I'm afraid I accidentally allowed a misconception to appear and I'll be
clearing it up in this chapter.
Chapter 3: The First Angel
Shinji walked into Admiral Kaizer's room nervously. The office was sparsely decorated besides some paintings of some spaceships and of a teenage girl. The one that attracted Shinji's attention was not really that big. She looked to be a little older than Shinji, maybe by one year. However, what caught his attention was the fact that she had long bright red hair and crystal blue eyes. The girl reminded Shinji of Asuka, but she most definitely wasn't. Actually, she looked rather different from the girl Shinji had lived with. Asuka had some Japanese influences in her looks, while this girl looked to be purely Caucasian.
"She's a beauty."
Shinji turned around quickly and saw Drake standing next to him.
"Sorry if I startled you," Drake apologized, "I saw you admiring her."
"Is she a real person?" Shinji asked, turning his attention back to the painting.
"She sure is. I have some real images of her if you want to see them."
Drake walked over to his desk and turned some kind if display towards Shinji. Shinji looked down at the image and saw that it was the same girl. Her smile radiated a kind of peace and happiness that Shinji rarely saw anymore.
"Who is she?"
"You might not believe it, but she's my fiancée," Drake told him.
He was right, Shinji didn't believe him. The girl must be only sixteen at most, and Drake looked like he was in his late twenties.
"I think I agree with you sir," said Shinji.
"Not surprising. I assume it's our age difference?"
Shinji nodded.
Drake suddenly burst out in laughter, catching Shinji off guard. He waited patiently until the admiral stopped.
"I'm sorry, but that is one of the most humorist reasons I've heard. You know why?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Because I'm not twenty-eight, thirty-four, or any age in that area. I've been around since Lucifer got killed."
"Lucifer?" Shinji asked, not sure who the man was talking about.
"Lucifer, the Dark Lord of Hell. Satan, you know, in the bible? Did you ever read it?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Oh. Well, let's just say that the Christian religion isn't all fiction. There was indeed a Dark Lord, and there is a Hell right now. But Lucifer got killed about twenty-five thousand years ago."
"What? But that means!"
"Yep. I'm about twenty-five thousand years old."
"But, that's impossible!"
"It isn't if you aren't exactly human," said Drake, "Believe me Shinji, I'm telling the truth. Besides, you've been around for much longer. You make me look young."
"But I'm only fourteen!" Shinji protested.
"Your body," said Drake, "You are a few billion years old. But enough of that. It isn't like she cares how old I am."
Shinji had been dealt too many surprises so he didn't know how to exactly proceed.
"Oh, by the way, she's the daughter of Admiral Alexi Angel. Her name is Asuka Angel."
"What!"
"Absolutely no relation to the Asuka you know," Drake assured him, "Besides, my Asuka is a lot better tempered."
Shinji could easily believe that.
"Anyways, that's not why you're here. I wanted you here because for the past two weeks you've managed to relearn some of the most advanced sword technique in existence, be able to kill with any weapon we have here, and start to be able to calculate things quickly in your head. That's all very impressive, but I'm afraid we're going to have to accelerate your training."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we have to reawaken part of you so you can utilize your AT-Field and be able to teleport around. Don't you think that'll be useful?"
Shinji had to admit, being able to stop an attack cold would come in handy. He nodded his agreement.
"Good. Now, stay where you are but turn around."
Shinji did so and Drake walked up in front of him.
"Close your eyes."
Shinji followed his instructions and Drake placed one hand on Shinji's forehead. A black aura surrounded Drake as he probed into Shinji's mind, quickly locating the stored memory. Inside the mind, Drake found what he was looking for and unlocked it. He was suddenly thrown back but dug his heels in and stopped quickly. Shinji staggered at first but found his balance again. He looked up at Drake for a second recognition appeared in his eye.
"Drake?"
"You should remember enough to use your AT-Field," Drake said, "Hopefully the rest of your memories will come back on their own."
Shinji nodded.
"Go back and get some rest. You'll be going through more training tomorrow."
Shinji nodded again and started walking. However, he paused and looked back a Drake.
"Drake, I really don't see as how age matters when love is involved," he said before leaving. Instead of walking out of the room, Shinji disappeared.
"Well, seems you've remembered how to do that at least," Drake said to himself.
============================================================================
Shinji reappeared in the apartment he shared with Evelyn and Amanda. Sharing a living place with two women was nothing new for Shinji. He plopped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Amanda soon appeared and disturbed his thinking.
"Hey Shinji. How was the meeting with Admiral Kaizer?"
Shinji raised his arm a little and a glass of water floated over to him. He took a sip, answering Amanda's question.
"Well, that's certainly an improvement. Do you think you'll be ready?"
Shinji thought about that question and ran through his head all of the training he had been given. The tactical training surrounded attacking and defending buildings, tunnels, and other large installations. All of that pointed to either attacking or defending NERV. He hoped it was to defend NERV, or at least some of the people inside NERV.
"If I'm not ready," he finally answered, "I will die."
"That's certainly true enough," Amanda said as she leaned forward on the couch. "But what is important is if you think you're ready."
"I will be," Shinji assured you.
"That certainly sounded confident," Amanda teased, "Why the change?"
"My, memories," Shinji answered hesitantly, "And the fact that both you and your sister have been telling me to be more confident."
"Still following other people's orders?"
"No, taking other people's advice," Shinji corrected, "That's different."
"Don't get too smart."
Shinji chuckled and closed his eyes momentarily. The rules had certainly changed after he started taking that tactical command class, but the one rule Shinji didn't want to bend or break was that of him killing another human being. It just wasn't in his nature.
"Take a shower and get to bed," Amanda said to him, "You've had a long day."
That was something Shinji could agree with. He had worked hard keeping up with his classes, training with the sword, and practicing some very rusty tricks with his AT-Field. It was amazing what was locked up in his head and yet there was still more that he could not access.
Shinji got up and got some clothes before going into the bathroom. He locked the door and turned on the hot water. After it had filled the bathtub, he stripped and dipped in. The heat quickly loosened his muscles, though Shinji himself was still very tired. He didn't want to fall asleep in a tub though, and got out after thoroughly washing. He dried, put on the clean clothes, and went to bed.
============================================================================
Shinji's eyes snapped open and found himself in a massive white cavern. The whiteness came from the walls, which didn't look like any kind of rock he knew of. It also didn't seem to be ice or snow either. The entire thing was gigantic and the lights supported around him barely illuminated this part of the cavity. His arms were held up to his sides and something was in them. There wasn't any pain, though one would expect some. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled out and was free of whatever was holding him. Shinji floated forward several feet and stopped. He looked down at himself and found that his entire body was transparent. He was also wearing similar clothes to his old school's uniform.
Shinji stepped through the air, rather surprised that he could walk. He turned around and his eyes went wide with surprise. Before him was a massive being in brilliant white light, so bright that the thing's features were impossible to see clearly. There were sharp things coming off of the creature, giving the impression that the thing had body armor. The creature was also crucified to a large red cross. Shinji remembered seeing another Angel like this, and during his time here had found out that that was half of Lilith's true form. His instructors and guardians hadn't elaborated on that too much though. Was this another Angel? Would this Angel also attack NERV?
Shinji heard someone shouting below him and felt fear pierce through his mind. Had someone seen him? The young man looked down and saw several men in light green winter coats working with a lot of computer equipment. Suddenly, Shinji saw something that caught his eye. There was a young girl looking up at the creature. She had purplish hair and innocent brown eyes. Shinji almost freaked again when he saw the cross the girl was wearing around her neck.
"But that's impossible," he mumbled.
It wasn't. That simple fact was confirmed a few seconds later.
"Misato," one of the men said, "Could you get your father?"
The girl nodded and ran off. Shinji was stunned. This had to be a memory, but if this was where he thought it was he hadn't even been born yet. How was he seeing this?
A man returned a few minutes later with Misato in tow. She seemed rather troubled, but Shinji couldn't pinpoint why.
"Dr. Katsuragi, we're ready to proceed."
"Good," the doctor replied, "A pity Ikari went back to Japan yesterday. This will be a momentous event."
Ikari? Yes, he knew that his father had been involved with the Katsuragi Expedition. He had returned to Japan before whatever was about to happen? That was most definitely not a good sign. Shinji managed to get down to the surface and looked at the consoles. Some of the technical training he had gotten in the past few weeks came in handy. The equipment was measuring radiation, electromagnetic energy, and a few other things. All of the equipment looked rather old, but if Misato was just a child then the technology wasn't as advanced as what Shinji was used to. Then again, he had been exposed to technology thousands of years more advanced than what he had seen before.
"He also took copies of everything we did," another man added, "You think he's up to something?"
"Ikari's always been up to something," the first man said, "though he is one hell of a lucky man."
"Yeah. Married to Dr. Yui Ikari."
"Mom," Shinji muttered under his breath.
"Shall we begin?" a third scientist asked.
"Right. Everyone, back away to the observation deck. We'll observe the entire thing from there."
"Yes doctor."
The elder Katsuragi took Misato's hand and led her back away from the Angel along with everyone else. When all of them disappeared, Shinji's eyes snapped open.
============================================================================
Shinji blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted to the light. Amanda and Evelyn both were looking down at him with concerned looks on their faces.
"Shinji, are you alright?" Amanda asked.
Shinji blinked again and nodded. "What's going on?"
"There was a massive burst of psychic energy that shorted out a lot of equipment in the city," Evelyn explained, "Don't worry, none of the life support systems were damaged, only some of the controls for the hanger and communications equipment. Security traced it back to you."
Shinji turned his head to the side and found that he was actually inside a medical bay.
"Did anyone get hurt?" he asked.
"A few scratches, nothing more. Shinji, what happened?"
Shinji took in several deep breaths, not sure how to answer.
"Did you dream?" Evelyn asked.
It shouldn't have surprised him that she had guessed it, but for some reason it did.
"Yes, I did."
"Can you tell us about it?"
Shinji shook his head. "I remember everything, but I don't know what it means."
"It means I'll have to tell you the truth."
The two women stepped aside and Shinji looked over. Admiral Kaizer was standing in the medical bay with his arms crossed. There was a rather interesting look on his face, half amused and half annoyed. However, his blue eyes betrayed how he felt. Agitated.
Shinji got up with Evelyn's help, still a bit tired mentally.
"What truth?" he said once he was sitting up.
"Of who you are," Drake replied, "I had not expected this to happen so soon, but your powers have accelerated events. That little power surge of yours has awakened another Angel, and it will be approaching NERV soon."
"What? But how! I have to do something to protect them!"
"We can do absolutely nothing," Drake responded calmly, "Apparently you don't understand your situation, Shinji. Seele holds the power to initiate the Third Impact, and that has consequences that the Council and my master do not want to deal with. They can and will if Third Impact occurs, but it would inconvenience them and right now none of us can afford to be distracted. But I can tell you this. There will be some civilian deaths, but the people you care about at NERV will survive."
"What about Toji?" Shinji asked.
"Everyone. I've pulled some strings so that he and his sister gets the best care Earth can offer. Once we make our presence known, we can heal the damage that has been done to them, at least physically."
Shinji caught the last part and a thought suddenly appeared in his head.
"The others will survive physically," he said, "What about mentally?"
Drake sighed but answered. "Rei will be confused by what will happen next, while Asuka will suffer terribly psychological scarring. However, we cannot do anything. NERV currently still controls Unit 01, and your last little episode with the EVA damaged our remote piloting system. Also, a lot of our communications gear is still scrambled. We can send and receive messages, even talk in real time, but the comm. systems we hooked up to the entry plug will need far longer to repair."
"How long before the Angel appears?" Shinji asked.
"A few minutes."
"Can I, can I at least watch?"
Drake nodded and stepped aside. Shinji got off the bed and followed Amanda and Evelyn out. Drake was right behind them as they walked through the corridors. They ended up in a large command center with several holographic projectors online. It looked like the main command center, but everything was spread out more.
"Admiral, we have contact with the Angel," a tech reported.
"Onscreen."
A hologram appeared and showed a bright dot in Earth's orbit. The image was magnified but still the creature was too bright to clearly make out.
"Enhance," Drake ordered.
The computer did some calculations and soon most of the light was filtered out. What remained was something that looked more like machine than an organic life form, which was what Angels were supposed to be.
"Arael," Drake stated.
The name seemed familiar to Shinji, though he couldn't recall from where he'd heard it. But that was the least of his worries.
"NERV is responding to the threat," another tech reported.
============================================================================
Unit 02 appeared on the surface armed with its positron rifle. Misato watched with worry as Asuka took aim at the Angel in the sky. The redhead had grown insanely unstable after Shinji's disappearance, and this was not the time for her to do anything stupid. Besides, they needed all the EVA pilots they could get with Shinji gone. Toji would never be able to pilot, and so there was one other option. However, Misato was unwilling to take it just yet.
"Come on you lazy Angel," Asuka said in the entry plug, "Hurry up!"
Those words had just left her mouth when bright light shined on her.
"We're getting an energy reading!" Maya reported.
"Is it a particle weapon?" Misato asked.
"No, there's no heat signature."
Asuka looked at the light in surprise and suddenly felt something trying to claw into her mind.
"No!" she screamed, clutching her head, "Stay out of my mind!"
The pilot frantically tried to defend herself, firing the positron cannon. The shots launched into the sky but fell short, not even hitting the thing's AT-Field.
"It's not working!" Makoto said, "The Angel is too far away!"
Asuka suddenly opened fire again, her shots hitting the city itself.
"Shelters 8 and 9 have been hit!" Shigeru said, "They're being evacuated."
"Asuka's out of ammo!" Maya added.
Asuka continued to pull the trigger uselessly for a few more seconds before dropping the rifle. She clutched her head again, trying to fight out the Angel.
"No! Stay out of my mind! Stop raping my mind!"
"Asuka!" Misato screamed frantically, "Pull back! Retreat!"
"Never! I'll never retreat. I'll die first!"
"Asuka! Rei, open fire and destroy the Angel!"
Rei pulled the trigger on the large positron sniper rifle. The white beam of energy shot out into space and struck an AT-Field with no effect.
"It's not strong enough!" Makoto said, "We need more power!"
"We've diverted all available power to the cannon already," Maya replied, "We didn't have time to get any more."
And we can't airlift Unit 00, Misato thought grimly. The Angel might attack it and it'd be defenseless.
Back in the entry plug, Asuka was going through her own personal hell. She saw a younger version of herself crying.
"Why am I crying? I promised I'd never cry in front of anyone else."
She was suddenly a five year old girl, running down the hallways.
"Momma! I've been chosen! That means I'm special! Momma! Look at me! Momma!"
She burst into the room and found her mother hanging from the ceiling.
"Momma?"
Then she noticed the doll. The doll had its head ripped of and was on the ground.
"No!" the real Asuka screamed, "Don't make me see this again! Please! No!"
Asuka was back in the entry plug, crying softly.
"Kaji, help me. My mind is being raped."
============================================================================
"Rei, get the Lance," Gendo ordered.
"The Lance of Longinus? Ikari, that is a mistake. Seele will never forgive such an action."
"We have no other choice," Gendo replied, "The Angel must be destroyed, and the Lance of Longinus is the only weapon we have."
"You're merely searching for excuses," Fuyutsuki said to his old friend, "Do you really think Seele will simply let this go?"
"They will or they will not. In the end, it makes no difference."
"Rei, go down to Terminal Dogma and retrieve the Lance."
"No!" Misato protested, "If Unit 00 comes in contact with Adam, it may initiate the Third Impact!"
Gendo remained silent, ignoring the major.
So that's false as well, Misato thought bitterly.
============================================================================
Asuka continued to relive through her past, bitterly trying to hold out against the Angel.
"Asuka, that was a gift from your new mother. Don't you like it?"
"I don't need a mother!" the young Asuka said stubbornly, "I don't need anyone! I can live by myself!"
Asuka cried out in pain again, her body convulsing from the agony her mind was forced to endure. Unit 02 copied its occupant as if feeling the same pain Asuka did.
Suddenly she saw something flash and looked up. Someone was standing in the light, someone she couldn't make out.
"Kaji?"
The person extended their hand towards Asuka. She started to raise her hand too, but suddenly withdrew it defiantly. Again she wasn't willing to accept someone else's help.
"No. I don't need anyone's help. I can survive on my own."
"Are you sure about that?" the person asked.
Asuka looked at the being and realized that all the pain she had been experiencing was suddenly gone. Actually, they had disappeared the moment this man appeared.
"Who are you?" she asked.
The man didn't reply. He simply extended his hand again.
============================================================================
"Major, we're detecting something else inside the entry plug with Asuka," Maya reported.
"Is it the Angel?" Ritsuko asked.
"No. We're getting an analysis from the Magi. Shinji?"
"What? Again?" Misato exclaimed.
"Yes ma'am. All three Magi computers agree," said Makoto, "It's Shinji."
"How did he get in there?" Misato asked.
"Unknown. But somehow he's blocking out the Angel."
"This was most certainly not in the scenario," Gendo said to Fuyutsuki.
"I think your son is trying to send you a message," Fuyutsuki said, "He may try to stop you again."
"He can try."
============================================================================
Back on the moon Shinji's eyes were closed as he focused on Asuka. Evelyn, Amanda, and Drake were all watching him.
"He's good," Evelyn said.
"There's never been a doubt about that," said Drake, "I think he's ready to learn the truth."
============================================================================
Asuka looked at the being one final time before taking its hand. Light consumed her and Unit 02 deactivated. She fell unconscious, remembering only the man disappearing from the entry plug.
============================================================================
"Unit 02 has gone silent!" Maya said.
"What about Asuka?" Misato asked.
"She's unconscious, but there's still an AT-Field active! Wait, it isn't an AT-Field, but it's somehow blocking the Angel's mental attack."
"I am ready," Rei said over the comm.
"Launch Rei," Misato ordered.
The catapult shot Rei to the surface with the Lance. She looked up into the sky and let the computer aim for her. Unit 00 took a step back and ran forward a few steps before throwing the Lance into the sky. It pierced the clouds and went right through the AT-Field as if it wasn't there. The Lance struck the Angel and destroyed it with no explosion before flying all the way to the moon. Arael had been destroyed.
============================================================================
Shinji gasped as he opened his eyes. The experience had been strange and exhilarating, and yet he didn't feel tired. Drake walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That was very impressive," Drake said, "Welcome back, Adam."
End of Chapter 3
When I started writing the incident where Asuka is mind-rapped by Arael, I came upon a problem. I had never written anything like that before, and so details were sketchy if there was any at all. However, I still wrote it because I knew it was important to the story. This is also one of the shorter chapters because again, I am extremely tired at the moment and this chapter was to kind of explain some things. Now you all know who Shinji is. Don't worry though, I'll try to make the other chapters longer.
We're at an interesting point. Anyone who's read my other fics will see a common theme in several of them. Three others have Adam involved in them. In And a Time for Everything Under the Heavens, or something like that, Adam was head of Section 2 and in love with Maya. In Flight, Adam had been converted into an EVA and destroyed by Unit 01. In Adaptation, Adam resides inside Shinji, helping him in subtle ways. Now, Shinji is Adam in this fic. Good luck guessing what I have planned next!
Z98
Chapter 3: The First Angel
Shinji walked into Admiral Kaizer's room nervously. The office was sparsely decorated besides some paintings of some spaceships and of a teenage girl. The one that attracted Shinji's attention was not really that big. She looked to be a little older than Shinji, maybe by one year. However, what caught his attention was the fact that she had long bright red hair and crystal blue eyes. The girl reminded Shinji of Asuka, but she most definitely wasn't. Actually, she looked rather different from the girl Shinji had lived with. Asuka had some Japanese influences in her looks, while this girl looked to be purely Caucasian.
"She's a beauty."
Shinji turned around quickly and saw Drake standing next to him.
"Sorry if I startled you," Drake apologized, "I saw you admiring her."
"Is she a real person?" Shinji asked, turning his attention back to the painting.
"She sure is. I have some real images of her if you want to see them."
Drake walked over to his desk and turned some kind if display towards Shinji. Shinji looked down at the image and saw that it was the same girl. Her smile radiated a kind of peace and happiness that Shinji rarely saw anymore.
"Who is she?"
"You might not believe it, but she's my fiancée," Drake told him.
He was right, Shinji didn't believe him. The girl must be only sixteen at most, and Drake looked like he was in his late twenties.
"I think I agree with you sir," said Shinji.
"Not surprising. I assume it's our age difference?"
Shinji nodded.
Drake suddenly burst out in laughter, catching Shinji off guard. He waited patiently until the admiral stopped.
"I'm sorry, but that is one of the most humorist reasons I've heard. You know why?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Because I'm not twenty-eight, thirty-four, or any age in that area. I've been around since Lucifer got killed."
"Lucifer?" Shinji asked, not sure who the man was talking about.
"Lucifer, the Dark Lord of Hell. Satan, you know, in the bible? Did you ever read it?"
Shinji shook his head.
"Oh. Well, let's just say that the Christian religion isn't all fiction. There was indeed a Dark Lord, and there is a Hell right now. But Lucifer got killed about twenty-five thousand years ago."
"What? But that means!"
"Yep. I'm about twenty-five thousand years old."
"But, that's impossible!"
"It isn't if you aren't exactly human," said Drake, "Believe me Shinji, I'm telling the truth. Besides, you've been around for much longer. You make me look young."
"But I'm only fourteen!" Shinji protested.
"Your body," said Drake, "You are a few billion years old. But enough of that. It isn't like she cares how old I am."
Shinji had been dealt too many surprises so he didn't know how to exactly proceed.
"Oh, by the way, she's the daughter of Admiral Alexi Angel. Her name is Asuka Angel."
"What!"
"Absolutely no relation to the Asuka you know," Drake assured him, "Besides, my Asuka is a lot better tempered."
Shinji could easily believe that.
"Anyways, that's not why you're here. I wanted you here because for the past two weeks you've managed to relearn some of the most advanced sword technique in existence, be able to kill with any weapon we have here, and start to be able to calculate things quickly in your head. That's all very impressive, but I'm afraid we're going to have to accelerate your training."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean we have to reawaken part of you so you can utilize your AT-Field and be able to teleport around. Don't you think that'll be useful?"
Shinji had to admit, being able to stop an attack cold would come in handy. He nodded his agreement.
"Good. Now, stay where you are but turn around."
Shinji did so and Drake walked up in front of him.
"Close your eyes."
Shinji followed his instructions and Drake placed one hand on Shinji's forehead. A black aura surrounded Drake as he probed into Shinji's mind, quickly locating the stored memory. Inside the mind, Drake found what he was looking for and unlocked it. He was suddenly thrown back but dug his heels in and stopped quickly. Shinji staggered at first but found his balance again. He looked up at Drake for a second recognition appeared in his eye.
"Drake?"
"You should remember enough to use your AT-Field," Drake said, "Hopefully the rest of your memories will come back on their own."
Shinji nodded.
"Go back and get some rest. You'll be going through more training tomorrow."
Shinji nodded again and started walking. However, he paused and looked back a Drake.
"Drake, I really don't see as how age matters when love is involved," he said before leaving. Instead of walking out of the room, Shinji disappeared.
"Well, seems you've remembered how to do that at least," Drake said to himself.
============================================================================
Shinji reappeared in the apartment he shared with Evelyn and Amanda. Sharing a living place with two women was nothing new for Shinji. He plopped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. Amanda soon appeared and disturbed his thinking.
"Hey Shinji. How was the meeting with Admiral Kaizer?"
Shinji raised his arm a little and a glass of water floated over to him. He took a sip, answering Amanda's question.
"Well, that's certainly an improvement. Do you think you'll be ready?"
Shinji thought about that question and ran through his head all of the training he had been given. The tactical training surrounded attacking and defending buildings, tunnels, and other large installations. All of that pointed to either attacking or defending NERV. He hoped it was to defend NERV, or at least some of the people inside NERV.
"If I'm not ready," he finally answered, "I will die."
"That's certainly true enough," Amanda said as she leaned forward on the couch. "But what is important is if you think you're ready."
"I will be," Shinji assured you.
"That certainly sounded confident," Amanda teased, "Why the change?"
"My, memories," Shinji answered hesitantly, "And the fact that both you and your sister have been telling me to be more confident."
"Still following other people's orders?"
"No, taking other people's advice," Shinji corrected, "That's different."
"Don't get too smart."
Shinji chuckled and closed his eyes momentarily. The rules had certainly changed after he started taking that tactical command class, but the one rule Shinji didn't want to bend or break was that of him killing another human being. It just wasn't in his nature.
"Take a shower and get to bed," Amanda said to him, "You've had a long day."
That was something Shinji could agree with. He had worked hard keeping up with his classes, training with the sword, and practicing some very rusty tricks with his AT-Field. It was amazing what was locked up in his head and yet there was still more that he could not access.
Shinji got up and got some clothes before going into the bathroom. He locked the door and turned on the hot water. After it had filled the bathtub, he stripped and dipped in. The heat quickly loosened his muscles, though Shinji himself was still very tired. He didn't want to fall asleep in a tub though, and got out after thoroughly washing. He dried, put on the clean clothes, and went to bed.
============================================================================
Shinji's eyes snapped open and found himself in a massive white cavern. The whiteness came from the walls, which didn't look like any kind of rock he knew of. It also didn't seem to be ice or snow either. The entire thing was gigantic and the lights supported around him barely illuminated this part of the cavity. His arms were held up to his sides and something was in them. There wasn't any pain, though one would expect some. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled out and was free of whatever was holding him. Shinji floated forward several feet and stopped. He looked down at himself and found that his entire body was transparent. He was also wearing similar clothes to his old school's uniform.
Shinji stepped through the air, rather surprised that he could walk. He turned around and his eyes went wide with surprise. Before him was a massive being in brilliant white light, so bright that the thing's features were impossible to see clearly. There were sharp things coming off of the creature, giving the impression that the thing had body armor. The creature was also crucified to a large red cross. Shinji remembered seeing another Angel like this, and during his time here had found out that that was half of Lilith's true form. His instructors and guardians hadn't elaborated on that too much though. Was this another Angel? Would this Angel also attack NERV?
Shinji heard someone shouting below him and felt fear pierce through his mind. Had someone seen him? The young man looked down and saw several men in light green winter coats working with a lot of computer equipment. Suddenly, Shinji saw something that caught his eye. There was a young girl looking up at the creature. She had purplish hair and innocent brown eyes. Shinji almost freaked again when he saw the cross the girl was wearing around her neck.
"But that's impossible," he mumbled.
It wasn't. That simple fact was confirmed a few seconds later.
"Misato," one of the men said, "Could you get your father?"
The girl nodded and ran off. Shinji was stunned. This had to be a memory, but if this was where he thought it was he hadn't even been born yet. How was he seeing this?
A man returned a few minutes later with Misato in tow. She seemed rather troubled, but Shinji couldn't pinpoint why.
"Dr. Katsuragi, we're ready to proceed."
"Good," the doctor replied, "A pity Ikari went back to Japan yesterday. This will be a momentous event."
Ikari? Yes, he knew that his father had been involved with the Katsuragi Expedition. He had returned to Japan before whatever was about to happen? That was most definitely not a good sign. Shinji managed to get down to the surface and looked at the consoles. Some of the technical training he had gotten in the past few weeks came in handy. The equipment was measuring radiation, electromagnetic energy, and a few other things. All of the equipment looked rather old, but if Misato was just a child then the technology wasn't as advanced as what Shinji was used to. Then again, he had been exposed to technology thousands of years more advanced than what he had seen before.
"He also took copies of everything we did," another man added, "You think he's up to something?"
"Ikari's always been up to something," the first man said, "though he is one hell of a lucky man."
"Yeah. Married to Dr. Yui Ikari."
"Mom," Shinji muttered under his breath.
"Shall we begin?" a third scientist asked.
"Right. Everyone, back away to the observation deck. We'll observe the entire thing from there."
"Yes doctor."
The elder Katsuragi took Misato's hand and led her back away from the Angel along with everyone else. When all of them disappeared, Shinji's eyes snapped open.
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Shinji blinked a few times before his eyes adjusted to the light. Amanda and Evelyn both were looking down at him with concerned looks on their faces.
"Shinji, are you alright?" Amanda asked.
Shinji blinked again and nodded. "What's going on?"
"There was a massive burst of psychic energy that shorted out a lot of equipment in the city," Evelyn explained, "Don't worry, none of the life support systems were damaged, only some of the controls for the hanger and communications equipment. Security traced it back to you."
Shinji turned his head to the side and found that he was actually inside a medical bay.
"Did anyone get hurt?" he asked.
"A few scratches, nothing more. Shinji, what happened?"
Shinji took in several deep breaths, not sure how to answer.
"Did you dream?" Evelyn asked.
It shouldn't have surprised him that she had guessed it, but for some reason it did.
"Yes, I did."
"Can you tell us about it?"
Shinji shook his head. "I remember everything, but I don't know what it means."
"It means I'll have to tell you the truth."
The two women stepped aside and Shinji looked over. Admiral Kaizer was standing in the medical bay with his arms crossed. There was a rather interesting look on his face, half amused and half annoyed. However, his blue eyes betrayed how he felt. Agitated.
Shinji got up with Evelyn's help, still a bit tired mentally.
"What truth?" he said once he was sitting up.
"Of who you are," Drake replied, "I had not expected this to happen so soon, but your powers have accelerated events. That little power surge of yours has awakened another Angel, and it will be approaching NERV soon."
"What? But how! I have to do something to protect them!"
"We can do absolutely nothing," Drake responded calmly, "Apparently you don't understand your situation, Shinji. Seele holds the power to initiate the Third Impact, and that has consequences that the Council and my master do not want to deal with. They can and will if Third Impact occurs, but it would inconvenience them and right now none of us can afford to be distracted. But I can tell you this. There will be some civilian deaths, but the people you care about at NERV will survive."
"What about Toji?" Shinji asked.
"Everyone. I've pulled some strings so that he and his sister gets the best care Earth can offer. Once we make our presence known, we can heal the damage that has been done to them, at least physically."
Shinji caught the last part and a thought suddenly appeared in his head.
"The others will survive physically," he said, "What about mentally?"
Drake sighed but answered. "Rei will be confused by what will happen next, while Asuka will suffer terribly psychological scarring. However, we cannot do anything. NERV currently still controls Unit 01, and your last little episode with the EVA damaged our remote piloting system. Also, a lot of our communications gear is still scrambled. We can send and receive messages, even talk in real time, but the comm. systems we hooked up to the entry plug will need far longer to repair."
"How long before the Angel appears?" Shinji asked.
"A few minutes."
"Can I, can I at least watch?"
Drake nodded and stepped aside. Shinji got off the bed and followed Amanda and Evelyn out. Drake was right behind them as they walked through the corridors. They ended up in a large command center with several holographic projectors online. It looked like the main command center, but everything was spread out more.
"Admiral, we have contact with the Angel," a tech reported.
"Onscreen."
A hologram appeared and showed a bright dot in Earth's orbit. The image was magnified but still the creature was too bright to clearly make out.
"Enhance," Drake ordered.
The computer did some calculations and soon most of the light was filtered out. What remained was something that looked more like machine than an organic life form, which was what Angels were supposed to be.
"Arael," Drake stated.
The name seemed familiar to Shinji, though he couldn't recall from where he'd heard it. But that was the least of his worries.
"NERV is responding to the threat," another tech reported.
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Unit 02 appeared on the surface armed with its positron rifle. Misato watched with worry as Asuka took aim at the Angel in the sky. The redhead had grown insanely unstable after Shinji's disappearance, and this was not the time for her to do anything stupid. Besides, they needed all the EVA pilots they could get with Shinji gone. Toji would never be able to pilot, and so there was one other option. However, Misato was unwilling to take it just yet.
"Come on you lazy Angel," Asuka said in the entry plug, "Hurry up!"
Those words had just left her mouth when bright light shined on her.
"We're getting an energy reading!" Maya reported.
"Is it a particle weapon?" Misato asked.
"No, there's no heat signature."
Asuka looked at the light in surprise and suddenly felt something trying to claw into her mind.
"No!" she screamed, clutching her head, "Stay out of my mind!"
The pilot frantically tried to defend herself, firing the positron cannon. The shots launched into the sky but fell short, not even hitting the thing's AT-Field.
"It's not working!" Makoto said, "The Angel is too far away!"
Asuka suddenly opened fire again, her shots hitting the city itself.
"Shelters 8 and 9 have been hit!" Shigeru said, "They're being evacuated."
"Asuka's out of ammo!" Maya added.
Asuka continued to pull the trigger uselessly for a few more seconds before dropping the rifle. She clutched her head again, trying to fight out the Angel.
"No! Stay out of my mind! Stop raping my mind!"
"Asuka!" Misato screamed frantically, "Pull back! Retreat!"
"Never! I'll never retreat. I'll die first!"
"Asuka! Rei, open fire and destroy the Angel!"
Rei pulled the trigger on the large positron sniper rifle. The white beam of energy shot out into space and struck an AT-Field with no effect.
"It's not strong enough!" Makoto said, "We need more power!"
"We've diverted all available power to the cannon already," Maya replied, "We didn't have time to get any more."
And we can't airlift Unit 00, Misato thought grimly. The Angel might attack it and it'd be defenseless.
Back in the entry plug, Asuka was going through her own personal hell. She saw a younger version of herself crying.
"Why am I crying? I promised I'd never cry in front of anyone else."
She was suddenly a five year old girl, running down the hallways.
"Momma! I've been chosen! That means I'm special! Momma! Look at me! Momma!"
She burst into the room and found her mother hanging from the ceiling.
"Momma?"
Then she noticed the doll. The doll had its head ripped of and was on the ground.
"No!" the real Asuka screamed, "Don't make me see this again! Please! No!"
Asuka was back in the entry plug, crying softly.
"Kaji, help me. My mind is being raped."
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"Rei, get the Lance," Gendo ordered.
"The Lance of Longinus? Ikari, that is a mistake. Seele will never forgive such an action."
"We have no other choice," Gendo replied, "The Angel must be destroyed, and the Lance of Longinus is the only weapon we have."
"You're merely searching for excuses," Fuyutsuki said to his old friend, "Do you really think Seele will simply let this go?"
"They will or they will not. In the end, it makes no difference."
"Rei, go down to Terminal Dogma and retrieve the Lance."
"No!" Misato protested, "If Unit 00 comes in contact with Adam, it may initiate the Third Impact!"
Gendo remained silent, ignoring the major.
So that's false as well, Misato thought bitterly.
============================================================================
Asuka continued to relive through her past, bitterly trying to hold out against the Angel.
"Asuka, that was a gift from your new mother. Don't you like it?"
"I don't need a mother!" the young Asuka said stubbornly, "I don't need anyone! I can live by myself!"
Asuka cried out in pain again, her body convulsing from the agony her mind was forced to endure. Unit 02 copied its occupant as if feeling the same pain Asuka did.
Suddenly she saw something flash and looked up. Someone was standing in the light, someone she couldn't make out.
"Kaji?"
The person extended their hand towards Asuka. She started to raise her hand too, but suddenly withdrew it defiantly. Again she wasn't willing to accept someone else's help.
"No. I don't need anyone's help. I can survive on my own."
"Are you sure about that?" the person asked.
Asuka looked at the being and realized that all the pain she had been experiencing was suddenly gone. Actually, they had disappeared the moment this man appeared.
"Who are you?" she asked.
The man didn't reply. He simply extended his hand again.
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"Major, we're detecting something else inside the entry plug with Asuka," Maya reported.
"Is it the Angel?" Ritsuko asked.
"No. We're getting an analysis from the Magi. Shinji?"
"What? Again?" Misato exclaimed.
"Yes ma'am. All three Magi computers agree," said Makoto, "It's Shinji."
"How did he get in there?" Misato asked.
"Unknown. But somehow he's blocking out the Angel."
"This was most certainly not in the scenario," Gendo said to Fuyutsuki.
"I think your son is trying to send you a message," Fuyutsuki said, "He may try to stop you again."
"He can try."
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Back on the moon Shinji's eyes were closed as he focused on Asuka. Evelyn, Amanda, and Drake were all watching him.
"He's good," Evelyn said.
"There's never been a doubt about that," said Drake, "I think he's ready to learn the truth."
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Asuka looked at the being one final time before taking its hand. Light consumed her and Unit 02 deactivated. She fell unconscious, remembering only the man disappearing from the entry plug.
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"Unit 02 has gone silent!" Maya said.
"What about Asuka?" Misato asked.
"She's unconscious, but there's still an AT-Field active! Wait, it isn't an AT-Field, but it's somehow blocking the Angel's mental attack."
"I am ready," Rei said over the comm.
"Launch Rei," Misato ordered.
The catapult shot Rei to the surface with the Lance. She looked up into the sky and let the computer aim for her. Unit 00 took a step back and ran forward a few steps before throwing the Lance into the sky. It pierced the clouds and went right through the AT-Field as if it wasn't there. The Lance struck the Angel and destroyed it with no explosion before flying all the way to the moon. Arael had been destroyed.
============================================================================
Shinji gasped as he opened his eyes. The experience had been strange and exhilarating, and yet he didn't feel tired. Drake walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"That was very impressive," Drake said, "Welcome back, Adam."
End of Chapter 3
When I started writing the incident where Asuka is mind-rapped by Arael, I came upon a problem. I had never written anything like that before, and so details were sketchy if there was any at all. However, I still wrote it because I knew it was important to the story. This is also one of the shorter chapters because again, I am extremely tired at the moment and this chapter was to kind of explain some things. Now you all know who Shinji is. Don't worry though, I'll try to make the other chapters longer.
We're at an interesting point. Anyone who's read my other fics will see a common theme in several of them. Three others have Adam involved in them. In And a Time for Everything Under the Heavens, or something like that, Adam was head of Section 2 and in love with Maya. In Flight, Adam had been converted into an EVA and destroyed by Unit 01. In Adaptation, Adam resides inside Shinji, helping him in subtle ways. Now, Shinji is Adam in this fic. Good luck guessing what I have planned next!
Z98
