Disclaimer: See the first chapter.
Thalarian T.M. Productions Presents:
Neon Genesis Evangelion:
Project Blue Blood - Chapter 2: Blank Eyes Of A Murderer
The drive started out smoothly enough. Misato and Ritsuko sat in the front, as the newcomer sat in the back. He didn't bat an eyelash as the purple haired woman flew around every corner at breakneck speeds. Ritsuko flipped through the manila folder in her hands a few more times, before finally lifting her head and speaking to the figure in the back.
"You've got quite an impressive profile Mr. Takashi."
The young man smiled brightly.
"Please call me Christian."
Ritsuko smiled at him as well. "Ok then, Mr. Christian. What was the mission in Brazil like by the way? You seem to be quite an expert in your field."
Fortunately, neither of the two women saw his smile falter in the back seat. He sat there for a moment, collecting his thoughts before smiling again.
"Not something a brilliant woman like yourself would want to know about."
Ritsuko blushed faintly, as her brow scrunched up in confusion. Not quite the answer she was expecting.
Thankfully her companion cut in. "How did you get into the business. You seem pretty young to be a government agent Christian."
Once again, the smile faltered. "Uhh, my father was Secretary Of Defense for the United States. It was only natural that I had a foothold into the position and its requirements."
Misato smiled. "Well you seemed to have a natural talent for it. I hope you don't mind me intruding, but you don't seem very...well...American."
"Misato!"
The young man laughed as Ritsuko scolded Misato for the blatant disregard of respect. "It's quite alright Ms. Akagi. My parents, well, they weren't actually my parents. I was adopted by them when I was fifteen."
Misato looked in her mirror at him.
"What about your real parents then?"
He met her eyes for a brief moment, before looking out the window.
"My mother passed away, and my father with her."
Understanding that nothing more should be said of it, Misato's eyes solemnly fell back onto the road in front of her. No more words were said as they began their decent into Nerv.
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"And this is the second employee lounge."
Christian fell in step with Misato and Ritsuko as they walked through the bowels of Nerv. He smiled pleasantly as the Major announced each part of the headquarters. Ritsuko stood a bit to his side, fairly disinterested in the entire ordeal.
"Well now, this must be my lucky day, two lovely young ladies in one place."
Misato suddenly cringed and began to grit her teeth, as an amused smile played across Ritsuko's lips.
One Mr. Ryouji Kaji sauntered up to the pair, bowing low and flashing a row of pearly whites. Misato just gave him a look of disdain as he wandered up to her.
"Major, you are looking quite stressed. Perhaps I could offer you dinner tomorrow to help relieve' some of that tension?"
Misato's eyes narrowed, but before her hand could meet the ever stubbly face, her pursuer noticed the young man behind them. He smiled and bowed lightly to the young man.
"Well now, I apologize for my manners. My name is Ryouji Kaji. Yourself?"
Christian smiled brightly and bowed. "Christian Takashi, newly assigned security agent to the Children and part-time R and D specialist."
Kaji's eyes glazed over for a brief second as they met Christian's. He knew them somewhere, but he wasn't sure. Before his thoughts could go any farther, his mind suddenly blanked on what it was he was thinking about. Misato stared at Kaji for a brief moment. She silently raised a hand to his face and waved it back and forth.
"Hello.earth to Kaji."
The stubbly stud finally broke out of his trance, smiling a bit before backing up.
"Sorry about that. It is a pleasure to meet you. Now then, if you will all excuse me, I do have a bit of business to attend to."
He began to walk past the group, before smiling and turning back around. He regarded the young man for a moment. "Be careful Mr. Takashi, Ms. Katsuragi is known to be quite a man tamer."
Christian and Ritsuko laughed as Misato cursed at the pony tailed man. She glared darkly at his back, hoping beyond a doubt, that he would suddenly just explode. Ritsuko smiled before tapping the purple haired goddess on the shoulder.
"Remember Major...we've got a schedule to keep."
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The office was no more warm and inviting then a lawyer dancing on an iceberg.
The Commander of Nerv sat, with his hands intertwined, at his equally cold desk. Behind him, stood the ever present statue of the Sub-Commander. Before them, stood the newly assigned bodyguard of the First, Second, and Third Child. A ways behind him stood the Major and Lead Scientist of Nerv.
"Christian Takashi I presume?"
The young man stiffened slightly.
"Yes sir."
Gendo focused on the man before him for a moment. Finally he stood, lacing his hands behind his back. He walked around to the front of his desk, staring at the young man intently, trying to sense any disdain.
"I understand you have read the rules and regulations of Nerv."
"Yes sir, I have."
Gendo took another step forward.
"I also understand that you have been briefed as to your position here at Nerv?"
"Yes sir."
Another step.
"Then all the rules apply. Your housing has been accommodated next to Major Katsuragi's and your belongings have already been placed there. You are on duty during the day; your hours will be specified as a schedule is created. You will, however, be on call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Any disregard for the safety of the Children will result in immediate and swift penalties. Any acts of negligence towards direct orders from Major Katsuragi, Sub-Commander Fyuutski, or I, will also result in immediate penalties. Any acts or signs of treason will result in punishment with extreme prejudice. Up to and including execution. Is this understood?"
By the time Gendo had said his entire speech, he was now only two steps away from being face to face with Christian.
"Perfectly, sir."
One final step. This finally placed Gendo in the young mans personal space, which the Commander used to look down on him. Christian looked back up at him with the same blank and determined look, not budging and inch.
"We are an organization designed for the protection of humankind Mr. Takashi. I will not tolerate any mistakes on your behalf. For your sake, I would advise you do your job to the best of your abilities. Is that clear?"
Christian answered softly, without missing a beat. "Clear as shit on a shingle....sir."
Gendo's eyes narrowed at the statement.
"Then you are dismissed."
"Thank you sir."
Christian turned and walked away, the two women bowing and leading him out of the office. When the door finally closed, Gendo returned to his seat, taking his usual position. Fyuutski smiled faintly as Gendo sat down.
"You and I both know he won't follow what you just told him too."
Gendo continued to stare.
"He will. His job, and possibly his life, depends on it."
Fyuutski's smile spread a bit more.
"He reminds me of someone I knew a long time ago. Someone that I should have probably let stay in a little cramped cell for a couple extra days.."
This time, Gendo couldn't help but smirk lightly.
"Perhaps you should have, my old friend."
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Shinji packed what was left of his papers as the final bell rang. Kensuke has already run off with Touji to a new movie that was released in theaters. The poor boy couldn't recall the name of the movie to save his life. Something about warfare and explosions. Oh hell, this was Kensuke we're talking about. You didn't even have to know what he was going to see to know that it would have warfare and explosions. Also the possibility of brief nudity.Shinji finally hefted his bag over his shoulder. Asuka had already run off with Hikari to do whatever the strange gender of women do. He glanced at the desk next to the window. She was gone too. Probably already off to Nerv.
He was still working out his feelings for his two co-workers. Asuka was somewhat of a mystery. One minute she could be sweet as sugar. Always making sure he stood up for himself, sometimes doing it for him. Making sure he was ok, and many other things. Then of course, she could also be a demon in human disguise. She would scream and yell at him. Hit him for things that he didn't do, and blame things on him for the simple fact that he was 'Male'. Most of it never made sense. Hell, Asuka in her own way didn't make sense. She seemed to have this vendetta against the world, and she wouldn't quite until everyone knew it.
As much a mystery as she was, she wasn't even close to being as mysterious as Rei. You could never tell what the girl was thinking or feeling. Shinji still rarely knew when she was happy or not. The few times he did know were when she would smile. Shinji couldn't help smiling himself at that thought. He had this hidden feeling that he was one of the very rare people she would smile to on a regular basis.
As the last of his thoughts left him, Shinji proceeded out of the school. Kensuke had said something about a new Eva Unit earlier that day. Shinji didn't know whether to be happy or not. He would be happy that someone else would be here to help, so not so much had to be weighed on his, Asuka's, and Rei's shoulders. However, he wasn't so sure if he liked the fact that someone else would be subjected to this slow but immanent torture. He would have to ask Misato about it later.
As Shinji made his way out of the front doors of school, he was a bit surprised to see Misato standing out in the street next to her blue sportscar. What surprised him even more, was the indigo haired girl standing next to her. This however, sent him into a small panic.
"Hi Misato!"
The purple haired woman smiled back at him, waving slightly as he made his way up to them.
"Hi Shinji. Could I ask you a favor?"
His panic faded a bit as he realized that it wasn't some sort of emergency. He nodded his approval. "Sure."
She smiled and put an arm around his shoulders as they walked towards the car.
"You wouldn't mind cooking for five tonight would you?"
Shinji's curiosity was met with Misato's sheepish grin, as she offered to explain on the way home.
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Chrisitian stood in one of the main Tokyo-3 parks. He breathed in its scent and smiled. Oh how he missed this place. Before long, a cell phone in his shirt pocket began to ring. He glanced around, searching for any Section 2 agents, and finding none, he proceeded to pull it out."Hey."
He smiled as another voice rang through on the phone. He listened for a moment, before he remember exactly why he wanted this call. As the other voice began to talk, he pulled out the manila folder that held his profile.
"I have a question. When were you going to tell me that you hacked into the government's central computer system and made me a special forces agent?"
He could hear laughter. His irritation grew for a moment.
"It's not funny, I could have been figured out! I barely made it through college with those degrees, let alone to supposedly be a government agent. Oh, and I loved that bit with ten martial arts. I've only studied a couple, what if they had wanted a demonstration or something?"
He listened as the voice on the other end explained some things to him.
"Yeah I know you did, and I really want to thank you, but next time, please try to keep it believable. I mean, I'm not the best liar right off the top of my head."
More soft laughter could be heard. Finally the voice became inquisitive. He smiled lightly.
"Yeah, everything is going according to plan." He took a quick look at his watch. "In fact, I have to go over to Major Katsuragi's house for dinner in a little bit. Time to meet the Children."
The voice on the other end asked another question. Christian's face grimaced.
"Yeah I met him, and he's a prick. We'll have to be careful when dealing with him, otherwise he'll know somethings up."
A bit more came from the other end of the phone.
"I know, but we'll just have to play it by ear. There's too much that can go wrong, and too little that can go right. I'll be careful, I promise."
The voice on the other end said a few more things, before saying it's goodbye and hanging up. When the phone clicked off, Christian flicked it shut and placed it back into his pocket. When he glanced up he noticed a Section 2 agent across the street, also talking into a cell phone. Christian smiled a bit before walking off towards Misato's apartment.
Keeping tabs on me won't help you in the end...
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Shinji and Rei sat side by side at the kitchen table in Misato's apartment. She had already briefed them on the new bodyguard assigned to them, and was in the process of finishing her bath. Honestly, Shinji thought that it was a great idea. In the beginning he was a bit scared that Nerv would suddenly assign a bodyguard to them, but Misato had quelled those fears quite well.
"There's nothing to be scared of Shinji. It's merely a precaution because of how important you are to Nerv. I know that Section-2 is usually assigned to the safety of the children, but just between you and me, I feel much safer having a professional watching out for you."
Which was actually quite true to Shinji; it had taken Section-2 quite awhile to find him after he had tried to run away. Besides, Rei seemed perfectly alright with the idea, even though she showed little interest in it. Shinji stood up and began to pull a few things out for dinner, deciding that stir fry would probably be best for the evening, considering the varying tastes each person had. Rei sat still even as the young boy went about piling these together for dinner. Shinji turned and smiled at her lightly.
"Do you think he'll be nice?"
Rei's head tilted a bit to the side. "I do not know, I have never met him."
Shinji's smiled faltered a little. "Well I know that, but I was just wondering if you think he will be nice."
This time, Rei's face held a slightly questioning gaze. "Perhaps you have sustained some type of injury to your hearing Ikari. I said I do not know, I have never met him."
Shinji sighed dejectedly. Even though Rei was a very intriguing girl, talking to her sometimes was like talking to a wall. His thoughts were interrupted however as Misato walked in, smiling brightly and wearing her 'normal' evening attire. Shinji's eyebrow raised as the older woman snatched a beer from the refrigerator and slammed it into the back of her throat.
"Misato, shouldn't you wear something, I don't know...decent?"
Misato looked at Shinji as if the poor boy had grown an extra head. "What? This is perfectly suitable. I don't believe he'll mind at all. Besides, he's pretty cute and what man wouldn't want to see a beautiful body like this walking around?"
Shinji just sighed in defeat and continued to prepare the meal ahead. Without warning, the doorbell rang. Shinji turned to Misato, but saw that she was preoccupied with digging something out of the back of the refrigerator and didn't head the bell. Shinji turned to Rei, who was still sitting quietly at the table.
"Rei, could you answer the door please?"
"Yes."
The stoic girl stood up and silently made her way to the door. She hit the side panel and the door slid to the side, revealing a young blonde haired man.
Christian smiled brightly. "Why hello young lady!"
Rei's expression didn't change in the least.as she stared up at the young man. "May I help you?"
His smile lit up once again. "You wouldn't happen to be Rei Ayanami, would you?"
"Yes, I am."
He grinned at her and extended his hand. "Christian Takashi, newly assigned bodyguard. I am quite please to make your acquaintance."
Rei just stared at his hand, then looked back up to him. Her eyes narrowed, but they only took a second to glaze over. Almost as soon as it happened, it went away and the young red eyes girl shook her head lightly. Then without missing a beat she turned away from him and walked back into the apartment. "Major Katsuragi is awaiting your presence inside."
Chrisitan smiled at the retreating girl, and walked through the doorway, placing his shoes next to the other few pairs by the entrance. He walked into the living room and smiled slightly, looking around the apartment and taking it all in.
"Hello Mr. Takashi!"
The young bodyguard turned to find his scantly clad superior officer in front of him. He facefaulted for a brief moment and stared at the purple haired beauty wondering how this could be the same woman he saw at Nerv not even a few hours ago. He saluted clumsily, as she pulled a beer out of nowhere and downed it in what some would consider an 'Alcoholic's Dream Swallow'. Misato laughed when she noticed him standing at attention in front of her.
"Come on Christian, we're both pretty much off duty, so no need for formalities. I see you've already met the First Child, Rei. I know she doesn't talk much, but you'll get used to her. The Third Child, Shinji, is in the kitchen preparing dinner. You can go meet him if you want. He's a bit shy, so don't take any offense if he doesn't open up right away." Misato's cell phone chose that time to begin ringing from across the room. She picked it up and looked at the display, before turning back to the young man. "Excuse me a minute, I have to take this call."
Christian nodded as Misato retreated to her bedroom. He looked around a bit more before taking a deep breath and walking towards the kitchen. The delightful smell of various spices wafted to his nostrils. He finally walked into the kitchen and smiled as a young brown haired boy walked back and forth from the stove to the counter, cooking and dicing ingredients at once.
"Shinji Ikari?"
The boy in question turned and found himself face to face with a young blonde haired man.
"Yes?"
Christian smiled. "Christian Takashi, newly assigned bodyguard. I am very pleased to meet you."
Shinji stared at him for a moment, his eyes going foggy. His mind suddenly went blank though, and Shinji blinked a couple times trying to collect his thoughts. Finally, he looked up at the young man and smiled. The two extended hands and shook, Shinji smiling brightly.
"It's really nice to meet you Mr. Takashi."
"I'm not a superior Shinji, so there's no need to act like that. Christian works just as well."
This time Shinji nodded and turned back around when he her his pan sizzling.
"Make yourself at home if you'd like. Asuka should be home soon."
Christian looked around, and began to take off his jacket. After hanging it on the small rack, he walked over to the cutting board that the Third Child had been using. "Mind if I help?"
Shinji looked over, before a grateful expression fell on his face and he smiled. "Not at all!"
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Shinji and Misato sat on one end of the table while Christian and Rei occupied the other. Dinner was going along nicely, and Shinji had set aside a plate for the soon to be present Second Child. Conversation consisted of light talks about Nerv and it's Evangelion Units. Misato and Shinji asked the young bodyguard about a few things in America and how things worked about over there. Rei was quiet through most of dinner, only answering if she was asked a question. She watched the young blonde haired man with a bit of interest, but some would call it a discerning gaze, as she tried to find a label for him in her mind. As dinner made it to about the halfway point, the group could pick up the sound of the front door hissing open and the sound of a fiery girls claim that she had returned home.
Asuka rounded the corner of the living room and walked into the kitchen, she smiled at the group before her eyes landed on the young blonde man. Her vision fogged a bit as she looked into his eyes. She could have sworn she recognized him for a brief instant. But before she could think on it further, her mind suddenly went blank and she completely forgot about what was on her mind. Shaking her head for a second, she finally raised a hand and pointed at him.
"Who is that?"
Misato sighed at the redhead's lack of manners, before ushering her over and making an introduction.
"This is Christian Takashi, new bodyguard to Nerv. He's here to keep a close eye on all three of you." She then turned back to the young man. "This is Asuka, the Second Child."
"I'm very glad to meet you Asuka."
"Yeah...okay..."
Asuka raised an eyebrow before looking over at Rei and scowling a little bit. She moved over to the empty seat and plopped down in it with a huff, tearing off the wrapping to her dinner and proceeded in chowing down. Pretty soon everyone began to eat a bit more. Only after a few minutes had passed, did Asuka look up and give the young man a scrutinizing look.
"So Mr. Bodyguard, why did Nerv hire you in the first place? Misato lacking in her guardianship skills that badly?"
Misato's face flushed red, and before she could reach over and strangle the young girl, Christian intervened.
"Actually, Ms. Langley, security has been strengthened all over Nerv, and it was only fitting that they secure it around you three as well. Considering that you three are pretty much the lifeblood of Nerv, it was only the next logical step."
Asuka beamed as he made his statement, and almost before he could finish, she was waving off at the other two Children. "Lifeblood is right! If it wasn't for me and my Unit Two, then Nerv probably would have already been overrun. As for Shinji and Wondergirl, I wouldn't exactly call them the lifeblood. More like the urine deposit or something."
Shinji visibly bristled at that comment.
"Hey, I am not! Rei and I are just as important as you Asuka."
Asuka puffed out her chest a bit more. "Oh please, Third Child. I would have a hard time shoving my foot up your ass, you're so nervous and uptight all the time."
Christian cleared his throat, before smiling slightly. "I was assigned to guard all three of you, so I highly doubt any of you are better then the others."
Asuka 'hmphed' and returned to eating her food, as Shinji smiled and began to eat his. Rei had sat still glancing between the two the entire time, not really having an opinion at all. Misato smiled as well and returned to her food, satisfied that the situation was taken care of before it got to out of control. However, before anyone could fully settle into a normal eating routine again, Shinji looked up for a minute.
"Misato, is it true that there's another Eva on it's way? Unit Three I believe. Kensuke mentioned it earlier today"
Asuka stopped her eating and stared at the young pilot intently, while Misato suddenly choked out the beer she had been gulping down at that very moment. Shinji, not being nearly as dumb as Asuka says he is, caught onto her reaction instantly. His head drooped for a second.
"It is, isn't it. That means that someone else will have to pilot."
Misato got her coughing fit under control and placed a hand on the boys shoulder, before finally answering.
"Shinji, I understand your concern, but there's no need to be worried. I mean, there are going to be many more pilots from what I understand. They've even been working on a Unit Four."
Christian's eyes shot open the second that Misato's words left her mouth.
"They've still got Unit Four?"
All eyes turned to him, and he smiled sheepishly. He quickly wracked his brain. "Uh...sorry, it's just that I heard someone talking today about how they had lost Unit Four in an explosion or something in the Second Branch."
Asuka stared at him with a raised eyebrow, even as she raised another bite of food to her mouth. She then mumbled with her mouth full. "Great, they get us a tweaker as a bodyguard. Welcome to Nerv's ultimate security plan..."
Misato ignored Asuka's comment, and gently stared at the blonde man. "Well I hate to say it Christian, but whoever you heard talking was definitely wrong. We've still got the Second Branch, and they haven't even started the tests on Unit Four yet."
Christian's jaw tightened as he forced a smile. "Oh, heh, sorry, my mistake."
Holy shit.....
Feeling that he should quickly change the topic, Christian inquired again. "So who's the pilot of Unit-03?"
This time, only Shinji missed the purple haired goddesses fidgeting. Her eyes darted to the brown haired boy sitting next to her. "W-well you see, there hasn't been a pilot chosen for it yet."
Christian's eyes narrowed. "So, you're saying you don't know?"
Misato nodded a little to vigorously. Asuka looked back and forth across the table, and decided that maybe retreating to her room was the best logical choice. She excused herself and quickly stood up, walking briskly to her room. The second that the door shut, Misato chose that time to retreat as well.
"Well if you'll excuse me, I still have a bit of work to do. Shinji that was an excellent dinner as always. Christian, if you could please escort Rei home I'd greatly appreciate it."
Before anyone could even get a word in, Misato was already on her way to the room. As her door slid shut, Shinji sighed out audibly. He began to slowly pick up the dishes around the table. Christian looked over, and began to help as well. He smiled at Rei, who also began to to help. She lightly began to wipe off the table as the two men walked into the kitchen. Shinji placed all of the dishes in the sink and began to run water over them. Christian disposed of some of the trash, before looking up at the somber young boy.
"Anything wrong Shinji?"
Shinji sighed and turned the water off, not even looking at his new bodyguard before speaking.
"Sometimes...I just wish Misato would stop treating me like a kid, and tell me what's going on once in awhile. I hate all this being in the dark about what Nerv has going on. I mean, don't I have a right to know who my fellow pilots are going to be?" Realizing that he was starting to raise his voice, Shinji smiled apologetically. "Sorry."
Christian smiled at the young boy, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Shinji, just because you feel left in the dark doesn't mean that Misato is trying to treat you like a child. I'm about her age, so I may know a thing or two about what she's thinking. Trust me, you're probably not the only person in the dark about certain things, but they will work themselves out. The only thing I can tell you is to keep your head up."
Shinji couldn't help but smile. "Thanks Mr. Ta....I mean Christian..."
The elder of the two smiled, looking over to Rei who was standing in the doorway waiting for him. "Ready Rei?"
The girl nodded. The young bodyguard smiled and began to walk towards the exit, but before he reached it, he turned around.
"Shinji, if you ever need to talk to someone, I'm right next door, or a phone call away. Don't hesitate. Just like Misato wants to be your friend rather then your guardian, I also want to be your friend rather than just your bodyguard. Is that understood?"
Shinji stood there for a moment, before smiling brightly. "Yes."
The young blonde smiled, before saying a quick goodbye, and escorting Rei down to his car.
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"You are hiding something."The question was not quite a shock when she said it, however, it did catch him a little off guard in how short a time it took for her to say it. The statement was neither accusing nor commandeering. It was just a silent comment made by a silent girl.
"What makes you say that Rei?"
The girl in question looked at him from the passenger seat.
"The manner in which you act hints that you are possibly hiding something."
Christian nodded as if what she said had made sense. They drove for a few more minutes before he answered back.
"What do you think it is that I'm hiding?"
Rei just looked at him for a moment, before turning back to the road before her.
"I...do not know."
Christian nodded again and continued to drive down the road. Rei began to formulate small questions in her head, but before she could ask any of them, the blonde man next to her threw something out.
"If you really believe that I'm hiding something, then I have to ask. Do you trust me enough to be your bodyguard?"
Rei didn't answer for a long while. Christian just looked back at the road and continued to drive with the instructions Rei had given him to her house. When he had finally figured that she was done talking for the rest of the trip, the young indigo haired girl spoke up.
"Yes..."
He turned a questionable look her way. "What was that?"
She turned and looked at him from her side of the car. "Yes, I trust you enough to be my bodyguard."
The blonde man smiled. "And why is that you would trust me Rei, despite the fact that you feel I'm hiding something...?"
Rei sat silent again. Before she could answer, they pulled up to the front of her apartment complex. The place looked dead and deserted. Rei sat in the car for a moment, her face in a somewhat thoughtful expression. She finally turned after a few more moments and faced him.
"I...do not know why I do..."
Without another word, the red eyed girl stood and began to walk towards the steps of the apartment compound. Christian looked at himself in the rear view mirror for a second, playing with something in his coat pocket. On a whim, he threw his door open and called out to the girl.
"Rei!"
The indigo haired cutey turned and stared at him intently, standing still as he made his way to her. When he made it up to her, he stood for a few moments, trying to think of what to say. After a moment of debate, he gave a soft sigh.
"Look, Rei, I know that I can't tell you whether I am or am not hiding something. That's a decision only you can make for yourself. The only thing I can ask of you, is that you keep on trusting me. It's the only way I can ensure your safety." He took another breath before beginning again. "After talking with you and watching how you interact with everyone else, I can see that there are many things outside of your life that you don't understand..."
Without letting her say anything, he pulled a small object out of his pocket, took her hand in his, and placed a cool object in her palm. With a questioning look, she glanced down at the small silver jeweled object that was just a bit bigger then her palm. Her eyebrows raised questioningly.
"A mirror...?"
Christian cut her off. "That was my foster mothers before she passed away. She used to stare into it for hours at a time. I never really understood why she did that until a bit before she passed away." He stopped for a moment and remembered what the woman he had come to love as family had told him. " 'Everyone wants answers to the questions they have in life. But if you looked hard enough at the person that stares back at you, that will be the person that will answer every question.'"
Rei didn't even have to state that she didn't quite understand what he was saying as he spoke to her unasked question. "Basically Rei, she would look into that mirror when she would have a question about herself, and sooner or later, the person she saw in the mirror would answer it. So whenever you don't understand something or have a question about your life, or about who you are, I want you to look into that little mirror." He took one more breath before he began to walk back towards the car. "Because sooner or later Rei, the person you see in it, will eventually give you the answer you wanted to hear."
Rei was somewhat speechless as she stared at the beautiful little artifact in her hands. Christian reached the car and was about to climb in, before he turned around and called out to her.
"Rei, you know that offer I gave to Shinji right before we left? The one I told him about in the kitchen?"
Rei looked up at him and nodded.
"Feel free to do the same..."
No other words were said as the young bodyguard climbed into the car and drove off. Rei looked off at the retreating automobile, before walking towards her apartment. She unknowingly held the small artifact quite tightly in her hand as she ascended the stairs, and if she had looked into it, she would have seen the small ghost of a smile that was on her lips.
If she had looked into it, she probably also would have the seen the dark suited man that stood a bit out of sight, talking into his cell phone.
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After a few days, things began to fall into a relative routine. Christian had moved into the vacant apartment right next to Misato's, and he had started to be near the Children a bit more each day. He took them to school, picked them up, and did a bit of other guardianship errands. Of course half the time Asuka would shout about it being 'Misato's job to do' and 'Why have a bodyguard when there's no need to guard us?'Shinji would usually invite him over for dinner and he would come, considering no point in cooking only for himself. The few days he spent at Nerv while the Children were at school, he walked around and met most of the staff, and began helping Ritsuko and Maya with the research and development issues.
The young bodyguard walked through the halls of Nerv with a stack of files in his hand. When the Commander had told him that his work with Ritsuko and Maya would be part time, he wondered, just what the hell part time meant to the stone cold person. He spent almost all of his time at Nerv helping Ritsuko and Maya with the various projects they were working on. Everything from filing folders and storing information, to helping to work on certain bugs in the Dummy Plug system.
He approached the blonde doctor's office, and lightly rapped on the door. He stood there for a minute before a heard the doctors confirmation to enter. He gently slid the door open and noticed that she was on the phone. She smiled at him and waved him in, extending her hand for the folders he was holding. She continued to talk for awhile, flipping through the files and smiling when she saw that they were all in order.
"So now would be a good time? Perfect, I'll be there in half an hour."
Ritsuko hung up the phone and smiled placing the folder on a part of her desk, mentally noting to come back it later. She looked up at the enthusiastic young man and smiled. "I must say, you've really impressed me since you've come on board Mr. Christian. I like your work ethics."
The man in question smiled and bowed politely. "Thank you Doctor. Anything else you need of me before I take off?"
Ritsuko looked round for a moment before turning back to him. She took an inquisitive look and lightly tapped her forefinger against her lips. She finally stood and smiled at him. "Actually I was wondering if you might accompany me to the school the children are at."
He raised an eyebrow and she smiled.
"I wouldn't mind a little company when I meet with the Fourth Child."
Ritsuko didn't notice the sudden flash of shock that passed through the young bodyguard's eyes. However, the look fled almost as soon as it had come. Christian smiled at her, albeit a bit forced.
"It would be my pleasure."
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Christian couldn't help but smile when one Touji Suzahara made his way into the principle's office. The boy looked a bit off guard when he noticed that the office held two more occupants than he had originally thought. The principle pulled out a chair and motioned for the athletic boy to sit down. Once he had taken a seat, Ritsuko had pulled out a folder and began flipping through it."Touji, I presume?"
The boy nodded slowly, still glancing between the two of them.
"Do you know who we are?"
Touji glanced a bit more, before finally answering. "You're the doc' that works for Nerv. You were there when me an' Kensuke got caught in...well...accidently boarded that robot with Shinji. An you..." He turned and looked at the young blonde man. "You're that new bodyguard or somethin' for Shinji, Asuka and Rei. I've seen you picking them up a few times."
He nodded his head just as Ritsuko began to lean forward. "That's right. My name is Dr. Ritsuko Akagi and this is Christian Takashi. We're here for one purpose Mr. Suzahara..."
The boy glanced up and straightened his back a bit as she leaned forward.
"We would like you to come work for Nerv, as an Evangelion pilot."
Touji glanced at the woman, who was giving him a supportive smile. He glanced at the young bodyguard, who was also giving a small smile.
"What does this mean?"
"What it means, Mr. Suzahara, is that you've been selected as the Fourth Child."
Those words hit Touji like the backhand of an Eva. Millions of thoughts raced through his mind. He definitely didn't see this coming. He half expected to be reamed out again for having 'breached their protocol'. This was totally unexpected and he wasn't entirely sure he was pilot material. From what he could tell, being an Eva pilot was a huge responsibility, and Shinji and sometimes even Rei, would hint at their disdain for the things. But maybe, if he was working for Nerv, he could throw out a bargain. Maybe, just maybe he could...
For her...for both of them...
"I'll be a pilot..."
Ritsuko smiled and leaned back.
"...on one condition..."
This however stopped Ritsuko in the middle of her movement. She gave the young dark haired boy a questionable look.
"My sister was seriously injured when that first Angel attacked. I would like her moved from her current hospital to a better one. Better treatment, better care, and better support for her. There's also a...girl...in my class. Hikari Horaki is her name. If there's ever an emergency, I would like her escorted directly to Nerv, not to a shelter."
Christian smile widened a bit, and Ritsuko had a look of confusion. Before long though, a smile came across her lips as well.
"Very well. I can't promise you about Ms. Horaki, as Nerv is fairly strict about letting everyday civilians into the headquarters. I will definitely look into the matter though. As for your sister, I am very sorry to hear about her condition, and I will request that she be transferred to Nerv's special medical facility within headquarters."
Touji smiled lightly, before holding out his hand. "Thanks..."
Ritsuko smiled faintly and shook his hand. "Welcome to Nerv, Touji."
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Only a day later, would Touji find himself aiming for a basket on the court outside of school. It was late in the afternoon, and the unfortunate boy had clean up duty for the day. He held his aim for a moment, and although his body was on Earth, getting ready to shoot, his mind was a million miles away. Naturally, his body shot up lightly and his arms arched forward. The ball sailed up and through the copper ring and bounced lightly on the ground.Touji sighed and slumped his shoulders as the ball rolled away from him. He never saw the shoe that stepped out and landed on the basketball, stopping it's travel. The dark haired boy looked over and finally noticed a young blonde man leaning over, picking up the ball.
"You've got quite a nice shot. Wish I could play like you do."
Touji recognized him instantly.
"You're the guy from the interview...Mr. Takashi...right?"
Christian smiled and nodded his head. "Christian will do just fine." Without another word, the blonde threw the ball into the air, watching as it also passed through the little copper ring. He smiled as Touji picked it up and lined up a shot and released it. It went through as well. This went on for a time, both taking turns and shooting, not missing a beat. Finally, Christian threw a little off and the ball bounced violently away from the ring, landing nicely in Touji's hands. The dark haired boy looked at the ball for awhile, thinking of something but not quite finding the words. Finally he looked up and met the blonde, eye to eye.
"Do you think I'll be ok? Ya' know...bein' a pilot an' all?
Christian put his hands in his pockets and stared at him intensely. "Honestly Touji, I don't know. I won't lie to you, what you're doing is not something a normal kid your age does. It's a big responsibility as well as....a risk. You're about to go out there and and fight things that no human can explain. But risks are something we take everyday. This risk is no bigger then the businessman that walks to work in the morning. For all he knows, he could get mugged, get hit by a car or choke on something he eats for breakfast. It just comes with the territory..."
Touji's eyes dropped down to the ball in his hands and silently he lined up his shot and let it go. Once again, the ball went through the basket perfectly, and Christian was there under it to catch it on it's descent. He looked up at Touji, who had finally took to staring off at the sky. The athletic teen glanced over as Christian walked up to him.
"It's a risk Touji, but I can sense that you're willing to take it, no matter what the cost. That's true courage there. Courage is in the people that know the risk they are taking, but meet it head on, and overcome it with all that they are. Cowards are those that know the risks but run. Cowards...well...they are the ones that run away..."
Touji noticed that the blonde bodyguard seemed lost in his own thoughts, before handing him the ball and turning around. He began to slowly walk away. Once he got to the edge of the blacktop, Touji couldn't help but call out.
"Christian...!"
The man in question turned, looking at Touji expectantly. The dark haired boy fidgeted for a moment, trying to word what he had going through his head.
"Ya' know, when Shinji first got here and I found out he was pilot, I wanted nothin' more then to hit him for what I felt he had done to my sister. I thought that he was a coward 'cause he didn't fight back. But not long after that, me an' a friend of mine got stuck in his Eva while he was fighting with an' Angel. It was then that I realized that he was probably stronger then me in every sense of the word. I actually began to envy him a bit, 'cause I saw power in him that I don't think he even knows he has yet. Maybe that's why I joined up, to see just how much strength I've got. Maybe I joined up because I want to be a hero...I honestly don't know. All I know, is that I don't want anyone to get hurt. If that means that I've got to slam the controls of some big ass robot then sign me up. So long as my sister and Hikari and Shinji and...and hell...everyone else in the world is safe, then I'm happy with just that..."
Christian couldn't hold back a grin as he stared at Touji.
"You don't need to pilot an Eva to find out if you have strength or not Touji. I think you just found all that you will ever need..."
Without another word, the blonde walked away and into the distance. Touji didn't know how long he had been standing there, just staring at the sky. But when he finally put the basketball away and headed home, he welcomed the chance to finally protect those he held dear...
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Christian silently chopped up vegetables for the dinner that Shinji was preparing on the stove. The two worked in tandem, moving around the kitchen with fluid motions. It wasn't long before the dish being prepared was served and the two were sitting at the table eating. Misato had left early that to head up North for the test of Unit-03. Asuka had decided to spend the night at Hikari's, so only the two young men were in the household. Besides the ever present little penguin that is...
Shinji was in the middle of a bite when the phone suddenly rang. He got up slowly and answered it, happily saying hello to whoever was on the other end. After a few words he finally said goodbye and hung up, returning to the table. Christian gave him a question look when he came back into the room.
"That was Misato, she was just calling to see how we were and to let us know that she and Ritsuko had arrived up north."
Christian nodded and placed down his chopsticks, a somewhat sorrowful visage covering his features. Shinji noticed this and just looked at him, slowly chewing what was in his mouth.
"Is there something wrong...?"
The short haired bodyguard was pulled form his thoughts, before he gave Shinji a tired smile.
"Nothing, just thinking."
Shinji took another bite, never taking his eyes off the man sitting in front of him. Christian thought for a moment, before finally reaching around his neck, pulling a shiny platinum necklace from around it. Attached to the end was a platinum cross, also very beautiful. He looked at closely before putting it on the table and sliding it towards Shinji. The boy just looked at it with his mouth wide open, trying to think of something to say.
"I want you to have this Shinji..."
The boy looked at his bodyguard as if he had lost his mind. This was definitely out of nowhere...
"I can't accept this...it's..wow..."
Christian shook his head. "It's been kinda my good luck charm for a long time..."
Shinji's hand trembled slightly as he picked it up and studied it. The surface of the necklace and the cross were flawless, and the shone with a high intensity. Before he could deny taking such a thing again, Christian spoke up.
"You see, a long time ago, probably about ten years ago, I was walking with a woman I had known very well. She was strong, confident, and many things. I always looked up to her, but...well...I should have told her. Well, like I was saying, I was walking with her one day and then out of nowhere we were about to get...mugged... and the guy that was going to mug us had a gun. Before I had even known what happened, she had pushed me out of the way and took the bullet that was meant for me. Everything happened so fast that I didn't even understand what was going on. I only knew that she was...well...that she was dying. She always wore a silver cross around her neck, but I knew she wasn't religious. It was just a keepsake of hers. I never to got too see her again after that...she...well... I just didn't. Although that isn't the cross she wore, it's still a symbol that someone cared for me enough to give their life for me...at a time that I didn't even care for myself."
Shinji just stared in awe as Christian told his story. The more he heard, the more he felt he didn't deserve something this important. But once again, he was too slow to disapprove of such a present as Christian kept on going.
"I want you to have it for two reasons Shinji. When that woman pushed me out of the way, I ended up hitting the wall pretty hard. I fractured my wrist actually. But she had saved my life, even in the process of manhandling me to keep me safe." He chuckled a little as he thought about it. "That's reason number one, Shinji. That sometimes, even when you don't want to hurt someone or something, it's usually the only way to save them. So never be afraid of that fact..."
Shinji just looked at him, still too shocked for words.
"That necklace has always reminded me of who I am. It reminds me that there were people out there that cared about me, and that I would disgrace them and their memories, if I didn't live my life the way I should. That's reason number two, Shinji. Always remember, no matter what happens to you, no matter how bad things may seem, who you really are inside."
Shinji stared at the piece of jewelry held in his hands. He wanted to say something, anything, to show just how grateful he was for such a thing. He didn't get a chance though, as Christian stood up.
"If you'll excuse me Shinji, I'm not feeling to well at the moment. I think I'm going to head home."
The brown haired boy could only nod his head as Christian began to make his way to the door. But before he left the kitchen, he turned around, finding the young boy still engrossed in what he held in his hands.
"If you really want to pay me back for that Shinji, then all I ask, is that you stop by my place four times a week. I would like to teach you a few things that might help bring up your self esteem a bit, as well as train you in a few basic martial arts. Besides, you're the pilot there, I figured you could put it's luck to better use then I could..."
When Christian turned around, he was stopped as he heard his named called. He looked back over his shoulder to see dark blue eyes staring at him intensely.
"Thank you very much..."
The man smiled but didn't answer as he walked out of the front door. When it closed, he slumped against it lightly.
God, please look out for these children tomorrow. They will need you more then ever...
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Shinji sat quietly inside Unit-01. He and the girls had been briefed quickly as to the situation that an Angel was on it's way towards Tokyo-03. He was slightly caught off guard when the alarms had sounded while he was at school. When the three of them had gone outside for transport, Christian was there waiting to pick them up. He was fairly worried about Misato as well, after an explosion had been reported up north where she was at.
"If Misato isn't here, then who's going to command the mission?"
Shinji's inquiry was answered by the stoic voice of Rei.
"Commander Ikari is commanding the mission directly..."
Shinji's eyes couldn't help but narrow.
Father...
"Target has been sighted..."
A screen suddenly popped up in front of Shinji at the sound of Maya's voice. The poor boy wasn't quite ready to see the lumbering form of an Evangelion, walking menacingly down the highway. Shinji's eyes widened as it seemed to march slowly, not caring about anything or anyone in its path. His brain went into overdrive as the knowing thought that another human being was trapped in that thing popped up.
"There's a person inside that thing..."
Before he could think more on it, Asuka's flaming voice could be heard through the intercom.
"What?! You mean you still don't know?! The pilot is....!"
Before she could finish whatever it was she was saying, the sudden sound of static had cut her off. Shinji panicked for a moment, not knowing what was going on. Finally, Maya's voice broke through again.
"Unit Two is down! I repeat, Unit Two is down!"
"Rei, stop the Angel."
Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing. He called out for Asuka a few times before listening to Commander Ikari give orders to Rei. Shinji grit his teeth hard enough to hurt. There was another living being inside that thing, and everyone was just treating it as if it were inconsequential. He finally heard Rei confirm sight of the target, and that it had passed her by. Shinji damn near jumped out of his position when he heard Rei's surprised yelp and heard her struggling with the adversary. Maya's voice began shouting something of the Angel trying to merge with Unit-00.
"Sever the arm."
"But the pilot is still synched with Unit Zero!"
"I said, cut...it...off!"
Shinji couldn't believe what he was hearing.
That son of a...
His blood ran cold though before he could even finish the thought. Rei's scream of pain was like a slap to the face. Before he could even start breathing again, the voice of the one he hated rang through.
"Unit One, the target is closing it. Stop it at all costs."
Shinji stared ahead, terrified as Unit-03 came into view. His lip trembled slightly as the opposing Eva looked in his direction. It looked at him with the blank eyes of a murderer...
"But, there's someone inside of that thing.."
"Irrelevant. It is an Angel. Destroy the target."
"But..."
Before the conversation could even think of continuing, the black Eva twisted and jerked as if it's skin were on fire. With a bestial roar it jumped high into the air, and landed only a few hundred meters from Unit-01. It stared at it's adversary from all fours, sizing him up like a wolf with it's prey. Then, without warning, it shot up at Unit-01, it's hands wrapped cleanly around it's neck.
Inside, Shinji was struggling to breath, his neck constricting just like his Eva's. His vision began to blur and tears formed at the corner of his eyes.
"Unit One. Destroy the target."
Shinji gritted his teeth.
"I can't! There's...a human being...inside..."
"It will kill you..."
"I'd rather die...!"
Shinji didn't know what he hated hearing worse. The sound of his neck slowly being crushed, or the sound of the Commander ordering the activation of the Dummy Plug. Shinji could only faintly here Maya's voice of protest before she agreed.
However, in that one split second of hesitation, did destiny finally change...
Shinji's mind reeled for a moment, before a thought struck him hard.
Sometimes, even when you don't want to hurt someone or something, it's usually the only way to save them. So never be afraid of that fact...
Shinji didn't know why he thought of the advise his bodyguard had given him, or why it seemed to ring out to him like a bell. But something in him changed in that single instant. He looked into the eyes of Unit-03 and slowly begged for forgiveness of whoever was inside. He barely registered Maya's voice of surprise, when he activated his Progressive Knife.
The black Eva didn't have a snowball's chance in hell when the purple arm of Unit-01 came blurring by with blade in hand. The slice was clean through the elbow, and the Eva reeled back with a roar of anguish at the loss of its arm. Shinji gasped for air as the pressure on his neck suddenly lifted. It was short lived however, as the black death in front of him used what strength it had in it's left arm to throw him a few hundred yards away.
Shinji hit hard on his back, the air being forced from his lungs. He barely had time to get his bearings as Unit-03 launched itself at him. Shinji acted quickly, and brought up both of Unit-01's feet, and planting them firmly against the opposing Eva's stomach as it came crashing down. Using it's own momentum against it, Shinji rolled Unit-01 backwards, kicking off the black beast and throwing it hard behind him. He quickly scrambled to his feet.
He gasped as he noticed something on the back of Unit-03. The entry plug of the pilot. It was stuck to something that seemed like webbing on the back of the Eva's neck. With a new idea and renewed vigor, Shinji ran quickly towards the fallen form of Unit-03, who was at that time getting to it's feet. Without thinking, he jumped squarely onto it's back, and doing his damnedest to hold it down as it struggled manically. He shoved his hand into it's neck as hard as he could, grabbing the entry plug and ripping it free of it's prison. Shinji fell back and cheered mentally when he noticed the still intact cylinder in his hands.
Although destiny had become nice and changed for Shinji, fate had decided to be a prick and be stubborn. The two forces never did agree on anything...
The split second Shinji took to inspect the plug in his hands, was all that Unit-03 needed to bounce up and swing at the purple monstrosity. It missed Shinji completely, but it accidentally slammed into Unit-01's hand. The one holding the entry plug...
Before Shinji could even do anything, the force of the hit shot the plug of his hand like a bullet, before it smashed into the street and continued to slide until it rammed into the side of the building. There was no way that the person inside could have been alive after that. There was no padding, so safety belts, nothing in that plug, that would have held whoever it was inside from being thrown around.
Shinji's mind went blank, and he stared stupidly at what was left of the white piece of metal. Red ran over his eyes, and before he knew it, he could even think straight. Only one thing pounded it's way into his brain...
KILL
With a scream that would come to haunt the entire control room of Nerv, Unit-01 slammed into the form of Unit-03, making them both crash to the ground. Shinji screamed wildly, even as his Eva's hands closed around the black creatures head. It's cries of pain fell upon deaf ears, as Unit-01 began to squeeze with all of it's might. It's arm flailed around wildly, before it began to try and push the purple being away by it's face. It didn't help as Shinji just squeezed harder. Somewhere, deep within Shinji's throat, one, deafening word made it's way through.
"DIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"
And that's exactly what the black Eva did...
Without warning, the pressure from Unit-01's hands came through, and Unit-03's head exploded like a piñata of brains and blood. It's arm went rigid for a moment, before falling limply to its side.
Shinji didn't know when the tears started. When he was being choked. When was trying to save the other pilots life. Or when he had finally heard Maya sadly announce the neutralization of the target. All that mattered to Shinji is that he had failed. He may have destroyed what was intended. But inside...
He had truly failed...
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"S-Shinji?"
"Misato, you're ok?!"
Shinji didn't seem to notice the sadness that had laced Misato's voice, nor the sound that she had indeed been crying.
"Shinji, there's something important I have to tell you..."
The second those words left her mouth, Shinji looked at the vehicles that were surrounding the form of the entry plug.
"Shinji, the pilot of Unit-03 is..."
His eyes widened a bit as he noticed that they had opened it and were pulling someone out of it.
"The pilot is..."
Shinji zoomed in. Then he zoomed in again. Then once more. And before he could even breath, and before he could even think, the absolute truth of what had occurred, hit him like a freight train.
Misato couldn't take it, and had to turn off the com unit halfway through his scream...
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A few miles away, a lone figure stood on one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo-03. His jacket fluttered lightly behind him as he stared at the hunched silhouette that lay a few miles north of him. He pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number he knew all to well. A voice answered on the other end.
"It's me..."
It was unfortunate for him, that the person on the phone knew him so well. Otherwise, they would have never known he was crying...
Author's Notes:
Holy crap was that hard to write. Each time I finally thought I had a scene, I would erase it, pace around my apartment for damn near an hour, then sit back down and try to write it again. I'll tell you, this is definitely nerve wracking sometimes. But I enjoy it nonetheless. ;) Thanks to everyone that reviewed. I love you guys. Once again, those reviews were the sole reason I kept writing. Reading them was the fire under my ass to get this done. I enjoy writing, but I enjoy hearing that everyone enjoyed it all the more. I promised you all that I would make my chapters longer and VIOLA. Ask, and ye shall receive. :)
The plot is finally starting to thicken, as I'm sure you all can tell. ;) I know I said that Shinji is the main character. And trust me, he still is. But unfortunately, Christian has to be in the spotlight a bit longer, since he's the new character and still needs a bit more molding. But soon the spotlight will shift and Shinji will take his rightful place. I just hope that I met up to everyone expectations. I know you all had high hopes, and I am praying that I'm not letting any of you down. So please, let me know how I'm doing.
Until I see you all again, please, take care of yourselves.
xxxxx Chris xxxxx
Thalarian T.M. Productions