Chapter 3
Disclaimer, I don't own Evangelion…but I own everything below my waist...wait, that belong to my girlfriend…damn…
A/N. My beta-reader left me in the dust so be prepared for some mildly bad grammar, all of my English teachers were worksheet teachers so I never learned anything new… :(
Seriously, I got the same damn worksheet 6 years in a row…review test, my ass.
A few more things to address:
Shinji is 18 years old and its August 2019. The timeline occurs the same as in the series but the angels appear four years afterwards.
Here's Chapter 3.
A/N2 This chapter was updated by my Beta reader Genesis D. Rose. I didn't even ask him to fix my older chapters but he did anyways. Thank you!
Updated version 2.0
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"How's the train ride Ki-Chan?" Kichi is sitting on Shinji's lap, staring out of the window with a glee-stricken face.
"It's less bumpy then the one I took here, and doesn't smell like old socks, Yuck!" Kichi gives him a disgusted face, until they reach the next level of the monorail ride, the Geo-Front, "WOW! It's a forest underground, just like in those stories they read to us at daycare!" She stands up on "Daddy's" leg, and presses her face onto the glass, squishing her nose against it and leaving a red mark.
"It's beautiful isn't Ki-Chan?" Even Shinji is showing a little excitement, watching the scenery becoming clearer to view as the monorail descends deeper into this strange and unknown territory. "Whoa…a lake, I'm impressed Misato-San"
"I can see you both like this part of the ride?" The four-year-old is too preoccupied to notice, but Shinji gives her a quick confirmation. "Well, that's great…and Shinji?"
"Yeah?"
"Before we enter the main building, I want you to watch what you say…I think…you're a little too open…about…you know?" She looks down at her high-heels, shifting uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the same dead eyes looking at her as they did previously.
"About what? Telling people I tried to kill myself?" With Kichi distracted, he feels it's safe to talk about it. He keeps his solid, calm tone showing no signs of emotion. "Well…I asked myself, 'What does it matter', and you know what?"
"What?"
"It doesn't. I haven't even thought about doing anything like that for last two years…" He trails off, realizing Misato looks upset. "Of course I won't shoot my mouth off, but if someone asks I'll answer" He notices Kichi is now asleep in his lap and gently rocks her with his knee. "I can't even remember when I say it sometimes…I've seen things, things no one should ever see, felt things no one else should feel…if only I could still feel…" The last words were whispered.
"What was that last part?"
"Nothing…" Shinji keeps his attitude cool, even with Misato's question digging a deeper hole. He doesn't want her to dig to deep to where she can't get back out though.
"You're making progress" She slightly grins and looks out the window on her side of the rail car.
"…"
The rest of the ride is silent, just as the walk to NERV was. Shinji might have fallen asleep too but the train stopped moments before he dozed off.
"We're here" Misato whispered, "I think we should hurry up, they might be angry it took us so long" They both walk a short distance to a large steel wall. Kichi is held in Shinji's arms with her arms draped around his neck, and one of his arms holding her tight to his chest. With a flick of the wrist, Misato slides her card through another key-lock, opening the final blast door.
"Welcome to NERV" She isn't whispering, but it is still under her breath, "God is in heaven, and all is right in the world" She mocks the words on the NERV logo.
"What god?" Shinji questions unenthusiastically.
"I've asked myself that question everyday…" Her voice fades out, noticing Shinji staring at her. "What? Is something on my face?"
"You don't sound very religious for a woman who wears a cross" She doesn't answer, continuing to lead her two 'responsibilities', as NERV put it, through the halls of the subterranean complex.
It only takes five trips past the same hallway for Misato to realize something…
"We're lost"
"I know but you looked so confident I didn't want to bother you" The major opens her mouth, ready to assault the man next to her, but droops once she remembers the child in his arms.
'I'll get him back for this' She thought, but an idea struck her, "I know, I'll contact Rits! Hold on a second Shinji-Kun" She pulls out her phone, pressing a speed-dial button for the second time today. "…This is major Katsuragi, can you please contact Dr. Akagi, we have a situation…tell her to meet me at the third entrance on level one…thanks, bye" She takes a deep breath and slouches forward. "You know; after I finally get used to this place, they either add something or move something…it sucks"
"The world sucks" He gives a faint reply, gently cradling the child in his arms. "But if it didn't then we wouldn't be stuck to it" Misato mentally agrees to herself, thinking of even using that saying the next time she sees someone down.
Near the third entrance, Misato, Shinji, and Kichi, wait for Dr. Akagi, taking full advantage of the services in the break room.
"Hey Misato, will you hold Ki-Chan for awhile? I'll grab us something to drink" Needless to say Misato was a little surprised at the question but reluctantly agrees. "What will you have?" Before she answers, Shinji gently hands the sleeping Kichi over to Misato.
"I'll take some coffee, dark" Kichi shifts in her arms, alarming Misato. She notices however, Kichi is still asleep, just slightly tugging on her purple hair. "You know, she's cuter when you're holding her"
"I agree" The young man hands Misato her coffee while he takes his Coke and apple juice, sitting next to her on the bench. Shinji sets the beverages next to him, pulling a lighter and flask from his pockets, and a pack of smokes from his gym bag. He opens the package and withdraws a fresh cigarette, sticking it in his mouth, cupping the end while he lights the tobacco.
"How many do you smoke a day? I thought you said that you already had your last one?" Misato sips her coffee; trying not to spill it on the girl she's holding in her other arm.
"I'm down to two packs a day instead of five. I'm thinking of going on the patch for Ki-Chan's sake" He takes a deep breath, tapping the cigarette ashes onto the tiled floor. "Or the gum, you never know"
"You never know…" The major repeats his last words with cheerful emphasis.
"You never know what?" A woman clad in a lab coat, carrying a clipboard and pen, interrupts the two. "I was told you arrived with the third child"
"Ma'am, do I look like a child?" Shinji does not even bother to look; instead he nonchalantly takes another puff. He leans back on the bench, trying to stretch his back but only able to stretch the doctor's patience thin.
"You're Shinji I presume?" The figure dressed in black only nods, inhaling another breath of smoke. "Smoking is bad for you…"
"So I've been told" He sees Kichi's body shift in Misato's arms in the corner of his eye. "Hey, can you keep your voice down a little? Ki-Chan is trying to rest." His request was simple enough, but unexpected.
"Who?" Ritsuko notices a child cradled the major's arms "The hell is that?" Her voice echoes through the halls. She nearly drops her clipboard and pen, almost loosing her grip from the shock.
"Great going Rit-Chan, you woke poor the girl" Misato scolds her friend and fellow co-worker, causing even more confusion amongst the group of adults.
"Where's daddy?" Kichi looks up to Misato, who's staring back at the young girl. She rubs her eyes and looks around the room, trying to figure out where her papa is.
"Hey sleepyhead, I got you something" Kichi forgets about her current handler when Shinji hands her a bottle of apple juice, upsetting Misato a little because the little "angel" is no longer paying attention to her. Misato is a little surprised by this revelation, but feels relieved.
"Shinji…who is this? Did she just call you daddy…?" The female scientist gathers what is left of her composure, trying to establish her level superiority. "I wasn't notified of this! How were you able to keep this a secret!"
"Short version or long version?"
"Short version, I don't have all day" Akagi starts to write on her clipboard.
"It runs in the family" No more words are said for the next ten minutes as the group of now four people make their to the next destination. Only exchanges of the casual staring are traded between the adults and child, but mostly between Misato and Ritsuko. Kichi occasionally gasps at the bright and shiny things she sees but does not say anything because she was asked to be a "good girl" and felt it was her responsibility to be quiet for daddy.
A few more levels are passed, making their way down farther. With each level, comes another cigarette Shinji pulls out of his pocket, and for each level, is another level of hell Ritsuko will deliver him for smoking in a non-smoking area.
"We're here" Ritsuko calls, walking twenty feet in front of them into the pitch dark room. The only sound they are able to hear is the sounds of waves splashing, and small mechanical hums emanating from electronic equipment. Shinji, who's standing next to Kichi holding her hand, is very unenthusiastic.
The lights turn on, surprising the little girl.
"COOL! A red lake! I've never seen anything like this!" Shinji let's his daughter scream about the red lake, but the thing in front of him catches his attention. The head of one of the Evangelions is protruding from the surface of the red liquid, Unit01. Its menacing face tried to pierce into his mind, making only as much progress as Misato did.
"So is this it?" Shinji takes his last puff from his cigarette, flicking it into the red pond, pissing Ritsuko off even farther. If that wasn't enough, he pulls out another package from his gym back, lighting another one. Ritsuko is able to keep her temper in check though.
"Shinji, let me introduce you to evangel…" Dr. Akagi is cut off in mid sentence.
"Evangelion, artificial human fighting machine, mankind's last defense, blah, blah. Honestly I'd rather get an ice-cream and share it with Ki-Chan" He looks down, smiling at her with a cigarette between his teeth, causing her to smile back. Misato chuckles in the background, but now Akagi is angry beyond the point of no return.
"Damn it! Do you think this is a game? First, you're able to avoid NERV's watch, which I have no idea how that' possible, and second you mock our greatest creation?" A blood vessel is bulging from her forehead. "Just how the hell were you able to get this information!"
"I have an informant, but I won't go beyond that" He flicks yet another finished piece of tobacco into the red pool. "But I'm sorry you won't be able to do a thing" Shinji chuckles at his declaration.
"Why is that?" Akagi's grip on her clipboard is threatening to snap it.
"Because he's eighty-seven years old, living with his grandchildren in Australia. Besides, he has terminal cancer so even if you kill him now, he won't give a shit" Just then, the four are distracted by another Voice coming from a second level observatory behind them.
"Shinji…" The young man does not need to see behind him to know who it is.
"Hello father" He notices Kichi move in front of his leg, hiding her view from the strange man in the observatory. "I see you work with a lot of beautiful women around you. Most men would be envious" He winks at Ritsuko who in turn blushes the same color as the red pool below them.
"You've grown into quite the man" Gendo notices the young girl behind Shinji's leg but says nothing. "Let us skip formalities; you know why you are here?"
"Yes, to pilot Unit01" Shinji continues to stare into the eyes of the purple and green giant. "I guess you found a use for me, correct?"
"I would not have ordered your return here if you didn't serve a purpose" The only question he cannot answer, he asks himself. "Who is this girl I have watched on the security cameras?"
"This is my daughter" Shinji picks up Kichi and holds her in his arms, kissing her forehead, and rocking her gently from side to side. Gendo is slightly amused, but still his calm self is unchanging.
"Major Katsuragi, why was I not informed of this when you first made contact with the third?" She opens her mouth to speak, but cannot find the words. Shinji however answers in her place, most likely saving her from punishment.
"I told her I would head back to Tokyo-2 if she told you of my situation" Gendo accepts his answer.
"I see" Some unheard whispers are exchanged up on the second floor as Gendo stares at his son. "We are short on time; the angel is on its way as we speak"
"Angel? Ironic man should be the one to fight heaven" Shinji pulls one more cigarette from his pocket, igniting the fuel, burning the poisons, slipping it between his teeth, and inhaling deeply. "I see you have no one else to fight. Tell me, what happened to the other pilots?" It is Akagi's turn to speak.
"Asuka was injured in the first fight for being reckless. She'll be punished once she recovers from her injuries" She continues to read the pages on her clipboard. "And Rei's unit is being updated so she won't be in service for five days"
"So I'm the last defense…Well, not a bad way to end a day I suppose" He shrugs, savoring the flavor of the nicotine in his mouth. "Will someone take care of Ki-Chan while I'm gone?" He notices Kichi tug on his pant leg, but rubs his hand through her hair, reminded of why he is fighting.
"Misato has to be on the bridge, and I'll be monitoring your life signs while you're in Eva" She looks around and instructs two guards into the Eva-cage. "I'll have these two men watch her for you while you're gone on the surface" Kichi has a scared look on her face from the big and scary men. Shinji notices too but finds a way to cheer her up.
"Hey you two, you better take care of her" He pulls out his lighter and sparks the fuel inside. He then lifts his hand over the flame and burns his pinky finger. "Because you see…" He releases the button on the lighter, but the flame on his finger stays. "I'm a very bad man, isn't that right Ki-Chan?" As he sticks his finger in his mouth to put out the fire, sucking the blister for a few seconds. Kichi is the only one in the room who doesn't have a frightened look.
"I don't think you're a bad man papa, you're a macho man!" Shinji cannot help but laugh at his daughter's truthful reply.
"You hear that? I'm a macho man so be careful, got that?" Both guards nod in unison, sweat rolling down their foreheads. They escort the girl out of the room, and gulp as Kichi demands for a snow cone. "Hey, you heard the lady, she wants a snow cone"
"Yes Sir!" A guard picks up the giggling girl and rushes her to the cafeteria. Shinji smiles, watching as his daughter leaves the cage-room grinning, but can't help but feeling someone is watching him…
"What?" He looks behind him, noticing his father is gone from the observatory, but not Misato or Ritsuko. "Do you want me to explain that one to you Misato-San?"
"N…No…" She chokes her answer, her mouth hung open and her left eye twitching. Ritsuko is going over her clipboard, however…
"Dr. Akagi, your nose is bleeding" She slightly jumps to his voice, but notices it too.
"Oh…"
"Whatever" His cigarette is now halfway gone. He takes it out of his mouth and flicks the ashes into the red pond, contaminating it once again. "So what's the ETA of this so-called angel?"
"About twenty minutes" Ritsuko says, "We'll get you acquainted with the systems…assuming you don't know how to operate it…"
"I only received information on the Eva's schematics, and some test footage video…no pilot information or cockpit blueprints" She accepts his answer.
"Well, right this way then" She leads him to another door, but he has one last thing to take care of.
"Hey Misato-San, can you take my bag with you while I get ready?" He hands her his bag, which she accepts. She doesn't care to notice Ritsuko and Shinji talking as she walks out of the Eva-cage with her mouth hung open and eye still twitching.
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A/N There's chapter three. If anyone wants to be a beta, message me. I'm pretty screwed without one…
I'm also a very happy man. My fic is already in a C2 so I'll spend more time out of the day to work on this, mostly because I don't start college till the fall.
A/N2 Well…I'm glad this one was updated. I knew I had a few mistakes.