Authors note: This story takes place in an AU. Shinji is brought to this AU when he busts out of the Twelfth Angel. It was mentioned in the series that the Angel might be connected to another universe and I decided to explore this idea. Differences

By Kale

Proofreading by The Master Chief


Chapter 01

Shinji looked at the clock on his watch, and then lay back against the chair of the entry plug. It seemed like forever since the Twelfth Angel had swallowed him and his Evangelion whole. He brought the Eva out of life support mode just long enough for a display, but was only greeted with white nothingness, then switched the Eva back into life support mode and lay back against the seat. Shinji just looked around within the dimly lit entry plug.

The LCL is getting cloudy, Shinji thought. The filtering system must be shutting down. The Smell of blood is getting stronger... He jumped out of his seat and desperately tried to open the hatch, but the tough steel wouldn't even budge.

"Let me out! Misato! Asuka! Ayanami! Dr. Akagi! Father!" Shinji slammed his fists repeatedly against the hatch, but to no avail. He then slumped down in his chair and began crying as hope quickly left him. "Please… someone help me." Shinji laid his head and arms against the controls of the Eva. Shinji soon cried himself to sleep.

Shinji woke up some time later and checked his watch. He was already near the sixteen hour limit, but he could have figured that out without the watch: the LCL had already become even cloudier and it was becoming harder to breathe. I guess this is the end. Shinji thought despairingly just before he blacked out.


A shadow had swallowed a large portion of the city, a large black and white striped sphere at the center of it, which was slowly making its way to the Geofront. With its designation as the Twelfth Angel, Units Zero and Two were positioned near the edge of the shadow. Asuka was about to take a shot at the sphere with the large pistol in her Eva's hands when the ground began to shake violently.

On the bridge in Central Dogma, confusion reigned supreme. "What the hell is going on?" Misato demanded.

"I can't figure it out!" Makoto replied, his voice straining to hide his frustration.

"All readings are going off the scale!" Maya reported.

"But..." Ritsuko protested. "... We haven't even done anything yet!"

The bridge personnel watched as a metallic purple arm burst from the sphere, then another, the two arms pulling in opposite directions, prying the Angel open as blood poured from the gash. A head slowly poked its way out of the Angel; dark purple, with two angrily glowing eyes and a long horn atop its head.

Asuka stared at the scene in horror from within the safety of Unit Two. "I'm... I'm piloting a monster like that?" she whispered in dull shock to herself.

Soon, the Angel was ripped open, exploding in a gruesome shower of blood that showered anything and everything nearby. The shadow under it immediately vanished, revealing the city once again as a massive monstrosity resembling Evangelion Unit One stood proudly, roaring in rage before it powered down. The now powerless machine's eyes lost their glow, and the monster slumped forward, no longer active.

"What's the status of Unit One!?" Misato demanded.

Makoto quickly entered the appropriate commands into the terminal. "Unit One's still inside its cage!"

"Then what the hell is that!?" Misato shouted as she pointed to the screen, which displayed a creature that looked frighteningly like the aforementioned Evangelion.

"Send out a recovery team to retrieve the replica of Unit 01," Ritsuko commanded. She then sighed softly as she took a cigarette and lighter from her coat pocket and lit up, taking a nice long drag. I wonder what Commander Ikari is going to think when he hears about another Unit 01, she thought worriedly. This was going to be a long day.


Recovery of Unit One went pretty much the way had always gone in the past after a berserk episode. However, this Unit One had to be stored inside one of the spare cages. Ritsuko and Misato stood along one of the nearby walkways, where they would get a good look at whomever it was piloting this Eva. They watched and waited with baited breath as the plug was ejected from the back hatch just behind the Eva's head. After being twisted out, the hatch opened. The two women gasped in shock at who they saw: Shinji Ikari.

"It's impossible..." Misato said numbly. "He's... He's dead!" She ran up to the plug.

"Misato!" Ritsuko shouted as she ran up after her. "Careful, we don't know who this really is!" She grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her away as a group of medics came. "Don't get too close to him!" Ritsuko then turned her attention to the people getting the boy out of the entry plug. "Keep him secured to that bed until we can ascertain who or what he is!"

The boy's arms and legs were then securely strapped to the stretcher, and he was carted off to the infirmary.


Shinji groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing painfully as he slowly opened his eyes. He kept them half-open, trying to get used to the overly familiar ceiling and its sharp florescent light

I'm still alive? Shinji thought as he blinked a few times. But... How? He tried to bring up his right hand to cover his eyes but it jerked back towards the bed. Confused, he looked over at his right hand, only to find it secured to the bed by a tough-looking strap of a tight, thick material. Looking at his left wrist, he found he was bound in a similar manner. He also noticed that the plug suit had not been removed.

"Why am I...?" Shinji softly began, confused by it all.

"Safety precaution."

Shinji sat up as best as he could and looked towards the other side of the room, where he saw his guardian. She had her arms crossed over her chest and wore a stern look on her face that suggested she wasn't in the best of moods.

"Misato..." Shinji said faintly, blinking in confusion as he stared helplessly at her.

She stepped toward the bed and looked down at him. "Who are you?" She demanded.

Shinji looked at her in obvious bewilderment. "You... You don't know me..?"

"I know who you look like, not who you are. Now tell me who you are."

"It's me, Shinji."

"Impossible," she shot back. "He's dead."

"What do you mean dead?"

"He died a few months back," Misato replied, her voice sounding a bit shaky. "He didn't survive an attack from the Fifth Angel."

Shinji blinked several times as Misato's words sunk in. He remembered what had happened when he was first sent out to face the Fifth Angel. It had blasted right through the chest of Unit One, and thus him, leaving him unconscious for several hours. That he was even alive right now was thanks to Misato's quick thinking in ordering the retraction of his Evangelion before he was completely toasted. Not something I'd want to experience again, Shinji thought with a nervous gulp.

A small cough from Misato brought him back to reality. "I'm going to ask you one more time," she said sternly. "Who are you?"

Shinji opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted when the door opened and Dr. Ritsuko Akagi walked in. "That's enough, Misato," Ritsuko chided her old friend. "Shinji's been through enough without you harassing him."

Misato turned and gave Ritsuko a sharp look. "Why are you calling him Shinji now? You're the one who said he might be anyone."

"Because that's exactly who he is," Ritsuko explained calmly. "At least that's what the DNA sample I took suggests. 100% match with our records. This is him, no doubt about it."

"Then how would you explain him being here when we both saw him die against the Fifth Angel?" Misato looked at the blonde as though she had lost her mind.

"Your guess is as good as mine." Ritsuko shrugged as she looked at Shinji, the boy giving her a blank look in turn. "There's still so much about the Angels we don't understand..."

Shinji had been listening to the conversation the entire time, though it wasn't helping him any. This is crazy, Shinji thought. How could Misato think I died so long ago..? What other surprises are going to welcome me?

Shinji decided that he wasn't going to get any answers laying on this bed. "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt," he began, "but can you please let me go?"

Misato looked at Shinji and then at Ritsuko, who nodded at her friend. "I don't see why not," she told the Major with a smile.

Misato walked over to Shinji and undid the straps holding him to the bed. Shinji began rubbing his wrists; they were quite sore from straining against the hard material. "I'm sorry..." She began, her eyes welling up with tears before she started sniffling, rubbing her eyes as they clouded with tears.

"Um, it's okay, Misato..." Shinji assured her, flashing her a warm smile.

"You should take him back to your apartment," Ritsuko suggested in a soothing tone as she patted Misato on the shoulder. "It'll do you both some good."

"What about Asuka?" Misato asked, sounding more uncertain than anything else.

"That," Ritsuko shot back with a soft smile, "is your problem."

"Gee, thanks," Misato sarcastically replied. With that, Ritsuko gave Misato one last reassuring smile and exited the room, leaving them alone.

"Um..." Shinji looked down at himself as he got off the bed. "I'd really like to change..."

Misato turned back to Shinji, blinking as she realized the situation. With him dead for so long, the lack of a male pilot meant that no boys' clothes were immediately available. "We're gonna have to wait till we get home," Misato told him, biting her lower lip as she did. "We don't have anything you can put on here..."

Shinji nodded. "All right," he said with a nervous smile.

Misato motioned for Shinji to follow her. He did as he was told, walking with her through the hospital, though he didn't feel entirely comfortable walking around in his plug suit. He waited till they were in the parking garage until he said anything. "Um, Misato..." Shinji gulped nervously as he tried to speak. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, as soon as we get in the car," Misato replied. Her voice was considerably softer and more insecure than he was used to, as though she had no idea what to say to him.

Shinji walked at Misato's side through the rows of cars, paying little attention to where he was going as he compiled a list of questions in his mind. All the cars looked the same to him, anyhow.

"Aren't you going to get in?" Misato's voice suddenly shook him out of his deep thoughts.

Shinji blinked and looked up, seeing Misato's blue sports car before him. He walked up to the car, blushing as he opened the passenger seat. "S-sorry..." He stammered, biting his lower lip as he climbed in and looked on ahead, sitting there nervously. Maybe I should wait till we get home, Shinji thought, trying to relax as Misato backed out of her parking spot and drove off. It would be nice to be home.


Shinji and Misato walked up to the door of the Katsuragi apartment. Fishing for her keys, Misato looked over to Shinji with a soft smile, though her eyes betrayed her heavy heart. "Shinji?" she asked carefully. "Could you please wait here? I... I have to talk to Asuka alone for a bit..."

I wonder what the big deal is? Shinji thought as he looked dumbly at her. She wasn't even here when the Fifth Angel came. If I died then, how could she know me at all? Resigning himself to the fact that he really didn't know anything anymore, he just shrugged, smiled, and nodded. "Okay," he told her. "I'll wait here."


Misato opened the door and then closed it behind her, wanting to make sure she talked to Asuka before she saw her guest. "I'm home!" she shouted, trying to sound as normal as she could. She found Asuka in the living room, staring blankly at the TV. She was wearing a boy's white buttoned shirt and black slacks, as she'd dressed almost every day since Shinji died.

"Hi there, Misato," Asuka replied lifelessly. The girl was still suffering even today.

"Say, Asuka..." Misato began, pausing as she tried to figure out how to talk to her. She took a deep breath she resumed. "We're having someone staying with us for a while..."

"Guy?" Asuka said, her voice taking on an accusing tone.

"Um, yeah..." Misato fidgeted nervously, already feeling uncomfortable with her charge's reaction.

"Keep him out of Shinji's room," Asuka replied, her voice starting to crack slightly.

Misato sighed, knowing that simply wasn't going to be possible. "I don't think we'll be able to..."

"What!?" Asuka shot back as she looked over as Misato in rage. "You... You wouldn't..." The girl's eyes were red, and her face was streaked with small lines of water. Crying again... Misato thought, looking away from her with a heartfelt sigh. What if this hurts her more...? "Please," Asuka continued, trembling as she stared at her. "You promised you'd leave Shinji's room alone..."

Misato shifted uncomfortably, unable to keep her cool under the penetrating gaze of those grief-stricken eyes. "It's a bit hard to explain, but... He's standing outside the apartment door."

Asuka glared hatefully at her guardian for a moment, getting up on her feet as she did. "I swear, if you're trying to introduce me to someone else...!" With that, she marched past Misato, heading for the door.

"Asuka, wait!" Misato called after her, but Asuka was already at the door.


Shinji stood at the door, with only his thoughts to accompany him. Why would Misato want to talk to Asuka before letting me in? He thought, clearly confused. Why would it matter anyway? It's not like she ever cared about me. Shinji shrugged to himself as he stood there, waiting silently for Misato's little talk to finish.

The door suddenly hissed open, bringing Shinji out of his little train of thought. "Gee, you don't need to get me all startled Mi..." The rest of the word vanished from his lips as he looked up at the doorway. Instead of Misato, he saw a fire-haired beauty with sad looking blue eyes staring back at him, dressed in his own shirt and pants. As he looked on in surprise, her expression changed before him; her eyes widened, her mouth opened slightly, her body trembled slightly before him.

"Shinji..." Her voice sounded faint, full of wonder and shock as she stepped closer to him. Her eyes were welling up with tears as she gazed at the shocked Shinji, who stood there helplessly, powerless to do anything but watch as Asuka gazed at him with those big blue eyes. She suddenly leapt at him, her arms wrapping around his back as she started showering his face with kisses, holding him harder than he'd ever been held before. "Shinji!"

End Chapter 01