"Hello, Doctor Akagi."
Hansen lightly shook Ritsuko Akagi's hand, which was covered by a white glove, finding the touch soft and slightly cool.
"Lieutenant Colonel Katsuragi, you are late, and you managed to lose the Commander's son for half a day." Ritsuko turned to Misato, her tone regaining its usual sharpness and meticulousness.
"Sorry, sorry! There was an accident on the way!" Facing the sharp gaze of Ritsuko, her colleague and best friend, Misato quickly waved her hand with an awkward smile, trying to muddle her way through the situation.
"The Commander is waiting in the eva unit-01 Hangar." Ritsuko did not press the issue. Her gaze swept over the inconspicuous Shinji Ikari standing nearby, then returned to Hansen with a hint of inquiry. "supervisor, and Shinji-kun, please follow me."
The group walked through complex corridors filled with the cold texture of metal.
Every NERV employee they encountered along the way immediately straightened their posture and saluted upon seeing Hansen.
"supervisor."
"Hello, supervisor."
Hansen simply smiled and nodded in response; his composure and calmness stood in stark contrast to the tense, busy atmosphere surrounding everyone else.
Shinji Ikari trailed at the very back, observing everything around him—the cold machinery, the adults in uniform rushing about—feeling as if he had trespassed into a world that wasn't his.
Only when he saw Hansen's back could his anxious heart find a strange sense of stability.
Finally, they arrived at the massive Hangar where eva unit-01 was stored.
When the heavy gate slowly opened and the interior scene was revealed, Shinji Ikari's pupils contracted in shock.
A gigantic, purple and green giant was held fast by countless Restraint Frames, submerged in viscous, blood-like red LCL Fluid.
Its head was ferocious, its shoulders high, exuding a sense of wild power.
It was a deep, soulful stirring, an inexplicable feeling of familiarity and closeness.
However, the man standing on the high platform of the Hangar, arms crossed, looking down at them, made him freeze after a moment of subconscious joy.
Gendo Ikari... Father... As this anticipated yet unfamiliar word surfaced in his mind, Shinji Ikari subconsciously clenched his fists.
This was the man who had abandoned him at his teacher's house for ten years without a word, only to suddenly summon him here today with an order.
Gendo Ikari's gaze passed over everyone and landed on his son's slender body.
"It's been a long time."
Gendo Ikari spoke, his cold tone devoid of much emotion, making it hard to believe he was speaking to the son he hadn't seen in three years.
"D-Dad..."
Shinji's voice was barely a whisper, and he looked at his father with complex emotions before awkwardly turning his head away.
Hansen noticed the intentional or unintentional neglect, yet he didn't care, finding it rather amusing.
After all, the so-called United Nations supervisor was just an identity he had casually set up for himself, yet it managed to make the usually composed Commander-in-Chief treat him like a formidable enemy.
In the world of EVA, the SEELE organization, which was determined to carry out the Human Instrumentality Project, was the true mastermind.
This group of lunatics, who had abandoned their physical bodies and existed purely as consciousness, controlled the vast majority of the world's wealth and resources.
They gradually gained control of the United Nations during the outbreak of the Impact and the Angel invasions, and their hidden power had seized control of the major physical regimes worldwide.
Although NERV, where Gendo Ikari worked, was nominally a Special Agency of the United Nations, it was actually the Executive Arm of the SEELE organization.
By clarifying the upper power structure, one could see that NERV and the United Nations had no substantial hierarchical relationship; both were merely pawns manipulated by SEELE.
They only maintained superficial respect due to funding and various resource endorsements.
Hansen, this newly appointed United Nations supervisor, was like a yoke placed on NERV by the United Nations, ensuring he would not be welcomed by Gendo Ikari.
However, Hansen wasn't here to openly scheme against this old man, Gendo Ikari.
He watched the clearly unfamiliar father and son with great interest, ready to enjoy the show.
Gendo Ikari curved his lips into a knowing smile, then ordered, "Prepare to sortie."
"Sortie?" Misato Katsuragi, who was in charge of frontline operations, was startled. She instinctively said, "But eva unit-00 is still frozen due to the previous testing accident. Wait..."
She remembered the boy she had brought back was the Third Child, and her expression changed slightly. "You don't mean to use eva unit-01, do you?"
The atmosphere inside the Hangar suddenly fell silent... As Gendo Ikari's order was given, the classic Father and Son Confrontation officially began.
To summarize:
Commander: "You, go pilot the EVA." (Cold face)
Shinji: "You called me here just for this? Didn't you say you didn't need me?" (Turns away sulking)
Commander: "I need you now, because no one else can." (Cold face)
Shinji: "I can't do it! How could I possibly pilot something like this!" (Feeling wronged)
Commander: "Then go back home." (Cold face)
Shinji: "..." (Grief-stricken by the loss of paternal affection, completely broken)
As their conversation progressed, the tension escalated, epitomizing a 'loving father and filial son' relationship.
Misato Katsuragi and Ritsuko Akagi exchanged helpless glances.
They had anticipated Shinji might resist, but not so intensely.
Hansen stood beside them, hands in his pockets, observing the scene with great relish.
He even remembered to open the Divine Power Link to live stream the scene to Yui Ikari inside eva unit-01.
"How is it? Can you see more clearly now?"
"Yes, My Lord. Otherwise, I can only vaguely sense the outside world, as if through a layer of water."
"What are your thoughts on witnessing your husband bully your son like this?"
"...He's still the same. Because he doesn't know how to face Shinji, he evades his responsibility as a father. I will definitely teach him a lesson later!"
Seeing Yui Ikari silently clench her fist, a faint, almost imperceptible curve of amusement appeared on Hansen's lips.
Then, as if remembering something, he instructed her via the Divine Power Link.
"Right, Shinji-kun definitely won't be able to defeat the Angel in the upcoming fight. When that happens, cooperate with me and hand over eva unit-01's control authority. I will take over the operation."
In the Negative Universe, Yui Ikari, who had become much more solid and radiant than before, blinked her ruby-like eyes.
"How should I cooperate with you?"
"You don't need to do anything. Just hand your body over to me."
"Everything is according to your will, My Lord."
Gendo Ikari had no idea that while he was psychologically manipulating his stubborn son, Hansen had quietly completed a Private Deal with Yui Ikari and acquired eva unit-01's piloting authority.
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