Tokyo-3 looked as banged up as ever when he first arrived.

The buildings were decayed and crumbling into pieces, leaving only their steel skeletons behind to serve as a reminder that they had even existed. The roads were blocked with debris, but he was able to pass over them with ease. He didn't have any problems with the heat, either. Maybe that was because he had grown used to it during his time as an Eva pilot and whatnot, but that was beside the point.

He looked off into the distance as he stepped over a few pieces of debris, seeing VTOL's flying straight towards their destination, armed to the teeth with weaponry. He knew it was pointless. Angels were far beyond that of the capabilities of normal men, due to their nature as the true children of Adam. The Evangelion were nothing but falsehoods, but even they stood a fighting chance against them. He certainly did, alongside Asuka, Rei, Mari, and the other Children.

A sigh escaped his lips. It seemed that he had been doing this a lot lately. Perhaps it was becoming a habit? Or perhaps it had something to do to his reclaimed emotions? Back in his time as Yehowah, there had not been a need for emotions. All that was needed was the creation of a new world. Naturally, when he found his emotions back in place, and his personality intact, he felt... happy.

He had always wished for a chance to make amends. "How long is it until Misato get's here..?" Shinji muttered to himself as he sat down next to the small telephone booth, taking a small break as he took out the postcard Misato had left for him. Every time he looked at it, no matter how much time passed, he was still blushing up a storm.

A part of him told him it was all Misato's doing, when she wasn't around.


Gendo Ikari was starting to grow impatient.

'All of them, fools in the making...' he thought in disgust as he looked forward at the obvious outcomes. The screen in front of him showed the Fourth Angel, designated as Sachiel, being bombarded with fruitless assaults from the military. Beside him, Fuyutsuki sighed. "It doesn't matter how much firepower they unleashed upon it..." he quietly whispered, so that others beside him would not hear of it. "It all pales in comparison to the level of power they possess."

"Indeed." Gendo nodded in agreement. "Fourteen years have passed... and yet their power remains as terrifying as ever."


Shinji shook his head as he watched the military try valiantly, and vainly, try to destroy the Angel, Sachiel. Honestly, were the idiots in the military really so stupid as to think that they could destroy a near god-like being with meager strength such as this? Did the forget the power that resulted in the event that could only be remembered as the Second Impact?

Then again, he supposed that was human nature. Ignorant, and hopelessly foolish. He had used to be like that himself, until he stepped inside the cockpit of the being that he would both trust, and despise. The being that he would abhor and cherish.

Another explosion in the distance caused the earth to rumble beneath his feet as he got up off of his feet, his hands at his sides. He could hear the sound of a machine's engine humming loudly, coming closer with each second. He smiled slightly, catching sight of a familiar vehicle barreling towards him. "Took her long enough..." he mused. The car swirled to a stop, right in front of him.

The sight of seeing a youthful, cheery Misato Katsuragi had nearly brought tears to his eyes. "Hey ya." she greeted, despite the situation they were in. "You're Shinji Ikari, right? I'd like to stick to chat, but unless you want to die... please get in the car~"

Ah, how he missed her sense of humor.

Without so much as a word, Shinji quickly entered the vehicle, closing the door behind him. The moment the tires began to screech, an explosion rung out behind them, followed by the intense heat of the explosion created by the wreckage of a burning VTOL. Misato and him were already off on their way, driving through the wrecked streets and making headway into the more urban, industrialized part of the city, the new Tokyo, armored and built for disaster... mostly, anyway.

"Whew, pretty intense, huh?" Misato said, a slight smile on her face as she continued to drive. "Sorry for taking so long. Traffic was murder. My name is Misato Katsuragi, but you already know that, huh?"

"Hai." Shinji responded, his gaze set outside the window. "Sorry for being a hindrance, Miss Misato."

"Oi, none of this Miss stuff!" the purple-haired fox pouted, giving him a mock glare. "It makes me feel old... and whoever said you were a hindrance, Shinji? Way I see it, you're pretty special yourself."

"How do you mean?" he questioned. "The fact that I'm being called in by my father, who is the Commander of NERV? Or the fact that I am being picked up by a speed freak?"

Crap, he shouldn't have said that. He really needed to learn how to act meek and shy again, those days were so peaceful... why, you ask? Because, he could actually keep his damned mouth shut, hence avoiding near death situations.

Like now, for example. Only a second after the words fell from his mouth, Shinji held on for dear life as he felt the car suddenly pick up a burst of speed, and Misato giving him a sickly sweet smile. "Sorry, what did you say about a speed freak?"

"...I retract my earlier statement." he responded quickly. Misato smiled, and slowed down considerably. He still kept his reservations. This woman was unpredictable, in all sense of the word. Seriously, he wondered where exactly his father found her in the first place. "The military looks like it isn't making any progress."

"Yeah, seems like." Misato said in agreement. "Then again, what do you expect? It's an Angel, for Pete's sake. You would think they would let NERV handle this, since we're actually competant. How do they respond? 'We won't work with fools'. Hah!" she snorted, nearly throwing her hands into the air. "Seriously, what does it take for military idiots to see the bigger picture?"

"That is human nature, Misato." Shinji responded to her question, though he knew she wasn't really expecting an answer. "We are always ignorant, but above all else, we are prideful. Until proven otherwise, we use only self-reliance, despite what little good it does."

"...You are nothing like what I was expecting."

"Gomen."

Why was he apologizing? He had spent three years as a being without emotions. A meager few hours is hardly enough time to readjust to emotions that were deemed uneccesarry for beings such as him? Actually, now that he thought about it, would he still be capable of the feats he was able to perform back when he was Yehowah? Hm, that would require some investigation.

Shinji turned his attention back to the battle and grew curious when he saw what looked like a bomber passing overhead. "Ano... Are they planning on dropping an N-2 mine?" he asked, pointing to the carrier. Misato's eyes widened, snapping her head to the site. Her face paled, and brought the car to an immediate halt, causing him to be tossed forward a bit and causing some pain in his chest, due to the seat belt tugging at him tightly.

"Ah, crap!" Misato quickly unbuckled herself, and swung the door open. "Get down!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He had done this before, technically speaking.

By the time they were out of the car, and taking refuge, the bomb was already dropped, it's steel furnace aimed directly atop the heavenly sword of divine order.

In the next second, all of the ruined city of what used to be Tokyo-2 was engulfed in a sea of flames.


Gendo withdrew a scoff when the soldiers around him whooped in joy, patting themselves on the back and hugging each other. His so-called superior officers looked smug, turning to him. "It appears your assistance won't be necessary, Commander Ikari." the general told him condescendingly. As much as he wanted to snap at the man, he held his tongue. They were still his supporters, and superiors. He had to keep up appearances, after all.

The screen was laced with static, a result of the bomb that had just been released. He knew what would appear to them afterwards, however. He could already see it. "What's the target's current status?" one of the more reasonable soldiers asked, wanting to gain a full grasp of the current situation. The way Gendo was had started to make some of the more lesser soldiers a bit hesitant and worried. It was as if he knew something that the rest of them didn't.

How right they were.

"Verifying..." the technician stated, fiddling around with the console before coming to a stop, gaining the desired result. "Image, back on-line!"

The static became replaced with a flurry of orange-red inferno. It was like a scene straight from the words of Dante's Inferno, buildings becoming engulfed in eternal, everlasting flames that destroyed all of life's creation. At first, the generals' smug looks grew by the second, seeing no sign of the Angel's body... then they saw the silhouette. Once they realized that it was still standing upright, their eyes widened considerably, and leaped out of their seats.

The image blew up, revealing Sachiel's body to them. The mask it bore began to crack and fall apart, being pushed off to the side. A new mask was starting to form, pushing up from the green-scorched flesh that was hardly touched, burning red eyes leering out at them.

"I-Impossible!"

"That... was our last resort..."

"Impressive..." Fuyutsuki noted, scratching his chin. "It's regeneration is remarkable."

Gendo said nothing. He merely kept his hands folded neatly underneath his chin, and continued to wait for the desired responses he wished to hear from his so-called superiors. He then received a small buzz in his ear, confirmation of contact. He tapped the communication piece lodged in his ear. "Go ahead."

The Third Child has arrived in Tokyo-3. He is being escorted by Captain Katsuragi as we speak, sir.

Gendo held back a small smile of victory. So, his son had decided to come back after all. "Fuyutsuki."

His companion nodded. "Yes, it's about that time, isn't it?" he asked before turning to the generals. "Please, excuse me for a moment, gentlemen. I must make arrangements with our staff."

The old codger didn't even wait for a reply. Gendo couldn't mask his grunt of amusement in time, earning a slight glare from the man next to him.

'It's been three years... Shinji.'


"Unfreakingbelievable!" Misato growled, glaring at Sachiel, who was likely oblivious to her killing intent. "You stupid bastards! I hope you know you're paying for the damage on my car!"

Shinji sighed, shaking his head. "Misato..." he tried to tell her. "It is just a car."

Sadly, however, the woman would not hear of it. "Just a car?!" she cried back in disbelief. "JUST a CAR?! Shinji, this is my pride and joy! This is like my child! This is the very definition that makes up what I am! Take it away, and I'm as bland and boring as a grandmother!"

Not really, if you recall the fact that you live like a slob, and have a pet penguin.

...He still needed to ask her about that, he really did.

Again, Shinji sighed, more proof that this was starting to turn into a habit of his. He chose to ignore the rest of her rant and focus on flipping the car back upright, as it was now on it's side. He placed his hands against the roof, and began to push. He grounded his feet, as to provide leverage, and then exerted force into his arms. The vehicle was groaning as it was starting to be placed back on the proper position.

Misato gaped as she watched a fourteen year old child manage to place a car back on it's wheels all by himself, without any sort of help at all. "We should be on our way." Shinji Ikari stated, his tone oddly calm and collected. It almost reminded her of how Rei Ayanami spoke. She shuddered at the thought of having to deal with two of such stoic, damn-near silent and socially awkward people. Seriously, would it kill to receive someone perfectly normal?!

Well, whatever. She could ask questions later. She slipped back into the car, and strapped on the seat belt before slamming her foot on the gas pedal. Instantly, they were back to the road, leading straight to NERV. Through out the drive, the NERV Captain went over the information that was known about the Third Child, Shinji Ikari.

He was fourteen years old, having lived with his teacher for three years after Commander Gendo Ikari abandoned him for unknown reasons. From what information they gathered, he had little interaction with others, bearing a withdrawn and self-dependent personality, and a slight fear of being around others, or at least, that was what she thought, anyway. He would have a driving force to be acknowledged, to be praised for his actions by parental figures, such as his father. However, what she saw so far did not match up. He was calm, composed, almost emotionless and dealing with the entire situation like he would with any other day.

Shinji Ikari was so strange... Once again, she asks, would it kill to receive someone perfectly normal?


"Thank you." Fuyutsuki said, nodding his head with his hand on his communication ear-piece. "Yes, I understand... We are grateful for your cooperation." With that, he removed his hand, and focused his attention to the people on the bridge, all of them at their proper stations. "So, this is where it all begins..." he muttered.

He had expected a response.

"Correct, old friend."

Gendo approached him from behind, his face still as cold and staunch as ever, bearing the imposing face that had always been infamous amongst the people of NERV. Once he was placed at his usual seat, he placed himself in his usual position. "Four VTOLS and thirty tanks later, and we have their cooperation." the man said coldly. "It almost seems rather hilarious with how far arrogance and pride will go."

"So it would seem." Fuyutsuki nodded once again, this time in agreement. He turned to the front. "We've received full cooperation from the military, and the JSDF. As of now, NERV has full control of the operation."

"And the Third Child?"

"Already on his way. Captain Katsuragi has already reached the designated point, and is en route to deliver him to the hanger bay."

Gendo smirked slightly. He knew full well how that would go, really. That woman was, in his words and Fuyutsuki's and in Ritsuko's, a speed freak that, despite working here for several years, could not figure her way around the GeoFront. That particular trait of her was both irritating... and amusing, all at the same time.

"Unit-01 is already being prepped for launch." Fuyutsuki continued. "All that is left is for him to arrive."

"..."

"Do you believe he will agree to this?" his friend asked him, curious to know the answer.

"...He will not have a choice." was all Gendo responded.

Fuyutsuki could only smile in response. That was a typical response from Gendo. 'I know you better than that, Gendo...' he thought. 'You may not show it, but you are looking forward to seeing him again. This is, after all, your first reunion in three years.'


"...We are lost."

"H-haha, n-no we aren't."

"We have passed this corridor three times already, Misato. The scratch in the wall is proof."

A sigh escaped Misato's lips, the sound of her hand slapping her forehead echoing alongside the sound of grinding machinery. "Dammit, okay, my sense of direction sucks!" she finally admitted, being unable to withstand against his cold, neutral gaze. "Just stop giving me that look!"

"What look?"

"You know full well, you little brat!" the purple-haired Captain snapped before turning her attention back to the front, sighing. "Man... The Commander is gonna be pissed."

"Oh, it won't be him you will have to deal with, Misato." a familiar voice told her with amusement. Shinji smiled slightly, evident by the signs of the corners of his lips twitching upward. "I am already peeved, as is."

"H-hey... Ritsuko..." Misato greeted the blonde-haired scientist at the Elevator, their intended destination. Shinji could truly say that he much rather preferred Ritsuko Akagi with her short, yet wavy blonde hair rather than her buzz-cut. It just didn't suit her at all... plus it made her look like a man, not that he would ever speak such a thing. He preferred to stay in one-piece, thank you. "W-what's up?"

"You were supposed to arrive half an hour ago..." Ritsuko sighed, a hand at her temple as she shook her skull. "Oh well, at least you're here now. So, this is the Third Child, hm?" she said, leaning in slightly as she examined his face, a hand at her chin.

He merely looked back at her with his stoic expression, the one worn during his time as Yehowah. "Ohayo." he greeted, bowing politely. "I am Shinji Ikari. I will be in your care."

"Very well-mannered." Ritsuko observed. "Well, let's just hope you don't become influenced by her."

"H-hey, I'm not that bad!" Misato retorted as the two stepped inside the elevator with the woman. The iron doors shut together tightly, and began to make it's descent towards the hanger bay, where Evangelion Unit-01 waited for him. "And for you information, I am the epitome of a guardian!"

"Guardians..." the woman took a drag of her cigarette. "...do not drive like maniacs, nor do they get drunk off their asses on a daily basis."

"She couldn't be that bad, Miss Ritsuko." Shinji said, finding the perfect opportunity to get back at Misato's teasing, which he had to endure during his time at NERV up until he left after the incident with Asuka and the Ninth Angel. "It isn't as if she lives in an apartment building that should be under quarantine, lives off of an ungodly diet, or lives with some weird animal like a penguin or something."

Ritsuko could only looked amused as she snuck a glance at Misato, who started to laugh loudly... and nervously. Shinji sighed, continuing this charade. "...I retract my statement."

"Oh, I like this boy."

"Shut up, Ritz."

When the steel doors opened, the three stepped out and into the darkness that was the hanger bay. "So, tell me, Shinji..." Ritsuko started the practiced inquiry for all Eva pilots. "Do you have any combat experience?"

"Some, but not much." he replied. "Does having combat experience relate to the Angel up above?"

"Very astute. Yes, you are correct. As I am sure you are aware, NERV acts as the last defense of mankind, locked in a battle against the Angels. You've probably already seen how useless conventional weapons are. So, there's really only one weapon that will actually prove affective against them."

As if on cue, the darkness was lifted. Misato couldn't help but jump at the sight of the behemoth suddenly emerging, despite having stood there for quite a while, and Shinji merely smiled sadly, greeting it as if it were an old friend. Before him stood Evangelion Unit-01 in it's full glory, a horn spearing out from it's forehead, it's black and human-like body armored with purple-clad steel, and green highlights granting it the strange, unique flare. "This," Ritsuko gave the unneeded introduction of the creature that housed the soul of his mother, Yui Ikari. "is mankind's ultimate weapon... the Synthetic Humanoid Weapon, Evangelion."

His reaction was curious, yet not unexpected. "Is this what my father and NERV has been working on."

"Correct."

Shinji looked up at the observation bay. Gendo stood there, arms clasped behind his back, and his gaze neutral and passive, looking down on him with a knowing glare, well-hidden beneath his sunglasses. The Shinji Ikari of old would have greeted him with hostility, and he had done so. Now, however, this was a new Shinji Ikari, one that knew the truth that was hidden beneath the cold-iron mask that hid the emotions of his father. He was a man determined to reclaim his beloved, no matter the cost. He would even bring about the end of the world, if that was what it took to see Yui Ikari once more. This was the sort of man Gendo Ikari was.

That did not mean Shinji Ikari had forgiven him completely. "It has been a long time... Father." Shinji spoke, his voice quiet, yet loud enough for the man to hear him. "Three years, to be exact."

"Indeed it has..." Gendo pushed up his shades. "Shinji Ikari."

"W-wait, hold on here..." Misato looked uncertain, looking back and forth between the two and reading the atmosphere. "Ritsuko... Don't tell me that the reason we brought Shinji here was to...?"

"Yes." the blonde nodded in confirmation. "He is to pilot Unit-01."

"B-but that's suicide! He's 14 for christ's sake!" the woman tried to reason. "Listen, he's-"

"Very well."

His response was met with stunned expressions. Gendo merely looked pleased, on the other hand, giving him a nod of acknowledgement, clearly knowing his son made the correct choice. Ritsuko was baffled, blinking several times to make sure she was sure that she was not hallucinating, cleaning out her hears to be sure. Misato, on the other hand, looked aghast, shocked, and worried. Shinji was just a kid about to go into battle against a monster capable of destroying the city with terrifying ease... it was like sending a pig out for slaughter.

"S-Shinji, wait!" Misato tried to appeal to him. "Y-you don't have to do this!"

"If I don't pilot it, innocent people will be hurt, right?" Shinji turned to look at her, his gaze still neutral and without emotion. "Even as we speak... so there is little time in wasting here."

"B-but, you could die!"

"I don't really mind, Misato."

Her eyes widened. What he said next was enough to make her breath hitch, and her body freeze on the spot. Her mind was unable to comprehend his statement.

"What is so scary about dying?"

It was an illogical statement to them, yet to him, it was common sense. He had died twice, and both times were painless, feeling as if he had simply gone to sleep, falling into endless bliss. The first time he had died was back during the Near Third Impact, having lost physical form and slumbering within the Evangelion until WILLE retrieved it and restored his body. The second time he had died was when he rejected Human Instrumentality, and awoke on the beach as a being neither Human nor Angel.

Shinji Ikari no longer had a reason to fear death, for he had experienced it enough.

"Captain Katsuragi." Gendo's voice snapped the two women out of their thoughts. "Doctor Akagi. The Third Child bears a point. This is hardly a time for debate."

Ritsuko nodded, her face cold and serious as she turned to Shinji. "Well... If you're ready, Shinji."

The boy only nodded, and followed her. All Misato could do was watch his back, watching him leave into the battle that could end his life.

"How..." she finally managed to speak up. "How can you say that..."

Misato Katsuragi could not fathom how someone so young could not understand the terror of death.

And neither had the soul dwelling within the Evangelion, watching the exchange.


If there had been one feeling he had missed since having been stripped of emotions upon transcending into the being called Yehowah, it was the feeling of stepping inside the Entry Plug, hands coiled around the controls, and feet placed firmly in the stirrups. His back was placed against the chair, his gaze solely focused straight ahead, and his body void of all tension. There would be time for that when the battle would begin.

"We're proceeding with the initial phases." Ritsuko's voice echoed out to him through the communicator installed into the Plug. "Are you ready, Shinji? This is your last chance to back out."

"I'm prepared for what is to come, Miss Ritsuko." he replied. "My life is in your hands... please don't screw up."

The woman laughed. "Oh, don't worry about that. Initiating start-up sequence."

"Hai!" the subordinates cheered all together, snapping into their respective roles. At this point, Shinji tuned them all out, and placed himself in a calm sense of mind. He did not recoil or panic like he had last time as Lilith's blood, LCL, began to flood into the cockpit. He simply allowed the fluid to flow into his mouth, allowing him to breath normally, before exhaling deeply, allowing several air bubbles to fly upwards from his mouth.

Once he felt the sense of warmth wrapping all around him, he smiled fondly, relaxing. "I've missed you..." he whispered quietly, lifting his head back. "Mom..."


"Amazing..." Ritsuko breathed, completely astounded as she stared at the monitor. He has a perfect synch rate with Unit-01... Not even the Second Child was capable of this."

"He's not freaking out over the LCL thing either." Ibuki noted. "Is this really his first time in an Evangelion?"

"To our knowledge, yes." Misato said. "Although, given his personality..."

"Agreed." the blonde nodded. "He doesn't let anything faze him in the least..."


Once all the stages were completed, Eva Unit-01 was brought upward, being thrusted all the way upwards straight to the surface. The velocity didn't really affect him so much, his posture cool and calm. He would have plenty of time to worry later.

Finally, he reached his destination. He calmly opened his eyes to greet the visage of the Fourth Angel, Sachiel, who stood before him with it's masks. "Sachiel..." he spoke the being's name, his eyes flashing crimson for a brief instant. "...This place will be your grave."

As soon as the Elevator locks were released, Shinji took action. Unit-01 crouched down, the muscles within it's legs beginning to strain. When the pressure became too much, the boy released it, and launched himself forward. The pure speed behind the leap was terrifying, so quick that the mech could only be seen as a purple blur. Before Sachiel could react, he was already upon him. Unit-01's feet were slammed into it's arms, and the hands gripping the shoulders.

Shinji's leer was mimicked, the purple giant practically sneering in the Angel's face.

"...I..." Shinji Ikari, the Third Child, spoke with clear resolution. "...will kill you."

Then, the bolts came undone. The steel mask that which bound the beast of Armageddon were undone, revealing sharp, jagged molars. It's breath was hot, clashing against the green and dark skin of Sachiel. With a loud snarl, and slammed it's teeth down upon the shoulder, and clamped down tightly.

Sachiel screamed in pain, thrashing around in pain. It's flesh was being torn apart, and ingested into the Evangelion. Finally, it threw Unit-01 off of it, though it was clear the Third Child was not done. He pressed the advance, but was met with a wall of light. Sachiel's eyes glowed red beneath it's mask.

Shinji clucked his tongue in annoyance. "Deploy Absolute Terror Field."

Unit-01 growled, jabbing it's fingers into the wall of light, and then began to rip right through it. With a simple tug, it was torn in half, leaving Sachiel open. The Angel tried to retaliate, launching a spear of holy light at him. Shinji, however, dodged it with ease, ducking beneath it and reaching out for it. With a quick grab, Unit-01 took hold of Sachiel's arm and shoulder, pressing the grip into a firm vice. "Let's go for a stroll, shall we?" Shinji suggested as he then twirled around. Sachiel was brought up off of it's feet, spun 'round and round by Unit-01.


"Ugh..." Aoba groaned, swirls in his eyes. "I'm getting dizzy..."


To anyone looking at the sight from a bird's eye view, it would be like a spinning top with a purple center and green edge. Finally, Shinji decided it was enough, and released his grasp. Sachiel was sent flying, tossed straight over the iron buildings of Tokyo-3 before crashing straight into the grass-green mountain side beside it. Unit-01 snarled as it mimicked the gesture of cracking it's knuckles.

For a moment, Shinji wondered if Mari's lust for battle was rubbing off on him, due to his statement. "Now... we can fight without restraint."

If the sudden flashing of Sachiel's eyes told him anything, it was a clear sign that it was not looking forward to what was about to happen next.


"Incredible..." Fuyutsuki spoke in wonder and amazement. "His skills are... outstanding. It's as if he's been piloting all of his life."

Gendo didn't say anything. Rather, he watched the battle intently, hands folded together neatly over his face, so that others could not see the satisfactory smile plain on his old and scruffy mug. He had to admit, he was pleased with the results. Not only did his son seem to accept this role of combating the Angels, he showed absolutely no fear of the prospect of dying. Strangely, however, he found himself agitated over that. Why was Shinji so voided of emotion? Had something happened? Surely, those three years of solitude couldn't have affected him to this level of degree, could it?

'What would you say about all of this... Yui?'

-0.11: There Is (Always) A Chance-

Part Two of Two: COMPLETE

Next Time: 1.00: You Can (Not) Falter