Everything settled back into calm. There was no investigation into who was responsible for the Unit-03 incident. After all, all of NERV belonged to SEELE.
As Gendo Ikari and Kozo Fuyutsuki put it, whether they got to eat depended on whether the people above them provided anything.
Besides, those people might well shirk responsibility, argue in bad faith, and turn the accusations back on them.
Something along the lines of, "Why was it fine everywhere else, only to have an accident once it reached Headquarters?"
Never overestimate their moral standards. It was questionable whether they even had any.
And the worst possible outcome was naturally that they would use the opportunity to take over Headquarters.
So, despite a few disruptions, life still had to go on as usual.
Until a UN fighter jet from Europe landed at NERV Headquarters.
In the underground passageways of NERV Headquarters, the smells of metal and coolant mingled, while the escalators hummed steadily and monotonously.
Rei Ayanami stood on the ascending escalator, her blue hair falling to her shoulders.
She had just finished simulation training, but an inexplicable ripple of emotion lingered in her heart.
A silver-haired figure entered her field of vision.
On the descending escalator, a boy's silver hair shone like moonlight, his red eyes glimmering faintly in the dim lighting. His black uniform was distinctly different from those of the Headquarters staff.
He stood tall and straight, wearing a gentle, compassionate smile. His gaze settled precisely on Rei Ayanami, as though he had been waiting for her for a long time.
As the escalators slowly brought them closer, Rei Ayanami frowned slightly.
"You're the First Child, aren't you, Rei Ayanami?" the boy spoke first, his voice clear and resonant.
"We're the same. We've both evolved our bodies on this planet to take