I don't own anything.

An Assassin's Memories

Twenty-First Shot: Conscious

"This is your new home."

"I'm. . .I'm home."

"Welcome home."

(:ii:)

"That's odd."

"What is it?" Doc said.

"This is the thingy that shows his brain wave pattern, right?"

"Thingy," Doc repeated. "That's very technical."

"Just answer the damned question," Ryan growled in annoyance. "God damn wise ass."

"It is," Doc said. "Why?"

"That's a lot of activity isn't it?" Ryan asked, pointing at the screen. Doc stared at it and nodded.

"Must be dreaming."

"He doesn't look like he's dreaming," Ryan said as he stared at the young man lying on the hospital bed. He wasn't moving, he wasn't making a sound, it almost look like he wasn't even breathing.

"Training," Doc said with a shrug. "Certainly goes to support his claim."

"Is there anyway we can prove that he's Thirty-Three?" Ryan asked.

"The only distinguishing feature it the tattoo," Doc said as he kneeled in and inspected the bandage taped over the boy's ear. "If it was there, it isn't any more."

"So we'll just have to wait," Ryan said with a frown.

"Yup," Doc said.

(:ii:)

Yuji tucked his phone into his pocket and reached into his other for the carton of cigarettes. "Well?" Ginji asked.

"She's coming," Yuji said. "It'll take her about twelve hours to get here."

"She?" Ginji asked.

"Don't start with that," Yuji said. "She was an instructor when I met her. She taught me everything I knew."

"She must be good," Ginji said. "So where is she now?"

"She's still in Israel," Yuji said. "One of us has to be there for our daughter."

"Wait a minute," Ginji said. "She's your. . ."

"Wife," Yuji interrupted as he lit his cigarette. "My daughter's moving into her college's dormitories. No reason for a babysitter any more."

(:ii:)

"You aren't exercising?"

"What do you mean?" Misato frowned in annoyance.

"You've practically be living at the gym Mike," she explained. "Or was that your twin?"

"I just decided to take a break," Michael answered. "That's not a crime, is it?"

"Well no," Misato said, taken aback by the young man's casual tone. "Are you okay Mike?"

"I'm fine," Michael said. He turned and walked down the hall.

"There's something off, isn't there?" Misato turned and saw Kari leaning up against the wall.

"Yeah," Misato said. "It's almost like he's a different person."

"What do you think happened?" Kari asked.

"Maybe he regained his memories and is trying to hide it," Misato said, her breath catching at the thought. Her Shinji back to normal.

"Why would he hide it?" Kari asked. Misato frowned.

"I don't know."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Kari said. "Something happened in the apartment."

"What could it have been?" Misato asked.

"I have no idea. But I think I may know who will," Kari said. "I'm going to go talk to Ginji."

"I think I'll go with you."

(:ii:)

Doc glanced up from his machine at the young man laid out on the hospital bed. He glanced back down and looked up quickly. He could have sworn that the young man's eyes had just been open. He glanced at the machine and frowned. There was no noticeable spike in neural activity. "I could have sworn. . ."

"He's awake." Doc jumped and spun around.

"Hey Colonel," Doc said. "What do you mean."

"Don't let him fool you," Colonel said as he walked towards the bed. "Quit the act kid."

"There's nothing to show he woke up," Doc said. "Look. His breathing, neural activity, and heart beat are the same as they were."

"I guess that proves it," Colonel said. "That's the way these bastards are trained. You can't tell if they're awake or sleeping." Doc watched in surprise as the young man's eyes opened. "Good."

"Where am I?"

"You aren't exactly in any position to ask questions," Colonel said.

"Fine," the young man said.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Michael," the young man said.

"When my men found you they said that you gave them a different answer," Colonel said.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Colonel Marshal," Colonel said. "That's Doc Ferguson. He's been patching you up for the past two days."

"Hi," Doc said cheerfully.

"Who are you working for?" Michael demanded.

"We're an anti-SEELE UN initiative," Marshal explained.

"SEELE owns the UN," Michael said simply.

"A few people aren't too happy about that," Marshal said. "Hence they culled us from a half dozen special forces units from members of the UN."

"Why am I restrained?" Michael asked.

"Because of what you told my men," Marshal said. "Are you really Thirty-Three?"

"Yes I am," Michael answered. "Check my ear."

"We would," Doc said, "you don't have that much of an ear left."

"I see," Michael said.

"You don't work for SEELE," Marshal said.

"Correct," Michael said. "They terminated my employment."

"I'm surprised they didn't terminate you," Marshal said.

"Who says they didn't try?" Michael asked.

"When was this?"

"About two months ago," Michael answered.

"We've had reports of Thirty-Three in action within the past two months," Marshal said. "Would they have transferred your number?"

"No," Michael answered. "Numbers are never transferred; besides, I ran into the new Thirty-Three."

"And?" Colonel asked.

"He's me."

"Huh?"

"He's me," Michael said. "Please release me. I have to go kill myself." Marshal turned and glanced at Doc.

"Did he take any blows to the head?"

"He doesn't have a concussion."

"Let me out," Michael said. "Or I will kill you." Doc stared at the pistol in the man's hand.

(:ii:)

Marshal stared at the pistol and then at the torn restraints where the assassin's hand had been. "Well that had to hurt."

"Pain is temporary," Michael said, pulling the hammer back. "Release my restraints." Marshal stepped back and heard the pistol click. "It's empty."

"Give me some credit," Marshal said. He took the pistol and tucked it back into its holster on his hip. "You've got talent."

"I would hope so," Michael said. He raised his bleeding wrist and frowned.

"Patch him up Doc."

"Okay." Marshal loaded his pistol and kept it aimed at the assassin's head.

"I must insist that you release me," Michael said.

"What do you mean when you say that he was you?" Marshal demanded.

"He was me," Michael said. "My face, my voice, everything."

"You do realize that this seems rather insane, correct?" Marshal asked.

"I've seen too much to find this odd," Michael said. Marshal frowned. That was true.

(:ii:)

Ginji looked around the crowded airport and frowned. He had never liked crowds, even when he was little. "I hate airlines."

"So do I," Yuji said. "Do you think they would work better if I held a gun to their heads?"

"Maybe," Ginji said. "Look at it this way, we pay these people enough money to maintain and fuel an airplane with them making a massive prophet. You think that would be an incentive to keep the passengers happy."

"You would, wouldn't you?"

"Yes you certainly would." An announcement came over the PA that was so garbled Ginji couldn't even guess at it. "What did he say?"

"That was a woman," Yuji said. "The flight landed."

"Well that's good," Ginji said. He watched as people began to file out into the waiting area. "So what's your wife look like?"

"She stands out," Yuji said. "You'll know he when you see her." Ginji stared at the woman who had stepped into view. She had to weigh better then two hundred kilos of muscle.

"You have got some taste my friend."

"She sticks out," Yuji allowed, "but that isn't her."

"Oh." Another woman stepped into view. "Wow. Would you look at the ass on that one?"

"Yeah," Yuji said. "That's my wife." Ginji felt all the color drain from his face. "Marlene!" The blond haired woman went from standing ten meters away to hugging Yuji tightly. They separated quickly. "This is Marlene."

"It's nice to meet you," Ginji said politely. "I'm Ginji Takashi."

"It's nice to meet you," Marlene said. "So where's this kid that's been giving you so much trouble?"

"He's at NERV," Yuji said. "Let's go." Ginji watched as the blond woman took the lead.

"Does she know where she's going?"

"Yeah," Yuji said. "Don't you dare think that I forgot what you said about her ass." Ginji began to consider switching the pistol under his pillow for a good old fashion sawed off double barreled shotgun. Then he began to consider turning his back on Michael. It was probably safer.

End

(:ii:)

Author's notes. It's short. Deal with it. A while ago someone asked me to try and bring in Marlene, so I did. In all honesty I knew the name Yuji Kaido from somewhere, I just couldn't think of it. Both Yuji and Marlene belong to the brilliant people who made Blue Gender, a highly underrated show.

Some of you may have noticed the first few lines. Am I being a true asshole and bringing back Shinji right when Michael's needed the most? Am I going to have Michael ruthlessly stomp Shinji out of existence in a bizarre mental battle of. . .well wits? Will I do something else? Who the hell knows? I sure don't.