Disclaimer: I in fact do not own Evangelion or any of its spin-offs
A/N: Remember to read, review, favorite, high five, send me a postcard, dance like nobody's watching, and never get involed in other people's relationship troubles.
FIRST IT GIVETH
Chapter 1: New beginnings. Old pains.
Silence.
There was only silence for a few tense seconds until Shinji's half-conscious appeared out of the dark, semi transparent fog that covered everything.
He had a small moment to recover from the mental whiplash of Instrumentality and looked around.
'So this is Third Impact…' He thought in silent acknowledgment. It was strange, he knew he shouldn't, but he enjoyed this. This solitude, this abstract serenity.
'Nothing ever changes…' He continued his thoughts. 'I'm always alone'. He looked up to find the face of Ayanami, no, his mother. She felt different in some way. His mother looked down at him though blue eyes.
"What is this…? Where am I…?" Shinji said, his words carrying no real power to them. Yui smiled warmly at him.
"This is your choice. What you decided would happen to mankind." Her voice was soft and soothing to his ears. Like a song you really like, but you rarely ever listen to.
He cleared his head of all thoughts, trying to enjoy what he had accomplished. And yet he couldn't.
He knew this was wrong. Making a decision like that was not right. He looked up with those deep blue eyes, those tortured blue orbs.
"This is not what I wanted." His voice was barely above a whisper. "This is wrong." He said in the same tone.
His mother leaned in close to his ear "Do you want to go back?" She said in a hoarse voice, like her vocal chords were being tempered with. Shinji quietly nodded in agreement. "Even though you'll be taken away from me?" She heard him swallow.
"…Yes…" She knew that was lie, but he felt that his choice wasn't the right one, that he could have saved everyone if he had another chance. She was his mother after all.
She pulled back, her body started to bend in weird angels and convulsing violently.
Shinji looked at her stunned. "Mom what's happening to you?!" He asked panicked, his voice though was still weak and his body unresponsive. Yui's words however were the last thing that was heard before Shinji's world blacked out.
"I'm giving you that second chance."
H=H=H=H=H=H
Shinji's conscience awoke once again to hear a familiar message coming from a telephone he was holding in his hand. "Due to the state of emergency all lines have been cut, please evacuate to the nearest shelter as soon as possible"
Oh, God. He could feel the pit inside his stomach grow and he nearly threw up right there. But he composed himself, he asked for this after all. He heard an explosion from the other side of the city and turned his head. Right the Angel.
He watched as the battleships hopelessly tried to bring the Angel down. They fired a barrage of missiles headed towards the green behemoth's direction. The warheads made contact with the Angel's A-T field and exploded spectacularly.
"That's it! All of them landed!" Said one of the pilots, but as if the Angel heard his taunting voice, it launched a spear of purple light headed towards his direction. The beam cut though the helicopter like a knife though hot butter, leaving it without any direction to go but down.
Shinji knew where this was going and quickly run in the opposite direction that the copter was falling. He saw the navy blue Renault Alpine and made a B-line for it knowing exactly who the owner was.
The car screeched to a halt and the co-driver's door was opened. "Over here!" Misato yelled from inside. Shinji's heart fluttered for a moment realizing that he will be able to see the lavender haired woman again, but that was quickly dropped considering that he was about to pilot again. He pushed that thought aside for the moment and focused all of his energy in running. He finally reached the car. He was red from exhaustion and panting heavily after the run. Closing the door as he got inside, he glanced at the face of Misato Katsuragi and had to refrain himself from taking her into an embrace.
"Sorry I'm la-" Misato started but was cut off by Shinji. "Just drive!" He yelled as the Angel caught up with the vehicle. Misato immediately put the car into gear and started driving away, slaloming around the giant's feet.
The Angel however was distracted by the continuous fire of the VTOL units. Several more battleships joined the fight, dropping an equal number of bombs on the Angel. The Angel seemed to still be unstoppable though as he tore though most of the JSSDF forces.
H=H=H=H=H=H
In the main control room of the NERV Head Quarters stood Gendo "The Bastard King" Ikari seated behind his overlooking office. His knowing stare aimed at the holographic image of the JSSDF completely failing to stop the Angel.
Fuyutsuki closed the distance between them and whispered at Gendo. "It seems that the military's efforts are going as well as expected Ikari." The man nodded in acknowledgment. "The question is; are you willing to go through with your plan?"
Ikari didn't even flinch at the question "If we're not willing to make sacrifices for the future then how do we to build a future that's worth living?"
He looked over at the generals who were barking orders at their forces. One man picked the phone up and started talking. "Sir, requesting permission to use the N2 mine." He put the phone back in its place and nodded to the others.
"Tell all units to pull back right now."
H=H=H=H=H=H
Misato was leaning over her window, looking though her binoculars and studying the battle carefully. Her trained eyes looming over the battlefield. Shinji on the other hand was quietly seated beneath her bosom.
"Wait, what are they doing?" She said as she observed the helicopters evacuate the vicinity of the Angel.
"Oh no, they are gonna launch an N2 mine!" She said panicked. Shinji's ears perked at that. This was not gonna be pleasant.
"GET DOWN!" Misato tried to cover Shinji underneath herself. Shinji braced himself for the coming shockwave.
Suddenly a blast that could turn night into day rocked the world, causing the blue car to flip over itself several times. The occupants of the vehicle were bounced around in the interior.
H=H=H=H=H=H
"That's it, we got it!" One of the generals said excitedly, drying the sweat off his brow. All the others sighed in relief. "Looks like you'll not be needed today after all Ikari." Another one said to the seated commander.
Unbeknownst to everyone in the room Gendo was wearing a confident smirk underneath his hands, which he held close to his face. Fuyutsuki approached his old student, with his hands firmly placed behind his back. "Fools…" Was the silent query of both of them.
"Sir, visual is due to return in T- 5 seconds." A bridge bunny said pushing some buttons on his keyboard. The generals leaned back in their chair looking at the static screen in front of them. "It has to be dead it took the full blast." One of them inquired. However he was proven wrong when the screen changed to the Angel looking as healthy as ever.
The bird mask which acted like a face looked more than a little bit battered. The skin behind the mask started pulsating strangely and, eventually, a new mask sprouted out; similar to the previous one, but with a shorter beak. There were no words spoken as everyone in the room took in what humanity had to go up against. Gendo looked around the bridge; his hands still unmoving from his face. The vice-commander mimicked him. Every one of the bridge bunnies looked shocked, especially that Maya Ibuki; the poor girl looked ready to pass out right then and there.
H=H=H=H=H=H
Shinji got out of the wrecked car and spit a mouthful of sand. He had forgotten how much that experience sucked. He was followed by Misato, who seemed a little bit too cheerful for someone who just got blasted by a Non-Nuclear blast.
Misato got her bearings and took off her sunglasses; that surprisingly survived the fallout. Misato started speaking in a light-hearted tone. "Sorry about that." She said with a laugh "I'm Misato Katsuragi, but you already know that don't you. From the postcard." Shinji snickered as the familiarity of the situation washed over him.
"Oh, yeah do I remember?" He said with a lick of the lips. Misato recoiled slightly; she definitely wasn't expecting this of the Third Child.
"By the way, have I said that you suck at driving…?" He said with a smile. Misato looked at him stunned and unable to say anything for a few seconds. Shinji's demeanor was however broken by a feminine hand grabbing him by the hair. "What did you say about my driving?" She said with an ominous tone of voice. He still couldn't understand how in the hell she could change personalities like that. "That you are perfect in every single way imaginable." He half squeaked as he struggled to break his hair free from her death grasp.
She let go of him. "Good, now will you please help me with flipping over the car?" Her voice returned to normal. Shinji sighed and started pushing the car over with the help of Misato. They both got inside and Misato tried to start the engine back up. It didn't work.
"Damnit, why did it have to break now?" Completely ignoring the fact that it took a nuclear blast to the chin, Misato got out of the car and started kicking the front bumper. The car miraculously started back up. Shinji meanwhile was just seating inside the vehicle, not participating in any of the madness that was a pissed off Misato. She swiftly got inside once again, her childish attitude returning.
"Right," She said as she pressed the pedal. "Now we need to get going."
H=H=H=H=H=H
The old man put down the phone and folded his hands on top his desk. "As of now all command for the operation has been given to you, Ikari." The general shot at the unmoving figure. He didn't like to give that kind of authority to such an unreliable source
The glass wearing man nodded in understanding. "I understand," He fixed his glasses to his face. "And I assure you that NERV will not disappoint."
The man sighed. "Let's hope to God that you're right." The man, along with the other JSSDF members, disappeared in a brief flash of light.
"May I ask how will we do that with no pilot?" Fuyutsuki said from behind the commander. "There is no need to worry about that, a spare one is being delivered as we speak." The man turned around and headed for the exit. "Vice Commander, you handle the situation here. I'll go welcome our new specimen." The older man nodded and watched as his former student went for the door.
"This will be their first meeting in three years."
H=H=H=H=H=H
Misato put her hands behind her head as she leaned back on her chair. Shinji quietly stared at her. He had never imagined he would see her again… after… after. He quickly averted his gaze; there was no need to awaken such memories. The lavender haired girl sighed as the car went down the conveyer belt leading to the Geofront. The automated machinery's silent creak the only thing that was heard though the silence.
"Say, Shinji don't you have any questions, you know giant green monster destroying the city and all that?" Shinji stopped looking out the window and raised an eyebrow. "Would you tell me?" Misato chuckled. "Of course I would, why would I pick you up and bring you here if I wouldn't?" Shinji only shrugged. "Well I only came here because my father said so; I wouldn't want anyone explaining it other than him." Misato had a witty retort ready to leave her lips but the boy's stern look told otherwise. There was another long pause. She seemed to be very prone to those lately.
"…So you don't get along with your father along, as well…" Shinji had taken the time to prepare himself for that statement, but it still hit him like wall of bricks. But he still retained his calm façade. He still didn't crack. He would be strong. For her, for them, for everyone…
Misato extended her arm and gave him an envelope with the all too familiar NERV logo on it and 'Top Secret' right underneath.
"Here, read this." She said with a smile. Shinji eyed the thing confused, or at least conveying confusion. "What is this?" He said opening the folder. Misato raised an eyebrow. "So you don't have any idea what your dad does?" Shinji shook his head dismissively. She sighed. "Well, you'll find out in due time." She said openly irritated
"Do you still have the card that you were given?" Shinji snapped his fingers and reached for his pocket bringing out a folded piece of paper. Misato opened it and was pleased to find a map of the facility printed onto it. "Perfect."
H=H=H=H=H=H
Rei Ayanami was looking at the ceiling deep in thought, which was more than common for her. Her bandaged up body was sprayed on the bed unmoving as her chest bobbed up and forth in tune with her breath. She was still in her plug-suit, Commander Ikari requested so. Putting A and B together she figured she might be needed in later operations.
Her bed rocked once again as the Angel roared though the city. She moved her hand up to her face as if sensing that Gendo was due to walk through the door. The door burst opened letting the man himself walk in. He took a seat next to her bed and looked at her for a few seconds. "Rei I may have to inconvenience you for a bit…" She took off her breathing mask and looked at him, but didn't dare to speak back. She knew his judgment was indefinable. Nurses came and took her away with all of the equipment like they expected this to happen.
Rei watched as her bed was sped through the hallways. She still didn't speak, she still didn't say anything. Was this all that she was; a silent observer? Those thoughts can wait; she still had to do the commander's beading. Because she knew that if she didn't she would be replaced.
H=H=H=H=H=H
"Was this the correct route? I don't remember." Misato said as she stole a look at the illustration of the facility in front of her.
'For God's sake woman, it's to the left, the fucking left' Shinji thought just about ready to explode from frustration. Even he remembered the damn place and he wasn't supposed to even know about it. He sighed. This was not going anywhere fast. In a way that was a good thing, although it would only be prolonging the inevitable, a little extra time to think what to do when he meets his father again, was more than good to mentally prepa-
"Captain Katsuragi…" Dr Akagi said as she stepped into the elevator with them.
'Well so much for that thought' Shinji said to his subconscious.
"You were supposed to be in the EVA cages twenty minutes ago." She said with a frown. "Sorry." Misato said as she waved her hand in front of her face. "So this is the Third Child." The doctor turned and looked at Shinji. "Yep, that sure is him." Misato mimicked her friend's movements. "Hmm, he looks a lot more normal than the other two, don't you think." Misato motioned to her with her hands and introduced her to Shinji. "Shinji, this is Dr Ritsuko Akagi head scientist of Project-E and NERV." Shinji took in her appearance, he looked at lab coat she had on top of her form. "Is that a swimsuit underneath that coat?" Ritsuko quickly covered her exposed attire using the lab coat; a faint flush decorated her face as she did so.
The elevator came to a stop. This was it. This moment that he had prepared himself for this whole time. "Follow me." Said the irritated doctor as she took off into the devoid of the unlit room followed closely by Shinji and Misato. "What is this? Where are we?" Shinji said, giving the best impression of his former self he could muster. Suddenly the lights turned on, revealing the previously invisible purple giant. Shinji's eyes genuinely widened at the sight of the monster.
"That is EVA Unit-01" The young boy heard a voice from beyond the Unit's sizeable frame. There stood his father inside an overlooking catwalk. "And you are its pilot." The young boy scoffed at that. It had been so long since he heard those words that he had forgotten the exact wording. But that cold voice still rang in his ears even during Third Impact.
He shook his head, dismissing the thought. This was not the old Shinji; this Shinji wouldn't go down that easily. "How about, no." The silence that followed his words was more than tense. The two of them seemed to be locked in a never ending staring contest, as no one seemed to even blink. Misato decided to break the silence. "Shinji please listen…" Big mistake. "Why should I even do it? Why should I risk myself for you? I don't know who you are, at this point. You never made contact with me in the past three years and you expect me to conveniently get inside a huge robot, which I have never even seen before, in order for me to act as your little fucking helper? What do you think my answer will be?" Shinji was sweating. Where did that come from? He was just a few seconds earlier thinking about how much he would fail at this like last time. But when he started talking it was as if the words were flowing out of his mouth. Like years of held back anger finally being let out.
Gendo was secretly satisfied with this development, if not a bit surprised. He knew Shinji's personality could only go two ways after the events of three years ago. But that wasn't a big deal at all; he just had to see how far he had to bend him before he would break. And that made it a lot more fun. "I see. Then you are useless to me." He said as he pressed a button on a nearby console. One of the numerous screens on the far wall changed showing a picture of the vice-commander looking up towards the camera. "Fuyutsuki bring her in." He said while he still looked down at his son. "But sir she is still not healed en-" But the old man was cut off by his former student. "She is not dead yet." The man sighed. "Yes, sir."
H=H=H=H=H=H
Rei was being dragged though the corridor connecting the Eva cages with the medical ward. Each time the bed went over a bump she could feel a shard pain go though her body like electric shock waves. She didn't talk. Her words would be irrelevant in the situation. Even the doctors were slightly unnerved by how stoic and lifeless she seemed to be. They were rushing, more than a professional should. They entered the large chamber containing the Eva Unit. There were a few familiar faces inside like Captain Katsuragi and Dr Akagi. But there was one young boy who caught her attention, and not because he had anything particularly interesting in his physical appearance, but rather the fact that he seemed so strangely familiar, yet she knew she had never seen him before. It was almost as if he was forced into her memories, like something you can't put your finger on and can never remember completely.
Shinji looks as the medics leave her limp body exposed to the air. She barely had enough energy to move. How she managed to lift herself up on the bed in a seated position was beyond him. She struggled with getting up, but that was interrupted by the roaring earthquake that was caused by the Angel. The young woman was thrown to the ground by the large shock wave. Shinji almost out of instinct ran up to her and grabbed her frail form. She was twitching from the pain, she seemed so weak and innocent that he could swear that he could break her in half if he even touched her wounded body.
Shinji lifted her still shaking frame and gently placed her on the bed. He very carefully caressed her hair as he closed his eyes. 'Fool once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me." Misato came up to him slightly speechless that the commander was willing to go so far as to black mail his own son into piloting. "Can't you see Shinji that she will pilot if you don't." She hated to participate in this but there was no other choice in the matter. Shinji sighed heavily and looked at her. Her glare seemed stern and commanding, yet there was something he didn't get the first time around. In the moment when their eyes met he could see the guilt in her eyes.
"I'll do it." He said as he turned to his father. The man smiled as he mused his victory to himself.
'Perfect.'
H=H=H=H=H=H
"All systems nominal. Crossing the absolute borderline in T-20 seconds." Maya said as she furiously typed away at her console.
"Absolute borderline cleared. Synch rate is stable in 55 percent." Ritsuko nearly choked on her breath as the words of Makoto Hyuga dawned at her. "55 percent?! With no prior training or a plug suit, that is actually extraordinary." Misato smiled as she stared at Shinji though the screen. "We may actually have a chance to do this."
Shinji on the hand was more distressed. He already knew he had to pilot the Eva at some point, at least if he wanted to change the fate of the world, so that was not that much of a bother, but how would he go about fighting the Angel. He knew that a little girl named Sakura Suzuhara was going to be in the vicinity of this fight, but the trouble is how to defeat the Angel without injuring her. He didn't have much time to think however since the voice of Shigeru Aoba. "Flooding entry plug with LCL." Shinji watched as the metal cube was dyed a soft orange as the LCL took over the entirety of the plug. He tried to play his part of the scared little boy even though the foul tasting fluid was more than familiar to him. "Shinji don't be afraid, once the LCL reaches your lungs your blood will be oxygenized directly." Shinji breathed the liquid allowing the metal taste to fill his mouth. He winched at the memories that accompanied the LCL, but he pushed them away for now.
"Get ready for launch in… 3… 2…1" Makoto said again as he typed a few commands in. "Evan Unit-01 launch!" He heard Misato say as the G-forces around him rose and the Evangelion was shot the narrow tunnel that acted as an entrance to the outside world.
Unit-01 reached the Angel's location in an astonishing ten seconds. Shinji took a deep breath, braising himself for the battle. "Shinji," He heard Misato say from the command room. "Take it easy. First things first, learn at least how to walk in the beginning."
Shinji pretended to hesitantly put a foot in front of the other, until the Angel lounged at him at full speed. Shinji caught the Angel's speeding body and threw it as far as could away from the city centre, where the battle had been taking place and ran to the location that the Angel landed; quite a few miles away from Sakura's whereabouts. 'Good.' He thought. 'Now I can move without the fear of hurting Toji's sister.' The Angel got up to his feet and looked at Shinji with glowing eyes. If the creature had any facial features Shinji was sure that they would be pissed off. The green monster raised its arm and fired its purple spear like weapon. Shinji immediately got out of the way and made a B-line for the creature, giving it a good elbow to the face. The Angel barely flinched as its eyes glowed brighter and a large explosion was heard though the city which threw Unit-01 back by a few kilometers. The Angel lifted its arms up and launched the purple blasts to the Unit's location hitting it squarely on the umbilical cable. Shinji scoffed at that. He had to be quick. The giant's hand reached for the progressive knife case and grabbed the handle. The blade hissed to life and Shinji holstered it up to the Angel's height. The primitive life form stared confused at the happenings in front of it. Shinji smiled a wicked smile that had never before plagued his face; almost sinister in nature. Like he enjoyed toying with the Angel.
The behemoth that was Shinji's combatant roared a mighty battle cry and proceeded to charge at Shinji tackling him to the ground. The knife found its way to the core though and with a cry of pain the Angel got up from atop of Shinji. 'Shit the damn thing's stuck in there.' He thought as he watched the Angel pull away from its previous position with the blade still hanging from its core.
The young boy finally had enough. He willed the Eva into a slow ominous walk. The opposing beast however kept still and moved its body into all fours. It was becoming obvious that the Angel didn't have much chance of winning. Shinji noticed the same stance as last time and grinned. He was prepared for that this time. He erected his A-T field like it was second nature to him. The Angel made its last attempt at an attack and with a jump the creature was upon the Eva's A-T field leaving it completely exposed. Shinji took the chance and attacked the beast.
"This is it you fucker, this is how you die." He ran straight to the Angel and made a kick for the progressive knife, which was still stuck inside the core, using it as a battering ram. The core split in two after the hundred ton foot came into contact with the knife. He somewhat expecting there to be more after the foe became limp and fell onto the ground, but that was not to come true as the Angel dissolved into a reddish colored liquid.
H=H=H=H=H=H
Rei Ayanami watched as the new pilot defeated the 4th Angel. Who was he? I mean she knew he was the commander's son, but how could he be so natural at piloting the Eva? Why did he pilot? Did he do it for her or for his father? Why did he seem to be so familiar yet so disconnected with any of her other memories?
These unanswered riddled in her mind, but one thing that was certain was that she owed him a favor. If he hadn't piloted Unit-01 she would likely be dead by now. She sighed as she watched the purple behemoth rest on its knees. She didn't even know how to pay him back for what he did.
H=H=H=H=H=H
The bridge exploded in cheer as the several technicians started hugging and kissing each other. Maya expressed her content with a loud yelp that could be heard across the room, while Makoto and Aoba sighed in relief, happy to live another day. Misato was joining the festivities as well grabbing a bear from her secret container underneath Makoto's desk.
Ritsuko however was seated on her chair, smoking a cigarette and pushing some buttons on her laptop. She gasped as she looked at the battle data. She went over to the commander and whispered something to him which was inaudible to the rest of the crowd. Gendo nodded in approval and returned his gaze to the quiet Evangelion whose batteries had already depleted. The retrieval was already underway and a smiling Shinji climbed out of the entry plug greeting the carrier that had just arrived at his location. His lip curving up into an unnoticeable, behind his hands smile. 'Oh yeah this will be interesting.'
H=H=H=H=H=H
A/N: So yeah a new story. I decided to take a crack at the whole "Evangelion Do Over" kind of thing that seems to be all the rage. I tried to keep the characters within cannon though I'm not sure how good of a job I did in that front.
How will this story play out, well I'm thinking of having original series Shinji get thrust into the Rebuilt universe and hilarity ensues (Everyone dies)
Another thing to note is that I'm writing this while I'm watching the Rebuilds for the first time, so apologies if they are not that well thought out.
Thanks for taking the time off your life to read my atrocities and Goodbye.