Dr Ritsuko Akagi stood up, slipping her computer under her arm and stretching, grunting in an unladylike fashion as her back cracked. As NERV's leading expert on, well, most things, there were certain expectations placed upon her, and ensuring that the MAGI were running functionally was right up the top with keeping the Evas functioning and in check. Unfortunately after several thorough diagnostics of the advanced computers, her worst fears had come to pass; the entire endeavour had been a complete waste of her time. Not only were the MAGI working perfectly, she had also been dragged away from preparing Unit 0 and the autopsy of the Fourth Angel, all because of some stupid mistake in old Tokyo. She didn't know what the cause was and quite frankly she cared little to find out. Those were hours she would never get back. Returning her glasses from her nose to her coat, she searched around for a packet of cigarettes, only to remember she had left them on her desk.

"Typical," She muttered to herself as she headed off in search of something to smoke. If she was going to get through the rest of her day, she needed that smoke.

She passed by the Commander's chair, where she found both him and his shadow waiting for her, eyes locked on her expectantly. Apparently there was more to this deal with the MAGI than she thought. She sighed. She really, really wasn't in the mood.

"All three MAGI are working exactly as expected. There were no issues communicating between each other, no sudden shifts in personality, no signs of tampering, and no lagging. Unless you've forgotten how to change your password, I'll be on my way."

"I see." Ikari's voice gave nothing away, but Fuyutsuki frowned, as if dissatisfied with her assessment.

"So, there are things outside our parameters," He said, unbothered by sharing such details with the doctor. "I must say, I find it rather unsettling not to be in the know."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She put her free hand on her hip. "Why worry about this? Whatever it was, it wasn't an Angel. Otherwise we'd have an entire crew in here while one of the Evangelion units were being thrown around. And it's not anything we know we should be worried about either."

"I thought you were a woman of science," The commander finally interjected. "Are you not curious how this could be utilised?"

"Give me twenty minutes with a cigarette and I might."

The grey haired man chuckled at that and was about to dismiss her when a signal flashed on the command centre's display, illuminating the massive room and catching the inhabitants off guard.

"Unknown energy signature detected!" Called out Maya, trying to keep herself calm this time. "It's the same as before, the MAGI can't-"

And then as suddenly as it appeared, the signal vanished. For a moment the computers tried to locate it once again before concluding that it no longer existed, returning to their default settings. The room was silent. Ritsuko was no longer thinking of nicotine.

"Twice in one day? That can't be a coincidence."

"Do we have a location?" Commander Ikari spoke, his mind turning.

"Yes sir." Hyuga adjusted his glasses. "It's in old Tokyo, Minato again. West of last time."

"Were we able to ascertain the precise location before the signal was cut off?"

There was some tapping below. "Putting it through to the main display now."

A holographic map of Tokyo-1 flared to life in front of them, homing in on the Shirokanedai district. A red dot pulsed as the map centred itself. Zooming in closer, names of nearby locations began to pop up until a name appeared right over the signal location.

"Jouin University Medical Research Lab," Ritsuko read aloud. "Does that mean anything to anyone?"

"Jouin?" Fuyutsuki frowned, recognising the name from his previous career. "It's a prestigious school in Tokyo, one of the most highly regarded at least to my memory. I was not aware they had a specialised medical facility."

"Apparently they have something a bit more than just that."

The commander remained silent, his expression hidden behind his hands. Pieces seemed to be forming a picture. Both events occurring in Minato guaranteed there was some form of connection between the two events, and this new connection to a high school of some renown sounded awfully familiar to NERV's own situation. How interesting.

"Unit 1 is still within range of Tokyo-1." Fuyutsuki turned to the younger man. "Shall we order them to return and assess the situation?"

"No," Ikari ordered calmly. "With the signal gone, there is no evidence of a current threat. Should it turn out SEELE is connected to this in some way, we will lack acceptable deniability." His two companions shared a nervous look, unnerved by their commander's casual mention of NERV's benefactors in such a way, even if only they heard it. "We know this is something new, and we have a location of interest. That is where we shall start. And it will require a hand subtler than that of the Captain or Third."

There were no objections there. Ritsuko took one last look at the map and pulsing dot before she turned on her heel and headed back to her office. All this was becoming far too much, and she doubted that she would get much more work done that day. And she still needed that damn smoke.

Standing by the window, a man with slicked back hair watched as four students departed from their facility. It had been quite the eventful day, and they needed their rest. The two new recruits were an unexpected gift, and he would not squander them. Dazai, the boy with the golden hair, was eager to please, and with training he could become a skilled asset. It was the other student, however, that was the real prize. After all these years and at this most critical time, he had returned. That which the man had thought was lost forever was now within his grasp. And that boy was the key.

"A Nahobino."

The word seemed heavy leaving his tongue. Something that had been forgotten, condemned, now existed before him. This was a sign, no doubt. And he would have to move quickly to take advantage of it, and do all he could in order to keep such a thing secret. His allies would quickly tear themselves apart if they learnt the truth, he could already see it in Abdiel. He would have to tread carefully around her. He was not ready to forfeit her aid nor sword. But that may change in light of the day's earlier events.

As if on cue, the head of the Counter-Demon Force entered the room, wearing a blue shirt and carrying a dark hat under his arm. With the limited light of the room, it was difficult to see his eyes behind his glasses.

"Fujiwara," The Director welcomed with a turn. "I assume this means the forces of Chaos have been neutralised?"

"Indeed they have," Fujiwara nodded. "In no small part thanks to that purple titan. I'm just thankful there were no casualties."

"I see," The man rumbled, crossing his arms. "They will make quite the allies."

"Yes, Akira told me you had something in mind for them." He watched the Director carefully, cautiously. "Are you certain that's a good idea?"

"Do you think otherwise?"

The older man paused, struggling to answer. "I don't know. What I do know is that we need all the help we can get, but I also know things are fragile right now." He locked eyes with the Director. "I saw those kids. We're dragging more of them into this war."

"You disapprove?"

Fujiwara gave a mirthless laugh. "I'm not a hypocrite. What I don't like is that we're that desperate."

"All the more reason to ally with NERV. Given the circumstances, the fact they are effective against demons overrules any moral concerns." Fujiwara said nothing. "Besides, you have no authority on this matter. Concern yourself only with protecting Tokyo. I place my faith in people, and I expect you to do the same."

"A word of warning, then." The Director turned back to Fujiwara, who had placed his hat back on his head. "I don't trust demons as far as I can throw them, but at least they're consistent. People, now they're terrifying. Some find trust more valuable than gold, while others would just as easily sell trust for gold." As he left the room, the Counter-Demon Force leader called back one last time with pointed words before the door closed behind him, his expression hidden behind the brim of his hat. "And for those that value trust, betraying it, well, it might as well be a sin."

Once again alone, the Director returned his gaze to the Tokyo skyline. It had changed much over the years, but it was always his home. It hadn't always been, admittedly, but he would do anything to keep it safe. He had done everything, and look at what that had achieved. The Counter-Demon Force was effective, but limited. Bethel? Held together by lies and fear. He hadn't a clue what NERV could offer Tokyo, but the war was inevitable now. He walked away, hands resting in his pockets. He would make the proposal directly to NERV's commander personally. He knew the man was untrustworthy, the sort Fujiwara disapproved of, and had little love for the man from his limited interactions with him, but he was willing to compromise. Besides, he thought with grim satisfaction. This is an offer that cannot be refused.

Dropping another sugar cube into her mug, Misato took a deep whiff of that strong coffee aroma before taking a sip of the sugar laced beverage. Frustratingly her morning beer hadn't given her the energy to get through the day leading her to resort to caffeine based energy. After yesterday's scare she felt like her energy had been leached by some energy vampire and she just needed to get back in her groove. Tomorrow, at least two beers, first thing. She could already see Shinji's disappointed pout, drawing a brief giggle out of her. She hoped the real thing lived up to her imagination.

The cafeteria was fairly quiet even for the morning. In keeping with NERV's functional design, it wasn't exactly the most inviting place to eat, and the food was nothing special, but when the alternative was to leave headquarters and make the trip all the way back to Tokyo-3, laziness tended to get the best of people. Misato, at least, had enough foresight in order to keep a stash of coffee in her office so she wouldn't have to deal with the same subpar stuff everyone else did. She was still working on getting a fridge in there though.

Leaving the cafeteria and strolling through the halls, she took the time to wander by one of the windowed walls, looking out at the Geofront. It was quite beautiful, and looking up at Tokyo-3 brought a grin to her face. She wondered what Shinji was doing. Probably looking at girls. Poor boy needed all the help he could get there.

Looking down at the trees she found something that she didn't expect. A car. No, not just any car. She squinted, forehead pressed against the glass. She recognised an armoured vehicle when she saw one. And it was on its way to NERV HQ. Pursing her lips, she fished her phone out of her pocket and punched in Ristuko's number, waiting a ring and a half before it was picked up.

"Katsuragi, it's still to early for me to put up with-"

Misato cut her off. "Shut up and listen. Are we expecting any visitors? High profile ones?"

"We are not," The doctor replied slowly. "Why?"

"Because a car with bullet proof glass is pulling up on HQ."

"Can you tell where they're coming from?"

"Not from here. But I'll get a closer look when I greet them."

"No, Misato wait-" The doctor desperately tried to stop her friend only to be hung up on as the Captain marched right down to meet just who felt the need to grace the halls of NERV HQ with their presence, and if something went wrong, well, Ritsuko was on her way up there as well, so no big deal.

When she arrived in the foyer she found the car, waiting at the entrance. There were two men in dark clothes standing guard, and from her position she could tell they had at least one sidearm each from how their suits were pressed against their body. Whoever they were transporting had elected to remain in the vehicle. Now that she was closer, she could see that the car's license plate was from Tokyo-1. Is this because of what happened yesterday? Airing on the side of caution, she slipped her hand inside her jacked, resting in on her pistol as she got closer. Unfortunately the two men also recognised that she had a sidearm and seeing her get closer reached for their own weapons instinctively. Realising her mistake, Misato had just enough time to curse her literal trigger happiness but was determined to get her gun out first.

"Hold."

A stern voice cut through the air, stopping the men in their tracks. Misato, gun half drawn, realised it had come from the car. Or rather, the man stepping out of the car. And when she saw who their mysterious visitor was, she too froze in place.

Standing in an immaculate black three piece suit adorned with a golden flower emblazoned upon a red pin, the man stepped out from behind the assassin proof door of the car, turning to face Misato. With his hair slicked back, there was nothing to hide his piercing grey eyes.

"There is no need for that," He said, calmly waving for his bodyguards to put away their weapons. "I apologise for causing any concern. Hayao Koshimizu, at your service."

Misato was thankful that she was too stunned to speak, because she knew she would have said the wrong thing. Yeah I know you, or I've never met anyone as famous as you, or probably What the fuck are you doing here? None of those would help her, or NERV, so being dumbstruck was a blessing.

At that moment Ritsuko managed to make it through the foyer, panting and pale faced. Misato had no idea how she got up here so quickly, but silently thanked God for his kindness.

"Katsuragi," She hissed, panting. "I told you not to-" Then her eyes settled on their guest and she went even paler. "Prime Minister." She straightened her posture, standing to attention.

Koshimizu smiled, but on his face it appeared harrowing. "There is no need for formalities. Koshimizu is fine."

"Right." Ritsuko brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face. "I am Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, NERV's head scientist, and this is Captain Misato Katsuragi, our tactical commander."

"Good day to you both," He nodded, resting his left hand in his pocket. "Actually, that makes things much simpler. I am here to discuss something with Commander Ikari. Something of great importance."

"I see." Ritsuko had managed to force some colour back into her cheeks, and had some of her confidence back. "May I ask what for? Does it have something to do with Project Evangelion?" However, her questions were met only with a shake of the Prime Minister's head.

"I'm sorry, but that is for the ears of the Commander only."

"We understand." She grabbed Misato's arm and began leading her away. "We'll contact the Commander for you. Come on, Misato." Behind them, Koshimizu watched closely, his stern expression never fading. Once they were finally out of earshot, Misato screamed into her hand.

"Holy shit! I almost shot at the Prime Minister!"

"Thank you for not doing that," The blond haired woman scowled. "We already have enough problems. Why didn't you listen to me? I told you to wait and let me handle it."

"I didn't hear you say that, actually."

Ritsuko stared at her, dumbfounded. "Are you kidding? How much have you been drinking?"

"Same as usual." She grimaced. "Oh, dammit! I forgot my coffee!"

"You can get that later. We need to tell the Commander that the head of state wants a surprise meeting with him."

"What do you think this is all about? Maybe that thing in Tokyo with those flying imps?"

Ritsuko didn't respond immediately, long enough to catch Misato's attention. "Probably. He probably knows something about it that we don't."

"So why is he here? To share what he knows?"

"Or to keep us quiet," That made more sense to her. After all the actions she'd taken over the years, she tended to see things in a more pessimistic light. "Regardless, let's just contact the Commander. We won't find out until after they talk." I just hope things don't get more complicated.

Gendo had to admit, this had caught him off guard. He has hypothesised that there was some connection between the previous days events and the governing power, but having the Prime Minister himself show up unannounced for a private meeting had not been in his scenario. Hayao Koshimizu seemed like he would never amount to more than a puppet of SEELE, but apparently he had a more important role in this game. He couldn't help but smirk at the idea. Things were about to get much more interesting.

The doors opened and Gendo raised his gaze to the figure before him. The office was spacious, a void except for the desk where he sat and the markings on the floor and ceiling. Yet Koshimizu made to rush to cross the distance, calmly strolling forward towards the Commander, letting the moment drag on. Eventually he arrived before the Commander, separated only by the desk between them. Gendo refused to rise from his seat.

"Commander Ikari," Koshimizu rumbled, bowing his head slightly. "I thank you for accepting my request on such short notice."

"I was not under the impression I had a choice in the matter," Ikari replied smoothly, testing how far that polite attitude could stretch. The Prime Minister, however, didn't miss a beat.

"There is always a choice, Commander Ikari, even if you do not see it."

Gendo didn't reply, waiting for Koshimizu to cave in. They both knew why they were having this discussion, but he didn't know the why of the matter. If he could force the Prime Minister to talk, then he might make the mistake of divulging more information than he had intended.

For that, he was in no rush to continue. This is my choice, Prime Minister.

Koshimizu, on the other hand, also let the silence hang, but knew full well what was going on. Gendo had always struck him as a cunning snake, and he was satisfied to learn that his impression of the man had been accurate. He smiled. He had no issues playing along with these mind games.

"No doubt you want an explanation regarding yesterday's events." As expected, Ikari remained silent. "Then first, I would like to thank you for your service in Tokyo."

Gendo raised an eyebrow. This was unlike how most of NERV's endeavours were received by the government. Apparently, the Prime Minister had very personal feelings regarding the event. Interesting.

"Your usage of Project Evangelion was ill advised, yet I believe it saved many lives, and for that I do not care for damages of funding."

Gendo pursed his lips. He wants something. Not simply silence. Where are you going with this?

"As for the source of the disturbance, I am willing to give you all the answers you seek." A sly smile crept across his face. "That is, if you agree to my proposition."

Ikari's face was hidden, preventing Koshimizu from seeing his reaction. "Proposition?"

The Prime Minister felt a pang of satisfaction. He had piqued the Commander's interest. "Perhaps the more appropriate term would be 'alliance'."

This time, Ikari's silence was not deliberate. "I cannot agree to anything without proper information."

"Naturally," Conceded Koshimizu. "Then I shall tell you this; I am not here as the Prime Minister of Japan, but rather as Director of Bethel."

For once, Gendo Ikari was at a loss for words, and unfortunately there was no one that knew him around to appreciate it. Bethel, meaning house of God. Gendo understood that much, but never heard of any organisations that took that name outside of churches and funeral homes abroad. And yet apparently one such organisation existed with enough significance for Japan's prime minister to be a leading member. That raised more questions. Was he a member of Bethel or the Diet first? Did one allow him to rise in position regarding the other? Or was it possible that these two were completely separate from each other? Too many questions for one simple sentence, and he hadn't even been told what Bethel actually did. He met Koshimizu's eyes, hiding his surprise behind the illusion of controlled thought. "Explain."

Koshimizu placed a hand on his chin. "Bethel is an organisation dedicated to protecting humanity from those entities that your Evangelion unit encountered yesterday. While I cannot tell you everything, I can tell you this; Those entities are a constant threat, one that Bethel Japan has been working tirelessly to prevent from endangering the populace."

Bethel Japan, noted Ikari. So, it's international then.

"I assume you're aware of the recent murders in Tokyo?" He continued. "Those were unfortunately examples of our enemy at work. They are not like your so-called Angels that ignore humans unless provoked. These are cruel and sadistic beings, ones that have plagued mankind far longer than your Angels."

Again Gendo kept his expression controlled, suppressing the urge to laugh. You have no idea what the Angels are, in his mind he was mocking. You've been kept in the dark, thinking you know everything. This could make him a useful tool. And a powerful one.

"We face similar opponents," He said, tone remaining cold. "But the crux of your proposal remains. What can Bethel offer to NERV, and of course, what will Bethel be taking in return?"

"Down to business then." Koshimizu could feel he was close, so very close, to solidifying this alliance. "Naturally, there will be mutual agreement to share our resources to combat our separate enemies. NERV with their Evangelion units, and Bethel with our…" He paused, looking for a way to explain without divulging too much information. "... Specialised forces. What's more, Bethel is ready to share all information regarding the entities we face, how to identify their presence, and the unique sciences and technologies we have developed. Finally, Bethel is willing to grant additional funds should they be needed."

Gendo chuckled quietly. "That sounds like an abuse of your standing, Prime Minister. You didn't strike me as someone that would fall to a conflict of interests."

"Not at all," He countered. "Bethel's resources are separate from the state. As Prime Minister, I cannot offer NERV any additional funding from the state treasury. As Director, there is an entirely separate pool that can be provided from. Though I won't deny that being able to deploy the JSDF has been beneficial to the cause."

Gendo had to admit, the offer was appealing. But of course, it had been presented in a way that benefitted NERV, as any good salesman would. Use of the Evangelions by an outside power wasn't something he would readily allow, but it being the only term did make the offer seem more reasonable. But brute force wasn't the only thing that was needed, and they both knew it. Still, he played along. "Why ask now? The Evangelions have been known to you for some time now."

Koshimizu's mouth became a thin line before he chose to tell the truth. "To be entirely honest Ikari, I thought they would be useless."

"Useless?"

"Indeed. Conventional weaponry tends to be ineffective against our enemy. Gun, bombs, even swords must be designed specifically to combat them. I thought the Evangelions would be the same, but evidently that was not the case."

"I see." Gendo leaned back into his chair, satisfied for now. "I must consider your offer before I come to any decision."

"No."

His eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"No," Repeated the man, his expression hard as steel. "You will accept now, or not at all. I do not have time to waste on such things."

Gendo watched him, thinking. He had already come to his decision regardless of what the rest of NERV may think, but he did not like being forced to play by someone else's rules. But he could tell that Koshimizu wasn't bluffing.

"Answer now Commander, or forever hold your peace."

Exhaling indignantly, he conceded. "Very well. May NERV and Bethel extend their hands and join forces."

Koshimizu nodded, pleased with the answer. "Thank you, Commander Ikari." Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out a hard drive and placed it on the desk. "In here is everything you need to get started, including the energy signal of a demon's magatsuhi. Implement that into your systems as quickly as possible."

"Demons?" Ikari took a deep breath. "You travelled quite the distance for a joke, Prime Minister."

"I am dead serious." The look on his face told Gendo that he didn't appreciate being dismissed as a comedian. "Bethel's enemies are the demons of Chaos, and unlike NERV we are being quite literal with that name."

Yes, Gendo recalled him having some sort of amusement when mentioning the Angels. He should have picked up on that sooner, but it was still difficult to believe. Those creatures dispatched by Unit 1 yesterday were more a parody of demons than evidence. "No doubt you have proof to convince me."

Koshimizu smiled. Raising his right hand, he snapped his fingers. The sound of electricity filled the room and a crimson light, the same light that had appeared when those alleged demons had been killed, only this time it formed a creature, a large dog with a smooth white body and a dark lion's mane, within it ribbons of white and red. It turned to Gendo, pale blue eyes assessing him like a human would.

"My lord," The beast spoke with both poise and respect. "Do you have need for me?"

"At ease, Hayataro." Koshimizu replied casually. "You are merely here as a demonstration."

The beast, Hayataro, bowed to him. "I await your command, my lord."

With that Koshimizu waved his hand and Hayataro faded into red light, leaving them alone once more. Gendo was now very interested. How could NERV make use of such abilities, he wondered. And could those demons be summoned so easily? He smirked. Oh, there was much to do with their new allies.

"Now then," Koshimizu brought out a pocket watch to check the time. "I'm afraid I must be on my way. I will send the appropriate resources to this facility, post haste. If you have any further questions…" He snapped the watch closed. "You know how to contact me. I look forward to our future endeavours."

Again the Prime Minister was in no rush to cross the distance of the office, strolling in silence and leaving without looking behind him. With no one else around, he picked up the hard drive and examined it. It was small, but the secrets held inside lit a fire within him. He would hand it off to Dr Akagi for a full analysis before anything was implemented into their system, ensuring any potential spyware was removed, and the alliance was made concrete. He wondered how the old men in SEELE would react to this. The notion made him smile.

"We rose up to fight the heavens," He murmured to himself. "And now we descend to battle hell. I wonder how you plan to protect those that will ensure your demise, Koshimizu."