I do not own Evangelion.
Thanks go to Gunman for proofreading this chapter.
-- So It Begins --
The door rattled fiercely threatening to break down any minute. The dull roar of moans blanketed the night air shattered only by the occasional blood curdling shriek.
The moon cast an eerie glow over the blood stained streets and the night air washed the scent of death through an open window.
A young boy cowered in the middle of the room; his rough breathing resonated throughout the room.
The door splintered and a hand thrust through its flimsy frame, waving around grasping for its prey. He crawled further into the corner and pressed his back against the wall.
His hand shook as he switched the safety off on his handgun. Sweat rolled down his forehead and stung his eyes but he kept his trembling hands level to his eyes. The arm retreated from the door and the room was greeted by a terrifying silence.
Seconds passed by, but they seemed like lifetimes.
The boy let out a breath and leaned his head against the wall letting his eyes drift upwards.
"Unfamiliar ceiling."
The door exploded into a shower of splinters as a legless body flung into the room. Blood sprayed from the intruder's waist but he seemed unaffected. Through several rips in his clothes, rotting flesh could be seen. Its face was damaged beyond recognition, large sections of skin no longer remained.
The assailant slowly turned his head towards the boy and the gruesome sound of cracking resounded off the walls. Part of his head was missing and his brain leaked out of the crevice, jiggling every time he moved. His pure white eyes pierced the darkness and burned holes into the trembling boy's soul.
The being opened his mouth, and roared into the night. Using his arms, he pulled himself closer to the boy, leaving a trail of blood behind him.
"G... Get away!" The teenager yelled in futility.
He pointed the gun in his hand at the monsters face and grimaced when it snarled once again. His hand shook; fear enveloping his senses.
Ready.
Aim.
Fire!
His eyes clenched shut as the gun flashed and bounced in his hands. Dark blood splashed over his face and body. Dread filled his soul as he slowly opened his eyes.
My god…
His hands were stained with blood and the limp body of his attacker lay just inches ahead of him. Blood seeped from a hole in its head.
His vision began to blur and he felt a lump in his throat. His gun dropped from his hands and clanged on the floor. He pulled his legs into his chest and buried his face in them.
Sobs echoed through the room, drowning out the terrified screaming of a woman in the distance. A car screeched in the distance, followed by an explosion, but he did not stop crying. He could not stop.
Are you just going to sit there?
"What? Who is that?" He shouted, terrified at the sudden voice.
Me? I am…
"Well?"
That does not matter. What does matter is that you are sitting in a corner while everyone you know is dying!
Images of his mock family members played through his mind. Memories from before this nightmare entered his thoughts.
Walking to school with your friends, fighting with Asuka, and piloting your Evangelion – they are all moments you took for granted when you should have been enjoying them to the fullest!
"…"
You don't have time to cry. You have people to save! You have memories to make! Your friends need you! Your family needs you!
"I…What can I do? I'm just a weakling with no spine…"
Hah! You? A weakling! No matter what anyone says, YOU are the one who killed the most angels! You are the one, the only! The Legendary Shinji Ikari!
The edges of his lips slowly turned upwards, shadows playing on his face from the dim light of the moon.
You don't have time to cry!
He opened my eyes.
Get up, Shinji Ikari!
He raised his head.
Go! And save those you love!
He pulled himself onto his feet.
Go, Shinji Ikari!
He scooped the gun into his hands and shoved the ammunition into his pockets.
And save yourself!
With a scream Shinji barrelled through the apartment door, down the stairs, and out onto the pavement.
Scanning his surroundings, he discovered a single car in the parking lot. Its door was open and an arm was slung over the side. He ran to it and pulled the dead body out of the car. He jumped in and noticed the keys were already in the ignition.
The dead guy must have been trying to start the car. Shinji looked at the body that now lay next to the car's wheels. The stench indicated that he was already starting to decay and part of his stomach was ripped away. His intestines hung out of the wound and dried blood covered his clothes but the most disturbing and frightening was his face. The same face that would gleam with happiness while strumming the air guitar was now contorted in agony. Shinji looked away instantly, holding in the urge to regurgitate.
He closed his eyes, trying to get the image, and scent, out of his mind. A gust of wind blew in from the side and a new wave of death attacked his senses. No longer able to hold it in, he puked on the street, careful to avoid the body beneath him. Shinji wiped his mouth on his sleeve and once again focused on the task at hand. He reached for the key, grasped its cool surface, and gave it a twist.
The engine sputtered and proclaimed its presence to the night. Its call was returned by a soft moaning. Shinji snapped his head towards the noise behind him, and then back towards the key. Once again, he twisted the key but was greeted with the same response. The moans were much louder than before.
"Damn it! Work!" Shinji shouted, punching the dashboard in an effort to force the car to work.
He turned the key once again and let out a sigh of relief when the engine purred to life.
Shinji screamed in fright as a bloody face smashed into his side window. Summoning all the knowledge from his terrifying driving lessons from Misato, He quickly put the car into reverse, stomped on the acceleration, and grimaced as the car rocketed backwards, leaving a trail of skid marks. The car bounced as it rammed into the bodies in its path.
Turning the steering wheel, he managed to rotate the car one hundred and eighty degrees to point at the oncoming horde of undead. Once again Shinji smashed his foot on the accelerator. The roar of the engine accompanied his screaming.
"Go Back To Where You Came From You God Damned Zombies!"
-- Flashback --
"I repeat! A warning has been issued to all of Tokyo to stay indoors and lock all doors and windows! Any citizens unable to access their homes are advised to head directly to the closest shelter and avoid crowded roads." A blonde, female reporter yelled into the screen. Her eyes darted from side to side and terror etched her face.
Shinji stood on the deserted street with a bag of groceries in his hand and watched the scene unfold on a gigantic screen plastered on a skyscraper.
He had gone to his favourite sightseeing location after picking up some groceries and spent a good hour watching the city. After hearing the sirens go off he had rushed towards the city thinking that there was another Angel attack.
What's going on? I thought I had already defeated the last Angel! Shinji contemplated the matter as the reporter announced that she had received footage from within Tokyo-3 regarding the crisis at hand.
The screen went from the women's frightened face to a seemingly normal view of a Tokyo street. The only thing dissimilar was that the crowd of pedestrians seemed to be jerking uncontrollably. The crowd crawled on top of one another, heading towards the screen.
Shinji watched in horror as a girl from his class – Aiko he believed - burst through the crowd. A chunk of flesh was missing from her arm and her screams boomed through the televisions speakers.
Just as she began to escape the mob, hands wrapped around her torso and pulled her back in. The screaming died down to a load gurgling noise and then stopped entirely.
Shinji stared in horror, his mouth hanging open, and the bag in his hands fell to the floor spilling its contents on the pavement. The screen returned to the terrified reporter. She grabbed her headset and through it to the side, jumping on the table in the process.
"Run for your lives! Tokyo-3 has been overrun by the undead!" She screamed through the television.
Shinji instantly burst in a sprint down the street, forgetting the spilled groceries he left behind. Previously unheard screams now resonated in his skull, moans bellowed throughout the streets. His heart pounded in his chest as he leapt through traffic lights, heading towards his home.
After a few minutes of his panicked dash, he heard footsteps fall into pace behind him and began to run even faster, not daring to look back. With a Herculean effort, Shinji dashed through the crossing onto his apartment's parking lot.
He took a chance glimpse behind him and instantly prayed that he hadn't. Behind him, a zombie was slowly catching up, hunger in its bloodshot eyes. He was bleeding profusely through a crack in his head, and blood coated his body.
With a yelp, Shinji jumped up the stairs, three at a time and crashed through his door, thanking the gods it was unlocked. He smashed the door shut and locked it with trembling hands.
Glancing over the apartment, Shinji noticed that it was barren, without a soul in sight.
No! Asuka! Misato! Penpen! W..What happened to you! Please be alive! Please!
Shinji fell to his knees and smashed his fist against the ground.
Damn it! When did this happen? No… How did this happen? What am I going to do now!
Shinji cursed at the empty apartment and rushed into his room. He threw furniture around, searching for any weapon that could be of use.
"Wait a second… Just how do I kill something that's already dead?" Shinji thrust his head into his hands in frustration.
Maybe the news has information on how to stop these monsters.
Shinji walked past the door and instantly jumped up in fright as it began to shake. He grabbed a chair and placed it in front of the door, barricading any entry, or escape.
Resuming his previous task, Shinji strolled towards the couch, attempting to recuperate from the shock of previous events. He fell into the couch's embrace and grabbed the remote. Shinji turned the television on and switched to Tokyo News.
The reporter now seemed calmer, yet still incredibly frightened. Her hair was a mess and her ruined mascara proved she had been previously crying.
"I'm sorry for my recent… Outburst. But as you can see, Tokyo is certainly in a serious crisis. The streets are slowly becoming infested with the living dead and all attempts to stop them so far have failed. The Tokyo borders have been barricaded by the JSSDF and no one is allowed to enter, or leave the premises."
The reporter sniffed and wiped her eyes.
What? I can't believe it! Why aren't they using the Evangelions! What's going on?
"To all those still alive in this god forsaken place, grab any weapon you can. The only way to kill one of the undead is to destroy the brain. The zombies seem to be infected with some sort of virus that travels through bodily fluid. So if you are bitten, swallow some of an infected hosts' blood, or if your wounds come in contact with its blood, then you have about twenty three hours until you become a zombie yourself."
The reporter herself looked shocked at the information she was giving out to the public. She sorted through a few more papers until she stopped at a slightly crumpled one. Flattening it out, she quickly skimmed over the information and looked at the screen with fear.
"It seems there is no, I repeat, no cure if you are infected. If you are infected and choose to… end your misery, you must destroy your brain to save yourself from reanimation. Other details are still pending, but I will keep you up to date on this channel for as long - - -" Sobs interrupted her speech as Shinji shut off the television and threw the remote to the floor. His head was in his hands and he was shaking it violently.
God… Why do you do this to me? Why am I always the one to suffer…?
A loud banging emitted from the door once again and moans erupted from behind his only fortification.
I… I need something to protect myself!
Shinji ran into the kitchen, searching for knives to use against his assailants. He raided the drawers, throwing out their contents but to no avail. It seemed as though nearly every possible weapon available in his small home had disappeared. Defeated, Shinji trudged towards the table; his head hung low, and slumped into a chair. Raising his head, he noticed a note in the middle of the table. Reaching over, he picked it up and placed it in front of him.
Dear Shinji,
I know you must be afraid, but you have to be strong! For me, for Asuka! We have gone to NERV to help stop this crisis. I left you a present on my bed. Please use it wisely and be safe.
Love,
Misato
Shinji stared at the note, relieved that they were likely in the safety of the Geo Front. With a sigh, Shinji stood, and slowly paced towards his guardians room.
The floor was littered with beer cans, clothing, and other objects Shinji didn't even want to know the use for. Carefully stepping through the jungle of junk, he made his way towards Misato's bed. On her pillow, lay the glistening form of a Beretta, beckoning him to pick it up. His hands trembled as he reached for the deadly weapon. His hands flinched when they touched the guns cool surface. He clutched the weapons handle and brought it to his face.
The silence was interrupted by a shriek just outside his door. With a yelp, Shinji jumped in fear and landed on a banana peel. His feet flew forward and he fell onto his head.
The gun fell on the floor next to his face and he saw his reflection on its perfect surface, before darkness enveloped his senses.
Thanks for reading.
- Fatal Fury