Gendo took another sip from his bowl of ramen. Rei sat across the table from him, mirroring his sip with her own.
"How do you like it, One?" he asked quietly.
"The ramen is fine, Commander Ikari. But I am concerned. Our contact said she would be here by now."
A small figure, clad in an over-long uniform pulled over its head cut down the aisle suddenly, setting a tray full of chocolate cake down next to Rei One.
"Here's the report on the Time Vortex enhancement you wanted," said a small, female voice. She slowly worked her head out of her outfit, exposing her long, pointed ears and taking a furtive glance around before digging into her cake.
"I was wondering when you'd get here, Opal," remarked Gendo.
"It's not easy to leave R&D. I've got minders on me twenty-four-seven. Artemis knows he made a mistake bringing me here."
"That's not good," said the man. "We want to be unassuming. We want them to not suspect us. Acting the part is not going to help us achieve our goals."
"I-mph- don't care," Opal replied through a mouthful of cake, sliding a file out from under her tray. Gendo brushed a smudge of chocolate frosting off of it before sliding it under his uniform.
"You had better learn to start caring, or this is going to go nowhere."
"Listen to you," laughed a woman's voice nearby. "You're one of those no-fun dads, aren't you?"
"We've been compromised," gasped Gendo, bolting up from his seat. Rei One followed, and Opal began her second piece of cake.
"Relax, Gendo, darling. Nobody's compromised anybody… yet. You don't want to look like you've completely lost your marbles, do you?"
"Who are you?" he huffed, looking around frantically while trying his hardest to appear as though he was not looking around frantically. "What do you want?"
"It's simple, darling. What I want is to be in. Is that too much to ask?"
"And what if it is?" he replied, directing his answer at no one at all.
"Then I report everything you've been doing that the powers that be, and claim all the work you've done so far for my little old self," said the disembodied voice.
"You're bluffing. You don't know what you're talking about," Gendo insisted. "We're not up to anything. I think that's very prejudiced of you to assume that."
"Is it prejudiced to assume if you start by saying you've been compromised, and respond to me asking to be in? Darling, you can't put up a very good front."
Gendo's eyes widened. "So how did you find out? We've kept everything under wraps so far."
"Did you know that they've started sewing Life Fibers into everything now?" cackled the invisible woman. "They told me everything. Everything."
"And if we let you in… you can tell us everything," said Opal through another mouthful of cake.
"How clever. You are the genius everyone says you are."
"Anything else they say about me? Things about my peerless beauty and awe-inspiring power?"
"They say you get off to chocolate."
Opal set her next forkful of cake down.
"It seems we don't have much of a choice," grunted Gendo. "But why should we let you in if you can't prove where your loyalties lie?"
"Oh, but I can," moaned the voice. A small, clear cylinder tumbled onto the table as if tossed from nearby. Inside the canister was a tiny, white blob. Rei began to reach for it, but Gendo smacked her hand away, giving her a scolding look.
"A shard of the Second Angel," he whispered. "The last item I needed."
"Then I assume I have won your trust?"
"Gendo…" shivered Rei. "That… that is making me feel… odd. Very odd."
"It's supposed to, dear," replied Gendo. "Yes. You've proven that you can benefit us."
"Excellent," said the woman standing behind him, her hair radiating an uncountable variety of colors. "Now prove that you can benefit me."