Well, this is Chapter Ten...It seems such a long time since we first started, we've finally reached the double-digit mark....But whatever...

I've been thinking over various fic ideas, and there are a lot, maybe some crossovers, maybe a shot at the whole Fight Club/Eva or (Not an Anime)/Eva crossover...And I've got that whole Shinji Rex thing in my head, maybe even a R/S fic...But I'm way ahead of myself, I've got to keep working on new chapters for Madness, Darkness, and my old not-as-sucky-anymore fic, Fate of Destruction...

But whatever...Let's start the damn show!

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or its characters. Gainax does, and they rock. Who else could create both Evangelion and FLCL?!

Tokyo 3, Japan

Misato's Apartment

Misato Katsuragi frowned deeply as she heard a metallic sound as Shinji grasped a small framed picture, depicting him, Asuka, and Misato, before the Seventh Angel attack, with his prosthetic hand. He didn't even glance at it for more than a second, tossing it away onto his futon and putting another small white shirt and pair of black slacks into his small piece of luggage.

She stood in the doorway of his room, staring at him as if contemplating something sadly.

"Shinji", she paused nervously, "Are you sure you want to do this, maybe if you think about it some more?"

He simply continued packing, not turning, simply speaking in an eerily cold voice.

"Sorry, Sub-Commander, but my answer will be the same every single time"

Shinji slowly pulled the packed luggage up, carrying it with his flesh hand, and shifting towards his room's door.

"Aren't we even on first name familiarity, Shinji? What's wrong with you? I'm sorry about Rei, and Asuka, and the pain, but I just want you to know that I'm hear for you"

Shinji didn't reply, simply brushing past her, sending a shiver up her spine. The second after his shoulder brushed her shoulder, he spoke, in a soft, emotionless whisper.

"I hardly think that matters anymore...Misato..."

He slowly put his sneakers on, resting his small suitcase on the floor. It seemed light, and it was, as he had almost no real possessions, other than his SDAT, and his cello, which was in another case.

The Third Child moved towards the front door of the apartment, speaking no longer, giving no goodbyes as he reached for the doorknob. As his hand grasped onto it, he felt someone's hand grasp onto his right shoulder.

"Shinji..."

He recognized Misato's voice behind him, yet he had nothing left to say to her.

"Shinji, you don't have to leave, you're just retreating into your shell again..."

Shinji turned to face Misato, their faces only inches away. The Sub-Commander stumbled back slightly, utterly surprised by the fact that Shinji had reacted, and the emotion transparent in his close by face.

Misato couldn't tell if it was a grim, sad smile, or a wild leer of one who has lost everything and gone mad, and in truth, the Sub-Commander didn't wish to know8. The fact that she couldn't discern between those two emotions in Shinji made her feel sick with worry.

"Shell? No, no, I've learned that that is foolish, what good is a castle without cannons behind it? I'll not only take all this pain away by hiding behind a wall, I'll load my weapons of war and strike the sources of pain away from my life, before they hurt me. Preemptive strike, Miss Sub-Commander, that is a major tactic of NERV military operations, is it not?"

His voice trailed off as he turned around and opened up the door.

"The best defense is a good offense..."

Misato shook her head sadly as Shinji walked through the door, towards his new residence in a single apartment like Rei.

Shinji stared nervously at his feet as they stepped over the threshold between Misato's apartment and the outside world.

"I-I'm home..."

"Welcome home, Shinji"

"Come back home, Shinji", muttered the Sub-Commander dryly, as a single tear ran down her left cheek.

Tokyo 3, Japan

NERV Headquarters, Sector Five

Asuka slumped against the back of the chair, clutching the shock of auburn hair on her head and shivering in anger and many emotions she could not understand.

"Asuka's synch ration has gone down day by day, this is quite alarming"

"Asuka's in her period today..."

"Misato, you know that physical changes have no effect on synch ratios, this is something different, something deeper"

Asuka clutched her head, her fingers digging into her scalp.

"This...This is the last time I bleed for you...whore"

"And I thought I loved you..."

"I don't need him...I don't need anyone...", she whispered hoarsely under her breath.

Unknown to her, Kawuro Nagisa strolled up directly in front of her, flashing a warm smile at the Second Child's crumpled form.

"Hello, Miss Sohryu, were you waiting for me?"

Asuka lifted her head up with a growl.

"Don't be smart Fifth Child, why would I wait for a moron like you, I was just resting..."

Kawuro seemed to smile even more warmly, and Asuka reacted, her scowl growing darker, as if she was the shadow to his light.

Asuka stood, strolling down the hall, not so happy to be heading back to Misato and Shinji, but truly having no choice. Hikari had left sometime ago.

"Well, come on Fifth Child, you don't live here do you?"

"Okay Miss Sohryu"

Asuka paused as Kawuro strolled behind her.

"Call me Asuka..."

"Alright...Asuka"

Tokyo 3, Japan

Streets of Tokyo 3

Asuka strolled through the street towards Misato's apartment, with Kawuro Nagisa trailing a few feet behind her, a heavy aura of silence between them.

She stared down at her feet as she walked, and she had a scowl that now seemed like her permanent face. Meanwhile, the Fifth Child had his eternal smile, except now it was more of a sheepish grin as his crimson eyes sparkled in the sunlight.

The Fifth Child's warm voice broke awkwardly through the silence as they walked, startling Asuka.

"If you do not open yourself to your Evangelion, she will not move...Asuka"

The Second Child spun around and glared at the Fifth, quite angrily.

"Who do you think you are, giving me advice, you newcomer idiot!"

"I know more than you'd think...You're closing yourself off to her..."

"I'm closing myself off?! What are you talking about, idiot?"

"Yes...Eva has her own mind..."

"That doll?!"

Kawuro moved closely towards Asuka, smiling and putting a soft hand on her shoulder.

"You must be aware of that, Asuka"

Asuka growled and swung her hand in a flash.

"Hands off!"

Kawuro stumbled back with a red print flashed on his face, and smiled sadly.

"You avoid initial at all costs. Do you fear getting close to other people? I suppose if you are distant from others, you will never be betrayed or hurt, though you will never escape from feeling sadness. A person cannot erase sadness forever. Everyone is fundamentally alone. However, people can forgive and forget Asuka...and so they are able to live."

Asuka stumbled back, dazed as if Kawuro had just returned the slap she had given her with a punch. She felt as if she was transparent, and because of that, she was utterly self-conscious of her own weakness.

The Second Child ran off into the street away from Kawuro Nagisa, and away from the truth.

Tokyo 3, Japan

Misato's Apartment

Asuka Langley Sohryu slumped against the couch, too tired to pay attention to the soap opera on the television.

Misato was at NERV, and Shinji was gone, probably at one of those stupid Stooge's houses.

"Besides...I don't care where that idiot is..."

The front door opened almost as if in response, and Asuka shivered at the sound of it, hoping deep down inside that it wasn't the Third Child. She couldn't meet him again, not after that incident...

"This...This is the last time I bleed for you...whore"

But instead of that meek looking boy with blazing blue eyes and soft hair, she found herself face to face with the cold crimson eyes of Kawuro Nagisa.

Yet, underneath those frigid red eyes, she found a warm welcoming smile that almost threatened to engulf her and force her to smile back in return.

She broke this urge with a low growl, staring at the pale boy.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing here?!"

Kawuro paused and smiled deeply.

"I am your new roommate, Asuka"

"What?! But there's no room here, idiot!"

"I thought you knew, Asuka..."

"What? Knew what?!"

"The Third Child has requested and received new living quarters...I thought you were aware of that already...I shall replace him as the person in the first room"

Asuka stared at Kawuro, dumbfounded as what she had just learned began to dawn on her.

Shinji's gone? Idiot...Replace Shinji? Idiot...

Tokyo 3, Japan

Tokyo 3 Memorial Hospital, Room 665

Gendo Ikari grinned grimly as Yui stood beside his bed, her soft delicate hands rubbing against his coarse beard.

"My Yui...Is that you? I finally am able to see you again..."

Yui simply stared down at her husband, retracting her hands away from his face.

I've been waiting for this moment for so long... To finally be with you again, Yui.

"What about Shinji?"

Gendo seemed taken off guard by Yui's first words to him since the accident, as if the boy had completely vanished from his mind

"When I'm with Shinji, I only hurt him. So, it's better that I do nothing..."

"So, you were afraid of Shinji..."

"I don't believe that I can be loved by others... I'm not worthy of love."

Suddenly the former Commander heard Rei's voice from the other side of his bed.

"You're just running away. You simply reject the world before you get hurt."

"Rei?!"

Yui continued talking, interrupting Gendo.

"Afraid of the shapeless, invisible barriers that separate people...You just closed your heart to others."

Gendo slowly tried to raise himself from his bed to get closer to his love, but found himself stiff and unable to budge.

He stared up at Yui entreatingly, his cold eyes breaking down a look of love and concern.

She looked down at him sadly.

"Yui? Yui my love? What is this?"

"I'm sorry.... "

Yui paused, as if she was unsure of how to end that last phrase, and instead turned her head away from Gendo and continued.

"You will be going now"

Rei nodded firmly, her blue shock of hair bobbing up and down.

"Yes, you will be departing soon, Commander"

"What?! Yui?! Where am I going? Yui!"

Yui shook her head slowly and placed a hand on Gendo's cheek.

A single tear ran down the man's face and landed against her hand.

"A-At least tell me, tell me, you will be there...Alongside me, Yui...As we were before..."

Yui said nothing, simply looking down.

"Tell me Yui...please!"

Then that soft, familiar voice wafted into Gendo's ears once more, they seemed to fill him with a warm feeling no matter what they were saying.

"I am sorry...my soul is yet entrapped in the Evangelion...It will not join you wherever you are going..."

Yui's voice grew cold as blackness pervaded in Gendo's vision and the world grew hazy.

"Besides...The souls of Shinji and I will not join you in Hell..."

Gendo smiled warmly at Yui, even as that searing comment passed into his ears.

The darkness was growing, and he suddenly felt very, very cold. But he had been used to that feeling all his life.

As he lost feeling all over his body, he barely managed to let a final whisper out from his hoarse throat.

"So...This is my retribution..."

"Don't be difficult....I'm leaving you with your uncle..."

"No! Daddy, please don't leave! Where's mommy?!"

"She's dead, Shinji..."

"No! You're lying!"

"You saw it with your own eyes...you remember..."

"...forgive me Shinji..."

"So, Mr. Rokubungi, I've heard you-"

"Ah, actually I've changed my name; you see...I am now Gendo Ikari..."

Tokyo 3, Japan

Shinji Ikari's Apartment

Shinji lay against his futon, staring into space. He stared up at the ceiling, but did not mutter his usual quip regarding ceilings and their familiarity. In fact, he didn't even have his SDAT with him, it was still in his unpacked suitcase in the corner.

The room was barren with pale white walls, and almost nothing except a small bathroom, kitchen, and a futon in the corner. The bare necessities. All Shinji would need to survive.

Suddenly his cell phone rang, vibrating in his pocket and breaking the comfortable silence.

He slowly and mechanically reached for the phone, putting it to his ear and answering it.

"Hello..."

"Shinji? Is that you?"

"Dr. Akagi?"

"It's...It's...your father"

"What has happened to him?"

"He's...He's dead, Shinji, I'm sorry...", spoke Ritsuko with what Shinji clearly discerned as a fake tone of sympathy.

"And?"

Ritsuko seemed to pause over the other end of the phone, as if she was confused by Shinji's response.

"What do you mean, 'and'? Your father is dead, Shinji. I want you to report at NERV Headquarters at once, it appears Commander Fuyutsuki would like to have a word with you..."

"Indeed..."

"Goodbye, Shinji."

Shinji shut off the phone and stiffly stood up, brushing some dust off his black slacks.

He was already fully dressed, and had his shoes on as well.

The Third Child strolled towards the door, words leaking out of his mouth as he moved, almost as if he wasn't saying them, they seemed to just flow out of him.

"I feel nothing..."

Shinji paused by the front door, staring out into the city around him, the uniform, almost identical buildings.

"I am...nothing..."

Yeah...Really short chapter, sorry guys...But don't worry, the next chapter will be quite interesting, with Gendo's will, Shinji's mourning, and the return of crossover!

Warning, not all of these guarantees are guaranteed....Eheheh...

See you next chapter!