The metallic clanging of the alarm clock woke Shinji up. 'Weird, I don't have an old-fashioned one like that…' he thought to himself as he got up and went to his closet, intent on getting a new set of clothes. Opening the door all he found as that there was some MRE's, canned goods, and, to Shinji's utter surprise, several handguns and boxes of ammunition. 'Must be a prank or something…' Shinji closed the door and moved out into the common area. 'Well, whatever is going on, I'd better get breakfast started.'
But even this was blocked by the empty cupboards and fridge. To add to his problems, it seemed that not even the electric stove worked. 'Odd…nothing's working, and nothing is on…better check to see if Misato knows anything about this.'
Misato's room was full of clutter, and covered in dust, like it hadn't even been looked upon in years. Asuka's room was similar, except that on the desk was a single picture of her and Kaji and a lighter coating of dust everywhere. 'Ok, what's going on here?' Shinji went back to his own room and grabbed the MRE unsure of if he should eat it, but his stomach was not relenting. As he opened the bag and started fishing out its contents, his eyes caught something outside his window.
Or rather a lack of something.
Where Tokyo-3 once was, a giant crater now stood. Shinji could tell that it came close to the apartment. The sky was what got to him the most. Blood red, despite the sun being fully above the horizon. 'What the hell?' The MRE was dropped to the floor and Shinji dashed to the door and went to find out what was going on.
The city was completely deserted. No animals, no people, not even the familiar hum of electricity. 'NERQ headquarters….someone would know there, right?' He took off in the direction of the crater where NERV lay exposed to the world.
As he got there, there was the urge to use the restroom and Shinji did this, noticing the toilets didn't flush, and the faucets didn't work. 'Could it be like that time the power was sabotaged? Doesn't explain the crater, or the animals…' Shinji looked up at the mirror and was frightened with what he saw.
His face was obviously older, but maybe by only a couple years. A long scar ran along his left side and another on his right side that went up between his eyes. His hair was long and dishelved, and the stubble on his face was now apparent. 'Oh, no! I look like Kaji! Don't tell me I've switched bodies with that old man!?'
"Shinji, my son." Gendo came into the room, limping.
"Father? What's going on?" The man looked a wreck, his hair having gone white and his glasses missing the lenses. His clothes were tattered and looked like they would disintegrate at any moment.
"So you've forgotten again…" The old man looked down and shook his head. "Come…let me tell you….and show you." Motioning for the boy to follow he turned around and walked out of the bathroom.
The command center also looked a wreck, but Gendo just pulled up a chair to a terminal and patted it, meaning that Shinji should sit.
"This is the world after Third Impact. You kept it from becoming a full Third Impact, but the damage was done. I was such a fool to try to manipulate the world and try to get your mother back by destroying it all. I will surely burn in hell for my sins."
"Father…what do you mean? Third Impact? What have I got to do with anything?"
The old man turned around and typed a bit into the computer. "Here…I've managed to divert what was left of the city's power to this one terminal…this is all that is left of the MAGI and of mankind's dominance over this world. I can show you exactly everything that I did, everything that happened, and what I should have done in order to stop it."
"Why are you doing this? Isn't it pointless? With everyone gone…"
"You may be right, but what else is this old fart going to do? I'm not exactly like you and can't find my own food anymore. Besides…I think that maybe there could be a way for you to stop it…in the past….avert all the events of the aborted Third Impact."
"How?"
"Shinji…just read for now…"
"What is that dumbkopf doing? Where's our breakfast?" Asuka came out of her room expecting the smell of sausages and eggs, but was given a good shock instead.
"There's your breakfast Asuka….hope you enjoyed it." Rei smiled and went back to drinking her tea. "Shinji had a…trying night last night."
"I'm sure he did with you probably trying to rape him the whole time." Asuka coughed as she braced for another shock, which didn't come.
"Asuka, you don't seem to give me enough credit. I may be new to my emotions, but at least I can control the…desires. Unlike a certain girl I know."
"Hah! Yeah, Misato always seems to be trying to steal my Kaji!" Rei's eye noticeably twitched at this.
"Which one do you want, Kaji, or Shinji?" She asked with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Kaji's the real man, but Shinji can cook, clean, and is very easily influenced, if you know what I mean. I'm probably still trying to figure that out for myself."
"WRONG ANSWER!"
---------------
"So that's all I need to do?"
"Well, yes and no. Helping Asuka destroy the EVA Series will make SEELE's version of Third Impact fail, but my own plans could conceivably still work.
"You mean Reilith?" His answer was a simple nod.
"We aren't sure if it is working, but we have managed to recruit your mother in order to have her give me a…kick in the pants, so to speak."
"Hopefully not with Unit-01…that would hurt." They both chuckled.
"Probably would have been less painful than what she'll do."
"You mean you don't remember?"
"No. We are talking about changing the past Shinji, meaning that if everything succeeds…this world will cease to exist."
Shinji was deep in thought when it hit him that there were two people he wanted to see. "What happened to Rei and Asuka?"
"Rei…" Gendo pointed to the computer. "was part of Reilith, so she died with it when you…came out. Asuka…" He looked down and Shinji could have sworn he saw a tear. "She committed suicide about three months ago when she found out she was pregnant with your child."
-----------------
"What do you mean 'wrong answer'!" Asuka got up after having been shocked multiple times at the highest setting, and needless to say that the redhead less than pleased.
"You said that you loved Shinji back at HQ, but now you are saying that you also want Kaji? What's the deal? Why are you lost between the two?" Rei was starting to show her anger. Just imagine the face of anger with those blood red pupils, who wouldn't be scared?
"You practically have him at your beck and call! I'm surprised you haven't slapped a leash on him yet!" Asuka fired back, trying to get things back in her control.
Rei raised her finger. "I could say the same to you Soryu! How long have you lived with him and held feelings for him? Yet all you do is abuse and hurt him when you try to make him advance on you because you are so self-centered as to think that no one is worthy of being yours unless they make the move to get past your emotional barriers!" She slammed her fist down on the table. "What makes you think that I like being around you even!" Her face began to burn red and she started coughing.
Taken aback and feeling defeated, Asuka quickly retreated to her room crying. 'No one makes me cry! I'll get you back you bitch!'
Rei on the other hand was having problems breathing and could feel that something was definitely wrong. She ran to Shinji's room where her bags were, but she couldn't find them. Then she remembered that she had flushed the pills down the toilet. "SHINJI!!" She managed to yell out, waking the boy. He shot up and looked right at her. "CALL AKAGI!" Sweat was pouring off of Rei as she struggled to both breathe and calm down.
Shinji immediately pulled out his cell phone and dialed headquarters. "Put me through to Dr. Akagi! NOW!" He yelled as he picked up Rei and put her on his bed.
"Shinji? You'd better not be---"
"REI IS HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING! SHE TOLD ME TO CALL YOU!"
Shinji heard some swearing and responded to questions asking about Rei's condition.
"I'll be there in five minutes, have the door open and keep a cold compress on Rei's forehead. Also, stay there around her and pay no attention to whatever she may say." The phone hung up and blinked that the call had ended.
Shinji dashed to the kitchen and came back with a cold rag and put it on her forehead.
"Shinji?" Rei's almost angelic voice was empty now. "Is that you?"
"Yes Rei, I'm here. Don't talk much. Please….Dr. Akagi is on her way."
"Pills…when you…started inviting me, I stopped…taking them."
"What?! Why would you do that?"
"Because…they keep me…" Rei coughed some more and was now wheezing. "they keep me from…expressing my emotions. They keep me under…his control."
"Who's control?" Shinji was worried, but trying to keep her talking so that he knew she was still there.
"Your father's. In order to keep his scenario…going."
"Scenario? You mean the one to start Third Impact?"
"Ungh…" Misato rolled over in her bed as the sun streamed in her porthole. "Pen-Pen…stop it with the flashlight…" She mumbled as she reached over expecting the penguin to be laying next to her, but her hand hit another person.
"Ouch…jeez Misato, you'd think after wooing me all night that you wouldn't hit me right off the bat." Kaji chuckled as he wiped his face and rose. "Of course, being wooed by you isn't something I say no to."
"Don't tell me…" Misato mumbled and looked down. She was clothed, and so was Kaji.
"Unlike what you'd have people believe, I actually hold you in a high respect. You asked for me to stay with you because…you felt really lonely last night."
'He's telling the truth…at least I'm pretty sure he is….I had way too much last night.' Misato sighed as she went to the porthole and opened it in order to get some air. She finally had gotten her 'sea legs' and was enjoying her cruise, now if only she had more than the two days before she had to return back to the kids.
"I just hope the apartment is in one piece when I get back." She muttered as she saw Kaji go towards the bathroom.
"I'd worry more about if you wouldn't have to have a pregnant Rei move in." Misato blushed at first but then bust out laughing.
"Ow…I shouldn't have done that…"
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Bonus blooper section (takes place after the chapter...not part of the story, just a funny afterthought while I was listening to a certain song from the musical "Avenue Q"...
"Misato I'm going to check my email. Okay?" Receiving a muttered positive from the heap on the floor in the bathroom Kaji booted up the computer and looked through his files.
"Bill..Bill…'newlywed' picture…" Kaji chuckled at the thought of the three children in that picture. "Time to get some business done. eBay here I come!"
"You know Kaji…the internet may be a wide and vast thing, but there is only one good use for it." Misato slumped against him and hit a button, bringing up a website that made the man blush. Sure he had seen this kind of sight before…but that had been…ages ago.
"Misato…the internet isn't just for that."
'Kaji…you know nothing…" At this point she broke out singing. "THE INTERNET IS FOR---"
"No Misato…it isn't."
"It was created for that sole purpose!"
"No Misato, it wasn't created for that…the internet links man with one another unlike anything that has ever happened on the face of the earth…and you think its to be used for…"
"YOUTUBE!" Misato pushed him out of the chair and then added. "Oh and the porn comes in handy once in a while too."
Herald: Okay, that's all for this week folks! I really appriciate everyone's reviews and read all of them as I can. Until the next time though, keep your stick on the ice!
