Not Without My Shinji
Chapter 5: Signs and Portents
Evangelion and Eva concepts are copyright © 1995-1999 GAINAX and Project Eva.
Not Without my Shinji original fanfiction written and owned by David Hutchings. Any reproduction of this work, in whole or in part, without express permission is strictly prohibited.


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*Shinji Is roused from a deep sleep by strange images in his mind. Some oare of his mother; others depict the other pilot, Rei. There are also images of another girl, one with red hair. Often, he is confronted with monsters resembling the Angel.*

Rei: Shinji, your father is a genious.

Red haired girl: Try to keep up rookie!

Yui: Treat the EVA as en extension of yourself.

Rei: Angels...Are they messengers fo God?

Red haired girl: Get up Shinji! Pathetic weakling...

Yui: You must trust the EVA...

Rei: I will repay you someday.

Red haired girl: Do you love me?

Yui: Shinji, be ready. The messenger is coming.

*Shinji is suddenly awakened by the rude sound of his alarm clock buzzing in his ear. Still groggy, Shinji prepares himself for the day ahead.*

Shinji: It was just a dream...



Two weeks have passed since Shinji fought the Angel. Now repairs have been completed on both Unit 00 and Unit 01. In addition, the pilot of Unit 00 has recovered fom her injuries. She now stands in the cage that houses her EVA, confronting her fears. Commander Gendo Ikari is behind her, admiring the orange behemoth.*

Gendo: It truly is a marvel, isn't it?

Rei: Yes. Do I really have to try again?

Gendo: We need another pilot.

Rei: All right. I'll try agin.

*Minutes later, Rei enters her entry plug and prepares herself for another live test. She feels the plug being inserted, and watches calmly as the test patterns flash across the wall. Then, just as before, she hears the voice of the EVA.*

Voice: You have returned?

Rei: Yes. I have to.

Voice: Then do you have an answer?

Rei: Yes. I am myself.

Voice: That cannot be. I am yourself.

Rei: Then maybe we are both me.

Voice: Strange. How can this be?

Rei: You are the soul of Rei Ayanami, and I also have a soul of Rei Ayanami. doesn't that make us both Rei Ayanami?

Voice: Perhaps it does.

*Shinji enters the cage.*

Voice: Who is that boy?

Rei: I don't know. I've seen him before though. In the cage.

Voice: There was an incident?

Rei: Yes. Commander Ikari needed me to pilot Unit 01. When I got there, part of the rigging collapsed. He rushed over to protect me, but the EVA broke free and protected us both.

Voice: He protected you?

Rei: Yes. He did.

Voice: Then we will protect him.

*Shinji pauses for a moment, then he walks off, heading toward the conferance room.*

Ritsuko: *over intercom* Rei, we have a meeting in fifteen minutes. You should get ready.*

Rei: Right.

*Rei shuts down, and exits the plug, hurrying to the showers so she can get rid of the LCL before the meeting.*



*Commander Fuyutsuki has been handing out the daily assignments for the past twenty minutes. NERV command, scientific, and ground staff had these briefings daily. Ususally the briefing consisted fo various department reporting on their progress and going about whatever they were doing. Sometimes it was different, though. Shortly after his battle, Shinji had been assigned to take Unit 01 and help the ground cleanup crew dispose fo the massive chunks of Angel carcass that remained after its spectacular demise. The most powerful conventional weapon in the world had been assigned to pick up litter.*

*Shinji is jolted back into reality bu Fuyutsuki's commanding voice.*

Fuyutsuki: Ikari.

Shinji: Yes, sir?

Fuyutsuki: I have a new assignment for you and Rei.

Shinji and Rei: Yes sir.

Fuyutsuki: Dr. Akagi has a new training regimen for you. I want tyou to complete hre objectives to the best of your abilities.

Ritsuko: *stands* At 11 hundred hours today, we plan to launch both EVAs into the outskirts of Tokyo 3 for a live weapons test. You will be armed with standard weaponry as if it were an actual combat situation. The mission is to eliminate the target as quickly as possible. understood?

Rei: What will the target be?

Ritsuko: The target will remain secret until the test begins. Prior to that, your visual feeds will be temporarily cut off.

Shinji: Will we be working together?

Ritsuko: No, you'll actually be competing with each other to eliminate the target first.

Fuyutsuki: If that's everything, I'd say its time to get to work.

*silence*

Fuyutsuki: All right then. Dismissed.

*As people are leaving, Rei catches Shinji just as he gets up.*

Rei: Ikari?

Shinji: Y-Yeah?

Rei: We met before, remember? In the cage. You saved my life that night.

Shinji: Well, um, I really didn't...

Rei: It was you. No one else could have done it.

Shinji: Well, if you say so.

Rei: I will repay you someday.

Shinji: Um...OK...

*Within the hour, Shinji and Rei are suited up and secured inside their entry plugs. Now only moments from launch, they are both given a final briefing.*

Misato: *Over intercom* Shinji, You'll be placed in the centralblock, sector 3. Your target should appear shortly after you are released. Your objective is to defend the city with as little collateral damage as possible. Remember that this is a live fire test.

Shinji: OK, got it.

Misato: Good. *shouting* Launch Unit 01!

*As Unit 01 is shoots up the delivery shaft, Rei is being given her instructions.*

Ritsuko: Rei. You will emerge outside the city. Your target will be waiting for you in central block, sector 3. You are to intercept and engage at your discretion. Keep collateral damage to a minimum, understood?

Rei: Yes...

Ritsuko: Hmm... *shouts* Launch EVA!

*Rei quickly follows Shinji into the city. In the control room, Senior technicians are busy monitoring the exercise.*

Ritsuko: EVA status?

Maya: Unit 01 is on position and standing by. Unit 00 is moving to intercept.

Shigeru: Magi visual data feed is functioning within estimated parameters.

Misato: Why do we have to pit them against each other? We could have used a Magi simulation just as easily.

Ritsuko: Because the Magi can only process statistics; propable scenarios and so forth. Shinji and Rei can react to each other's attack patterns and invent new strategies on the fly.

Misato: Are they really using live rounds?

Ritsuko: Don't be absurd. The EVAs are to valuable to be damaging them in a simple simulation. We told them that so they would behave as if it were an actual live fire test.

Makoto: EVAs have engaged each other.

Gendo: Put it on the main viewer.

*The image on the screen was a ballet of titans. Unit 00 had emptied its first rifle and had retireved another one from a nearby supply building. Upon sighting her target again, she fired. Shinji, percieving this as a particle beam attack from a sim-Angel, simply jumped. Unit 01 drew its progressive knife and threw it, lodging it in Unit 00's gun. Now inoperable, Rei throws the rifle aside as Shinji lands. Rei charges forward and engages him in hand to hand combat.*

Misato: They're pretty evenly matched, aren't they?

Ritsuko: Of course. The EVAs are almost identical, so the only thing that will determine a winner is the pilot.

*Just then, on the screen above, Shinji wrestles Unit 00 to the ground. Now pinning the orange unit, Shinji starts to draw his second progressive knife from the other pod. With incredible speed, he raises the knife, ready to strike the final blow.*

Ritsuko: *shouting* Stop the sim!

Shigeru: Roger that!

*With a single keystroke, the simulation is halted and Shinji pulls back his blow just before the tip of his blade pierced Unit 00's head*



Shinji: What the Hell!?

*Shinji pulls back from the Angel, as the image in the plug dissoves and Unit 00 replaces the simulated attacker.*

Yui: It was an illusion...

Shinji: But why...

Yui: Probably to give you a better opponent. The Magi are brilliant, but they are still only computers.

Misato: *intercom* Shinji, stand down and prepare to return to the cage. This practice is over. *chuckles* You did good, kid.

Shinji: *smiling* Roger that.



*Misato switches off the intercom*

Misato: Well, I think they'll be ready when the next Angel comes.

Makoto: Both EVAs are in standby mode. Awaiting clearance.

Misato: Have them move to recovery pads 33 and 34 and begin standard retrieval-

*Suddenly the air is shattered by the sound of alarms. The main screen immediately divides its view as it prepares for tactical encounter mode.*

Ritsuko: *shouting* What's going on out there!? Give me a status report!

Shigeru: No reading on optical.

Maya: High energy readingin sector B! It's centered behind the EVAs!

Makoto: Blood pattern analysis complete! Pattern, blue! Angel confirmed!!

Ritsuko: Where the Hell is it then!?

Misato: EVA status!

Maya: They're already locked down on the pads!

Misato: Then unlock them, damnit! *into intercom* Shinji! Rei! Angel at six o'clock! Visual contact not established! Power up and engage!



Shinji: What is this? Another test?

Yui: No. There is a presence there.

Misato: *over intercom* Locks open! Move out!

*Shinji and Rei quickly turn and see nothing but open air.*

Shinji: I don't see anything...

Rei: *over intercom* Ikari, are your instruments showing anything?

Shinji: Nothing...

Yui: It's moving!

*Without warning, a bright shimmering field appears beside unit 00. A long snakelike Angel emerges from the field. In an instant, the Angel lashes out with long tentacles and grabs Unit 00 by the leg. The Angel hurls the EVA skyward, ripping part of that leg off in the process. Rei screams as the pain is transmitted from EVA to pilot.*

Shinji: Ayanami!

*Rei lands several hundred meters away. Meanwhile, Shinji draws his remaining progressive knife and charges toward the Angel. His attack is quashed, houever, as the Angel whips the knife away catches Shinji around the neck.*



Misato: Shit! That's one fast Angel!

Fuyutsuki: Can we activate missile defense?

Makoto: Negative. Unit 01 is too close to the target.

Fuyutsuki: *sighs* We have no choice. Force eject the entry pug and cut power. If it doesn't fight back, maybe the Angel will ignore it.

Misato: Wait! I've got an idea.

Ritsuko: What are you-

Misato: Rei! I'm sending you the new rifle. Use your umbilical cable to power it. If you can get a clean shot at the Angel, take it!

Ritsuko: *outraged* Division two hasn't finished that yet! You can't send the type 20 positron rifle into combat half finished!

Misato: Does it fire?

Ritsuko: The Magi say it will.

Misato: Then it's going. *shouting* Launch!



*The pain was overwhelming. Rei struggled to crawl over to the supply building to get the positron rifle. She props her EVA back against the building and trys to gather her strength.*

Rei's voice: You haven't forgotten, have you?

Rei: I-I can't do it. It hurts so...

Rei's voice: If you don't, he will die.

Rei: Shinji?

Rei's voice: Hurry.

*With that, Rei reaches up adn takes the rifle off its restraints. After securing it over her arm, she disconnects her poser cable. A display appears, and begins counting down her active time remaining.*

[Sixty seconds]

*Rei attaches her umbilical to the rifle's ammo port.*

[Fifty-five seconds]

*Slowly, Rei takes aim through the pain.*

[Forty seconds]

*As Rei squeezes the trigger in the plug, the EVA responds in turn, and a white hot lance of energy leeps from the barrel, passing between the Angel and EVA. It cuts through the tentacle around Unit 01's neck, and the EVA is thrown back.*

[Thirty seconds]

*Enraged, the Angel speeds towards Rei's crippled EVA. Rei takes careful aim as the rifle begins to smoke in her hands.*

[Fifteen seconds]

*The Angel is almost on her before she pulls the trigger. This shot travels the short distance between her and the Angel and passes effortlessly through the Angel's core. The Angel collapses right in front of her and dies just before the walls of the entry plug go dark.*



*Rei and Shinji are exiting the entry plugs.*

Shinji: Oh...Rei...

*Rei turns towards Shinji.*

Shinji: I...um, guess I should thank you for saving me out there.

Rei: What for?

Shinji: What for? Rei, you just saved my life.

Rei: I told you before, remember? I said I would repay you someday.

*Shinji is taken back by Rei's words as he remembers them from his dream.*

Rei: I will always protectyou, Shinji.

*And with that, Rei smiled.*