Life's Never Simple
A/N: This chapter is told from Shinji's POV, and will constantly rotate between Shinji's and Rei's POVs.
Chapter 1
Why Can't Fate Give Me A Good Day?
"Colonel Shinji Ikari, you have a new mission." A voice behind me said. I could tell, even without looking at him, that it was Lieutenant Futasaki. He was always the one who contacted me about Father's plans. Ever since the day that NERV had thrown off SEELE's attack and stopped Third Impact, Father has been living in disgrace. He had only one weapon left in his arm: Project ARK. That was pretty much everything that I knew.
The lieutenant had been hired because he reminded Father of his old second-in-command, Fuyutsuki. He had similar facial features, the same look, and brown hair. However, Futasaki was loyal to Father, while Fuyutsuki was loyal to NERV.
"Yes, I understand, Lieutenant." I replied, my voice cold and emotionless. The day's since Father's fall from grace had led me down an unbearable chain of assassination and escape. I began walking down the narrow halls of Father's base of operations, an old, abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Tokyo-3.
When I arrived into Father's office, I found him sitting with his hands clasped together. "What is my mission?" I asked.
"Your newest target is one that I had been plotting against for a while now. She was formerly under my command as an Evangelion pilot, but betrayed me as I attempted to unleash Third Impact. She is attending a meeting with senior NERV officials. I want you to kill her." Father ordered.
"Yes, Father, I understand. I will get ready for my mission." Once again, I was emotionless.
"Here is a recent photograph." Father said, and handed me one showing a tall, slim girl of fourteen with blue hair and red eyes.
I walked to my room, a small, converted broom closet, and took my few material possessions: my rifle, a spare shirt, and my SDAT. Then I headed to the car.
The car was located in a secret garage that fed out throughout the city. This allowed me to minimize suspicion, since the world believed that the entire Ikari family was dead and buried. Father had ordered a gassing of NERV from the UN Military, and then snuck out through the sewage, myself in tow. From what we know, only two NERV members were killed: Dr. Akagi and Major Katsuragi.
I got onto the main road and began driving to the hotel that Father had booked for me. It was old and run-down, but it had one advantage: the room I had directly overlooked the Emperor, the restaurant where the treacherous female Eva pilot was going… tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day.
I went over the plan, and realized that I would only have one shot, and only five seconds to take it. I would have to be precise, cool, calculated. If I missed my shot, NERV operatives would be storming the hotel. If I missed my chance, I would have to storm the Emperor. That was no easy task even for a strike team, and I was a lone assassin.
Deciding that I needed to get some information on my target, I decided to attempt to hack into NERV and learn all I could about my blue-haired target.
I pulled out my laptop, an old one that was actually made three years after Second Impact, and had been reinstalled and upgraded several times before the attack on NERV.
"Let's see just who you are…" I muttered, and quickly forced my way into NERV. "Name: Rei Ayanami. Father: Unknown… That's strange… Why would her father be unknown…?"
Realizing that I was wasting my time, I logged off, closed my laptop, and lay down on my bed, mentally programming myself to wake up at six in the morning, about two hours before Ayanami's arrival at the Emperor.
I awoke two hours ahead of time, and knew that I wouldn't be able to return to sleep, so I took the time to clean my scoped rifle. It would take me about two hours to take off all the dust, and then I could make an alternate plan.
Quietly, so as to not disturb the rooms around me (I had checked the walls, and they were paper-thin), I opened my rifle case and pulled out the rifle, which was actually a hunting rifle that had been reworked to fire heavier rounds.
Then, I pulled out a towel and began to wipe the casing, barrel, and everything else until it was spotless. Once that was done, I took out my map of the Emperor and looked to find the best route to take out Ayanami.
Around an hour and fifty-five minutes later, I finished my plan, opened my window, and waited for the NERV limo to arrive.
Five minutes later, a black limo arrived. I quickly shouldered my rifle, and watched through the scope. First, around twenty NERV Security agents piled out, armed with automatic rifles, and set up a perimeter on the ground. Then, Ayanami began getting out. I placed the crosshair on her head.
I began trying to pull the trigger that would send the meeting down, but I couldn't fire! Something held me back… I kept trying to fire, but my trigger finger would not move!
That delay allowed her enough time to enter the Emperor, and I knew that it was folly to attempt to do an assault in my state, so I repacked my rifle, took out my cell phone, and dialed Father's number.
"Father, this is Shinji. Mission: failed. Target is still functional. I was unable to fire for some reason." I said, once the dialing and synchronizing was complete.
"Confirmed, Agent 9. Return for reconfiguration." Father ordered.
"Yes." I replied, and shut down the cell phone before throwing it out the window. Then, I took my stuff and ran to the reception desk and returned my key.
"Leaving so soon, Mr. Itari?" the receptionist said, using my codename. Father had made it ninety-percent similar to my real one, but differences were necessary. To the rest of the world, Shinji and Gendo Ikari are dead.
When I arrived at the warehouse, three of my father's guards yanked me out of the car and escorted me into his room, and threw me roughly to the floor.
"So, Shinji. You have failed to complete your mission." Father said coldly, and I thought I caught a flash of relief in his eyes. What was going on? Was he glad that I failed to kill Ayanami? "So now you have a new mission. You must infiltrate NERV Headquarters and get close to Rei Ayanami. When you're close, kill her and steal the blueprints for Evangelion Units 00 through 02. Those designs, as well as Rei's and Adam's blood, are important for Project ARK."
"Father, you've mentioned Project ARK several times. Please tell me what it is."
"That," Father said. "Is none of your concern. Now, GO!"
Not wanting to attract Father's fury, I left, seething as well. He had given me a high rank in his "organization", and even allowed me to give orders, yet he still felt the need to inform me of anything!
I began looking for anything that could help me infiltrate NERV. Amongst what I found were my old NERV ID Card, a plug suit, and someone else's card…
Then it hit me. I knew my target somehow… I saw her sometime in my past… I wish I could remember…
I got back in the car, and drove toward NERV Headquarters, relying on my memories to take me to a place that I could not even be sure of. That's when I spotted Ayanami. She was still near the Emperor, but apparently had already finished her speech. I decided to confront her. I left the car, and walked up to her.
"Hello, Ayanami." I said, surprising even myself. Why did I talk to her like I… knew her?
"I… Ikari-kun?" she asked, surprise in her voice. "What happened to you? After the gassing…"
"I am unsure, Ayanami."
"I see… Where were you?"
"I've been… I don't know."
"I think you are lying, Ikari-kun."
"I assure you, Ayanami, I would do nothing of the sort."
"Sure, sure. What do you want, anyway?"
"A spot at NERV, preferably as the position I had before my disappearance."
"You mean as the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01?"
"Any position. Yes."
"Very well. Follow me."
I followed Rei. There was no other choice, for, if I turned back, Father would kill me. That much I could tell.
Why can't Fate give me a good day for once?
A/N: Do you think I should continue with this story?
For those of you who are confused why Shinji is acting this way, you will have to wait to find out.
Please note that pairings are already written in stone, but I will not tell them because of the fact that it would potentially ruin the suspense I have planned.
