Standard Disclaimer: I, Tarnished Blade, do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or anything associated with it and I don't own Gainax. One day though, I will own a stock. Then I will own a controlling majority of stock and then ... Mwahahahahah... Ahem Excuse me, sorry 'bout that.
Apprentice to the Blade
Chapter-01: Thirst
Asuka was miserable. Her nose was running, her entire body ached, and her sinuses felt like inflated balloons.
Damn, Shinji and his good health. It wasn't fair that she was the only one to suffer.
It wasn't her fault that she got sick. They had to stay in those entry plugs in the middle of the lake while the rest of Nerv dealt with the 11th, the angel that "wasn't" an angel. And when you're naked, those damned entry plugs get cold!
A couple of days latter she came down with a full fledged flu and cold. It was true that for a while she was free of those boring sync tests so she could recover. But what really irked her was that since she contaminated the LCL both Shinji and Wonder Girl got off as well. And they weren't even sick! It was so unfair.
Complete in her misery, Asuka sneezed.
In the kitchen, Shinji cringed. Being sick should have taken off Asuka's edge. Instead it had given it a serrated edge; she was letting everyone in eyesight and ear shock well aware of the injustice of her situation. But, no matter how she hackled him for being healthy it was not with in the young boy's heart to make her suffer.
Experimentally he tasted the soup cooking on the stove.
Hmm, salt. It needs bite.
Turning he grabbed the salt. Pausing to consider for a moment he then opened the refrigerator looking for the pepochini peppers. Unlike most of the hot food's Misato indulged in he enjoyed those, not that he would ever tell. If he did Misato would cover every thing with them, as she still insisted on cooking every once in a while.
When he couldn't find the peppers he turned to Pen-Pen's fridge and knocked.
"Hey Pen-Pen? It's Shinji, I'm coming-"
Suddenly the penguin came though the pet door that Misato had installed for him. Looking up at Shinji the water fowl held up between its two flippers the jar of peppers.
Silently the boy accepted. Despite whatever Misato said Pen-Pen still managed to freak him out every once in a while. Shinji was beginning to think he enjoyed it.
"Asuka?" he asked leaning into the living room were she was laid out on the couch, "The chicken noodle soup you wanted will be done in a few minutes, okay?"
While she groaned in response Shinji paused, enjoying the way her red tresses played out over the pillow, highlighting the pale skin of her neck exposed by her open shirt. Shinji swore he could see the veins in her neck pulse delicately-
Suddenly his view was obstructed by the pillow Asuka threw.
"Don't even think about trying anything, baka."
Chastised Shinji retreated to the kitchen were he had his fifth glass of water, thinking how lucky he was that Asuka was sick. Yes, a healthy and irked Asuka was a thing to fear indeed.
Tasting the soup again, Shinji deemed it a success and added the noodles he had cooked and drained earlier to the meal. (Prevents the noodles from getting over cooked) He ladled the soup in to a large bowl and was headed into the living room when the door bell rang.
"Hi, Kaji."
"Hey Shinji, mind if I come in?"
"Asuka caught a bug."
"So I heard, I don't mind."
"Okay then," replied Shinji. It's your health.
Hearing the exchange Asuka quickly covered herself with her blanket. No way I'm going to let Kaji see me like this, she thought with a groan, I look terrible.
"Gezz Asuka, you sound terrible," said Kaji. He hadn't heard she had it so bad. Reaching out he gave the pile of blankets what he hoped was a pat on the back. "You just take it easy and rest for a few more days. Okay Asuka?"
Shinji could practically hear Asuka purr in response.
"Hey, Misato," shouted Kaji, "You ready yet?"
"Just a minute."
And there went Asuka's good mood. Oh great. Now she'll complain about Misato stealing "her" Kaji and about being sick, thought Shinji, This can't get any worse.
Misato came out of her room dressed in a dark purple number with a neckline that would have knocked out both of the other stooges via nose-bleed. As she walk past the couch Asuka peered out to glare at Misato's backside, which had a deeper dip than the front.
Shinji thought it a miracle that Misato didn't hear the curses he heard from under the blanket, otherwise the next world war would have surely started.
The fact that it looked like Kaji swallowed his tongue when Misato turned to Shinji to tell him she'd be home late did not bid well for Asuka's temper.
As he fallowed the Major out the door Kaji turned to Shinji and said, "Take care of Asuka for me Shinji," with a lecherous grin. Leaving Shinji with a sick, pissed-off, and very jealous Second Child.
"Shinji," said Asuka, started in a deceptively meek voice, "I'd like my soup now, you perverted idiot! I saw how you stared at her!"
It was going to be a long night.
Later that night an exhausted Shinji flopped down next to a sleeping Asuka on the couch. Propping his feet onto an empty milk carton he leaned back into the cushions of the sofa and closed his eyes. Between the cooking, cleaning and serving of his irate roommate he had been run ragged.
Shinji was about to doze off himself, when Asuka, uncomfortable even in her sleep, rolled over onto his angled chest. Now, more awake than he had been all day the Third Child went completely still as he watched the Second settle on his chest. Again his gaze started at her relaxed face and began to travel downwards. Yet for some reason it stopped at the neck, where his attention became firmly riveted. The thirst that had plagued the boy throughout the day became almost unquenchable. The flesh of her neck seemed to beckon too him with its open tenderness. He knew that in his culture necks were thought to be highly erotic, but this feeling that filled him was disturbing in its intensity.
It was at this point, as the vision of Asuka's tenderly displayed neck filled the young mans mind, that the girl was awakened by the rapid beating of his heart.
With a jolt she jerked back to the other side of the couch screaming, "You PERVERT!"
"I didn't do anything, you rolled over onto me!"
"Then why were you on the couch?"
"I was tired," responded the boy desperately.
"That's why you have a bed, you idiot!"
At this point Shinji began to think very fast. If he didn't talk his way out of this one he would never here the end of it, and as it was Hikari and the other girls were already giving him dirty looks whenever they talked to Asuka.
"I'm trying to get sick from you."
"Nani?" asked Asuka.
"Think about it," rushed Shinji, "If I get sick and recontamination the LCL, we could all get another week off of sync tests!"
"That wouldn't work," started Asuka, "... unless the bug mutates! Hey baka, that just might do it."
"Thanks-"
ACHOO!
"Ahhh! Asuka, that's gross!" shouted Shinji as he wiped off his face.
"Hey, it was your idea," she answered with a sniff.
Rei Ayanami was once again was staring out the window as yet another school day began. Seeming to being oblivious to all she was far from it. Instead of watching people directly, she instead watched them indirectly through their reflections in the windows. For some reason people found it distressing to find themselves under the girl's crimson gaze. Even Dr. Akagi avoided eye contact when she reported for work on the dummy project, as she had earlier that morning.
Abandoning the reflections for a moment, Rei focused on the figure of Shinji approaching the school through the window.
There was something different about him. His eyes squinted as if a bright light was being shown in his face, instead his usual uneven gait the boy's stride seemed smooth and alien. As Rei continued her examination Shinji brought his gaze to bear on the school and for a moment she was taken aback as it seemed he looked her square in the eye.
She blinked, and suddenly Shinji's head was again watching the concrete beneath his feet as he self-consciously adjusted his backpack, seeming to transform back into his usual self. All save for his gliding stride.
"Ayanami, have you seen Shinji?" asked Hikari.
"Yes."
"Where is he then?"
"I do not know. You only asked if I had seen him," answered the albino with her unusual brand of logic.
Hikari sighed; Asuka was going to fall behind in class if she didn't get these assignments to Shinji. She had thought to take care of the task during lunch but the boy had disappeared, not even the other two stooges knew were he was. Resigned to another wasted lunch Hikari began her search for the wayward Eva pilot.
As she walked the halls see was surprised to see that Ayanami was accompanying her. When Hikari gave her a questioning look the blue haired girl only answered, "I wish to speak with Ikari as well."
It took half of the period but eventually they found the young man drinking his fill a one of the numerous water fountains in the school. As the two girls approached within about five feet Shinji suddenly spun around and fixed the two with a glare.
To her great embarrassment, Hikari gave a sharp "Eepp!" as she and Ayanami backed away from the positively predatory gleam in Shinji's eyes.
Shinji blinked and the look left his face as he fell back on old habits.
"Gomen."
"No, it's okay," assured Hikari after she took a deep breath. "I just wanted to give you these assignments for Asuka."
"Okay," answered Shinji as he took the papers and gave the two an odd look.
"What is it?"
"Well...," started the boy, "Are you guys wearing perfume or something?"
At this both girls felt themselves blush. Seeing he had done something wrong but not knowing what he continued, "Because it smells good, really it does."
"No. Thank you, Shinji. You just make sure Asuka gets those, Okay? Bye," said Hikari hurriedly as she retreated from the situation, her face heating again.
When Shinji turned to Rei, the gleam back in his eyes she silently followed the class rep uncertainly, not quite understanding her own reactions to the situation.
Sighing to himself, Shinji knew it was going to be one of those weeks.
Loaded with groceries, Shinji walked out of the store and in to the night. The homework catch-up assignments had not sat well with Asuka and when they had run out of food she had become irate to the point that Shinji went to the store, not for her sake but his own peace of mind. Unfortunately, with his limited funds, Shinji had only been able to get just what Asuka wanted and had to forgo the steaks that had captured his attention in at the butcher's counter, his stomach growling in protest.
As he began the walk home he gave a start when he heard what sounded like a muffled scream.
Hikari quickly walked down the darkened side walks of Tokyo-3. Seizing on Shinji's comment earlier that day she thought that maybe perfume would get Touji to look at her as Shinji had. The sales people, smelling fresh blood, had conspired and kept her in the mall for the better part of the evening, sampling all sorts of scents out of her price range.
She hugged herself tightly as she walked past a dark ally, and gave a scream that was silenced by a heavy hand as she was roughly pulled into the darkness.
"Shush, darling," a voice breathed into her ear as she felt cold steel on the flesh of her neck, "It wouldn't do you any good."
Tears began to roll down her face as the brut seized both her wrists in one hand and pinned her to a wall.
"Well don't you smell nice," the voice breathed down her neck, the stench of his breath making her gage.
Enjoying the sounds from the girl and his sense of control, the monster sheathed the blade and trailed his fingers up the Hikari's leg to under her skirt. She whimpered.
"Lets see if you feel as good as you smel-"
He was interrupted by a loud clang and suddenly Hikari was free of the man's grip.
"Come on Hikari!"
Hikari looked up to see Shinji frantically pulling her out of the alley. Suddenly, with a hard yank she found herself practically thrown into the middle of the empty road.
"Run Hikari!"
She turned to see Shinji duck a knife slash from the enraged rapist. In shock and terrified she ran, screaming for help.
On the upside Hikari got away, on the down side the bag of soup cans Shinji had thrown at the thug only bloodied the man and failed to knock him out, leaving Shinji in very deep trouble.
Irate, at being denied the girl the thug screamed his rage at the young man, continuing to try and impale him on his blade. Dodging another slash of the blade Shinji's foot caught on the trash that littered the alley. Howling in glee the thug lunged for Shinji as he fell on to his back.
Triumphant the thug raised the knife above his head for the death blow. As the blade descended Shinji desperately grabbed at the man's wrist. And held it.
Incredulous the thug put his entire weight behind the knife, but still was unable to make it budge.
Shocked by his own strength, Shinji blankly looked from the knife to the man's contorted face. Blood from the cuts on his face fell onto Shinji, the scent of it filling him with an intense hunger that mingled with his anger at the monster. Shinji felt his lips curl into a snarl and was most pleased by the look of fear on the thug's face.
After running for what seemed forever, Hikari finally happened upon a large black man sitting on a motorcycle. Frantically she seized the man's arm, instantly gaining his complete attention.
"You've got to help me!"
For a moment the man in sun glasses only looked at her before he said, "With what?"
"Someone is trying to kill Shinji!"
The man sighed resigning himself to the situation, "Okay, were is your-"
His head jerked in the direction from which Hikari came from just before the scream reached her ears.
Shinji dropped the man's limp and cooling body in horror. It had all happened so fast, as if someone else was in control of his body. After he had kicked the thug off him and across the alley in to the opposite wall he had struck before the man could react. Going straight for the throat, holding the stunned thug's knife arm he feebly tried defend himself as Shinji fed.
Staring at the body, Shinji realized what he thirsted for. He knew why he felt as he did around the others, how they had begun to entice him so. They had the only thing that could quench his thirst: the sweet blood that ran through their veins.
Oh god I'm a monster-
The young vampire's thoughts were interrupted by the sound of drawn steel ringing through the alley. Looking up he say a tall dark man standing at the exit to the road, clothed in a leather trench coat he held a straight sword that gleamed in the dim light. Considering Shinji through his dark glasses he breathed one thing as he launched himself towards Shinji.
"Time to die, vampire."
I'd like to thank all the reviewers for taking their time to encourage me, and would like to take the opportunity to say some things:
1)I am still looking for a beta reader, so all willing please let me know.
2)Afraid the Blade/Eva crossover concept is not new, there were a few stories before this one but I don't think they were ever finished.
3)See #1.
Thanks for reading,
Tarnished blade