A/N: Moved categories temporarily in a vain and hopeful attempt for more reviews.
-SW-
"We're sorry, but due to a state of special emergency, all lines are currently unavailable."
"Thought so," Shinji sighed as he put the phone back in its slot. "Well, it was worth a shot at least." Hefting his large duffel bag onto the ground, he used it as an improvised seat while he checked the photo he had been sent despite the fact he knew that she was late. Talk about professionalism...
He closed his eyes, feeling the Force literally buzz in anticipation in a manner he had never felt before. The Force was at times impenetrable and during his training, he found it difficult to meditate, often seeing barely a snippet of the future. It was like there was an ominous, looming black storm rolling in through the currents of the Force, a storm which originated from the Force itself, obscuring clarity, deceiving the perception of those who wielded it.
Master Bane had once told him this was the sign of expectancy – of the Force's preparation for events to occur. He himself had experienced this beforehand, though never for such a sustained period of time. Whatever was going to happen would surely be something to remember.
When Shinji had arrived in Tokyo-3 he immediately knew he was at the epicentre, the eye of the storm as it were. Here, the Force was exceptionally clear. It felt like breathing cool, fresh air after being trapped in a confined space. And here, he could feel the Force trembling in excitement for the events to happen, and he knew that they were extremely close.
As a Sith, he knew he had to not only weather and survive the approaching storm, but adapt it, change it in his favour. That was the true realisation of Sith power – to break free the chains which held him. To truly control his destiny.
Shinji widened his eyes and jerked his head around as he felt a pulse appear – another Force-sensitive?
A pale girl, about his age, with strange blue hair and red eyes, stood staring at him in a school uniform. He blinked and the spectre vanished. Well. It looks like my time here will be more interesting than I expected.
Suddenly he gave a gasp of shock as a massive shockwave literally rippled through the Force. It was so powerful that he unconsciously summoned the dark side in defence and jolted up in a prepared stance, as a low metallic whine echoed through the city, followed by the dull thuds of something in the distance.
Shinji picked up his duffel bag and turned around, watching as a group of choppers hovered away in mid-air, followed by something that completely blew his mind.
A monstrous, humanoid being, easily more than forty feet tall, lumbering through the city.
What didn't blow his mind, however was the size of it. What blew his mind was that, whatever this creature was, it literally shined with the primal energy of the Force. In particularly, the strange core embedded in its chest shined so brightly it burnt like a miniature sun.
"I-Incredible," Terros gasped in awe. He had never, in all his time training with his Master, even heard of something like this. In all his studies of creatures, never had anything burnt so strongly with pure, raw energies of the Force.
He was in for another shock as the helicopters suddenly fired off a barrage of missiles – the monster staggered back slightly, as if hit, but his eyes saw what others did not see – a strange, invisible field had suddenly projected itself, easily protecting the monster from conventional attacks.
The sudden screech of tires caught his attention as a blue Renault pulled up beside him. "Sorry I'm late! Were you waiting long?" The woman – Misato, he remembered – quickly opened the door for him, and even despite the battle going on around them she possessed a playful smirk.
Shinji jumped in, throwing his duffel bag in the back even as Misato floored the gas, jerking the wheel round as hard as she could. They narrowly missed the monster's large foot as it stepped into the street, easily crushing the concrete into rubble.
"What the hell is that thing?" Shinji questioned, shooting it another glance as they drove away as fast as they could.
"It's called an Angel! I'll explain later!" Misato shouted as she twisted the wheel, causing the car to turn into another street at breakneck speeds, heading for the mountains.
An Angel... there must be a story behind that, Shinji mused as the woman accelerated recklessly, jerking around on the otherwise straight road. Who would call a walking weapon like that an Angel?
Once they had put considerable distance between them, only did Misato start to slow down, coming to a halt. She pulled out her binoculars, rolling down the window. "Now let's see here..."
"Is this a good idea?" Shinji questioned incredulously. "We'd be caught in the shockwave if they decide to use an N2 mine. Shouldn't we go on a little further ahead?"
"An N2 mine would only be a last resort," Misato answered automatically as she adjusted her binoculars. "Besides, they need to get clearance from the higher ups in order to do so."
"...You've got to be kidding me right? From my perspective missiles and artillery weren't even touching it! Of course they're going to use an N2 mine!" Shinji said with a sigh of annoyance, even as he lowered his head, putting his arms around it protectively.
"Oh no..." Misato looked on in horror as the helicopters began moving away. "They ARE going to use an N2 mine!" She spun around to see that Shinji had, impressively already braced himself. Despite that she jumped onto him anyway, since he was under her care. Let's hope my car comes out of this fine... Misato though desperately as she heard the massive explosion in the distance.
Needless to say, when the shockwave thundered towards them, causing her car to violently tumble away like a weed blowing in the wind, she knew that wasn't going to happen.
-SW-
"Are you alright?"
"A few bumps, but nothing major," Shinji answered as he dusted himself off.
In their rush to get away, Misato hadn't gotten a good luck at him, and here she had a chance to properly observe him in person.
Dressed in a casual chequered shirt with an airy summer jacket and lightly-coloured jeans, Shinji seemed to carry himself with an effortless elegance and grace. Even for a fourteen year old boy his physique was already impressive – she could immediately see this, even despite his clothing, if the muscles hinted at through the cut and fit of the clothes were anything to go by. His face also possessed unusual maturity, lacking any baby fat. Not to mention his blue eyes were vivid and seemed to glow, sparkling with life and intelligence. "So, Shinji Ikari, we meet at last," she said with a smile.
"It seems so," Shinji said, matching her smile with a grin. "And it's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful woman in person, Miss Katsuragi."
O-ho! Flatterer, isn't he? I bet he's a real ladies' man. "Oh, for someone as charming as you are, Misato is just fine," she answered, taking her sunglasses off even as she blushed slightly. Considering how busy she seemed nowadays, it was impossible to find time for anything else, let alone a social life. Flirting with a fourteen year old – have you no shame, Misato? She admonished herself. "Now help me get my car back on the ground, would you?"
A few minutes later, they continued on their way to NERV HQ.
"Misato..." Shinji began.
The woman, who had been so lost in her lament over her now ruined car and clothes, turned around to look at him brightly. "Hmm?"
"That thing that attacked us. You called it an Angel. So what is it exactly?"
Misato cleared her throat. "Well, that thing's official designation is the Third Angel. As for what they are, they are an alien race dedicated to wiping out humanity."
"Really," Shinji commented dryly. Clearly there was more to it than that. That 'Angel' was literally brimming with Force energy, although he had a sneaky suspicion that much of it came from that strange red core embedded in its chest. The only way to find out would be to somehow destroy it and retrieve some samples – although he had no idea how the military would do that considering their trump card, an N2 mine, had only slowed it down. Conventional weapons had no effect at all, and the only alternative would be nuclear ballistic weapons, something he considered highly unlikely since the Angel was rampaging through a city of all things. If they had to resort to that, they might as well declare the city lost due to radioactive fallout. "And Misato..."
"Hmm?"
"Don't worry about your dress, you still look great even if it's a little tussled."
Misato gaped in shock. H-How did he know I was worried about my dress?
It appeared there was more to Shinji Ikari than she had ever thought possible. She had, of course, read the boy's report and respective psych profile – though she knew he was a gifted child...
The rest of the journey carried on in comfortable silence, until they reached their destination – NERV Central.
"So, it's going to be a real surprise to see your dad, huh?" Misato asked, the car parked onto an express train.
"Not unless he's finally shaved his beard," Shinji quipped, causing Misato to give off a laugh. Internally however he was strongly suppressing his emotions. His father, even now, had always been a touchy subject and one he would prefer not to bring up.
"That reminds me, did he send you an ID card?"
"Yep," Shinji pulled out his wallet, showing Misato the card he got with the letter.
"Okay, good. Well here then, read this." She handed him a 'Welcome to NERV' booklet.
Shinji received it with a muttered "thanks", noting the 'Top Secret' stamp on the cover as he opened it. He highly doubted it would tell him anything specific, but given he knew little to nothing about it he might as well give it a skim. "Then I guess I am going to be working for the old man. Though considering I'm only fourteen..."
"Don't worry, everything will be explained when you get there," Misato said in her usual bubbly manner.
"Thought so," he scowled. "Even now he hasn't changed at all, has he?"
"It sounds like you don't get along with your dad," Misato sighed, her smile still in place. "Guess you're just like me..."
There was a whoosh as the train exited the tunnel, revealing the Geo-Front in all its glory.
"Whoa," Shinji looked out the window. "It really is a Geo-Front!"
"That's right. This is our secret base for NERV – as well as a fortress for all mankind. It's the key to rebuilding our world."
Terros was incredibly impressed with the formidable defences of the Geo-Front – even though it would only slow the Angel down, it would take a lot of soldiers to invade. It was all but impossible to siege, considering it was a fully self-sustainable fortress.
-SW-
"What on Earth? Isn't this the right way?"
Shinji sighed, the NERV booklet tucked away under his arm as they stepped onto another travelator. "I'm certain we passed this spot several times already."
Misato rubbed her head in embarrassment. "Well, I'm not used to this place yet! Man, where the heck is Ritsuko when you need her?"
"Do you mind?" Shinji sighed, holding his hand out for the map she was holding. Once he had it, Shinji quickly scanned over the incredibly complex map. "Well that's why we're not making any progress. We're not even on the right level," he stated, turning off and heading towards the elevator. "Come on!"
Misato looked on in annoyance as the youth guided her easily through the maze of connecting elevators and stairwells. Finally, by the time they had reached another elevator, she could see a familiar blonde waiting for her. "Er... hi, Ritsuko," she waved awkwardly.
The blonde woman sighed as the small group stepped into the elevator. "Why are you wasting my time Captain? Aren't you aware that we don't have enough as it is, and not to mention we're lacking in manpower?"
"Hehe... sorry..."
Shinji looked up at the lavender-haired woman incredulously. This woman's meant to be a Captain? As uncouth as it is... what the hell?
Ritsuko turned towards him. "So is this him?"
Misato cleared her throat. "Yes. According to the Marduk Report, he's the Third Child."
"Actually, the name's Shinji Ikari," Shinji corrected lightly, inclining his head in an informal greeting. "A pleasure."
"Ritsuko Akagi, head of Technical Division 1," she greeted.
"As you can see, he's definitely a lot nicer than his father – and a lot better looking," Misato said with a wry grin.
Shinji raised an eyebrow. "The Dr. Akagi?"
Ritsuko was taken aback. "You've heard of me?"
"Of course. I read your papers on gene therapy and cell propagation, very interesting," Shinji answered.
"I... wasn't aware that those papers were high school reading material," Ritsuko said, looking at him with detached interest.
Shinji responded with a shrug. "I read a lot."
-SW-
The only response Terros showed when he came face to face with a monstrous cybernetic machine was a raised eyebrow. "Huh. Very cool."
As they steadily got closer towards it, he could feel its presence in the Force, and though it seemed to be a robot, he knew that it hid a lot more underneath.
"What is this?"
"This is mankind's ultimate fighting machine. The synthetic life form, called Evangelion – Unit 01," Ritsuko declared. "Built here in secret... it is mankind's last hope."
So it's not just a machine. It really is a living organism, albeit a created one. Shinji narrowed his eyes.
The Force wasn't lying to him. He could definitely tell it was similar to the Angel. And like the Angel, he could sense the energy of the Force within it, though it was... diminished greatly, somehow. And he had a feeling that the fact it was so well restrained by this narrow cage (for the Evangelion) wasn't just there for show.
"So father, it looks like this is what you've been up to."
"Correct!"
The lights flicked on as Shinji turned to the bearded man standing on the balcony. He showed no surprise, only looking at him calmly, as if he expected something like this to happen.
"It's been a while." Gendo stated.
Slowly, a dark smirk made its way onto Shinji's face. "Hello... father..."
It took every ounce of self-restraint Terros possessed not to use the Force to crush the man's neck, then proceed to attack and kill every one of the crew with Sith lightning. However, he was patient... he could wait, and when the time came, he would show the man the power of the dark side.
Gendo looked at him impassively. "We're moving out."
Misato looked up in shock. "Moving out? But Unit 00's still in cryo-stasis!" She gasped. "Wait! You're going to use Unit 01?"
"There's no other option," Ritsuko answered.
Shinji watched their interactions closely, just as he had been taught.
Master Bane had taught him thoroughly the art of reading people. Furthermore, he had emphasised the need to look and perceive between the lines using the Force, to realise that there were no coincidences.
So was it a coincidence that Ritsuko seemed to know beforehand what Gendo's plans were? Therefore, did it seem unreasonable that she knew more of his father's goals? Or was she just a tool? Terros would find out.
"Wait a minute! Rei can't do it yet, can she? We don't have a pilot!" Misato protested.
"One has just been delivered."
Misato looked at her incredulously. "You're joking."
Ritsuko turned to Shinji, but he beat her to the punch. "Let me guess – you want me to pilot it, don't you?"
"Correct," Gendo answered.
"But even Rei took seven months to synchronise with her Eva! He just got here!" Misato cried.
"We only need him to sit in the seat, we don't expect any more than that."
Shinji closed his eyes, going through the options in his head at rapid pace. He had a suspicion about something, but in order to confirm it he needed to see who this 'Rei' was. "So this is the reason you called me here, eh?"
"Correct."
Shinji scowled. Really, is that all you can say? "Fine, I'll do it – but on two conditions." He raised up one finger. "First, I want to be paid..." he pretended to make a show of thinking. "One million yen a month as long as I'm employed. Secondly, I'm not going to school..." Let's see how far I can push this. "I want direct employment in the NERV Technical Division, assistant to Dr. Akagi herself, with all the wages, bonuses and perks that come with the position... in addition to my pay."
Misato was gaping at his audacity. Ritsuko was also looking at him with something akin to shock.
Gendo however was unflappable, and simply adjusted his glasses. "Your conditions are rejected."
"They're non-negotiable," Shinji answered, crossing his arms. He needed to make himself look as childish as possible, not only to ensure this would work, but also that his father would underestimate him. "Unless... you have another pilot that can take my place?" he mocked. "Or am I too special to lose?" And not to mention piss him off at the same time.
If anyone was looking closely, they would see a barely imperceptible, minute twitch appear under Gendo's eye.
The Commander turned to one of the TV screens. "Fuyutsuki! Wake up Rei!"
"Can she still do it?"
"She's not dead yet." He watched as the TV screen flicked to 'Sound Only'. "Rei."
"Yes?" A soft female voice responded.
"The spare is useless. You will do it again."
"Yes, sir."
Ritsuko sighed. While she expected this to happen... she didn't quite expect it to happen like this. "Reconfigure Unit 01's system for Rei!"
"Deactivating current process and reconfiguring!"
Shinji felt the Evangelion's Force signature flicker as it was deactivated, its glowing lidless eyes disappearing. It also lacks the strange red core that Angel has. Pathetic. A creature this powerful and it's not even complete. Or is this Gendo's way of restraining it? He hid his smirk. A weapon like this... shouldn't be restrained, but unleashed! Shinji sent out a small tendril through the Force towards the Evangelion, but he received no response.
The rolling of wheels in the distance caught his attention. Shinji turned around, to see several nurses wheeling a stretcher carrying a heavily-bandaged blue-haired girl as he narrowed his eyes. So... this is Rei.
It was obvious she was in a lot of pain. Every move was a struggle as she tried to get up, her arms shaking with fatigue and exhaustion. Shinji watched on impassively, waiting to make his next move.
Suddenly, there was a rumble above them, so powerful it rocked the entire base. Rei gave a scream as she fell to the ground, hitting it with a smack, and the ceiling lights began to shake violently before they came loose, hurtling towards Shinji.
Terros was preparing to move out of the way in a manner that would be discreet – however, a sudden pulse of Force energy stopped him.
Without warning, Unit 01's hand shot up protectively, deflecting the lights as they smashed into the wall.
Shinji looked at the machine in astonishment, and turning slightly, he could easily make out Gendo's barely hidden smirk through the window.
"Unit 01 moved on it's own!"
"That's impossible!" Ritsuko cried. "The entry plug isn't even inserted! There's just no way!"
Misato pulled herself up. "Is it possible it was protecting something?" She thought aloud. "Protecting... him?"
With a burst of speed, Shinji rushed over to Rei's side, clutching her in his arms. Since he had his back to the others, he used his body to shield what he was doing as he placed a single finger on Rei's forehead.
It was normally impossible to detect Force-sensitivity without an external device or specialised blood-kit to detect midi-chlorians.
However, he wasn't testing whether Rei was Force-sensitive or not, because he was almost certain she needed to be, if she was indeed an Eva pilot. What he was testing, was whether or not she herself knew this.
And with that, Darth Terros closed his eyes.
He summoned the dark side of the Force, letting it fill his veins as new energy rushed through him. Terros focused it on Rei, letting the power slide under her skin, dulling her pain.
Rei's eyes widened as she gasped, feeling an onslaught of emotions that she had never felt before. The pain began to ease and her mind, dulled by morphine cleared as she reflexively grabbed onto the tendril of energy, pulling it in towards her.
"Ack!" Terros grunted as he felt her yank the energy tightly. No, no, no, I didn't intend for this to happen! Quickly he withdrew – but not quickly enough, and for a brief moment, their minds melded.
"You... bitch!" Hands around her throat, strangling her, slowly crushing her windpipe -
"This is your purpose in life. You are expendable" -
"Unit 00 is going berserk!" -
Shinji fell backwards in shock, as Rei turned to him. Her impassive, stoic face, creased, as if she was trying to make out an expression, but Terros put a hand on her arm, forcing the sensations he had experienced aside. "Rest," he whispered as Rei's eyelids became droopy, and her body relaxed. "I see now. Don't worry, child. I will protect you." He murmured an incantation in the Sith tongue, one that would put her in a deep sleep to help her recover. She was powerful, much more powerful than he had expected.
And there was something about Rei. Something that felt... unnatural, in a human being, and in the way the dark side connected with her. It was like his power had literally been sucked in, instead of the gentle tug he had expected from an untrained Force user.
Shinji stood up, turning to his father. "Fine. I'll be Unit 01's pilot. But, I expect to be paid a satisfactory amount for my services... and my final stipulation is this. That Rei move in with me."
"What?" Gendo's eyes widened fractionally before he regained his cold face. "Stipulation denied. You will be paid for your services, but Rei will stay where she is."
"Both, or I leave you all here to die..." Shinji glanced down. "And take Rei with me outta here!"
"This fortress is heavily guarded. Do you really think you can escape with a wounded person slowing you down?"
"No... but I expect to take enough time that the Angel breaches the Geo-Front," Shinji retorted. "Both or nothing!"
Gendo looked down at him with an imperceptible look on his face. "Very well. Then you agree to pilot?"
"That's part of our deal, isn't it?" Shinji smirked.
-SW-
"Cooling process, completed!"
"Right arm repairs, completed!"
"Cage now in position for docking."
From the safety of NERV Command, Ritsuko and Misato watched patiently as Maya, one of the bridge bunnies, typed in a few commands. "Signal plug terminator has been ejected."
"Roger. Inserting entry plug."
"Man, to think that his own son of all people talked a deal out of the Commander," Misato commented with amusement.
Ritsuko sighed. "The problem is, do you think the deal will hold up?"
"Plug fixed in place... connecting Unit 01!"
From within the entry plug, Shinji sat relaxed, watching as the lights around him shimmered.
"Filling the entry plug."
His eyes widened in surprise as a strange, orange liquid began filling the entry plug. "Uh... Dr. Akagi, what is this stuff?" Shinji took in a deep breath of air befor the liquid completely filled the entry plug.
"Don't worry! Once your lungs are filled with LCL, your blood will be oxygenated directly! You'll get used to it!"
Shinji let out his breath with a sigh, tasting the coppery liquid that suspiciously smelt like blood. "LCL?"
"Link Connection Liquid. It'll help you synchronise better with the Eva!"
Interesting... Shinji closed his eyes and expanded his senses, feeling the liquid begin to react to his use of the Force. Could LCL enhance his Force-sensitivity? "You should've told me earlier so I wouldn't panic."
"Don't tell me you're whining?" Misato asked in annoyance. "I thought you were a boy!"
What did that have to do with anything?
"Connecting main power!"
"All preliminary contacts established. Conditional nominal."
"Synchronisation ratio is remaining steady at... seventy percent!" Maya said, her eyes widening in shock.
"What?" Ritsuko leapt beside her, looking at the ratio chart. "I-Incredible, it's like he's been born to pilot Eva... Check his harmonics chart!"
"There's an unusual anomaly, but aside from that his harmonics appear fine! Amazing... to think Rei took seven months in synchronising with her Eva..."
"An anomaly?" Misato asked.
Ritsuko observed it closely. "It doesn't appear to be anything considerable though I'll be having a look at it later. We can do this!"
Sitting in the entry plug, Shinji felt his skin tingle from the sensation of the LCL.
Whatever the liquid was, it seemed to... stretch him. In addition to his honed Force abilities, he could feel the entirety of the Evangelion like it was an extension of himself – like each limb was his own.
Once again he sent a pulse to the Evangelion, but unlike last time where there was no response, he could definitely feel that something was occurring. Unit 01 was... confused.
Shinji smiled slightly, sending placating feels towards the Evangelion. It was a beast, an extraordinary one, but a beast no less, a perfect predator. But the perfect predator was nothing without the perfect prey.
"EVA LAUNCH!"
Terros was thrown back in his seat from the incredible G-force of being propelled to the ground at extreme velocities, but the smirk never left his face as anticipation raced in his blood.
There was a sudden jerk as the Evangelion came to a halt. Shinji calmly regarded the Angel, which had stopped in its track and was now looking at the Evangelion with something akin to curiosity.
"Release restraints!"
There was a thud as the Evangelion was detached from the rails. Unit 01 was finally free.
"Shinji, just concentrate on walking for now."
Terros, however, had other plans as he focused on the Evangelion. The thing in front of you is our enemy. Help me to kill it! He mentally asked, imposing his will and strength onto the Evangelion.
Back in NERV Command, Maya's eyes widened at the numbers on her console. "S-Sempai! The pilot's syc ratio is beginning to rise again!"
"What?" Ritsuko gasped.
"I-It's at seventy five! Eighty! Ninety! My God, he's reached a one hundred percent syc with Unit 01!"
Ritsuko felt her face pale. "Berserker..."
Unit 01 gave off a ferocious roar, lowering its head as it sprinted forward into a reckless tackle, slamming into the Angel and throwing it into a building.
In response, the Angel fired off a beam of energy, one that Unit 01 swiftly deflected by raising its AT-field before bending and making an extraordinary leap, hitting the Angel, feet first. It held the Angel down, smashing into its red core with such force a small crack appeared.
"T-The pilot's life signs are normal," Maya said in horror. "He's in complete control of the Eva!"
From his desk, Gendo narrowed his eyes.
"It looks like your son is more talented than we expected," Fuyutsuki commented as the two observed the battle.
"Indeed, though we already knew that from his report." The Commander's gaze hardened. To fight in a controlled berserker state, to remain completely in control of the Evangelion's natural animalistic impulse...
In reality, however, Darth Terros had merely used his powers to completely synchronise with his Evangelion's animal-like mind. It was a common ability used by Jedi and Sith, but to take control of something this powerful required great skill.
Shinji had already gotten much practise with the technique from an early age, though using it on a monstrosity like an Eva was a completely different deal.
Instead of a completely controlled berserker state, he merely connected his thoughts with the Evangelion, lending it subliminal suggestions on where to dodge, and where to move in order to attack best, which the Eva promptly listened to since it recognised his superiority.
Why did he have to fight the Angel when Unit 01 was built to fight Angels? All he needed to do was direct it on what to do next.
And right now, he was directing his thoughts on the Angel's red core. The core. You have to destroy the core.
The Evangelion growled in response, smashing it as hard as it could with its fists. Seeing that there was no effect, it grabbed one of the Angel's ribs, tearing it off as a makeshift weapon before continuing its onslaught.
Slowly but surely, the Angel's core began to crack.
Shinji's eyes widened as the Angel gave off a screech as its form began to shift. Destroy it now!
Unit 01 gave off a mighty roar, pulling its weapon above its head before bringing it crashing down with all of its strength, penetrating the core completely. It gave off a bright flash before the Angel's limbs slackened, its body loosening before losing all life.
It was finally dead.
Evangelion gave off a roar of triumph before the beast spirit returned to its cage, its bloodlust quenched, leaving Shinji back in control of the machine.
-SW-
Sitting in his office with Fuyutsuki ever faithfully by his side, Gendo was looking over all the files he had received on the Third Child – namely, Shinji Ikari.
"I don't know what you expect to find, Ikari," Fuyutsuki said bemusedly. "You've already been over his documents."
"I didn't expect his personality to deviate so wildly from the intended scenario," Gendo confessed. "Initial psych reports of the Third Child showed a gifted but unusually quiet child. Instead, he is cocky, arrogant and self-centred."
Like father, like son. Fuyutsuki thought cynically. "Do you think this could pose a problem?"
"Unlikely - instead, the Third's personality makes him considerably easier to control, similar in respects to the psych profile of the Second in Germany. Since he is clearly motivated only by selfish gains it will be easy to keep him under our thumb – financial motivations, for example."
"You wish to keep his 'deal'? What about the old men?" Fuyutsuki asked in confusion.
"They will not do anything – as long as the Third continues to pilot Eva they will have no chance but to accept, however much my son is being paid," Gendo replied. "And in light of the considerable funding NERV receives every year as well as additional funds for the astronomical costs of the repair not only to the city but to the Evangelions themselves this will seem paltry."
"So you're actually going to pay him? And a lot, from the sounds of it."
"I've approved a wage scheme for the Third Child equivalent to the pay a Major receives, which is not inconsiderable. However in order not to show favouritism it is being considered a wage scheme for all pilots in active duty." He gave a slight smirk. "Though they are not paid by default, as a stipulation."
"Very clever." It was clearly a 'don't ask don't tell' situation. As long as the other pilots were kept in the dark about it they couldn't request it. "And his second request?"
At this Gendo barely repressed his scowl. "That... occurred, without my knowledge."
Fuyutsuki's eyes widened. "What?"
"As you yourself know I was to forbid the Third from having any contact with Rei, however it seems that he has planned ahead. Without my knowledge and through unknown means he managed to secure forms to move Rei into his new apartment."
"How did he manage to do that? And without alerting you?"
"I, too, would like to know that, sensei. However it fits in with his arrogant demeanour – that he gets what he wants, and is willing to use whatever means to obtain it. It is most likely physical attraction or infatuation, things that Rei, as per her... schooling, should consider unnecessary."
"You believe she'll remain loyal to you?"
"It is a certainty. Though the Third is talented, he is still but a child."
"And yet you cannot move to reverse the change, without making it reflect badly on yourself," Fuyutsuki pointed out. "In that respect, he backed you into a corner."
"Indeed. It will not occur again. I have given Rei orders to spy on him and report his actions directly to me. And if worse comes to worse... she is replaceable," Gendo dismissed. "Rest assured I will be investigating how he managed to slip underneath my notice. This will not happen a second time."
-SW-
"Well, it looks like that's it! The Commander approved your request for Rei to move in with you. Just try not to give us any babies anytime soon, huh?" Misato teased, handing him several forms.
"M-Misato, it's not like that!" Shinji answered, blushing.
It was relatively simple to manipulate a few of the staff here to push the relevant forms through. What was worrying, however, was how compliant his father was, given the nature of the request.
Though he had managed to back him into a corner, he knew his father wouldn't sit by idly. So there was more than likely a nefarious purpose involved with his acceptance of the requests.
Since the money he would soon be receiving would be automatically dispersed into multiple accounts, it was almost guaranteed to involve Rei.
He had been kept in the hospital bed in case of 'mental contamination' by the Eva, and it had given him plenty of time to sort through the things he had accidentally received from Rei. Since his own mind was strongly protected, it was unlikely that she received anything similar – however what she could've received instead could have been just as damaging, but, after time to think, it would be useful.
The girl is nothing more than a tool for my father's purposes. Well, we're all tools at NERV to him, but she's a specific tool, for a specific purpose. Despite that, she's... expendable? He had to think through this a few times to get it. Even though she was clearly intended for something of great value, at the same time Rei was expendable and could be easily discarded. However she was an Eva pilot in addition to his father's purpose for her, whatever it was. Did that mean he was equally as expendable as her, if not more?
Terros shook his head, clearing it as best he could. It was likely he wasn't getting the full story. What he had received however was enough to confirm that it was more than likely the old man intended to use Rei against him, in some fashion, which was why he had cooperated despite clearly intending to deny it. Exactly what she was intended for, he didn't know, but he still had a few trump cards up his sleeve.
The most important trump card of all however, was his accidental connection with her.
"Shinji... are you sure about this? Living together alone with Rei..."
"It's fine!" Shinji raised a thumbs up. "Besides, you're only a street away from us! Say, do you mind helping me move in? Since Rei is still at the hospital I might as well help prepare for when she gets out."
"Sure thing!" Misato grinned.
Terros was fully confident, however, that no matter what Gendo's plan was, it would still be greatly underestimating his capabilities. Most importantly, he possessed the Force, and was a Sith.
And nobody can outmanoeuvre a Sith, not even his father.
