This is mah SECOND STOREH! I really enjoyed writing this and I hope you do to. If you haven't read my other story look up "The Alabaster Demon." Although he didn't help me write this story, nathanexplosion7294 is my co-writer, beta reader, and best friend. Remember to REVIEW!
Disclaimer: Lolz. I have no idea why people put these on their work but it's funny.
The ominous red glow of the SEELE monoliths offered no light in the pitch-black meeting room. All twelve monoliths encircled a clearance with four dim-lit floor lights and out of the darkness came in a figure. Although everything above the figure's shoulders was omitted, the rest of the body was clearly that of a teenage boy. His hands resided inside his pockets and his posture erect. The end of his belt hung to the side.
Before he spoke, the boy opened his mouth revealing his sharp, pearly white teeth that glistened in the dimly-lit room, "How is the instrumentality project progressing?" his voice was calm yet aggressive.
One of the monoliths to the left of him spoke up, "We are ready for the angel attack to commence sir."
"Good... Gendo Ikari will play his part and we soon will become the new gods," his toothy grin widened as he said this, "Tomorrow I will await Misato Katsuragi's arrival at the train station. Sachiel will wreak havoc and I will be Gendo's last choice to defeat her. Does all this sound reasonable?"
In unison, the monoliths replied, "Aye!"
"Dismissed."
One by one the lights on the monoliths faded away and with them, the floor lights. And with his voice two octaves lower, the boy said with malice, "Fools."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Shinji Ikari waltzed along the destruction that lay before a once thriving city. The wind picked up ruffling his short brown hair and the school uniform he wore as he stood motionless looking out into the wreckage. The damage done to the city was awe-inspiring: buildings were toppled atop one another and trains coalesced into a mass of metal and putrefied bodies at the end of a track. Shinji was all alone in this ghost town with nothing but the clothes on his back and his walkman.
Overhead large military aircrafts sped across the skies to soon hover in a semi circle. What ever they were attacking Shinji could not see yet that changed in a second. What loomed over the destroyed city was a grisly sight: Black leathery skin was taut across the figure's body and large bony shoulders gave excellent protection. It had no head, but a circular, pale bone mask with a slender "beak" pointing downward. To add to the atrocious decorations was a large crimson orb in the center of its chest guarded by two spiky ribs.
The creature lifted one of its long arms and stroke an aircraft with a beam of energy protruding out of its three taloned hand. The aircraft plummeted to the ground right next to Shinji. As it exploded, Shinji calmly side-stepped to avoid a chunk of metal from mutilating his body. As the fire rose to its highest Misato Katsuragi came to the rescue.
"Get in! I don't know about you but I sure as hell don't want to die like this!" Misato swung the door open letting Shinji in. Their speedy getaway was close to a failure–random pieces of metal heavily dented the roof of the car and Shinji's side window shattered all over the place.
Around ten minutes had passed and neither of them had the decency to strike up a conversation. Misato, after some well placed thought, began to speak, "So Shinji, how's it been these past few years?" Her voice sounded counterfeit; almost practiced.
"Don't talk to me as if you know me. I wouldn't even consider you a chaperone let alone an escort," His voice pierced Misato's heart in a fashion she had never felt before. She turned away from Shinji and focused on the tattered road ahead of her.
Shinji grabbed the binoculars Misato had in her car and peered into the horizon focusing on the creature. The aircrafts flew away from the monster in unison, and placidly, Shinji proclaimed, "They're preparing to detonate an N2 mine. I'd suggest getting out of its blast radius yet we have no time. We're ten klicks from the center but that's still not enough," he pulled his head to his knees to brace the impact.
Shinji woke up in the back of Misato's car. His mouth full of soot and dirt. A searing pain came from his left leg only to find a purple cloth wrapped around a blood soaked wound. He spat out the dirt and urged himself to become upright. Although he had dealt with similar pain this was overwhelming.
Without looking back MIsato said remotely, "You have broken your leg in three places and piece of metal pierced below your calf. It'll take time to heal so it's best not to move."
"Why treat me so well?" Shinji asked almost in a mocking tone.
And in the same remote tone, Misato replied, "Because we need you in one piece."
"How far are we from Nerv headquarters?"
"We don't have much time so you're going to take a direct shortcut."
"And what is this 'direct shortcut'?"
"You'll be taking a helicopter straight to the Geofront and from then on an elevator to your destination."
"Che. And I thought it'd be more interesting."
The helicopter landed roughly on the concrete heli-pad next to the Geofront. Shinji pulled himself out of his seat and plopped into a wheelchair. Although several people urged to aid him to his destination, he shrugged everyone off. With surprising speed he made towards the elevator.
The elevator clearly hadn't been cared for for some time. The buttons and walls of the elevator were outdated and the safety inspection certificate was expired by five years. Misato struggled some time with the controls to get it working again.
"You need any help there?" Shinji said mockingly revealing his honed alabaster teeth.
"If you feel so high and mighty why don't you try it?" Misato sneered.
Shinji rolled himself over to the control panel, played with the wires, and the elevator sputtered to life.
Shinji spun himself back into position making no reaction to Misato's awe.
"H-how did you do that?" Misato stared at Shinji, taken aback.
Shinji, who was now getting even more irritated said, "Can we get going or are you just going to stare at me?" He slouched in his wheelchair staring at the ground.
Without saying a word Misato broke her gaze and depressed the button indicating the basement.
The ride towards the basement was uneventful. The clicking the floor indicator made was becoming the bane of both Misato's and Shinji's ears. Shinji glanced upwards towards the floor indicator which started to lessen its pace. Muffled sounds could be heard from the other side of the door, "–and I to think this elevator was still working."
A faux blonde woman entered the elevator in a blue swimsuit similar to that Japanese schools used. A single dark mole underneath her right eye distinguished herself from many others. She greeted Misato and then peered at Shinji.
"So I suppose this is what caused your delay?" The woman nudged her shoulder at Shinji. Her voice was deeper than what Shinji expected.
Misato got a little closer to the woman and spoke quietly into her ear although not quietly enough, "You know how this elevator had a problem with the panel, Shinji was able to reconfigure and hot wire the system. The standard NERV system."
"Hmm. Seems like he might be of use when we need help with the Magi," turned her attention from Misato towards Shinji, "So you're Shinji Ikari; the third child. Let me guess: it was either the N2 mine or Misato's crazy driving that got your leg."
Shinji didn't respond or make eye contact. He just sat there.
"Not the one to talk, eh? That's fine. As long as we have your cooperation. By the way, I'm Ritsuko Akagi"
"I am not the one to converse with those affiliated with Gendo or his organization," Shinji's words were clear and crisp almost as though cutting through air.
"So you don't even refer to Gendo as a father any more?"
"I never did. No one deserves to be called a father after abandoning their own child. No one."
"Fair enough. You're going to have a pretty rough time from here on out though."
"Then so be it."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
After 128 floors the elevator ceased its descent. In front of the trio was a white hallway leading up to double doors twenty meters away. Shinji lingered behind the two older women as they strode towards the exit.
The doors opened leaving Shinji in a dark area unbeknownst to him. The hydraulic hiss signaled the closing doors and all was silent.
"Shinji," Ritsuko spoke calmly yet her voice boomed through the open space, "What you are about to see might frighten you."
Flood lights turned on illuminating the face of what anyone would consider a giant robot. The purple and green contrasted with themselves as they wove through the angular face of the monstrosity. A horn stuck out between its eyes and another astonishing feature could only be described as the false beard a pharaoh.
Shinji was appalled at first then grew accustomed to the giant.
"This is the Evangelion unit one. It is humanity's most technologically advanced robot to have ever been created. It is humanity's the last option for survival against the Angels," Ritsuko proclaimed again in the same booming voice.
Shinji stared deeply into the Evangelion noting its features, taking in everything he saw. After sometime, another voice came into play overhead. It was Gendo's.
"It's been awhile son," Gendo said. His voice trailed off rather than Rituko's booming voice.
Shinji lifted his head to encounter the long forgotten voice he hated so, "I am not your son nor are you my father, Gendo Ikari," he gave Gendo a sharp evil eye that could pierce into anyone's mind. This, however did nothing to the stoic Gendo Ikari.
"I need you Shinji to pilot the Eva."
"Oh, so you're being upfront about it."
"We don't have much time. If you're going to do it, do it now," Gendo was getting irritated.
"And what if I reject your demand?" Shinji toyed with Gendo while revealing his pearly white teeth.
"We have a spare if you were to choose that direction."
"That is not relative. What is is that you get in the goddamn robot."
"Losing your patience now, eh?"
"Just. Get. In."
"No."
Gendo turned away from where he was standing and contacted his second in command, "Fuyutski, Shinji won't cooperate. Bring in Rei."
"But can we still use her?" Fuyutski sounded half alarmed.
Gendo just replied with four horrendous words, "She's not dead yet."
Within an instant the girl named Rei was rolled in on a hospital bed. Her blue short hair lay in a mess beside her head. IVs were attached to her arms and large bandages covered her right arm and left eye. Contrary to her major injuries, her alabaster skin was immaculate. As she passed Shinji in her hospital bed, her crimson red eyes pierced into Shinji's dull grey eyes. He sat in shock with his eyes fixated on the anomalous girl. He never before had sympathy for another human being.
As Rei slowly got up from her previous position, she grunted and cried from the imminent pain. She was almost off the bed when what seemed to be a huge earthquake hit. Rei was thrown off her bed and knocked off onto the steel floor. Shinji was also thrown off his seat having his wheelchair sink into the orange pool which lay below him. He struggled to get up as his leg was not in the best of conditions. Shinji lifted his head to see Rei sprawled on the floor before him. His eyes widened and he gathered the strength to push himself up and run towards Rei. Shinji carefully raised Rei up having her head rest on his arm. Her developing chest inflated and sank with her shallow, rapid breathing which caused Shinji to worry.
His foreleg began to bend under him and the pain rapidly swelled up. He trained himself to endure emotional and physical pain beyond any normal human's capabilities, yet he was soon at his breaking point. A steady pool of blood began dripping onto the steel floor and it wasn't Shinji's. He pulled out his hand supporting Rei's back and it was covered with ruby red blood.
"What's this feeling?" Shinji thought, "Is this 'caring?' Is this 'worry?' Why am I caring for such a person and at this time? This must be Gendo's doing! I should never have underestimated him. I'll need to use plan B," Shinji looked up at his disgraceful father and said, "Fine. I'll do it."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Umbilical restraint released! Left arm primary bolt released! Left arm secondary bolt released..." a woman's voice shouted over intercom. Shinji had already been placed inside the Evangelion yet he could still hear her muffled voice and the mundane whirs and clicks the restraints made.
"How could this be happening?" Shinji began thinking, "Over the course of years I've planned this and yet I still failed! Was there something I missed? Did they not tell me some vital information? I'll make sure to extract every inch of data from those men! More importantly, what happened between me and that girl over there? Did Gendo plan that? That could have been an easy setup. But her wounds were too real. That's what baffles me. I need to ask her some questions." Shinji opened his eyes and found his shoes getting wet with whatever liquid rising rapidly.
Almost as though she was inside the tube with Shinji he heard Ritsuko's voice, "What your feeling right now is LCL. It is a liquid that will directly oxygenate your lungs and offer as a shock absorber. So you have to breathe it in."
By the time she finished saying that, the orangey liquid was already at Shinji's waist. He lowered his head and breathed in the LCL as though it was the stagnant, chemical filled air of an old cellar that hadn't been cleaned in decades. He gagged a little before it settled down at the bottom of his lungs, then he too another whiff. It had no flavor, nor did it have a smell. It was the consistency that made Shinji increasingly uncomfortable. It flowed like water but felt like jelly in Shinji's hands. He rubbed it in between his two hands and it felt like olive oil between his fingers. He grabbed ahold of what seemed to be the handles. They had some resistance when he pushed and pulled on them so he assumed that had some effect.
Once the capsule was completely filled and the diagnostics were completed, his cockpit lit up all around him. Soon after it changed into a series of fantastical colors with textures too breathtaking to that finished, the interior of the cockpit viewed everything that the Eva saw.
"Synch ratio up to 50! 60! 65! 70! 80! It's holding at 80!" Shinji heard through the speakers inside the capsule.
Ritsuko's voice was now the one to be heard, "Shinji that's incredible! Whatever you're thinking about right now, keep it in your head."
"Keep yelling and I might change my mind about helping you," Shinji hissed.
"Stop with the antics! You chose to help so there's no turning back!" Misato roared through the speakers. There was a pause after that. Shinji could hear Misato's voice yet it was too quiet and muffled to understand.
Misato came back from her conversation and said, "Shinji we're ready when you are," her voice was much more calm now that it was almost eerie.
"I'm ready," Shinji's dull voice uttered.
Within an instant Shinji and the Eva were shot up with tremendous force taking twists and turns making Shinji's stomach do the same. It didn't take too long to get to the surface. Shinji appeared in front of the Angel. The dark night sky was covered with soot from recent fires. The Angel stared blankly at the Eva without making a single move.
"Shinji! I want you to focus on walking right now!" Ritsuko's voice shouted through the intercom.
"And how am I supposed to do that?" Shinji replied
"Just think about walking! Try saying 'walk!'"
"And what are these, joysticks all about?"
"Those don't matter right now! What you need to do now is try walking!"
"Fine... Wench."
"What did you just call me?!"
"It's amazing how people think they can threaten others by doing that. It's almost pathetic."
"God dammit Shinji! Just make the robot God damn walk!"
"Hmph. I'll get this done in half the time and twice the angst than any of you."
"Just. Get it. Done. Over and out!"
Shinji loved making others angry. It was his innermost desire to see the side of people that most don't see. He wanted to show the world how awful people are and can be.
Shinji focused himself on the Angel before him. He imagined the giant taking well sized steps off the platform it now stood on along with saying "walk." The Eva, slowly at first, began to walk. As each foot descended upon the ground below, everything in its path was crushed as if they were styrofoam.
"Are there any weapons on this thing?" Shinji questioned.
"There is a blade located inside the left shoulder pylon," Ritsuko replied.
"And how do I get to it?"
"On the left handle there is a center button. Press that to open the blade compartment. It will automatically close."
"That's all I needed to know."
Shinji depressed the center button and sure enough, the green portion of the left shoulder pylon flipped open revealing a survival type blade with a pink tint. He imagined the Eva grabbing a hold of the blade and with some concentration, the Eva retrieved it just as he intended. As soon as his hand went down to its previous position, the blade began hiss like a chainsaw on steroids. The Eva lowered into a fighting stance having its blade out ready to strike or defend.
"I know Sachiel's strengths and weaknesses, why am I being so cautious?" Shinji began thinking, "I can finish her off easily yet they'll find it suspicious."
Unit 1 sprang from its position up into the air landing behind the Angel with a crash. The Eva grasped the Angel's right arm slashing at it with the knife almost severing it. The Angel turned its hulking body to look at the Eva and with amazing flexibility twisted its left arm to grab onto the base of the neck of Unit 1. In the cockpit, Shinji could see the white light signaling the powerful energy strike.
"So I failed again. SEELE didn't inform me well enough. I didn't create the Angels, the forerunners did. I am just a failure," Shinji closed his eyes embracing the pain in his chest and before he knew it, his cockpit was pierced and everything went black.
So that's the first chapter! I hoped you like it. If you have any suggestions or comments feel free to REVIEW. 'Nuff said.