Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion I own Matshiro and all of my other original characters appearing herein.
Author's note: Although this is my third attempt with this particular work it is by no means a rough reworking of the material it is completely different from it's previous incarnations being rewritten from chapter one.
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"\English\"
" German "
/scene change/
Chapter one: Alpha
The green eyed, brown haired boy stood breathless in front of a set of double doors. 'Why after all this time? What do you want grandfather?' the boy thought as he reached for the brass knob.
The letter he received the morning before had said he should come here to a supposedly empty home on the edge of the warehousing district and it had been signed his grandfather Keel no less giving Matshiro a horrid feeling.
Stepping into the home he found a yellow line painted on the hard wood flooring, looking about as he followed it he saw that most of the inside of the home had been gutted. The only walls standing were the supports, if it were evening he would have missed the stairs completely for lack of illumination.
He did, in fact almost do so catching himself at the last moment so instead of landing in a broken mess he flipped forward landing on his feet in front of a dark oak door with a note taped to it.
"Come in" he read aloud.
Hesitating slightly he opened the door finding a pitch black room save for a single spotlight in the center.
"Matshiro come in there's something we need to discuss with you. It involves your father" Keel announced.
"My father?" Shiro repeated stepping into the room in the spotlight.
"Yes. As you know HE took your father from you, it appears that he wishes to subvert this committee's plans regarding the prevention of third impact" Keel replied.
"But…doesn't he work for you? You could just replace him" Shiro questioned.
"True he works for us but has put certain safeguards in place to prevent his removal. That is why we need an operative like you" Keel answered.
"Why me, why not an adult?" Shiro asked confused.
"He would be able to find a reason, even fabricate one to remove such an agent but you are different. I trust you are aware of the Evangelions and their pilots are you not?" Keel questioned the boy.
Shiro nodded. "Yeah their just kids and…" Shiro's face went pale as he trailed off.
"I see you understand. Here take these memorize and then burn them, you have three days until you have to leave" Keel stated as a set of files skidded into the light at Shiro feet.
Shiro picked them up mindlessly finding each had different the names of staff for six different departments within Nerv detailing each member with a page for most. The exception for this was the section including the command staff and the Evangelion pilots themselves, two such entries caught Shiro's eye. The first being the third child's entry being labelled Omega prime and first child's entry labelled as Zero level positive.
/Gendo's office/
Most days the supreme commander of Nerv would be alone in his cavernous fortress of solitude to plan his scenario; in truth he didn't like it. He didn't like how the committee berated him or how she was gone or how he could not tell his son what he want to. Of course even if he could in his mind Shinji would reject him just as she had. However today he was blessed with his teachers company and such thoughts could be put aside.
Amid their usual game of mah-jong the private line rang.
"Good news Ikari we are sending you a fourth along with the final assembly of the fourth unit" Keel stated flatly as Gendo picked up the line.
Before Gendo could respond the line went dead and a fax came in. "I don't believe it" Gendo gaped.
"What?" Fuyutsuki asked setting down his paper.
"See for yourself" Gendo stated handing the professor the page.
Fuyutsuki took it from him. "Oh! They're sending Yoshi's boy. Well this is a good thing if he's anything like his father."
"His skills are Sensei but that isn't what I'm worried about. Matshiro wasn't raised by Yoshi he was raised by Yukari" Gendo replied.
"Ah yes, you two never did get along" The professor stated coughing to cover his laugh.
"Saying we didn't get along is a lot like saying a chicken doesn't get along with a wolf sensei" Gendo replied flatly.
"Yes well you were dating her sister you know, dropping Shinji with your relatives instead of her didn't help the matter." The sub commander countered.
"…Given her state at the time I thought it was a bad idea. Although I can't say you're wrong" Gendo admitted.
The grey haired man nodded. "In any case that young man is coming and there isn't a thing we can do about that."
"Yes and clearly they intend him to be a spy for them, the question is does he know that's what they want of him" Gendo asserted.
"Ether way he can't stay in the Geofront so where could we put him that wouldn't be suspicious but where we could still keep an eye on him?" the older man replied.
"Not where but with whom" Gendo stated returning his hands to their bridged position.
/Misato's apartment/
"I can't believe her we were supposed to go to the hot springs Misato so why'd you drag us back here?" Asuka snapped.
Shinji was disappointed as Asuka was but unlike her he was used to it. Although it did seem odd he was sure he was supposed to be there today. Shrugging it off Shinji started to make dinner if only to make Asuka be quiet for a bit.
"We're getting a new pilot, so I had to get back and I couldn't leave you two" Misato replied dropping a picture on the table.
Asuka and Shinji looked at the picture. "What's his name?" Asuka asked seemingly forgetting about the spring's trip.
"Matshiro Ishida, his file says that his mother's name is Yukari Ikari that would make him your cousin Shinji" Misato stated before she was cut off by the sound of metal connecting with the ground.
Shinji had dropped the frying pan on his foot but his brain had yet to process the fact that it was hot as his brain was stuck on the idea of having family outside of his father. After a moment his brain caught up with events and he yelped in pain skidding away from the heat source.
After checking to see if he was alright and cleaning up the mess Misato settled into her room to finish the paper work involving the eighth angel.
Shinji on the other hand had been on auto pilot flipping though channels on the TV his brain long since refusing to work on the problem at hand. Asuka chose to spend the rest of the day at Hikari's after Shinji refused to answer her or the phone or any other outside stimuli finding the silence seriously weird.
/The Ishida residence, Canada/
"Its five at night and you're still pacing around? What's wrong big brother? Is it the robot thing?" a voice asked startling Shiro.
Looking down he found the blonde hair and blue eyes that always accompanied his little sister.
"Oh hello Noi not with my sister today?" Shiro asked politely.
Noi. That is Shinobu Asuhara Noin daughter of Leeham Cambell Noin shook her head pointing toward the kitchen.
"She's always with me when her father takes business trips brother. Now answer my question" Alice stated handing Shinobu a sandwich as she appeared.
"Your question? I thought it was Shinobu's" Shiro answered playfully.
Shinobu let out a small giggle. Shiro knew full well she didn't speak, it was that she couldn't she simply didn't. Whether it was because was afraid or not Shiro wasn't sure.
"Ha ha very funny. Seriously though what is it?" Alice asked pushing her black hair away from her glasses that hid her blue eyes.
"Shinji" Shiro replied twitching.
"Our cousin Shinji huh? Ok leave it up to me!" Alice exclaimed running toward her room dragging Shinobu with her.
Shiro sighed. "Whatever squirt just change out of your Pyjamas before mom gets in."
/Nerv, Central dogma/
"Whoa! Someone's hacking into the phone company" Hyuga stated mesmerized by the speed of the act.
"Tracking…this is weird the hacker isn't disrupting anything it's like…" Aoba stated trailing off.
"He's looking for something…or someone" Maya stated finishing Aoba's sentence.
/The Ishida residence/
After finishing his packing Shiro sat down at the dining table awaiting his mother's wisdom as she called it.
"Here brother this is Shinji's number" Alice stated beaming with pride as she handed a piece of paper to Shiro and ran back to her room.
"Shinji's wha? Hey wait a minute!" Shiro exclaimed as his sister darted into her room.
"I assume she obtained that the usual way Makai" Yukari stated sitting down across from her son.
"Yes mother" Shiro sighed answering the unasked question.
"Taka be careful while your there… Gendo he's. As self serving and manipulative as ever I don't want you to be taken in by his noble façade. And remember your going to have to help Shinji be aware of Gendo's lies, family is the most important thing to us…your father always said that Taka. So remember it" Yukari stated sadly tears welling in her blue eyes.
Shiro was stunned. Was this woman really his mother? The same woman who taught him how to fight, who could destroy the iron will of his heart with a single gaze.
Shiro stood up from the table and walked over to his mother.
"Momma I'm going to come back. I promise hero or no, I'll bring Shinji and his friends maybe even Ryoji or Kai if I see him" Shiro stated gently pulling his mother into a hug.
Yukari nodded holding on to her son tightly. "I know. I know you will but don't go…at least not tonight. Ok Taka?"
Shiro sighed. "…I don't want to but since Alice got Shinji's number like that I have to get moving now. I don't think showing up in cuffs will give a good impression"
Yukari kissed her son on the forehead making him squirm slightly. "Here take the car, your plane ticket is on your dresser since you won't be using your grandfather's" Yukari released her son handing him the car keys.
"T-Thanks mom" Shiro replied worming away from his mother unnerved by her sudden change. Retrieving the rest of his things Shiro headed for the car.
"Brother wait!" Alice cried running to the car.
"What is it squirt? I gotta get going" Shiro replied tossing his stuff in the trunk.
"I know. Here take this" Alice answered handing her brother a CD player.
"…What's this for I already have…" Shiro asked trailing off.
"I know but just in case…I know how you like to tune people out. You know?" Alice replied hugging her brother.
"Thanks squirt. Take care of mom for me while I'm gone" Shiro laughed releasing Alice and starting the car.
"I will" Alice answered her blue eyes welling with tears.
Shiro gave a reluctant wave and drove off leaving his little sister behind.
/Ikari residence 11:30pm/
Shinji stumbled out of bed fighting the urge to head straight to the bathroom. Rubbing his eyes he lurched toward the offending black object that roused him from sleep. 'Who in the hell would phone at this hour…better not be Kensuke' he thought picking up the receiver.
"Uh…hi I'm looking for Shinji Ikari" an unfamiliar voice asked.
"May I ask whose calling?" Shinji replied cautiously.
"T-Takashiro Ishida, I'm his cousin" The person answered back nervously.
Shinji blinked. "This isn't a long distance call. Where are you?"
"The train station, I just got off my plane. Some stuff happened and I wound up taking an early flight I went ahead to try find his place but I think mixed up my directions and can't seem to get there" Shiro replied.
Shinji relaxed a bit. "I see ok well you have to follow the main road and then" Shinji nearly dropped the phone when the sound of metal scraping reached his ears. After a moment he started to hear talking on the other end. He couldn't make out what they were saying because it was in a foreign language but it sounded as if Shiro was being jumped by thugs.
Normally Shinji would have called Nerv but Shinji wasn't all together up stairs at the moment and raced down stairs forgetting his cell and ID card. Shinji quickly unlocked his new bike and raced off to the train station. He didn't use it too much as he only just got it after Touji had commented that he probably wouldn't have to spend so much time healing up after fights if he was in better shape.
/The Train station/
Shiro was now facing six men that all quite honestly looked like they were ripped right out of men in black.
"\Mister Ishida please come with us\" One the suited thugs asked him.
"\And if I choose not to?\" Shiro replied shifting behind the phone booth. It wasn't much cover but it was cover none the less.
"\I'm afraid that isn't an option\" the thug responded.
Shiro looked at the six men. He knew that he could beat each of them alone and maybe three if they attacked together but not all six of them, add to that the fact that they were most likely carrying guns and winning was not possible but escape could be Shiro just needed a distraction.
Luckily Shinji was just such a distraction as he came skidding up on his bike. "Hey wait he's Nerv personnel!" Shinji announced in a panic breathing heavily.
"So are we" One of the agents replied as the whole group turned to see the disturbance.
'Suckers' Shiro thought as he flipped over the phone booth putting both feet into the leading guard's face knocking him to the ground and scattering the group.
Shiro's thoughts and actions thereafter were not his own as he threw one fist into the nearest agent breaking one of the man's ribs and launched his foot into the jaw of another knocking him to the ground. Unfortunately one of the other agents struck him with a stun gun knocking him unconscious.
"Shinji Ikari you'll have to come with us to headquarters" One the agents ordered.
Shinji nodded not sure of what he had just seen.
/Gendo's office a little after midnight/
"Attacking Nerv personnel, hacking a government operated service and evading arrest. What do you have to say for yourself fourth child?" Gendo asked hands in their trademark position.
Shiro was smart and usually good at deflecting questions but he had to admit he was at a loss. 'Here goes' he thought breathing in deeply, wincing from the pain of his wound.
"First I'm a fourteen, which means I'm a minor and can't be arrested. I didn't hack anything in the first place to be charged anyhow and if your people would have said they were as such I wouldn't have attacked." Shiro replied defiant of Gendo's aura of menace.
"The third child reports that they did in fact say they were Nerv personnel. Are you saying he lied?" Gendo asked smiling slightly behind his hands.
"No not at all. They simply stated it after vague threats were uttered and I was in mid attack" Shiro smiled covering his lie. He had known the whole time they were Nerv's section two but honestly didn't care.
"So why did you not stop after the information came to light?" Gendo asked hoping he would slip up. Gendo had planned to bleed him for information about the old men to see if knew anything and blame his absence on plane trouble or that he went missing. Unfortunately since Shiro had come into contact with Shinji that plan would be unable to be used.
"Human nature" Shiro replied simply.
"Elaborate" Gendo ordered.
"The flight or fight response in humans. My body simply chose to fight instead of running…Sir" Shiro answered holding in the rage being to build within him by simply being in the same room as the older man.
"I see…I expected as much given your training however that does not mean I will tolerate it past this instance" Gendo responded coldly narrowing his eyes.
After a few chilling moments of silence Shiro spoke up. "Is that all? May I leave now…sir?"
"Yes you may. Report to captain Katsuragi she will deal with your arrangements" Gendo announced giving a dismissive wave.
Stepping out of the cavernous and foreboding room Shiro entered the hall laughing nervously as the great doors closed automatically behind him. 'I can't believe that idiot would leave me to "report" to captain Katsuragi' Shiro thought looking for quick passage away from that creepy office. 'Why in the hell did he have the Sephiroth on his ceiling anyway?' he thought as a small voice sounded at his right.
"Commander Ikari has ordered me to accompany you until you reach the captain's location." It stated.
Shiro turned to find the source of the soft and oddly familiar noise and nearly jumped out of his skin. "Who the hell are you?" He asked quickly taking a step back from the blue haired red eyed girl who had snuck up on him.
"I am Rei Ayanami the first child and designated pilot of Evangelion unit zero. You are the fourth child Makai Takashiro Ishida correct?" Rei recited in her usual tone.
Shiro was slightly stunned although he couldn't place whether it was because of how she looked or her voice. The documents given to him described Rei but actually meeting her was another thing entirely.
'Ok this is…impossible…I mean exactly? Is this just the old man trying to screw with me? Nah I've got to be hallucinating or something' Shiro's mind contemplated this idea for a moment realizing that it made more sense then anything that had happened that day and set out walking down the corridor looking for Misato.
Rei followed the green eyed youth repeatedly attempting to attract his attention and after ten minutes of getting no response Rei stepped in front of Shiro. Who promptly knocked her over when he refused to stop seemingly ignorant of her existence.
After picking herself off the floor Rei continued to follow Shiro. This time however she didn't try to speak to him, her mission was surveillance of the boy anyhow so it didn't matter.
After some bizarre twists and turns Rei became aware that Shiro was mumbling to himself, she hadn't heard it before because she had been trying to speak to him. She could understand as he was speaking in English and she didn't know much but she did hear Mr Kaji's name repeated several times. Continuing to follow him she the mantra of sorts became quicker and more frequent and Shiro began rubbing his temples. Taking another left Rei and Shiro bumped into Misato, Asuka and Shinji.
Shiro and Asuka head first in fact leaving both pilots on the ground holding their heads at opposite sides of the corridor.
The two pilots recovered at the same time although Shiro made no move to get up.
"Oww watch where you're going you idiot!" Asuka yelled as she got to her feet.
"Bitch much?" Shiro asked drawing to his full height locking eyes with the red head. Shiro was only a couple of inches taller than Asuka so neither had an out right advantage in the battle of wills.
"What was that?" Asuka snapped gritting her teeth.
"The first thing coming out of your mouth is blame what did you expect?" Shiro replied folding his arms. Shiro had read Asuka's file and knew he wasn't going to be well liked by the red head after a slip of the tongue like that, so he might as well test her limits.
Asuka was about to reply when Misato intervened. "Alright Asuka that's enough. Listen Takashiro aside from being dragged back here just after my shift ends when you and Shinji were brought in Rei tells me you've been ignoring her directions and knocked her over. Why?"
"Knocked over…Rei" Shiro replied slightly confused.
Misato motioned to the first standing beside her.
"Lady if you can see or hear her then your as loopy as I am" Shiro laughed walking up to Rei and the captain. "Nothing there" Shiro stated as he attempted to put his hand though Rei at the shoulder.
When his hand didn't glide though her Shiro stumbled back wide eyed in shock. "Impossible…Kaji said…I'm out!" Shiro blurted pulling a one eighty running down the corridor as fast as he could.
Misato mumbled something and took off after the youth. Shinji and Asuka just stood there confused while Rei found a wall phone and informed Doctor Akagi and Section two.
Normally Shiro could have out run Misato as he trained everyday however Shiro was currently on the brink of nervous break down and couldn't think straight so his breathing patterns were erratic causing Misato to catch him shortly after rounding the corner at the end of the corridor.
Misato grabbed him in a bear hug and stuck a leg in between his. This while stopping the boy's escape did not however stop him from struggling, not that it did any good in his current state and Shiro finally gave up.
After a couple of minutes Ritsuko arrived with a medical team and took the now babbling young boy with them, as they did Misato heard him mumble out Kaji's name and wondered how he knew the older man.
Sighing Misato walked back to her charges deciding that any questions she had could be answered later, right now she just wanted to sleep.
"What was that about?" Asuka asked as Misato came up to the trio of children.
"I'm not entirely sure but it had something to do with Kaji, I'm gonna see if I can find him you two take Rei home then get back to the apartment. I'll be home when you guys get back from school tomorrow…or today" Misato Replied ushering them off as she started toward Kaji's office hoping that he'd stayed to work late.
She would figure out what he had to do with Takashiro if she had to beat it out of him.
End of chapter one…to be continued.
I hoped you've enjoyed chapter one in its new state. Please review and tell what you think or where I should improve.