Note: As I've said countless times before, I do not own Evangelion. I have
used settings, characters, ideas and themes present in the show without the
permission of its director, Hideaki Anno, or its producers, Gainax Inc.
God bless them for not giving a crap about a lowly fanfic writer's story.
Where Am I? Chapter 2: A Tragedy in Harmony
---------------------
Cyan sat solitarily on the guardrail of the lonely stretch of highway, the trees overlooking a vast stretch of rice fields, on the outskirts of Tokyo- 3. [Kensuke told me that this was the perfect place to watch the battle from. Are these battles really that amazing? He sounded pretty enthused about it...] He remembered his new friend's last words on the subject: 'You just have to see them to believe them...'
Kensuke and Toji, like a good majority of the class, would skip the rest of the school day if an Angel were in town, so that they could go watch the battle. Cyan, figuring that hardly anyone would be in the class to talk to, joined them as they walked to their usual viewing spot. After about half an hour of waiting for the Angel to show, Cyan walked off and found his own lookout spot. After a while, Cyan was beginning to have doubts...
"Maybe I should go back..." he said to no one in particular. [And do what? Talk to the wall? Who would be left in the class? The class rep, maybe...uh, what's her name...Hikari...and that girl Rei...if I went back, maybe she'd do that melting thing again...don't want to risk it...]
Cyan's thoughts were interrupted by a tremor in the ground. "Uhn!" Cyan fell forward, clasping his hand around the top of the guardrail just in time to save himself from falling down the mountainside. As he pulled himself up, he saw the cause of the minor earthquake...
--------------
"The target has just crossed the final defense line at Gora," Aoba announced.
"Alright, this is it," Misato said calmly, "Prepare Evangelion Units One and Two for launch."
At that time, the two pilots opened communication lines. Asuka was the first to speak. "Just remember the moves, Shinji," she said, "Full power, maximum performance."
"I know that," he replied, slightly annoyed, "We'll be finished in sixty- two seconds."
Misato watched as the Evangelions were moved to the launch pad. "Cut external power." Two cords, one at each Eva's back, were severed.
"Eva launch."
---------------
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" He couldn't help himself from yelling as the Seventh Angel strolled into view. Cyan took in the sight of the immense creature. To him, its shape and walking pattern most resembled an ape, using its forelimbs to support itself, but its colour ruined the image, almost gunmetal, a sort of steely blue. Of course, the lack of fur and definitive facial features ruined the image completely, not to mention the glowing, red sphere, emanating light from the beast's waist. As it plowed on toward the city, Cyan followed it along the road, trying to find a better vantage point. Jogging along the side of the road, he watched as the Angel approached the first line of buildings.
Just them, a purple and red streak shot up from the ground, their ascent slowing in air. Cyan looked up to see two vaguely humanoid beings, poised in the air, ready to strike. [They must be the Evangelions...] He looked on in awe as the two Evangelions flipped in air, drawing extendable spears and throwing them at the Angel. The Angel flung his arms, deflecting one, while the other split it down the middle. [That's it?] Evidently not, as the Angel halves morphed, flowed, and divided into two smaller Angels, just like Asuka said they would. As the Evangelions hit the ground, each of them immediately opened fire, the purple one strafing and with an automatic rifle of some sort, the red with some sort of cannon, stationary. However, something was protecting the two Angels, almost as if the bullets or shells or whatever was actually being fired at the Angel was stopped in mid air. The Angel's eyes (if that was indeed what they were) lit up suddenly, and an explosion roared in front of the two units, and they somersaulted backwards, dodging the other explosions that followed. After about four of the Angel's attacks, the Evangelions had backed up onto a steel pressure plate, and a wall of metal shot up in front of them. Just in time, as a blast from the Angel hit it, causing a big dent in the defenses.
[This is incredible...] Cyan thought as the Evangelions leaned around the corner, and opened fire on the Angel halves, [Awesome...] The Angels, well, levitated forward, slashing through the metal wall. Seconds after this, what seemed to Cyan like a ridiculous amount of missiles and shells were launched from various points around the city, bombarding the targets with a payload that George W Bush would've been proud of. Cyan frowned to see that none of these offensives seemed to damage the Angels. Using the time bought for them, The Evas rushed in, crushing the Angel's heads in with an uppercut-roundhouse combination, pushing the Angels back into each other, melding them back together. Cyan suddenly realized that the next attack would send the Angel careening backwards, directly past him. The Evangelions leaped into the air, preparing a deadly flying kick. Cyan knew that he was in trouble, and began to run from the scene. The Evas' kicks hit home, pushing the Angel uphill, blazing a trail through the meadows. Cyan dived out of the way, as the three megalithic entities cruised past him. Unknowing to Cyan, the Angel's core was beginning to give way, fragments of it coming loose under the Evas' deadly attack. Cyan got up, watching the Evangelions push the Angel to the top of the hill, before a gigantic explosion rocked the immediate area, sending Cyan to the ground once more as an enormous wall of flame spread upward. He watched the explosion, knowing that the battle was over, breathing sighs of relief at his good fortune to survive his close encounter.
He could at least see it coming, he could give himself credit for that. But if he were truly as quick as he thought himself to be, he could've rolled out of the way. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't. He only first saw the fragment of red, translucent rock when it was merely a few metres from him, a gigantic splinter of...well, he wasn't really sure what it was. Nevertheless, Cyan had no time to do anything about but watch it drive itself into his abdomen, tearing apart flesh and bone. Cyan let out an earsplitting cry of pain as the fragment pushed itself through his body, pinning him to the road below. Cyan gasped as the pain shot through him like a hot knife through butter, repeated, stabbing pains from his gut...
--------------
"Target defeated," Aoba said. As the explosion cleared, Misato smiled broadly as another Angel was accounted for. Her smile disappeared when she saw that the Eva units were lying face down, in the middle of the crater.
"Aw, geez!" Misato's hand shot to her face in embarrassment. Ritsuko, standing a few feet behind her, could do little but mutter "Pathetic..." Maya, Hyuga and Aoba listened in, snickering as the inevitable argument between Shinji and Asuka began. This is, until Shigeru noticed a bleeping red light on his screen. He investigated its meaning.
"Major, another life form has been detected on the mountainside," he reported, "Blood Pattern is Orange."
"A human!?" Misato inquired, horrified. A picture came up on the screen. "Oh my God! Cyan!"
The picture was of Cyan, lying on the road, bleeding profusely from impalement with what appeared to be... "My God, is that...a shard of Core!?" Ritsuko was shocked.
Misato thought quickly. "Send three recovery units to the site! Two for the pilots, one for the boy! The boy's in critical condition! Hurry!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Maya spoke into her headset. "Recovery team, two vans, one emergency treatment unit to..."
Ritsuko approached Misato. "Was that Cyan Monteru?" she asked.
"Yeah," Misato said, "He asked one of Shinji's friends where he could see the battle. All he wanted were some kick ass seats..."
"Poor kid...first that accident, and now this..."
-----------------
Cyan's eyes slowly opened. [The hospital again...damn that hurt...]
He leaned his head up, and took in the sights of the now familiar room. Looking across at the poster, he remembered his first day in Tokyo-3. Now, he could actually read the poster. As before, it was a poster displaying a sprinter, getting ready to start. Cyan has assumed that it was a motivational poster, but now he knew otherwise...
"No Running," he read, "Heh heh heh heh..." He instantly regretted laughing, as a bolt of pain made itself noticed from his abdomen. "Ow!" he sat up, taking care not to aggravate his injury further. At this time, he noticed Misato, sitting at his bed, just like before.
"Hey, Cyan," she greeted him.
"Hey, M...Major..." Cyan said, softly. He sat further up, trying to ignore the pain.
"Some scratch, huh?" she commented on Cyan's oversized stab wound.
"Yeah..." Cyan gazed out the window. Misato watched the boy intently, silently admiring the kid's courage.
"Misato, I'm...sorry for making...you worry about me..."
"No, it's not your fault," Misato reassured, "What happened out there yesterday was pretty fluky..."
"Yesterday?" Cyan said, "I've...only been...out overnight?"
"Sure," Misato explained, "We sent the NERV emergency recovery unit after you. We treated you in our nanomechanical reconstruction chamber for about three hours, then transferred you here when you were stable. It's the best we could do. You'll have a scar, but that shouldn't matter, should it?"
"No, I think...I'll settle for...my continued life..." Cyan cracked a joke. Misato gave a short chuckle.
"That's the spirit..." Misato said, as the door opened behind her. Shinji walked in, holding two cans of coffee, Kensuke following behind him.
"Hey, Shinji...Kensuke..." Cyan greeted the First Child. Shinji smiled and responded, while Kensuke nodded dumbly.
"Cyan," Kensuke said, "All of this is my fault. I'm really sorry for what's happened to you..."
Cyan raised a hand. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't...have wandered off..."
Kensuke smiled. "Thanks, Cyan." Shinji handed Misato the can of coffee, and opened the other one for himself.
"You should be out of here tomorrow afternoon," Misato informed Cyan, "NERV have agreed to let you stay at my place for the time being, under the premise that you are actually employed by NERV. That means that you'll have a job waiting for you when you get out."
"Thanks, Misato," Cyan said. Kensuke nearly blew his top. [Why is everyone getting to work at NERV except me!?]
"Uh, guys, can I have a word with Cyan alone for a sec?" Misato said to the boys. They nodded, and walked out.
"Cyan, I was on the computer, last night...I checked in the History folder..." Misato said, slowly.
Cyan knew where this was heading. "Go on..."
"It was you on the Australian Statistics web site, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..."
Cyan expected Misato to reach for her gun again. Much to Cyan's surprise, it stayed holstered. "I just want to tell you...I don't know how you survived Second Impact...or the floods...but I do know your real name...your learner's permit, school ID, bank card, it's all still valid, you know..."
Cyan knew Misato's next question. "About a week ago now, I lost everything... my family, my friends, my entire life... gone... I haven't gone through all of the proper channels yet, but I changed my name so that I could let go of my past...forget my former life, and begin anew..."
Misato offered her services, saying "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Cyan smiled, thanking the Major. "There's someone else who wants to see you...I'd better take off...see you later. Oh, and if you don't want to be stuck mopping floors, say yes to her."
[Huh?] Misato walked out, making way for a peroxide-haired woman wearing a blue skirt.
"Hello, Cyan," she said, in a very business-like tone, "My name is Ritsuko Akagi. I'm a chairperson inside NERV. Recently, you were involved in a... incident... involving the recent Angel attack, am I correct?"
"Um, yes, Miss," Cyan nodded.
"That's Doctor, but we'll let that slide for now," she continued. "While we were treating you, we noticed an unusual feature in your genetic code. As you may or may not know, the field of genetics has advanced in leaps and bounds in the last decade, Mr. Monteru, so we have traced this anomaly to a traumatic event in your early life...Pardon the inquiry, but you lost your mother as a child, didn't you?"
Cyan gasped. [How did she know!?] "Yes...Doctor..."
"Hmmm..." Ritsuko paced around the bed. "We have a proposition for you..."
----------------
Cyan would normally be terrified by Misato's aggressive driving style, but he was far too shocked to worry about minor details such as that now. Misato was having the time of her life, dodging in and out of traffic at a speed roughly double the local limit. Only when she looked across at Cyan did she noticed his dejected mood.
"What's the matter, Cyan?" she asked swerving out of the way of a heavily braking truck. "You don't look too happy."
"You knew what she was going to ask, didn't you?"
"Yeah...I would've told you myself, but Ritsuko demanded that she would be the one to ask." Cyan stayed silent for a short while. "So what do you get in return?"
"Protection, around the clock," Cyan said, "Bottomless bank card, and an inquiry into what happened to me after Second Impact, as well as that name change you're taking care of..."
"Hm...standard deal...apart from the inquiry and the name, it's exactly what Shinji and Asuka got..."
"All that, for the honor of protecting the world..." Cyan finished. After a long pause, "What can you really say to something like that?"
"You can say yes, for starters," Misato said.
"Misato! I-"
"I know how you must feel," Misato explained her words, "but you have to understand that this may be your only chance to figure out what really happened to you."
"That reminds me," Cyan remembered his first day in class, "Remember how I was talking about a blue-haired girl, back during the bus crash?"
"Um, yeah..." Misato said slowly.
"I met a girl in my class...she looks so much like her..."
"You mean Rei Ayanami?" Misato asked.
"Yes! That's the name."
Misato shook her head. "It couldn't have been her," she said, "She's only fifteen, just like Shinji and Asuka, and her history is entirely accounted for. She's an Evangelion pilot herself."
"Oh..." Cyan looked back to the road.
"Listen, Cyan. I know it sounds a little dangerous, but if you want my advice, take the offer. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"That is, if my life doesn't end in the cockpit of that thing," Cyan rebutted.
--------------------
Misato dropped Cyan back home, and found the house empty, apart from Asuka, who was busy listening to some music. Cyan decided to strike up a conversation with the Second Child.
"Um, Asuka?"
Asuka turned her head, lowering the volume of the speakers. "Yeah?"
"What does it feel like...piloting the Eva?"
This question was right out of the blue to Asuka. "Well...it is a little weird at first... the first time I went into one was a few years ago, back in Germany. The first thing they do is flood the entry plug with LCL, it's like a kind of clear orange soup, and it tasted a little like blood, but you get used to it after a while..."
Cyan's mind sparked. [That orange blood! Maybe this job could contain more clues as to my past than I thought...]
"...The tricky thing is to only think about moving, but not actually moving yourself... when you're in a battle, it gets a little scary, because any pain the Eva experiences, you feel as well, only about 50% less... you still listening?"
"Yeah..." Cyan replied.
"Why are you even asking, anyway?" Then Asuka gasped as she figured it out. "She didn't..."
"Yeah. Ritsuko came to me, and she asked if I wanted to pilot the Eva..."
"But there's only three units...mine, Shinji's and Rei's..."
"She told me that apart from Eva Units Three and Four, which are being made in the States, they're going to build Unit Five here, for me..." [Wait, maybe Asuka wasn't supposed to know about those yet...]
"God, it's getting ridiculous," Asuka ranted, "Just how little do they trust us three!?"
Just then, a shout could be heard from the entrance. "Tadaima!"
"Hey, Shinji!" Asuka and Cyan shouted back. They then switched their conversation to English.
"I don't know," Cyan said in Basic English, remembering that Asuka only spoke a little.
"Just hope you don't get a broken Eva like Idiot's..."
"Broken? It didn't seem broken the other day..."
"Ha! He can't even keep it under control half the time!" Meanwhile, Shinji looked on, catching Asuka and Cyan's looks.
"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" he asked.
"Aw, mind your own business, you idiot!" Asuka replied in Japanese.
"Hey, Asuka!" Cyan complained, "Why are you so hard on him?"
"Because he's an complete dummkopf! Sheiste!" Shinji slowly walked away.
"God, you have his wrapped around your little finger, don't you?" Cyan commented, in English, stunned by Asuka's control over the Third Child.
"Mmm, yeah."
Cyan grinned. "Or is it a lovers' quarrel?"
"Aah! Perverse dummkopf!"
"Whoa, just kidding, Asuka! Can't you take a joke?" Cyan began to speak in Japanese now. "Even though I have no idea what you just said..."
Asuka blushed. "Or me, for that matter..."
"Maybe we could teach each other a little of our language..?"
Asuka thought about it. "Hmm...would be a change from our regular classes...yeah, why not?"
Cyan smiled. [Maybe she isn't as bitchy as everyone thinks she is...]
Asuka yawned loudly. "Another thing about these Eva battles, they really take it out of you," she explained, "See you tomorrow, Cyan."
"Good night, Asuka." Asuka went off into her room. Cyan walked into the lounge room to talk to Shinji.
"Shinji, can I have a word?"
His head turned away from the TV. "Alright."
"Uh, why do you pilot the Evangelion?"
"Why? I don't know...probably to please my father..."
"Your father?"
"Yes... he's the Commander of NERV... if I pilot the Eva, he'll be happy..."
"Okay..." Cyan thought for a second. [Bossed around by his room mates, bossed around by his father... when's this kid going to get some balls?]
"You know, Shinji," Cyan told the boy, "You really should stop living solely for other people. I mean, defending the world, fair enough, but doing it just because your father says so? You don't go out there and kick Angel butt to defend your father, right? You go out there and kick Angel butt to defend the entire human race, and more importantly, yourself. Start living for yourself. You'll like it, trust me."
"Um, okay..."
"Now, let's start with Asuka..."
"Huh? No way, she'd..."
"Hit you? That's what you're worried about?" Cyan started to laugh. Shinji didn't understand, until Cyan spoke again. "Shinji have you ever been hurt before?"
"Um, yes, the first time I got into an Eva, an Angel broke my arm..."
"Is your arm better now?"
"Uh, yeah, I suppose..."
"Time heals all wounds! Look at me! I've been gored through the guts," Cyan said, lifting his shirt to show Shinji his scar from the oversized stab wound, "and I'm still standing! And you're afraid of a little bitch- slap? Grow up, Shinji!"
Shinji grew a little upset instead. "I'm sorry..."
"And stop apologizing, kid!" Cyan said to the boy, "You shouldn't regret anything you do. Okay, only if it's real bad, but don't apologize because you received some good advice!"
"Oh, okay," Shinji said, "Um, thanks, Cyan."
"Don't mention it," Cyan smiled. He then yawned. "Shinji, I'm thinking of going to sleep soon..."
"Oh, you want the couch?"
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it." Shinji stood up, and went for his bedroom. Looking back at his new roommate, he spoke.
"Misato told me that you were going to be the next Child," Shinji said.
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Cyan told Shinji, "But from the looks of it, you could do with another man in the house."
"Thanks, Cyan," Shinji said, "Good night."
"G'night, Shinji." Shinji left, and Cyan fell back into his bed. He lay there, contemplating his choices, before reaching for the phone. Dialing in a number from the back of his hand, he waited for the receiver to pick up.
-----------------
Ritsuko was at her desk, waiting for an important call. She already had the requested file open, all she need to wait for was that call.
It came. She picked up the headset. "Hello?"
"Dr. Akagi? It's Cyan here..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------
Will Cyan join NERV as an Eva pilot? It's your choice. Send an email to me, and tell me what you think. I honestly can't be stuffed dedicating myself either way, so make up your own minds... Also any ideas as to relationships would be appreciated, A/S, S/R, C/A, C/R, M/S, R/Pen Pen, I dunno, so you tell me! Basically, tell me what you want, and if I think it works, I'll go with it.
Please note that I only take opinions via email, because I save the Reviews section for actual reviews, unlike my last story in which I received an odd review asking me to "cook Shinji for dinner tonight"...
Anyway, until I can be bothered writing another chapter, sayonara!
Where Am I? Chapter 2: A Tragedy in Harmony
---------------------
Cyan sat solitarily on the guardrail of the lonely stretch of highway, the trees overlooking a vast stretch of rice fields, on the outskirts of Tokyo- 3. [Kensuke told me that this was the perfect place to watch the battle from. Are these battles really that amazing? He sounded pretty enthused about it...] He remembered his new friend's last words on the subject: 'You just have to see them to believe them...'
Kensuke and Toji, like a good majority of the class, would skip the rest of the school day if an Angel were in town, so that they could go watch the battle. Cyan, figuring that hardly anyone would be in the class to talk to, joined them as they walked to their usual viewing spot. After about half an hour of waiting for the Angel to show, Cyan walked off and found his own lookout spot. After a while, Cyan was beginning to have doubts...
"Maybe I should go back..." he said to no one in particular. [And do what? Talk to the wall? Who would be left in the class? The class rep, maybe...uh, what's her name...Hikari...and that girl Rei...if I went back, maybe she'd do that melting thing again...don't want to risk it...]
Cyan's thoughts were interrupted by a tremor in the ground. "Uhn!" Cyan fell forward, clasping his hand around the top of the guardrail just in time to save himself from falling down the mountainside. As he pulled himself up, he saw the cause of the minor earthquake...
--------------
"The target has just crossed the final defense line at Gora," Aoba announced.
"Alright, this is it," Misato said calmly, "Prepare Evangelion Units One and Two for launch."
At that time, the two pilots opened communication lines. Asuka was the first to speak. "Just remember the moves, Shinji," she said, "Full power, maximum performance."
"I know that," he replied, slightly annoyed, "We'll be finished in sixty- two seconds."
Misato watched as the Evangelions were moved to the launch pad. "Cut external power." Two cords, one at each Eva's back, were severed.
"Eva launch."
---------------
"WHAT THE FUCK!?" He couldn't help himself from yelling as the Seventh Angel strolled into view. Cyan took in the sight of the immense creature. To him, its shape and walking pattern most resembled an ape, using its forelimbs to support itself, but its colour ruined the image, almost gunmetal, a sort of steely blue. Of course, the lack of fur and definitive facial features ruined the image completely, not to mention the glowing, red sphere, emanating light from the beast's waist. As it plowed on toward the city, Cyan followed it along the road, trying to find a better vantage point. Jogging along the side of the road, he watched as the Angel approached the first line of buildings.
Just them, a purple and red streak shot up from the ground, their ascent slowing in air. Cyan looked up to see two vaguely humanoid beings, poised in the air, ready to strike. [They must be the Evangelions...] He looked on in awe as the two Evangelions flipped in air, drawing extendable spears and throwing them at the Angel. The Angel flung his arms, deflecting one, while the other split it down the middle. [That's it?] Evidently not, as the Angel halves morphed, flowed, and divided into two smaller Angels, just like Asuka said they would. As the Evangelions hit the ground, each of them immediately opened fire, the purple one strafing and with an automatic rifle of some sort, the red with some sort of cannon, stationary. However, something was protecting the two Angels, almost as if the bullets or shells or whatever was actually being fired at the Angel was stopped in mid air. The Angel's eyes (if that was indeed what they were) lit up suddenly, and an explosion roared in front of the two units, and they somersaulted backwards, dodging the other explosions that followed. After about four of the Angel's attacks, the Evangelions had backed up onto a steel pressure plate, and a wall of metal shot up in front of them. Just in time, as a blast from the Angel hit it, causing a big dent in the defenses.
[This is incredible...] Cyan thought as the Evangelions leaned around the corner, and opened fire on the Angel halves, [Awesome...] The Angels, well, levitated forward, slashing through the metal wall. Seconds after this, what seemed to Cyan like a ridiculous amount of missiles and shells were launched from various points around the city, bombarding the targets with a payload that George W Bush would've been proud of. Cyan frowned to see that none of these offensives seemed to damage the Angels. Using the time bought for them, The Evas rushed in, crushing the Angel's heads in with an uppercut-roundhouse combination, pushing the Angels back into each other, melding them back together. Cyan suddenly realized that the next attack would send the Angel careening backwards, directly past him. The Evangelions leaped into the air, preparing a deadly flying kick. Cyan knew that he was in trouble, and began to run from the scene. The Evas' kicks hit home, pushing the Angel uphill, blazing a trail through the meadows. Cyan dived out of the way, as the three megalithic entities cruised past him. Unknowing to Cyan, the Angel's core was beginning to give way, fragments of it coming loose under the Evas' deadly attack. Cyan got up, watching the Evangelions push the Angel to the top of the hill, before a gigantic explosion rocked the immediate area, sending Cyan to the ground once more as an enormous wall of flame spread upward. He watched the explosion, knowing that the battle was over, breathing sighs of relief at his good fortune to survive his close encounter.
He could at least see it coming, he could give himself credit for that. But if he were truly as quick as he thought himself to be, he could've rolled out of the way. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't. He only first saw the fragment of red, translucent rock when it was merely a few metres from him, a gigantic splinter of...well, he wasn't really sure what it was. Nevertheless, Cyan had no time to do anything about but watch it drive itself into his abdomen, tearing apart flesh and bone. Cyan let out an earsplitting cry of pain as the fragment pushed itself through his body, pinning him to the road below. Cyan gasped as the pain shot through him like a hot knife through butter, repeated, stabbing pains from his gut...
--------------
"Target defeated," Aoba said. As the explosion cleared, Misato smiled broadly as another Angel was accounted for. Her smile disappeared when she saw that the Eva units were lying face down, in the middle of the crater.
"Aw, geez!" Misato's hand shot to her face in embarrassment. Ritsuko, standing a few feet behind her, could do little but mutter "Pathetic..." Maya, Hyuga and Aoba listened in, snickering as the inevitable argument between Shinji and Asuka began. This is, until Shigeru noticed a bleeping red light on his screen. He investigated its meaning.
"Major, another life form has been detected on the mountainside," he reported, "Blood Pattern is Orange."
"A human!?" Misato inquired, horrified. A picture came up on the screen. "Oh my God! Cyan!"
The picture was of Cyan, lying on the road, bleeding profusely from impalement with what appeared to be... "My God, is that...a shard of Core!?" Ritsuko was shocked.
Misato thought quickly. "Send three recovery units to the site! Two for the pilots, one for the boy! The boy's in critical condition! Hurry!"
"Yes, ma'am!" Maya spoke into her headset. "Recovery team, two vans, one emergency treatment unit to..."
Ritsuko approached Misato. "Was that Cyan Monteru?" she asked.
"Yeah," Misato said, "He asked one of Shinji's friends where he could see the battle. All he wanted were some kick ass seats..."
"Poor kid...first that accident, and now this..."
-----------------
Cyan's eyes slowly opened. [The hospital again...damn that hurt...]
He leaned his head up, and took in the sights of the now familiar room. Looking across at the poster, he remembered his first day in Tokyo-3. Now, he could actually read the poster. As before, it was a poster displaying a sprinter, getting ready to start. Cyan has assumed that it was a motivational poster, but now he knew otherwise...
"No Running," he read, "Heh heh heh heh..." He instantly regretted laughing, as a bolt of pain made itself noticed from his abdomen. "Ow!" he sat up, taking care not to aggravate his injury further. At this time, he noticed Misato, sitting at his bed, just like before.
"Hey, Cyan," she greeted him.
"Hey, M...Major..." Cyan said, softly. He sat further up, trying to ignore the pain.
"Some scratch, huh?" she commented on Cyan's oversized stab wound.
"Yeah..." Cyan gazed out the window. Misato watched the boy intently, silently admiring the kid's courage.
"Misato, I'm...sorry for making...you worry about me..."
"No, it's not your fault," Misato reassured, "What happened out there yesterday was pretty fluky..."
"Yesterday?" Cyan said, "I've...only been...out overnight?"
"Sure," Misato explained, "We sent the NERV emergency recovery unit after you. We treated you in our nanomechanical reconstruction chamber for about three hours, then transferred you here when you were stable. It's the best we could do. You'll have a scar, but that shouldn't matter, should it?"
"No, I think...I'll settle for...my continued life..." Cyan cracked a joke. Misato gave a short chuckle.
"That's the spirit..." Misato said, as the door opened behind her. Shinji walked in, holding two cans of coffee, Kensuke following behind him.
"Hey, Shinji...Kensuke..." Cyan greeted the First Child. Shinji smiled and responded, while Kensuke nodded dumbly.
"Cyan," Kensuke said, "All of this is my fault. I'm really sorry for what's happened to you..."
Cyan raised a hand. "No, it's my fault. I shouldn't...have wandered off..."
Kensuke smiled. "Thanks, Cyan." Shinji handed Misato the can of coffee, and opened the other one for himself.
"You should be out of here tomorrow afternoon," Misato informed Cyan, "NERV have agreed to let you stay at my place for the time being, under the premise that you are actually employed by NERV. That means that you'll have a job waiting for you when you get out."
"Thanks, Misato," Cyan said. Kensuke nearly blew his top. [Why is everyone getting to work at NERV except me!?]
"Uh, guys, can I have a word with Cyan alone for a sec?" Misato said to the boys. They nodded, and walked out.
"Cyan, I was on the computer, last night...I checked in the History folder..." Misato said, slowly.
Cyan knew where this was heading. "Go on..."
"It was you on the Australian Statistics web site, wasn't it?"
"Yeah..."
Cyan expected Misato to reach for her gun again. Much to Cyan's surprise, it stayed holstered. "I just want to tell you...I don't know how you survived Second Impact...or the floods...but I do know your real name...your learner's permit, school ID, bank card, it's all still valid, you know..."
Cyan knew Misato's next question. "About a week ago now, I lost everything... my family, my friends, my entire life... gone... I haven't gone through all of the proper channels yet, but I changed my name so that I could let go of my past...forget my former life, and begin anew..."
Misato offered her services, saying "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." Cyan smiled, thanking the Major. "There's someone else who wants to see you...I'd better take off...see you later. Oh, and if you don't want to be stuck mopping floors, say yes to her."
[Huh?] Misato walked out, making way for a peroxide-haired woman wearing a blue skirt.
"Hello, Cyan," she said, in a very business-like tone, "My name is Ritsuko Akagi. I'm a chairperson inside NERV. Recently, you were involved in a... incident... involving the recent Angel attack, am I correct?"
"Um, yes, Miss," Cyan nodded.
"That's Doctor, but we'll let that slide for now," she continued. "While we were treating you, we noticed an unusual feature in your genetic code. As you may or may not know, the field of genetics has advanced in leaps and bounds in the last decade, Mr. Monteru, so we have traced this anomaly to a traumatic event in your early life...Pardon the inquiry, but you lost your mother as a child, didn't you?"
Cyan gasped. [How did she know!?] "Yes...Doctor..."
"Hmmm..." Ritsuko paced around the bed. "We have a proposition for you..."
----------------
Cyan would normally be terrified by Misato's aggressive driving style, but he was far too shocked to worry about minor details such as that now. Misato was having the time of her life, dodging in and out of traffic at a speed roughly double the local limit. Only when she looked across at Cyan did she noticed his dejected mood.
"What's the matter, Cyan?" she asked swerving out of the way of a heavily braking truck. "You don't look too happy."
"You knew what she was going to ask, didn't you?"
"Yeah...I would've told you myself, but Ritsuko demanded that she would be the one to ask." Cyan stayed silent for a short while. "So what do you get in return?"
"Protection, around the clock," Cyan said, "Bottomless bank card, and an inquiry into what happened to me after Second Impact, as well as that name change you're taking care of..."
"Hm...standard deal...apart from the inquiry and the name, it's exactly what Shinji and Asuka got..."
"All that, for the honor of protecting the world..." Cyan finished. After a long pause, "What can you really say to something like that?"
"You can say yes, for starters," Misato said.
"Misato! I-"
"I know how you must feel," Misato explained her words, "but you have to understand that this may be your only chance to figure out what really happened to you."
"That reminds me," Cyan remembered his first day in class, "Remember how I was talking about a blue-haired girl, back during the bus crash?"
"Um, yeah..." Misato said slowly.
"I met a girl in my class...she looks so much like her..."
"You mean Rei Ayanami?" Misato asked.
"Yes! That's the name."
Misato shook her head. "It couldn't have been her," she said, "She's only fifteen, just like Shinji and Asuka, and her history is entirely accounted for. She's an Evangelion pilot herself."
"Oh..." Cyan looked back to the road.
"Listen, Cyan. I know it sounds a little dangerous, but if you want my advice, take the offer. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity."
"That is, if my life doesn't end in the cockpit of that thing," Cyan rebutted.
--------------------
Misato dropped Cyan back home, and found the house empty, apart from Asuka, who was busy listening to some music. Cyan decided to strike up a conversation with the Second Child.
"Um, Asuka?"
Asuka turned her head, lowering the volume of the speakers. "Yeah?"
"What does it feel like...piloting the Eva?"
This question was right out of the blue to Asuka. "Well...it is a little weird at first... the first time I went into one was a few years ago, back in Germany. The first thing they do is flood the entry plug with LCL, it's like a kind of clear orange soup, and it tasted a little like blood, but you get used to it after a while..."
Cyan's mind sparked. [That orange blood! Maybe this job could contain more clues as to my past than I thought...]
"...The tricky thing is to only think about moving, but not actually moving yourself... when you're in a battle, it gets a little scary, because any pain the Eva experiences, you feel as well, only about 50% less... you still listening?"
"Yeah..." Cyan replied.
"Why are you even asking, anyway?" Then Asuka gasped as she figured it out. "She didn't..."
"Yeah. Ritsuko came to me, and she asked if I wanted to pilot the Eva..."
"But there's only three units...mine, Shinji's and Rei's..."
"She told me that apart from Eva Units Three and Four, which are being made in the States, they're going to build Unit Five here, for me..." [Wait, maybe Asuka wasn't supposed to know about those yet...]
"God, it's getting ridiculous," Asuka ranted, "Just how little do they trust us three!?"
Just then, a shout could be heard from the entrance. "Tadaima!"
"Hey, Shinji!" Asuka and Cyan shouted back. They then switched their conversation to English.
"I don't know," Cyan said in Basic English, remembering that Asuka only spoke a little.
"Just hope you don't get a broken Eva like Idiot's..."
"Broken? It didn't seem broken the other day..."
"Ha! He can't even keep it under control half the time!" Meanwhile, Shinji looked on, catching Asuka and Cyan's looks.
"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" he asked.
"Aw, mind your own business, you idiot!" Asuka replied in Japanese.
"Hey, Asuka!" Cyan complained, "Why are you so hard on him?"
"Because he's an complete dummkopf! Sheiste!" Shinji slowly walked away.
"God, you have his wrapped around your little finger, don't you?" Cyan commented, in English, stunned by Asuka's control over the Third Child.
"Mmm, yeah."
Cyan grinned. "Or is it a lovers' quarrel?"
"Aah! Perverse dummkopf!"
"Whoa, just kidding, Asuka! Can't you take a joke?" Cyan began to speak in Japanese now. "Even though I have no idea what you just said..."
Asuka blushed. "Or me, for that matter..."
"Maybe we could teach each other a little of our language..?"
Asuka thought about it. "Hmm...would be a change from our regular classes...yeah, why not?"
Cyan smiled. [Maybe she isn't as bitchy as everyone thinks she is...]
Asuka yawned loudly. "Another thing about these Eva battles, they really take it out of you," she explained, "See you tomorrow, Cyan."
"Good night, Asuka." Asuka went off into her room. Cyan walked into the lounge room to talk to Shinji.
"Shinji, can I have a word?"
His head turned away from the TV. "Alright."
"Uh, why do you pilot the Evangelion?"
"Why? I don't know...probably to please my father..."
"Your father?"
"Yes... he's the Commander of NERV... if I pilot the Eva, he'll be happy..."
"Okay..." Cyan thought for a second. [Bossed around by his room mates, bossed around by his father... when's this kid going to get some balls?]
"You know, Shinji," Cyan told the boy, "You really should stop living solely for other people. I mean, defending the world, fair enough, but doing it just because your father says so? You don't go out there and kick Angel butt to defend your father, right? You go out there and kick Angel butt to defend the entire human race, and more importantly, yourself. Start living for yourself. You'll like it, trust me."
"Um, okay..."
"Now, let's start with Asuka..."
"Huh? No way, she'd..."
"Hit you? That's what you're worried about?" Cyan started to laugh. Shinji didn't understand, until Cyan spoke again. "Shinji have you ever been hurt before?"
"Um, yes, the first time I got into an Eva, an Angel broke my arm..."
"Is your arm better now?"
"Uh, yeah, I suppose..."
"Time heals all wounds! Look at me! I've been gored through the guts," Cyan said, lifting his shirt to show Shinji his scar from the oversized stab wound, "and I'm still standing! And you're afraid of a little bitch- slap? Grow up, Shinji!"
Shinji grew a little upset instead. "I'm sorry..."
"And stop apologizing, kid!" Cyan said to the boy, "You shouldn't regret anything you do. Okay, only if it's real bad, but don't apologize because you received some good advice!"
"Oh, okay," Shinji said, "Um, thanks, Cyan."
"Don't mention it," Cyan smiled. He then yawned. "Shinji, I'm thinking of going to sleep soon..."
"Oh, you want the couch?"
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it." Shinji stood up, and went for his bedroom. Looking back at his new roommate, he spoke.
"Misato told me that you were going to be the next Child," Shinji said.
"I haven't made up my mind yet," Cyan told Shinji, "But from the looks of it, you could do with another man in the house."
"Thanks, Cyan," Shinji said, "Good night."
"G'night, Shinji." Shinji left, and Cyan fell back into his bed. He lay there, contemplating his choices, before reaching for the phone. Dialing in a number from the back of his hand, he waited for the receiver to pick up.
-----------------
Ritsuko was at her desk, waiting for an important call. She already had the requested file open, all she need to wait for was that call.
It came. She picked up the headset. "Hello?"
"Dr. Akagi? It's Cyan here..."
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Will Cyan join NERV as an Eva pilot? It's your choice. Send an email to me, and tell me what you think. I honestly can't be stuffed dedicating myself either way, so make up your own minds... Also any ideas as to relationships would be appreciated, A/S, S/R, C/A, C/R, M/S, R/Pen Pen, I dunno, so you tell me! Basically, tell me what you want, and if I think it works, I'll go with it.
Please note that I only take opinions via email, because I save the Reviews section for actual reviews, unlike my last story in which I received an odd review asking me to "cook Shinji for dinner tonight"...
Anyway, until I can be bothered writing another chapter, sayonara!