Child of the Evangelion
Terren Hunt (f.k.a. Lord Kinake Hitashi)
Characters:
Suzahara IkariSon of Shinji Ikari
Pilot of Eva Unit 1
Age: 14
Fifth Child
Named so after his father's childhood friend.
Cleopatra Whely-AyanamiAdopted daughter of Rei Ayanami
Pilot of Eva Unit 0
Age: 15
Sixth Child
Cleo for short.
Rose "Princess" McNash
Daughter of Asuka Langley Shoryu
Pilot of Eva Unit 2
Age: 14
Seventh Child
Named for her being "Daddy's little Princess."
Misato Neko Katsuragi
Daughter of Capt. Misato Katsuragi
Pilot of Eva Unit 10
Age: 16
Eighth Child
Who doesn't like cats?
Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or any of the characters. I simply do this for fun, not for profit or anything financial. Just bored.
Chapter One
Introductions Are in OrderTwenty-four years after the last Angel was destroyed, Shinji Ikari had all but forgotten what happened all those years ago. The fact that his wife died shortly after childbirth did not help that fact.
He looked at his son, sitting there playing video games, thinking how he resembled himself but had the attitude of his mother. He would have never thought of video games as a pastime.
Suzahara is so much like his mother, it's almost like she's here, he thought, even though he knew his son would hate being compared to a woman. The phone rang. He picked it up and almost dropped it when he heard the voice say:
"Shinji? We need your help again."
"Oh my God! Misato? Is that you? How long has it been?"
"Never mind that, Ikari. There are other matters at hand. Can you be in Tokyo-3 in seventy-two hours? And bring that boy of yours."
"Uh… sure. But what for?" He was still in shock from hearing from his former guardian.
"You'll see when you get here." Yep, she's Misato all right.
The click was heard when she hung up. He turned to the front room. "Suzahara? How'd you like to go to Dad's hometown?" The boy's head shot up from the screen. "Good. We're leaving in two hours. Go pack."
"Ok, Dad. I'll be down soon." He ran upstairs to his small room. Two hours later, he came down with a suitcase and duffel bag full of, what his father was sure, video games and manga.
They walked out into the driveway with a blue Ford sitting in it. The bumper still had to be duct taped on from time to time. Climbing in, they silently started off.
Suzahara pulled a small hand-held video game system out of his duffel bag and started pounding on the keys. Having left it open, Shinji glanced at it from the corner of his eye. Video games and manga…
* * *
Taking the carport he had to use so often before, he finally had time to ask his son some questions.
"So, Suzahara… what game are you playing?"
"Oh, just something about a maniac who's trying to take over the world; you have to stop him… y'know, stuff like that," came the boy's reply. "Dad, where are we really going? I know we're just not having father/son bonding time."
His mother's son, "Fine. You've seen through me again. We're going to NERV headquarters. It was your grandfather's organization. The call from Misato (right before we left, remember?) set off the forgotten memories.
"Over twenty years ago, your old man took this same road for the first time. Except then it was Captain Misato Katsuragi who was driving me. It was right after the third Angel attack. I had all but given up hope of ever getting a ride anywhere.
"I was brought before my father with a decision: accept his proposal or be cast aside again. I was scared, both of my father and of the mission put ahead of me. I refused. They brought out Rei Ayanami. She was torn up and battered, covered in bandages. I looked at her and felt sympathy, wondering what my father had subjected her to to make her look as she did.
"That's when the ceiling fell. Rei was right underneath. I dove, hoping against hope that my small body could hold back all that rubble. In the span of three seconds, I realized that my life would end there. But something amazing happened. The arm of the Evangelion unit one snapped out of its restraints, as if it were protecting me.
"After a few months I found out what had really happened to Rei Ayamani. She had been in an accident while piloting her Eva. It had gone berserk, acting wildly. She was trapped inside, with little to nothing she could do. That's when my father… the man I thought couldn't feel… that's when he saved her from the heated entry plug."
His son stared at him, a grown man reminiscing like he was mad. "Uh… Dad? I think they have medication for that."
Shinji Ikari looked back at his son. "Oh… never mind the ramblings of an old man. Just good memories, like the ones I hope you can build one day."
The carport stopped. The door slid open and the Ikari patriarch pulled into the geofront. Suzahara stared in wonder at the upside-down city hanging there. "What's that for, Dad? I didn't know they built cities upside-down."
"That, my son," he answered slowly, "is for when the Angles were attacking with regularity. Now it's just used against terrorist attacks."
"Right, Dad. Remind me never to ask you anything again. You scare me."
"Uh huh. Just listen to your old dad. He just might be able to teach you a few things."
Out of the horizon (or so it seemed), there suddenly loomed a great series of buildings. "The one we're going to is in the middle."
My God, came the thoughts of Suzahara. He had never seen such a thing in his entire life. The large, grey mass seemed to hover high above him, as if by some magical force. It seemed to take an hour (or more) to reach their destination. As they approached, he could see a medium-sized woman standing before it. His father stopped the car and got out. He took that as his cue to do the same.
"Shinji Ikari. You've grown into quite the handsome man. I didn't expect you to be so… masculine when you grew up."
"Misato Katsuragi. You haven't changed a bit. Your hair is a shade or two lighter, though."
"It's from all that time working with you." They laughed and then ran at each other, flinging into each other's arms.
"I understand you wanted to see my boy. Suzahara!" The boy ran from his place beside the car. "This is Captain Misato Katsuragi…"
"Actually, it's 'commander' now," she corrected him.
"… she was my guardian and friend when I worked here. She took me in when I had no one else. She's a very kind woman if you get to know her." *And, * he added to his son, *a very slobbish one. * Suzahara stifled a laugh.
"Thank you, Shinji. I'll take the boy from here. You only need follow.
"Suzahara Ikari, welcome to NERV HQ. This is the center of all militant operations in Tokyo-3 and the surrounding areas. We are also the equivalent to America's 'Area 51.' We cover up anything we don't want the public to see. That's why you never heard of your father's exploits, or those of his companions.
"And here we come to the cafeteria. If you notice, we have a guest sitting in the corner of the room."
Misato was right. There was a purple-blue head sitting seemingly alone in the corner of the vast room. Suzahara noticed his father's eyes light up like he had just seen a treasure of millions.
"Rei! It's been too long." He ran over to embrace the ghostly figure. She turned around, revealing a set of red eyes that seemed to burn the heart.
After the hugging, she spoke, "Shinji Ikari. You look taller." Suzahara thought he would melt listening to her monotone voice. He had never known his real mother, but he hoped it had been someone like her.
"And you… you've grown. You're fuller…" he pulled his gaze away, ashamed that he had been staring at her chest as he spoke. "I mean you look beautiful."
"Thank you. Is that your boy? He looks like he's… uh… hypnotized." Suzahara came to very quickly at that. He looked around nervously, trying to avoid suspicion.
"Um, yes. That's Suzahara. He's a little weird, but he's a good boy."
"Hey…" the young man protested in his defense.
"Would you like to see my daughter?"
At that Shinji almost passed out. "D-daughter? You never even told me you were married!"
"That's because I wasn't. I adopted her. She seemed so much like me; I just couldn't leave her there. I remember being four, not knowing why I am. But I do love her as if she had come from my flesh. Come here, Cleo."
This time it was Suzahara's turn to pass out. If he thought the mother was beautiful, he had no idea that the adopted daughter could be more so. Her blonde hair, her emerald eyes… he thought he was falling in love. He tried to speak, but all that came out was gibberish.
"I-I-I… uh… hi, my name's… um… hey Dad? What was my name again?"
"Excuse me, miss, but my son seems to have forgotten basic protocol. Cleo, this is my son, Suzahara. He usually isn't this way around girls. Go on, son. Say hello."
"H-h-h-h-h-h-h…" he couldn't form the words.
She giggled, "Hello, Suzahara. I'm glad to meet you." She extended her hand in greeting. He took it. Then he ran to get some cold water to dump over his head. "Y'know what," she whispered to her mother, "he's kinda cute."
"Yes. He is his father's son." I just wish I'd taken the chance when I had it.
"And who started the party without me?" A German voice called through the cafeteria. "I don't suppose anyone remembers me?"
Everyone flinched. How could they forget? "Asuka! How've you been? You look well."
"Not as well as you did in my pilot suit," she retorted. The sudden and horrible flashback of himself in a red suit designed for a full figure made Shinji shudder. "Rei! Haven't seen you in years." She kissed the fellow female pilot on both cheeks. To everyone's surprise, Rei Ayanami gave one of her rare smiles.
"Hello, Asuka Langely Shoryu. I see your flustering attitude hasn't changed a bit." The fiery redhead looked first at the drenched Suzahara, then at Cleo, watching him and giggling.
She leaned over to Shinji, "I see your kid has some control problems. Not unlike his dad when he was young…"
"Now, Asuka, most of that was your fault. You weren't modest in the least. Why do you keep trying to blame me for being a pervert?"
"Because you are." Then to Rei, "Hmph. Your daughter isn't anywhere as nice as mine. Come here, Princess!" A younger version of Langely stepped into the room. "This is the daughter of my late husband. Her name is Princess, and she's taken her father's sir-name, McNash. Her real name is Rose, but she was always her Daddy's little princess. Right?"
"Yep," replied the small girl. Well, small isn't the best way to put it. She was over five feet tall, and puberty favored her. "Daddy always called me "Princess," so I just kept answering to that." Indeed, she wore a tiara made of rhinestones on her crown.
Cleo finally took her eyes off Suzahara long enough to look at Rose in wonder. Could she really be that full of herself? Then she noticed her mother looking at Suzahara's father with intense concentration. Rei caught her out of the corner of her eye and snapped her head around.
"What is it, Cleo?"
"How come you keep staring at—" A hand was clamped over her mouth.
"Now, sweetheart… we don't want to discuss that right now…"
"That's enough for right now people. There are more important matters at hand. Follow me." Misato walked briskly towards a door at the back of the cafeteria with the six of them following. Cold, sterile hallways lined their path to wherever they were going. Looking down at her plain summer dress, Rose wished she had something warmer. She envied Suzahara; he was wearing shorts and seemed to have no ill effect upon him.
She rubbed her arms. "How can you stand this cold, Suzah? I can barely stop myself from making my teeth chatter."
"I just don't let it bother me. I never have. It's been a weird thing about me since I've been little," came the young man's reply. In truth, he did feel the bite of the cold, but he also had the ability to shrug it off. Cleo sneezed.
At last they reached the end of the line of corridors. What seemed like hours had been a mere five minutes or so. Stepping into a darkened room, a girl slightly older than the other three children stepped into view.
"Hello! My name is Misato Neko Katsuragi. I am the technical worker for NERV, and I also do most of the cooking."
"Missy…" Misato called nervously, "you shouldn't say embarrassing things like that. Just because your mother can only cook instant soup doesn't mean she's that bad."
"Sure it does, Mom. You know that I do all the cooking and housework because you're always busy with work." At the use of the term "Mom" towards Misato, Shinji wouldn't be surprised (or have doubted it). He had seen Rei love a child, and that was something he'd never thought to see.
"Anyway, Missy, that's not why we came here. I need you to hit the lights." A bright flash came and there, seemingly encased in a purple jelly, were four tall, humanoid figures.
"The Evas…" three voices gasped in unison. There was obviously shock in seeing them again, even after all these years. Asuka was the first one to step forward.
"I can't believe it's been this long… I hardly remember what it feels like to sit in the entry plug. How about you guys?"
"Nothing much," came the replies. The kids looked at each other, all thinking their parents were really weird now, even by parental standards. But what Suzahara found even stranger was the fact that Cleo kept stealing glances towards him, as was her mother to his father.