Evangelion Fan Fiction

The Once and Future Angel of Humanity

By Kraven

A/N: Sorry about the delay for my last chapter. I kinda…forgot about Eva for a while. After being hooked on FMA and Naruto for so long, I find myself coming back to my old Eva Fanfics, and realize I've got some unfinished fics to take care of. Hopefully, I won't run out of steam again. Don't worry, though; this story should be finished soon.

Chapter Six

Shinji and Rei were not in any way ill treated, but they were confined to the aft deck of the carrier, where no one was allowed to visit. Captain's orders, no matter how insistent Misato was.

Shinji sighed and lay back on the deck. "It was fun while it lasted."

Rei nodded. "I…enjoyed it greatly. Perhaps, we may still do some of the things we did in the future?"

Shinji smiled at her. "In a heartbeat."

Rei sighed and laid down over him, her head on his chest. "I hope we never have to leave each other."

Shinji nodded. "Yeah, me too."

xxxxx

By the time Misato ever got to see Shinji, they were already back at NERV.

"Shinji!" she hollered, running towards him and wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so glad you're back!"

Shinji smiled. "Did Asuka tell you what happened?"

Misato pulled back, her arms still around him, and nodded. "I could never live with myself giving that order. It would have destroyed me. I'm just so happy I don't…have to anymore."

Shinji smiled. "There's one more thing," he said, breaking his embrace with Misato. He turned and looked at Ritsuko Akagi. "Rei is innocent. She is not an Angel, nor has she tapped into her AT field. She's still a human being. I took her with me, because I couldn't stand to see her suffering. And for the entirety of our leave, she has not been harmed. Do we have an understanding that, if this in any way changes, I'm going to take action?"

Ritsuko looked at him, concealing a bit of fear. All of the sudden, their fears that Shinji had become an exterior force had become realized. "Uh…of course…"

Shinji nodded. "Good. Now, will you excuse me? I want to talk with my father."

Ritsuko unwittingly went over to a phone, swiped her card, dialed, and asked for the Commander. Moments later, she hung up.

"He'll see you immediately," Ritsuko said.

"Of course he will," Shinji smiled. He threw Misato a glance and said, "Can I ask a favor?"

Misato nodded.

"Please…make sure nothing happens to Rei. Nothing."

Misato nodded. "I'll do my best."

Shinji smiled, and went to see the Commander.

xxxxx

"Hello, father," Shinji muttered, grimly, stepping before him. "It's been a long time."

The commander let nothing slip. "Yes it has."

"Am I to understand that you sent those troops after us?" Shinji demanded.

"Yes, I did," the commander replied.

"Even when you knew that I was not truly an Angel?"

Gendo sighed. "Pilot, regardless of whether or not you were an Angel, you were still a threat to NERV. I had not choice."

Shinji spat. "Bullshit. You control the most powerful organization in the world."

"I do have to answer to a committee," Gendo said.

"Then why have you been lying to them?" Shinji said.

There was a slight pause.

"Oh, I know all about your exploits, Father," Shinji crowed. "As soon as I entered NERV, I could sense them, just like I sensed everything that went on in Antarctica. I know about the man called Keel. I know about the Angel in the basement of this facility. And I can even feel the tug of the Angel buried in your right hand."

Gendo drew in his breath, ever so slightly.

Shinji smiled. "You no longer have any secrets from me. You no longer have any power over me."

Gendo laughed. "I may not have any power over you, but Keel has more resources than I. Disregard us if you want. But he will eventually learn the truth. And he will send his forces after you." The commander lowered his glasses and locked eyes with Shinji. "And I can assure you…his forces will provide much more of a challenge for you to overpower than mine."

xxxxx

Shinji's power truly became apparent when he disallowed Dr. Akagi to inspect Rei in her lab.

"She's not going with you, Dr. Akagi," Shinji said. "You may be one of the few people that knows everything about her, but now I am too. I know exactly what you intend to do with her. And I forbid it."

Ritsuko glared, but still tried to reason with him. "Surely, you cannot hope to aid her when the need arises in every medical circumstance."

Shinji nodded. "Absolutely. Should anything happen to her, my AT field will do much more than anything in your lab."

Ritsuko pursed her lips. Things were not going well. Shinji was out of their control.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to spend a little quality time with my coworkers."

Shinji left, and Ritsuko grimly reported the news to the commander.

xxxxx

"So," Asuka glared. "Are you going to explain everything to me or what?"

Shinji smiled, laughing. "Don't worry, Asuka, I've just scheduled some free time. Now, sit down, I'll tell you everything."

Shinji told her his entire story, minus a few intimate details pertaining to him and Rei.

But the true nature of the ordeal was not lost on Asuka. "So…you and Wonder Girl, huh?"

Shinji sighed. "No denying it, I guess."

Asuka sniffed. "Well, I won't butt in on it, but I will say, you could have done better."

Shinji leered. "Do I detect a hint of jealousy?"

Asuka stomped her foot. "Absolutely not! I'm just saying this as a fellow pilot and roommate. Now get out of here, your girlfriend is probably waiting."

Shinji sighed. "Thanks for understanding, Asuka. Later."

xxxxx

Misato was as busy as all get out when Shinji made his entrance.

"Oh…Shinji…" Misato said, surprised at his entrance.

Shinji shook his head. "Please don't look at me that way, Misato. I'm not the enemy, alright?"

Misato sighed. "I can't help it. You used to be my charge, and now…now, you really don't need anyone."

Shinji shook his head. "You know that's not true, Misato. You know I need you. Just like I need Rei and Asuka."

Misato looked up at him. "You're just saying that."

Shinji shook his head, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey! Who's going to be there to give me emotional support? Who's going to be there to make sure I get up every day? Who's going to grind my nerves so hard, I barrel out of the house at breakneck speed?"

Misato smiled. "Thanks, Shinji. I'll be there for you."

Shinji nodded. "As I, you."

They embraced.

"I'm taking some time off," Shinji said. "Thanks for looking after Rei for me."

Misato smiled as he took off.

xxxxx

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Shinji asked.

He and Rei were looking at the sunset from the beach at Tokyo-3.

"It is," Rei agreed.

They were leaning together, sharing the moment, when a light humming was heard off to the left.

Shinji looked over Rei's shoulder, puzzled. There was a gray haired boy, dressed in the Tokyo-3 school uniform, sitting on the rocks, looking at the sunset.

"Sorry if I'm intruding on anything," the boy called.

Shinji shook his head. "You weren't. We were just admiring the sunset."

The boy nodded. "Ah. I too can appreciate the beauty of the suns ever changing colors…" the boy's voice drifted off, and he jumped down from the rock he was on. "Don't you two work at NERV?"

Shinji nodded. "We do. How could you tell?"

The boy shrugged. "You'd be hard pressed to find anyone here who doesn't work at NERV. The whole city has been deserted."

Shinji cocked his head. "Does that mean that you also work for NERV?"

The boy nodded. "I do. My name is Kaworu Nagisa."

Shinji smiled. "I'm Shinji Ikari."

Kaworu nodded. "I know. And I know you, Rei Ayanami."

Shinji blinked. "Oh…so, you're an angel then?"

It was Kaworu's turn to blink. "How do you reach this conclusion?"

Shinji shrugged. "You can hide from normal humans, but not me. Can't you sense my AT field?"

Kaworu shook his head. "All humans have an AT field. None of them know how to use it, however."

Shinji nodded. "I understand…since I'm not using it, I still seem like a normal human to you. But as you can see now…" Shinji removed his shirt and unfurled his wings. "I'm not a normal human."

Kaworu looked concerned. Turning away his gaze, he sighed. "I see. That makes my job here much easier then, doesn't it?"

Shinji shook his head, returning his wings to his body. "Even easier than you think. I know the two people behind second impact."

Kaworu nodded. "As do I. But unlike you, I am bound to the hand of fate that controls me. You are not. I can, however, postpone myself long enough for you to step in. The question, however, is what do you intend to do?"

Shinji made a fist. "To put an end to them."

xxxxx

Things weren't quite the same between Shinji and Rei after that. Something about what he'd said about killing the two men responsible for the mess they were in. She had learned a great deal since waking, a great deal more since coming back to NERV. She had learned that what Shinji had said about his father was true, that he was a ruthless megalomaniac.

But to kill him…

Shinji was spending time talking to Kaworu, with Rei tagging along behind. They spoke about various things, related some of their experiences, and Shinji asked a few questions about controlling his AT field. Kaworu still questioned whether or not Shinji was sure he wasn't an angel.

"I might be," Shinji said. "But you said something before about feeling love for all things?"

Kaworu nodded. "As an Angel, I love each and every animal and plant."

Shinji cocked an eyebrow. "But you don't feel individual love?"

Kaworu blinked. "That's a human thing. Individual love begets jealousy and often hatred."

Shinji nodded, suddenly considering Asuka. "Point taken. But my argument was that I, whose human status you yet question, feel individual love." Shinji turned and looked at Rei. "I love Rei more than anything. And that's the way it's going to stay."

Rei smiled back, giggling.

Kaworu, too, smiled greatly. "I am glad for you, but my previous tidings still remain. There can be hardships that spring from individual love."

Shinji nodded. "I understand. But aren't their hardships also associated with love of all things? Never enjoying an individual more or less, always having the same emotions with everyone you meet? No special person to love, just part of a whole? I'd say that, even when surrounded by those you love, you'd still become lonely."

Kaworu was silent for a while. He turned his gaze away, staring at the last flickers of sunlight setting below the horizon as they walked past. Finally he turned back to Shinji. "You are not an Angel. But maybe the Angels could learn a little something from your. Maybe the angels of the future will be more like you, thou human. You'd be the first. The once and future angel of humanity."

Shinji smiled. "Thank you."