"It is time for you to be a man…"

Those were Gendo Ikari's last words to his now abandoned son. But at such a young age, barely 5 years old, how can a child become a man? And so he did what any child would do in that situation… he cried.

Hours ticked by with no one around at all. He sat down against the building at the station, no longer crying, simply accepting that he had to be patient. His uncle would be here eventually and then he could go home. And so he stayed silent like a good little child.

Finally nearly an hour after Shinji Ikari was resigned to his fate, an older model car drove up and an older looking gentleman stepped out. He walked up the stairs and towards Shinji. The child stood up, happy that someone came for him, when suddenly two black cars came out of seemingly nowhere and flanked the man's car. The old man tried to get to Shinji before anyone got out of the vehicles, but then it simply wasn't possible.

It happened fast… faster than even Shinji and his acute eyes and mind could follow. Suddenly an older looking western gentleman with dark hair and wearing a fedora was in front of his uncle. The child never saw him coming and the man Shinji assumed to be his uncle apparently didn't either as he all but ran into the darkly dressed gentleman.

He struggled a moment as the westerner held him off the ground by his shirt and stared into his face. Suddenly the uncle stopped struggling and simply stared back. Words were exchanged but Shinji couldn't hear them. Finally the conflict seemed to have ended as quickly as it started as the westerner gently put his uncle back down and the uncle nodded calmly before shooting a brief smile Shinji's way. Then, without a word the uncle walked back to his car where the other two vehicles were pulling away to allow him to enter.

Now Shinji was confused. Wasn't his uncle supposed to pick him up?

"Hello, Shinji," the westerner spoke in perfect Japanese. He removed his hat and took a bow. "My name is Renard Pembrooke."

"Hello… Pembrooke-sama," Shinji said tentatively.

"I'm afraid that it seems like your uncle will not be able to take care of you as planned, so I have decided to take care of you myself."

"I see," Shinji replied nervously.

"Now now, don't be afraid, my child. I will take better care of you than that man could ever have. I promise you; You'll have the best food, the best clothes, the best education money can buy… yes, I will give you everything you desire."

Though Shinji knew he should have gone with his uncle, this Pembrooke fellow was offering him things that sounded good.

"O-ok," he finally relented. And Renard smiled at his acquiescence.


Five Years Later


Shinji had become the echo of a young man at the age of 10. He was top of his class in all of his studies, head of the chess club, and spent a lot of time working with his new father, Renard Pembrooke. As he walked into the old man's study, he remembered the summons given to him by the servant and wondered what was so special about today.

When he walked in he realized instantly that he wasn't alone. There was a young girl there, obviously English by her simple school uniform with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She couldn't have been older than 14 or 15 by Shinji's estimation, and he'd like to think at least that he's become a good observer of such details.

"You wanted to see me father?" Shinji asked as he approached the desk. He glanced back over at the girl to his right still sitting near the desk. She was very pretty, and a little distracting. She smiled at him sweetly but said nothing.

"You've grown into quite the young man," Renard commented as a low rumble of thunder covered the mansion they were living in. The boy noted how nasty the weather looked but focused his attention on his father. "Shinji, you know I have business outside of our family's finances and such, yes?" Shinji nodded. "It is time to bring you into that side of my life. But before I can do that, I have one last gift for you."

"A gift?" Shinji replied. "But it isn't even my birthday."

"I know," he replied. "But it is a very special gift, one that I had to wait until now to give you and one that you will cherish forever." He motioned Shinji to come around to his side of the desk.

Ever the obedient son, Shinji moved closer to his sitting father. At only 10 years of age, Shinji was still shorter than him despite the siting position. He came closer, ever trusting…

He was more confused than hurt when he was suddenly grabbed and his head was tilted to the side without his desire. Even when he felt the piercing pain in his neck he was still confused more than anything else. Father wouldn't hurt him, would he? And because of that, Shinji didn't even struggle as his life blood was taken from him.

The girl continued to watch still smiling as the boy was drained in front of her by Renard Pembrooke. She knew her turn was coming, and she was anxious. Though for what she would get out of this scenario, it could be viewed as wrong on so many levels.

Shinji felt weakness spread across him, and felt cold. He shivered in his father's hands as he continued to be drained. Yet even now, he dared not question his father, even as his sight began to fade, the world became distant and Shinji succumbed to the veil of darkness that was death. He felt himself move slightly but it was a dull sensation, like a cotton ball falling upon the skin. It wasn't until the first drops of something new entered his body via his mouth that everything changed.

Suddenly, he was in pain. His body felt as if it was being assaulted by needles, and those needles were on fire. His body had fallen asleep due to blood loss and now it was awakening with a vengeance. He sucked on the source of this new liquid, getting more. He felt as if he was suddenly surging with raw power. Never in is life has he felt anything even remotely close to this sensation as it pulsed in his veins despite the lack of a true heartbeat.

The source of the sweet liquid was taken from Shinji and he was unceremoniously dropped to the floor. The girl at this point stood up, smoothing her skirt with her hands in the same motion, and then walked slowly towards Shinji.

"Still thirsty?" she asked in a sweet voice catching the now feral boy's attention. Shinji looked up at her and saw into her skin… saw the veins in her body and saw the target on her neck. He watched as she stopped a few feet from him and gracefully sank to her knees, her arms welcoming him to her.

Shinji wasted no time, nearly throwing himself into the girl's embrace. She turned her head and stretched her neck for him and Shinji clumsily bit down with his newly formed fangs. The girl made a sound of mixed pain and pleasure as she was pierced and Shinji hungrily drank from her veins. She held him encouragingly, taking in the feeling of being made weaker by another. Though it felt good to be drained, Shinji was an amateur and she wouldn't receive full satisfaction from him. But her taste would now be ingrained into his psyche for all time, which was precisely what she desired.

Her body shuddered none-the-less from the blood draining. He had already drank much from his father so the girl knew he would not be able to drain her dry. She lay back on the floor feeling a little light headed as Renard chuckled darkly and stood up. Shinji stopped drinking, licking the blood from her neck and simply lay upon her exhausted from his exertions.

"I'm glad you enjoyed that," Renard whispered. "It only gets better from here."

Shinji's eyes became heavy as the transformation continued on the cellular level. The girl, nearly on the verge of unconsciousness herself gently held the boy as if he were the most important thing in her life.

"Now you are ready," Renard continued. "Ready to leave this world of mortals and take your first steps into a realm of power. Welcome by boy… to the World of Darkness!" Renard threw his head back and laughed evilly as the storm intensified outside the mansion…


Archdruid Sephiroth Presents

A Neon Genesis Evangelion x World of Darkness Story

Vampire: De Angelorum


I: First Contact, Part I


Pembrooke Estate, 4 Years Later


Shinji would have likely lived in some suburban area if he had lived with his uncle. But his foster father, Renard Pembrooke, would of course have none of that. Only the best for his adopted son, and so he received it. Shinji got to grow up in a sprawling manor house built outside of the suburban areas of Kyoto. The house was full of rooms, finery, and of course servants. Some of these servants were not meant for cooking and cleaning but rather for a more important purpose to the residents…

… They were "Cattle", a term here meaning "they who give their blood to their vampire masters willingly". While some performed double duty, most either were live in cattle, or belonged to the clan rather than the master of the house hold, and thus visited occasionally.

It was close to four and a half years since the day Shinji Ikari crossed over into the World of Darkness. He continued to grow, and his appetites for things increased as he grew. What increased most was his appetite for knowledge. Not a day went by that he didn't spend at least a few hours reading in the massive library of his home. He learned much from his father who he learned was actually very important in vampire circles… his father was the Prince of Tokyo-3.

Just as soon as the city was established, the vampire population, and thus the Camarilla itself, the ruling body of the vampires, soon followed. Shinji had a lot of responsibilities to take on as he grew older, but this was expected as not only the son of the Prince, but also as a member of Clan Ventrue. Politics would be his meat, and business his wine, and through both, he learned that the reins of power are easily manipulated given enough money and influence. Being an expert in vampiric powers was another helpful aspect…

Shinji focused on his mental skills above any of his physical skills and so he has become masterful with regards of his use of the disciplines of Dominate and Presence. In short, he was able to make people want to be on his side and had enough influence that he could get anyone to see things his way if needed. Already his influence was felt though much of the Asian part of the Camarilla, much to his father's pride.

Influence, he found, was a matter of both patience and exposure. He made it a point to travel around as much as he could; he met with other Ventrue clansmen in different countries as well as the Primogen members of the various clans in the major cities all over Asia. Without really leaning on his father for support, Shinji managed to build himself a tidy little business empire trading food, dyes, and other commodities between almost all of the Asian countries. Effectively he was a self-made man, and only 14 years old to boot.

He also had a confidant, a human girl named Clarissa. His first meeting with her was something he will truly never forget… it was the day she willingly gave herself to him to sake his hunger the day he was turned. In the four years that followed since his embrace, time only made her more beautiful. She was 5'4" tall with luxurious and long blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and curves in all the right places. Though she wasn't blood bonded to him, he still considered her one of his most important confidants. She is well educated, currently attending Oxford University over in Great Brittan. As a result, he didn't see her as much as he would have wanted to, especially since her appetite was just as bad as his was at times.

Despite being a Venture, his appetite for girls was rather healthy, and often he could be found drinking and fucking no less than 2 at once. Despite being so young, he had more than a healthy sense of lust. And while some would think of this as wrong, Japan's "legal" age is recognized at a young 13 years, especially with worldwide population being as low as it is.

Today was a special day. Renard knew it would be when he received the brown envelope from Shinji's uncle. Inside was contained another letter, this one sealed in an envelope with NERV as its return address. Of course, the message was addressed to Shinji alone so Renard would not open it, but he knew what the contents were already. Being the Prince of Tokyo-3 he knew that whatever NERV had planned was almost finished. It was time to play the trump card.

Renard knew from the Angelorum, a book given to him by the Prince of Tokyo-2, that the divine messengers were coming. Like most Vampires, Renard believed implicitly in the existence of the creator, for was it not He who cursed Caine to be the first Vampire? He wasn't sure if these angels that were coming were true angels, but he knew they would come, just as assuredly as the city in which he now rules over the night was built to defend against them.

Leaving the note on his desk, he walked upstairs to the third floor of the manor. Shinji liked living on high no matter how many times he was offered a second story bedroom. He passed one of his vampire maids and she bowed respectfully at his passing. She was a Tremere, and one of his favorites. She helped him with her thaumaturgy on more than one occasion. Today he could only nod to her…

He knocked on his son's door and waited. No answer was given back in 10 seconds which caused the older vampire to raise his perfectly shaped eyebrow in questioning. Knowing what he was likely to see, he opened the door and stepped into the room. He wasn't wrong…

Shinji lay in the middle of the bed, half covered. On each arm he had a Japanese girl, neither of which could have been older than 16. Both girls were sleeping and content with lustful smiles on their faces and still healing fang marks on their necks. They were unabashedly mostly uncovered, and Renard can make out older marks in more interesting places like on the top of breasts and on the lower pelvic areas.

Shinji's eyes opened as soon as Renard reached the bed.

"Good morning, father," he said in the pale sunlight that filtered through the window. Renard mused that the scene would be almost artistic which spurred on his next words.

"What is the matter with you?" Renard whispered, not wanting to wake up the human girls on his arms. "You're acting more like a Toreador lately than a Ventrue."

"Oh come now," he replied back also in a low voice. "As hard as I have worked to create my own little empire, and all the lessons you have given me, certainly I deserve such small enjoyments."

Renard sighed. Despite having specific motives for bringing Shinji into his world, he had grown to love him as a true son. And if there was anything he was soft on, it was his child's happiness.

"I suppose not," Renard replied. "But sometimes, I think you take things too bloody far. But no, I could never deny you your enjoyments. What use is eternal life if you can't enjoy it once in a while?"

"Thank you," Shinji replied.

"That said there is a time for pleasure and there is also a time for business. I need you in my study."

Shinji sighed as his head pressed into the pillow. "Is this so important?"

"You can take your time, just don't take too long."

Shinji mouthed the words 'thank you'. Renard nodded and proceeded out of the room. In a way, he couldn't help but feel a bit of parental pride despite his son's decadence. He'd become quite the ladies' man.

About 20 minutes later, Shinji was fully dressed, showered, and ready for business. He walked in wearing one of his better suits as was his custom no matter how small or insignificant the business was.

"This came for you today," Renard said as he held out the envelope. He then busied himself closing the shades and blocking out the annoying sun while Shinji opened it and removed its contents. The sun wasn't instantly fatal to vampires but the 'weight' of it could always be felt. A vampire's powers were far weaker during the day and continuous exposure to sunlight would prove detrimental. Eventually they would burn just as fokelore would tell you, but it took time to get to that point.

"'Come'," Shinji said, reading the letter. "One word in 9 years… and it's 'come'."

"It is time my son," Renard replied.

Shinji sighed, knowing instantly what Renard was talking about. "It is indeed. The very reason I was embraced by you and brought into this world." He sat across from his father. "My birth father needs me for his work."

"I don't know what he has in store for you, but whatever it is, it can't be good."

"No it can't be," he replied. "I have a plan though."

"Oh?" Renard inquired.

"Find out what he's up to and end it. I'll work out the rest of the details later."

"You're meant only to keep an eye on him. Anything more would be dangerous."

"I know," Shinji replied. "Don't worry, father, I'll be careful."

Renard considered him a moment. Shinji was damned clever and careful when he needed to be. But would his skill be enough against Gendo Ikari, a known master of manipulation?

"He still believes your Uncle is taking care of you," Renard pointed out.

"I know. So I'm going to act exactly as he thinks I should act; timid and easily controlled. In reality, I'll be using my gifts and my superior intellect to unravel what it is he's trying to do. He won't even realize it's happening until he can do nothing about it. Then I can discard my mask and take my rightful place."

"Rightful place…" Renard's eyes widened as he realized what Shinji was talking about. "You're not serious!"

"I am," he replied calmly. "The Camarilla knows NERV is up to something, and it's not just protecting Earth from the angels. NERV will be a non-issue if it becomes controlled by the Camarilla, right?"

"You really are serious," Renard replied as the sheer scope of what Shinji was suggesting sank in. "How are you going to pull off a full takeover of NERV?"

"I don't know yet," Shinji replied. "But once I'm inside for a while I can learn how things operate, and most importantly where NERV gets its funding. Chances are there is someone above NERV pulling the financial strings, and if I can find those puppeteers, then I can seize control of the very strings that control the system."

"This a dangerous game you are intending to play… are you sure you want to do this?"

"Oh, yeah. You accused me of acting like a Toreador… well then allow me to construct for you my greatest masterpiece of manipulation. A shadow war is going to begin, and only those at the top will truly have the means of deciding the victor."

"Well said," Renard agreed. "Very well… I'll leave it in your hands. But do not forget your primary purpose is to keep the Camarilla in the know."

"I will do my duty. You don't have to worry about that." He picked up a glass of blood from the desk; it was drawn from one of the younger servants as Renard knew Shinji's particular tastes were of younger fair. He sipped it like a fine vintage, instantly recognizing which of the young lovely servants this blood was drawn from. "But one way or another… my bastard father will be laid low. I'll never forgive him for what happened to my mother…"


Tokyo-3, One Week Later


'Worst… timing… ever…'

After hearing for the third time that the phone lines were down due to the situation on the surface, Shinji watched from his position by a phone booth as several attack VTOL's baring the letters "JSSDF" on the side flew towards something large and ominous. He had left the train station about 20 minutes ago and had gotten this far, making the rendezvous point with plenty of time. The problem was his ride was late. The picture of the girl who was to pick him up was still in his left hand but mostly forgotten as he watched the VTOLs chasing down the large shape.

'I wonder of that's an…'

Suddenly, something off to his right got his attention. He turned and saw a girl in the middle of the road. She had blue hair, cut short around her head and red eyes. She was wearing a school uniform. Shinji knew there was no one there before and shook out his head to make sure he wasn't seeing things. When his eyes opened again, the girl was gone.

'Ok, now I'm a little weirded out…'

There was a sudden nearby explosion as a building half a block down exploded. Shrapnel from the VTOL that crashed there flew out at high speed and Shinji had to limbo under the flying debris to avoid losing his head. He leaned back too far and lost his balance but as it happened more debris just missed hitting him as a result of the fall so he counted himself lucky. He got back, looking for a place to run, when suddenly an Alpine Renault which could have only been driven by Evil Kenevil though this chaos passed the wreckage and slid to a halt near him.

"Sorry I'm late!" the girl yelled out as the passenger door opened.

Shinji jumped in, recognizing the girl instantly. "Drive!" he yelled as he grabbed the door. The car was in motion by the time the door was closed.

"Are we at war or something?" Shinji asked as the vehicle sped out of the warzone.

"Something like that," the girl replied. "I'm Captain Katsuragi. You can call me Misato if you like." Her calm demeanor despite what had just happened impressed Shinji, and the wink at the end of her last sentence advertised her as super-cute in her own way. Shinji guessed her to be in her early thirties, though probably going on seventeen years old personality wise. He decided then and there he was going to get her into bed with him at least once before this war was over.

'Maybe I should have been a Toreador,' he mused to himself.

"O-okay! Since we're being informal, call me Shinji then." To make a show of it, he forced a little more of his blood towards the surface of his skin causing a slight blush to appear.

'Must keep up appearances,' he thought. 'I'm timid, not likely to start trouble, and completely out of my element. Well that last one won't be hard to fake…'

Shinji however wanted to make sure he had a few surprises for his watchers. Specifically, he decided that since it would be difficult to fake being less observant that he really was, he would notice things that most people would not. He was thankful he chose this when he noticed the VTOLs around the monster suddenly veering away and trying to get away from it.

"Misato-san! Turn right now!" He grabbed the wheel and forced her to turn down the alleyway.

"Are you crazy?!" Misato yelled as she hit the break so she was slow enough to get into the alley.

Suddenly there was a massive flash behind and she slammed on the breaks immediately dragging both herself and Shinji to the floorboards. Vehicles and parts of building were thrown down the street with great force and the dust and debris flooded the area but here between two strong and stout buildings, they were perfectly fine. The sky darkened for a few moments from the dust and the sound was horrendous. About a minute later, the noise level dropped, the light came back and everything was calm once more.

Shinji coughed as some of the dust got into the car and Misato did just after he did.

"Are you alright?" Misato asked. Shinji just gave her a thumbs-up as he finished 'clearing his lungs'.

Misato got out of the car and moved to the end of the alleyway. Looking in the direction of the monster she could see it was still standing but mostly destroyed. The surrounding countryside was in the same condition and several buildings along this cliff highway were in various states of damaged.

Shinji got out of the car and inspected the vehicle for damage. Luckily, his call saved her car from anything more than a few scuffs and a lot of dust.

"How did you know?" Misato asked as she walked back to the car.

"I saw the VTOLs around the monster suddenly start to veer off," he explained. "Since their weapons seemed to be ineffective so far, I figured something big was next… and if that were the case..."

"We were probably close enough to get caught in it," Misato said, finishing the thought. "You're very observant… and you probably just saved both our lives."

"Heh… I guess I did," Shinji said barely above a whisper, his blush returning.

"Well, we should get moving before they try again."

"Y-yes," Shinji got out as he appeared to be jolted from a daydream. He got in the car and Misato sped off towards NERV.


Later, Shinji read the brochure on Tokyo-3 and NERV, noticing that most of the information in this pamphlet was likely either just for civilians or utter bullshit. Perhaps both.

"Do you know why they are attacking us?" Shinji asked.

"The angels?" Misato began. "No… I just know they have to be stopped at any cost."

As darkly as she stated that, Shinji was able to discern that she's already had some experience with them, though this was the first actual angel attack. He made it a point that he would check into this in the future. Just as that thought opened up, the train the car was riding on reached the Geofront, and Shinji now stood in awe at what he saw.

"Wow," he whispered, though Misato heard him. "A real Geofront! I read about these once, I didn't think anyone actually built one!"

"This place is our last hope against the angels," Misato explained. "It is the true heart of the Fortress City of Tokyo-3. That pyramid is NERV Central, and where we're headed."

'And one day, this will all be mine…'


About 20 minutes later, Misato had them lost in one of the corridors of NERV.

"I'm almost certain you've led us down this hallway at least twice before," Shinji commented.

"Ok! I admit it! We're lost!" Misato relented. "I haven't been through here that often."

Then a side door opened revealing a woman wearing a lab coat over a one piece bathing suit.

'Hmm… wonder what kind of scientific work requires that kind of attire,' Shinji thought, then made a point to check the woman out. She seemed like she was about the same age as Misato though she looked slightly older. Not older in that 'really looking her age' kind of way, just more mature than Misato was, not that that was difficult seeing as how juvenile Misato seemed to be thusfar. Shinji could tell by the smell of the blonde that she used products to make her hair that way, though she looked good in his opinion with that color hair. Her body was definitely top grade, though Misato's breasts were bigger. Shinji decided he'd probably bed her if he had the opportunity, but wasn't interested in actually pursuing her.

"Misato, are you wasting my time again?" the woman asked.

"Sorry," Shinji replied immediately. "We're a little lost… um… doctor…?"

"Akagi," she replied. "Doctor Akagi. You must be the Third Child. You do look a little like your father."

'Ugh… not what I wanted to hear,' he thought.

"Heh… that's good I hope?" Shinji asked sheepishly.

Ritsuko didn't comment on that and simply led them on towards their destination.


Soon they arrived in a massive dark chamber.

'So here comes the big reveal,' Shinji thought. 'Should have figured my father would want to make a big show of it, probably to awe and mystify me into action. Let's see where this goes.'

"It's dark," Shinji said.

"Then let there be light," Ritsuko said evenly and the lights came on. Shinji jumped back, and he didn't have to fake surprise here. He literally wasn't expecting what he saw.

It was a massive behemoth in some kind of cooling fluid. A massive horn stood up from its crown. Eyes seemed to stare at him from within a helmeted head. A sniff of the air told him it was partially organic.

'A monster… they are going to fight monsters with monsters of their own design…'

"By Kami…" Shinji whispered.

"This is the weapon we are using to defeat the angels," Misato stated proudly. "This is Evangelion Unit 01."

"So this… this robot… This is what my father has been working on?"

"That is correct," came a deep voice over the speakers. Shinji's eyes caught light turning on above and to his left and immediately turned to see what was there. There was his father, clad in a uniform with his glasses hiding his eyes from Shinji's sight.

'We meet at last, old man… it seems time has barely touched you… not sure if that bodes well or ill for me.'

"Father…" he whispered.

"Yes, Shinji," he replied. "It is I."

Suddenly the room started to shake.

"I think big and ugly is awake," Shinji stated as he tried to keep his footing.

"Damn," Ritsuko replied. "We still don't have a pilot."

"Incorrect, Doctor," Gendo replied. "Your pilot has just arrived."

"What?!" Shinji cried out fearfully. "B-But I only just got here! I-I don't know the first thing about this. How am I going to fight it?!"

"You can," Gendo replied with finality. "You must."

"Commander, please," Misato pleaded. "There must be another way! Shinji can't pilot like this!"

"I can't…" Shinji whispered. "I won't! I can't do it!"

"I see," Gendo replied. He turned towards his console but did not disengage the speakers. "Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki, wake Rei up please. The spare is useless."

'Useless huh? Let's see where this goes… I just know he's going to do something to force me into that monster…'

"Are you certain she can pilot?" came an unfamiliar voice which Shinji assumed to be the Sub-Commander.

"She isn't dead," Gendo replied flatly, and that already made Shinji dislike his father more.

A few moments later, the doors at the end of the catwalk opened and two men in lab coats began wheeling a gurney down the walkway. Shinji looked in shock as he realized the girl in the gurney was the same girl he saw on the road before all hell broke loose on the surface.

'Who are you?' Shinji whispered to himself, remembering the name 'Rei'.

"You can't be serious father!" Shinji cried out then suddenly stopped as Gendo started to explain the importance of defeating the angels. He didn't hear any of it because he suddenly smelled something that made him gasp in both confusion and terror.

Rei was kindred… she was a vampire. Like Shinji, she was faking her vital functions and like him she was so good at it she did it unconsciously now. But she was weakened though her experiences and was not regenerating as a Kindred should. The worst thing about this was something reflected in her eyes when she looked at him. They both knew that each other was not what they appeared to be.

Suddenly there was a massive shaking up, like an impact of some kind on the surface. Shinji almost lost his footing, but he was more worried about Rei who was thrown from her gurney to the floor. He ran to her side, cradling her small form.

'Her frame is small… she's about my age… but who turned her? What clan is she a part of?'

She gasped in obvious pain. Shinji felt wetness pass over his hand and shifted her slightly to look at it. Her blood was all over him now. The fall had reopened some of her wounds, but Shinji couldn't tell how badly.

Another massive jolt shook the facility and part of the upper support struts came loose. Shinji looked up and saw it was heading straight for them and cowered with Rei out of reflex. To everyone's surprise Unit 01 moved its arm up to block the offending metal. With a crash, the offending strut fell elsewhere.

"It moved!" Misato realized. "But it doesn't even have power."

Shinji looked at the machine. 'It… protected us?'

He knew then and there just how important he was. Looking down at Rei and seeing her in her broken condition broke his undead heart. The pitiful cries she made almost made him cry, and it would have taken a lot to make sure he cried water instead of blood. Her eyes locked with his briefly and in the eyes he saw a depth that the girl normally didn't show. Her pain was almost palatable enough for Shinji himself to feel it.

'Save me…' came the unspoken words. He wasn't sure if he imagined them or if she spoke in his mind, but he knew one thing at that moment…

'She can't do this,' he concluded. 'I have to do it…'

"Father!" Shinji yelled out. "I'll do it! I'll pilot it!"

Misato's eyes closed in obvious sadness. But Shinji took more note of the obvious look of self-satisfaction on his face. 'You win this round old man… Savor your victory while you can.'


Within minutes Shinji was inserted into the plug and looked at the blood on his hand. Without actually drinking it, he tasted the blood, spitting it back out again, not wanting to willing become blood bonded just yet.

'She tastes like a puzzle wrapped inside of an enigma,' Shinji mused to himself. 'I'll bet anything she's a Tremere. I wonder how skilled she is in Thaumaturgy… she could come in handy if she has any real skill.'

But something else about her was drawing his thoughts to her. She didn't have the power of presence, that wasn't common to the Tremere line, though doubtlessly she could emulate the power though her magic if she tried. No, there was something instinctually pulling him towards her.

'I'll bet my father has some nefarious plans for her… but what. Whatever it is, I must protect her, no matter what happens!'

Suddenly the plug started to fill with a strange orange liquid. It was almost as thick as blood and smelled similar. Either way, he didn't think it was something he should be breathing.

"What the heck is this?!" Shinji complained. "Are you trying to drown me?" The liquid was quickly filling so he took a deep breath before it could cover over his head. The smell of blood, which of course was a pleasing aroma caught his senses, but he wasn't about to advertise that he liked that smell; that was odd for a human.

"Calm down," Misato explained. "Your blood will be oxygenated directly though the LCL fluid. It's breathable."

Shinji held his breath for as long as he could before he explosively let it go and submitted to having the fluid seep down his throat and into his lungs. The feeling however suddenly elated him beyond words.

'It IS blood! Gallons and gallons of sweet, sweet, blood!'

It was potent, definitely not human. But what was it? Shinji found at that moment he couldn't care less. He simply continued to breathe it in and tried hard not to show how much he was enjoying it.

"I think I'm going to be sick," he said, realizing that he was somehow able to speak in this fluid.

"Stop complaining," came the voice of Misato. "You're a young man aren't you?"

'Yes, a young man, not a fish.'

"Beginning activation sequence," Misato called out, as the bridge crew started their checklist.

He felt a tingling moving up his arms and legs as the activation progressed from stage to stage. It felt like his limbs were heavy at first, but then they began to lighten up.

'I can do this!'

"Activation successful!" one of the female bridge techs called out. "Synchronization rate holding at… oh wow… 87.4 percent!"

Even Gendo raised an eyebrow at that number. His rating shouldn't have been much higher than 50.

"Better than you anticipated," Kozo Fuyutsuki noted.

"Indeed… let's see how he handles himself," Gendo replied.

"Ok, Shinji," Misato called out. "Here we go. EVA launch!"

The catapult let go and massive amount of electrical energy jumpstarted the machine. Suddenly 16,000 tons and nearly 60 meters of heavy metal and biological mater were rocketed towards the surface fast enough for Shinji to experience nearly 3G's of force. He held on, keeping his eyes closed until he reached the surface with a clunk. He opened his eyes and saw the monster he was meant to fight a mere 10 blocks away. His appearance got its attention and Shinji suddenly knew fear once more.

'I hope I can figure this thing out quick,' he thought as he grabbed a hold of the control yokes. 'For Rei's sake, I must win!'


To Be Continued…


"Ladies and gentlemen"

We are the things of shapes to come,

Your freedom's not free and dumb

This Depression is Great, the Deformation Age

They know my name

Waltz into scum and base and married to the pain…

-Marilyn Manson, mOBSCENE


Disclaimer: Neither I, Archdruid Sephiroth nor Wolfpackersson09 own EVA. EVA is property of GAINAX. We also make no claims of ownership on any material from the World of Darkness owned by White Wolf, and hereby declare no ownership over any sub-products therein such as Vampire The Masquerade, Werewolf the Apocalypse, Mage the Ascension, or any other rulebooks, novels, TV shows or other media and materials from the same universe. This story is for the fans of the series and no monetary or other income was generated by its creation. I may have lost some sanity along the way though, there is always that…

This story was suggested by Wolfpackersson09 and given to me with permission to write.