AN: Well, here's chapter Ten.

Not much to say. Oh, a friend of mine is my beta now. I'll just address him as Dark here. So, a thanks to my beta for reading over this.

Let's get on with the show!

XXX

Deviations ~ Where Things Stand

Ikari Shinji sat in the living room of Misato's apartment, busying himself with his cello. The melody was helping him clear his head; as it stood, there was too much going through his mind for him to be able to think clearly. According to Leliel, he and the other pilots would be called to Nerv in just a few hours in order to meet their new teammates. Mari seemed rather curious of their identities, but Shinji already knew. Despite the somber melody he was producing, Shinji's lips turned up into a small smirk as he imagined how Asuka would react when she found out it was Toji and Kensuke.

The true cause of his worry and jumbled thoughts came tomorrow, however. With today being a Sunday, his father and Misato (to some degree) set today up as a chance for everyone to try and bond as a team somehow. Tomorrow, however, would shake up their typical schedule when it came to sync tests. It would be the first activation test for Toji and Kensuke. He silently hoped they wouldn't be able to sync well, though he figured it wouldn't be an issue in the slightest, what with how evangelions acquired their life in the first place. Still, he was much more concerned with what he'd have to do at the time.

Shinji and Leliel had decided to use the sync test as their cover for his conversation with his kin. They reasoned that they could play off a potential A.T. field activation as a one off occurrence of him syncing too deeply. It was a risky plan and with how cautious his father tends to be, if his field did ultimately activate, Gendo may try to have him killed no matter what Shinji said to try and explain the occurrence. None of this even addressed what his friends may feel from his field showing up.

Taking a deep breath, Shinji willed his mounting worry away and once again let the music fill him. Exhaling, he let his mind wander to trivialities. By the time his playing ended and he opened his eyes, Shinji was far more relaxed than he had been all day.

"That was amazing, cutie!"

And there went his calm.

"Wha-" Sinji spluttered as his eyes focused on the people gathered at the entrance of the living room. Misato, Kaji, and his fellow pilots were standing there, watching his face slowly change shades in embarrassment.

"How… how long have you all b-been here?" Shinji stuttered out, inwardly cursing himself for not noticing their entrance. He was an angel, damn it! What good were all his newly enhanced senses if they didn't help with something so mundane?

"For about ten minutes," Kaji replied, a single brow raised at Shinji in amusement. Groaning, Shinji set his instrument to the side.

"I didn't know you played the cello, Shinji," Misato smiled, "you're very good," she added as she took a seat on her couch. Kaji followed after her, taking up the cushion at her left.

"Ah… yes. My father said my mother enjoyed classical music once… I picked it up afterwards."

"Why haven't you ever played until now? It was… nice." Asuka's words brought a small smile to Shinji's lips, while increasing the red in his cheeks. She was certainly more inclined to give compliments than her counterpart from his past was.

"I usually only play to clear my head…"

"What's on your mind?" Misato inquired. Shinji looked to her, noting the motherly smile in her face. He doubted she even realized she was making such an expression. Still, he didn't like her question. Something about it just felt off.

She's fishing for information, he thought sadly. He wasn't surprised at all. No. He expected something like this. That didn't mean he was happy about it though.

"Um… just about the new pilots. And whatever our next fight will be… the last one seemed too easy once Asuka and Mari got out there and fought it. I guess I just have a bad feeling." His words drew a nod from her. It seemed she could agree with him there.

"I imagine the next Angel will be one to remember myself. The last two feel more like a calm before a storm than threats," Misato replied.

"Enough about them!" huffed Asuka, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall near Shinji, "We're meeting the new pilots today, right? Can we go now?" Rolling her eyes at the German's impatience, Misato stood to her feet with a sigh.

"Yes, Asuka, we can go. Come along everyone. Oh, and Shinji?" The third child cast her a somewhat nervous glance, "you've got to play your cello for us again sometime."

"Uh… yes. Okay, I will." Misato smiled at his reply before she turned away and headed for the door. Shinji and his companions followed her lead.

=X=

Leliel floated above a piece of rubble, watching crimson flames burn around her. Smoke billowed into the sky, blotting out the sun. Leliel took a breath and physically recoiled at the stench; the smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. Just then she decided that she wouldn't be breathing for as long as she was here.

Screams filled the air as blackened corpses dropped to the ground, a plume of fire tore across the earth and decimating a car and its occupants. The asphalt of the road and the concrete around it began to melt at the sheer heat of the ever rising flames. Leliel tracked where the flames originated and saw someone standing within the fire, their body obscured.

"Must you do this, sister?" Leliel asked, looking away from a soldier who was now writhing on the ground as he burned. Her only response was a roar of flames and more screams. Then, the figure wreathed in fire turned towards her, piercing blue eyes shining against the backdrop of red.

"These humans deserve it," replied the flaming one, turning away from Leliel, "they have caused nothing but trouble. Brought nothing but destruction upon the earth. They took-" the flaming one abruptly cut themselves off here, the crimson blaze around them rising momentarily.

"I… understand…"

"I suppose you do… when the time comes, Leliel, I will crush them all." Leliel said nothing in reply, watching as her sister stalked off in search of more prey.

"I hope you're ready, brother."

=X=

"This is some sick joke, right!?" Asuka screeched as she and her fellow pilots stood in central dogma, looking upon the newest additions to their team. Asuka's glare could melt metal, Rei had a frown on her face, and even Mari – who could easily be considered the friendliest of the group – had a decidedly stoic expression on her face. Shinji had imagined that they wouldn't take this news well, so he wasn't surprised in the slightest about this.

"I thought you said you were getting along with them now, Asuka."

"Technically auntie, Asuka said she tolerates them," Mari corrected, drawing an "ah" and a nod of understanding from Kyoko.

"And that's entirely different from being okay with them being pilots! Not after what he said!" Asuka growled, her glare still focused on Toji, "just because Shinji forgave this asshat-"

"Language," interjected Kyoko halfheartedly, clearly not all that bothered by Asuka's words.

"-doesn't mean I have!" Asuka finished.

"What's your deal!?" growled Toji, his face contorted into anger. Shinji sighed as he watched the boy react; this was precisely what he'd been expecting to happen. Kensuke seemed bothered by Asuka's words as well, but he was choosing not to get into any sort of altercation.

Smart move.

"I know I was an ass before, but I already apologized! You don't gotta keep holding it against me." Asuka snorted at Toji's response.

"I don't think you fully understand what this entails yet. You probably just joined cuz you thought it would make you cool or something," Asuka sneered, "makes me sick. You don't deserve to be here. And until you prove otherwise – which is unlikely might I add – you shouldn't expect any niceties from me!"

"As if I need niceties from a devil like you!" Toji shouted back, his mouth running away. Shinji sighed again. That damned insult had been born once more.

"What was that you stooge!?" Screeched Asuka as she began to advance on the boy. Shinji pinched his nose.

And that one…

"That's enough you two," Kyoko interjected before something physical happened, "I won't have any of you fighting. Get out of here and meet up with Misato. She's taking you all out on the town today so you can try and get along. This is not the time for you all to be bickering needlessly." Asuka and Toji stared each other down for a moment longer, neither moving.

"I said go." The steel in Kyoko's voice brokered no further argument or misbehavior. Knowing this, Asuka huffed and turned away from Toji, her fiery locks whipping behind her.

The rest of the day showed no real improvement. If Toji spoke an argument almost always ensued. Somehow, he even managed to drag Mari into it once and that didn't end well for him at all. Shinji didn't realize how mean the girl could be. This left Misato it's a headache, Kano having to console her, Kensuke sheepishly trying to calm Toji, Rei glaring at the athletic boy every so often, and Shinji thoroughly exhausted.

He almost wanted tomorrow to come sooner.

Almost.

=X=

Shinji sighed as he settled into his entry plug, equal parts apprehensive yet eager for the sync test to begin. Soon he would be face to face with his kin. Once he was, he knew that somehow, someway, everything would change.

Have you steeled your resolve, brother? Are you mentally prepared for what comes next? Leliel questioned as she appeared at his side. The only indication that Shinji was aware of her presence was a quick flick of his eyes to his right.

I'm as prepared as I'm going to be. We can only hope it's enough.

If it's not, I'll pull your through the Dirac and we'll see where to go from there.

"Everyone get ready," called Misato over the comms, "we'll be starting in about ten seconds." She received replies of understanding after the warning and Shinji tensed.

You'll be okay, Seraphiel. Have faith.

I know, Leliel, Shinji replied.

The sync test began.

I know.

The typical sensations Shinji felt of LCL filling his nose and lungs faded rapidly as he quickly began to sync with Unit-01. Shinji simultaneously let his soul, as Leliel explained it, leave his physical form and follow her up to a radiant, yet ominous crack of light above the clouds. Once the Third Child made contact with the light, he found himself in an expanse of white. No matter where he looked he could see nothing else, and the constant singing that seemed to reverberate from nothingness around him didn't help.

The thing that unsettled him the most about the whole situation though was the fact that he and Leliel were not alone. Following behind him, to his confusion and annoyance, was Asuka. The Asuka he'd killed – his tormentor.

"Why… why is she here?" Shinji mumbled to himself after discreetly taking a look back.

"Of course she would be here, brother," Leliel replied, clearly having heard him. Shinji's head snapped towards her, eyes widen and mouth agape.

"Y-you can see her…?" he began to panic irrationally now, wondering if everyone could see her and if he'd somehow made this figment of his imagination visible thanks to his A.T. Field.

"Of course I can," Leliel responded, looking at Shinji oddly.

"Wha… but she's just a figment of my imagination! My guilt given form! My grief, my self-loathing, my anger! How could you possibly se-"

"Because she is none of those things, brother," Leliel cut him off, realizing what a mistake her kin had made and what it may have been costing him thus far, "She – it is not a creation of thine mind. It's not thine guilt given form. That thing is your inner angel." Shinji's body stiffened and he looked over to Asuka. She looked back at him, eyes glowing red.

"Yee were born human so it's not surprising that thine angelic side would manifest as a separate entity of sorts once yee became one of us. I thought yee had known, so I'd never said anything."

"But… why does she – it, torture me? It's been hoping that I'll die since it first showed up," Shinji asked, even more confused than he had been before. Leliel glares at her kin's inner angel and the fake Asuka responded similarly.

"Yee may be human brother, but it is all angel. It feels the call of our father. I imagine it had hoped to break thine will and take over as the dominant personality within thine body." Shinji's eyes widened before they narrowed into the fiercest glare to ever adorn his face upon his inner angel. He'd put up with all of its abuse up until now because he'd thought he'd deserved it. He'd thought it was acceptable punishment for what he'd done to the Asuka from his world, but no. That hadn't been it. All he'd endured up until this point had been a fabrication. His inner angel had just been trying to lead him to his own ruin.

Never again.

"Let's meet with our kin now, sister," Shinji said as he turned away from his inner angel, steel in his tone. Leliel merely nodded and led him further up. Eventually she stopped and after a moment, one by one, the remaining angels began to fade into view. They were as Shinji remembered them, towering and exuding power and might. The only difference now was that he did not feel intimidated.

"Yee dare bring this abomination here, Leliel!?" growled Ramiel, his voice sounding like the crack of lightning and the boom of thunder. Hostility leaked off his form in waves.

"The vermin is lucky," came another voice, sounding as if it belonged in the cold expanse of space, a void. Shinji turned his eyes to the new speaker and saw Sahaquiel, "If we were capable of tangible interaction here, this blight upon father's glory would be dead."

"No," the single word brought a deafening silence following in its wake. The singing had stopped, and some of the other angel's looked fearful, though Shinji would never be able to explain how he'd been able to tell as much. The voice was menacing, a promise of an end of days. It was the apocalypse given sound; given form. "There is a way for us to crush this abomination this instant. Seraphiel will not survive this offense upon us."

Zeruel, the single most powerful angel he'd ever fought, had spoken. Shinji actually felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He knew he couldn't back down here though. If he showed them weakness they would truly kill him.

"You can try," Shinji spoke. He hadn't thought it possible, but a majority of the angels seemed even more offended than they had been before.

"Yee dare speak to us, vermin?" Seethed Sahaquiel.

"Yes. Clearly," scoffed Shinji. Leliel tensed at his side, worried, "why else would I be here. I wished to converse with you, my kin. Leliel guided me here so I could have this opportunity. I won't waste it."

"Have yee come to surrender to us in representation of thine filthy kind?" Zeruel's question had Shinji narrowing his eyes.

"Never," Shinji sneered, "I came to give you a warning. I've met all of you once before. I know how you think, how you respond to danger, how you bleed." Shinji paused here, watching their body language.

"How you die." The bloodlust in the space bore down upon Shinji at his words and he replied in kind, "I know you won't stop. You will keep coming at me until Adam is brought back. That's fine – keep coming. But know this, brothers and sisters – you won't win. I will put all of you into the dirt permanently and all of humanity will trod upon your rotting corpses from here onward. You will nourish the earth and by extension, humanity. And you will do this until there's nothing left for you to offer. We're going to live. You won't."

The tension in the space plateaued before spilling over in the form of Zeruel's enraged bellow. He focused all of his mental faculties upon Shinji and watched in sick glee as the teen grit his teeth, seemingly in pain.

"I will rip thine spine from thine corpse and hang your flesh from the horn of the cousin yee ride. All those yee hold dear will know of thine failure and I will make yee watch as I slaughter all thine know. My wrath will consume thine world, Seraphiel!" Baring his teeth in hate, Shinji stumbled back before replying to the invasion of his mind with his A.T. Field for the briefest of moments before he and Leliel vanished from the expanse of white. There was silence for a moment before Ramiel spoke.

"Why are you still here?"

Shinji's inner angel merely smiled darkly.

=X=

"Shinji! Shinji!"

Misato's voice was the first thing to flood into Shinji's ears as his soul returned to his body. Holding a hand to his throbbing head as he groaned, he hit a button on the control console of the Eva and spoke.

"Yes…?" A relieved sigh escaped Misato's lips.

"Are you okay? Your sync ratio skyrocketed. You very nearly hit the four hundred percent mark and we couldn't shut Unit-01 down. It's A.T. Field was active and…" she paused here, a contemplative look on her face, "and we couldn't get into contact with you." Shinji felt like she omitted something, but he wasn't about to press it.

"I'm alright… just have a headache. I didn't realize I was syncing so well with Unit-01 until I lost consciousness. Can I leave? I'm not feeling so well…" Silence followed Shinji's question on Misato's end until she eventually spoke a few moments later.

"You're clear, but Ritsuko wants to see you in her office to check you over." Acquiescing to her words, Shinji waited for the desync.

Shinji, Misato didn't tell you everything. Shinji frowned as his mother's voice entered his head. He wasn't surprised that his guardian had held back, he'd assumed as much after all.

What did she neglect to mention? Shinji asked.

They recorded a pattern blue from Unit-01. It was probably you at some point, though I don't think they're positive, what with the nature of Evangelions. His mother's reply made his heart pound.

You need to be careful with Ritsuko.

=X=

Asuka and the other pilots watched as Shinji was escorted out of Central Dogma, the lot of them concerned for their fellow pilot and friend. Toji and Kensuke showed that concern more than the others though. The two of them rushed up to Misato, badgering her for information. She didn't say much at first, but eventually got annoyed with the brats and directed all their questions to Kyoko. The three pilots of the fairer sex still didn't say anything when their two new comrades questioned Dr. Soryu, but they were definitely listening.

"What happened to him?" Toji asked. Kyoko looked from the two boys before her, to Misato's retreating form, then back before exhaling a sigh through her nose.

"The downside of a high sync ratio. At least, that's what we assume."

"Other than feeling all the pain from your Evangelion …?" Kensuke inquired, looking a tad pale at the prospect of more consequences for high sync ratio. Kyoko merely nodded as her eyes discreetly swept over her daughter.

"Indeed. Shinji has broken into 200% sync on more than one occasion. Today however, he surpassed even that and nearly hit 400." Asuka seemed to stiffen at the news and Mari frowned at her before nudging her in the side. The redhead glared at her cousin, but this time Mari glared back. They held each other's gazes for a moment before Asuka huffed and looked away.

"It's been theorized here at Nerv what would happen if a pilot ever reached such a high ratio. Suffice it to say, the results aren't exactly… pleasant."

"What are the results, Doctor?" Rei asked suddenly. Kyoko looked at her with a raised brow, but responded nonetheless.

"It is predicted that the pilot will lose their physical form and be absorbed into the Eva."

Silence.

None of the pilots could find any words to respond with. They'd come so close to losing a friend and it wasn't even in battle. Asuka would have laughed if it all wasn't so disturbing. Another thought entered Asuka's mind, but she pushed it away. It wasn't a question to bring up now. Not with all these people.

"That could happen to us…?" Kensuke replied, his face grim.

"Theoretically," Kyoko reminded, "no one has ever achieved such a high ratio with the current syncing methods so there's no concrete data to back our assumptions. Ikari Shinji is a special case as no one here truly expects you all to reach sync ratio's as high as his… nor do we actually wish it."

=X=

Shinji stepped into Ritsuko's office with some trepidation. He knew how suspicious his father was of him and honestly wasn't looking forward to this check up. He knew he was still a little rattled from everything he'd learned and experienced today. Trying to match Ritsuko's wits as he was now seemed a tad impossible.

"How are you feeling, Shinji?" Ritsuko's asked as she continued tapping away on her computer, her back to the Third Child. She didn't seem all that concerned about being alone with him. That was something that surprised him a bit, What with the distrust he knew she must feel.

"I'm alright, I guess… a little rattled. A bit of a headache." Ritsuko swiveled in her chair to face him now and Shinji merely stared back. After she stared him down a bit longer she stood and grabbed a clipboard before gesturing for him to sit down. She'd determined that he wasn't lying, which was true. Shinji felt exactly as he'd said, just not for the exact reasons she thinks.

"Do you know why you're here, Shinji?"

"Misato said I almost broke into the four hundreds…"

And they'd like to see if thou art an Angel now, Leliel snorted. Shinji's eyes flicked to the left, away from the door before he focused back on Ritsuko. She was nodding.

"Yes. You were on the precipice. Literally teetering between 398 and 399 percent."

"Precipice?" Shinji inquired, "was my ratio such a bad thing? I mean… disregarding Unit-01 being out of control." Shinji knew exactly why such a high ratio was a bad thing in their eyes, of course. He distinctly remembered being ejected from Unit-01 like some demented new born or something. The memory wasn't exactly pleasant. Nor did he enjoy his time as LCL. It was bizarre.

"Yes," Ritsuko nodded, "we theorize that exceeding 400% sync ratio will convert your body into LCL and your consciousness will be absorbed by the Eva." Shinji made a show of his eyes widening as he spluttered for some sort of response. He played the freak out well, while on the inside he was calmer than she could imagine.

"That's possible!?"

Thou art getting good at such deceptions…

I know… and I hate it.

"In theory. We're not sure. As it stands, you managed to avoid finding out. However, I'd like to ask you some questions. Maybe to clear things up."

"Uh… okay." Nodding in thanks at his agreement, Ritsuko began.

"What were you feeling when you began the sync? During?"

Intense nervousness and fear. Some anger and pain later on.

"I was trying to clear my head. Focus on something calming… so I thought about my mother."

A decent response, brother Seraphiel. Shinji's eyes flicked to the left again and he gave a very shallow, imperceptible nod.

"That alone got you to such a high Ratio?"

"Yes." After his response he listened to Ritsuko hum and scribble something down on her clipboard.

"Have you been feeling normal lately? Has anything stressed you out?"

You and my damn father. And an inner angel I thought was self imposed torment for my failings. But I'm peachy, I assure you.

Brother, thou art gripping the chair tighter. Calm thine self.

Sorry. Just easier to fake an answer if I get the feelings out beforehand.

"Yes. I was a little wound up before the festival, but that helped me relax. If I can be honest? The only thing that I'm bothered by now is Toji and Kensuke becoming pilots. I don't want to wish my life upon anyone else." It was another half truth on his part.

"Did anything occur before you came here? That your father may not have known about?"

I killed everyone close to me, you could say. Hopped dimensions. Oh, and became an Angel.

"N-no."

"Are you telling me the truth?"

"Y-yes. I am. Just…. I wasn't expecting the question. Life was simple… a tad boring, but it was simple." Ritsuko nodded at his response.

"How is life with Misato?"

"Enjoyable," Shinji smiled faintly, "She's really nice. I imagine that if I'd had a mother she would be at least somewhat similar. No one's really cared about me as much as Misato has."

"Surely your father…" Shinji snorted before Ritsuko could finish.

"Come on now, we both know he doesn't give a damn about me. Or anyone really."

Too much, Seraphiel.

You're right… sorry, she caught me off guard with that. Shinji's expression shifted back into something more impassive as Ritsuko stared at him more intently than before. After a moment, she nodded slowly and asked another question.

"And things with the other pilots?"

"Things are good with them too," Shinji replied with a slight smile, thinking of his friends. He figured some things could be better; some more time spent with Rei or finally being with Asuka, but he couldn't complain about how things currently were. "We're getting along well… though I can't say I'm pleased with Toji and Kensuke becoming pilots, as I said earlier. No one should have to live the life we do."

"Understandable," Ritsuko replied as Leliel shifted to his other side, now closer to the door, "but it's not really your decision. They were compatible and they accepted. You should respect that."

"I do…" Shinji replies slowly, a small scowl creeping onto his lips, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Or think they made a good decision," he finished after briefly looking to Leliel for support as discreetly as he could.

"Did you see something at the door?" Ritsuko asked. Apparently, he hadn't been discreet enough.

"Huh? Ah…. No. I didn't see anyone there. Just kind of looking around." Ritsuko nodded at Shinji's reply before speaking.

"Alright then... so you don't think working for Nerv is a good thing? Not even the benefits?" Shinji snorted.

"Should I? Maybe they are for others… but it's not like those benefits outweigh the dangers of piloting. I'd quit if I could."

"Why haven't you?" Ritsuko pressed. At his side, Leliel spoke.

Don't give away too much, brother. This is already past the point of checking if you're okay.

Shinji offered Ritsuko a dismissive shrug.

"I don't really want to talk about that… it's… personal." Ritsuko once again stared at him more intently, their silence stretching in for a minute or two.

"That is fine, I suppose. As for your anger… I suppose you are right. You don't have to like the decision they made," she conceded, "You're just a child too… we can't fully expect you to understand making sacrifices such as these."

I haven't been a child in a long time, Doctor. You, my father, Nerv, Seele…. You all saw to that, Shinji thought bitterly.

"I suppose that's enough. You seem okay to me, Shinji, if a little on edge; that's also understandable though. How about you run along and find Misato so you can head home. Get some rest. You've had quite the day." Eager to leave, Shinji nodded at the dismissal and left the room. As the door closed behind him, Ritsuko stared at his back out of the corner of her eyes before shifting them to her clipboard, a scowl on her face.

I'm positive now. Something about Ikari Shinji isn't right…

Ritsuko stood from her seat and exited the room. She needed to talk to the commander and the others.

XXX

So, that's the chapter! Again it isn't action packed, but the stage is now set. Deviations III may or may not be our soon. I've had the idea rolling around in my head for a while so it may be a quick release as long as life allows. We need if you guys can guess what's gonna go down.

There's more foreshadowing here, though I'm curious of how you all will receive the "flaming one" specifically.