Heroes of EVA: Dog Soldiers
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and all Marvel, DC Universe, Image, and Dark Horse properties belong to their respected owners.
Author's Note: This is part 1 of 3 of my side stories to Heroes of EVA. This one is about Kaji in his teen years after Second Impact because I thought how the Hell did he get from aiding in his brother's death in a destroyed America to being a spy for the Japanese government? Now I have tried/failed with this before in another story called Walk on the Wild Side. I think it failed for two reasons; the first was because I was writing with a weird concept and the second was because I was writing about Kaji. Yeah Kaji has as much of a fan base as Xanatos does in Gargoyles. He's a sleazy, womanizing jerk but in these stories I want to make him less of a douche. Do I think he deserves to be with Misato? Well that's…debatable. Now with that outta the way on with the story.
Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
I was fifteen when Second Impact happen and during that time I lost both my parents. Hell, I wasn't the only person who lost someone close to them that day, 3 billion people died during that event. That was 50% of the Earth's population gone! But things got far worse in the aftermath of Second Impact and all Hell broke loss. Of the 3 billion people left on Earth, 40% of those people were mutated by the effects of SI and were turned into monsters. The mutants had unimaginable powers and used them for their own personal gain, but they all weren't like that. Still with all that power the mutants had to be kept in their place and there was one special organization charged with this task. This organization was so focused on their goal they stopped at nothing to achieve to it; they even stooped so low they forced children into their ranks. You know when I come to think about it this sounds like another organization.
-Ryoji Kaji
2001: America, Old York:
It has only been months after the cataclysmic event known as Second Impact. The world was slowly rebuilding itself but there were still unchecked outlawed parts of the United States. Surprisingly this included the borough of Brooklyn that was nearly wiped out along with most of New York in the northeastern tsunami. People lost their homes and jobs and kids lost their parents. This was no exception to the group of kids that hide out in the remains of an abandoned movie theater.
"Rock, paper, scissor, go!" declared two boys who stood face to face.
"Paper beats rock." Said the younger of the two boys. His name was Ryoga Kaji and at the age of thirteen he just beat his older brother.
"Yeah you're right." Said the older boy Ryoji Kaji.
Off on the side there was a small group of teens watching the two brothers. A Caucasian boy got up from where he was sitting and went over to Ryoji. "Looks like you gotta go and find dinner tonight." The boy handed Ryoji a 9mm handgun. "Here, you're gonna need this cause there's this base camp nearby and has a lot of food."
"'Kay," Ryoji raised an eyebrow. "But why do I need the gun?"
"Cause there's a bunch of army guys there." The teen told him. "It's their base after all."
"What?" Ryoji blanched. "Army guys? But you didn't…"
The boy patted him on the back. "Army, military it's all the same, but you trust me don't cha Kaji?"
The boy nodded. "I trust you Elijah."
"Good then this will be real easy, it's an in n' out job. As long as you don't get caught." Said Elijah. "Now hurry it's getting late."
Kaji left the hideout and went looking for this military base.
The sun was setting over the horizon as Kaji was stealthily approaching the base of a military group. As he hid behind a large pile of military gear he took in his surroundings. He saw a weird insignia labeled on several things in the base that had an eagle embezzled on it. 'What type of military organization is this?' he thought to himself.
He continued searching around the base for food until he came found the mess hall. Kaji checked the back to make sure no one was there and went over to the fridge. "Jackpot." He said as he started to grab as many can foods as possible. After he felt he had enough, he left the kitchen but was knocked over by a large male with black hair.
"What the Hell?" the man questioned as he grabbed Kaji before smirking. "Hey Ricky I found out where the food has been going."
Another man with a scar under his lower lip came to where they were and looked at Kaji. "This kid's been stealing our food?"
The black haired man nodded while the boy struggled. "Yep, I caught him red handed."
The man with the scar smirked. "Well looks like we have to teach the runt a lesson." He went up to Kaji, took his handgun and placed it the temple of his head. "We can do this one of two ways; you can tell where you were taking this food or we can kill you on the spot."
Kaji still struggled in the other man's grip but weighed his options. He didn't want to die but he also didn't want to get his friends caught. 'What can I do? I don't really have a-' his thoughts were cut short as he heard the click of the gun.
"You have three seconds before I decide for you." The man declared. "Three, two, o-"
"Alright!" Kaji yelled as fear griped him. "My friends are hiding out in the abandon movie theater near the docks, just don't kill me!"
"I knew you had it in ya kid." The scar man moved the gun away from Kaji and started to walk out. "Mark, watch the kid I have some business to take care of."
"What?" Kaji yelled. "You can't kill my friends!"
The scar man was already gone to go take care of the dirty deed and the other man laughed at the boy. "Struggle all you want but you're not escaping."
He still squirmed in the man's grip but thought about what would happen if he did get to his brother. Kaji growled out before bearing his teeth and biting the man on his forearm and drawing blood.
"Ouch!" the man cried out as he dropped Kaji who ran away. "Dammit!" he clutched his arm and started chasing after the teen.
Kaji was already half way out of the base and didn't break his stride. 'I have to get to the others!' he continued running hoping the guy charged with watching him wouldn't catch up. In his mind he kept repeating those same words. 'I have to get to the others, I have to get to the others, I have to get to-' he was cut short when he reached the hideout and saw a trail of blood leading to a pile of dead bodies. All his friends laid in the bloody pile and his brother laid on top. "Ryoga!" Kaji ran up to his dead brother and shook him trying to wake him up. He finally gave up and started to cry and pound his bloody fist on the ground.
"I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!" He looked at his brother one more time. "If there was anything I could do to change this, I would. Make things different and take your place. I was such a coward, but you all paid for it. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry kid," came a new voice. Kaji turned around and noticed it was the two soldiers from before. The one with the black hair was pointing his gun at the boy. "You'll be joining your friends soon enough!"
Kaji didn't care anymore, if it would make up for giving up his friends and more importantly his brother. He would be put out of his misery and be with his brother again. He waited for the shot to be fired but it never happened.
"Don't kill him." The scar man.
"Why not?" the black haired man asked. "Don't you see what this punk did to my arm?" Motioning to the still bleeding appendage.
"Yeah I do," the scar man responded. "But after what you told me I think I've found a use for him. We can put him in the junior division, we can always use more recruits."
The man lowered his gun. "Dammit, I guess you right." He went over to Kaji and picked him up. "Come on kid, you're coming with us."
He didn't protest as he was walked to a jeep. 'That's how they got here before I did.' He thought bitterly. The jeep drove back to the base as Kaji was then blindfolded and handcuffed and taken to an awaiting jet. The jet flew for over an hour before landing. Kaji didn't know where he was as he was still blindfolded and then thrown into a small dark cell.
For hours Kaji sat in the corner of the cell thinking about his brother and what was going to happen to him now. Soon he heard the door open and a guard grabbed him and took him some place new. This time the blindfold was taken off and Kaji stood in front of two men. Sitting at a desk was a man with ginger hair and a mustache he looked to be about in his late forties and stared at the teen. Over to the ginger man's side was a larger muscular man with white hair but didn't look a day over forty.
Kaji looked at the two and noticed that behind them was the same eagle insignia from before. "What is this place?"
The man sitting down answered his question. "This place dear boy is Supreme Headquarters International, Espionage and Law-enforcement Division otherwise known as S.H.I.E.L.D. My name's Commander Dugan and this gentleman is my second in command, G.W. Bridge."
Kaji eyes bugged out. "S.H.I.E.L.D? I've never heard about."
"Well of course not." Stated Commander Dugan. "If you did it wouldn't be a secret organization now would it?"
"Fine, but what do you want with me?" Kaji asked getting straight to the point.
"In recent hours I've heard of your…situation and felt that we could use you in our junior soldiers program and in our R.I.O.T. division."
"Before I say no, what's R.I.O.T?" Kaji demanded.
"R.I.O.T. is short for Reserve Intelligence, Offense and Tactical division." G.W. Bridge answered. "The division I run and they you'll be joining."
"Why should I? My friends are dead and my brother is dead, I have nothing to live for." Kaji looked away as he said that last statement.
"Actually Mr. Kaji you do have something to live for." Dugan told him. "You are the perfect candidate for R.I.O.T. based on your track record. Espionage is in your foreseeable future as I've read that you spied on the Bandanna Street Gang to get your brother out. It even says here while not a master that you know karate." Dugan saw the boy wasn't persuaded and said one final thing. "Even if you don't join us it won't bring back your brother. If you go back there you'll be all by yourself, here we can train you and make you stronger for the future. So what do you say?"
Dugan was right, nothing could change the past and bring back his brother Kaji knew that. He also knew that if he went back to Brooklyn he would be by himself and die in no time. If he stayed with S.H.I.E.L.D. he could train to be stronger and one day take vengeance for his brother and friends. Kaji looked at Bridge before looking at Dugan. "I'll stay."
Dugan nodded. "I knew you would make the right choice. Your training will begin immediately."
Author's Note: Yeah so this really is something me and my friend came up with. I know it seems kinda sketchy as to why S.H.I.E.L.D is doing what it's doing but that will be explained in chapter two. Reviews and constructive criticism for this would be really appreciated because I'm using this as a back story and I want people to get it and not be confused. So until next time.
-eastWOLF