DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, as should be apparently obvious. Evangelion and all related characters belong to GAINAX and whomever they may have sold the rights to. Of course, spoilers ahead, so you have been warned, along with violence, language, and mature situations possible in later editions.

I don't expect everyone will like or appreciate my work, but let us get a few things out of the way first. Avery Black is not me, this is not, nor has it ever been a self-insert. He IS a character of my own creation, and if you do not care for author-created characters, then by all means depart, and save me the trouble of not caring about your opinion. Feedback from such as you will be ignored. Feedback from people I can respect, or feedback that is constructive, is always welcome. I will write this story reguardless of what is given to me, so repeatedly flaming me will do nothing but prove to me how stupid you are. As I said above, save me the trouble of not caring about your opinion, if you intend to do that.

I write on paper before placing anything on computer, so updates will be slow, depending on my mood, the time to write/type I am given by college and work, and when and how writer's block decides to rear it's head.

That being said, enjoy.

CrimsonEyes


" " - denotes speech

* * - denotes thought

' ' - denotes a flashback/memory


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SIXTH - DELIBERATE MISTAKES

Prologue

By CrimsonEyes


The water cascaded down his body in streams, slicking his skin, and matting his hair together in clumps, until it resembled nothing more than a tattered, threadbare cape that wrapped about his thin frame. The heat, the dampness, it all felt good, a welcome releasing of the tensions that the day had brought.

Many of these were self-inflicted, challenges and torments placed in his path by the very one who had to meet them everyday. Those, he could deal with. He knew his limits, he had known them for years now. It was the unexpected that had his body so tense this night, the curves in an otherwise straight and predictable road. That was what his concerns were saved for.

His parent's reactions, for one, had been exactly as expected, as well acted as though they had been on stage. Pride, sadness, and an underlying message to accept the offer and go, to go as soon as possible. They needen't have worried about that, as he had already accepted, long before they had finished explaining what they had wanted from him. The movers had come and gone, leaving him with a bare few personal possessions for the journey to come. His parents, of course, had had no real way of knowing this. No doubt their orders had been to coerce him into accepting as quickly as possible, orders given with the assumption that he would be difficult, or require time to think. They had recovered admirably, when he informed them that he was leaving the very next day. A small blemish in an otherwise flawless performance.

He sighed, barely audible underneath the shower's spray, and reached forward, twisting the knob until the water stopped, the night's chill quickly sneaking in to steal away the warmth gained. He did not linger, quickly drying himself off, and wringing what excess water he could from his hair, before slipping into sleeping clothes, a shirt so tattered around the chest that it barely hung on his shoulders, and a pair of black sweat pants, in deference to the cold of the evening. Then, he retreated to his bed, hairbrush in hand, as he slowly chased the tangles and mats from his hair. This was a nightly ritual for him, borne both from necessity and desire. Necessity, in that hair like and as long as his required constant care, lest he wake up with knots in the morning, knots that required time and pain to untie. Desire, was for the calm it bestowed him, a mantra of sorts, allowing his body to guide itself, while his mind recalled the events of the day.

And this day had had much to remember, a surprise or two to be sure, but.......also, not totally unexpected. Ever since the news of the Fourth, he had been expecting this, knowing that sooner or later he would be called up. The question was, why? Why now, of all times? They had known of his existence mere days after finding the Fourth, yet nothing had been said or done, until today, about moving him elsewheres. It had seemed like they were content to have him remain here, training and guarding for an attack that never came, that WOULD not come. And then, in one day, a total blitzkrieg, a rush to get him out of the country as soon as possible, with even his parents having done their part in the charade. Personally, he was impressed. NERV was efficient, he had to give them that.

He blinked once, clearing his vision, and reached up, brushing a few stray hairs from his field of view, as his other hand gathered his hair together and secured it, the ritual done, for tonight. One last time, he cast his eyes about his room, making sure that all was as it should be. He left early tomorrow morning, he could not afford to waste time with something that could have been done tonight. Finally, satisfied that all was in it's place, he killed the lights, and laid back, his breathing slowing as his mind drifted to sleep.

Still, the words he had heard today would haunt his mind long after he had submitted conscious control over it. Had they known how sharp his hearing was, they likely would not have relied on whispers to keep their words unheard.

'......Yes Commander, the Sixth has agreed to come with us back to Tokyo-3. His possessions and Evangelion are being loaded onto the transport plane as we speak........Yes, we will depart tomorrow morning at 0800, we should arrive in Tokyo-3 sometime that evening, I'll arrange for Misato to have the other Children meet him the next day after school lets out, I'll trust her to deal with his living arrangements as well........'

*The Sixth.......I believed......and always was told.....I was the Fifth......*

CONTINUED