Epilogue

Red Eyes

Rei Ayanami sat in a solemn silence within the chilly courtroom next to her mother. The widow had lost the usual cheer in her emerald eyes, and her black hair seemed to have lost its shine. The one responsible for this sat in front before the judge.

The prosecutor stood up and gave his speech to the jury. He made it sound like he understood everything his clients had been through. He didn't. This was just another day at work for him. The albino girl despised the lawyer who pretended to be such an understanding person, but most of all; she hated the monster who was being charged.

She cast a look at him, a far cry from the giddy gangster with so much to prove as he had been weeks before, when she looked at him now she saw a frightened child. Her attention shifted to her foster mother, whose warm hand clasped her own. Her mother needed support, she needed help. When Rei had needed someone to help her, her father had been 'd taught her how to feel and let her know what it was like to be loved and cared for. Now she had to repay that debt.

The judge declared the trial over for the day. Must have been something the prosecutor had said, Rei hadn't paid much attention. Everyone present got up and left, leaving the soon to be convicted felon to slump into despair. Rei didn't care. She hoped he suffered every minute just like she had and still did.

Mother and daughter left the courtroom in silence. There was nothing much to say. But the mother had to ask something. Her voice was soft and miserable, 'Rei, this is…hard to say but, if you don't want to stay with me, then…'

Rei was surprised by this question. Didn't her mother want her? 'You want me to leave?' she asked in her soft, almost neutral tone.

'No, no, I know you and Ben were very close, closer than I could get to you.' She sniffed and smiled sadly, 'Ben was always like that, able to understand people so easily. I just don't want you to feel you have to stay. I know it sounds horrible but I-'

'You gave me the chance to know what a family is, and…he wouldn't want me to leave someone I cared for hurt and alone.' The albino replied.

'Thank you.' Her voice wobbled as the woman struggled with her emotions. She was not like Rei. She couldn't hide them from the world.

Rei hugged her mother back, in a tense and hesitant way, but it was enough to calm the woman. It also brought a much needed sense of safety and warmth to the teenager, something she'd been missing ever since that horrible night.

'When I'm gone, don't despair. Rejoice in the cherished memories we shared and that we knew each other.' Rei whispered.

The raven haired woman was still teary eyed but a faint smile emerged on her face when she heard the words her late husband would have said. 'Thank you Rei.'

While Rei and her mother shared a sorrowful, yet tender, moment something truly awful was about to happen later that day. Some might call it poetic justice and others may call it karma but no matter which side a person prescribes to some things are just morally wrong.

A policeman with a distinctive moustache and shifty eyes shoved the murderer into a deserted cell. The shove sent the skinny gangster to the floor, face first. Maybe if there were people around, someone would have intervened. Unfortunately for the low life, he was out of luck.

'Ugh!' he grumbled, scrabbling to his feet, rubbing his skinned elbow.

'You're a real dumbass, ya know that kid?' the cop pulled out something from his pocket, a syringe.

Seeing the intent behind the officer's eyes, the thug tried to talk his way out. 'Look, I-I know I did something-'

The officer stopped him, 'oh save it, I don't care about the dead guy. Business is business.' The cop checked the syringe, nothing was in it. Perfect, he thought.

The gangster looked dumbly at the man, 'b-but you're a cop. You're supposed to care about-'

Again the man interrupted him, 'heh, I'm not a cop kid. I just know how to look like one.'

'If you're not a cop then…oh god,' realization hit him. If this man wasn't upholding the law then he was going to break it, probably hired by the same guy who had hired him to murder that old man. In the end, he wasn't going to be some big time gangster, he was just a loose end, a pawn.

'Well, business is business.' The doppelganger said one last time.

No matter how much he screamed in protest, cried for help no one could save him. One injection, painfully administered under a fingernail, sent a lethal air bubble coursing through his arteries. Later, his body would be discovered in that same cell and the officer who had carried out the murder would be found to have been, mysteriously, in two places at once.

Shinji Ikari sat in his room. On his bed lay the hoodie he had worn when he had run away from home. It was also the same one he had worn when he saved that woman. Opposite the hoodie lay the recently bought, jet black mask with tiny holes for his eyes. In his hands, he held a pair of large sunglasses with a glaring red tint. It was the most apparel he'd bought this month.

Using his impressive strength, and precision born of his sensitive touch, he broke the frame of the glasses, leaving the lenses unharmed. Removing them from the wrecked mess of plastic he held them in his palm, his reflection staring back. Picking up the mask, he placed the lenses over the eye holes. It would work.

Moments later, he stood in front of the full length mirror in the bathroom, thankful that nobody was home just yet. The reflection in the mirror glared back at him, crimson eyes curved into a menacing scowl. The red and black hoodie made him look a bit bigger than normal, just enough to allow for his identity to be more obscure.

He stepped out onto the balcony. The people on the cold, dark street below were completely oblivious of what was going on above them. Crouching on top of the railing with an abnormal sense of balance, he took a deep breath. No going back now, he thought. Still, some part of him badgered on about backing out. Just run away, forget about it, the voice said. The images that ran through his mind reminded him that there was no running away. Not now, not ever.

'Hello, I'm home!' Misato called out as she slipped her shoes off. She couldn't quite see the balcony and Shinji wasn't going to answer. She tried her luck again, calling for the boy once more, 'Shinji, hello? I hope you remember that you're still grounded!'

A small part of him laughed at that last line as he leapt from his perch. He scaled the wall he'd landed on, opposite Misato's apartment. Onto the roof and off into the night ran the hooded boy.

The lean silent figure bounded and crawled, searching for his chance at redemption. He may never find it he might never be forgiven for his neglect that night. The way he saw it, it didn't matter. In the end, an eternal truth remained. That with great power; there must also come, great responsibility!

-End-

Shinji Ikari is not done yet, there is still much to do. NERV is busy with shady experiments and only one teenage spider in red can stop them! Wait for the posting of Scarlet Web to read more! (Be prepared for a rather long wait though!)

Well, that's it so far. Not much of an update, but figured I'd let you guys know I wasn't giving up. If you want to share ideas or anything then please don't hesitate to PM or review. Thanks for reading!