" She asked him.

"I'd prefer to eat by myself." He explained sternly, now looking away again. He was trying to avoid interacting with anyone around him as much as possible.

"Oh, c'mon! Don't say that! It's good to have some company, even if it's only once in a while!" She argued, now more curious than ever about the mysterious Gendo Rokubungi. He didn't say anything to her as he still tried to walk away.

"Please Mister- Whatever your name is... just this once?" She pleaded, finally getting him to turn back around to face her. He was ready to reject her yet again, but was struck by her face.

A warm smile. One that looked truly genuine. She was very sweet, even when he showed no desire to be around her. He just wanted to be alone, and anyone else's insistence would have annoyed him to no end. But not her, there was something different he saw in her. He sighed.

"Gendo." He said to her.

"I'm sorry?" She asked.

"That's my name. Gendo Rokubungi." He elaborated.

"Well it's nice to meet you, Rokubungi. I'm Yui Ikari!" She said back, her smile now looking much more tender. "Do you prefer to eat outside?" She asked, observing that he had been heading for the door.

"Yes. I don't like all the talking in here. It's overwhelming." He explained.

"Well let's go outside together, then!" She said, now walking next to him as opposed to behind him. He didn't understand why she was doing this. He had simply given her the lunch that she wanted, he thought their interaction would have ended there.

But she was pushing to find out more about him. His kind gesture was enough to prove to her that he wasn't just some rough gruff wandering the campus of Kyoto University aimlessly. She saw a human, one that was capable of kindness.

And one that needed the company, of course.

MAY 3rd, 1999

KYOTO UNIVERSITY, PROFESSOR FUYUTSUKI'S OFFICE

12:37pm:

Kozo Fuyutsuki, aged 43 at the time, typed away on his computer. He had spent an hour reviewing the papers his students had turned in. Most of them were fine, while very few did poorly. But there was one, he was truly proud of. It came from the student who's work he always valued, leading him to usually get their paper reviewed first.

This wasn't just some grade-A student's work, some of the stuff they wrote had genuinely blown Kozo's mind. He truly admired them, never having met anyone so bright or even that intelligent.

A knock came from his door, taking his attention off of the computer monitor.

"Come in!" He said as he turned his screen off, as to not let anyone else's grades be visible. In came Yui Ikari, who walked in with her usual warm smile. Fuyutsuki smiled back, waving to her as she approached him.

"Hello Miss Ikari, how are you today?" He asked her.

"Fine, professor. Just fine." She replied.

"What brings you back to my office?" The professor asked, his class having ended an hour and a half ago.

"Well, it's about my paper. Have you read it yet?" She asked, waiting to hear his response with great anticipation.

"Yes, I did. I do have a few questions, but you gave a very interesting conclusion." He said. "Rarely do I get the chance to read something so thought-provoking. Especially these days, when major advances in our field has seemingly stagnated."

"Thank you, sir." Said Yui. "I worked hard on this one. I have to admit, I'm proud of myself for the theories I've put forward on this paper. I do believe I'm onto something..."

"Tell me," Fuyutsuki began. "What are your plans for the future? Bio-tech? Or if things don't work out with that company you've been involved with, were you thinking you would perhaps join us here in our lab?" He asked the young woman.

"I haven't really given it much thought. If I'm working towards something, I don't really know what it is just yet." She answered honestly. "Besides, there's always a third option..."

"Oh, and what's that?" Her professor asked.

"I could always start a family. You know, become a stay-at-home mother?" She said. "I'd have to find the right person to do that with, of course."

MAY 7th, 1999

PROFESSOR FUYUTSUKI'S OFFICE

6:53pm:

"Gendo Rokubungi?" The professor asked, making sure he had heard the name right.

"Yes, he's also a student at Kyoto Uni. Do you know him? Or perhaps have met him before?" Yui asked, who was on the other side of the phone.

"No, I've never met him. I don't really know anything about him. All I've heard are rumors." He said.

"Oh, well okay. Um, I hate to ask you this, but I'm really busy right now and need someone to pick him up..." Started Yui.

"You need me to pick him up? That's no problem, just somewhat odd since I don't know him." Fuyutsuki said, willing to help Yui out in a flash.

"Haha, well that's the thing... It's where you're picking him up from that might throw you off even more." Said Yui.

"How so?" He asked.

KYOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT

7:34pm:

Clouds blocked the sun from view, making the scale look a lifeless gray. Fuyutsuki had parked his car at the front of the entrance of the police department. He had been waiting for a few minutes, since the officers inside were transporting Gendo.

Fuyutsuki eyed the man who had just been released on bail. Gendo Rokubungi, a bruise on his cheek and a frown above his eyes. Over time, he had gained a smirk.

"Hello, professor." Gendo said. "Yui's told me so much about you, I'm glad we could finally meet."

Fuyutsuki eyed the man, not sure of what to make of him. He didn't just think of Gendo as troubled anymore, he viewed him as unpleasant.

"Never would've thought you'd get into a drunken brawl, of all people." The professor said to him. Gendo chuckled.

"I guess getting bad reactions is my specialty..." He joked.

"If you're not careful, you'll get another one from me." Fuyutsuki said, not sounding at all like he was joking. Gendo chuckled in response, not minding Fuyutsuki's obvious discomfort around him. The professor opened his car's right door for Gendo to enter.

"Thank you, sir." He said. Fuyutsuki said nothing in return.

After his engine started, he drove off right away. He didn't want to spend any more time with this man than he had to. Not only did he have strange aura to him, but he didn't fully understand what his connection to Yui was. He knew he wasn't going to like it, anyway.

"Yui takes your metaphysics class, right?" Gendo asked as they rode together.

"Yes. She's an excellent student." He said of Yui. Gendo smiled.

"Indeed. I've actually taken to studying it with her." Gendo detailed. "She's taught me so much. I do believe she has the power to change the world as we know it, sir."

"Yes, I'd have to agree with you there." Fuyutsuki said to him. He was trying to be mostly dismissive towards Gendo, as he was in no mood for talking.

'I wonder what a smart woman like Yui is doing being around the likes of you.' Fuyutsuki pondered.

MAY 8th, 1999

HIGASHIYAMA MOUNT PEAK PARK

12:04pm:

The sun shone bright in the sky, which had been clear of any clouds. Even the air was cleaner that day, looking the exact opposite of the way it did just the day before. Yui had invited Fuyutsuki for a little hike around one of her favorite trails in Kyoto.

As usual, Yui kept her usual lively attitude throughout the whole walk. Fuyutsuki was quite the opposite that day. He didn't show it to Yui at all, but there was a dark attitude that took him over that day.

"So, you told him about me?" Fuyutsuki asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Who?" Yui asked, having been distracted by the beautiful view of he city.

"That Gendo character." He elaborated.

"Ah, yes I did. I'm sorry... did it bother you to hear that?" She asked, feeling like he had not particularly enjoyed the fact that she did.

"No, I don't mind. Though he's definitely a strange man. He's not someone I'd want to know." He admitted, sounding very bitter in his delivery.

"To be honest, Ikari, I don't really understand what you see in him that makes you want to spend your life with him. I don't understand him as it is." He added. Yui sighed, but not in an annoyed manner.

"No one does. But what can I say? I love him." Yui said in Gendo's defense. Fuyutsuki turned around, prompting Yui to stop walking as he did. He put his hand on Yui's shoulder, as if trying to knock some sense into her.

"What is it that you see in him, then? What makes someone as bright as you attracted to such a shady man like him?" He asked. Yui smiled at him.

"Professor," Yui began. "Gendo hates being alone. He's a loving person, really! It's like I said, no one really understands him."

Fuyutsuki's hand slowly slipped from her shoulder, the disbelief in what he was hearing becoming immense.

"I appreciate your concern, professor. Trust me, I truly do love him." She added. Fuyutsuki nodded, though he still didn't look at all convinced. He turned back around and the two resumed their hiking. All the while, Fuyutsuki ran deep into his own thoughts.

'All I've heard from others regarding Gendo's decision to be with Yui, is that he only did it to acquire the knowledge of her groundbreaking theories. That, and he wants in on this strange... organization...'

FEBRUARY 8th, 2002

MOUNT ALBERT MARKHAM, SHACKLETON COAST, ANTARCTICA

6:27pm:

This was only the third time Fuyutsuki had ridden a helicopter. He always found it uncomfortable, but necessary to take whenever he needed to get somewhere in emergencies. He had been located in what was left of Toyohashi, living among a 'shipyard neighborhood', which were communities formed by tying large parked ships together to form a sort of floating town.

Fuyutsuki set up shop there as a doctor aiding those in need in a post-Second Impact world. His business was not legal, however. He was an unlicensed doctor, and when NERV's special agents located him and ordered that he come with them to the South Pole, he had no choice but to do so.

Fuyutsuki rejected it at first, but had to concede when they threatened to put word out there that he was an unlicensed doctor operating in the open. So he packed up, and took the helicopter ride to the South Pole.

The sight of what once used to be a freezing, beautiful land of snow was now an eerie wasteland. The waters were red, and the skies colored a deep blue with strange green clouds, as if they glowed like neon.

There were multiple salt pillars jutting out of the blood-red sea, each of them being easily mistakable for ice. Fuyutsuki had seen images of what was left of the South Pole, but seeing the place in person was something else completely.

'This is where it all started.' He thought. 'Or, perhaps more appropriately, where it all ended...'

The helicopter approached the helipad on the bow of the carrier, where he'd have a room of his own to stay at for the remainder of this trip. As he unpacked, someone from the bridge crew knocked at his door.

"You're Kozo Fuyutsuki, right?" The man asked.

"Correct. Am I needed anywhere?" He asked the man.

"Yes, our director is requesting to see you. It isn't urgent, so you can take your time. Also, he told me to tell you 'long time no see'." The man said to him.

'Last seen him?' Fuyutsuki pondered. 'Who is this man, exactly?'

"I'll be there in just a few minutes. I still have some things I need to sort out here." He said. The man nodded and reported back to the bridge of the ship. Fuyutsuki couldn't know for sure who was requesting to see him 'again', but he had a feeling he might know exactly who it was.

As he headed to the bridge, he passed by multiple windows that showed him the haunting sight of where Second Impact had taken place. He didn't understand why they were investigating the place, as the cause of it seemed pretty obvious. Or, at least that's what he believed at the time.

"Professor..." A familiar voiced called from behind him. His suspicions had indeed come true. Turning around, there was not an ounce of surprise within him when he saw one Gendo Rokubungi. The only thing he hadn't expected, was the man's level of importance.

Gendo had become somewhat of an entrepreneur following Second Impact. NERV, the scientific organization specializing in the new market of limb-regrowth technology had been gaining more power over the years. Many of those who survived Second Impact had been severely wounded, many sustaining irreversible damage to parts of their body.

NERV had been formed some years before Second Impact, with Yui slowly rising to her eventual title of Head Scientist in the company. Of course, she found a way to include Gendo in on this deal. But what no one expected, was Gendo's great leadership skills. He was smart, a deep thinker, and most importantly he was extremely professional.

After Second Impact, NERV had gained major funds to advance the science behind limb regrowth, as to help those in need. Gendo, however, aimed for the stars. NERV was not just going to be some company for scientific research, he aimed to make it a powerful force in the world. With Yui making scientific breakthrough and scientific breakthrough, and Gendo leading at the helm with his concepts and superb leadership skills, NERV quickly grew from a mere company to a powerful organization.

"Gendo..."Fuyutsuki said, not sure what to even say to the man. "You lead NERV?" He asked, making sure that this was indeed true.

"Yes. We have been making quite some progress, as you might have noticed." He said with a smirk. That same, cocky smirk he saw when he had picked him up from the police station at Kyoto almost three years back.

"How could I not? NERV is the talk of the new century, it seems." He said back to him. Fuyutsuki then turned back to the eerie view of the South Pole.

"Look at it... I still can't believe how unnatural this looks." Fuyutsuki said, feeling chills go down his spine.

"When the ice cap boiled off, it left only the mountains above water. I had a hard time believing it myself, as I was here only a day before Second Impact occurred." Gendo said.

"Only one day before? That's one hell of a close call, Mr. Rokubungi." He said in shock.

"Actually, my name has changed since we last met, professor-" He started. "-I now go by Gendo Ikari."

Fuyutsuki felt his blood boil when he heard that, but didn't show any emotion to Gendo. All he could do was keep it inside.

"So, how is Yui? Haven't heard from her in a long time. She didn't come along for the trip?" He asked.

"She'd loved to have come, but she's actually quite busy. She said either one of us would have to stay home with our son, ultimately she loved spending time with him a lot more than she did some trip to the likes of this place." Gendo explained.

'A son?' Fuyutsuki thought. "I see... Well, give her my regards when you have the chance."

"Gladly, professor." Gendo said to him. Fuyutsuki's eye twitched.

"There's no need to call me that anymore, Ikari." He said. "My teaching days have long since been over..."

"I apologize. I'll keep that in mind." He said, the smirk never leaving is face. Fuyutsuki could tell it wasn't this man's intentions to seem so rude, but he wished he could stop that cocky look of his at least once.

"Anyway, I was briefed on the way here. I've no clue why you felt the need to brief me on any of this, but I'll hold that question for later." He said. "For now, would you mind telling me about this SEELE organization?"

"Yes; SEELE is an organization very much like NERV's, which is why we're currently partners. What we're working on, I unfortunately can't tell you, as that information is classified." Gendo explained.

"That's understandable." Fuyutsuki said, thinking it was the end of that topic.

"Unless," Gendo began. "you would like to join us in our endeavor."

"What do you mean?" The ex-professor asked.

"Fuyutsuki, how would you like to be part of the next step in the evolution of humanity?" Gendo asked the older man.

"What?" Kozo asked, now even more confused than before. "What could you possibly mean by that?"

"Mr. Fuyutsuki, are you familiar with Eldon Tyrell's work?" Gendo asked him. Fuyutsuki raise an eyebrow.

"The Eldon Tyrell? Head of Tyrell Corporation over in America?" He asked in disbelief. "You have a connection with him?"

"That is for you to find out, Fuyutsuki." Gendo replied. "I'd suggest you do some research on your own time, as I have a schedule to keep up with here. Whatever you find, just let me know if you're interested."

Gendo walked off, going over to meet with his team of scientists who were assisting him on his mission. Fuyutsuki's eyes narrowed. He wondered why Gendo was acting so vaguely. If he wanted answers, he'd have to get them himself. Just like Gendo had suggested.

FEBRUARY 10th, 2002

1:26pm:

The ex-professor had spent the past two days sinking himself into studying NERV, SEELE, and the Tyrell Corporation. He had found more than he bargained for.

The official story of Second Impact went as followed; a rapid-moving meteor crashed down into the South Pole, causing the ice caps to melt and the planet's axis to shift. The result was catastrophic destruction and the loss of half the earth's population.

The meteor itself was said to be to small to have been picked up by earth's satellites, so there was no proper warning about it. An average Joe wouldn't have questioned this, as it sounded plausible. But Fuyutsuki was smarter than this, and he always thought something was off about that explanation.

Meteors, no matter how small or fast they can be, should and can be picked up by satellites. So either a grave miscalculation was made, or something was being hidden from the masses.

Second, no trace of space rock or meteor debris were found in the ocean. The official explanation for that was that it had come in so fast, that it completely disintegrated upon impact. This also didn't make sense, as the damage would be much greater if that had happened. Fuyutsuki had also gained access to pictures of the event. None of them showed a meteor, instead a giant of light was seen.

It all began to click, something was covered up. If a meteor did crash on the South Pole at its proposed speed, a massive and deadly shockwave would have wiped out not just half of the population, but all of it.

There was no shockwave at all. Only the rising tide and the gravitational mix-up of the axis shifting had caused the deaths of millions of people. On another note, Fuyutsuki had looked back on the coverage of the revealing of the explanation behind Second Impact.

It was no secret that the Katsuragi Expedition was located near where the meteor had supposedly hit. This lead some to believe they were the ones who caused this disaster, but that was quickly dismissed in the press conference.

What made Fuyutsuki question the authenticity of such claims, were the pictures of who were there. Gendo Ikari, and Lorenz Keel. Fuyutsuki always thought of Gendo as shady, but Lorenz Keel was something else.

He had a history of covering up lies, since he was an extremely rich and powerful man. Seeing him alongside Gendo didn't sit well with him. Over time, Fuyutsuki's findings would only build up more and more. And when he eventually found out the truth, he didn't like it one bit.

JANUARY 18th, 2003

U.N ARTIFICIAL EVOLUTION LABORATORIES, HAKONE

12:27pm:

Fuyutsuki walked up to the lab with multiple files in one hand, and an umbrella in the other, ready to unload his findings in front of Gendo's face. At this point, the rain Tokyo-3 had later become known for had long since plagued the area of Hakone. Fuyutsuki was careful not to wet his files in the toxic rain of the region.

So much anger ran through his head, but he kept his cool on the outside. The serious-looking man changed his attitude completely, when he saw his ex-student in front of him. She looked very surprised to see him.

"Professor?" She asked, as if to make sure it was really him she was seeing.

"It's been a while, Yui." He said with a smile on his face.

"It really has! Well, what brings you here today?" Yui asked him, pleased to see her old teacher again after so long.

"Ah, I'm just here to see your husband. There are... matters I'd like to discuss with him." He explained.

"I see... How are things? Everything well with you?" She asked, wanting to catch up a little before he left to talk to Gendo.

"I guess so. Apart from the catastrophe 4 years ago, all is well." He said bittersweetly.

Yui's expression changed. She was no longer smiling, and looked rather upset about something Fuyutsuki was about to ask her what was wrong, but she spoke before him.

"You know, Gendo's disappointed that you didn't like him." She began. "I, for one, think it would be wonderful if someone like you would be able to understand him. He's really a good person..."

Fuyutsuki sighed. He really wished she didn't bring him up so much. He never understood, and would never understand what it was about Gendo that Yui saw that attracted her so much. All he could do was accept it.

"Forgive me Yui, but I'm not that man." He said before walking into the building, not another word coming from him to her. She watched, disappointed that he would never understand Gendo.

'If only...' She thought.

Fuyutsuki had entered Gendo's office already frowning. Gendo's expression remained unchanged, as if his smirk was superglued onto his face. Sitting behind his desk, Gendo glared. His hands were crossed in front of his face as Fuyutsuki got closer and closer.

"I've seen the photo." He started. "The giant of light... the very thing you kept out of the report. What the hell are you hiding?" He confronted the man, the anger starting to show itself more and more.

"It isn't sheer coincidence that you took these files a day before leaving the expedition... You know it! I know SEELE has something to do with this, too! It's all in here, Ikari!" He further explained.

"So you got your hands on those, eh? Interesting, I could've sworn I had left those in my room in that ship we were in over at the South Pole last year... You've got some sneaky hands, professor." Gendo responded.

"You told me to find out about it myself, so I did just that. I also took a look at your bank account. Tell me, was all that money given to you so you could keep our mouth shut, or did it just grow out of a tree?" He asked.

"You have done your research quite well, Fuyutsuki." Gendo said to him, his smirk widening more now. Fuyutsuki slammed his fist on the table, angru at Gendo's dismissive nature.

"You think this is funny? Do you know just how big those waves were when they hit the cities? Up to four hundred meters! More than three billion dead, Gendo! You people cause Second Impact! You caused the death of half the world's population! And I'm going to expose you for it!" Fuyutsuki yelled at the man on the desk.

"Very well, do as you must." Gendo said, not showing any concern for his future at all. "I'd like to show you something, though." He said as he stood up from his chair.

"I'm not entirely sure I can trust you, Gendo." He uttered at the man he was absolutely disgusted with.

"Oh don't worry, I'll do you no harm. Let's just say it's a proposal..." Said Gendo, as he lead the ex-professor to a pathway only certain personnel had access to. Eventually, they came across a funicular that headed underground. Fuyutsuki was still suspicious of Gendo's intent with him.

Gendo handed him a U.N safety helmet, putting one on himself as well.

"Safety requirements, Fuyutsuki. What we have down there is still under development." He said, to which Fuyutsuki reluctantly agreed to take from his hand. The ride downwards began, and there was no turning back now. Whatever Gendo wanted to show him, he had to go along with for now.

"You look uncomfortable, Fuyutsuki. Rest assured, there's no need to feel that way around me." Gendo said in his monotone voice.

"I can't be too sure about that. How'd you feel standing next to the murdered of half of our world's collective population?" He asked grumpily, wanting this ride to end already. Gendo said nothing in return, awaiting Fuyutsuki's reaction to what he was about to witness.

"How far down are we going exactly?" He asked. "It's been a little while, I can't say I'm-" And then he saw it.

"What the-" Fuyutsuki couldn't believe his eyes. A cave so large, it seemed impossible. It had its own body of water too, and large skyscrapers were being developed. It was a surreal sight; an underground city. What caught his attention the most, was the pyramid structure being built opposite the city that would later be known as the Geo Front.

"We didn't carve out this place... Someone, maybe something did before us. A large underground chamber, spherical in shape. We estimate that over a thousand cubic kilometers of it still remains buried." Gendo explained. He pointed over at the pyramid.

"And there, on the floor of the excavation..." He began. "The project in which lies the entire human investment."

Fuyutsuki then knew that they were headed there. What he didn't know, was what he was going to see.

TO BE CONTINUED...