16
Disclaimer:
Owning Evangelion is only a wish to me, and will stay that way through out this story.
So I don't own it…
Bam! Bam! Bam! Shinji could only stare and watch as the shots ripped into the flesh of the only three people he had really cared for. Misato, Rei, and Asuka fell to the floor, Shinji looked down to see their black eyes staring up at him, cold and emotionless. Shinji's eyes tripled in size and something snapped in his mind…
" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" Shinji cried out and clasped both of his hands to his face."
Ahhhhhhhhh," he screamed out again, his eyes snapping open. "A… dream… it was only a…. dream," he whispered as he wiped the cool sweat from his face. This reoccurring dream had now been happening for almost two weeks, yet he was just now getting used to what happened three short months ago.
Three months earlier
"His Eva… it… its moving!" a man shouted from the control deck of unit 01.
"Shinji… Shinji… wake up!" Misato shouted through the left video monitor at the sleeping third child. Shinji's eyes fluttered open to the gruesome scene below him.
"What's going on…?" he asked, his eyes scanned the scene before him. He turned to the left to see Misato's rapidly paling face.
"Shinji… you have to stop your Eva!" Misato screamed. "It's trying to initiate 4th impact!" The purple hared woman was terrified.
"What…. Eva…. 4th impact…." Shinji mumbled, trying to let the words sink in to his dazed mind. "Eva… 4th im… pact…" he choked out. "What!!!!!!" he shouted as the words finally sank in.
"Finally, you've woke up," Asuka said from her Eva, her frustrated face appearing on Shinji's right video monitor. "Now hurry up and turn that damn thing off!!! I can't hold it back all day!" she shouted. Shinji looked out the front view screen of his Eva to see the red unit-02 attempting to push his own Eva back toward NERV.
"I can't!" was all Shinji managed to say as he frantically tugged at the controls, The LCL delaying his reflexes slightly.
"What do you mean you can't?" Asuka and Misato shouted in unison.
"I…I… cant … I no longer have any control over it." his voice now lower than a whisper.
"Misato… how can his Eva initiate another impact with out Adam or Lilith?" the second child asked.
"I can answer that," a cold male voice sounded from out of no where. "You all know how we destroyed both Adam and Lilith one year ago to prevent this from happening again," Gendo Ikari stated from his observation deck. Everyone responded with a nod. He took a deep breath and continued.
"Good, now we discovered another angel frozen in the Arctic Circle earlier this year. Back then we just thought it was just another angel, but… recently we found evidence that supports the theory that it may in fact be the father to both Adam and Lilith." The commander took another breath and finished, "This concludes this theory as true."
"Ok, now we get that!" Asuka spat out, her tone dripping acid. "But why is Shinji's Eva trying to do this?" the red haried girl shouted.
"I can explain that," a cool female voice announced.
"Rei," Shinji choked out. The LCL flooding his lungs again, Shinji always had hated the smell and taste of it.
"It is not the third child's Evangelion who is trying to do this, rather the angel whose S2 organ resides within it," Rei announced emotionlessly.
"Commander Ikari!" Misato shouted from below his control deck.
"Shinji's Eva is within 20 miles of its destination!" The major shouted.
"Ah!" Asuka cried out as she was flung behind Shinji's Eva.
"Asuka!" Shinji shouted, once again beginning to tug frantically on the controls yokes.
"Now within 19 miles…. 18 miles…. 12 miles…" the commander looked down at Misato who was now looking for anything that might stop the inevitable.
"Three… 2… 1…" the major said between sobs.
"No … No!!!" Shinji screamed as the third impact happened all over again.
Back to present(And now we're all back as if it nothing ever happened,) Shinji thought to himself.
" I… I can't go on like this," he whispered to himself as he broke down and started crying.
"Shinji! What's going on! Are you all right?" Asuka and Misato said in unison . Misato knocked the door in and swept the area with her gun as Asuka walked over to Shinji and wrapped him in a warm embrace.
"Are you all right Shinji?" Asuka cooed. As she finally let go of him, Shinji nodded in response to her question, then walked over to get his clothes on.
"Where are you going Shinji?" Misato asked in an irritated tone.
(As if she doesn't know, I've been doing this for almost two weeks now.) Shinji rolled his without uttering a word.
"Out," was all he said in response.
"Are you sure you'll be all right?" Asuka asked in her most concerned voice. Shinji grabbed the gun his father had given him and turned to leave.
"Yes Asuka, I'll be fine," at that the young Ikari walked out the door.
Not even two blocks away from the apartment, Shinji stopped to listen to what he could have sworn was someone screaming. (Either that or I'm going crazy) he thought to himself. Shinji stood there a moment longer to marvel at the silence until he heard a very familiar female voice coming from a block away.
"Let go of me you fuckin' pervert!" The voice shouted at an unknown attacker.
"Asuka…" Shinji's shoulders slumped and he began walking even more slowly. This was the third time that this had happened. For even though Shinji told her that he's going to be fine, Asuka had this annoying habit of tagging along to make sure that nothing happened to, 'her Shinji', Shinji shuddered slightly at the thought of belonging to Asuka.
"Someone remind me again why I act like such a caring boyfriend to her…" Shinji kicked a pebble down the road, "Oh yea… It's because that stupid bitch won't let me leave." Shinji shuddered violently at a conversation he had with Asuka earlier that week.
It started normally enough, Shinji entered the apartment after returning from another sync test with unit 04, the latest product of Eva fabrication. Asuka was clinging to him like the parasite she was, Misato was too piss drunk to recall anything, Pen-Pen was enjoying his time in the bathtub, and Shinji just didn't want to deal with anyone's shit.
"Shinji, are you ever going to leave me?" Asuka batted her eyelashes at him, hoping to put him in a good mood. Shinji sighed and responded,
"No Asuka… never." The words sent Asuka into frenzy as she began jumping up and down like she was walking on a bed of hot coals.
"That's exactly what I wanted to hear from you Shinji." The Red haired demon child squeaked.
"And if I ever hear other wise…" Asuka's voice dropped to a whisper "Then I'll make you half the man you are right now."
As the image finished replaying in his head, Shinji instinctively moved his hands to protect his…"most precious possession."
"Rei… why can't I just tell you everything that you mean to me," he said in a low depressed voice. Though Shinji knew almost nil about her, Rei was the one that dominated his thoughts.
"Hi-Ya, take that you stupid lecher." Asuka shouted from a block away.
(That's why) Shinji mentally cursed as he looked up at the sky, hoping for some answer.
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"Ok Rei, were going to try the extraction again" Gendo Ikari had been trying to extract the angles soul that inhabited unit 01. For over two years he'd been trying to extract the damn thing, but not until a year ago had he thought of using Rei. "You have one minute to focus your powers," the first commander announced from his observation deck. A very slight nod was Rei's response. Instead of taking the time to prepare herself, she spent it trying to sort out the feeling she was having for the third child.
(How is it that I've know him for over 4 years, yet still know nothing about him other than the fact that he was the commander's son, pilot of unit 01, and from what I've pieced together from various students in my class, a very attractive boy.) Rei took in a deep breath of LCL, and close her eyes. She tried to ignore the nagging voice in her head that told her she like the third child, and told her to stop listening to Gendo.
"All right Rei, we will commence the abstraction in 5…4…three…2…1…"
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Asuka had now caught up with Shinji, and they both walked in silence. Not because ether of them had anything to say, oh God no, for Shinji had a multitude of things he'd like to shout at her. The first of which being, "it's over." Finally, after two more awkward minutes of silence, Asuka broke the uneasiness.
"Shinji…" Auska whispered as she wrapped her arm around his. A muffled "huh" was his response.
"Why have you been acting so different lately?" the second child asked.
"What do you mean?" was Shinji's humble answer.
"I mean you've been acting… you act like me and Misato don't exist. You keep screaming in the night, your attitude toward life has changed…" Shinji drew away from Asuka suddenly, and spun to face her.
"Attitude toward life!?" Shinji threw his hands into the air in a violent gesture, and laughed slightly. "After you've killed every person on the planet, brought about a New World that sucks, twice at that, is exactly the same, where everyone acts no different and no one besides the NERV employees know about! This will fuck with me every day for the rest of my life, and to top it all off no one gives a shit, and you wonder why I'm different." Shinji raised his arms and took a deep breath, he exhaled slowly after holding it in for a moment longer
"I care," Asuka muttered in a voice that was barely audible. Boom!! The ground beneath their feet shook violently as a huge pillar of smoke roes from NERV.
"The NERV Eva docking bay!" Asuka shouted as she noticed the smoke. "Lets go!" she screamed only to be stopped by a firm grasp on her wrist.
"Asuka stop… I don't want you to go…" Shinji looked at the ground."But Shinji…." the second child pouted.
" NO!!" Shinji shouted cutting her off, "I'd never be able to forgive my self if I let anything happen to you," Shinji's voice was mellower now.
(That is only partly true, I would never be able to forgive my self, but mainly I just want to get away from you.) He thought to himself as he ran toward the entrance.
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"Rei… where are you?" a very worried Gendo Ikari shouted from his wrecked control deck. He had been calling her name for the last hour to no avail. "Keep searching!" he shouted at the people who dug through the rubble in hopes of finding the 1st child alive
"Father," a whinny voice shouted from wrecked elevator entrance. Gendo turned, only to see his son running towards him, he wore a very grim expression on his face.
"What happened?" the younger Ikari shouted as he walked over to the elder of the two.
"I will explain that later" Gendo said in the tone that gives everyone the Willies.
" For now all you need to know is that Rei is trapped under that." Gendo pointed to the seven large craters.
"Isn't that where my Eva used to be?" Shinji pointed to the largest of the craters.
"That's an even longer story," Gendo pushed his glasses up over the bridge of his nose.
"Well… anyway… what the hell are we standing around for?" Shinji exclaimed, his voice almost hysterical " lets go find her," Shinji climbed down the edge of the largest crater, and began launching rocks behind him searching in no exact direction.
"Now why would Shinji become that hysterical over my little Rei?" Gendo pondered this as he ran to the farthest hole.
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Asuka had been waiting for Shinji to return for almost an hour and a half, and she was now getting very upset. She wasn't worried about Shinji, she knew quite well that he could take care of himself, she was just fed up with waiting.
"And he has that gun to protect him, the… ooohhh what ever the hell its called" she sent her hand crashing down on a white park bench.
"If that baka doesn't show up soon… he's going to be in for some major trouble when he gets home," the red haired child muttered. She sat down on the bench she smashed and began talking to her self, " one more hour, that's all he gets." she said, " Oh great, now I've gotta wait, Shinji… better… show…" Asukas words trailed off as he began falling into a very deep sleep. She curled up putting feet close to her chest, covered herself with her jacket, and rolled over to sleep.
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"Rei! Rei! Where are you?" shinji shouted over and over again. It had been several hours since most everyone went home, the only people that remained were Rei's personal bodyguards, the first and second commanders, Shinji himself, ten or so techs, and three other people that shinji didn't know. Shinji didn't really care to find out anything about them, yet he was slightly curious about why they stayed.
"Listen up," the cold stern voice of the commander shouted through a megaphone. "All of you who wish to leave may do so now," as the commander finished, Shinji couldn't help but notice that he had a rather confused look on his face. Shinji looked back and forth, trying to pinpoint the location his fathers' puzzlement. After scanning the area twice more, shinji noticed the reason his dad as confused, no one was leaving.
(Well no wonder he's confused, most times people leave him as soon as there are permitted.) Shinji chuckled slightly at his fathers' plight. " Father, I mean commander," Shinji spoke with the same expression as his dad, the resemblance between them was striking. "I think I speak for all of us when I say, we're not leaving until Rei is back, safe and sound." Shinji almost saluted, his father just gave off that feeling. Though even Shinji wondered why the three unknowns stayed. Muffled "yea's" were heard from the holes that inhabited people.
"Well in that case… lets get back to work!" The eerily happy Gendo Ikari shot his hand into the air, his fist balled. "I thought they all hated me, and for that matter all who are associated with me," Gendo chuckled to himself. Shinji caught the last sentence
(That's true, their fear of you is ten times greater than the fact that they're going to piss there pants when ever there around you) Shinji was about to get back to digging when her herd a soft cry. Shinji stood still, not moving at all his, ears blanking out all noise, before long he heard it again. It was a long antagonizing moan of pain or something close.
"Please be Rei," he muttered to himself, and with new found energy began digging in what he thought was the correct direction of the noise.
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"Damn it Shinji!" Asuka was now fully awake and running back toward the apartment. "I'll bet that baka, went home without me!" she made a fist with her left hand and punched her right. " Oh! Is he going to ever get it!" Asukas lips curled into a menacing smile. She slowed down and turned left, the opposite direction of the apartment, she reached her hand into her pocket and felt around. " Damn, I was in such a hurry I forgot to grab them." She mentally kicked herself for her stupidity when she suddenly though, out of the blue.
(I don't want to be alone anymore) she pouted and, if possible, began walking even more slowly than before. Asuka wasn't afraid or anything like that, she knew she could take on almost anyone, and win. She just didn't want to be alone anymore, as far back as she could remember she'd been on her own. " I finally begin to feel like I belong, and he walks out on me, typical" sue put her arms behind her head and looked up. "I wonder what Shinji's thinking about" the words came out before she could even realize it. Asukas arms dropped and she sighed heavily, "I should probably be getting back to the apartment." she glanced back at the street sign she had just passed. " How'd I get all the way here?" The sign read 3rd street "This is where that doll lives," Asukas eyes narrowed. She spun on her heals and took of running the other direction, "great, now I'm going to get bitched out by Misato." she was so distracted that she nearly ran into the building.
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Shinji had made some significant progress towards finding Rei, so he thought. Though now that progress had been hindered significantly thanks to a large rock covering a hole in the rubble. Shinji stumbled slightly as he heaved on the rock once again. The rock was rapidly turning red with each heave from Shinji's gashed, bleeding, hands.
"Rei! Can you hear me? Rei!" he shouted, desperately trying to remove the jagged piece of rubble from its strong hold.
"Third child Ikari … is that you?" The makeshift stone door muffled Rei's voice, Shinji's hands fell limply at his sides and he just stood there in awe. The pain from the loss of blood in his hands brought him back to reality.
"Ow," he muttered, "Yes! I'm here Rei!" he shouted and began falling back out of touch with reality.
"Third child, get me out of here." Rei kept here monotone voice even though Shinji knew that she was in trouble. Shinji latched his hands on to the rock and took a deep breath, (I… must… help…) "REI!" the last word of his thought came out as a statement. He began repeating the statement over and over in his head as he pulled and tugged on the massive rock.
"Ikari!" Rei's voice never changed, it was still as cold as ever.Shinji's grip became even tighter on the rock and he pulled with everything he had. His arms threatened to separate from the rest of his body, when he herd the grinding of rock on rock, and to his great surprise began moving backwards.
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Gendo had been watching his sons tussle with the rock with great interest. He was about to lend a hand when he was called away. "Commander come quick, you might want to take a look at this," a young tech called, he wore a black suit which had been ripped in several places, and a red cap that covered his eyes.
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Shinji's rock had moved enough to allow him to slip his hand between it and Rei.
" I cant go on…" Shinji fell back onto the rubble and began breathing hard.
"Shinji, please help me" Rei didn't actually speak the words but they none the less rang in his head.
(And so no I'm crazy and hearing voices… perfect,) the third child was about to start laughing again when he thought
(But I cant, Rei, I cant go on I'm drained) the image of Rei lying there injured appeared in his head. "I must help," he took another deep breath and rolled onto his stomach. He lay both palms on the ground and pushed himself onto his knees, he felt instant pain and nearly fell as the gravel pressed into his wounds. He managed to stand but nearly fell back over from the lack of blood. He put both of his hands back on the blood soaked corner of the rock and pulled as hard as he could. He felt his shoulder bone pop and he let go with that hand, A tear forming in his eye. Ignoring the pain he continued to pull, and finally the rock fell with a thunderous "thud," to the ground. Shinji scanned the darkness, searching for Rei, his left arm hanging limply at his side. He looked back and forth, only he didn't see the blue haired child.
"Rei!" he called, but no response came. The fragile, blue hair stepped out of the corner moments after he called. "Rei!" Shinji's eyes lit up instantly as he saw her, Rei staggered toward him and suddenly began to fall. Shinji was already wrapping his arms around her before she his the ground, the pain in his arm gone for the time being "Gotcha!" he laid her head down in his lap.
"Uh…hhhh…" Rei passed out as the words left her mouth.
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The commander couldn't believe his eyes, standing before him was a fossilized creature that even Gendo could have sworn was an Eva.
"Is it one of ours?" the first commander asked as he read the report. His eyes kept darting form the Eva form, to the notes.
"No sir, I don't believe it is, units 00, 02, and the 004 subdivision were moved out over the lake for the testing, unit 01 was just destroyed, and I don't believe we have any others to concern ourselves with." Gendo sat behind the desk that had been moved to watch the recovery, and rested his chin on his hands.
"You there, come here," he pointed to the tech that had delivered the report. The tech walked over to the desk and saluted with out raising his head,
"Why aren't you in the nerve issue tech jump suit?" Gendo couldn't help but notice that the man looked incredibly familiar.
"I've been dead," The mans chest rose and fell as if he was laughing
"What's your name," Gendo quirked one eye brow and his chin slid slightly of his hands. The young tech grabbed his NERV issue cap and lifted it up, only to reveal…
"Kaji," Gendo's eyes doubled in size as he looked at the unruly agent whom they had supposedly killed before third impact. "What are you doing here?" The commander looked Kaji over once more then turned around.
"Digging," Kaji joked, he had never had any regard for the most powerful man in Japan.
"Um… well… we'll discuss this later, right now I want you to gather a team of 15 personnel to help you excavate… this." Gendo pointed at the Eva creature.