The Devil Inside

by Optimus Magnus

After a battle, Shinji needs a blood transfusion. However, fate and desperation cause the blood that he gets to be far from normal. ShinjiRei and crossover with Tekken

1. The Devil Inside

Misato was biting her bottom lip as she listened to what the doctor was saying: Shinji had lost a great deal of blood in his last fight.  The Angel had fired a beam towards Eva 2, Shinji jumped in front of it and the jarring caused by the impact had caused Shinji's skull the crack, blood began flowing immediately.

"Now this is where things get very complicated Ms. Katsuragi; Shinji has a rare blood type and I'm not sure if we have any of the same, and if we do we may not have enough" he said

Misato nodded and went to the window and saw the machines Shinji was hooked up to: she didn't recognise many if any of them as they beeped and made all sorts of noises

"Doctor, find as much of his blood type as you can: if need be, Nerv will pay for importation from abroad.  Just save his life" she demanded

The doctor knew from word of mouth and third hand observation that Major Katsuragi was not a person to be trifled with, especially when it came to the amazing young man in the room hanging on by a thread to what ever it was he called life.  The man just nodded and went down to the cold room to check it:

"Let's see; where is it?" he wondered aloud.

He searched for nearly ten minutes and checked everywhere until he found a large quantity of said blood in a special freezer.  He was puzzled to this and thought it might be contaminated; but a quick check of the label and computer data confirmed that it wasn't contaminated but simply had an odd enzyme in it.  All tests however confirmed that it posed no danger to anyone.  The only clues to its origin was a faded 'G' on the packet

"Well, if it'll save his life" the man said and placed the blood in the carrier container and went to prep Shinji for his surgery

The transfusion itself did not take long; an hour or so.  Shinji was still doped up to the eyebrows afterwards however and Misato was prevented from taking him home.  So all she had at home was a grouchy red head and an arrogant penguin: she was not going to enjoy her evening with out the aid of Mr. Six Pack tonight, and she wasn't talking about the one found on the lower body of a man either

"This really sucks" she complained as she drove home

Sure enough when Asuka found out that she and Misato would be without Shinji's services for food, Asuka bolted to the phone so fast Misato was sure the girl left and after image.  Asuka slammed the phone down, a triumphant smirk across her face as she sat down and fixed her guardian with a stare

"Chinese food will be here in a few" she said and drank a fruit drink

Misato just sighed and went for her evening beer and sculled it as she went to get changed into her usual home cloths of denim cut-offs and singlet shirt.  Once changed, Misato went and sat on her couch and decided to ask Asuka a question

"Asuka, why do you think Shinji threw himself in front of that beam, the one that was aimed at you?" she asked

Asuka shrugged and continued to watch her television program

"I don't know, maybe he felt the need to do something stupid" she replied

Misato narrowed her eyes at the young red head at her remark about the boy that Misato had come to think of as her own son, and god knows that he needed someone to love him.

"I see, so it didn't occur to you for one second that maybe he was doing something nice for you?" Misato asked

"No, not really" Asuka replied

Misato knew it would be pointless to try and convince the selfish German that Shinji was being his usual selfless way for the good of others.  However it did occur to her that maybe Shinji was trying to get himself killed.  When she thought about it, had Shinji indeed died from his act during that battle, only a few would think it suicide: most would see it as self-sacrifice for a team member or loved one in a heroic fashion for the good of all mankind

[Is that it Shinji, are you trying to kill yourself?] Misato wondered and looked in the direction of the hospital

********************

In his bed in Tokyo 3 Municipal Hospital, Shinji Ikari began tossing and turning, his blood pressure and heart rate went up above normal, but not so much that it would alert doctors.  Shinji began to see things in his mind that even the Angels would fear.  Along with words of hatred and derision towards him

"No!" Shinji cried out and sat up, a slick sheen of sweat covering his face and a slight heat in his eyes

After taking a deep breath to calm himself: Shinji lay back down on his bed and closed his eyes; which for a brief second when he'd woken had been glowing red.

The next morning, after a few short tests and a once over by his doctor; Shinji was discharged with some medication and a doctor's order not to engage in strenuous activity for a few days and to have a little extra food to regain his strength.

"I mean it this time Shinji, tell those to lazy sods you live with to pull their weight for a few days so you can rest" the doctor said as he signed the order

Shinji nodded meekly and left the building, Misato was waiting for him downstairs to take him home.  The drive was rather quiet and Shinji was still thinking about his dream and what it meant, he was so deep in thought that Shinji didn't notice Misato calling his name until she tapped him on the shoulder

"Shinji, we're home" she said softly

"Thanks Misato" he said and got out of the car and began walking back upstairs

When they arrived at the apartment, Shinji was nearly bowled over by an excited Pen-Pen; the warm water penguin had become very fond of Shinji over the past few months and showed the boy great affection.  Shinji visibly smiled at the attention from the bird and patted him on the head.

"Hey" Shinji said as he passed the fowl and went to sit down on the couch

"Shinji; you hungry?" Misato called from the kitchen

As if on reflex, Shinji was about to say no when a voice inside him said that he needed to eat to become strong, so he could defeat his enemies and anyone else who stood in his way.  He shook his head to clear his thoughts and called back to Misato

"Yeah, okay" Shinji replied

Misato smiled and reheated a large bowl of sweet and sour pork with rice and a few spring rolls and soy sauce for Shinji.  Before serving, Misato plonked a large can of coke on the tray and walked through and gave it to Shinji.  He smiled and thanked Misato and began eating.  Misato blinked as Shinji attacked his meal with greater gusto than usual; he was usually a light eater but he was chewing through quite a lot of food and then he skulled the coke at a rate that made Misato jealous, Shinji even let out a small belch of contentment after he finished drinking

"Wow, you must have been hungry" she chuckled

"The doc told me to eat a little more and to lay off the more strenuous stuff for a few days" Shinji explained

Soon after, Shinji went to bed and thought about his dream again, it still boggled his mind as to what he saw.  After a few minutes though he decided to just try and get some sleep; his whole body was sore and his muscles ached a little bit.  Closing his eyes and falling into a peaceful sleep for the first time in a long time, Shinji was not bothered by nightmares that night.

**********************

Far from Tokyo 3, in Kyoto where the large buildings of commerce and wealth stood tall despite 2nd Impact, one building stood taller than most, at its top was a mansion that would put the palace of Saudi Arabia to shame.  The inhabitants of this mansion were a family that ruled the financial world in Japan with an iron fist for many years.  One of the inhabitants suddenly felt a great jolt through her mind as she sensed something she had not sensed in many years.

[Oh no] she thought and got up from her desk and ran to another office, that of her husband and son.

She entered and both the occupants looked at her strangely for it was not often that the soft spoken yet firm woman came and barged in without calling them first.  Still, if she did this then there was usually a very good reason for it

"Is there something wrong my dear?" her husband asked

"Indeed there is: do you remember that large blood sample you gave a long time ago?" she asked

He nodded in response to the question

"I have just felt it mixing with someone else's blood.  If we do not get to him in time, he will be in terrible danger" she explained

"Where?" he asked

"Tokyo 3" she relied

While her son quickly anticipated a trip and booked the family jet and called his uncle to come and run the place for a few weeks, his father quickly got into the medical records of the hospitals in Tokyo 3, seeing as the city was smaller than most it only had 2 hospitals and it didn't take long to discover which one it took place in and who the recipient was

"Shinji Ikari, the Evangelion pilot?" he was a little stunned

"So it would seem" his wife replied

"I'll make reservations for 4, son, bring your fiancée along" he said and dialled a number

After a few short rings the phone was answered

"Tokyo 3 Hilton, how may I help you?" the girl asked

"I'd like to book 2 couples rooms for 3 weeks please" he said

"Yes sir, under whose name should I put the reservation?" the receptionist asked

"Kazuya Mishima" he answered

**********************

Shinji awoke the next morning feeling very refreshed and energised.  Smiling he swung himself out of bed and went to have a shower.  As he turned the water on he looked in the mirror and nearly jumped up to the roof: his body had undergone radical change

[I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen during puberty] he thought

Shinji had a rather measly figure even for an adolescent, but now he had quite a muscular figure, a six pack was even becoming visible.  He picked up a small strength tester Misato used to stop cramps in her hand and gave it a go: he made a fist with nearly no effort at all

[This isn't good, or is it?] he wondered

Shinji calmed himself down and got into the shower and quickly began to wash himself.  When he got out he thanked a few gods for the bath robe he'd bought himself and he walked to his room to get changed for school.  Shinji opted for a longer sleeved shirt today and a baggy jacket to hide his arm muscles.  Silently making breakfast for his bickering housemates and himself, he considered what to do.

[This is crazy, how do I go from a scrawny 14 year old boy to a not so scrawny 14 year old boy?  It boggles the mind] he thought as he ate

"Come on stupid" Asuka growled as she grabbed Shinji's left shoulder

Normally Shinji would be yanked off his chair at this point, but something inside of him took over, and as quick as a flash, his left arm shot up and grabbed Asuka's elbow, placing enough pressure on it to make her let go

"I will go when I am ready" Shinji hissed

Asuka merely glared and what ever possessed Shinji a minute ago left as he blinked and saw Asuka's hand flying towards his face.  It made contact with great force and nearly knocked Shinji down

"Pervert, don't ever touch me" she screeched and walked out with her head up high

Misato looked at the dazed Shinji; his shirt had fallen and showed some his now rather muscular chest.  Misato's eyes widened but she said nothing and just watched the boy get up, mumble an apology and leave to chase after Asuka and probably apologise to her too.

"What the hell, is he taking steroids?" she wondered

Misato grabbed her phone and dialled Ritsuko.  She picked up after a few rings

"What is it Misato?" she asked

"Ritsuko, after Shinji's last physical was there any evidence to suggest that he was using performance enhancers?" she asked

"You're asking me if Shinji is taking steroids?" Ritsuko queried

"Yes" Misato nodded although Ritsuko couldn't see

"Not that I remember.  On the subject of blood though, I need to give Shinji a blood test now that he's had a transfusion, just to make sure there's nothing odd in his blood stream from the operation" Ritsuko remembered

"Okay.  See you in an hour" Misato said and hung up

*******************

At Tokyo 3 airport, Kazuya, Jin, Jun and Xiayou were in a limousine that was to take them to the hotel at which they'd be staying at.  Kazuya was looking over a file of the boy who now held his blood and Devil Gene, and he hoped to Christ one of Dr. Abel's theories about the Gene was false: it stored data like a computer

[If that's true, there is a very unstable boy out there with my skills in karate and a hell of a lot of strength] Kazuya thought as he turned a page.

"Jun does the name Yui Ikari mean anything to you?" he asked

"Yes it does, she's my half sister!" Jun cried out

"What?" Kazuya asked

"Well, my father had an affair a few months before I was conceived.  It was with Hiroko Ikari, and Yui was her daughter" she said

Jin, Kazuya and Ling both stopped and looked at Jun; this was very important, because it now meant that a family member, no matter how distant was involved in this problem and they had know a bit about this Yui Ikari

"We were friends in college and through sheer accident we found out our relation, it took a while but our new bond became strong" she started

"Then why didn't you twig on when dad said a Shinji Ikari had the Gene?" Jin asked

"I was getting to that; she sent me a picture of her family a few years ago" she said and produced a photo of a women holding a baby with a stern looking man in the background

Kazuya determined that the boy was Shinji, the older man his father.  What made him frown however; was the older man's manner: he seemed, gruff and unfriendly like Kazuya's own father, Heihachi and to Kazuya this did not bode well for the boy.  As Kazuya scanned the page he came upon another interesting fact

"Jun, it says here that Yui Ikari was killed in a laboratory accident a few years ago" he said

Jun's eyes watered at the information but she did not cry, for she knew that her nephew needed them now, she'd miss Yui but she needed to help Shinji now before he went over the deep end

"It also says that Shinji's father abandoned him when he was 3, after his mother's death and he was raised by a teacher" Jin had picked the file up from his father's lap

Kazuya's face softened a little as he realised the boy and he shared a similar hatred for their father's and a longing for their mother's

[I and the boy have something in common.  We must find him now more than ever] Kazuya's resolve hardened

They stopped out front of a Chinese restaurant and Jin and Xiayou got out: they'd volunteered to search for the boy on foot, being a few years older he'd more likely speak to them than his parents

"Treat him carefully, if he gets agitated, you know the consequences Jin, like I do" Kazuya warned

"Got it, pops" he said and waved goodbye

As the car drove off, Ling grabbed Jin and shook him while yelling to look at the sign for the restaurant they were at.  Jin finally looked up and his mouth nearly fell open: in big bold letters were the words 'Marshall China' and a picture of their old friend Marshall Law on the banner

"A break" Jin smiled and followed Xiayou inside

A waiter asked them to be seated but Jin asked if the owner was in

"Mr Law is in his office, why do you need to see him?" the waiter asked

"We're old friends and we wish to speak with him, our reason is none of your business" Jin growled

As if on cue, Marshall stuck his head out of the kitchen and waved them over

"Its okay, I know them, let 'em in" Marshall called

Jin smirked at the waiter as he walked past while Xiayou just sighed and said hello to Marshall.  They followed him upstairs and sat down

"So, what brings you two to this fine city?" he asked and drank some soda

Jin then explained the situation and Marshall wasn't sure whether to pack up and go home or stay for the fireworks

"I think I can help you" he said and went to his computer

Marshall tapped away until he came to the information he wanted and printed it out; he handed Xiayou the paper

"That's probably illegal but never mind.  Its common knowledge that two of the pilot kids live together, and form what I've heard of the third one, it's my judgement that the one you're after lives there" he said

"Thanks Marshall, say hello to Forest for us when you see him" Jin called as they left the office

"He's back in New York managing the American part of the chain, but I'll pass your regards on when I speak to him" he replied and went back to the kitchen

*********************

It was lunchtime at school and Shinji was miserable, he was avoiding Asuka so if she poked him, she'd not discover his new body fitness.  When he remembered that Sync test was scheduled for 4 o'clock this afternoon, he realised any hopes in keeping his new found body a secret were dashed.  Just when Shinji thought his day could not get any worse, a loud voice screamed his name

"SHINJI" it was Asuka

"Oh shit" the boy moaned

Asuka stomped over and glared at the boy who looked like he wanted to just crawl under a rock and hide.  Toji and Kensuke looked on in sympathy but they feared the Red Devil's wrath like most people and steered clear of her.

"Where is my lunch?" Asuka asked, her voice vehement

Shinji unfortunately chose this moment to try and be smart

"Not here" he offered with a weak smile

Asuka glared and slapped the poor boy hard enough to knock him down.  Again, a small voice in Shinji's head spoke up and told him how to react and Shinji followed the instruction.  When Shinji hit the ground, he put one hand out; laying on his side and quickly swept Asuka's feet from under her with his other leg.  With a quick push-up motion, Shinji put himself on his feet again, but by now the voice had left him, leaving a seething Asuka, a surprised group of friends and onlookers and a frightened Shinji

"Oh you are so dead you little dork" she growled as she got up

Shinji, was in a panic, fear compounded by his body change, the voice, the skills it told him to use and this imminent pummelling from Asuka had lead him to one conclusion of appropriate action: run like a bastard.  Following this course of action, Shinji bolted as fast he could out of the school grounds and into the busy streets of Tokyo 3

[I got to find the doc, tell him what's going on] Shinji decided.

Shinji turned and walked straight into a young man, Shinji fell down on his butt and landed with a less than graceful 'oomph'.  Shinji looked up at the man he'd walked into; he was a Japanese man of about 19 or 20 with an attractive Chinese girl of the same age next to him

"Holy shit, it's him" the man said and thrust his hand out to help Shinji

Shinji warily accepted the help and got up, he was about to leave when the man stopped him

"Shinji, I know why you're running" Jin said

"How can you know?" Shinji said

"Because I too have the same voice and the same gene in my blood that you do" Jin said

Shinji looked up at the man and saw a familiar pain in his eyes; one that spoke of abandonment by a parent, but he also saw the love of a mother, something Shinji had for only a short time

"What is it, what the hell's in me?" he asked, nearly hysterical

"I think we should speak privately, my girlfriend and I are going to a hotel to meet my parents, if you trust us enough, you can come or we can meet on neutral territory" Jin said

Shinji thought for a minute and decided that if he was going to meet with them, he would take some back up, but it couldn't be Misato as he didn't want to find out about this, so he called someone else

"Kaji, I need your help; can you meet me at this address" Shinji then gave Kaji the address of the hotel Jin and Xiayou were staying at

"Okay, I'll be there in a few, be cool Shinji.  I'll help ya" Kaji reassured the boy and hung up

Shinji then told Jin and Xiayou the arrangement and they agreed to it.  A cab ride and a relaxing drink of coke-cola later, Shinji and his mysterious Samaritans arrived at the Tokyo 3 Hilton.  Kaji pulled up in his blue sports car a few minutes later.  After some introductions and small talk, Jin and Ling led them upstairs to where Kazuya and Jun were waiting for them.  They all got seated and Kaji kept stealing looks at Kazuya, trying to work out who he was

"First I feel I should introduce myself: my name is Kazuya Mishima, Shinji" Kazuya held his hand out for Shinji to shake

The boy nervously shook the big man's hand and retreated as soon as possible.  Kaji then snapped his fingers as the pieces finally fell into place and he looked at Kazuya

"Kazuya Mishima, as in head of Mishima Zaibatsu; am I right?" Kaji asked

Kazuya nodded.  He then turned to Shinji and made a most surprising request

"Shinji, please show us your chest" Kazuya stated bluntly

Kaji jumped up and stood in front of the boy

"Hey, this is a bit weird for a simple discussion" he said, reaching for his gun

"Please, Mr. Kaji, if it will make Shinji feel better, he may do so in another room where only I will be present.  I am family" Jun said

Shinji blinked at the statement and Kaji demanded an explanation.  Jun then spent ten minutes telling them the story behind her relation to Shinji.  This left both men a little speechless.  Shinji then agreed to Jun's compromise and went with her into a bedroom.  They returned a little later, with a nervous Shinji wearing his jacket, but it was open and some of his chest was exposed.

[So it altered his muscles to make him a fighter, interesting] Kazuya thought and nodded

"Okay, Shinji.  What you have in your body is called The Devil Gene; it gives its bearer great power and fearsome abilities.  And as two previously unknown side effects, it has changed your body to one of a fighter's and maybe given you the knowledge of my family karate style" Kazuya explained at length

This was a great deal of information for Shinji to take onboard at one time so he simply sat and digested it.  Jun's eyes never leaving him for more than a second as she tried to figure the boy out: his spirit was in pain, yet underneath all that pain and suffering she felt strength, strength like she'd never felt before, and it was ironically inside of this gentle young man.

[You are your mother's son, Shinji] Jun thought

Just then a cell phone went off; it was Shinji's.  Gulping the boy answered it and as predicted, a screaming Misato was on the other end.  The woman was livid; even Kazuya could hear her from the phone

"SHINJI WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?" she bellowed

Kaji quickly grabbed the phone from Shinji before he could be verbally assaulted again

"He's with me, Misato" Kaji said

"Why?" she asked

"He felt a little overwhelmed by something that happened at school so he ran off, calmed down and phoned me.  We met in town, had a coffee and we're with some of my friends now" he said, winking at Kazuya

"Well get him here pronto Kaji, he has a test in fifteen minutes" Misato said and hung up

Kaji grimaced and looked at Shinji.  He motioned that they'd better go and he agreed.  As they got up, Kazuya followed suite and said he was going with them: he wished to speak with Shinji's father.  Jin smirked; his father defined talking as beating the living hell out of a man

"Okay, but you just don't waltz into Gendo Ikari's office" Kaji said as they drove

"How many people do you think just waltz into mine?" Kazuya countered

Kaji conceded the point and kept driving while Kazuya spoke to Shinji.  It was mainly about some kind of agreement to find a place where he could teach Shinji to control the Devil Gene so he wouldn't fly out of control if he got to scared or angry: high emotions caused its emergence.

"Shinji, you and I also share a common childhood tragedy: my mother also died when I was young, although my father did not abandon me, but when I was 12 he tried to kill me.  He threw me off a cliff saying that if I was his son, I would climb back up" Kazuya said

Kaji was glad that he had been stopped when that part was said or he feared he may have braked hard out of shock.

"What?" Shinji was dumbfounded

"Yes, years later I fought and defeated him in The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, the last of those competitions before 2nd Impact.  I then took over the company and sent my father away" he finished

Soon they pulled into a car park that would take them into the administration of Nerv, a public area.  It was there that Shinji and Kaji and Kazuya parted ways.  Shinji thanked them both and began to jog towards the restricted area

"Shinji, you can call me uncle Kazuya" he called to the boy

"Okay, bye, uncle" Shinji said again, feeling a little better

Kazuya smiled as the boy continued on his way.  He turned and was confronted by two large men, gaijin men.  They wore black suits and back sunglasses with a small microphone in their ears.  Kazuya asked them what they wanted

"You were with the 3rd Child, he addressed you as family.  Come with us please" one said and laid a hand on Kazuya's shoulder

This was a mistake, because Kazuya quickly punched the man in the gut and high kicked the other one in the face, knocking them both down in quick succession.  A third man appeared and pointed a gun at Kazuya.  He smiled and removed his sunglasses, his right eye glowing brightly

"You are requested to see Commander Gendo Ikari" he said

"Well why didn't you say so.  Lead the way" Kazuya said

Kazuya was taken through a direct corridor to the commander's office, it was so important civilians could meet him there and the security of Nerv was not compromised by the civilians seeing things they shouldn't.  Kazuya entered to room and saw Gendo and he hated the man on the spot: his face and his eyes were hidden by his hand and sunglasses respectively and the room was dark.

"Agent you may leave now" Gendo said, his voice would rival Heihachi's for coldness

The man slipped away and Kouzou Fuyutski showed Kazuya a chair for him to sit in.  He took the chair and saw in it, his own sunglasses long since replaced

"Who are you?" Gendo asked

"I'm Shinji's uncle, a long and boring story of relation I assure you" Kazuya said

"You have a lot of guts to simply accompany him here and assault my agents" Gendo growled

"Well, I don't like stranger's touching me.  And those goombahs are poorly trained anyway" Kazuya said

"Pilot Ikari called you his uncle, why?" Gendo asked

"Because I am his uncle, dip shit.  And have the decency to call your son by his name" Kazuya snapped

Gendo narrowed his eyes at Kazuya: most men were very intimidated by if not the office then he himself, but this man seemed afraid of neither.  Gendo stood up and looked straight at Kazuya.  He didn't flinch

"Listen to me and listen well: the boy is mine, and he will do as I say.  Stay away from him or you will be, disposed of" Gendo stated

Kazuya rose from his chair and reared to his full height, almost 6 feet which made him taller than Gendo by a few inches at least, removed his own glasses and stared into Gendo's glasses

"Now you listen, little man: you harm one hair on that boy and you will suffer grave consequences.  And don't even try to threaten me.  People would miss me" he said

"Who are you, I demand to know!" Gendo roared

"Very well, I am Kazuya Mishima, CEO of Mishima Zaibatsu and winner of the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4" Kazuya gave a full introduction

Gendo gasped a little gasp: Kazuya Mishima!

"What?" Fuyutski asked

"As I was saying, leave the boy well alone Ikari.  Harm him and I shall kill you, don't think I'm incapable of it because I assure you, I am" Kazuya warned

Gendo was about to call for security when Kazuya punched him in the face, knocking him out in front of a stunned Fuyutski.  Kazuya looked over at the man.  He was small and skinny without the gall or skill to even defend himself from attack.  Kazuya chuckled and replaced his sunglasses and turned to Fuyutski

"I'll see myself out" Kazuya said and walked out of the door he was brought through

**********************

Shinji received a few cat calls from the younger female techs as they scored a free show at his newly improved body thanks to his skin tight plug suit.  In fact everyone stared at him; even the usually unflappable Rei was shocked to see the sudden change in her co-worker.  Shinji said nothing and got into his plug, ignoring Asuka completely

The test took a few hours in which Ritsuko and Misato discussed Shinji's overnight change and his disappearance from school earlier that day.  Ritsuko advised Misato to ask Shinji who these friends of Kaji's were and just be honest with him.  Shinji gave an average performance; the other gene in his body didn't seem to affect his sync ratio at all.

"Okay guys we're done here, you can get out and go home now" Ritsuko said

Shinji trailed to the change rooms and got into his cloths, dispensing with the long sleeved shirt and jacket this time for his usual attire.  Plugging into his SDAT for musical comfort, Shinji slowly walked out of the change room and towards the waiting Misato and Asuka

"Okay, let's go home" she said cheerfully and led the pair to her car

Like his other trip, this one was uneventful and quiet.  In fact after dinner, Shinji went to bed because he had a lot to think about and wanted to rest his weary bones.  Misato was still prodding Asuka for getting tripped by Shinji.  The argument would normally rouse the boy but he was so tired that he slept through it

*********************

School: Shinji hated it with a passion mainly because it was the same old thing all the time and it was a free for all to tease him and in Asuka's case abuse him however she felt like at the time.  Now it was even worse since it was to hot outside to wear his longer sleeved tops and jacket so he went as normal: there was silence upon his entrance

[Oh great, here it comes] he thought as he sat down

Almost all the girls swooned and the guys went green with envy: those muscles were incredible by any measure, almost surreal on a boy as young as Shinji.  The first to hassle the younger Ikari were his friends though

"Hey Shinji, tell me where ya got those bro" Kensuke said, eyeing his muscles

"You don't wanna know" Shinji replied

"Hmm, the growth looks to good for 'roids, but I can't think how ya did that in 24 hours" Toji added

"Guys, please just drop the subject.  It's a bit personal" Shinji pleaded

"Okay cool" Toji held his hands up in a slow down motion

"Thank you" Shinji sighed and returned to his work

After another boring hour and a half of school work and lecturing, they were allowed out for a break.  Shinji and his friends sat under a large tree to eat and joke with each other.  Rei sat a few meters away on a bench reading with a small bento beside her.  Shinji's gaze lingered on her for a moment to long and he was caught out, thankfully only by his friends and not Rei.

"Staring again, lover boy?" Toji jibed

"Well Shinji, if Rei likes strong guys, then you are in with more of a chance than anyone in this school" Kensuke said

Shinji blushed a deep crimson at their remarks and denied them as best he could.  It was a funny site to see a well muscled person like him now blushing and putting his hands in his lap in frustration.  Asuka chose this moment to come over and give Shinji his, just deserts as they say

"Shinji you punk, you surprised me before but it won't happen again" Asuka said and challenged him to get up

"Go away Asuka, I'm not going to fight you" he answered and continued eating his lunch

"What, the great fighter of yesterday is now afraid to even stand up and look me in the eye today?" Asuka sneered

Rei noticed a lot was going on and decided to intervene on Shinji's behalf; her orders to defend the boy had not been officially lifted so she took it upon herself to watch out for him, and sometimes she intervened to stop him getting beaten up too badly by Asuka

"Pilot Soryu, I wish you to cease this senseless activity please" Rei said, standing between Shinji and Asuka

"Get lost wondergirl, this has nothing to do with you" Asuka screeched

"I beg to differ.  You are harassing my co worker and want you to stop" she intoned

"Move out of the way doll girl, or I'll break you" Asuka threatened

This comment made Shinji really take notice of the conversation and was in the process of standing up when Asuka made a swing at Rei, keeping good with her promise to try and break her.  Shinji shot up and caught Asuka's hand in an iron grip.  Rei backed away knowing that when Shinji was mad enough to respond like that it was best to be out of his way

"Don't you ever hit her, ever" Shinji hissed

"You spineless worm" Asuka yelled and threw a punch to his face

Shinji blocked that blow and then released Asuka and stepped back, taking on a stance he'd never done yet felt as if he'd practiced it a thousand times for both training and combat.  Breathing calmly he waited for Asuka to move.  By now a large crowd had gathered and were waiting for the fireworks while Hikari tried to disperse them and break up the fight at the same time

"Stop it you two" she pleaded

"No" Asuka said and charged

Shinji slowly brought his right hand back and made a fist: as Asuka came into striking distance, he hurled it forward with all his might.

*SMACK*

Taking care to aim at her stomach, Asuka only felt a huge jabbing pain to her abdomen rather than possible broken ribs as she flew backwards a few feet and landed with a thud on the ground.  At first she didn't move and Shinji thought he'd knocked out but she soon staggered to her feet, coughing up a little blood.

"Right, t-that's it, n-no more nice Asuka" she gasped and ran at him again and jumped, going for a flying kick

Shinji side stepped and let her land.  Asuka pivoted, only to feel Shinji's shoe connect sharply with her bottom jaw.  As her head fell forward, she felt his heel hit her skull and then blackness engulfed her as she fell down, this time she was unconscious.  Kensuke was the first to speak

"Holy shit, go karate Shinji" he cheered

Shinji then began convulsing and grabbed his head like it was throbbing, which it was.  He writhed around in pain and dropped to his knees and began screaming in agony.  Tiny streams of electricity zapped around his body, though none could see them.  Suddenly he went silent and just dropped to the ground and was also out cold

"Summon an ambulance" Rei said and turned Shinji over and opened his eyes

For a brief second, it was a stare of red to red eyes.  This shocked Rei immensely but she did not show it and the redness faded to its normal blue before anyone else saw them.  Rei sat and waited for the ambulance and pondered Shinji's sudden and brutal retaliation to Asuka's attempt to hurt her.  She knew the boy as rather peaceful and to see him strike back with such force was highly unusual

"Where did he obtain those skills?" she wondered

While riding with Shinji in one ambulance with Asuka in another, Rei saw a cardboard card in his pocket, it was a business card for the Mishima Zaibatsu and on the back was a phone number, underneath it the words 'uncle Kazuya' was scrawled in black pen.  Upon her arrival at the hospital, while the nurses called Misato, Rei called the man on the card

"Hello, is this Kazuya?" she asked

"Yes, who are you?" he asked

"My name is Rei Ayanami.  I am a friend of Shinji Ikari.  He is in Tokyo 3 Municipal Hospital" she said and hung up

******************

Kazuya listened to the dial tone and slammed the receiver down and summoned his family together and explained what he had just been told and that they were going to the hospital to see Shinji.  Jin raised the first question of the group

"What's he doing in there?" he voiced a general question

"Two words: Devil Gene" Kazuya muttered ands grabbed his wallet

"Shit" Xiayou said

"Took the words right out of my mouth" Jun remarked as they headed downstairs

The cab ride to the hospital was filled with excited chatter about how exactly they were going to explain this to Shinji's guardian, who would undoubtedly be at the hospital too.  Jin argued since they were family that they had a greater right to see Shinji than the woman that simply looked after him.  Jun pointed out however that because this woman had looked after Shinji since he moved to this city a few months ago that they would have bonded like mother and son

"Still, as blood relatives we have a greater right to see him" Jin was just being obstinate

"Listen, we shall try to deal with his guardian with the up most respect and dignity" Kazuya ordered

"Does that mean your going to be totally silent and let Jun do the talking?" Ling asked, making Jin and herself giggle

"Hahahaha, very funny Ling" Kazuya replied

"Hehe, it is pretty funny" Jun said, smiling at her husband

"Everyone's against me, I swear" Kazuya groaned and waved his hands in the air

Kazuya paid the cab fair upon arrival to the hospital as his family piled out and went to the desk to enquire about Shinji's location.  It took a few minutes but the triage nurse finally told them where his room was and sent them on his way.  When they got close enough, they could hear a woman yelling at Shinji.  A girl with blue hair was sitting outside the door: she seemed troubled

"Are you Rei Ayanami?" Kazuya asked

"Yes, are you Kazuya?" she asked in return

"Indeed I am, this is my wife Jun, my son Jin and his fiancée Ling Xiayou" Kazuya introduced everyone

"You had better get in there, his guardian is; I believe the saying is, taking a large bite out of him" Rei said after some thought

[Weird kid] Xiayou thought

[I sense such an odd spirit in her, so, desolate and plain, as if she has no one in her heart] Jun mused

"Okay, thanks" Kazuya said and knocked on the door

"Go away, Rei" Misato snapped at the door

Kazuya frowned and just opened the door and went in; Misato spun around and blinked: the tall and strong looking man in the doorway was not the petite girl she had just yelled at.  Kazuya walked in and sat down beside a visibly hurt Shinji; his wife and the others following suite until Misato was well and truly out numbered

"Hi Shinji; mind telling me what happened?" Jun asked

"He beat the crap out of his roommate that's what" Misato screeched

"Was I speaking to you?" Jun turned a venomous glare on Misato

"But-" she began

"No buts, this has nothing to do with you" Jin injected

"Now Shinji, just tell us what happened" Jun again went into mother mode on the boy

"I was eating lunch, Asuka tried to pick a fight with me, I told her no.  Rei, the girl outside, stepped in on my behalf" he began

"Go on" Kazuya encouraged, a knowing smile making its way to his face

"Asuka tried to hit Rei; then the voice came again and next thing I knew, Asuka was unconscious on the ground and I had a massive migraine" Shinji continued

"And then you woke up here, correct?" Kazuya asked

"Yeah" Shinji answered and cast his head down

"Heavy tunes man" Jin said, feeling full sympathy for the boy

Misato was feeling a little left out of the loop here.  These people just walked in here, presumably called by Rei and began speaking to Shinji about what happened and they didn't even bother to identify themselves.  She trained her gaze on the first man who'd walked in and then it hit her.  Fuyutski had shown her a picture of a man who had knocked commander Ikari out: it was him

[As much as I'd love to shake his hand, orders are orders] she thought and drew her gun and pointed it at Kazuya

"Misato what are you doing?" Shinji squeaked

"I am arresting you on a charge of assault of a Nerv officer" Misato's manner was professional

"I hate to shatter you ego sweetheart but I've had bigger and scarier guns pointed at me by bigger and scarier people" Kazuya said; he wasn't even breaking a sweat

"Put the gun away sweetie" Jun said, staring at Misato

"Shut up" Misato for a second forgot about Kazuya and pointed her gun at Jun

This was her mistake: with his lightning fast reflexes and speed, Kazuya disarmed the major with deft and practiced moves and soon he held the gun.  Misato froze; she had been careless and now she was in a bad position with a man with no fear holding a gun.  Kazuya's reaction was unexpected but probably more frightening than actually having the gun.  He crushed it in his hand and dropped it on the ground

"Never point a gun at my wife; it will land you in a world of trouble" Kazuya snarled, his eye glowing enough for Misato to see it behind his glasses

"Wha, who, what are you?" she asked, sitting down in a chair

"My name is Kazuya Mishima, Shinji is my nephew" Kazuya said

"Huh?" Misato was highly confused

"Allow me to explain: his mother Yui Ikari is my half sister, we had the same father.  Shinji recently had a blood transfusion did he not?" Jun asked

"Yeah, he'd of died without it" she replied

"Well in that blood was the reason for his new changes and behaviour.  There is something called a Devil Gene in his blood now, both my husband and son have it" Jun further explained their presence

"Oh great, so apart from having to fight aliens, he now has to fight some gene in his own body" Misato grumbled

"About that, this new 'gift' if you will-" Kazuya was cut off

"Gift, you call this cursed gene a gift, Kazuya?" Shinji cried

It was then that they all, aside from Jin who'd never stopped watching him, looked at Shinji again, he was crying.  His face was lined with sorrow: he knew despite acting in the defence of another, a person he cared about, he'd ended up hurting someone else that was special to him.  He loathed this new part of him; it seemed only to bring out the worst in him

"I hurt someone I care about thanks to this gift as you say.  And I don't like hurting people I hate, how do you think I feel about hurting someone I care about, especially when it was intentional" he sobbed

"Shinji, I-" again Kazuya was cut off and Shinji jumped off his bed and ran out of the room past a startled Rei Ayanami

Jin jumped up and gave chase: he knew exactly how Shinji felt.  Jin hadn't wanted the Devil Gene either when he'd first heard about it and hated his father for giving it to him in the first place.  After time however and his training to control it, he realised that it could be a blessing as well as a curse, especially for a fighter like himself.  That was where he and Shinji differed though, Jin willingly fought in battles while Shinji hated to fight, even in defence of his own safety.  Jin chased Shinji all the way to the roof of the hospital.

"Shinji, I know how you feel.  Believe me" Jin said and sat down beside the sobbing boy

"How do you know?" Shinji asked

"Well, I grew up with my mother for 15 years, and I never knew about the devil gene, in fact I first found out about it when I was 17 after the King of Iron Fist 3" he explained

"My grandfather Heihachi tried to kill me and it awoke the Gene, allowing me to survive and escape.  My mother searched for me but I wanted to be alone so I went to Brisbane" Jin told Shinji his story

Shinji then realised that between Jin and Kazuya, he'd found kindred spirits who'd hurt like he did and could genuinely empathise with him.  In Jun, he'd found his mother and saw how they were related; they had the same beautiful nature and caring souls.  He also couldn't get over how much his mother and Jun looked alike too; they both had these amazingly soft eyes and their faces were similar, but where his mother had brown hair, Jun's was black

"Shinji, you got a few buddies?" Jin asked

"Yeah, why?" he asked

"Well, ring them, tell 'em to get into their best and I and Ling will take you all out for the evening" Jin instructed

"Really?" Shinji was shocked

"Yeah, after all, we're family and I'd like to know a bit more about you.  I think a night out with your friends is the best way to get to know a guy" Jin explained

"Okay, thanks, but I don't have many flash clothes" Shinji said, looking at the cool stuff Jin was wearing

"Easily fixed my friend" Jin smirked as he spoke

"Oh?" Shinji raised an eyebrow questioningly

"Yeah, you and Ling can go shopping for stuff while I make some reservations and clear this little shin dig with the powers that be" Jin waved Shinji's concerns off and stood up, offering his hand to Shinji

"How about it; cousin?" Jin asked

"Okay, I'm in" Shinji replied, smiling as he took Jin's hand

The pair went downstairs a lot slower than they had come up and chatted on the way.  Despite the age difference, Shinji found Jin really easy to talk to and began to enjoy this new part of his life: a family, and such a cool one at that.  Shinji still couldn't believe that Kazuya punched Gendo's lights out.  By the time they'd reached the hospital room, they were laughing at a joke Jin told Shinji

"Oh that's a shocker Jin" Shinji groaned as he nearly doubled over in laughter

"I know" he replied and opened the door: Jun and Misato were now speaking more civilly

"Hi all" Jin greeted

"Jin" Jun acknowledged him and resumed talking to Misato

Kazuya was at the vending machine a few doors up and Ling was sitting on a bench trying to talk to Rei.  Shinji winced as he saw Rei's eyes narrow at the girl as Ling chattered on about something that Rei obviously didn't care about.  So Shinji went over to save her

"Ling, ah, can I speak with Ayanami please?" he asked

"Okay, I need to speak to Jin anyway" she said and went back to her fiancée

"Thank you Ikari" Rei's voice was full of relief

"She can really chew your ear off can she?" he asked

"If you mean, does she speak too much, then yes" Rei replied and looked at Shinji

For the second time that day, Rei couldn't fathom how the kind and gentle boy she knew and was standing in front of could change into that cold and merciless fighter that he did today, even if only for a short time.  At first only two things frightened Rei; the Angels and the disapproval of Commander Ikari, now Shinji's new persona frightened her, but she wasn't sure where it fitted in her small list of fears

"Ikari; what happened to you at school?" she asked

"You remember my blood transfusion?" Shinji asked

"Yes, I remember" Rei nodded

"Well, in that blood was something called the Devil Gene, a trait belonging to the Mishima blood line.  My aunt, Jun, sensed the blood mixing with mine so she, uncle Kazuya and my cousin Jin and his fiancée Ling came down here" he explained

"What makes you do those things, like at school?" she asked

"According to Jin and Kazuya, high states of emotion and anger is especially potent" he said

"Were you angry at me?" she asked, looking into his eyes

"God no, I wasn't angry with you, I was angry with Asuka" Shinji replied

"Why?" Rei was confused a little

"She was going to hurt you" Shinji said

"You did not wish her to?" she asked

"Of course not" Shinji cried out, a little louder than he meant to

"Why?" this time, Rei's voice held urgency

"I don't like people getting hurt, least of all if it's them instead of me" Shinji thought of a dodging reason

"Shinji, when you stopped pilot Soryu from attacking me, you said, 'don't ever hit her, ever', why did you say that?" Rei played her trump card

[Oh hell, did I really say that?] Shinji wondered as Rei trained her gaze on him

Shinji was sure he had to spill the beans when Jin came out and announced that the outing was on and that new clothes and a roaring good time were the order of the day.  Shinji silently thanked every deity for getting him out of this mess and got up to go with Jin when his cousin spoke again

"You guardian has one condition; if she wants, bring Rei" Jin said

[I take back the thanks you bastards] Shinji thought to the Gods he'd been praising a minute ago

"Ayanami, do you want to come?" Shinji asked with no small amount of nervousness

Rei thought about the offer.  On one hand she was able to spend a lot more time with Shinji and maybe get a satisfactory answer out of him regarding what he said before going crazy at Asuka.  On the other hand it would mean going to a restaurant with noise and people, and Xiayou on her own was more noise than Rei could bear.  She was however a little curious about Shinji's cousin Jin and figured that even if only by a little, the pros of the offer outweighed the cons

"Yes, I accept the invitation" she said and bowed to thank Jin

"Okay, this is formal yet casual, dress nice but comfortable people" he said

"These are the only clothes I own, Mr. Kazama" Rei pointed out

"Well, a quick shopping trip with Ling, Shinji and I can fix that" Jin crowed

"Thank you" Rei wasn't sure if she was really thankful or nor

*******************

In his office, a now awakened Gendo Ikari was smouldering at his desk: due to political and financial reasons he couldn't touch Kazuya Mishima for what he did to him; he had too much power and influence.  Right now though, it was the influence he had over his son that worried Gendo because the last thing his plans needed was a monkey wrench in the gears

"Fuyutski, find out all you can about his wife, Jun Kazama.  I may be able to use her as a bargaining chip" Gendo barked

"Yes Ikari" his sub-commander complied

"Doctor Akagi, have you analysed the new gene in Shinji's blood?" Gendo turned his attention to the blonde scientist in front of him

"Yes.  I can't identify it at all; it shares no common properties with either humans or Angels.  However it defiantly is the cause of his new found physique and no doubt his martial arts skills" was the only information she could offer

"Will it affect his duties?" Gendo pressed

"It didn't affect his sync scores yesterday.  His new body and skills will help him a great deal in the field though" Ritsuko said, using all her will power not to burst into hysterics at the large bruise on Gendo's face

"I see; you are dismissed doctor" Gendo growled a little

"Thank you sir" Ritsuko nodded curtly and got out of the room as soon as possible

Ritsuko managed to get to the command deck before howling in laughter at the sight of Gendo's face.  If she ever met Kazuya Mishima she was going to shake his hand and thank him for giving that son of a bitch a small portion of his dues.  Then she considered the news she'd gotten from Misato about Shinji being Kazuya's nephew; if it was right then Gendo was going to find his manoeuvring room lessened with Shinji.

"Doctor, what's so funny?" Maya's voice broke Ritsuko's reverie and she turned to her assistant

"I just saw the commander, he has a massive bruise on his face; oh God it looks funny" Ritsuko snickered

"How'd he get it?" Maya asked

"Someone hit him, finally" the scientist explained

"Who?" Maya squeaked

"Does the name, Kazuya Mishima, mean anything to you?" Ritsuko enquired of her friend

"THE Kazuya Mishima decked our commander" obviously it did

"Yep, and the reason is even funnier: it turns out that Shinji is, by his mother's side, related to Jun Kazama, Kazuya's wife, making Shinji a nephew to the Mishima family" Ritsuko enlightened Maya with Shinji's new good fortune

"I heard Shinji did a number on Asuka at school today, really went to town on her.  Is it true?" the Nerv gossip mill had reached Maya about Shinji's fight

"Oh yeah, he kicked six shades of shit out of that girl, broke her bottom jaw and bruised her skull" Ritsuko said

"Wow, this may sound harsh but Asuka needed to be taken down a peg or two, and if Shinji did it, all the better" Maya said sagely

It finally registered to Ritsuko that her assistant wasn't wearing her uniform: she was wearing dress pants, a white shirt and some jewellery.  Ritsuko blinked; Maya was usually still going over her work and any test results at this point, but she looked as if she was going on a date.  Being the curious being that she was, the doctor decided to ask her friend about her plans

"Going out are we Maya?" Ritsuko teased

"Please, I feel nervous enough as it is without you teasing me" Maya said, blushing as she put on some lip gloss

"Who's the lucky guy, tell me" Ritsuko pleaded

"I met him on my way to work: I dropped my stuff and he helped me pick it up.  After that we talked and before he went to work, he asked me out" Maya explained

"Hmm, sounds like a good catch, what's his name and what does he do?" Ritsuko asked for the details

"Hwoarang Doo San; he's Korean and co-runs a new martial arts dojo.  He is also a Tae Kwon Do champion" Maya smirked

"Well, you're well protected then, and I bet that kind of job makes him real strong and flexible in all the right places.  He's handsome, right?" she asked

"Very, he's got gorgeous red hair too" Maya added to give Ritsuko a clear picture of her date

"Well have a good time Maya" Ritsuko said and waved her assistant off to her date

Maya smiled as she punched out: she hadn't been on a date in many years and her work at Nerv hadn't helped her find any interesting members of the opposite sex: Aoba was okay but not her type and Hyuga just didn't seem all there and she'd seen his gaze wander over to Misato's direction enough times to work out who he wanted.  She came out of Nerv into a car park; in the middle she saw a gleaming motorbike

"Good evening, my dear.  You look good" a voice brought Maya back down to earth

"Good evening, Hwoarang" Maya said

The red haired Korean stepped into view, a leather jacket adorned his body, making Maya quirk her eyebrows at him.  Hwoarang handed her a spare one and another helmet: it was then that Maya realised the bike was Hwoarang's and she got a little nervous about riding on the machine

"I promise its safe.  This is a Kawasaki Ninja, one of the best bikes in the world.  It's quieter than most bikes and gives a smooth ride" he assured her

"I dunno, I'm a bit nervous about machines" she said

"That from someone who works with the most complex of all machines in the world" Hwoarang teased

"Okay, you win, but drive sensibly or I will kill you" Maya threatened as she got on and hugged Hwoarang's waist tightly for fear of falling off

Hwoarang smiled and turned the bike on; it was rather quiet and he started slowly, taking the long way around the car park so he could get Maya used to the motions of a bike that was moving.  Once he believed she'd gotten used to it, Hwoarang left the car park and sped up a little but kept to the speed limit.

[This is kind of fun, once you get over the initial fears of being in the open] she thought

They arrived at the Marshall China a few minutes later.  Maya felt relieved that they were just having a simple dinner; she could order something easy and light here before they did anything else.  Hwoarang helped the giddy Maya off the bike and led her inside.  After stowing their helmets and leathers at the door, they we shown to a nice booth table

"How'd you get such a nice seat?" Maya asked, looking at the water feature

"A buddy of mine runs this place" he answered

"You know Marshall Law?" Maya was a bit shocked

"Yeah, his son and I used to train together with our fathers; Marshall's a good guy and I didn't have to twist his arm to let me have a good seat" Hwoarang smiled and ordered an entrée

"Tell me about yourself Hwoarang" Maya asked

"Well, I just finished my national service last year, went to America and hooked up with a buddy of mine, Paul Phoenix.  We partnered up and came here to open a dojo" he said

"Your dad, what was he like?" she asked

"Ah, the great Baek Doo San, he was a Tae Kwon Do man, but he was a grandmaster, mind you he was nearly 40 before he reached that rank so me being a champion at 22 is pretty cool" Hwoarang added

"Where is he?" Maya probed a bit deeper

"He moved back to Korea a few years ago, we keep I touch and he said he was going to fly out here when he had some money" he said as the food arrived

"What about you, Maya, friends, family?" Hwoarang enquired as he bit into a spring roll

"Hmm, my parents are still in Nara, I joined Nerv when I was 18 and came down here.  My circle of friends is a bit small, there's my boss, Misato, Hyuga and Aoba" she said

"You work with those giant robot things don't you?" Hwoarang remembered

"Yeah, scare me something shocking they do—is that Shinji?" she asked after looking over Hwoarang's shoulder

Hwoarang looked in the same direction and his eyes nearly bugged out of his head: there, surrounded by some younger kids was Jin and Xiayou.  He could see Jin laughing and joking with one of the young boys, who was wearing the same gloves that Jin did, they were all geared up for a party.  Hwoarang was a little confused about why Jin was here

"Hey, why don't we go and join them" Hwoarang suggested

"Why?" Maya asked

"Well, the two older ones are my friends and you seemed to recognise one of the younger ones, so why not after dinner, go over and join the party" he elaborated

"Why not, I can meet some of your friends then" Maya agreed and drank the wine she ordered

After a simple and rather tasty meal, Hwoarang went over to the stairs he saw Jin and the others go up and hunted for their room.  After a quick search he found one with, 'private party' written on it and knocked.  After a bit a young girl with blue hair opened the door and stared at Maya.

"Ms. Ibuki, what are you doing here?" Rei asked, ignoring Hwoarang

"Hi Rei, we need to speak with the host of this party" she said nicely while containing her shock

"Hold on" she said and disappeared

"My god, I never thought I'd see the day that Rei Ayanami, recluse and introvert attended a raving party like this" she said to her date

"Hwoarang Doo San, what do we owe the honour?" Jin asked from the door, smirking at his rival

"Well this lovely young lady I'm with noticed one of your guests and we thought after dinner we'd ask to join you" he answered

"Well this isn't the party, just dinner, we're going out later but come in anyway" Jin said

Hwoarang was nearly crushed by Xiayou as she hugged her old friend, but she backed off when she saw Maya behind him.  Shinji looked up and waved to Maya.  They all sat down where they pleased and ate and drank.  As the meal wore on, Maya watched Shinji and Rei: this was the happiest that Maya had ever seen the boy.  And Rei in the long, plain white dress was just astonishing.

"So Shinji, must be nice to have some family that are cool then?" she asked

"Yeah, my uncle Kazuya is a pretty cool guy too" he answered

"So I heard, Ritsuko said the commander had a huge bruise" Maya giggled

"What happened to commander Ikari?" Rei asked, roused from silence at last

"Well, Shinji's uncle Kazuya apparently knocked him out, just right up and decked him" Maya explained

"Yeah, that sounds like the infamous Kazuya Mishima" Hwoarang said dryly

Rei got up and looked at Shinji: he was smiling at the prospect of his father being physically assaulted by someone.  She went over her own feelings of the matter in her own head.  She had to admit that Gendo didn't treat Shinji like a son but Shinji didn't treat him like a father either.  Shinji looked up at Rei

[Those eyes, I don't think I'll ever forget that brief second] she remembered when Shinji's eyes went red

"Excuse me" she muttered and walked out

"Well go on, run ya doofus" Xiayou cried at Shinji

"Huh?" he was confused

"Shinji, you're a crappy liar, you like her, go and be there for her" Jin said plainly

"But-" Shinji began

"If you don't get off yours, I'll have Hwoarang drop kick you out of that door" Maya threatened

Spurred on by threats, advice and plain truth, Shinji scrambled to his feet and ran after Rei.  Once he was out the door, Jin declared the evening a success and pumped up the music before explaining himself to his bemused quests

"Well, that's one objective completed" he said triumphantly and grabbed a chicken wing

"We are still going out for a spin on the dance floor clubs though?" Toji asked

"Oh yeah, but whether Shinji and his lovely friend decide to join us, is another matter entirely" Xiayou added slyly for the benefit for those not in the loop of the purpose of tonight's exercise

**************************

Shinji ran as fast as he could to catch up with the deceptively fast Rei.  Given her attire Rei's speed was even more incredible.  Shinji still for the very life of him couldn't work out what Xiayou had said that convinced Rei to wear the dress: it's not that it wasn't nice but he was so amazed Rei was wearing it anyway.  He clenched his fists in his new gloves that Jin bought him, as a present to make sure he knew that he was part of the family now.  His tattoo was still a bit itchy too, it was exactly like Jin's only lined in dark purple.  Shinji saw Rei and slowed to a walk

[This is magical] he thought

Indeed the scene he'd come upon was like a fantasy story: it was a park in the city with a small pond and lots of beautiful flowers surrounded the pond and the bench in the area.  Rei herself was kneeling at the water's edge and looking into the pond: the very picture of tragic beauty that she was.  Gulping and steeling his resolve he went and sat down beside her

"I'm sorry if I offended you.  I sometimes forget that you care for my father" Shinji began

"It is okay, I know you aren't on good terms" she replied

"No it's not okay; I didn't mean to hurt your feelings.  I hate hurting your feelings" Shinji said

"You never did answer my question from earlier" Rei observed

"Which one?" Shinji asked

"Why you said what you said to Soryu before your fight broke out" she elaborated

"Oh that, well, you see Ayanami; the truth is that I…" Shinji's throat went dry as he tried to speak

Seeing that Rei was getting impatient and looked like she really needed something special, Shinji allowed his impulses to take over and he leaned in and gently kissed her.  Rei's eyes widened in shock as she felt warm lips touch hers, a sensation not unlike a static electricity jolt went through her lips, but it was very pleasant; she felt a hand stroking her cheek; Shinji's.  Rei pulled away and looked at Shinji with misty eyes

"Why did you do that?" she asked

"I believe the saying goes, actions speak louder than words" Shinji said

Those were his final words before Rei's lips contacted his again.

**********************

At one of the nightclubs in the city the music thumped the walls and floors, and at one end of the bar, sat a lone woman.  Ritsuko Akagi was bar hopping this evening and was on her fourth daiquiri when she decided that this club had lost its novelty.  Ritsuko paid her tab and walked, or rather stumbled would be more appropriate, out of the door and down the street towards another bar.  Hopefully one that served Margaritas.  As she walked, Ritsuko became vaguely aware of some shadows.

"Hey little lady, how's things?" one asked, eliciting giggles from his buddies

"Piss off drop kick" Ritsuko slurred

"That's a bit rude, now you'd better apologise" another shadow growled

Ritsuko was then grabbed from behind and restrained by a big man and the hefted into a nearby alleyway were presumably terrible things would be done.  Not so, because someone had seen this happen and being the Good Samaritan that he was, decided to help.  Being a 6'3 street-fighter was also a great help to his cause

"Guys, that's no way to treat a lady" his voice was deep, with an American accent

"Fuck off shit head" one of the gang said

"Idiot" the man said and belted the gang member into a wall

The rest of the guys fell on him.  However it was pointless for them, Ritsuko's saviour beat the living shit out of them and treated the last one to a punch that would put him into orbit.  He did fly in fact, about 35 feet down the alley and into a large dumpster.  The man dusted his hands and went to help Ritsuko up

"Like a hand?" he asked

"Sure" Ritsuko grunted

"Okay, what's your name" he asked while effortlessly pulling the woman up

"Ritsuko, and yours stranger?" she enquired

"Paul Phoenix, at your service" Paul made a small bow

"Well, Paul, could you drive me home.  I'm a little drunk" Ritsuko slurred as she grabbed Paul's shoulder for support

"Sure, where do you live?" he asked

"Ugggh" Ritsuko passed out on Paul's shoulder

"Oh goodie" Paul groaned as he hauled the snoring woman to his car and secured her into the back seat

He turned the ignition on and the car purred and Paul threw the car into gear.  Not being game enough to go through the woman's bag, Paul just drove to his own home above the Dojo he and Hwoarang managed opposite the Marshall China.  He unlocked the door to the Dojo and carried Ritsuko up to his room.  After placing her carefully on the bed, Paul went and grabbed a beer.  He could hear a slight snoring coming from Hwoarang's room, so he poked his head in and saw a Hwoarang and a young woman on the bed, asleep with the TV glowing

"He gets all the luck" Paul complained as he crashed on the couch

**********************

Morning broke across Tokyo 3 to scenes of happiness: at the Hilton, Jin and Xiayou were snuggled in bed, like his own parents.  In the rooms adjacent, the party goers were sleeping on couches and chairs after a long night of dancing.  Hikari had her head in Toji's lap while she was stretched out on the couch while Toji had his feet on the footrest.  Kensuke was asleep on an easy chair and snoring quietly.

"Oh boy what a night" Jin yawned as he got out of bed

"It's early, Jin, shut up" Xiayou groaned and pulled the covers over her head

"Xiayou, it's nearly 10 o'clock" Jin retorted

"Oh shut up" she growled

Jin went for a shower and to get the morning paper.  Like his father he liked to keep abreast of recent events.  Settling down to have a coffee at the table while everyone else woke up and began speak of last night's fun, Jin unfolded the paper and nearly spat his coffee across the kitchen at the sight of the front page

"Holy Shit!" he exclaimed

"What?" Toji asked

"Check this out" Jin said and threw him the paper

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle" Toji muttered, smiling widely

"What is it--oh my God" Hikari giggled as she saw

On the front page of news paper, in a small article on the bottom corner was a picture that had been snapped of Shinji and Rei while they were at the very height of their kiss last night, which until now had only happened in speculation among their mutual friends and acquaintances.  The cameraman was obviously very good because he managed to capture a great deal of what the scene had really looked like.

"Listen to this 'A Perfect Moment' Evangelion pilots; Shinji Ikari and Rei Ayanami share a tender kiss in a park last night.  No sources have yet confirmed if the two are in a relationship but as the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words'.  Oh Jesus" Toji said and chuckled again

"Well, now the boy has Mishima blood in him, he will be much more charming" Jin said, dusting his knuckles on his bath robe

"Only in your wildest dreams, Jinny baby" Xiayou called from their room

"What the hell is going on?" Kazuya asked as he entered the scene in his own robe, clearly pissed off at being woken up

"See for yourself" Jin said and grabbed the paper of Toji and handed it to his father

Kazuya spent a full minute in silence from reading the short caption that accompanied the picture of his nephew and the object of his affections.  He then stared at the picture and smiled, the smile turned into a chuckle and that chuckle turning into a full blown Mishima belly laugh of good nature

"What an interesting turn of events indeed" he crowed and ordered his breakfast

*************************

Ritsuko woke up with a serious buzzing sensation in her head and a massive hangover.  Her vision was blurred at first but it soon cleared.  When it did, it didn't take Ritsuko long to work out that she was not at her apartment or even her area after a quick look out of the window.  Although she was relieved when she found out she was still fully clothed she grabbed her stun gun from her bag anyway.  A knock sounded at the door

"Doctor Akagi, can I come in?" the recognisable female voice asked

"Maya, yes, please do" the confused scientist replied

"Okay" Maya replied and came in, a cup of hot coffee, water and some aspirin were on a tray she was carrying

"Here, these should help your hangover, the coffee is a special expensive blend from Europe, very nice" she said and gave her friend the tray

"Cheers Maya" Ritsuko whispered and took the aspirin; then she tried the coffee

"My god this is heavenly" she gasped: that coffee was like the champagne of coffee

"Feel up to joining your saviour and the rest of us at the table for breakfast?" Maya asked

"Yeah okay" she answered and asked for a hand

Maya led Ritsuko to the dining room area: the apartment was typically Japanese; everything was ordered and efficient while still being nice to look at.  The dining area however was more westernised with a large wooden table with chairs.  Two men sat at it, one was young with red hair and the other was older with blonde hair.  They both stopped chattering and said hello to both women

"Maya, how'd you sleep?" Hwoarang asked

"Great.  This is my boss and friend, Ritsuko Akagi" Maya introduced Ritsuko

"Hi" Hwoarang said

"Morning" Paul boomed

"Ritsuko, the red haired gentlemen is Hwoarang, who was my date last night.  And although you don't remember, you've already met Paul Phoenix" Maya said, giggling smugly

"What?" Ritsuko deadpanned

"Yes, I do remember hulking your drunk carcass here last night my dear, and allowing you to sleep in my room while I crashed on that god forsaken couch" Paul said

"Oh god, don't tell me it was you that came to my rescue" Ritsuko groaned

"Well, 'fraid so" he answered

"Paul, don't be such a dick, or I will demonstrate why I am a Tae Kwon Do champion" Hwoarang interjected

"And I will in return show you why I am Dojo master and you are not" Paul retorted swiftly and looked up at Ritsuko

"I'm joking Ms. Akagi, I didn't mind, oh where are my manners, would you like cereal or a small English breakfast?" Paul underwent a quick personality switch

"Cereal thanks" she answered and sat down

"Hwoarang.  That cousin of Jin's; this him?" Paul asked and showed the three of them the paper

Ritsuko and to a lesser extent, Maya gawked in total astonishment, while Hwoarang just nodded in affirmation to his roommate's question.  Ritsuko's mind was spinning: she wasn't mentally prepared to see a picture of Shinji and Rei kissing, rather deeply in fact on the front page of a major city newspaper.  Add to the fact of waking up in a stranger's house and seeing her assistant dressed in a business shirt and panties and hugging her date

[I need a holiday] she thought and drank her coffee

"Okay, thanks for bringing me here, Mr. Phoenix, I really appreciate it" Ritsuko thanked him

"It's okay.  If you want, come around to the Dojo and I can teach you how to deal with trash like the ones that tried it on last night" Paul offered

"Thanks, Paul" Ritsuko smiled a little at the large American man

"No problem" he assured her, and smiled back

Before anyone spoke again, the Angel alarms blared: breaking the comfortable silence that had descended upon the four people.  Ritsuko and Maya looked up in horror and dashed for their clothes so they could get to Nerv.  It was then that they realised that they were without a car

"Paul, we need to borrow your car" Maya said

"Say no more" he said and chucked them the keys

"Thank, bye Hwoarang, bye Paul" Maya called out and jogged downstairs

"Bye Hwoarang.  Thanks again, Mr.-" Ritsuko was stopped when Paul put a hand up

"You can call me Paul, Ms. A…" Paul was then stopped by a quick peck on the lips from Ritsuko

"And you can call me Ritsuko" she said and ran after Maya, leaving Paul rooted on the spot

"Well, well.  Could it be that the great Paul Phoenix is in love" Hwoarang mocked

"Bite me little man" Paul answered

"Yep, you are" Hwoarang said and just continued to eat his breakfast

*********************

In an apartment on the dingy side of town, two young people lay together in a harmony unlike any other in the world; love, an undying long hidden bond of care and affection.  Shinji and Rei had retreated to Rei's apartment after their kiss in the park and had spent the night there, discussing their relationship.  A small damper had been put on it upon discovery of the morning paper on Rei's doorstep that morning

"How do you want to handle this?" Shinji asked

"I don't know, I admit I'm a little uncomfortable with everyone finding out this way" Rei said, looking at the paper again

"I feel a little like a movie star, having my love life in the paper" Shinji joked

"You, aren't ashamed then?" Rei asked

"No, I am not ashamed to let them know how I feel about you" Shinji replied, cupping her cheek with his hand

Rei could feel Shinji's hand had become a little less smooth and delicate than last time she had touched it.  It was like a man's hand now.  She thought of Shinji's new found powers, such that they were and what they would mean for him in life: most of all though she thought of their bond and how it would affect their battlefield behaviour.  Shinji pulled the girl into an embrace

"Rei, there is something I want you to know.  From now on when we fight the Angels, I will never leave the fight without you" he whispered in her ear

"Thank you" she replied

Then they too heard the alarm which heralded the arrival of the enemy.  Shinji's body filled with dread as Rei slipped into duty mode and stood up and prepared to leave the apartment.  Shinji also stood but he looked out of the door towards the horizon where a dark shape was looming; their latest enemy.  Shinji clenched his glove covered fists, small sparks spouting from them.

"Come on, we have a duty to perform" Shinji said tiredly

"I know, we bear the burden no child should bear" Rei added as they jogged towards the nearest entrance to Nerv

*******************

In the Tokyo 3 hospital, a certain patient was trying the patience of all the nurses and doctors.  Asuka had woken up after Shinji and the others had left the previous day so only Misato was there to see Asuka when she woke up, much to the red head's dismay.  Her displeasure was added to when Asuka was informed of Shinji's piece of fortune and that as far as Misato was concerned, Asuka got what she had coming.

['The fact that Shinji was the one to knock you down a peg or two was just an added bonus', so she thought I needed to be taken down a peg did she] Asuka seethed with vehemence

Despite her violent protests, the doctors refused her discharge and threatened her with a sedative if she didn't calm down.  This threat was effective enough to make Asuka's rage subside for now.  Her jaw wasn't broken to badly, all it needed was reset and it was fine, she'd just have to shut up for a few days, or at least talk softly

"I'll get you for this Shinji, mark my words" she hissed quietly

*********************************

Launching the Evas in record time, Misato assessed the situation: this Angel had a humanoid shape with no external protrusions or apparent weapons.  She equipped both pilots with lances and rifles for defence and told them to stand by.  The Angel however had other plans.  It lunged at an unsuspecting Eva unit 1.

"Shinji, duck!" Rei called

"Oh hell" Shinji dived behind a building, losing his lance and rifle in the process

"Ikari, you hold back, I will take care of this" Rei said and dropped her weapons and took a martial arts stance

"What the…" Shinji was a bit confused until Rei began kicking ass

The martial art was some kind of Kung Fu, although Shinji had no idea which derivative it was.  The Angel would punch at Rei; she'd block it and kick in return, sending it towards the ocean while Shinji fired the occasional bullet at it from the rifle he recovered from Rei

"Come on, die you little pain in the-" Shinji was cut off as the Angel managed to get a hit in on Rei to her torso

The blow struck just below the sternum; a sickening crack as the armour broke from the Eva's body.  Rei felt the effect of a broken rib or two and doubled over as was expected; she looked up and saw the Angel above her, poised to strike again.  Shinji burst in and hammered the Angel with the but of his rifle several times so that the Angel was further from Rei   Then he helped her up and the pair began to retreat to a fall back position.

"Misato open the hatch!" Shinji yelled

Makoto was quick on the ball and opened the escape hatch.  Shinji quickly helped Rei get into it and lower Rei down to safety.  Shinji was about to retreat himself into the escape hatch when his mantra began repeating itself in his head, but this time it felt different: rather than convincing him not to be a coward, it seemed to be goading him to leaving, taunting him.

"Not this time" Shinji said to himself and got up to face his enemy

Shinji breathed deeply and tapped into his Devil Gene, just like Jin and Kazuya showed him.  He brought forth all the knowledge of Mishima-ryu karate and took up the stance to ready himself.  The Angel cocked its head at him in curiosity and began to move towards him warily, it had learnt from the vicious attack this one had administered earlier that it was not to be trifled with.

"What the hell is that?" Hyuga asked

"That my friend; is the style of fighting which landed Asuka in hospital with a broken jaw and a cracked skull" Maya answered, having seen Jin demonstrate the style last night before her evening with Hwoarang

"What kind of fighting, it looks a bit like karate" Aoba observed

"It's a special style developed by a family Shinji is related to" Misato said

Nerv was breathless with anticipation as they awaited the combat, which had slowly transformed from a fight to survive to a gladiatorial contest between opponents.  Shinji struck first with a Soul Thrust punch, knocking the Angel back, he then followed up with a flying side kick.  The Angel tried to retaliate but was rebuffed by Demon Smash, a double punch to the head with a spinning backhand at the end.  After administering a double kick (left then right) to the head and smashing both elbows into the Angel's neck; Shinji decided to attempt the most difficult move he knew, so to speak

"Okay, eat this" he muttered and crouched down

Then, the Eva began spinning on its feet, with large bolts of blue lightning encircling it as it spun four times before reaching the Angel.  Shinji launched himself upwards, fist first into the Angel's core.  An ear splitting sound, like a great crack of lightning filled the air.  The Angel was shot up into the air and as it did, a massive column of lightning flew and shattered its core and caused the Angel to explode.  Shinji was safe from the blast and in a mood of smugness; he did a few round house kicks and settled into his stance again

"Holy shit" Ritsuko swore

"By god, where the hell did he learn that?" Hyuga asked

"I dunno, but I wanna learn" Aoba said

"So that's the famous Lightning Uppercut move, I see why it is feared" Maya said

"Get me Kazuya Mishima, I want a word with him" Misato growled

The general Nerv populace was still staring at their monitors in total silence: never had they seen the boy they all knew to be kind and caring, fight with such ferocity and strength, for one brief second they thought the Eva had gone berserk again.  Unfortunately it proved not to be the case: they could accept a berserk Eva but many could not accept a Shinji Ikari with the ferocity of a tiger.

"Eva Unit 1 reporting, target eliminated, returning to base" Shinji said over the radio, panting like he'd run the mile

On a hill far from the battlefield, a lone figure watched the fight with great interest: his spiky hair waving in the wind as he mulled over what he had just seen.  Kazuya smirked as he realised that the boy was gaining control of the Devil Gene, his use of the Lightning Uppercut move was proof of that.  Sighing Kazuya went on his way back to his hotel, feeling that the mission here was done

"We shall leave tomorrow, but not until we have had one last outing, a family one" he decided; Kazuya's mobile phone rang

"Yes?" he answered

"Dad, you've got to get back here, mum's been kidnapped" Jin was frantic

Kazuya hung up and clenched his fists, lightning practically pouring from them in large balls and bolts: some fool out for a quick yen had kidnapped his wife.  His red eye glowed menacingly in the dusk.  In his rage, Kazuya turned into his devil form and flew into the sky.  This same fool was going to pray for death by the time he was done with him

"You're a dead man Gendo Ikari, a dead man" Kazuya swore on his life as he flew