Chapter 1: A Walking Shell
On a partly cloudy day, a boy sat in one of the many train carts as it made its way to a city called Neo Tokyo-3. Usually the train would be crowded, but no soul was around except for the teenager. He sat straight and looked through the window on the other side with an expressionless face. He was neither sad nor depressed, but more so indifferent to most things. Though in the physical realm he looked like a loner, he wasn't alone in his psyche. The companies in his mind have been with him a good portion of his life. Their voices kept a constant pattern: some screaming, some rambling on anything, some wanting to kill, and a child who seemed sane. Over the years, the boy learned to live with them to an extent. He treated their thoughts as insight to situations and people. The boy continued his sight-seeing till the train stopped at his destination.
Exiting the train and entering the train station, the boy saw no one around. When he exited the commute station, there were still no signs of life. The boy looked around the deserted city and found a pay phone to use.
[Under the state of emergency, all residence must be evacuated to nearby shelters for safety measures. I repeat, under the state of…]
The boy hanged up the phone and picked up his back pack. It had one strap that came across the chest. His attire was black slacks with a tucked in blue undershirt and white button up shirt. His hiking/running shoes were colored white, gray, and black.
The boy walked out of the train station area and stopped at what looked like a parking lot. He pulled out a photo that was sent to him. The picture had a woman that seemed to be in her late twenties with purple hair. He didn't seem to care much that the woman showed some cleavage or the marked arrow pointing to them. His concern was what time she was suppose to be here to pick him up. Putting the photo away in his pocket he looked at a digital clock that was on a building…the woman was thirty minutes late.
"…" said the boy as he continued to stare at nothing in particular.
Minutes passed by when a loud sound wave came through the city. Slowly moving his head up, a VTOL appeared and followed the direction it was going. Shots were fired from the aircraft at a large monster. It made booming steps as it came out from being covered by buildings shorter than it was. From all the military fire power, the mammoth didn't take any damage from the artillery.
The boy went back to his previous staring when something appeared at the corner of his vision. He moved his eyes to the source and saw a girl about his age staring at him. No thoughts were passing through, just empty silence. Normally people would find a person with blue hair and crimson eyes awkward but the boy just stared having no interest or surprise. When he blinked the girl vanished into thin air, but he kept staring. He turned back to his previous position of sight when a large object was coming his way. Looking up, the same VTOL was falling from the sky crushed from the large beast walking through the city.
Side stepping a couple of feet, the VTOL crashed where he stood. He didn't take interest in the fallen war machine and continued his stare in his void. The large monster-humanoid came into the boy's line of sight which it stared at the human. The beast was about to just stomp on the human but looked closely at it. The teenager looked up at the beast looking at him. Silence broke again which the boy didn't think of anything and the beast wasn't thinking much about anything either.
The silence was broken again by more UN artillery taking the beast's eyes off the human. It went on destroying the stationed and flying machines, swatting them like insects. The boy went back to his previous staring position and continued to wait for his ride. It didn't last long as loud screeches sounded in the distance. Turning his head to the source, a blue car coming at high speeds hit the brakes creating more screeches. The passenger door opened and the woman from the photo was in the driver seat.
"Sorry I'm late. You Shinji?" the woman called. Shinji nodded and got in the car. The vehicle whipped around and went back to high speeds in the direction it came.
In the NERV Headquarters, three generals were rambling on how the large monster or so called "Angel" was so hard to get a dent into. They finally jumped to their "trump card", stating that this will finish the mighty beast. The Commander of NERV, Gendo Ikari, sat in his chair with his hands interlaced in front of his mouth. The pose allowed him to hide his mocking smirk at the generals.
Going at high speeds through the streets of the city, Misato and Shinji eventually got onto a highway and were heading towards the checkpoint to NERV HQ. Misato was watching the road and at the same time looking at Shinji who seemed to be staring out the window. She was about to say something when he bent forward and put his hands behind his head.
"Uh…what are you doing Shinji?" Misato asked confused.
Shinji didn't get up from his position and just pointed to the single VTOL that was near the Angel. Then the plane banked left and full throttled to get away.
Misato gasped, "They are dropping an N2 mine!"
She stopped her car and bent over to protect the teen. The mine went off sending a column of light up with a shockwave in all directions. The force came like jet winds hitting the car. It caused the vehicle to be flipped over and over till it started to withstand the high winds coming from the blast.
Back at NERV, the generals felt that the Angel was killed stating that nothing can withstand the N2-mine. They waited till a visual came back up which happened a minute later. Gasps went throughout the command center except for Gendo who continued to smirk. One general picked up a phone and received a new command.
"Commander Gendo, you are here by now in charge to take out the Angel."
"Very well," Gendo replied.
"Do you think you can stop this monster?" another general asked.
Gendo pushed his sunglasses up to the bridge of his nose, "Of course, that is what NERV is for."
"Very well, we will be watching you closely Commander."
When the shockwave subsided, both occupants of the blue car got out.
"OH NO! I just got it repaired last week. And I still have payments on it!" Misato cried in misery. Shinji stood there looking at the semi-wrecked car then at where the mine hit the mammoth creature. He turned his attention back to the car then to the woman.
"Shinji, can you help me with pushing the car up?" Misato asked still emotionally suffering from her wrecked vehicle. Nodding, both pushed the car to flip it back onto its wheels. Misato checked over her ride. A couple of items were needed to get the car to work again.
"Okay, we need duct tape and batteries. I think I've got duct tape in my car somewhere. Could you go find some batteries?" Misato said.
When she didn't hear a response, she turned around to find that Shinji was bowing to her question. He turned around and remembered a store not too far from their current position and started to walk in that direction. Misato looked a little longer seeing him walking away. From how he carried himself, she concluded two things that were starting to bug her.
'Alright, I haven't seen his face yet. Is he mute or something?'
Misato looked in her car for the papers that Shinji had. Strangely enough, they were resting on the passenger seat. She glanced through the information about him and didn't get much out of it. There wasn't even a current photo of him, just a photo of him as a child at the age of four. Putting the papers back, she began searching for the duct tape. When she found the tape, she turned back to see Shinji standing at a store window not too far. Thinking that it wouldn't take that long for him, she started duct taping her car.
Shinji stood in front of a window that had several batteries on display. He got into a fighting stance and threw a right hook into the window then recoiling back to a standing position. Upon impact, web cracks formed that only stretched out a foot or so. He immediately got back into the fight stance and unleashed a lunging side kick at the same spot. Enough force was behind the impact to send pieces of the window back into the shop.
He looked at the variety and took what he could get; four in total. Shinji turned and walked back to the car. When he got back, Misato was resting against her duct taped car seemingly waiting.
"Will this be a sufficient amount?" he asked calmly. Misato opened her eyes and found that the boy's voice reminded her of a voice that she knew.
'Oh no…not another Rei.'
She looked at the boy's face and she seemed a little dazzled by what she saw. Shinji's face was that of a cute teen but the eye color set her astray. It was a dark magenta which she thought were probably contacts. But from the way his eyes reflected light, they seemed to be real yet emitted a gloomy feeling.
'He looks like a walking corpse with those eyes. But I'm guessing his body is fine judging he can carry two batteries in each hand.'
"Captain Katsuragi?"
Misato blinked, "Huh? Oh yes, those will do fine." He nodded his head a little and both went on fixing the car. Once they were able to get the car to run, both were back on the road and reached the checkpoint in ten minutes.
Once the car was locked in the elevator, it began its decent to NERV HQ. Both stayed in the car. Misato was checking her make up while Shinji sat there and looked forward not breaking his gaze. She looked at him and stared for a bit. The boy didn't seem to be moving at all, just breathing and staring forward. He only seemed to fill the personality of some she knows more.
'What is wrong with this kid? He acts a lot like Rei except more pleasant to talk to…in some sense. I bet he'll be surprised when we get into the clearing.'
When the walls were lifted, the Geo-Front could be seen. She always found the scene amazing to watch then looked at Shinji. Only his eyes moved but then he went back to staring forward again, no emotion came. Misato felt worried about why this teenager had lacked nearly everything a person his age should have. She studied his face more and noticed something that she didn't notice when she first looked his face. It had a calm look to it. It wasn't gloomy and cold as his eyes, but was something that could ease a person's worry. She smiled and looked back at the Geo-Front.
Misato asked Shinji if he got his card and papers which he nodded and handed them to her. She gave him the NERV booklet which he started to leaf through slowly. When the elevator stopped, both got out. Shinji took his back pack with him.
"Shinji, you can leave your bag in the car," Misato said.
"I feel better taking it with me, if that is no trouble Captain," Shinji responded without looking up from his reading.
"No that's alright. Please call me Misato. I feel old when I'm called by "Miss" or "Captain" or my last name."
Shinji looked at Misato and bowed, "I will try to remember that. Please forgive me as I tend to do that with everyone."
Misato looked at him thinking he was joking but kept walking, "Really?" All she got was silent trailing footsteps.
In another hallway, a medical crew was pushing a gurney with a badly injured blue haired girl on it.
"What do you plan to do Commander Ikari?" asked Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki.
Gendo stood up after watching one scene of the badly injured girl, "We are going to reactivate Unit-01."
"That is impossible, there are no pilots. And Rei is not able to pilot it…"
"That is taken care of…" Gendo said as he looked at the security screen showing Misato walking and Shinji following with a booklet in his face.
"The next pilot has arrived."
They went around and around as Misato was getting frustrated as how lost she was even with a map. 'Argh, I've been here a week and I still don't know where everything is.'
[Attention, could someone direct Captain Katsuragi to the EVA cages. I repeat, could someone direct Captain Katsuragi to the EVA cages] an overhead announcement sounded. Misato shun her head down upon hearing it. Looking up, she saw the elevators see needed down the hallway.
"Ah, here we go," she stated walking toward them. Just as she pushed the elevator button, the doors opened to have an annoyed scientist looking at her.
"Captain Katsuragi, do you think there's any time to waste when a war is going on."
Misato scratched the back of her head embarrassed. Both Misato and Shinji got in the elevator with the scientist and the lift started going down. The other female was still annoyed at the Captain and both started arguing back and forth. The boy listened very little to the conversation, but figured out the other female's name from his leaf reading. He continued reading until he closed the booklet and put it in his back pack. Both females ended their discussion.
"So this is the Third Child?"
Ritsuko asked watching the boy setting his back pack down. Misato nodded. When Shinji came back to a standing position, he slowly moved his eyes to meet the doctor's. Ritsuko felt a cold shiver go down her spine, feeling the same emotionless stare from the pilot of Unit-00. He turned to face her, bowed, and then came back up.
"My name is Shinji Ikari, nice to meet you Dr. Ritsuko Akagi."
'How does he know my name?' Ritsuko thought surprised.
Then she figured he read her name in the handbook. She smiled at him, "nice to meet you too."
Her smiled slowly crept away from the expressionless boy who nodded in return. Putting his back pack on, he turned to face the elevator doors. Her thoughts were similar to her comrade's thought about the boy.
'Well he isn't as bad as Rei but more of a walking corpse though.'
The elevator opened to a vast area that was pooled with a watery substance. A small dock area was in front of them with a small powered boat stationed. All got into it and rode to the other side. Ritsuko explained what was currently happening to the Angel and Misato was wondering what the Commander was thinking when there was no other pilots. Ritsuko remained silent after that until they reached the fall side wall.
"Everyone-first wave, all hands at battle stations." Gendo ordered which he received a "yes, sir" in return.
"Fuyutsuki…the command is in your hands for now."
"Yes sir."
Gendo went to a small platform elevator which went down to the Eva cage. Kozo felt something of the worse would happen. 'His first encounter with his son in eleven years.'
"We're here," said Ritsuko.
All three climbed out of the boat and went up the stairs to a dark catwalk. Misato and Shinji stopped while Ritsuko went to the light switch. She flipped the switch and the room lit up. Both women were expecting the boy to freak out, but he did nothing and just continued to stare what was in front of him. Ritsuko came to the two when Shinji spoke.
"I do not believe I read or saw this in the handbook."
"That's because it isn't. This is an Evangelion," Ritsuko stated while addressing a purple behemoth-humanoid robot.
Inside Eva Unit-01, a human spirit was currently checking itself for any more injuries. It found none and stretched its form to relax. Lights outside turned on which didn't blind it. Looking at the catwalk, there were three people standing on it. It did not care for the scientist and felt neutral to the other since got her job two weeks ago. The other person was a teenage boy around the age of 14-15 years old. On closer examination of the boy's face, it gasped in surprise. It felt its heart starting to break free from a pain that imprisoned it for many years.
A long silence went on. Ritsuko was looking at Misato while she was looking back. Both were waiting for Shinji to say something, but he didn't speak and he kept staring. Finally, out of annoyance of not having a cue to enter, Gendo appeared above in an observation glassed room. All three on the catwalk looked up. Shinji unbuckled his pack and set it on the ground. Both women looked at him as he bowed then came back up staring at Gendo. Ritsuko thought there would be tremendous tension between the two and waited for the volcano to explode…
"Greetings Commander Ikari. For what purpose have you called me here?" Shinji asked in his calm tone.
Gendo looked at his son and saw a few changes that surprised him but he didn't show it. "You are going to ride her and fight the Angel."
Shinji didn't say or express anything still staring at him. Misato didn't do the same.
"Wait a minute Commander! It took Rei seven mouths to synchronize with the Eva. Someone who just came today, it's impossible!?"
"All he needs to do is sit inside it, nothing more."
"But…"
"Captain Katsuragi! Our primary objective is to stop the Angel! In order to do that, someone will be loaded into the unit. Anyone who may synchronize with the Eva is worth it unless you have alternatives that you wish to share with us!" Ritsuko stated.
Misato couldn't counter what she said. Ritsuko was about to say something to Shinji when he spoke again. "And what if I refuse to pilot her?"
Gendo thought this would be a prediction of what the scrolls told of the Third Child. "If you don't pilot her, then all of humanity will perish. The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders."
Both women looked at he for an answer. Shinji thought about it for a second but the others in his head laughed. He agreed with them.
"I'm indifferent to what happens to humanity Commander. Do you have another imposition?" Shinji calmly replied.
"You would let humanity be destroyed?" Gendo asked to put more guilt in his words. The two women just looked at Shinji with suspicious eyes.
"I wouldn't destroy it, rather watch it be annihilated as I walk on it," he responded back.
Both women recoiled back at the boy's words which had some effect on the Commander who raised both his eyebrows. The spirit in Unit-01 went flabbergasted by the boy's words, paralyzed at the boy's nature. Gendo didn't know what to say because this wasn't part of his prediction. He jumped to the conclusion that the Third Child wasn't going to pilot and needed to deal the extra guilt card on the boy.
"Fuyutsuki, wake Rei!"
"…can you use her?"
"She isn't dead, transport her here."
Ritsuko and Misato were still in shock from the boy's relaxed words.
'Doesn't he care for others? He is just like a monster himself,' Misato thought as she unconsciously reached her pistol. She stopped herself fearing that there was more to the boy than she could handle at first glance. His eyes told her that threatening him wasn't wise. Suddenly, medical staff came from a room across the hall. They were pushing a gurney with blue haired girl resting on it. Shinji didn't break his gaze at Gendo as the gurney went passed him making Misato's face cringe in anger at the father-son relatedness of coldness.
"Rei, our backup pilot has failed…" Gendo said, but briefly stop to see his son still staring at him with emptiness in his eyes. "You will pilot Unit-01."
"Yes, sir," Rei weakly stated.
She tried to sit up but her injuries retaliated with pain. Shinji stopped his staring and slowly looked at Rei who was struggling which made Misato and Ritsuko wonder if he was going to help or do something else. The whole room began to shake and Shinji started walking towards the female pilot.
"It found us," Gendo stated as surrounding metal began to bend and screech.
The Angel found the location of NERV and sent an energy blast towards a location above it. A couple of the city pillars broke from beneath the city surface and fell down toward NERV's base. Back in the cage, the ground became unstable like in an earthquake. Rei fell off the gurney and breathed sharply when hitting the cold metal floor. Support beams from the ceiling were making more noise than what people would wish for.
Shinji, like a butler, made his way to where Rei was and knelt down to her. She felt a presence and tried to look from her un-patched eye but couldn't because of the pain. With one last rumble a support beam fell down heading to where the two were. Misato saw this and shouted.
"SHINJI! GET OUT OF THERE!"
But he didn't move. Instead, he hovered over Rei perpendicular to protect her. Gendo smirked at this, feeling that the Eva would react. When the beam was passed the safe zone, Gendo's face turned toward worried. Both Ritsuko and Misato watched in horror as the beam came down crashing onto the floor with one end. It bounced on the metal catwalk violently missing the two; however, its second bounce hit Shinji's lower back.
The result ended with the beam falling into the LCL pool holding the Eva. At the same time, a loud snapping of cartilage sounded with blood pouring out the young male's mouth. Rei's left eye snapped open from hearing the audible snapping. She looked at the boy who was on his hands and knees over her but his back seemed disfigured. She continued to stare forgetting her pain.
'Why?' she thought.
Both women rushed over to check Shinji. Ritsuko felt the place where the beam hit Shinji's back. The lower parts of his spine where dislocated very badly, she figured internal bleeding as well. She saw blood coming from Shinji's mouth and his back.
"How is Rei!?" asked Gendo with worry.
Misato was angrier than Ritsuko when the Commander disregarded his son. Ritsuko was about to check Rei when Shinji's voice caught her attention.
"Dr. Akagi…" came his voice calmly as before.
"Ikari, don't talk. Your lower spine is dislocated."
"Please move away from your position so I may stand up." Shinji replied flatly.
"I don't believe you can. I…"
"Dr. Akagi, I will ask you again to please move from your position so I may stand up." he cut in breathing at a slow and calm rate.
Ritsuko and Misato were puzzled by Shinji's tone of voice. The two step back and watched. He brought his head down and looked at the metal floor.
"Are you alright Miss?"
Rei continued to stare at the boy still hovering her. "I'm fine."
"Very well."
With that, Shinji moved his feet onto the floor to be in a crouch position. He grabbed onto the edge of the catwalk and then pushed his lower back up in the air slowly. A series of cartilage and bones snapped and popped as red liquid poured out of his mouth. The boy let go of the edge then stood up slowly. Blood flowed from his mouth in small gushes. Ritsuko, Misato, and Rei shivered, cringed, paled and watched in horror from the sounds that emitted from him. Each getting paler and colder at each sound.
The three watched Shinji bend forward keeping his feet and legs planted. Less cracking and popping came but he continued to stretch his back and stopped till he was in between his legs. He labored his breathing as he pushed down more till he let out a sharp gasp as the back gave and a large grotesque scrunch came. Misato went to Rei's skin color and Ritsuko felt her stomach turn as both of their eyes widen with fear. Rei continued to stare with curiosity and fear still forgetting her injuries and pain.
Shinji came up slowly and stood straight up spitting a mouth of blood into the LCL pool. He looked down at the injured female as she was staring at him. Rei couldn't see very far but could see the figure was someone close to her age. He knelt down again and stared into one crimson eye. Rei finally saw the boy's bloody face and a pair of dark magenta eyes staring back at her. He blinked and moved toward the gurney pulling it up right.
He came back and lifted her up in his arms which Rei seemed surprised at how gentle and easily he picked her up. Moving around, he placed her on the gurney and pulled it toward his back pack. In shock and horror, both women didn't utter anything. They flabbergasted on how Shinji's face and body didn't register the pain of self-realigning his body. Picking up his bag and opening it, a S-DAT player was pulled out. He walked toward the side of Rei while she continued to stare at him.
"Music is one of many remedies to heal the mind, sooth the body and relax the soul. There is a selection of music to listen to. The combined time of the selections is over six hours. The batteries are new and will last for 20 hours. Is there anything that you abject or wish for something else Miss?" Shinji asked in his usual calm tone.
Rei felt it was hard to speak to him, not knowing why nor understanding why. She just stared watching his expressionless face and his eyes. Shaking her head slightly, he bowed.
"Very well."
He put the headphones in Rei's ears startling her again from his gentle actions. Pointing at the volume control, she nodded. Shinji set the player on her stomach and stared back at the Commander who was trying to figure out what had happen to his son. His train of thought was interrupted.
"Commander Ikari…" the boy called. Gendo responded by giving his attention, but with a cold stare.
"I will pilot by only two conditions," Shinji stated. Everyone looked at Gendo as he looked back at Shinji.
"Very well."
"My first condition is that an income is established from piloting. Since I do not will myself for the fight of humanity, I will need an income for resources to continue my span of life however short or long it may be. I do not ask much but to be paid with an income of the lowest ranking officer of your organization."
Gendo thought about it which he could just ignore it. For some strange reason he felt like he was talking to the First Child, "Very well."
Shinji continued, "My second condition is the area I choose for my inhabitation. The choice of my selection will be final by your approval. That is all I ask Commander."
When Shinji finished, he continued to stare at his father. Gendo could only give a smirk at his son. He had grasp of power over him which was all that mattered.
"Very well, I accept both your terms."
Shinji bowed deeply and looked back at Rei who was still staring at him. A medical staff was running over which he walked to her side. She stared at him and saw his arm move toward the S-DAT player like it was separate from his body. His finger was about to press the play button when Rei heard him.
"Good day Miss Rei Ayanami."
The play button was pushed and he backed away to let the staff push her away. Ayanami's eyes widen a little and tried to get up but the staff pushed her down. She felt an urge to resist but stopped when boy's music started to play. After time, it was very dreamy-like, calm, soothing, yet alone, dark, and lost.
Shinji turned back toward the two women that have stayed silent for the whole time. When he walked closer, the women felt fear reaching out to grab them. The blood on his face and clothes didn't help. Shinji saw this and stopped.
"May we begin Dr. Akagi?"
Ritsuko blinked and nodded. She showed Shinji the way into the cockpit and gave instructions. Misato walked back toward the command center feeling that was a better place than the Eva cages. Gendo left as well to resume his command at the command center.
When the beam fell, the human spirit strove to protect the two children. But, something interfered with her, numbing the feeling of her body. She watched and screamed when the beam hit the boy. When the boy relined his bone structure, the spirit shivered in fear. Despite the shock and horror, she was awed that he protected someone feeling that the teenage boy was not truly dead or like the Commander. When the day comes that she would be freed, she would give brutality to that older man.