A/N: Someone asked for character comparisons for the female Angels.
Sachiel (3rd Angel) – Himiko from "Btooom!"
Shamshel (4th Angel) - Laki Olietta from "Fairy Tail".
Ramiel (5th Angel) - Sumika Inaba from "K".
This chapter hasn't yet been edited, but I'm getting it out for now… For reasons. I'll likely update this chapter within the week.
Shinji stirred awake, feeling a heavy pressure on his arms. Cradled safely was the drooling, asleep Rei. He cracked his eyes open and blinked the sleep away from them. Crooking his head, he saw that it was the same day, very late in the afternoon.
Heavy rain still poured, much to the boy's delight.
He could hear Ritsuko and Misato quietly discussing something at the kitchen table, and the Angel Sachiel, in her human form, was sitting in a lounge, watching a TV program. After trying to shift the arm that Rei had hugged tightly to herself, he found that all sensation was cut off from it.
Sachiel saw Shinji stir, and smiled.
"Good afternoon, Shinji."
"Good afternoon, Sachiel… Why is Rei sleeping with me right now?" He asked, eliciting childish giggles from the Doctor and the Captain. The teenager sighed with utter disbelief at the two "adults".
"You know what I meant!" He yelled, softly.
"We came here, and passed by Tojiko on the way out." Sachiel began to explain, pausing when Shinji grimaced at the name of the "girl".
"She said that you two patched things up, and me and Rei went on in. She made a face that… I don't quite know, actually. It was like that of longing, I suppose…" Sachiel went on and lost herself in the meaning of the action, eliciting yet more titters and such from the two NERV staff.
"Shut it, you two! I swear to god… I'm sorry, Sachiel. Please continue."
"And she just sort of… Climbed onto the couch with you. After making physical contact, she went into deep sleep." Sachiel explained as she stared on at the cutely cuddling Rei.
"Huh."
"Yes, it's quite odd. It seems Rei can only achieve REM sleep when she's near you, Shinji." Ritsuko mentioned quietly, having a sip of her coffee.
"Why is that?" At all the stirring, Rei shifted herself so that she faced Shinji. She then wrapped her arms around the boy ever-so-tightly, before burying her face in his firm chest. The poor teen blushed uncontrollably, thankfully away from the sight of Ritsuko and Misato.
"Professionally… I have no idea. If I had to theorise, I'd say that you've got something that she doesn't."
"Really, that's very helpful, Ritsuko." Shinji mumbled, trying to quell his arousal at the nuzzling, bubbly Rei.
"What could Rei be lacking, doctor?" Asked the Angel. Ritsuko slunk back in her chair, ignoring the small growl that came from her stomach. She eyed her long-time friend, and stared back at the floor of the apartment.
"Well… I really shouldn't be telling you guys this, but it may help you understand. Rei is… Rei is not normal."
"We already knew that!" Misato acted indignantly. She knew of Rei's secret, thanks to her time-travelling charge. But what the rest of the group wanted to know was why she slept so easily next to Shinji.
Ritsuko averted her gaze away from even Pen-Pen.
"I can't tell you where Rei came from, but I can say that… Maybe Shinji reminds Rei of someone close to her." The doctor praised herself for such an inventive lie. They could take that statement any way they wanted – perhaps Rei had an old boyfriend from before arriving to Tokyo-3, who knew?
Well, Misato could've… But by the time her brain would've made the connection, she would've forgotten about this conversation entirely.
"Huh." Shinji repeated himself.
Sometime later, with Sachiel's help, Shinji slinked out of the clone's grasp and began to prepare dinner. After only 2 minutes, the First Child awoke. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and smiled a truly happy smile as she stared at the Third Child.
"Good afternoon, everyone." She greeted with… mirth? Yeah, no, it was mirth in her voice. Ritsuko actively suppressed a dumb grin as Rei woke up. Misato, however, couldn't help but stare on in sheer disbelief.
"Good afternoon, Rei." Sachiel greeted.
"Morning, sleepyhead." Doctor Akagi greeted.
Some minutes passed, and the smell of the pilot's cooking permeated through the room, making the doctor's stomach growl loudly. The clone stretched her arms high above her head and sighed with relief.
She rested her head on the backing of the couch, peeking over to the two NERV staff, particularly, Misato. As Shinji served their food up, the Operations Director couldn't help but squirm under her stare.
"Uh – do you need something, Rei?" She asked. The clone snapped out of her trance and yawned, smiling lovingly at Shinji as he handed her a lovely meal.
"I was just wondering, Miss Katsuragi…"
"Please, Rei – "Misato" is just fine."
"Am I able to move in? I quite like it here." She admitted, not without one more lingering stare at the Third Child. At hearing this, Misato buried her face in her hands, weeping silently. Ritsuko just smiled at her friends suffering and sighed happily.
"My, that sounds like a fantastic idea, Rei!" Ritsuko said, mainly to tease Misato.
"We don't even have enough rooms!" Whined her friend.
"That will be fine. I am able to share a room with Shinji."
"Out of the question!"
"Wait, what?" Sputtered the Third Child, with a mouthful of chicken soup. Rei just stared and smiled at him.
"We can't have two 16 year olds sharing a room! There'd be nothing stopping you two from…" At the mention of the possible, dirty, dirty things the two teens could be doing…
Misato couldn't control the redness rising to her cheeks.
"I wouldn't make love to Shinji without his permission." The Lilith clone swore, making Sachiel giggle quietly. Shinji slowly placed his spoon down on his table and stared deeply into Rei's eyes.
"…What?"
'I… Oh God. Misato's predictions are coming true!'
With a weary sigh, things were worked out. Rei was allowed to move in, on the condition that she'd refrain from trying to court Shinji. She was allowed to stay in his room, and even sleep in his bed, much to the First Child's suppressed glee.
Sachiel had to hide her jealousy at Rei's forwardness. Had her afternoon nap with Shinji removed some inhibitions? The Angel's cheeks reddened when the clone of Lilith mentioned something about "making love" to Shinji.
The Angel of the Water buried her face in some magazine to hide her blush effectively, and outwardly, she seethed. Sachiel did a quick analysis of herself.
'Hm. I have feelings for Ikari, it seems… Unprecedented, but not unwelcomed. I shall court him in the manner accustom to humanity.' She thought to herself, with a small smile.
(Some time later…)
Ritsuko left, and the "team" in their apartment had an easy sleep. Rei spent one last night at her apartment, packing her things.
As his head hit his pillow, Shinji cried, muscles still roaring from his usual routine, plus the savage beating he took from Shamshel.
Tears fell from his eyes, but he smiled despite it all. The boy reborn draped a blanket over himself and cradled within the warmth.
Another, soft cry resounded from Misato's room.
The teenager sighed, and got up again.
(…)
The Operations Director shivered and chastised herself for being so caught up in the past.
She had hated her father. The man put his work before his only child, and she despised him for it.
But when he sacrificed himself for her… The screams, the explosion… It was ingrained within her mind, despite her lucidness, and blood loss. She cradled her blanket closer to herself as the sobs continued, and sighed.
As if on cue, her saviour arrived. Instead of holding a look of worry or sadness, he smiled at her and approached her.
And instead of turning away so that she'd be able to face away from him and ignore the problems that had arisen, she hugged him tightly as he entered her bed.
"Shinji…" A small mumble could be heard through her sniffs.
"Yeah, Misato?"
"Thank you. Thank you for everything you've done for me…" Despite the weirdness of their situation, and despite the age difference that Ritsuko would endlessly point out, she felt love for Shinji. It was not motherly; she knew that no-one could replace the troubled teen's mother.
It wasn't like a sibling's love, either. The Captain had been much too physically attracted to the guy for them to be like brother and sister.
Without warning, she took his lips in a misguided, awkward kiss. She lingered on at the sensation for quite some time before Shinji had come to his senses and reciprocated the action.
The woman broke her lips from his and hugged him again.
"Shinji… Would you like to go on a date with me?" Her voice came so silently, almost at a whisper. Said pilot jumped at the question.
Well, hell. That wasn't something he was expecting – even with Misato's own warnings.
He analysed it from every angle he could. He did like her, and he found her attractive. Those two things should've been enough for a "yes", right?
'…What about Rei? I think she likes me, too… Or Sachiel…'
"I… I don't know, Misato… You're a lovely woman, and any guy'd be lucky to have you… I just don't know if…"
"It's the others, isn't it?"
"Wh-what?" Did she catch on that quick? Or was she just a good observer?
"I've seen how Rei and the Angel look at you… And I know our little German sourpuss still holds a place in your heart, Shinji…" The Captain's voice became much clearer, and Shinji remained stunned.
"I-I-I what!?" He quietly yelled, unsure if he was outraged or not.
"You've got to heal people, Shinji. And to do that… More than one of them need a stable, romantic relationship." Misato reasoned.
"That's ridiculous! How could you know that?"
"Because I've been, and I am now a woman who needs a stable romantic relationship. It's the ultimate way for them to open up to trust. Maybe they'll get hurt… But with you, they'll learn to heal, as well."
"M-Misato, wouldn't be degrading to those girls if I'm with more than one of them at the same time?"
"It depends on what a woman considers degrading, Shinji." Misato warned him, sounding a little bit offended.
"Wh-what do you mean?"
"Some… Some might be okay with it. You'll have some who are angry at the idea, but if they truly all want to be with you, then those who're against the idea… They won't care."
"…O- …Okay."
"So…"
"Hm? Oh-Sorry! I… I would like it if we could… go on a date, Misato." At his shy words, the Operations Director smiled to herself and gave Shinji another, small kiss on his lips.
"I'd like that, Shinji." And their night ended with Misato smothering the poor boy in her bosom.
(The next day…)
"Well… It isn't the most glamorous date, but I'm sure I can at least point a few things out for future outings!" Misato declared boisterously, as she and Shinji strolled through NERV headquarters for lunch.
"What kind of company won't let you have a Saturday off?" Shinji asked her, as they sat down at the HQ cafeteria. Misato puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms angrily.
"Jerks, Shinji. Jerks don't let you have a Saturday off…" Well, there were those sick-days she'd used for shopping sprees… Damn Section 2 agents, catching her off guard…
And the two continued their "date", with the woman guiding the teen through it all. At the conclusion of said date, the two had to part. But before they did, Shinji drew Misato into a kiss of his own volition.
The woman smiled into the embrace and hugged him closely, deepening the kiss in the process of. This lasted for minutes, until a certain blonde bore witness to the event.
"MISATO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT BOY!?"
The purple-haired woman lingered on the kiss with Shinji until she was literally dragged off him by an enraged Ritsuko. The Third Child just stood stunned, and stared at the two. The Captain blew the teen a kiss before she was dragged into Ritsuko's office.
"Call me!" And with that, the door slammed shut behind her.
(…)
A quick trip to the titanic Eva Unit 01 followed. The Third Child made a quick walk past the engineering staff, and onto the scaffold where he could directly make contact with the body of Eva 01.
He felt a presence appear behind him, but paid no mind to it. The boy raised his hand and placed it on the flesh of the Evangelion, immediately feeling something.
It was a faint heartbeat. Shinji could definitely feel it, but for a being of its size, the speed of the beat was much too slow. He let go of his senses and did what he would normally do, as if he were piloting the Eva.
His body went stiff as his consciousness was linked to the Evangelion.
The boy couldn't feel like he usually would when piloting. The heartbeat of his Eva was clear, like a drumbeat to his ears. With his intrusion, the beat had quickened, only slightly.
He searched around the body of the unit, until he found an unnatural hum. 3 resonant tones played in his ears like jazzy chords.
'Dissonant… But nice.'
Perhaps Kaworu had the right idea in regards to the "music" of a person.
These three tones hummed close to the "heart" of the Evangelion, and mixed flawlessly with its beat.
The boy drew his hand towards the fleshy lumps, and could feel the energy surging within them. A massive one, followed by a smaller, and then one smaller than that.
'These must be the new S2 Organs… But they're growing quickly. And they're causing a third one to form…' It was then he retreated his subconscious within his conscious.
As he left the body of the Evangelion, a faint voice called. It was too late to respond, as the pilot's vision sprawled back to life. He was limp on the floor, staring up at an almost careless looking Gendo.
"Are you alright, Third Child?" It was an act, Shinji believed. So that the Commander wouldn't look soft in front of his staff.
It was like he'd said before – there were no doubt ears and eyes everywhere.
"I'm fine, Commander." Shinji spat back, dully.
"That is optimal, then. Did your… Experiment harbour any results?"
"I'll tell you in the report, Commander…" Good lord, he hoped saying that wasn't going to become a habit.
(…)
Despite the toll the test took on him, Shinji Ikari had one more "appointment" at NERV today. This had to be clandestine, and for varying reasons, no-one could know what he was doing. He snuck to Eva Unit 00's cages, during a break for the engineering staff.
Gathering up the majority of his strength and willpower, he delved into the gargantuan beast's mind, forming a faux-mind link with the Eva Unit. As his hand danced across the Eva's flesh, he could feel much rage within the beast, and it's heartbeat was much faster than Eva 01's.
Shinji was dragged into the Eva's subconscious, not by his own volition.
'WHO ARE YOU!?'
'Calm down!'
'WHO ARE YOU!?' This was two voices – mashed together unevenly.
'My name is Shinji! Shinji Ikari!' It was like his mind was being assaulted by mounds of white noise – blaring in his ears.
'I… Kari? IKARI!?'
'Oh, fuck.'
A roar sounded through the void he was trapped in, and he felt an impressive, blurred force slam into him. It was a mini materialisation of Eva Unit 00, and it looked pissed.
It slammed its fists into him, with the intent to end his life, or at least, his consciousness. Shinji retaliated the strikes effectively, but was still under assault from the miniaturised titan. Minutes of angered roars and white noise passed through the blackness of the expanse, before help came to the pilot.
Another being, which looked similar to Eva Unit 00, slammed into its copy. The Third Child had a moment to breathe and observe.
The faces of the two Eva units were warped, almost beyond recognition. One appeared similar to Rei, in a merge of morphed flesh and robotic metal. The other… Looked like Doctor Akagi – but only a little.
Both faces held rage. Rage beyond what apparent humanity they held.
Fear gripped him as the two duelled roughly, each going for the other's vital points in an effort to kill. Minutes, possibly hours passed as they duelled, and the boy witnessed that they'd always be at a draw in the battle – nothing being accomplished.
He breathed deeply and steeled his resolve.
'HEY!' At this, the two titans stopped momentarily, staring at him. The Rei-like Unit 00 had a small blush on her face, and the Ritsuko-doppelganger still had a burning hatred flaring through her eyes.
'What the hell are you two doing?' Immediately calming himself, the two stared at each other, then back to Shinji.
'Why are you fighting?'
'The old hag wrapped her hands around my throat and strangled the life out of me!'
'It was her fucking pimp that abandoned me when it was the most useful thing to do! Ikari used me up and sent his doll to drive me over the edge!'
A realisation hit Shinji. The Rei look-alike was a Rei clone.
The first, in fact.
And the other woman… She had to be Ritsuko's mother! The looks were too similar to be a coincidence, and it'd make sense if the family line worked for NERV, or whatever its predecessor was…
'Slow down. Step away from each other.' His words rung out in the black abyss, and the two followed the commands cautiously.
'Tell me, in as much detail as you can possibly can, what the hell happened. Miss Akagi, you go first.' The woman's eyes softened from hateful to disdainful.
And so, Naoko Akagi, as she introduced herself, explained her side of the story. After Shinji's mother was absorbed into the body of Eva Unit 01, she got into a relationship with his father.
The boy had to reign in his anger at hearing that.
Naoko continued that after Gendo developed a clone of Yui/Lilith, they eventually started seeing each other less and less, and that after some few choice words with the first Rei, she committed suicide.
Her last memory was entering the infinitely black reaches of the prototype Eva Unit.
Shinji took a moment to absorb the information.
'Tell me what happened, Rei.'
And so the clone went on, and told her side of the story. It seemed that upon entering Eva Unit 00, she had matured to the current Rei's age, perhaps even older.
'She explains it well. I was fed up with the hag vying for the Commander's attention, so I told her how he and I felt about her.' A moment of silence followed the first Rei's words, where Naoko's seething stare could bore into Rei's head.
The two's bodies seemed to reform in the darkness of the realm they presided in, eventually developing into their previous forms.
'She wrapped her hands around my neck and squeezed until I was no more. Then, my soul was gathered within here.'
Shinji nodded.
'So you two are the souls within Eva 00.'
'That's where we are? It seems that bastard Ikari still had his uses for me…'
'How unfortunate. You are not the usual intruder we receive, though. Who else routinely enters the unit?' Rei inquired.
'The other person who pilots Eva 00 is the second clone of you. She's the second Rei, I believe.'
'Figures. Gendo wouldn't want our project's debut piloted by anyone but his doll.'
'You two need to stop that. This fighting in this realm seems harmless, but what you're doing might kill the world.'
At that, both of them snorted grimly.
'Oh please. We exist as nothing more but noise. What does our fighting do that's so harmful?' Naoko challenged. Shinji shook his head.
'Your fighting, and these lashes affect the pilot. When you two squabble, the "beast" gets a chance to fight. And it fights out with nothing but both of your angers.'
'Wh… What?'
'Miss Akagi – the Evangelions act a little differently than you think. Everything within here affects the other Rei, and the beast outside.'
'So what? Gendo uses his dolls, and they die. Why should I care, Ikari!?' The former Chief Scientist defied the boy. His rage grew, and the memories of his past life filled the void within Eva Unit 00.
'IF YOU TWO CONTINUE TO FUCKING FIGHT, YOU WILL RESOLVE NOTHING! THE PILOT OUTSIDE WILL LOSE CONTROL, AND THE WORLD WILL DIE!' He wasn't going to convince her like this, so the pilot calmed himself down and sighed, wearily.
'Naoko – if you and Rei fight, Ritsuko will die. I know you care for her, because she's your fucking daughter! I've seen the future, and Ritsuko perishes without the full cooperation of the souls in this Eva!'
'You've… You've seen the future?' Naoko slumped down on the "floor" of their reality and wept at the boys words. She could see, both within his will, and within his stare, that he'd seen the horrors that were hinted at.
Shinji slowly stepped over, and comforted the weeping mother, crying his own tears. After some minutes, the indifferent Rei shook her head.
'And tell me, Pilot Ikari – why should I care if the world dies? I'm already dead, and to end my suffering within here would be a godsend.' Shinji nodded.
'You don't have to care for the world. But you do care for Gendo, yes?'
'No… No I do not. Not after what he did to me. Knowingly or not, he sentenced us both to darkness. However…' Remembrance hit her, and she blushed, before averting her gaze away from the Third Child.
'…What?'
'I share memories with the Rei that pilots this machine. When she enters, I receive flashes of what she's experienced…' She smiled at Shinji, with a deep red blush. Naoko crossed her arms over her chest and scoffed at the two teens.
'I will work with the Rei that pilots this machine, and… Miss Akagi… Only if you promise to find us a way out of this place.' She practically spat out the former scientist's name.
'I don't care if you destroy this unit, or if we must assume another's body… You'll have my allegiance if you promise us this.'
'I'll… I will find a way to get you two out of here.' With this, the first Rei ran up to Shinji and smashed her lips into his, fumbling around awkwardly, but otherwise enjoying the sensation like nothing else. She quietly wept and broke from his lips.
'Thank you.'
'Yeah… Thanks, Shinji.' Naoko muttered, silently thanking that Rei 1 had bargained such a deal for the both of them.
(…)
Again, Shinji had found himself on the grated floors of the Evangelion unit scaffolding. A small smirk appeared on his face, and he resolved what to do, in his mind.
The heartbeat of the Eva had slowed down considerably, and before any prying eyes could catch him, he snuck out of the engineering block.
(2 days later)
"She's exhibiting signs of increased mental activity. We had a brief flash of the same behaviour in you, before you awoke." Ritsuko explained to the overwatching sentinel that was Sachiel. She sat by her sisters side, and held her hand, like Shinji had done with her.
"She's fine, otherwise?"
"Yes. She'll likely be awake within the next two hours."
"Thank you, Doctor Akagi." Said Sachiel, with a small smile. Ritsuko shifted on her feet unevenly, as if she was about to leave the room. She fumbled around and pretended to re-check the comatose Angel's medical chart.
"Listen… Sachiel, was it?"
"Yes, Doctor Akagi?"
"What is her name?" The blonde asked, referring to the sleepily snoozing seraphim.
"Her name is Shamshel. She is the Angel of the Morning."
"Angel of the… What does that mean?"
"I don't know, myself. It's most likely a title, like Lord or Lady."
"How did you learn her name?" Ritsuko mentally recorded the information on her patient down.
"From the mental link we established when she invaded Tokyo-3. Like a title, it was presented to me as we met each other."
"Interesting. So what are you the Angel of?"
"I… Don't know. As embarrassing as it is, I believe only another Angel can tell me that." With that, the doctor suppressed a small giggle.
"I'm sorry, didn't mean to tease you…"
Two hours ticked over, and Shinji's phone alerted with a note on the Fourth Angel's awakening.
The purple-haired "girl" stirred in her sleep and yawned, opening her eyes slowly. She took note of her surroundings, and the three people standing over her.
"…Looks like you better fetch some water, Shinji." Sachiel noted, dryly. The boy nodded and did as he was asked, bringing a giant pitcher of water for the thirsty daughter of Adam.
She snatched the drink out of his hands and gulped like a nerd on prom night.
After finishing the pitcher, she sighed, and threw her head back on her soft pillows.
"Holy hell… Can… Can one of you tell me where I am right now?" She asked, softly. Ritsuko, being the only adult, took charge.
"You're in NERV headquarters. I'm not sure if you remember, but you tried to attack us."
"NERV… I do remember attacking something… I also remember… Sachiel!" Her eyes blinked, and she stared wearily around the room, instantly energising herself as she caught sight of her sister.
"Shamshel?"
"Sachiel! Why did… Agh… I remember some voice asking me to find something… Some… Person?"
"That was the Speaker of the Angels. It may have been Adam, your genetic predecessor." Ritsuko explained, having sorted through Shinji's previously filed reports on the matter. She noticed a clear change in the girl's actions then – as if neurons in her brain had reconnected in a giant, mental surge.
"Yes! Adam spoke to me and ordered me to seek out Lilith!" She explained, with a smile.
'Interesting. It appears at the mention of her mother, she regained some memories…' The doctor thought analytically.
The name "Lilith" made Sachiel tilt her head in confusion.
"Who?"
"Lilith! I… Well, hell, I don't know who she is – but Adam told me to find her…"
"That's odd… I felt… Possessed to do that, before. But now… I don't feel the need to seek her out." Shamshel though aloud, scratching her chin. Shinji cleared his throat.
"Maybe when you exist as an Angel, Adam's call is stronger?" He theorised. When she caught his eyes in a gaze, Shamshel paused, and slowly reached a hand out to caress the boy's cheek. Shinji didn't bother to back up, and quivered as the hand ever-so-softly brushed against his skin.
"I have no ideeaaa…" She mumbled back, snapping out of her trance as Shinji finally backed up from the woman. Sachiel slapped her sister's hand away with an irate blush. The purple-haired Angel shook her head and puffed her chest.
"Whew, boy! Well… What are you guys up to? What's happening around here?" She inquired, giddily. The Angel was eager to get out of bed, and to get active, it seemed.
The three non-patients explained the situation with the war, and the fight against the Angels. Ritsuko announced some non-disclosed events that would be occurring, and eventually about Shamshel's employment within NERV.
"Huh… That settles it all, I guess. I assume I'll be bunking with these two?" She said, with a swift motion to the internally suffering Shinji, and Sachiel. Ritsuko smiled at the boy's misery and nodded.
"Of course. NERV will arrange some lodgings for you."
And so the rambunctious Angel was given leave from the medical quarters of NERV, and shown to her new, cramped home, by Shinji and Sachiel.
(…)
A few more weeks passed, and as with her sister, Shamshel was easily integrated into the pilot's "household". Misato had calmed down, after tearing some strips of Ritsuko, and her first charge had saved enough to finally purchase the apartment next to their original.
Some torn walls, and a few broken pipes later, two apartments were merged, and Shamshel had been offered her first choice. With their new extension, they could comfortably house a team of 8. Despite the new space, however, Rei adamantly refused to sleep away from Shinji.
After learning of their conditions, the apartment's rent was quickly supplemented by NERV HQ, and the Third Child couldn't help but crack a toothy grin at his father's "anonymous" grant.
All of this left Shinji with just two more minor goals to fill before the "end of the world":
Buying a car.
Sprucing up the new apartment.
All in all, both Angels had gotten accustom to "human" life rather quickly, and had alleviated most of the NERV staff's fears of intrusion, or sabotage. A wary few still remained, but were not unreasonable. Kozo had expressed his distrust openly with Gendo, and the Commander had taken the speech in with much consideration.
Even Gendo Ikari had to admit – even if the girls looked and acted human, they were still the blood and flesh of Adam, reborn. Their "human suits", as they were dubbed, couldn't hide their true nature.
Despite it all, it seemed peace could be achieved between the two races.
(…)
Rei and Shinji stood to attention, in their plugsuits. They were in a small, out-of-the-way gym, where they trained under the tutelage of Sachiel & Shamshel, and under the supervision of Ritsuko and Misato.
They were training in AT Field manipulation.
"The first step to such manipulation is to have great, balanced strength between the body and the mind. An intelligent mind can't maintain a strong AT Field, nor mould it to their will, if their strength is lacking." A small glance was darted to the thin Rei, who couldn't stop a small sneer from appearing.
"Similarly, a strong body that can't muster a firm will is nothing but a husk." It felt as if Sachiel could peer into Shinji's mind. He evened his breathing quickly and nodded.
"So, I will help Rei with strength training, and… General fitness." Shamshel declared to the ever-recording Ritsuko, and the ever-bored Misato.
"And I will aid Shinji in strengthening his will. Through fitness." Sachiel added.
"Wait, what?"
"Physical exercise is the most easily translatable and adaptable method of how I will teach you to mould your AT Field at your whim, Shinji." Explained the smiling Angel, who tilted her head and assumed her "fitness instructor" mode.
Hours and many more sessions followed these over the weeks, working the two pilots and even their "instructors" into overdrive.
During one of these sessions, a small thought came to Shinji's mind, disrupting his attempted levitation.
"Hey, Sachiel?" Shinji asked, despite the Angel's disappointed stare turned deep blush.
"Yes, Shinji?"
"Are you… Are you and Shamshel able to return to your previous forms? I've just been thinking that… We might need more firepower when the time comes, and I'd like to see if you two could join us out in the field." The boy reborn asked. The blonde teen stroked her chin as she went into deep thought.
"It's possible, although we'd need access to S2 organs to reform our bodies. And I suppose if Shamshel and I train enough with you and Rei, we could even maintain control, and depart from our bodies of our own will, like you, with your Evangelion." Answered the timid Angel. All they had were theories, however, and any live field tests with such claims had a small chance of success.
"We could try, and if it worked, we'd have a staggering advantage against…" His thoughts went to the Mass Production Evas, which had torn Asuka to shreds…
"My kind, Shinji?" Sachiel asked him, worriedly. The boy shook his head as he went back to his levitation practice.
"No, Sachiel… Abominations. To both our species." He would tell them both, when the time came. Any possible leaks were dangers to his, and everyone else's safety. If whoever Gendo worked for found out, they'd capture him, and interrogate him until they had nothing left to learn about the future.
Then, being the shady, evil bastards they were, they'd kill him.
(…)
It was the day of the Jet Alone tests. As a precaution, Eva Units 00 and 01 were on standby, ready to launch at any moment.
Gendo has sent word to SEELE, a much more deviously worded plan than what Shinji had suggested to him, and any subterfuge attempts they had initiated were aborted.
All in all, the day went supremely well compared to Shinji's last time in the world. Jet Alone 1 had acted well, and manufacturer seemed to have not gotten word about the S2 organs that had been grown within Evangelion Unit 01.
If they had, they wouldn't have been selling the machine's operating time so much.
With Eva Unit's second spare organ successfully transferred onto the prototype model, things were looking good for Shinji's new timeline. It was the small changes that caught him off-guard, such as his genderbent friends, or the "human" Angels.
And another unknown variable had presented itself in the form of a new pilot.
Catching a video feed that was networked within NERV to the Jet Alone base, Shinji caught sight of the company's new "pilot", who was going to be used for later projects.
Minutes later, the base had made another announcement – that the Jet Alone project, and its parent company, would be merged with NERV, under some confusing new merger name.
'Nice going, Commander.' Oh, don't forget – Shinji was still pissed at his father. Running off with another woman, just after your wife has her soul absorbed within a giant cyborg? Yeah, that was pretty low.
The burgeoning JA trainee's eyes lit up with glee as the announcement rang – she was definitely going to be a pilot, now!
She had short, auburn hair, and appeared to be wearing a flowing, white sundress at the live tests. As the cameras panned over to her celebratory dance, a name and designation graphic appeared on Shinji's screen.
MANA KIRISHIMA – JET ALONE PILOT TRAINEE
'Another ally…' Shinji smiled warmly at the thought, and he and Rei were let go from their spontaneous, coincidentally timed "test".
(…)
It felt like an eternity, waiting for the next Angel to strike.
Yet despite this, during one of the hottest school days the small group had ever experienced, they had drowned their sorrows and worries within the school pool. Shinji and Sachiel frolicked expertly within the waters – the Angel absolutely loving the fact that she found out her namesake from her sister.
Sachiel was the Angel of Water, fittingly enough. Her original emergence from the sea proved this fact. She danced through the small pool like she belonged in it, and many stared on at her.
It was then the Third Child was set upon by his old friends. As he relaxed in a corner of the pool, Tojiko and Kensuki crawled up to his sides.
"What are you staring at, Ikari?" The jock enquired. Shinji then caught himself staring at… Everybody.
"The class… Why?"
"D'aw, we know who you're lookin' at! You've got 3 beauties that live in your apartment who're crazy about you, and you think you can fool us?" Shinji blushed at Kensuki's words and his heart fluttered at the notion.
"Fool you guys?"
"Yeah! We can tell you're staring at Sachiel's behind…" Tojiko teased.
"Rei's thighs…" At this, Shinji's eyes took notice of the three girls, and he had to immediately stifle an erection, lest be branded a pervert.
"And don't forget the new girl's fantastic tit-"
"I get it! You guys are pretty fucking creepy, you know that?" Shinji checked with the two. They just laughed him off, and they continued their swim.
"Don't forget that they've all been trying to get peeks at your abs!" The boy just shivered and ignored Tojiko's last remark.
He eventually swam on his back, and remained floating peacefully.
'Shit… What if they do actually like me? …Man, I'll have to get more of Misato's help with this…' He grumbled to himself, though no without smiling up at the sky at the warmth of that thought.
"Shinji!" Shamshel called out to him. With grace, he lurched upwards and smiled at the girl.
"Yeah?"
"We've got a date tonight, alright?" It really didn't sound like a question at all – more as if as though the woman was being forward about her affections with the boy.
"Okay… Okay." He quickly thought about objecting real quick so he could think things over, but he didn't need to – not if what Misato said had any merit. The confirmation made the purple-haired Angel leap out the water, powered by an extremely potent AT Field.
"Ah, hell yeah! That was way easier than I thought!" The quick moment of levitation was noticed by the entire class, who just stared on the human-like Angel. A minute of silence passed, only to be interrupted by a short cough.
(…)
The day was over, and Shinji quickly welcomed the warmth of his bed, eager to sleep in until his date with Shamshel. As soon as he opened the door and collapsed on the pinnacle of human achievement, several more presences entered his room.
"Heeeeeeey." Shamshel greeted, lightly pecking the young teen on his cheek. Shinji blushed, but unfurled his covers and unfolded himself from his foetal position. The purple-haired "woman" slid to his right side, and his blush reddened.
Rei and Sachiel made themselves known. The blonde Angel slid to Shinji's uninhabited left side and began resting her head on his chest. Rei held back a small grunt, and instead straddled Shinji for a while.
The boy had to quickly drive his blood back north to avoid an awkward incident.
"So… What brings you guys 'round here?" Shinji asked, very, very shakily. He made sure his breaths weren't too noticeable… Or erratic.
"Looking for a place to nap, mainly. Also, these two wanted to ask you something." Shamshel answered, motioning to her sister and the Lilith clone. Rei and Sachiel blushed, and averted their gaze away from their makeshift pillow.
"You see…"
"Shinji, we would like to…"
Minutes of stammered sentences and blushing cheeks followed. The purple-haired Angel shook her head at her roommates.
"Wow, you two are really bad at this. No wonder he's been single since I've gotten here."
"Shut up, Shamshel! Ah, screw it – Shinji – can me and Rei tag along to your date?"
"She means to turn your single date into a triple." Rei explained, adjusting so that her leg sat softly against the boy's.
His cheeks flared with a mighty flush, and he thanked the Rei-Adam-Lilith being for sending him back.
For this was clearly the best timeline.
"The three of you…" He began, forcing the ridiculous smile off his face.
"That is correct." Sachiel reiterated.
"On a date."
"Yes."
"With me."
"Hell yeah!"
"That sounds fantastic. But I'm curious as to why?" He asked them all. The girls simultaneously shrugged and once more removed their gazes from him.
"You're very kind-hearted." The clone of Lilith said, tracing fingers around the boy's chest.
"You're very understanding." Dawdled the blonde Angel.
"And you've got nice abs, to boot." Shamshel finished for them, planting a small kiss on the boy's lips.
"Well, thanks for that – b-but I meant the three of you being so… Sharing, I guess?"
"Oh…"
"This was the best solution that fit the scenario. If one of us takes full control as your girlfriend, then the others would emotionally suffer for as long as we work and live together." Rei explained.
"This was the best solution." Shamshel repeated.
"That's… I'm grateful." He took a moment to think on the implications of this – was he just in a LCL induced dream about his entire life up to this point?
Did he care?
At the moment, not in the slightest.
"It's a triple-date, then. I'll make sure to look three times as good!" He teased, as dumbly as he could. The three women giggled, and snuggled themselves further into the body of the Third Child.
Their Operations Director would later come in to find the quartet napping peacefully.
(Some time later…)
He felt there was a reason their plans would fall through.
"Put the city on full alert and evac! It's an Angel, alright!" Misato ordered with a sharp yell.
Shinji cursed his luck and mobilised to attack the absolutely titanic floating octahedron. He slipped on his plugsuit, but was halted by his father.
"You changed your battle plan rather quickly. Are you sure you can handle this?" Gendo asked his son. Shinji still couldn't help the anger that rose to his face as he looked on at the Commander.
"Me and Rei are perfectly capable. I assume you and Misato commandeered the Positron Rifle?" Shinji asked.
"Of course, as per your guidance. With Evaneglion Unit 00's active S2 organ, Rei will have it powered in less than 2 hours." The Commander of NERV would have to inquire with his son at the newfound rage.
"I'm not worried about power. I'm worried about saving the core of the Angel. We destroy it, and we're killing someone."
"I realise." Gendo turned on his heel to leave, and before his son entered the cockpit of the Entry Plug, he stopped him once more.
"I forgot to mention – we've made you a present. Consider it a gift from the engineers and the JA crew…" He left Shinji to interpret that any way he wanted.
Shinji thanked the man curtly and submerged himself within the already-primed container of LCL. He let go of his mind, and synchronised with the glorious amalgamation of flesh and metal.
(Some minutes before…)
Rei still stared at her own "machine", still a little adamant on entering it. She bit her lip and squashed her fears.
She'd gotten used to the overbearing negativity that the beast exuded before, but now it was gone. Replaced with a powerful, positive void.
Several wires had connected it to the rifle that was primed on the surface of Tokyo-3, powering it alongside half the power of the megacity itself.
"Operation Yashima", as they dubbed it.
The girl climbed in to the "pit", and prepared for launch. The massive series of power cables that tethered the beast's core to the surface snapped off, and Rei sunk into the mind of Eva Unit 00.
(…)
"Eva launch!" Misato ordered, and so they were. Unit 01 was sent to personally combat the octahedral Angel and study it within combat, and Rei was sent to the city limits of Tokyo-3.
"Shinji… Steady at 120%, and Rei, steady at 80%..." Shigeru announced with no small sense of happiness. It seemed that the mood of the entire workplace had perked up, for no discernable reason worth noting.
"Good lord, Misato, what are you feeding these kids?" The guitar enthusiast remarked. Instead of a light scolding, he actually heard the Captain laugh a hearty chortle.
"More like what Shinji's been feeding us! The little bastards have been training non-stop!" She boasted, with no small amount of pride in her voice.
(…)
Shamshel and Sachiel sat awkwardly under the gaze of Ritsuko and Kozo.
"Hell… This is super boring." Shamshel commented, stretching her arms high above her head. Kozo's worry grew as they continued to move, and breath. He didn't forget the last incident, but he still wasn't completely okay with their presence in the base.
The two extra NERV guards with big, big guns were a good explanation of his current distrust.
"Like I said, this will only last until the end of the fight. We have to make sure this Angel doesn't try any telepathic contact of its own." Ritsuko explained to the two girls.
"We should be out, helping them." Sachiel mentioned quietly.
"And what would you fight with? We already know telepathic contact is too risky, and we have no suitable weaponry for you." Kozo reasoned with the angry girl, who sighed at his response.
"I understand, Sub-Commander. I still feel… Inert." Whined the blonde Angel.
"I know you do. That doesn't bring me any sort of joy, Sachiel." Fuyutsuki levelled the girl, with an unintentionally fathering tone.
(…)
"Target is focussing energy within a central torus reactor…"
"It's targeting Eva Unit 01!" Maya warned. Misato quickly relayed the notification to Shinji, who responded with a nod.
(…)
The boy reborn focussed every ounce of willpower he had, and melded with the Evangelion with near-perfection. In front of the Eva materialised an intensely powerful shimmering shield of light.
The lift clicked into place, and his cover was removed.
The 5th Angel fired its beam of brilliant energy, and went to burn. It needed to remove the obstacle in its way, and it needed to find… It.
Eva Unit 01 stood and absorbed the absolute force of the blast, not budging an inch. The shimmering yellow shield of light grew brighter and brighter, eventually gathering up into a massive ball, which spread itself around the titanic body in a dainty sheen.
The braces disengaged the Evangelion, and it launched with a speed that couldn't have been possible for a being its size. It slammed into the fleshy polyhedral Angel, and bared it's hands to dig into the flesh.
Ramiel, the Angel of Thunder. Shamshel and Sachiel gripped their heads as the name was announced, quickly alerting the Sub-Commander and the doctor.
The organic, floating puzzle piece lived up to its name, and released a subsonic, low-resonance AT Field blast, quickly knocking Eva Unit 01 on its rear, and into the line of one of the Angel's powered vertices.
"Shit!" Shinji yelled, not expecting the move. He rolled out of the way of the incoming blast, not mentally prepared to absorb a second shot.
"Keep its focus on you, Shinji. I will prime a shot just shy of its core."
"Affirmative, just make it quick, Rei!"
He continued his assault, and attempted to draw out his Progressive Knife. Instead… He got a surprise. He quickly read the title of the blade before him, and drew it out completely as Ramiel exploded another blast in an attempt to throw the Eva off its feet.
'Magorox?'
The blade unfurled and clicked and snapped into a giant, domineering length, humming with a formidable force. Shinji gripped the sword evenly and attempted a cut at one of the Angel's corners.
Eva Unit 01's new toy sliced off a corner of the Angel's form, eliciting a mighty roar, and a thunderous quake from the beast. Dark red blood stained the purple and green blade.
"Ready to fire, Shinji! I need you to tilt the Angel 15 degrees to the right!"
"Affirmative!"
Shinji stabbed at the floating base of the beast and modified his AT Field to absorb the shockwave of the many blasts it shot. His weapon remained steady, and with all of his strength, he willed the Evangelion to forcefully rotate Ramiel.
As he did, Rei brought up the newly developing schematics of the beast.
"Captain, please confirm the location of the shot." Rei asked, quietly. Misato double & triple checked with the technicians who guided the Evangelions.
"Confirmed, Rei. Firing this shot will allow Shinji complete access to the core for about 7 minutes, before it fully regenerates." The Operations Director said with a nod to the girl.
Ramiel couldn't fully resist the strength of the obstacle before it, so it decided to eliminate what it could. It used the advantage of the angling to fire at the nuisance in the distance, with the last of its might.
"REI! INCOMING ATTACK!" Shinji shouted through the communications, feeling the sweltering heat of the blast.
The First Child had already pulled the trigger as the blast fired from the Angel. She used her training expertise and hardened her AT Field as best she could. From her position, the shot was sure to hit, for the both of them, and she couldn't move quick enough to dodge it.
A blinding white light shone across the sky as the two beams of energy seamlessly passed each other.
Ramiel was disabled.
Evangelion Unit 00 held its ground. Rei's own glistening blue barrier held out against the strongest of the fifth Angel's barrages, and she and the Eva stood tall, as one.
The Third Child's heart rested easily at seeing the titan stand shakily.
"Shinji! You haven't got long before that body regenerates and adapts! Tear the core out now!"
The boy followed the orders of his Captain, and reached deep within the bloodied body of the Angel. It attempted to move, but Shinji withdrew his sword from the being's bottom point and stabbed it through to the paved streets of the city.
He moulded his AT Field around the Evangelion's fingers, to slice around the spherical edges of the core, and past the torus-shaped reactor in the centre of the octahedron.
The cyborg giant's hands then delicately passed the core out, past the massive hole that Rei had blown.
Shinji repeated what he did before, and pierced the bloody core to find the next Angel. She held a circular scar just below her right shoulder – which confirmed Sachiel's bit of info on their transformations.
This "girl" had long, long blue hair, and wore nothing but a small pendant, which held a jewel that was reminiscent of her Angel form.
Shinji looked on closer at the girl, and found that she was shaking… Shaking awake from her deep slumber. As he safely transported her to NERV HQ, the boy wondered if an Angel's strength translated to their needed sleep.
She finally came awake as the Third Child arrived at NERV.
She stared at the Angel's eyes, and through Shinji's video screen, peering into his very soul.
"You… You were the superior combatant…" She mumbled, looking downtrodden. Though she appeared around 17 years of age, the girl held the grace of a woman much older, and almost made it the entire way to her medical room, before she passed out.
(…)
Shinji stripped his plugsuit off as quickly as he could, and rushed to Rei's just-arriving scaffolding. Her Eva slid down into the restraints, looking much more peaceful than it'd been before.
He smiled as Rei stepped out of the Entry Plug with her own strength, and he rushed to hug the young woman so very tightly.
She could hear sniffling, and some small sobs. A large smile came to her face, and she wrapped her arms around him in kind, inhaling his scent deeply, past all the evolutionary blood they were both covered in.
"Don't cry, Shinji… I'm here." Truly, it felt so damn good to be cared about, to feel wanted. It felt so good to know that she'd be missed, and it felt even better that she didn't have to leave the mortal realm, completely crushing the fast, worried beat of her heart.
"I know… I'm crying because I'm happy, Rei." He pulled back his hug, and lightly kissed the girl on her lips, tasting her, beyond the evolutionary blood she'd had in her mouth and lungs. She parted their kiss early, and held one hand to the boy's face.
"I'm still looking forward to our date, Shinji." She teased him, with a genuinely happy, and a genuinely loving smile.
Shinji smiled, and hugged the girl again, happy to have her with him in this lifetime.
(…)
Ramiel sat up on her hospital-like bed, and continued to sigh. She perked up when she got visitors after only a few minutes after her arrival. Shinji sat down on a chair at the end of the girl's bed, and sighed deeply.
"You smell disgusting." She greeted him.
Shinji Ikari just nodded to her and sighed again, sitting deeper in his chair.
"I know I do. I'm covered in the blood of Lilith. I assume Adam told you to find her, yes?" Ramiel appeared to be shocked by the two names, and nodded slowly to the boy in response.
"Yes… Yes she did."
"How are you feeling? Are you tired, shaky?" The boy checked. He was definitely no doctor, but Ritsuko would've liked to know, in any case.
"My pride is hurt. What is your name?"
"Shinji Ikari. Yours?"
"R… Ramiel, I think. You bested me in combat."
"Well, I had help."
"But it was you that fought me, edge to edge, in close quarters… Your companion was underhanded."
"I'm sorry we hurt you, but we're sure it's the only way to communicate with your kind."
"You speak as though you've done this before."
"We have…" As he said that, Sachiel and Shamshel arrived to greet their sister, whose eyes widened at the two.
A small greeting, and explanation of their situation followed, ending when Ritsuko entered the room and ordered the children to leave the room.
(…)
Two days passed, and Shinji was happily daydreaming as his stare ripped from a private chat he held with his roommates on their computers, to the outside world.
His date with the three girls had been postponed, as per Misato's orders on Ritsuko's suggestion. Rei and Shinji needed recuperation, and the two Angel girls had to have their brains examined for any traces of their mental contact with one another, and their new sister.
Despite their grumbles, the Third Child couldn't wipe the smile off his face. In the face of his personal pain, and the sufferings that many did not know about, he now had some people who cared for him.
Tojiko and Kensuki, despite his initial qualms with their appearances and… genders, Hikari, Sachiel, Shamshel, Rei, and even Misato…
His grin grew with a small blush to accompany it.
The smile was wiped off his face as he was presented with two new variables to consider in his plan of world-saving, however.
Plus the third he already knew about.
"Class, stand and bow! We have three new classmates joining us – please, girls, introduce yourselves!" Hikari Horaki ordered her fellow students.
Ramiel was the first, and cleared her throat. She appeared domineering, and had a face that held no mirth.
"My name is Ramiel. Good morning." And with that awkward introduction, she picked a seat behind her sisters.
"My name is Mayumi Yamagishi…" A shy teen with long black hair greeted, looking as meek as anyone could.
"And I'm Mari Makinami - Evangelion Pilot!" The girl next to her, effectively her exact opposite greeted the class, with a chest full of pride. She had her hair done up in two small, brown ponytails.
'…What.' His brain effectively shut down at the two new transfer students. He seriously had to have a "chat" with Gendo.
A/N: Please, ask away.
For those new to my stories – this is the tipping point where they go from "interesting" to "okay" to "shit."
Also, I'd appreciate if you checked out my music. I need to whore myself out as much as humanly possible without actually whoring myself out.
