Asuka

She'd done everything right. This was meant to be her chance to show the world how hard she'd worked. The girl had dedicated her life to being the best. She'd strived to make it look easy. Look at me! Her presence declared, every gesture carefully exaggerated. She was necessary to the survival of humanity. How could anyone not look at her and admire Asuka Langly Sohryu?

But all that importance vanished in an instant.

As Unit-02 rose onto the ship, and the boar-headed guy gave an okay sign, Asuka could only stare.

The last minute kept playing in her mind. Both of the Angel Slayers had leapt several meters into the air. The dragon hadn't been a trick of the footage, as she'd been told. An actual dragon had appeared at the edge of that sword. That wasn't even the strangest part.

The guy with the scar had jumped inside the thing's mouth. With one lame arm, he'd flowed with the water, using the current from the Angel's speed to bring him to the core. His sword glowed as he slashed wildly about the water, cutting and quickly shattering the Angel's weak point. She'd spent her life working toward piloting the Evangelion, but this stranger had killed an Angel in seconds.

She'd barely been able to move when the Angel's teeth lost their grip on Unit-02. Shinji had been responsible for opening the jaws and rescuing Tanjiro. How was the swordsman alive? It was impossible.

Some part of her wanted to scold Shinji for daring take control of her precious Eva. Yet, she found it impossible. A thought kept running through her mind: why am I here?

If these kids can do that without effort, why am I here?

Shinji

The joy at Tanjiro's survival quickly turned to concern when Zenitsu appeared. He staggered onto the deck with orange-tinted spittle frothing at his lips. His eyes were bloodshot. He slumped, falling to his hands and knees. His whole body trembled as he wheezed. The lightning warrior collapsed, unconscious.

"Zenitsu!" Inosuke sprinted from one unconscious friend to another.

Shinji focused on Tanjiro. Fresh out of the entry plug, no longer aware of the ill-fitting plug suit he'd gotten from Asuka, he rushed to the man who'd now killed two Angels. A quick check of Tanjiro revealed a pulse. As Shinji tried to recall how to perform CPR, the swordsman's eyes fluttered open. After an initial blink of discomfort, Tanjiro raised his good hand over his good eye. Shinji was unbothered by the pink, unseeing eye looking through him, though it made Asuka pause.

After some light coughing, the swordsman smiled. His good eye finally landed on Shinji, and he acted as if none of the battle had occurred. "Oh, Shinji, I guess this means we won. That's a relief. I was worried about you two."

As soon as these words were spoken, in their bright and cheerful tone, something strange happened in Shinji. Two opposite ideas, equally powerful and equally real, filled his mind. One of the battling thoughts was astonishment: this guy had literally jumped into the gaping mouth of a giant monster, but he'd only been concerned for the pilots? He had no fear for his safety or of the Angel? That was not any kind of bravery or confidence which Shinji knew. It was admirable and foolish and incredible.

The other thought was not so positive. A cold, bitter anger appeared within him.

"You idiot!" Asuka yelled behind her fellow pilot, speaking his own thoughts. "You were worried about us? We're the pilots! Fighting the Angels is our job. Did you have some sort of plan when you jumped in like that?"

Still smiling, Tanjiro shook his head. "I didn't want to run away."

Shinji's heart froze. All the noise and action of the world seemed to dissipate in the aftermath of the words.

I didn't want to run away.

I mustn't run away.

How many times had this boy said that to himself? How many moments had there been where he'd wanted nothing more than to cease existing? In the past few weeks, it had been more intense. Ever since that first trip in the Eva, ever since Unit-01 looked him in the eye, he'd felt worse. A nagging fear clawed at his heart at every moment: that the horrible truth is that not only did he exist, but he was doomed to exist in a world he could never understand, where monsters and pain and reality itself would morph and change for no other reason than to torture him.

He'd gotten through it because of Inosuke. That simple, wonderful warrior had practically transferred his overflowing energy. He'd fought with Shinji, encouraged him, listened to him complain, then offered his own complaints. It was as if Inosuke had been lifting Shinji up to follow him. He could not imagine a world where he even got into Unit-01 is Inosuke hadn't struck that initial deal with him. They had some bond.

But, from the start, he'd heard about how much more amazing Tanjiro was. Tanjiro slayed Muzan, the leader of the demons. Tanjiro was the strongest, the fastest, the best. Tanjiro. Tanjiro. He entered a battlefield with a smile, then outdid everyone using one arm and a sword.

I didn't want to run away.

It wasn't a command, or a duty. He simply wanted to do it, so he followed a casual impulse. So it seemed.

Asuka's tone became cold. "That's not running away, idiot. That was suicidal."

Tanjiro shook his head. "I don't think so."

Shinji stared at the space beyond Tanjiro. Is this what it meant? His mantra, 'I mustn't run away', meant jumping into a monster's mouth? It wasn't about courage or duty or a confidence in one's abilities, but that was the basic minimum? Tanjiro had just done something so wildly absurd that it seemed inexcusable.

"Oi, shitheads!" Inosuke barked from across the deck. "Zenitsu says that Kaji guy did something to him."

Asuka seemed the most surprised.

Misato

Misato wanted to scold Tanjiro.

She wanted to, but he had succeeded. How could she reprimand a young, unqualified boy for jumping into danger? Every day, she encouraged Shinji to train for the moments where he would be thrown out against unknowable monsters with unknown abilities. Tanjiro had merely taken it one step further.

Sure, her mind protested: Shinji and Asuka had Evas, protocols, and a job description, but Tanjiro was the most successful at fighting monsters. He was a veteran, in a sense. So, who was right?

Gratefully, she pushed this thought aside and spoke with Zenitsu. The boy was intermittently chugging water and wiping his face with a warm washcloth. "Kaji," he repeated. "Has this big metal case." He was making flamboyant gestures. The debriefing felt more like watching a possessed rakugo performance.

"He's taking it… somewhere. I think it's to Nerv. He didn't say who it's going to, but I'd guess it's to Gendo. After that – and this is the part that really pisses me off – he sprayed that LCL fluid in my face. Question, why did you make machines that spray LCL fluid? It doesn't do anything to you guys, right? It only hurts us. So, why does that exist. No, before that, how did this guy know LCL would do that to me?"

The questions were uncomfortable. Without realizing it, Misato positioned herself like Gendo, sitting with hands folded in front of her as her eyebrows scrunched together.

"It has to be a mistake." Asuka shook her head, confident as ever. "Kaji is a great man. You must have threatened him."

Zenitsu scoffed. "Is that right… Red?" He faltered before settling on the word. Misato realized that the boy had forgotten her name.

"My name is Asuka Langely Sorhyu, you schweinhunde."

"It's Zenitsu. But, even if I threatened the guy – which I didn't – why does he have that little machine?"

Zenitsu leaned toward Misato, who kept still.

How had the information gotten to Kaji? Before anything else, she wanted to know that: how did Kaji know LCL fluid hurt these three?

Rei

As all this occurred, the First Child had a problem she'd never encountered before: she had trouble focusing.

As she read, her fingers began to fidget with the corner of the page. The hum of traffic bothered her for the first time.

The scent of her own apartment began to annoy her.

She was annoyed.

The realization halted her reading. Rei Ayanami was annoyed.

Slowly, she rose to a seated position. Nothing had felt right since that encounter with Zenitsu. He'd been irrational. In the moment, he was carried away by fear and anger. He might have hurt her. He might have done worse.

She wasn't sure.

That uncertainty itself was annoying. Rei existed to follow orders. So, why was she being bothered by incidental things like this?

Perhaps the issue was, she considered, that she hadn't fought an Angel yet. She'd done tests and prepared so much, yet she'd yet to actually go into combat.

That answer seemed unsatisfying. Rei Ayanami knew she was disposable. She existed to follow orders. Therefore, if no orders came, she was to simply wait for them, ensuring that she would be prepared to follow through when they came.

Perhaps that last part was what bothered her. In the absence of orders, it was important to be ready for orders.

She needed to be prepared for any potential order. She was taking steps to be ready.

Rei put her book down. She wouldn't be able to focus any time soon.

Shinji

"Okay," Misato said with all her authority, taking turns to look each of the five in the eyes. "When the ship stops, we're going to proceed slowly, okay? All of you are going to slowly follow me as I disembark. I know you want to see Kaji," she seethed the name, "as much as I do, but we're going to do this slowly and professionally, okay? Nobody," she glared at Inosuke, "is going to rush off and hurt someone, okay? I am the person with the highest authority, so I will question him, are we clear?"

After some silent, annoyed agreement, during which Shinji seemed the only person uninvested, Tanjiro raised his hand.

"Yes?" Misato asked.

"I'm okay hearing about what happened later. Is it alright if I just go to the cafeteria?"

Misato sighed with obvious relief. "Yes, Tanjiro. Please, go eat your fill. You've earned it."

"Thank you," he said with a smile.

Ritsuko

Kaji was up to his old tricks. The playboy introduced himself by wrapping his arms around her. The preamble was as usual: poetical sounding nonsense that held more truth than he realized. Finally, as he pulled her chin so they were inches apart, he gave his coup de gras: "A woman with a mole in the path of her tears is doomed to have many."

Suddenly, a boy's voice cheerfully interjected, "Wow, that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard."

Kaji jumped back, arms bumbling Ritsuko as he disentangled from her. She flinched, heart suddenly pounding as Tanjiro stood before them, smiling with pronounced canine teeth and disparately coloured eyes. "Hello," he waved. "I'm glad I found you two alone. Misato thinks I went to the cafeteria. It won't be long before they get here, so I'll try to be quick."

Kaji forcefully composed himself. Ritsuko's heart continued to pound. "You frightened me," she said.

"Really?" Tanjiro's smile fell. For the first time, he seemed serious. "Zenitsu was really scared, too, when Kaji sprayed him with that orange Eva juice."

Instantly, Ritsuko whirled on Kaji. Just as instantly, she regretted it. "Oh!" Tanjiro said. "Looks like I was right. You're the one who told him it affects us weird."

Kaji sighed. "Kid, you don't understand—"

Tanjiro turned to Ritsuko. "You know, I noticed early on that you smell a lot like Gendo."

The words frightened her more than an Angel alarm. A switch flicked in her mind, and Dr. Akagi began analyzing her reaction. Her pulse quickened, denoting the anxiety she felt. Her mind went through all the typical 'how could he know' and 'who will he tell' questions. Was it worthwhile to worry? These kids made everything more difficult.

Continuing to smile, Tanjiro said, "Zenitsu told me to say something to you. His words were a bit harsh, so I'll tone it down. He says he knows you've been lying with Gendo. Wait, I mean lying down, with him. I mean, you're also lying, but you're also also lying— does that make sense?"

Kaji scoffed. "You really are a child," Kaji stepped forward. "I hear that you three can discern a lot, even if you can't interpret it. What impression do you get from me?"

Tanjiro's smile vanished. The grim expression was made uncomfortable by the bright pink eye. It made it uncanny. "I think you'd sooner sacrifice others than yourself."

Kaji's confidence returned. "Oh," his shoulders relaxed. "Is that all. That's how the world works, kid. Everyone is looking out for themselves."

Tanjiro held eye contact for a while. Ritsuko watched them. A bead of sweat fell from Kaji's forehead. After a moment, Tanjiro said, "I don't think so. Even if people care most for themselves, there's someone else they care about. I'm worried, though, that people like you two are trying to save yourselves by sacrificing everyone else."

Ritsuko breathed. The script formed and revised itself in her mind. Draft after draft appeared, but none of them were good enough. She owed this child nothing, but he got in the way. He demanded, he called out, and he did it without knowing anything. He was just a brat.

Tanjiro looked at Ritsuko. His expression softened into a gentle smile. "Dr. Akagi, you scare me a lot more than this guy. I don't know what you want to do, but I feel like you could get me killed whether you're my enemy or my ally." Suddenly, he bowed. "Please do me a favour and don't tell Misato I stopped by."

Kaji said, "So, you came here to threaten us."

Ritsuko responded for Tanjiro, "What threat? He just made a comment and asked a question."

Tanjiro nodded, face neutral. "And that's why I'm scared of you. You seem so calm, but you told this guy to have a weapon against us. We're allies, remember? Let's work together!"

He was cheerful as he said it. Only a child could say something so naïve. He walked away without adding anything.

As he left, Ritsuko spoke to Kaji, "Well, this will be annoying."

He stepped up beside her. "It sounds like you already have a plan."

Misato

Kaji's brazenness impressed the captain as much as it infuriated her. Smirking all the while, he had claimed that Zenitsu hadn't seen any suitcase. Most of Nerv had seen or heard about the fiasco of Zenitsu's near-death in the Entry Plug; the information could have leaked from anywhere. As for the device, well, can you blame a guy for wanting to be prepared?

Zenitsu and Inosuke, as should have been expected, responded by yelling. Kaji played the reaction to show how 'they're kids after all'. Sure, he overreacted, and he was shocked to discover that the LCL reaction was so intense that he seemed to have hallucinated this metal case, but he hadn't known.

This led to more yelling. When that happened, Asuka stepped to his side and barked back against the two. While the children argued, Kaji flirted, finding exactly the things to say to make her turn as red as her coat. It was a fiasco, something unbecoming not only of her role, but of an adult. Though she hated to admit it, the most mature one in that situation had been Shinji, who recognized a futile situation and left with a quiet "I'm gonna go find Tanjiro."

Now, Misato drank. She'd promised herself she'd wait until Ritsuko could join, but she simply lacked the patience. Kaji was hiding something, but he was exploiting the kids' immaturity. He wound them up and used the tantrum to disappear behind. Poor Asuka was already a tool.

All this occupied Captain Katsuragi's mind as she stared out the window at the brilliant city of Tokyo-3. The upside-down buildings were just as incredible as when she had first seen them, and the neon cityscape never ceased to calm her. Nerv was made of grey stone and metal, with the occasional black screen or red alarm. The rest of the city might as well have been a rainbow for its many shades of bright neon and dark rust.

This was her city. She'd protect it. If she saved Tokyo-3, she saved all of humanity. That was why she chose the to live and work here. She lived in the target of Angel attacks and military scrutiny. Here, she could focus on saving one city and doing one job, and protecting the world naturally followed.

But even that goal was made difficult by her bosses. Though she supposedly had the highest clearance, there was too much she didn't know. But she'd learn. There was no doubt in her mind that Zenitsu had seen a metal case. Hell, she'd make a bet that it was going to Gendo. That case, and whatever it contained, were probably in his impractical office.

If only she had a chance to get inside.

Then again… there was someone who'd proven he could sneak through vents. He came pre-packaged with his own doubts and motives. If he got caught—

Misato's second drink arrived. She took it and drained it. No, she decided. She would not stoop to that level. She would not use the children as pawns. That said… Inosuke had found Lilith on his own. What would happen if he were given a little guidance on where to look and what to seek?

"Well, someone's started early," Ritsuko's voice said behind her.

Misato turned. The relief she felt reminded her of just how tense she had been. "Hey, Ritz. Thanks for coming out. I knew I needed a drink, and I figured you could use one as well."

"Oh," Ritsuko sat and casually ordered her usual. "What makes you think that?"

"Ha!" maybe she'd drank too fast, or maybe she just felt more comfortable in front of her oldest friend, but Misato felt her barriers fall. It may simply have been the desire to get these things off her chest. "You're studying the Angel Slayers, aren't you? You need to figure out how they're world works."

Ritsuko chuckled uncomfortably. "It's a daunting prospect, I admit."

"I'll bet. Hey, I'm curious about something, if you don't mind talking shop"

"Certainly."

"So, they're from some other Japan. Not only that, but they can do all this stuff. They have the same physiology as us, right, but they're stronger and faster and all these things. What if physics are different where they're from?"

Ritsuko shrugged. "I've considered it, but that fails to explain why they wouldn't have changed over to 'our' physics when they entered this world. I'm still far from a satisfying answer."

Ritsuko's drink arrived. The sheer relief that crossed Ritsuko's face at the sight of the alcohol caught Misato off-guard. "You look awfully cheerful to get that. What's wrong?"

Ritsuko laughed bitterly. "The same problem as usual. I've made no progress." She took a long sip of her bright blue cocktail, then sighed. "One of our oldest mutual friends has returned, as I'm sure you've noticed."

Misato nearly growled. "That stupid-faced, slimy bastard? Yeah, I saw the prick."

"Hmm," Ritsuko relaxed. Her posture changed. Misato thought it was familiar, just as the tone of voice was familiar, but she couldn't place it. Ritsuko added, "It seems you feel just as strongly as you did eight years ago. Perhaps it's true what they say: the light of passion does not die easily."

"Don't make me sick." Misato groaned. "That idiot ran away from a fight, almost murdered Zenitsu, and then he lied to my face. Not only is he a womanizing prick, but he's hiding something from us."

"Really?" Ritsuko took a measured sip. "I find it difficult to believe that. If nothing else, this might be an opportunity for you to patch things over with him. It's been enough time."

Misato blinked at her friend. The drink that she'd been lifting toward her mouth froze in its journey. "Ritz, I just said the guy almost killed a child, then you say I should make up for old time's sake?"

Ritsuko's smile twitched. Her eyes flitted to the window. The cold, calculating doctor took centre-stage. Suddenly, Misato realized where she'd seen that posture and heard that tone in her friend. "A minute ago," she said, stunned, "you just used your presentation tone with me."

Ritsuko looked up as Misato pointed at her. She continued, "Just now, that was the same tone you used when you delivered that BS about AT Batons. You're trying to lie to me."

Though the motion was small, Ritsuko jolted. The hardness of her expression shattered. She opened her mouth, then shut it. Soon, she sighed. "When did you get so perceptive?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Misato asked, assuming it was an insult against her typical perceptiveness.

Ritsuko leaned back, staring at the ceiling. "I tried introducing a drop of his blood to LCL fluid. The two liquids separated. There was no dissolving. It was…" she looked to her glass. "It was like a layered cocktail, with his blood resting on top, refusing to mix even after stirring it together. The blood and the LCL fluid repelled each other."

Misato gestured for her friend to continue.

Ritsuko shook her head. "I don't understand it; it frightens me."

Misato nodded. "Okay, but why were you lying to me a minute ago?"

Suddenly, Ritsuko leaned against her chair into a casual posture. "I don't want to lie to you, Misato."

"Then, tell me the truth. What is it you're hiding from me?"

Ritsuko took a drink. Misato wanted, desperately, to believe her friend. Ritsuko was the last trustworthy pillar in her life. This scientist was her back-up, her support, the woman who helped her through the most difficult situations. Their jobs alone made them rely on each other.

Soon, Ritsuko answered, "I've been asked to prepare countermeasures if the Angel Slayers become aggressive."

Zenitsu

The four boys were huddled together in Misato's apartment. The table was covered in maps of Nerv, all the official ones, at least. Shinji was madly making notes as Inosuke detailed his journey through the vents some time ago.

Unsurprisingly, the room with the big white 'Lilith' thing wasn't part of the official tour. Officially, Nerv HQ didn't go as deep as that massive red cavern. As the two worked on the map, Zenitsu ensured that any of Tanjiro's questions would be answered.

Zenitsu was both relieved and surprised to have Shinji help them. The kid was still screaming internally, but his help was appreciated. He was competent when he could focus. Also, he seemed to have latched onto Inosuke. He wasn't sure why, but he decided not to question it.

Inosuke jabbed his finger at a spot on the map. "There! I want to go there! I feel like the biggest piece of this stupid puzzle is in that room."

Intrigued, Zenitsu leaned over the map, followed by Tanjiro. It was a small room, directly beside the elevator shaft, a few floors above the Lilith room. It wasn't on the map. "Wait," Zenitsu leaned forward.

"You noticed, too?" Shinji waved his pen over the different maps. "The way Inosuke describes it, there's an entire floor that isn't on the maps."

Tanjiro and Zenitsu leaned forward. Shinji had made several messily drawn arrows to a spot on the map. There was a room beside the elevator shaft. The rough diagram of vents which Shinji had overlaid showed several vents leading to this room, with all ends ending with a dotted line. A quick look to the top of the page told that the dotted line meant "too narrow for passage".

"Interesting," Tanjiro looked over the map. "Still, shouldn't we focus here?" He pointed to the impractically massive room that was Gendo's office.

"No good," Shinji said. "There are cameras everywhere. My dad would have you guys either killed or exiled or… something if you tried. I don't think there's a way to do it without getting caught."

So what? Zenitsu had to pull back and breathe deeply. So much of him did not care if he made an enemy of everyone in this Japan. All he wanted to do was go home. But, if he simply left now, they would pursue. Not only would they pursue, but Inosuke and Tanjiro would both charge back to fight Angels.

Or, there was the worst option: what if someone else came to this world and was taken by Nerv. The thought of poor Nezuko, being sprayed with LCL fluid before she had a chance to know anything, made him furious.

"Shinji's right," he said. "I don't like it, but this is our best bet. We need to focus on getting information. I don't want to sneak around forever. We need something we can use that will either get us back home, or let us have something we can use against Gendo."

His and Tanjiro's eyes looked to Shinji at the mention of his father. Shinji didn't flinch. The kid seemed to have no connection whatsoever to his dad.

Inosuke broke in, "You're all thinking too much."

"We haven't learned anything!" Zenitsu slammed his fist on the table. "We don't know anything about Nerv or Angels, despite all the time we've spent here."

"Are you stupid? We know a lot."

The other three stared at him.

Inosuke said, "The big threat are Angels. Nerv is just as interested in making weapons from Angels as they are in defeating the Angels. They have a big white Angel at the bottom of Nerv, and Evas feel a lot like Angels. I'd gamble both my swords that they're trying to make their own weapons out of Angels."

"Of course they are," Shinji replied. "They need those weapons to fight Angels."

"Then why the secrets? Why stockpile and hide weapons during a war? That's when you should use them. They're saving up for something."

"For what?" Zenitsu and Tanjiro asked in unison.

"Why are you asking me? I'm a fighter, not a thinker."

Shinji turned the map toward Inosuke and pointed to a specific room. "You're also our best bet of getting an answer." He pointed to the mysterious room. "Find what you can, try not to get caught. My father will be in a meeting, and Rei has a test that Ritsuko needs to attend. That will be your best time." He looked to the other three. "We will learn something useful tomorrow."

Asuka

"Guten Morgen," Asuka said to the blue-haired girl. The pilot of Unit-00 sat alone on a bench, reading. She really was a longer, hiding away from the stream of students. "You must be the prototype pilot. Thanks for taking care of things before I got here."

Already, a crowd had gathered behind Asuka. Yes, she thought. Those dumb colourful brats had stolen her grand opening at sea, but she would still be the best in the school. Now, standing atop a low stone wall, she looked down at Rei. The gazes of the many passing students fell on her.

A nagging doubt told her that they were just gawking at her clearly foreign hair colour, but she embraced it, whatever it was. She had the spotlight, that's all that mattered.

Rei didn't respond. The girl simply moved to get the book she was reading out of the sun. For a moment, Asuka was convinced she was being ignored. But that was ridiculous. A closer look showed that Rei was lightly bouncing one of her feet. Oh, it must have been that comment about being the "prototype" pilot. Miss Zero had a cold personality, it seemed.

Asuka stepped forward, curious to test her fellow pilot's boundaries. "You're Rei Ayanami, aren't you?" Her shadow fell over the book.

Only Rei's eyes moved in response. The red irises snapped up to her. A tiny, barely perceptible grimace crossed her features. She moved further along the bench on which she sat and continued to read.

"Hmm!" Asuka scoffed with a flourish of her hair, stepping down from the wall. "That's hardly any way to greet a fellow pilot. Come on, let's be friends."

She sauntered up to Rei and struck out a hand.

Rei looked at it, then up at Asuka. Soon, Rei stood, placed her book in her school bag, and began marching toward the school. "I think it will be enough to be classmates for now."

Misato

It was like a series of rolling hills had appeared on her desk. The various stacks of paperwork were laid out to show just how many people were angry either at her or Nerv in general. The 'Angel Slayers' stunt at sea ended up being recorded. The footage, unsurprisingly, had been sent seemingly every politician, scientist, and military commander in the UN. It wouldn't be long, she thought, before regular citizens became aware of them.

For her, it meant paperwork. The military types wanted to know what the Angel Slayers were and how they could be utilized. The politicians said it was a disgrace that these 'kabuki actors' (a comment made by Americans, Misato noted) showed up Nerv. The scientists were slobbering like dogs at mealtime.

Luckily, there were other places Misato could be. So, she happily decided that it was necessary for her to be present at the day's Eva tests. If nothing else, it would be a nice break from responding to the HR nightmare that had been so frighteningly displayed before her.

As she stepped into the observation room, she found Tanjiro and Zenitsu already there. Her desire for a break vanished. "I'm surprised you two are here."

Tanjiro waved and offered a bright, "Hello."

Zenitsu shrugged and nodded to Tanjiro. "He wanted to see how these tests work. I'm sticking with him to make sure nothing funny happens to him."

A few of the Nerv employees offered a dirty look to them. Misato made a mental note that she'd be getting complaints from within Nerv. Many people were frustrated to be doing all of this when a group of children were 'taking all the credit'.

"Is Gendo going to be here?" Zenitsu asked offhandedly.

"Why?" Misato raised an eyebrow.

Zenitsu shrugged. "Guy creeps us both out."

Misato shook her head. "No, he won't be here. He has a meeting with members of SEELE."

Both Zenitsu and Tanjiro snapped toward her. "Oh," they said in unison.

Damn it, the kids were up to something. She stepped closer to them. As she did so, Zenitsu softened, "Thanks for yesterday, by the way. I appreciate you believing me when Kaji didn't."

He stuck out a hand toward her. There was a tiny piece of paper tucked between his fingers. Intrigued, she shook the hand and palmed the paper. "Of course. Where's Inosuke?"

"Off in the woods," Tanjiro said, turning his attention to the Eva beyond the glass. "You know how he is."

"Right," Misato pulled her hand back, opening the ripped piece of paper in her hand. It said: "What's in the room that's not on the map?"

She rubbed her temples as the door opened behind her. "You seem bothered, Misato," came the professional voice of Dr. Akagi.

"I think I drank too much last night," Misato replied.

Oh, how she wished that were her biggest problem.

Inosuke

It seemed like it would be easy. Inosuke began to think he might be able to investigate this room, then still have time to check Gendo's office. He hadn't thought anything of the elevator doors when he first found the elevator shaft, but now, counting them, he found that there were, indeed, two more floors than listed on the official map. One was the floor with the Lilith room, and the other was exactly where his mystery room should be.

He found the elevator doors on the right level, climbed to them, struck his swords into the space between them, and pulled.

They didn't budge.

He tried harder. They didn't move.

They were much tougher than the doors to the Lilith room. This difficulty only made Inosuke more intrigued. "Think you can keep me out?" he muttered to no one. Grunting, he put in his full strength. The muscles which had yearned for use screamed with joy. The doors creaked. The type of metal was different. Not only that, but they seemed to operate differently. The cords of his muscles worked. As adrenaline returned to him, the metal peeled open with an ear-splitting shriek.

Instantly, the orange light he had seen from that letter-sized opened fell on him. A gust of warm air followed. The scent of blood washed over him as he first glimpsed the room.

Before he could even appraise the room, he felt dozens of eyes move to him. Yet, he felt no presence. "What…?"

He forced himself to move into the room. The clack of his sandal echoed with an awful, pervading sound. He felt weak as he looked at them.

Lilith had made him confused and angry. This… this was horrifying and disgusting. Dozens of red eyes looked at him. The same face, mirrored across many identical bodies, looked vacantly at him. He felt their eyes moving over him as if a thousand spiders were scurrying over his body.

To each of his sides was a glass wall, beyond which was a chamber filled with LCL fluid. In the fluid, floating like dead fish in a tank, were the clones of Rei Ayanami.

They were all smiling. They made tiny motions. On their nude bodies, Inosuke saw tiny hints of muscular activity. They weren't dead. There were many. They were all Rei. None of them were Rei. They smiled. The sound of laughter filled his mind. "Stop looking at me!" he shouted.

Instinct made him raise his swords. He froze. The scent. Blood. LCL fluid. If he smashed the glass, he'd drown. Wait, why were they all in LCL fluid?

They looked at him. He felt their eyes. He was alone in the room, but from their chambers, he felt their gazes. It was wrong. He was only supposed to feel people's eyes because of the way the air moved. If they were separate from him, in their chambers, why could he feel them?

The sensation became like tiny hands.

It smelled like the room with Lilith. There was so much blood. There were so many Reis. What was this?

Blood. Angels. LCL fluid. Rei.

Inosuke forced himself to look at the centre of the room. There, a strange pillar stood. The base was of a black metal, but most of it was a tube of glass that reached the ceiling. Within, a different Rei floated in LCL fluid. Inosuke stared for several moments in scared confusion.

Was it Rei? It had to be. Yet, this one looked different. Unlike the others, this one had her eyes closed. Her hair was a mossy green, unnatural even by his world's standards. Looking closer, her muscles were much more defined than the other Rei's. There was no sign of movement.

Fear turned into a consuming desire. He needed to know. He would learn. "What are you?" he muttered, unsure if he were asking the girl, Nerv as a whole, or Gendo.

As if in response, the girl's eyes opened. Her eyes were orange.