Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion…

This story is rated R for violence, sexuality, and language. And don't worry; I'm not turning Shinji into "Superman Shinji".

Story Title: Masochistic

Author: Mosher-24

Chapter Eleven: Something in the way

*~*~*~*~*~*

Shinji was running along the hallway. It was dark and cold. His bare feet slapped against the marble floor, echoing his hurry for hundreds of meters.

The air seemed thick with death as Shinji seemed to just cut through it. He could hear the creature running in from behind him.

'Why are you running?'

Shinji could hear it through his subconscious, which scared him more than anything else. It seemed to be INSIDE him.

The hallway was pitch black, but seemed to be straight, so Shinji just kept running. The walls seemed to close in on him the farther he went, until they were pressing on his shoulders. He found an opening to his right and ran through it. It was another dark hallway.

'Stop running. You're going to get tired.'

Shinji seemed to run faster. He turned around for a split second and saw a glowing entity flying behind him.

Shinji hurtled another dead body. The entity had been chasing him for over a week, killing anyone else in the way. It had even killed his friends Toji and Kensuke.

'I can keep going, but you will get tired.'

"I'll just hide from you again!" Shinji huffed as he tried to keep running. He was slowing down again though, and didn't think he'd find a place to hide in time.

'You are mine this time. Just stop now, and I'll set you free.'

Shinji ran for a few more minutes, blind in the darkness before he finally just collapsed. He breathed hard as the entity floated over to him. When it's face came before Shinji's, it was Rei's.

Shinji stared at her. She was completely white, her crimson eyes shining clearly. Shinji reached out and touched her cheek, but he yanked it back when he felt it burn. Rei's face changed into the head of the Angel-EVA he had battled almost an eternity ago. Or was it an eternity? Shinji didn't know.

'It is done.'

Shinji felt himself get cold and everything went dark again. He screamed, but couldn't hear his own voice.

*~*~*~*~*

Opening his eyes, he was surrounded by complete dark. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a jumble of meaningless sounds.

Something stirred to his right. The angel!?

"Shinji?" came a soft voice. It was quiet, comforting… familiar. Shinji remembered who he was. He remembered that voice.

"Rei?"

"Yes. Are you okay?" Rei asked. She was close to him and Shinji was adapting to the darkness, so he could make out some of Rei's soft features.

"I'm fine… how long have I been out?" Shinji asked, rubbing his eyes. The I.V. in his arm snagged and he winced.

"Nine days," Rei replied, reaching out and touching his cheek. Shinji closed his eyes and for a minute, felt the burning again, but that feeling quickly passed. He opened his eyes and Rei's face was right next to his.

Shinji pulled Rei's face to his with his free hand and kissed her. She kissed back and broke only when she couldn't breathe anymore. She gave him a soft smile, though he felt it more than saw it.

"Shinji… It will get hard for us to see each other. The commander… does not want us to be close… He has made several arrangements to keep us away from each other… But you know the park outside my apartment, do you not?" Rei asked softly.

"Yes," Shinji replied, already horrified by what the Commander was doing.

"Meet me there every night you can at midnight or past. No later than four. That will be the only time we can be together outside of school or NERV. I'm sorry, but it will have to be that way for a while," Rei said sadly.

"Okay… I'll be there every night… I promise," Shinji said. Rei smiled and kissed his again.

"I have to leave. The Commander cannot see me here. I'll see you later. I love you," Rei said.

"I love you too," Shinji replied and Rei was gone. He stared into the dark silence for a while, before closing his eyes and letting silent tears fall down his cheeks.

The darkness seemed to press in on him, but he couldn't sleep. Maybe that was because he had already slept for eight days, or because he was too busy seething about his father to sleep.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Kaji was slowly making his way down the deserted street. He was following the unsuspecting victim, who, ironically, was looking for her own victim.

He pulled the loaded gun from his shoulder holster. The black 9mm gleamed in the moonlight.

The buildings of Tokyo-3 looked dark and formidable in the dark.

"Stop right there Domono," came the female's voice. Kaji jumped into an alley and listened.

"Now, listen, I haven't done anything," came a males voice.

"I know you haven't. But I'm sad to say, you know too much."

"I don't know anything!"

"You know about Commencement. Were you not planning on going to the third tonight and warn him?"

"NO!"

"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you."

A single shot rang out in the peaceful night air. Kaji could barely hear a body fall the ground and the clicking of heels on the cement.

Kaji turned the corner and took aim at his victim, but decided to give her a chance. The blonde haired assassin and doctor disappeared from Kaji's sight. He decided it was time to pay NERV a nighttime visit.

*~*~*~*~*

Shinji went through the pains of two days worth of testing and treatment before the infirmary would let him out, but when they finally let him go, he went straight to Toji's house.

"Yes?" Toji's mother said after Shinji had knocked on their door. She was a short lady with dark brown hair and light green eyes.

The house was small, but homely. It was painted a dark blue with light blue trim. There was a tiny garden in the front and a white sports car in the front.

"Is… Toji here?" Shinji asked hesitantly. Toji's mother nodded and went to fetch her son.

Shinji heard it before he saw it, but nothing could have prepared him for the sight that lay before him.

Toji walked to the door with a prosthetic leg and his arm in a sling with several scratches and bruises covering his face.

At the sight, Shinji broke down and cried, repeating several apologies through his sobs. Toji watched him with pity, but couldn't get to the ground to comfort him because of his injuries.

"I wasn't in control! I swear!" Shinji said and sobbed some more.

"It's okay Shinji, he knows you didn't mean to," a familiar voice said. Shinji looked up to see Kensuke next to Toji.

"Yea, I don't blame you man… I blame NERV," Toji said. Shinji felt tears come to his eyes.

"I'm so sorry… I screwed your life up… It was my fault… if I just would have defeated the EVA, and not let him take over… it's my fault," Shinji rambled on, feeling the fresh tears stream down his cheeks.

Toji wiped his eyes with his uninjured hand.

"Would you shut up already? You're making me fucking cry! It's so un-manly!" Toji said.

Shinji smiled a little, his tears still falling.

"Why don't you come in? We'll… talk," Toji asked.

Shinji gladly accepted.

*~*~*~*~*

"The time for you to fulfill your purpose is coming."

"Yes sir. What do you want me to do."

"You know what you have to do. Just follow your instinct. You will do fine."

"Yes sir. What about Shinji?"

"Your purpose will push the third to his own purpose. Do not worry about anything but your own."

"Yes sir."

*~*~*~*~*

"That's your sister?" Shinji asked, looking at the picture of Toji's sibling.

She looked young, happy, and carefree. Shinji felt pained to know that she was now hurt because of something he had done.

"Hey, Shinji. Don't get down about this man. It's just another one of life's little bitch-slaps. I'll be fine, I promise. NERV said they're gonna get me the new prototype leg they have, which looks a hell of a lot better than this stub. Don't worry Shinji, everything will be fine," Toji said, patting Shinji on the back with his uninjured hand.

"Thanks Toji," Shinji said, his eyes finally dry of tears.

"Now, let's play some video games!" Kensuke said cheerfully.

The three friends laughed and spent the rest of the day together, until nighttime, when Shinji bade them farewell, and made his way to Kaji's.

*~*~*~*~*

Rei waited for her lover in the darkness. The park was warm in the night and the moonlight lit the trees and the spot perfectly.

The soft breeze was ruffling through the grass so it disguised Shinji's footsteps. He was there at midnight, as he had promised.

He came up behind his girlfriend, who was standing on a slight hill, and nibbled playfully on her ear.

She smiled and turned around. The two kissed and had their arms around each other.

Not a word was uttered. The only guide to their encounter was their hearts, which seemed to beat as one, and their bodies, which eventually became one.

Shinji lay down next to Rei on a blanket she had laid out. She smiled at him and he fell asleep in her arms, but she eventually had to leave him. He slept through the night, however, like a baby. The first good night's sleep he had gotten in a long while.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Author's notes: These chapters are coming fast, I know. But I think I'm seeing exactly where this is going, and I hope you come along for the ride, and enjoy it. Until later.

~Mosher-24