Eventually Chapter 2, an evangelion fanfic

Eventually

Story By A Writer With No Name

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NEON GENESIS EVANGELION! NOR ANY OF THE SONGS REFERENCED IN THIS PIECE OF NON-PROFIT FAN BASED FICTION! PLEASE SUPPORT THE OFFICIAL RELEASE!

Chapter 2: Shouting At Nothing

The Third Angel advances across the Japanese countryside. Nothing can seem to stop it, as bullets, tank shells and missiles all bounce right off of its skin. It doesn't even have to use its AT field. Sachiel has its eyes set on a target, and it will not let anything stop it before it gets there. No man, no machine, no other Angel can kill it. That's what it thinks, and that thought process will be its downfall.

For in the distance, it's doom comes in the form of a depressed teenager. Who hides his feelings from the world? With the help of social anxiety and music. Though right now, he couldn't be more open about his feelings if he tried. Because he just sang about them. Confusing his future caretaker in the process and showing off simply a fraction of his power in the process.

Things had calmed down by now. The song was over, and Shinji remained quiet. Waiting for Misato's reaction to his little music number. It came after a few minutes of driving. In which, Misato leaned back and thought about this logically. Sure, it was technology she had never seen before, but it was probably that and little else. Turns out the kid was a lot more energetic despite reportedly being very shy. Just like her when she was his age, how appropriate.

Misato breathed in, breathed out, and while also focusing on the driving. She gave Shinji her best response.

"Okay, good to know. Anything else I should know about? Like who made this, or if there is anything else it can do?"

Her tone was mature, but lighthearted. The same Misato that Shinji knew from last time. Approachable, fun, and drop dead gorgeous. Though he knew that she actually was assessing the situation. Trying to figure out the truth behind his new abilities. Much like Shinji, Misato had layers to her, but unlike him she could use them to figure stuff out. Shinji wasn't the type to lie, and he wanted to change things from how they were before.

So, what was his next move now? Reveal his true power? Explain to her what was going on? Make a run for it and take on the Angel? Or maybe…..

"Yeah, it has the ability to stretch out it's signal distance. Though it doesn't really do anything else. You could give it a try if you want."

He handed it to her. She took it and looked at it in front of the windshield. It had a cassette tape inside, so it seemed normal. She ejected it and fumbled around with the tape in her free hand. So, she could read what was written on it.

"The Entirety Of Music." she read out loud. Laughing afterwards at the title.

"How much is in this thing?" she asked with a smirk.

"Well, a fair bit." Shinji responded with a smile.

"Alright, well then how about you play something more classical? Give me an example of how far back this tape goes."

She put the tape back in the player. Then handed the device back to Shinji. He hit rewind and held it like that for a little bit.

"Any recommendations?" he asked again.

"Oh, play anything. I'm not exactly a classical music expert." Misato responded.

"Do you know rock and roll?"

"Yeah, more of a 90s focused point of view on the genre. Though I like the classics whenever they play on the radio. By the way, how can you tell where that tape will end up?"

Shinji simply smiled and held up the player.

"Practice." he said with a confident look.

With that, Shinji stopped the rewind and hit play. An all too familiar string section started playing, followed by the brass which soared like angel's they were playing about. Ride of the Valkyries, a classic that was appropriate for what was about to happen.

Before Misato could tell Shinji to turn it down a bit. Helicopter debris flew out from behind them. They both saw this in the rearview mirrors. Thankfully, it was far behind them in the distance. Both of them looked over at it, surprised. Misato stepped on the gas, and Shinji focused out the back window. Where he could see the outline of the hideous Third Angel. He felt a part of his head start to pound. Not because of his powers, it felt like an old wound opening up again.

"Great, of course they look like that."

"That's only one of them. Who knows what they'll look like later on."

"Oh, I can't wait." Shinji said sarcastically. Making Misato laugh in the process.

The music swelled as she desperately picked up the pace. They were still a few miles from main city Tokyo-3. Though thankfully they were pretty far away from the battle. If they had stayed longer in the town they were in before. The Angel would've been right on top of them.

"You might want to drive faster. I can tell you are the racing type." Shinji said.

"Oh, you want to see me show off huh?"

Shinji nearly screamed and braced his seat as Misato really hugged the corners of the street. Even if he had been through this before, it was still terrifying.

"Hey, be careful you here? I don't want to pull you out of the wreck if we crash." Shinji said in a genuine scared voice.

Misato looked at him with a smile.

"Aw, hero Shinji is going to be there for me in my time of need?" she said in a cutesy voice.

She ruffled his hair, making him blush in embarrassment.

"Don't worry, I got trained by the best. Just hang on, I'll get you there before that thing can reach Tokyo-3."

"Good, best to get as far away as possible. Who knows when they're going to drop a nuke on that thing."

Shinji was hoping with that last line that Misato would remember about the military's N2 mines. Luckly, she did, as her eyes widened and started speeding even more.

"You're right! Hold on!"

Shinji took her advice as they sped even faster down the street. Appropriate timing, as the song entered its second verse. Then as they drove down the hill. The instruments along with their descent. Now they couldn't see the Angel anymore. That's when Shinji got an idea.

"Hey, if they really are going to drop a nuke! Why not stay here so the hill could block the blast!?"

Misato thought for a moment and slammed the breaks on the car. Shinji nearly hit his head on the dashboard. Though he had little time to react.

"You're right. Stay here, I'm going to go have a look. It won't be a dirty nuke, but it sure will be one hell of an explosion if we're in the wrong place at the wrong time" Misato said, before getting out of her car and running up the hill.

She watched the horizon with binoculars. Seeing the helicopters continuing to do battle with Angel. After a while though, it looked like the fight might simply carry on this way. So she made her way back down to her car to tell Shinji.

"The U.N. forces are still fighting it. I think we should move further away before they even think about setting one off."

"But we won't have the hill as protection if we move." Shinji reminded her.

"I know, but thanks to us getting out of the town early. We could get out of range before it even blasts."

Misato took off and noticed that the song had started to end. Driving off into the horizon to the final moments of the song. It felt pretty fun, but it was also incredibly dangerous.

"Don't put on another song, it's best if we can hear the blast when it happens. That way we'll know if we need to take cover." she told Shinji.

"Alright." Shinji responded while putting the SDAT player away.

The rest of the ride to Tokyo-3 was done in complete silence. Both of them were on edge for if the blast was going to happen. It was only until they reached the edge of the city. That's when they heard a massive explosion coming from behind them. While Shinji nearly jumped out of his seat, Misato simply smirked.

"Don't worry, Shinji. Like I predicted, we're out of range. Making us safe and my car safer." she said, patting her car.

"Good, I guess."

Shinji sighed in relief. Looking out the window like he was doing before. Staring at the empty Tokyo-3, taking in his new home for the next year. Shinji then reached for his tape player. He fast forward for a while, in which time Misato took notice.

"Play some Red Hot Chili Peppers." she said.

Shinji simply turned and smiled. He hit play soon afterwards. Misato couldn't help, but smile. Shinji sure had a thing for picking the most appropriate songs. Not only did the song reflect Shinji in the lyrics, or at least the idea of who Misato thought Shinji was. It could sum up the lives of every person she knew, even herself.

"Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner. Sometimes I feel like my only friend. Is the city I live in, The City of Angels. Lonely as I am together, we cry." Shinji couldn't help himself. He had to sing along.

Shinji sang casually along to Under The Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers. He wasn't rocking his body along to the lyrics or moving his arms around like with the previous song. Though his singing voice still had some power in it. With his eyesight looking out the window. The mood now felt like a road trip instead of a break for safety. A mood that Misato felt good in, so she decided to sing along too.

"I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion. I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am. She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy. Well, I never worry, now that is a lie."

Shinji had never heard Misato sing before. She wasn't the best he ever heard, but it didn't matter to him. Hearing her voice was like striking gold. Maybe he was getting somewhere, he was changing things for the better.

"I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day. But take me to the place I love, take me all the way. I don't ever wanna feel like I did that day. But take me to the place I love, take me all the way."

They sang together, though it was a bit all over the place. After that they laughed at how bad their synchronization was. Silently they agreed to let the song play out. Misato could even tell that they were close to the entrance to the geofront. So, she got on her phone to call Ritsuko. She looked over to Shinji, who got the signal to turn the volume down.

As Misato talked on the phone, Shinji simply sat back and listened to the music. Letting the feeling of being on a road trip set in.

"It's hard to believe that there's nobody out there. It's hard to believe that I'm all alone. At least I have her love. The city, she loves me. Lonely as I am together, we cry."

Shinji fell asleep for a minute and woke up on the lift. The song had ended and now they were slowly descending towards the Geofront.

"So, how long has it been since you've seen your dad?" Misato asked.

She had asked the question before, so Shinji was prepared for when it would be asked. Didn't mean that it didn't sting more this time around. All of the memories during his last time he was here came bubbling up. All the terrible things he did to him, along with causing the third impact. How could Shinji even look him in the face this time? He knew that he'd have to if he wanted to change things, but it would still be painful.

"Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Yes?" Shinji responded, snapping out of his thought process.

"You spaced out there for a second. Is it really that bad between you and your dad?"

Shinji looked at her, his face was one of pain and experience. The same thousand yard stare all soldiers get after a while, even Misato had it. Though it disturbed her, because it was on a child's face. Shinji looked away, with his reflection still being seen in the window.

"Three years…but it feels like yesterday when he abandoned me at the train station."

Misato's jaw went agape.

"Aw, you poor thing." she reached over and put her hand on his shoulder.

Despite it making every part of his body shiver, Shinji let it happen.

"You don't get along with your father, huh? You kind of remind me of myself." Misato said.

"You have no idea." Shinji responded. Misato didn't know how to respond to that. It was like Shinji knew about her father already.

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Misato then realized she needed to brief Shinji on NERV.

"Hey, I know this is an awkward transition, but I'm going to have to give you this to read." Misato reached for her

"I've already read it."

A silence fell over them, only for Shinji to turn around and break the tension.

"I found a copy online and I studied it a lot. I wanted to know the place my dad valued more than his own son."

That wasn't entirely a lie. Back in middle school during his first run through of his life. He looked up the NERV manual on his computer when he didn't have it on him. He didn't know how long he would have to keep on stretching the truth like this. All he knew was that he needed to make it to the EVAs before he showed off his true power.

"Oh, okay, understandable. You did get your NERV pass correct, the one that your father sent you?" Misato seemed understanding at first.

"Yeah, it's right here." Shinji handed her his pass.

After looking at it, Misato then turned to Shinji again.

"When did you get this pass?"

She was pushing, trying to figure out what was really going on. Even the tone of her voice had changed. But Shinji remained calm, he already had the perfect response that he didn't need to lie to prove.

"Three days ago." Shinji said.

Misato looked back at the paper. He was right.

"Okay, good to know. Then I'm sure you already know about the Geofront."

Perfect timing, the lift passed down into the underground. Where the sun was reflected down into the depths of NERV HQ.

"You mean this Geofront?" Shinji said with a sly smile.

Misato giggled a little with that timing.

"Alright know it all, before I know it you'll be leading me through this place. Lord knows I need a guide."

"Do you now?" Shinji said with that same cocky smile.

"Alright, it should be this way." Shinji led Misato up an escalator that was in full view of the EVA cages. Frozen in ice was the massive hand of Unit-01. Shinji stared at it in awe. It helped with throwing off Misato to make her think that he didn't know anything about the EVAs. When in reality, he was simply thinking to himself.

'I never noticed that.'

Misato kept up without even breaking a sweat. Though she was starting to question just how well a boy knew this place better than she did.

"All I said was the Central Dogma. How do you know we're also going somewhere else?" She was a lot more direct right now. In her mind, no kid would have this experience. He had to be a hacker. In fact, he never answered the question about who gave him that SDAT player. Maybe it was that person who was behind all of this.

"Hey, you said that, and I knew the way. I didn't know that it would lead us past this." Shinji responded.

"Who gave you that music player?" she asked.

The question caught him off guard, but he had to answer. Otherwise, he would look suspicious, he just needed to get them to the EVA cages.

"She was a programmer named Eve, she visited my school in 2013." He looked annoyed at her. She knew this was off topic and only served to try and make him slip. Plus, he wasn't lying fully.

"Sorry, just a little on edge. The Angel is closing in, a kid knows this place better than me, and who knows how your dad is going to deal with the situation."

"Alright, understandable." Shinji said. "So you call them Angels?"

"Yeah, there are a lot of biblical references around here. You'd understand if you knew the full picture."

"I'm sure I'll figure it out soon."

When they both reached the top of the escalator. A familiar blond scientist was there to greet them. Shinji had to hold himself back in order not to say along with Misato:

"Oh, hey Ritsuko!"

"Ha, you actually managed to find this place, nice improvement. Did you actually look at the map this time?" Rits said with a smirk.

"Oh, screw you. You're lucky that I didn't have to call you down to find me. I had an expert navigator, who has never even been here." Misato said, pointing to Shinji.

"Hi." Shinji said, pretending to be confused.

"Hello young Shinji," Ritsuko said, shaking his hand. "Welcome to NERV and thanks for getting here fast. We might have a chance to deploy sooner than later."

"Thank you, what do you mean by deploy?"

"Well, it's best if you follow me. You'll understand once we get there."

Ritsuko started walking towards the EVA Cages. Though Shinji had to play it off like he didn't know.

"Where are you going? The Central Dogma is that way."

"Don't worry, Shinji. We know where we are going." Misato said, pushing Shinji to walk with them.

"That's….that's the way to," Shinji looked towards the giant hand.

Misato stayed silent, but she understood what Shinji meant. What she didn't know is that while Shinji's tone was that of confusion and a bit of fear. His look was that of the same thousand yard stare from before. He knew full well what that was, now it was time to change how that thing was used.

The three of them went through the facility. Onto the same boat as before to take them over to the EVA.

"I know for sure you haven't heard of this before. It's not on any of our websites. In fact, it's soon to make its debut."

"Yeah." Shinji said quietly. Misato noticed this and wondered what he meant by that.

He looked down when he said that. His confidence and tiny bit of snarky attitude seemed to be fading. She would've asked what was wrong, but she and Ritsuko were too focused on where they were going.

Soon they were inside the docking bay, and everything went dark. Shinji remembered freaking out when this happened. Understandably so for a kid in his situation. Though, he didn't bother for now. He simply stood still, waiting for the lights to come on. When they did, it was still scary to look at EVA-01's face. Though all Shinji did was back up when he saw it. Which was enough to convince both of the ladies that he didn't expect it.

Shinji's heart was beating fast, he was nervous. All he could do was look at the EVA. Everything around him seemed to be muted. While Ritsuko and Misato explained to him what the EVA was for the second time. Shinji waited for an all too familiar face. All he needed to hear was his father say:

"Correct."

Someone must've said 'this is your father's work' in the background. Making Shinji look up with a plain expression.

"It's been a long time." Gendo said.

Though it wasn't all that different enough to fool his dad. Not that he needed to, he was here in front of the EVA. Everything had happened, for the most part, the same as last time. Shinji didn't need to act like he didn't know what was going on. Though it didn't stop him from feeling the same way he did back then.

"Father." he said softly. He soon closed his eyes for a second and looked back to the EVA.

The same song and dance played out. Gendo commanded that they move out. Misato argued with Ritsuko about using Shinji, but in the end agreed with her. And now, Shinji was supposed to argue with his dad. Become the coward that he was on the inside. Try to run away in the face of danger. When he was the only one who could save the world in this situation. Do the same thing that he always did before. He was destined to do it after all.

But instead, Shinji remained silent. Looking at the EVA with the same blank stare. His eyes were dead, his skin was cold and still. He wasn't tense, but not really relaxed either. The boy simply looked like a statue. Like he was detached from the world.

Ritsuko and Misato were confused at why Shinji went like this all of a sudden. They looked at him like he had suddenly changed into another person. Before they could say something, Gendo spoke up.

"Shinji, get in the robot." Gendo commanded Shinji.

But still, Shinji simply stood there. Almost ignoring his father. The two ladies were fascinated by how Shinji reacted.

"Shinji, you must listen to him." Ritsuko said. Shinji still didn't react. Though it was what Misato said, that got a reaction out of him.

"Shinji, are you okay?"

Shinji would've turned to face her and try to explain to her right then and there. What he was going to do, but his father had to ruin it.

"Enough of this silence, Shinji. Either get in the robot or leave."

Everything turned black for Shinji. He imagined himself in a dark room. Surrounded by shadowy images of himself, all telling him to do different things. They all acted like they knew what they were doing, but they were just as lost as he was. What a joke, what pitiful stupid joke that would almost be funny. If he hadn't already suffered enough alongside them.

He snapped back to reality, when an image of Sachiel reached for his head, but instead of Sachiel. It was his father instead. Still saying:

"Get in the robot, Shinji. For the last time."

Shinji simply looked back, with the same dead stare as before. Then, he slowly cracked a small cocky smile. And he started to laugh.

"Ha, I feel sick."

Gendo was starting to get disappointed. Perhaps his son was to mentally deficient to pilot the EVA.

"You will be properly instructed." Gendo said.

This only made Shinji laugh even more. Though this wasn't the reaction Gendo expected, he interrupted this as Shinji resisted him. Which is exactly what his son wanted him to think. Ritsuko and Misato's reactions were still ones of confusion. They weren't as prepared for something like this as Gendo.

Eventually, Shinji slowed down his laughter and looked up to his father again. This time a bit more manically.

"I'll be properly instructed on doing what?" he asked in a tone to get his father to say something.

"Don't patronize me, boy. You'll be instructed on how to pilot the EVA. With that, you will ride it into battle and defeat the Angel."

There it was the exact thing that Shinji wanted his father to say. He laughed for the final time, before gaining his composure. So, he could say in the plainest voice he could muster.

"So, you want me to ride mom? You really are disgusting, dad."

The joke nearly gave Gendo and Ritsuko heart attacks. As it easily broke their composure, making them step back and look at Shinji with disgust. As well as horror, due to his knowledge of what EVA Unit-01 really was. Misato meanwhile was disgusted, but more so still confused as to what that meant.

Shinji smirked at their reactions; he already knew what they were going to be. All wide eyed and stunned as they took a step back. The buildup was better than the delivery in the end. How disappointing.

"What's wrong? Got no commands for me? No reason for why you did what you did? Surprised that I actually remember what happened that day? It happened right in front of my eyes. How could I forget my own mother, being absorbed into this thing? ON YOUR ORDERS!"

Shinji's shout echoed through the chamber. Everyone got the chills, from the eavesdropping mechanics to poor Misato. They were lost but started to figure it out. These were things they weren't supposed to know. Yet, here was a teenager who was calling stuff out. All while Ritsuko and Gendo were still stuck in shocked silence. This amused Shinji, as he couldn't help but find enjoyment in seeing the ones in charge. Be in a state of helplessness. Like a rich person with all the money in the world, now being stuck on a desert island.

"What a joke. What a stupid pitiful joke, that would almost be funny. If I hadn't suffered so much because of what you've done to me."

Shinji then put his earphones on and smiled.

"In the end, you don't really have a plan do you? All you'll do is use the same trump card over and over again. No matter how many Shinji's, Asuka's, Misato's, Ritsuko's, or Rei's you have to go through. All because you want her back, when here she is. Right there in front of me. Why don't you join her? If you synchronize past a hundred percent, you get absorbed and join her. I should know, I was the pilot."

Shinji started backing up.

"Though that was in a different time."

He turned towards Misato, confused and shocked beyond belief, but with some compassion still inside her. It looked like she wanted to ask him questions about what happened, and why he was like this. The same kind of Misato he knew. The thought warmed his heart, though he knew after this. He could never like her the same way, not after what he was about to say.

"Kaji loves you, Misato. Stop acting like me."

He then turned to Ritsuko, whose face was similar to Misato. Though it was more defensive, like she had to protect herself now. How sad, that wasn't the real her after all.

"My father isn't worth it."

Speaking of his father, Shinji looked towards him last. The boy stopped; he was now teetering on the edge of the dock. He was about to fall in, but he couldn't just yet. He had one last thing to say to his father. Who slowly built up an angry, hateful look?

"JUST HOW MUCH EXACTLY DO YOU KNOW!?" Gendo yelled.

"Ha, you're yelling at nothing you know."

Shinji let the silence hang.

"Same with me. I'm shouting into the dark void that is my father's soul. I know you won't listen, but I simply must shout. Same with you, like father like son. Both with the same all-encompassing voids."

Shinji pointed to himself, as well as the things around him.

"You made it this way after all. You could've changed things, but of course you didn't. Because you rather scream at nothing. Because nothing doesn't fight back…..but whoever they were at the end who stormed this base. They fought back, and they helped to kill us all. So, I had to make myself into something. Otherwise, we'd all die again."

Shinji fell backwards into the cold purple water. He let himself sink deeper into the pool. Allowing the water to fill his lungs. Though before he could drown himself. He pressed play on his SDAT player. Filling his ears with Bach's Toccata & Fugue. This allowed him to control his descent, pushing him towards the EVA's core. Where he stopped in front of it and started the process of dematerialization on himself.

When it was done, he drifted inside the EVA. Where he saw the guts, organs, and muscles of the massive sized cyborg. The old him would scream at what he was seeing, but that version of him died the longest time ago. Now, all of this blood and muscle only made for a good place for him to hide. So, he could wait for the inevitable launch of the EVA.

Like he said before, it didn't matter how many people they would have to go through to gain victory. They'd still use their one and only trump card. Even if that meant putting a crippled young girl in the pilot seat. Shinji's own memory of Rei being rolled out on that gurney made him cringe. Because he knew that he had just left her to that fate when he fell into the pool.

Though he didn't abandon her. He knew that if he was to change things, he would need to convince her. Rei, Asuka and Kaworu, the three other EVA pilots who needed to be convinced to stop working the men who were trying to kill them. He didn't know how exactly he was to convince them, but he knew how he could save at least two of them. Perhaps acting heroic and being the person, everyone wanted him to be. Would be a good start for him.

He knew he could never actually be that person that everyone wanted him to be. Though he wouldn't feel bad pretending to act that way. At least, he could actually live up to the part of a hero. Now that he had actual superpowers at hand.

Hey everyone, how's it going? Me? I'm finishing this paper at 4 in the morning. So...fine. I'm not going to lie when I say that I had a lot of fun writing that confrontation with Shinji and Gendo. About time the boy stood up to his father. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if I made any mistakes. Leave me some reviews, I read them all. Thank You and goodnight.

P.S. To that one reviewer who read my first fan fiction. My answer is that it was my first story. I was all over the place in my experimentation. In the end, I made one messy story. That I can't look at without cringing, but it's there if you want to read it. Thank you.

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