Chapter 1: Arrival
Exert from the last School report of Shinji Ikari
Justice. Defined in Webster's Dictionary as 'just behaviour or treatment.
Ex: "a concern for justice, peace, and genuine respect for people"
What does this word mean in a Post Second Impact world?
Had it not been for a single meeting, I would not have bothered with such a concept. Now, its entire existence guides me.
Humanity's greatest strength is resilience and ingenuity, but those traits also come with the possibilities of corruption and cruelty.
We were given a second chance after an event that halved our world. A warning, perhaps?
Regardless, I will move to live my life as one who fights for justice and the good of all. Whether as a lawyer or police officer is unclear, but I will dedicate my life to such.
Some call this a fool's errand. They may be right. But to give up without trying is not the way of humanity.
NGE-WM
Rorschach's Journal-Tokyo 3 Case
Entry #1
Tokyo-3. A city that reeks of fear, hypocrisy and arrogance even miles away. Train ride was empty. Time to think. Would've taken me three days to get here on foot. Ghost town upon arrival. Rumours may be true after all. Investigate further if opportunity arises.
Currently waiting for ride to Gendo's organization. Misato Katsuragi.
She's all the proof I need that this city needs to be changed.
Women flaunts herself in a teasing manner, proud of her body. Expects to be impressed with internet? Supposed military woman with a high ranking in NERV.
Also, late.
Horribly late.
Confidence in NERV dwindling. Any true secret society or organization would be a secret. Everyone knows about them. Didn't even need to do any hacking or thumb breaking to get intel on them.
Back to point.
This city's streets are shelves of collected dust, blowing in the wind and allowing even more to settle. Its gutters are filled with nostalgia no one cares for in spite of being a showing of humanity's strength. Beneath me, this awful city, it screams like an abattoir full of retarded children. And the night reeks of sex and regret.
The world is on the edge, this city at the centre. Soon chaos will erupt, true colours will be shown and the few brave will die young and stupid. Then the rest will come together, wrapped in the costs of their avarice and ignorance. They'll bundle together and call out; save us!
And I'll look down and answer: Why?
They had a chance. Should've followed in steps of mother and sensei. Day's work, day's pay. Treat others as you would have yourself. Honour ideals.
Instead, they were lemmings who followed the bread crumbs of the corrupt elite. Of Gendo. Not my fault they were slow to see the cliff.
But where there is injustice and fear, justice must triumph, even if blood must be shed and bodies broken. If lives must be ruined. The ones responsible have no problem doing such, so neither will I.
I will not comprise. I will not run.
Armageddon, thy name is Angels. And I be the necessary devil.
It had been two hours since he arrived. Putting the journal away and slipping into his backpack, the 14 year old boy looked around, hoping to find anything to kill his boredom.
He caught sight of a girl, who looked about his age. What stood out about her was her hair; blue as the sky. No sooner had he blinked, she was gone.
She had been cute. He mused.
Then he saw another blue sight; but this one was far more uncomfortable: a completely naked blue man with an odd symbol on his forehead. Unlike the girl, his attention was rapt soley on the boy; blank, pupiless eyes peering into his soul.
He then disappeared without a trace.
"...Need 8 hours sleep." The boy said, only to be sent to the ground by a rumble. Looking up, he saw jets racing towards a strange looking monster; a mix of a stick figure and from with a bird skull and red orb.
The creature smashed a building, its debris falling towards the boy. Normal people would be scared, but the boy simply jumped out of the way...and into the way of a car that screeched to a halt in front of him.
"Hi there!"
The driver was the woman from the photo, albeit in a far more professional and sleek attire.
"Captain Katsuragi." Shinji nodded, jumping into the passenger seat as she sped off.
"Were you waiting long?"
"Two hours."
The woman chuckled weakly
"Sorry, just move here. Not used to the city layout."
"Hmh." Shinji retorted.
A moment of silence overtook them.
"So...you got the stuff we sent?"
Nodding, Shinji produced a card and pamphlet, decorated with the word 'NERV'.
"You read them?"
Shinji nodded.
"...Must be looking forward to seeing your dad again, huh?"
A growl escaped the boy's throats.
"No."
...
"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Misato smiled.
"The more words one uses, the less weight they carry." Shinji replied, reaching into his backpack to grab and empty a waterbottle. "Don't trust you yet either."
He then spied something.
"Where the jets go?"
Misato saw he was right.
"...T-they wouldn't."
The sky started to darken as something fell from the sky.
"They would." Shinji said in a bored voice.
"GET DOWN!"
Misato covered the boy with her body as a bomb shook the area, sending her car flying and rolling. A few minutes, it stopped.
"Get off."
Misato looked down to see an unamused Shinji in her bosom and got up, strecthing her aching joints.
"Ya know, mpost guys wouldn;t cpmplain." She teased.
"Not suicidal." Shinji retorted as he walekd over to a nearby hardware store.
"Um, Shinji?"
"Battery fried." The boy said. "Getting new ones."
Misato smiled
'Seems like we got a smart cookie after all.'
20 minutes later, they arrived at the Geofront; a gigantic pryamind fortress. Shinji actually whistled in appreciation...which was gone10 minutes later.
"Lost." He announced
"We're no lost." Misato assured him. "We're...taking the scenice route! Yeah!"
Shinji simply pointed to the hallway ahead.
"Two turns back was the entrance."
Misato blushed
"...W-well! YOU try getting us around, smart guy!"
It would prove to be unnecessary, as someone else came around
"Honestly, Misato! We're short-staffed already, and you get lost again!"
She was another beautiful woman; blonde hair and a beauty mark. What would get most folk's attention was her attire...or rather, lack thereof: all she was was a bikini and breathing mask, altough a labcoat was on one her arms.
Misato weakly chuckled.
"H-hey Ritsuko..." She then smiled and turned to introduce the young man with her. "This is the Third Chi...Shinji?"
The boy had turned his back to them, his form stiff.
"Please." Shinji said, his right hand covering his eyes. "Cover yourself."
Ritsuko and Misato were shocked
"Is he gay?" The blonde whispered to her longtime friend, but not qutetly enough, as:
"No. But you're indecent." Shinji growled back.
Ritsuko slipped into her lab-coat
"Well, he's nothing like his father." Misato smiled weakly.
"Not father." Shinji growled as he turned around, a fire in his eyes. "Sensei made me who I am. Man just gave sperm. Doesn't make him a dad."
Ritsuko humphed
"Such a child."
"Least I don't dye my hair." Shinji retorted, glaring at the doctor, who did the same.
Sensing the negative mood, Misato clapped her hands.
"Welp! You said we're in a hurry, right Ritz? Lets get going."
Wordlessly, the trio moved on to their way, stepping into an elevator that brought them into a dark room. However, Shinji could make outlines.
The lights came on, revealing what appeared to be a gigantic purple robot with a single horn. Whatever it was, it took Shinji's entire attention.
"This is your father's work." Ritsuko started. "The Evan..."
"Evangelion." Shinji cut her off, walking towards the machine. "Not father's work."
"Excuse me?" Ritsuko snapped indignantly, only to soften when she saw the look on the boy's face; one of awe, remembrance, adoration and heartache.
"Mother."
He placed a hand on the giant machine's face, then his forehead. Memories filled his mind; they were blurry and distorted, but he could make a few things out:
Walking hand in hand from the pool.
The robot in front of him.
His mother in a squeaky suit, kissing him on the forehead and telling him she loved him.
Then...chaos.
A funeral.
The commander dropping him off at...that idiot's home.
"It's been a while."
Pulled out of memory lane, Shinji looked up to see Gendo Ikari; his biological father. The most feared man in the world; his eyes covered by orange sunglasses taht always seemed to gleam, an unshaven beard and stoic face.
"You gave up on mother." Was all Shinji said.
While indifferent on the outside, in the inside, the commander of NERV was panicking. In fact, from the corner of his eyes, Shinji could see that Ritsuko and the old man beside his father had also reacted to his words.
'He wasn't supposed to remember.' Gendo thought to himself. Regardless, he ordered:
"Move out."
"How?" Misato asked. "Rei is healing and we have no other pilot..."
"One just arrived." Gendo smirked at his son, who just shot him a blank look.
"Why?"
The question was expected, but the way he said it took many for a spin. No pain, no emotional confusion. It was akin to that of a mercanary almost; asking 'what was in it for (Shinji)?'
"Why don't you pilot?" Shinji asked.
"Then you refuse." Gendo retorted,
"Answer."
"We'll die if you don't." Ritsuko added.
"How much?"
That made everyone turn again.
"Took me away from college prep for this." Shinji retorted. "Risking life too. Need compensation, accommodations."
Fair points, many thought...just as the door opened, revealing a girl on a strecher, bandaged and in pain.
"Rei, get in the Eva. The other pilot..."
"BASTARD!"
Shinji had roared that word, directing his angry glare at his 'father'; This was the girl he had seen outside! On death's door and being used to pressure him into piloting the robot that had destroyed his mother.
Fury filled the young man, his fists clenched and his expression turning into one of pure rage. Tears stung his eyes as another memory filled his mind:
"Help me...it hurts..." Begged a little girl, no older than seven.
A violent shake shook the room, sending the girl falling off her stretcher. Faster than anyone else, Shinji leapt and caught her, pushing jis arms up to lessen the impact, which he took when he hit the cold floor.
"Shinji, look out!" Misato shouted in worry as the world started getting darker. Looking up, Shinji saw that a beam was falling towards him and the girl. With everything in his form, he pushed himself up and moved to cradle the girl, hoping she'd simply be pushed along the ground as he was crushed.
The pain never came.
Something shattered through the ground and knocked the beam away, animalisic and furious breath filling the room. Said something; a gigantic purple arm.
All fell silent:
The Evangelion had moved on its own...to protect the children.
"...Mother." Shinji teared at the realization. He then stood up, the injured girl still in his arms and looked up to his father.
"What the blonde makes. Unrestricted access to all NERV materials and property. Take or Leave."
Gendo frowned.
"Half and..." He started, only for the older man to rest a hand on his shoulder and give him a look. "...Fine. If you win."
Shinji, the girl still in his arms, turned and walked over to Misato and handed her to her.
"Take care."
"Shinji, I am so sor..." Misato started.
"No time." He cut her off as he walked off, but he shot her a look...and smiled at her.
NGE-WM
"This is highly irregular." Ritsuko complained.
"What's wrong?" Misato asked.
"Shinji wants to have a soundtrack." Aoba, the long haired tech bunny explained.
"Work best with song." Shinji said. "Just press play."
"He's already doing this for us with no training. Humour him." Misato commanded.
"At once, Major." Makoto, teh bespectacled tech bunny, salutted ans he pressed play.
(AN: Play 'Hero' by 'All Insane Kids')
"LAUNCH EVA!" Misato ordered.
Once outside, the robot's arms entered a boxer's pose and it jumped up and down several times. The Angel raced towards the newcomer and swung its arms out. The Eva ducked under and threw a powerful double-uppercut, sending the monster reeling while it bouncing back. Racing to its feet, the angel attacked again and was dodged again, but this time, a barrier came to block the Eva's fist.
The Angel grabbed its opponent's fist, and then the other when it was thrown. The two titans grappled, the robot starting to force the creature's arms before the spear struck it.
"What the hell?" Shinji asked, barely giving the pain in his stomach much tjought. If anything, he simply focused even harder on battle, leaping away.
"That's an AT field and phantom pain." Misato explained.
"The later is part of synchornization." Ritsuko added. "A nessacary evil."
"Why not tell me before?" Shinji asked, more irratated than anything. Before the doctor could reply, he asked: "Any weapons?"
"A knife in your shoulder." Misato noted. "Press the red button."
Seeing there was a bit of distance between him and the Angel, Shinji did just that, revealing that the knife in question was...large but plain.
"Better than nothing." The pilot mused.
"You can also make an AT field of your own." Ritsuko added, the first HELPFUL thing she had offered all day. "Just..."
"Concentrate. Mediate." Shinji snapped, making the Eva enter a new stance as the Angel raced towards him. Before it could strike, an AT field surrounded the Evaand blocked the attack.
"...Where did he learn that?" Ritsuko asked.
"Maybe he meditates?" One of the tech bunnies, Makoto Hyuga, suggested.
"Well, how did he know how to...?"
"Read it in a manga and tried it?" He repeated.
"Focus." Gendo commanded.
Back at the battle, Shinji made the Eva bring the knife forward, only to see it blocked by the AT field. Undeterred, he focused, trying to summon his own and wrap it around the knife...
"No way..."
"Way!" Misato shouted in glee.
Shinji's will became reality and the knife entered the Angel's abdomen, making it scream in pain. The young man then shanked the angel, dragging the blade upwards and manoeuvring it so that the core was peeled out like a mango pit.
For a few minutes, no one said a word.
"It dead?" Shinji asked.
"M-Maya?" Ritsuko asked the lone female bridge bunnie.
"Pattern has gone blue." The girl responded. "...H-he did it."
"WHOHOO!" Misato cheered. "GO SHINJI!"
"Tone down the volume, woman!" The pilot snapped. "And get me out!"
With a nervous chuckle, Misato began the order to bring the boy home.
"This was not in the scenario." Gendo realized. Yui was supposed to awaken and protect their son. Instead; Shinji had done the job he officially was supposed to.
And he had done a great job.
Leaving the bridge without a word, Gendo went to his office and made a simple command to his secretary.
"Get my cousin on the phone. NOW."
Two Minutes later
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE RAN AWAY FIVE YEARS AGO?!" Gendo roared
"Some homeless man took him!" the idiot who had supposed to raise Shinji, and who Gendo had paid a small fortune to use to do so, explained in fearful tears over the phone.
"AND YOU ALLOWED IT!?"
"He knew things! About you! Them! And he threatened to inform the police of...!"
The idiot suddenly stopped, realizing that he was probably digging himself deeper.
"Inform the police of?" Gendo asked.
"...abusing the foster-care system."
"And why is THIS the first time I've heard of this?" Gendo roared.
"He put my son in the hospital when he tried to force Shinji back! Said that if we ever tried, he;d finish the job!"
Sighing, Gendo asked:
"Do you have a name?"
"American man named Kovacs. Walter, I think?"
Gendo then ended the call.
"Have all the funds I paid him put back in my account and inform the proper authorities of his actions. Then get everything and anything even remotely related to this Walter Kovacs in here three hours ago." He commanded Fuyutsuki, the older man who had convinced him to give his son what he asked for.
"Of course sir."
They would be shocked and disappointed in what they'd find.
NGE-WM
Rorschach's Journal
Entry 2
Just moved in after facing Angel. Supposed to live alone in Geofront, but Katsuragi intervened and had me move in with her.
"Have a good night, Shinji!" The cheerful woman beamed as she stepped into the shower.
"Thanks."
With a sigh, he continued writing once he was certain she was in.
Living with Katsuragi bearable but unpleasant. Woman flaunts herself as stated previously. Eats nothing but instant food and beer. Lives in small dump. Literally.
He had taken it upon himself to clean out all the garbage bags from her...their, he realized. Their apartment, the second he stepped in. Living with that kind of stuff with Sensei had been hard enough, he did not need reminders.
Has pet penguin. Lives in freezer.
The penguin in question, Penpen, had given him the stink eye the entire time he had been here. Their first meeting, when Shinji had moved to take a bath, probably did not help; as the peguin had been there first and Shinji hadn't bothered to look.
Last straw. Needed to get out.
Creaking open the door slightly, Shinji saw his legal guardian passed out on her bed, a can of beer in her hands and her top starting to fall. With a sigh, he wrapped a blanket around her.
He then spied something interesing: Reports on his behavior.
'Not much of talker. Seems smart. Quiet, like hiding something.'
A chckle escaped his lips. If she only knew...before leaving the room, he threw a note on the papers:
'Hide these better.'
Thanks to parkour training, it took him 10 minutes to reach his destination.
Alley was deserted but hot. Fresh garbage dump in the face of battle.
Looking around for signs of anyone else, Shinji then moved to the side of the dumpster and pressed a secton. Instantly, a purple square that hadn't been their before, decorated with the word 'Vedit' on it, appeared. Tearing it off as if it was a velcro shoe strap, Shinji then opened it, smiling at what he saw.
My things were where I left them.
Coat. Shoes. Hat. Gloves.
He slipped them on, starting with elevator shoes. Then a vest and the gloves, followed by a leather jacket any hard-boiled detective would love. Clutching his hat to his chest, this left only one item left.
And mask.
His most prized possession; a single, all-encompassing mask of white with black liquid injected in between layers, constantly changing shape but never mixing with the white.
Walter-sensei called it his face. Another disappointment in me on his end.
Old quote: "We all wear masks. But which is which; the cover of your face, or your face?"
Sensei always knew. I still don't.
Soon, the mask covered his face, and his vision became blurred with shadows in palce of the colors. However, he was used to this.
Putting it all on, I abandoned Shinji Ikari. Became Rorschach.
No longer bound by sin or fear.
The fedora hat completed the look.
Ready for work.
He wouldn't have to go far.
"AAAAH!"
"RUN SWEETHEART!"
The now masked teen turned in the direction of the scream, his attention got. It war right around the corner.
"GET BACK HERE!"
Screams down an alley.
Sounds of things falling filled the air, which our hero looked down.
Woman and child being chased. Mugging? Kidnapping? Attempted rape? Murder?
Two men cornered the mother and child, one holding the child to the ground while his accomplice gagged the woman and licked his lips perversely, tossing the other her wallet.
All above.
"A hum."
The attackers looked up in confusion, then smirked at the sight of the newcomer,
"What the hell is this? Screw off, old man!"
"Yeah, go get your own!"
They weren't afraid at first.
Under the mask, he smirked.
Grateful for this.
He walked forwards, cracking his knuckles and unstiffening his neck.
Annoyed, one of the men threw the boy into a wall and walked over to Rorschach, producing a switch-blade.
"We said, screw...!"
A kick to his groin made him keel over, followed by two elbows to the shoulders. The masked teen kicked the switchblade into his hand and stabbed the man in an arm, then smacked him into a nearby garbage can.
The man's partner dropped his plaything and produced a gun
"Hey!"
With ease from much practice, Rorschach pulled out a gun of his own from within his coat, which revealed a hook. Taking advantage of the man's shock, he fired, the grappling hook piercing the man's stomach and making him scream in pain. The masked man then pressed a button that dragged his victim close, where he was subjected to a slew of punches that broke his nose.
The other criminal, still in pain and dizzy, pulled out his knife and raced towards the masked boy, ready to stab him. But the masked man, after delivering a punch that sent his partner to the ground, puking up blood, simply grabbed the stabbing arm and pulled on it, making bone come out. He then palm-heeled struck the screaming man into a wall and threw a garbage can top onto his mouth, snapping his jaw and knocking him unconscious.
He then turned his attention to the other attacker, who was trying to crawl away. He stepped onto his back and slammed his face into the ground.
"Scum."
He then lifted the man up and threw him into the garbage cans. He then stepped onto his groin and lifted him above his head, letting the now crying and bleeding man get a good look at his mask.
I've forgotten how euphoric it is; the smirks turning to pure and utter fear.
"W-who the hell are you?!"
The masked boy brought him to eye level and said a single word:
"Rorschach."
He then headbutted the man unconscious and threw him over with his friend. Letting out a humph, he turned his attention to the mother and child.
Seeing they where alright, he simply handed the woman her wallet, tipped his hat and said:
"Be safe."
Without so much as a thank you, the woman picked up her son and they raced away, shouting for the police.
Waited until mother and child were out of earshot before I finished the job.
He kicked both thugs' faces bloody, tied them up and taped onto each of their foreheads an inkblot test with the words 'for Justice' at the bottom.
Sensei would've wanted me to kill them; make sure they never cause pain again. I think this is way crueller.
By the night's end, Rorschach had averted two more rapes. ten muggings and five robberies. He also scared three drug dealers back into their holes, and tipped off the police to where they were through fake voices.
As the sun rose over Tokyo-3, Rorschach finished down his entry, enjoying the contrast between seeing his new home at night and in the wee hours of the morning.
A good first night. This city is still a cesspit. But may be a good place to train and find answers.
He then slipped back into his room, slipping his costume back into its holder, which he placed into the back of his closet just as Misato called him to breakfast.
End of Part 1 of 23
Read and Review, would ye kindly?
First new story of the New Year, what do you think?
There are a few Watchmen-Evangelion fics, but nothing quite like this, at least to my knoweldge. As the two greatest deconstruction series of all time, I find this hard to believe.
For those who wanted to see more of the foundation for Shinji and Misato's relationship, not to worry; it will be focused on the next two chapters and never vanish, as I feel it has in my Joker story. I just wanted to get to the meat of the story here, so I skipped the first night at the apartment, which is mostly the same as canon.
Also next chapter, we will soon see why Makoto Hyuga, a VERY under-used character in my opinion, is in top billing here (and no, not just because he is being paired with Misato), along with a very familiar character from the Rebuild series.
Finally, there is a reason Shinji is such a minimal talker. That will also be revealed in the next chapter.
This is an eventual Shinji X Rei story, but I assure you Asuka will still be very important...as will Kaworu.
While fairly comfortable with what I have planned, please feel free to offer suggestions for how else to incorporate things from Watchmen into the story, especially any characters taking up identities. If you have any questions, PM me.
Until my next update, keep warm and safe.