Neon Genesis Evangelion: Butterfly Effect

Chapter one: Cause and Effect

Every choice made, every decision carried out, can cause different outcomes. Every situation then has it's own set of branching paths, each of which also have their own multiple endings. Through this, even the simple two lengths of a Yes or No Question – whether to go see a play, for instance – can cause a roiling wave of difference. It has been said that the flapping of a butterfly's wings in china can stir the air, causing a gust that eventually culminates in a hurricane in America. Similarly, the answer one gives to a question can affect the outcome of all their future decisions, and events that they may never come into contact with. Every time a question is answered, infinite new universes are brought into existence.

For example . . .

In early 2001, a year after the penapocalyptic event known as the "Second Impact", a man named Gendo Ikari was asked by his wife if he would like an extra egg in his breakfast. This may seem to have no real impact on the world, but the answer to this one question blew into existence a tempest that warped future history.

In one outcome, Ikari declined the egg. After breakfast, he walked to the tram to get to his job. However, in the process, he was caught in a large crowd protesting one business's methods. As such, he just barely caught the tram. Upon reaching his work, he joined a conference of high importance. At this conference, a major ethical question was brought up. Gendo believed this proposal to be wrong, and stirred several others into opposing it, therefore ceasing it from being passed. 15 years later, the Third Impact occurred, causing all but two members of the human race to be eradicated.

However.

Let us return to that breakfast. In an alternate outcome, Ikari welcomed the egg. Because of this, the time he spent eating it made him miss the tram, and miss the meeting. Therefore, Ikari was not at the meeting to oppose the proposal. And, therefore, it was passed.

This is the story of that one universe. For, in that world, one extra person was brought into existence . . .

The room was dark. The walls were either black as well, or simply so far into the distance that what little light there was did not touch them. In a circle, 12 gray, rectangular obelisks floated, featureless save the words "sound only" and a number.

Each obelisk represented one of the twelve members of SEELE, the shadow government that controlled all governmental decisions from behind the curtains.

In the exact center of the twelve holograms, was a featureless white desk. Sitting at the desk was a man. He had a dark blue uniform jacket over a red shirt, dark trousers, black shoes, and white kid gloves. He had close-cropped brown hair and a short beard reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln. He wore tinted glasses with oval lenses.

This was Gendo Ikari, overall commander of NERV, a secret organization sanctioned by the UN.

Perhaps now would be a good interlude for backstory.

In 2000, in Antarctica, a mysterious bioform of unknown origin was found, frozen in the glaciers. A science team was dispatched. After analyzing the DNA structure of the tissues of the creature, it was found that it was formed almost exactly like the human Genome. Moreover, after carbon dating tests, it was found to predate the earliest ancestors of humans by a yet undetermined number of years. Therefore, the scientists named it "ADAM", inspired by the biblical man who was the first human.

However, shortly afterward, for some unknown cause, Adam suddenly came alive and went berserk, destroying the research base with enough sheer destructive power that it melted the entire southern ice cap, flooding the planet, and pushed the earth slightly off it's rotational axis, disrupting seasonal patterns across the entire planet. Over three billion people were killed. This cataclysmic event was then after known as the "Second Impact".

Six years later, sanctioned by the UN, a special agency called "NERV" was created. Its headquarters were based in a supposedly "naturally" formed geofront in Japan. Gendo Ikari was instated as it's commander.

NERV existed for one purpose – creating and controlling the only weapons capable of preventing an event as devastating as the Second Impact . . . gigantic bio-androids, born from Adam.

Evangelions.

Almost Ten years later, a bioform similar to Adam appeared. Codenamed an "Angel", it moved directly for Tokyo-3, the fortress-city built above NERV HQ. Sustaining no damage whatsoever from all forms of conventional weaponry – bullets, missiles, bombs, and even the devastating N2 mines, the evolution of Nuclear weapons – it moved into the city.

The only pilot in Tokyo-3, Rei Ayanami, was too wounded to pilot an Eva. Therefore, Gendo Ikari ordered that the third child – the only child who could pilot an Evangelion and get to Tokyo 3 in time to stop the angel – be brought to Headquarters.

It happened that the Third Child was one Shinji Ikari, estranged son of Gendo Ikari.

Arriving just before the Angel penetrated Headquarters, Shinji, with great misgiving, Boarded Evangelion Unit 1 to combat the angel. At first, he fared badly, but the Evangelion suddenly went out of control, destroying the Angel. In a shocking turn of Events, it was found that Shinji's synchronization level with unit 01 was far higher than either of the two previous pilots, even without any training.

That is enough for now. Back to that conference.

"I understand that you sent a second pilot along with Unit two. I would like to know why I was not notified of this. Also, seeing as he is the Fourth, I would like why I was not notified of his discovery until an hour ago."

"The Answer is simple." The voice originated from the general direction of the Obelisk emblazoned with a One. "The American government completed unit three three months ahead of schedule. As for the fourth, a routine examination of his data files revealed that he was a viable candidate. Tests showed an incredible aptitude for piloting. You know very well, Ikari, that everything in this Organization is on a Need-to-Know basis. You did not need to know these facts until recently. If they had been found, then he may have been killed. Unit 3 will arrive at your branch in one week, and the fourth will arrive with unit 2. the fourth's data – his unabridged data - is in his file. This meeting is over."

The twelve obelisks faded into nothingness. Gendo sighed slightly. He then turned, opened a compartment in the desk, and removed a red phone. Picking it up, he pressed one button.

"Fuyutsuki. There has been a change. Notify Captain Katsuragi."

"Contact lost with the Tempest!"

"Where are the Status reports?!"

"Damn! What the Hell is going On?!"

A fleet of ships off New Yokosuka was under attack by an unknown enemy. It was moving just under the surface, slashing open the bellies of ships with dorsal fins sharp as razors. Every time a torpedo hit, it had no effect whatsoever.

Just before the mystery enemy slashed open a bulky cargo ship, a giant humanoid shape, wrapping a tarp around itself like a cloak, rose from the deck and jumped. It landed atop a battleship. Just as the attacker slashed open the battleship, the giant Jumped from the boat. In midair, it released the tarp, revealing itself.

It was huge, dwarfing the battleships. Two large rectangular "fins" rose vertically from the shoulders. It was clad in red armor, and had for green lenses atop the head.

The Giant landed atop a large fighter carrier. One of the shoulder fins opened, slotting a knife hilt down. The giant grasped the handle and held the knife forward.

The attacker leaped out of the water. A giant fish-like creature, it had a snout like a dolphin's, filled with needlelike teeth. As it tried to land on the giant, the crimson robot slashed the creature open from chin to tail. The monster soared over the ship, splashing back into the water.

"After this, two battleships fired at point blank . . . it was over."

Three people stood in a black, circular room, and one sat on a chair. There were two women and two teenage highschool students, a girl and a boy – the girl had close-cropped, powder blue hair, pale skin, and red eyes, and the boy had short brown hair and brown eyes. They both wore their gender-specific school uniforms. The standing woman was wearing a red skirt and jacket, and had brown eyes and long violet hair, whereas the sitting woman was wearing a black skirt, light blue shirt, and white lab coat, and had short blond hair that fringed out at her neck. The violet-haired woman had been speaking, and continued.

"True, she had help from the Pacific fleet, but she managed to defeat the angel within 36 seconds – well before the internal batteries would have run out."

"Evasive maneuvers, decision making, piloting skills . . ." The blonde woman was speaking now, "whatever you look at, she's perfect . . . Hard to believe – Asuka's abilities surpass the rumors!"

"I just wish we knew more about this fourth child . . ." The Violet haired woman, one Captain Misato Katsuragi, spoke now. "I only got his profile data an hour ago when Commander Ikari sent it to me, and I haven't had a chance to look at it."

"Well," said the blonde, "I have some light facts here. Vincent Ferrar, age 14, half-Portuguese, half Japanese, born and raised in what's left of Portugal. Was transferred to the American branch of NERV two months ago – just after we found Shinji – for cram training with Unit 03. Above average results. By the way, Unit 03 should get here in a week or so, they transported it separately – there wasn't enough room in the fleet for another Eva. Odd . . . before two months, there's only basic data on him. Ah, well."

The boy – Shinji Ikari, the Son of Gendo Ikari – had been amazed by the video. "How does she move like that . . . ? Hey Ritsuko, what's miss Sohryu like?"

The Blonde Woman, Dr. Ritsuko Akagi, responded with a slight smile. "She's very bright . . . Graduated from a University in Germany at fourteen."

It took Shinji a moment to Digest this fact. When he did, he blinked. "Uni . . . versity . . .? At FOURTEEN!?"

Misato took an appraising glance of the two highschoolers.

"you know," she said wryly, "She could be the most normal one of the bunch."

"what does that mean!?"

"Well," said Misato, winking, "I'll introduce you tomorrow. Come to HQ as soon as school is out, 'kay?"

"Yes, Captain Katsuragi." The blue-haired albino, who had been silent up until then, responded curtly, then turned and walked out of the room.

"Hey-Rei," said Shinji, walking out the door, "did you know that other countries were building Evas?"

Rei Ayanami, the Albino girl, did not respond immediately. Then, replying in her taciturn way, she said simply, "Yes."

the Bell for dismissal rang through the halls of the highschool.

"See you later, Ikari," said Rei, "I'll go on ahead."

Shinji, and his two best friends, Toji and Kensuke, blinked in unison. Kensuke, a tall Osakan boy, was dressed in black-and-white sports clothes, with short spiky black hair. Kensuke had untidy brown hair and large glasses, with his shirt hanging out unbuttoned. By his side was his trusty Sony camcorder.

"Oh. . . kay . . ." said Toji slowly. Kensuke adjusted his glasses. "what was that about?"

"what was what?"

"Well, she talked to you! Rei NEVER says anything for no reason!"

the trio walked down the road. Kensuke, however, noticed something.

"hey Toji, look!"

following where Kensuke was looking, Toji and Shinji saw that he was looking at an arcade. It was not the arcade that was the object of the bespectacled pervert's attention, however, but the thing playing at the claw machine.

In front of the claw machine, moving the joystick like a doctor's scalpel, was a girl. She had extremely pale skin and a mane of red hair, which was kept out of her face by a pair of odd red triangular hairclips, that Kensuke vaguely recognized. She was also wearing a rather short yellow dress. As Kensuke and Toji passed nosebleed-inducing comments about the girl between themselves, Ikari, being somewhat shorter than Toji, managed to catch a view. Before getting a full one, however, Toji grabbed him by the head and pushed him out of the way, muttering something about how Ikari has enough luck living with Misato.

With that, the two perverts dropped to their hands and knees in perfect synchronization, tongues lolling out like a pair of hungry dogs..

"Ooh, I can almost see . . . !"

At that moment, however, in the fashion of all claw games in the universe, just as the Anime-inspired plushie doll was about to fall into the prize box, it slipped out of the claw grasp and back into the pile.

The girl screamed in frustration, kicking the machine. "Scheibe! WHAT'S WRONG WITH THIS DAMN MACHINE!?"

There was a pause almost deafening in it's silence.

"now, too bad 'bout her personality," remarked Toji quietly.

Kensuke was still in the same position, off in dreamland.

"Wow, just once, I wish a girl like that would order ME around!"

Another pause. This time, however, the Redhead noticed the three, two of which were staring at the third with an expression that has no description in words.

"What, exactly," said the redhead, "are you staring at!?"

At the exact same time, Shinji and Toji responded with "Nothing! Nothing at all!" Kensuke, on the other hand, said dreamily, "Wow, she's spoken to me!"

The redhead walked up and stared at them. Suddenly, she stuck out her right hand, palm up.

"Gimme 100 yen."

". . . wha?"

"It's a peeping fee," said the girl as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "you were looking at my panties, weren't you?"

Kensuke, snapping back to reality, responded.

"not yet!"

"Oh, please. don't tell me you don't have ANY money on you."

She took a look at Toji.

"of course, if you are broke, it would explain why you look so shabby. Sad."

Three veins, in a neat row, popped into existence along Toji's temple.

"Dammit. Don't get on a high horse just because you think you're cute!" the girl started to move to slap him, but he grabbed her wrist.

"Hey!" she yelled, pulling back, "don't touch me!"

Working her wrist free, she stumbled backward slightly and knocked into a guy at a flight simulator. With this jarring, the tattooed muscle head accidentally moved his ship down into a stream of fire, blowing the pixilated ship off the screen.

"OH, SHIT!!!"

"Whoops," said the redhead, "sorry."

The tattooed guy turned around and started yelling. "YOU THINK DAT SORRY'S GONNA CUT IT!? DAT WAS DA LAST LEVEL! WATCHA GONNA DO BOUT THAT, HUH!?"

"Toji, Do something!" ever the courageous one, Shinji shoved the Osakan boy towards the scuffle.

"Yeah," agreed Kensuke, shoving Toji as well, "he's got your accent!"

"what does that have to do with anything!?"

the girl appeared to need no help, however, as she twisted from the muscle head's grip, spun, and delivered a high kick to the side of his head (giving Kensuke and unfortunately unnoticed view of her panties).

A short distance away, leaned over a pinball table, a kid about 14 turned around and, seeing the scuffle, sighed. He had black hair that reached his shoulder blades, green eyes, and pale-ish skin. He was wearing blue jeans, a black, unbuttoned dress shirt with the cuffs undone, and a dark green t-shirt under it. He had features vaguely reminiscent of a native of Portugal.

" Oh grande. Que agora? why does she keep doing this?"

the tattoo freak called for some friends.

"Oh, that's just sad," said the girl. "calling reinforcements against a Kid . . . Hey, look!"

She pointed at an imaginary thing behind one punk. When the punk turned, she swiveled on one foot, brought one foot up, and kicked him squarely in the side of the head. Spinning, she punched one punk squarely in the jaw, sending him backwards.

This happened to make the punk Knock into the kid at the pinball table. Lurching into it, the raven-haired boy heard a distinct crunch. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of smashed electronics.

It was an MP-3 player, or at least had been at some point. At the moment it was a crushed case of electronics.

Looking silently at the device, his eye twitched slightly.

Toji and Shinji made their escape, dragging Kensuke behind. Or at least, they tried. Both Toji and Shinji were caught by the collar and dragged backwards.

"Hey, where d'you think you're goin'!" Three of the punks had dragged them back. "We ain't done yet!"

the lead punk pulled back his fist, but before he could do anything, his head snapped forward and he fell face first onto the pavement. Behind him, the Black-haired kid was standing.

"You broke my MP-3 player. I just maxed it out this morning."

With no further comment, he turned and brought one foot straight up, catching one punk square in the chin, sending him flying backward.

The remaining Punk grabbed Shinji and clocked him square in the face. Before he could do much more, however, the redhead did a quadruple cartwheel, like in some bad karate flick, and clocked him in the back of the head with both feet.

Before anything else could happen, sirens sounded.

"Cops." The Kid sighed. "I suppose it's to be expected, what with fighting just outside an arcade . . ." he turned to the Redhead, bowed slightly, one hand across his chest, the other extended to his side, in a parody of some door ward in the renaissance. "Shall we go?" with that, the two turned and ran.

Shinji, as one would expect, was on the ground, holding his bruised face. "ow . . ."

"Come on, don't fall asleep there!" Toji reached down, grabbed the Ikari boy, and dragged him along as the trio escaped.

Dammit, how did I manage to be the only one who got hit?

Shinji was walking to the turnstile gates at NERV HQ. About 10 separate armored doors blocked the entrance. To enter the base, one needed to swipe their NERV ID card through the slot, much like a credit card reader. Then, if you were using a valid card, the door would open long enough for you to casually walk through. Shinji was just about to turn the corner when he heard two horrifyingly familiar voices.

"Scheibe! What's wrong with this thing!?" There was a few sounds akin to a shoe impacting metal.

"You know, maybe if you didn't kick it, it would work."

"I just got this card! Why won't it work!?"

"Maybe it's because you're sliding it the wrong way?"

Shinji turned the corner.

Sure enough, it was the two from the arcade. The Girl had kicked a visible dent in the turnstile. Both of them had ID cards out.

"Ah . . ."

The two turned, to see the Ikari with a look on his face of shock and horror.

"What the hell," said the raven-haired boy, "are you doing here?"