Her eyes flashed as she suddenly realized where she was, and more importantly, what day it was. She leapt out of the bed and opened the door, running into the hall. Maya Ibuki was walking down the hall towards Ritsuko's room to check on her and the two ran into one another.

"Dr. Akagi! You're alright!" Maya said happily as the two of them stood up.

"Yes, Maya," Ritsuko replied, calming down. If Maya was so relaxed she could wait and maintain her dignity. "What happened?" she asked.

"Unit 01 came up suddenly and forced the SEELE forces to retreat with the help of Unit 02. As of this morning NERV is officially back to work," Maya explained with a smile.

What had Ikari done? "We are?"

"Yes, isn't it a relief? At least we have some more breathing room," Maya answered, her smile refusing to go away.

Ritsuko let her apprentice's cheerfulness infect her and smiled back. She was going to have a long talk with Ikari, but for now she would at least enjoy the short time they had to relax. "Is Misato alright?" she asked. Forgetting to add Misato's rank was a breach of etiquette, but Maya would overlook it.

"Yes, she was wounded in the fight, but she'll be fine. Also, Kaji is back, he showed up this morning," Maya explained, she seemed to be full of vital information. She was probably ecstatic from the release of stress.

Ritsuko guessed that Kaji had shown up much sooner than that morning, but she would talk to him about that in private. "Is Central Dogma back online?" she asked, continuing to smile.

"Oh yes it is! Come on- Oh, I mean, if you want, I can show you to the command center, Dr. Akagi," Maya went back to her proper etiquette herself and bowed slightly to Ritsuko.

"Yes, that would be nice," Ritsuko replied with a smile. "I would like to check in on Misato first though. Want to come with me?"

"I'd love to," Maya answered with a broader smile.

Shinji and Asuka were walking together (side-by-side, as Asuka would point out, not hand-in-hand). As they walked down the hall and turned to get to the escalator that went down, they saw Rei coming from the other hall.

Shinji tensed, but refused to let it stop him. "Miss Ayanami, I'm glad you're safe," he said as she got on the same escalator as they did.

Rei gave him a calmly surprised look. "... And you, Ikari," she replied in her delicate voice.

Asuka rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes, little miss wind-up doll attempts to reply."

Rei looked at Asuka with calm curiosity. "I am not a wind-up doll."

"You do whatever you're told, you say whatever you're told, yatta, yatta, yatta. You may as well be," Asuka replied.

"Stop it, Asuka," Shinji cut in. "Leave her alone."

"Oh, well excuse me," Asuka replied loudly, setting her arms on her hips, "I didn't know you two were a couple."

Shinji blushed and Rei cocked her head.

"It's not like that, Asuka. I just wish you wouldn't be so rude to her," Shinji explained.

Before Asuka could reply, an announcement came over the communication system. "Rei, Shinji, Asuka; come to my office," Commander Ikari's voice rang out.

"Eh, what did we do now?" Asuka asked blankly.

Rei wordlessly hopped over the escalator wall and landed on the one going the other direction, back up. Shinji followed her example. Asuka looked at them irritatedly. "I'm not going to do that! He can just wait for me to get there!"

The Escalator promptly reversed itself and started carrying Asuka up to the top. "Hmph, well that works, too..."

"I've only been to my father's office once," Shinji commented as they were led down the hall by Vice Commander Fuyutsuki.

"Don't worry, this isn't a form of reprimand," the Vice Commander explained lightly.

"Hmph, well I should hope not!" Asuka replied indignantly.

Shinji and Fuyutsuki sighed.

Soon the four of them were at the large doors to the office. Fuyutsuki opened them and let the three children follow him in. Ikari was, predictably, sitting at his desk, hands clasped before his face, hiding his mouth.

Rei, Shinji, and Asuka stood side-by-side before the desk. Rei with her infinitely calm face, Shinji with polite interest, and Asuka with bored impatience.

"Was this really necessary, Commander Ikari? I'm sure we would have all met sooner or later," a new voice said from the shadows behind Gendo. It was smooth and calm, with a strange accent.

Ikari's narrowed eyes told Shinji he didn't like whoever it was. "It is better to have coordinated meetings so that in battle no one is surprised. Rei, Shinji, Asuka," as Gendo listed their names, the man, or rather, boy, stepped out of the shadows, "this is the sixth child. His name is Cirus Trent."

Cirus wore a long black coat that went down to his heels; worn open with a black shirt and dress pants. He was also rather tall, his short black hair shining faintly, and was wearing dark glasses for some reason. His hands were in the pockets of his jacket.

Shinji noticed that Cirus had turned when he'd come out of the shadow, meaning he hadn�t been looking at them before. "You're not Japanese," Shinji stated.

Cirus cracked a slight smile, but hid it quickly. "No, I'm European, but I always liked the Japanese culture."

As Cirus responded, Shinji noticed that the boy's face seemed to linger over Rei and become somber as he looked the three of them over.

"My name is Asuka, Mr. Trent," Asuka said softly.

Shinji had rarely heard her speak so softly, even to Kaji.

"Hello, Asuka. A German accent I take it?" he asked back with a slight smile.

Asuka smiled, and her cheeks turned pink, at the recognition. "Y-yes," she made her tone more serious.

Cirus bowed his head at her with a smile and turned back to Shinji. "You're Shinji Ikari, correct?"

Shinji nodded.

"And you are Rei Ayanami?" Cirus asked, removing his hands from his pockets. Shinji thought he noted a change in the other boy�s tone as well.

Rei nodded her head once, calmly.

Cirus turned back to Gendo and bowed his head in what appeared to be an apologetic fashion. "I apologize, Commander. You were wise to make this decision. Now how can I be of service?"

Ikari raised one eyebrow, but didn't ask the question on his mind. "When will your Eva be arriving?" he asked instead.

"Sometime around four weeks," Cirus answered.

"Good. You may go, Cirus. I would imagine you wish to get settled at your home," Commander Ikari explained.

Cirus bowed his head to Ikari again, and then to the three of them, before leaving rather quickly.

"When was he discovered?" Rei asked when Cirus had left.

"He was sent here by SEELE," Gendo answered.

The three of them were dismissed after that and they headed to the medical center.

"I can't believe he came from SEELE, or that he was so obvious about it," Shinji commented.

"Yes. It seems odd," Rei agreed calmly, if distantly as always.

Shinji suddenly noticed that Asuka hadn't said a word since introducing herself. His face sunk with realization and he looked at her. "Um... Asuka, are you alright?"

"Yes..." her voice came back dreamily.

"And she calls you the wind-up doll," Shinji commented wearily looking at Rei.

"I am not," Asuka replied, though her tone was still slightly airy.

They continued on their way until they reached Misato's room. Kaji, Maya, and Ritsuko were just leaving it.

"Ah, Asuka," Kaji said nervously. He relaxed when he saw her starry eyed expression. "Who did she see?" he asked with a bemused smile.

"The sixth child," Shinji answered in the same weary tone.

"The sixth what?!" Kaji asked with wide-eyed surprise. Ritsuko seemed shocked also.

"The sixth child just arrived... and he was sent by SEELE," Shinji explained.

Kaji and Ritsuko looked at each other. "Does Commander Ikari know about this?" he asked quickly.

"He's the one who introduced us to him," Shinji answered.

Ritsuko forced a smile. "Well then I guess there's nothing to worry about at the moment at least. Why don't you three go check in on Misato, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Shinji nodded with a smile and the three of them went in.

Kaji looked at Ritsuko again. "Could he have joined SEELE, or vice versa?"

"Not a chance, something is very wrong here."

"Maybe we should get back to Central Dogma," Maya suggested.

Misato looked up at the door and saw Shinji, Rei, and Asuka enter. She smiled. "Good to see you three all together again," she said warmly.

Shinji handed her the cross she'd given him at the elevator. "I think this belongs to you, Miss Misato," he said happily.

She took it in her hands and held it. "Thank you, Shinji. Rei, how are you?" she asked, looking up at the young girl.

"I am well, Major Katsuragi," she answered calmly.

Misato nodded and then looked up to Asuka, her eyebrow promptly raising. "And what�s wrong with you, Asuka?"

Asuka came out of her trance abruptly. "Nothing! I was just- nevermind. Good to see you alright, Misato," Asuka answered.

Misato smiled and nodded. "I don't want to keep you guys away. I think Kaji will watch you at the house while I'm in here," she said.

Shinji looked at Rei with an inquisitive eyebrow, she shook her head and he looked back to Misato; they weren't going to tell her about Cirus. "Good to see you, Miss Misato," he said and the three of them headed out.

Rei had come to NERV as usual in the morning, and was walking down one of the white, sterilized halls of headquarters. She stopped at a certain doorway, which she calmly faced, and commanded to open. When it did, she almost walked straight into Cirus. It was the first time she'd seen him since the meeting in Commander Ikari's office a couple of weeks before.

He quickly backed away from the door and let her through. "My apologies, Miss Ayanami," he said and then proceeded on his way.

Rei raised an eyebrow at his back as he left. His reaction struck her as peculiarly obvious and blatant. She did not see a point to it, and she wondered why he would act so oddly around her. Did he know what she was?

She dismissed the unimportant thought and proceeded in, seeing Misato, who had a pale face. Apparently she'd met Cirus.

"Does Commander Ikari know about him?" Misato asked Dr. Akagi quickly, who was standing a few yards away nearer to the wall-sized window that looked out into the test area.

"He's the one who received him," Ritsuko answered.

The sound of the door opening brought Misato's attention back around and she saw Shinji and Asuka enter. Shinji saw her expression and looked at her more concernedly.

"Miss Misato, what's wrong?" Shinji asked.

"Oh, nothing Shinji," she answered with a smile, though it was obviously forced.

A few minutes later, the three pilots, all in their Eva-suits, were loaded into their respective plugs. The hatchways closed over them with hissing hydraulics, and the sound of locking metal sealed the openings shut. The familiar rush of color, light, and building hum immersed them in a calming view of pinkish water in a large lab-chamber.

Maya tapped a few controls and activated the test system. She looked down at the screen with a bleak expression as her shoulders slumped. "Maybe we just shouldn't bother with these tests anymore?" she suggested softly.

"Why?" Ritsuko asked, leaning down to look at the numbers. Her eyes widened. "They're over ninety-five percent each!"

"Are you sure?" Misato asked.

"Very," Ritsuko confirmed.

Misato turned on the mic. "Well done you three. Your synch ratios are over ninety-five now."

Shinji smiled on the video at her, and Asuka gave a victory symbol. Rei acknowledged the statement with a nod.

Misato glanced up at Ritsuko. "Ritsuko? What's the status on Unit 00? Is it getting rebuilt or what?" she asked lightly.

Ritsuko stood up straight from beside her petite young assistant. "We've finished the construction of the armor and organic parts, but the nerve up-links won't be rebuilt until tomorrow. I'm amazed we got it finished so quickly."

Misato smiled. "Ah, Ritsuko, you're a miracle worker when it comes to stuff like that."

Ritsuko smiled more sardonically, but did bow her head to hide herself from her old friend. "I didn't do that much, Misato, but I'm glad, too. It lets me forget some bad memories.

Misato was humbled by the statement, and looked back through the window. The three plugs were rising out of the water, the cranes already moving in to pull the seats out for the pilots. "Yeah... Yeah that too..."

"You know full well what he's here for," Fuyutsuki said as he and Ikari looked out the window in the Commander's office.

"It is the only way to get our authority back from SEELE. There is no alternative. We simply have to be very careful."

"His Eva arrives this afternoon. What do you want to do?"

Ikari raised his head, "Nothing. We're watching for Angels again. If he can do that, we can use him."

Before Fuyutsuki could respond an alarm went off on Ikari's desk. He hit the button quickly. "What is it?"

"Blood pattern is blue! It�s an Angel, Commander!" Maya said urgently in response.

"Where?" Ikari asked.

"Fifty kilometers north of us," she answered.

"Record the eighteenth angel. Dispatch Rei, Shinji, and Asuka," Ikari ordered calmly.

"Yes, sir!"

Eva Units 00, 01, and 02 launched up out of the ground as the Angel approached. It loomed high above the ground with a muscular upper-body, its powerful arms bearing razor-sharp talons for each of its eight digits. Thick shoulders rose into a bestial head with a long snout of glistening teeth beneath its small red eyes. The tan hue of its skin, a dark color, contrasted with the pale white of its underbelly, the body rushing down into a snake-like trunk.

As Misato ordered Shinji, Rei, and Asuka to split off and surround the Angel, Cirus walked into the command center calmly. Misato looked at him, and then up at Ikari, but he gave no signal to dismiss the young man, so she reluctantly dropped the idea.

"You rebuilt Unit 00 quickly. I�m impressed," Cirus commented as the three Evas surrounded the snake-like Angel.

"Be quiet!" Misato snapped sharply at him.

He nodded and backed away with slightly raised eyebrows.

Shinji took aim with his rifle and fired a volley at it, but the Angel seemed to disappear. The dust cloud coming from the ground told him what he needed to know.

"It went underground. Ayanami, Asuka, be careful," Shinji warned them.

Misato looked down at her screen. "Where is it?"

"I can't find it anywhere. It's like it disappeared," Maya explained.

Cirus raised one eyebrow calmly before he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall just below Ikari. "Switch to infrared, Miss Ibuki," he said.

Misato whirled around and glared at Cirus. "Do it Maya. Let's see if he's right,� she said as she slowly turned back to the fight.

Maya quickly switched to infrared and instantly spotted the Angel underneath Unit 00.

"Rei!" Misato shouted.

Unit 00 dodged backwards as the Angel erupted out of the ground where it had been standing. 00 leapt up and grabbed it by the neck, restraining the Angel. "Ikari!" she shouted.

Shinji followed through, taking aim and firing. Several holes appeared in the Angel's neck and upper body, but it wriggled free of Rei's grip and dove back into the ground.

"Use infrared," Misato said over their communications windows.

Asuka spotted it heading towards her through the ground, and she beat it to the punch. She slammed Unit 02's fist into the ground, hitting the Angel's head. Reaching down with both arms, she wrenched it up out of the ground. Holding it with one arm, she pulled her progressive knife, and stabbed it into the Angel's eye socket. The Angel countered by grabbing her around the waist with its tail and squeezing.

"Ugh! Little bastard," Asuka commented in a strained voice. She stabbed down with her knife at the tail around 02's torso, but it wouldn't let go. Units 01 and 00 ran in, and started to pull the Angel off of her as she sliced it. Unit 01 tossed its gun to 00, and held the beast with 02.

"Ayanami!" Shinji shouted.

Unit 00 aimed and fired, blowing the Angel�s mid-section to pieces. Units 01 and 02 let go of the two halves, and all three Evas ran away from the Angel as it exploded.

Cirus raised one eyebrow as he watched the three Evas head back towards the city. Motley constructs were littered about geofront as part of a temporary refurbishment.

"Well done," Misato said to them over the mic.

Cirus stepped forward. "May I?" he asked, holding out his hand for the small device.

Misato narrowed her eyes, but handed it to him. He thanked her with a nod and took the mic to his face. "Very impressive you three. You might not need me at all," he said calmly, and handed it back to Misato before walking out of the command center without so much as another glance.

Misato looked on after him with narrowed eyes, but this time they were curious.

"And there it is," Fuyutsuki said as the Eva Unit 14 arrived by air-ship. He was with Ikari in the Commander's office, as usual.

In the command center, someone else commented on the behemoth. "Impressive little toy. You know what they say about men and boys," Misato commented with a wry smile as she watched the massive 'toy' land and detach from the ship.

It was solid black, no other sign of color. The shoulder joints were heavily armored with the protruding, vertical shoulder blades of the other three Evas. Its main body was the same design as Unit 00 and 02's, but the head was unique. Perpetually bared teeth ran down along a long snout-like protrusion that shot back into points higher than the eyes and behind them, forming a wolf-like head.

Misato looked down at the bottom of the large viewing screen they were using to see the Eva. Near its feet was a boy in a long coat that was fluttering violently in the wind.

"It's been too long, my friend. Don't you agree?" Cirus asked the Eva.

There was no reaction from the Eva of course.

Cirus cracked a smile. "I suppose they want a synch test. Oh this should be amusing."

In the synch lab Cirus was indeed being tested for his ratio. He was using the 01 plug, but it had been reprogrammed for his Eva�s base program. In the lab itself, Ritsuko looked down at the synch-ratio counter and narrowed her eyes. "It's too good. I don't believe it."

"I've checked and rechecked all sensors. That's his synch ratio," Maya replied.

"How high is it?" Misato asked.

"Over one thirty," Ritsuko answered.

"The little bastard's got talent," Misato admitted with a bemused smile.

"I don't like a spy having a better synch ratio than the professionals," Ritsuko replied.

"This is all base ability, Ritsuko. He just has more of it," Misato fired back.

"Shinji's gotten to four hundred. I wouldn't worry about it too much," Maya offered.

Ritsuko relaxed slightly, but obviously wasn't happy. "With what happened last time, I don't like such high synch rates so early."

Misato grimaced, Ritsuko had a point. Kaoru had been the seventeenth Angel instead of the fifth child, which is why his synch rate had been so high. More accurately, why his synch rate could be anything he wanted. She picked up the mic. "Good work, Cirus. You can come back in now," she said.

"Yes, Major," he replied calmly.

"Are we sure he's a spy?" Misato asked Ritsuko quietly.

"I'll admit he's a little too blatant about it, but that may be part of his ploy," Ritsuko answered.

Misato nodded, though there was definitely something odd about his personality, especially for a spy.

Cirus hopped out of the test plug and landed easily on the entry plank. His black Eva suit fit his sense of taste well. As he clenched his fist in the glove he was sorry the former owner had been crushed like a can.

"You have a very high synch-ratio for a new pilot."

Cirus' head bolted upright as he scanned for who had spoken. His face quickly turned flat as he saw Rei standing in front of him in her own Eva suit. "I'm not that new, Miss Ayanami," he replied calmly.

Cirus, since he was European, was much taller than most people at NERV, and Rei was no exception. He slumped his upper body slightly and tried not to stare down at her.

Rei tilted her head and looked at him with thoughtfully narrowed eyes. Apparently satisfied, she nodded slowly, and continued on her way. Cirus followed her around the grating with his eyes behind his dark glasses. Once she was past, he faced the test plug and relaxed his control, letting the red appear on his face.

"It would appear you were correct, Ikari," SEELE 01 admitted slowly. "It will be some time before either of our plans can be put into action."

"True," Ikari replied.

"Until further notice, NERV is back to its prior function as defense against the Angels."

"Understood."

And with that Ikari was alone in his office once more. He hit a button on his desk that brought up a picture and information. It was Cirus' profile.

"No history, no file. He's too much like Rei for me to miss this. Someone at SEELE is either trying to warn me, or SEELE is trying to fool me."