Russia
Bethany Base, European NERV Branch
Gendo Ikari walked down toward the Underground Base at an unhurried pace. The crisp sound of his footsteps on the stairs rang especially loudly through the empty underground space.
Kozo Fuyutsuki followed behind Gendo Ikari, lighting the way with a flashlight.
Gendo Ikari said, "How is work on the other four Mark Series EVA units coming along?"
Kozo Fuyutsuki replied, "Progress is normal. There have been no surprises. All that remains is the issue of their pilots, and that will take a long time yet. I suggest returning to NERV Headquarters in Japan."
Gendo Ikari said, "Hmm... I was thinking the same thing. Leave some mass-production EVA units stationed here in Europe to buy time and slow things down."
Kozo Fuyutsuki said, "Kaji and his people have taken the Nevada branch in America."
Gendo Ikari said, "Next, they'll have to spend time putting the rocket launch project into practice. Unit-01 in orbit will return at that point as well."
The two finally reached a large door. They pushed it open, revealing nothing but the products of failed experiments.
Flesh and enormous skeletons lay piled together everywhere. EVA units with their outer shells still unfinished hung overhead.
An EVA shaped like Unit-00, its body covered in blood and scraps of flesh, sat atop a mountain of mangled corpses, resting against a Death Scythe it held-Mark.09 EVA.
Gendo Ikari said, "The training has gone quite well. It will be useful when it returns to Headquarters."
Kozo Fuyutsuki said, "It should keep Shinji in the dark for a while. It's only a dispensable substitute."
Gendo Ikari said, "If desire drives his awakening, then give him the result of that awakening."
Japan
Village-3 [Third Village]
Misato sat in a pavilion, stroking her steadily growing belly.
The two girls