Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion…but that doesn't stop me…Shit, BRB FBI.
Well, I love the reviews I am getting and the input for some ideas. I am writing this as I go but I know my key points that I want. I still do not know what I am going to do with Shinji relationship wise though... and if I did it would be a secret ;)
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"So, if I think it, it will do it?" Shinji sits in the entry-plug of Unit01 "And I have to wear this headband thing with these…things that look like hair clips?" He holds the neural interface in his hands, slipping it behind and over his ears. "It feels like it's made of flimsy plastic"
"That's not plastic, it's a highly sophistica..." Ritsuko, who is observing Shinji from the bridge, gets cut off in mid sentence.
"I know it's highly sophisticated, Just tell me what to do" He sits in the cockpit, thumbing though the manual that Akagi handed him before he entered the plug. Just as he reaches the page about LCL, he realizes something… "So this will fill up with a liquid that I can breathe?" Misato, who is standing next the doctor, only nods. "I guess I shouldn't have smoked in here then."
"Yep" Ritsuko only smiles as she presses the button to activate the LCL pumps, and simultaneously presses another to drain the Eva-cage of the red fluid. The flushing of the Eva-cage and the sound of hydro-pumps filling the cockpit are meshed together, creating a soothing sensation to the ears.
"Oh well" The LCL starts filling up to his knees, but before it sinks him any further, he takes the cigarette, sticks it in his mouth, chews for a second, and then swallows it.
"…"
"…"
"What?" Shinji stares at the two women on the computer monitor, both looking like a deer in headlights; His monotonous expression doesn't help either. "I've eaten worse"
"Anyways…" Misato tries desperately to change the subject. "ETA is now five minutes before the angel reaches the city. We're going to send up you in three" She quickly eyes a monitor hidden from Shinji's view, and then to him again. "We would give you a pallet rifle but you haven't had time to practice. Instead, the UN will send up three mark two jet-alones as backup"
"So instead of a rifle…you're giving me a bunch of over-sized grenades? So is their head the safety pin or something?" His previous experience watching the earlier battle is the reason for his sarcasm, but someone is not amused.
"Those are not toys, they are highly expensive mechanical devices used in the soul purpose of supplying you as back-up!" Ritsuko screams, only to yell at an uninterested Shinji. "Anyways, how well can you breath in the LCL, Shinji?"
"It's different, I'll admit that" He yawns, causing a few bubbles to expel from his mouth.
"You're pretty calm for being put in a situation like this…" Misato is concerned. "You didn't even hesitate to volunteer. Why are you doing this?"
"Honestly?" He doesn't sound hurt, but Misato can't help but feel a little bad for asking another personal question. "What kind of dad would I be if I didn't protect Ki-Chan?" He smiles slightly and continues. "I already gave up everything for her once before, I can do it again, and again, and again because I will not let anything or anyone harm her" Shinji's tone starts to get slightly serious, but is hard to notice to the untrained ear. "You know what I would do someone if they harmed her?"
"No…" The major has a slight idea but did not expect his answer.
"Something I was afraid to do to myself" Both Katsuragi and Akagi shiver at the notion. The bridge crew is slightly confused by his reply however, but continues standard launching procedure.
"Connect the main power supply," An unknown male voice says, slightly catching Shinji's attention. He feels the Eva slightly budge, seeing the power gauge report double eight digits.
"Transmit power to all circuits," calls another male voice. A humming sound is reverberating through the cockpit.
"The second contact is beginning," It is now a female's voice. Shinji can only guess what she's talking about.
"The connection of the A-10 nerve is operational" Just as the unknown female relays the information over the speaker system, the cockpit flashes a dazzling array of patterns and colors, slightly surprising the young man
"Set Japanese as command interface" It's now Ritsuko's voice. "All initial contacts are…hmm…I think we have a slight problem…" She goes over the data on the screen in front of her, trying to figure the reason of the neural uplink malfunction. It only takes a few moments to discover the cause…and leave an even more shocked Misato and Ritsuko if it were possible. "Shinji…we can't get a full neural link between your bottom left leg…and we are seeing signs of mental deterioration…"
"What…the fuck?" Misato stared bug-eyed at the screen in front of her, going over the information. "Shinji…uhh…?" She gets cut off before she can finish her bewildered question.
"Check the bag I handed you" He says nothing more, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back in his seat.
Misato unzips the gym bag, rummaging through the mess of clothes and items until she is satisfied with the answer, but the answer is not rewarding.
"Shinji…is this…?" She holds a large tan object in her hands, realizing the real reason for the bag being so heavy earlier.
"Yeah, it's prosthesis" Shinji decides to roll up his left pant leg, confirming Misato's observation. "I used to work construction," He continues with his story, knocking on his leg proving it's hollow. "There was this machine that ran on a belt, but next to the belt was a lever that you had to kick in order to start it. The belt wasn't exposed except during maintenance but I decided to use it the day they were cleaning it. I kicked the lever, causing the machine to start, but my foot slipped. Needless to say I need to clip less toenails" He slightly chuckles at his own joke, but he is the only one laughing. "The one in my bag is the spare I have. Sorry for the deception Misato-San but you looked like didn't need to hear it"
Now it's Ritsuko's turn with the personal interrogation. She pulls out some orange and green transparent bottles, examining the labels.
"Anti seizure medication…anti aneurysm tablets…sleeping inducers…" She continues with her investigation, saddening with every bottle she finds. "Memory enhancing drugs…" The list goes on including muscle relaxants and migraine medications. "Shinji…I don't think we can adequately connect you through the Eva until we can get proper neural feedback…" Her voice is soft and sincere, feeling pity for the man submerged in the orange liquid.
"Not a problem, just don't dwell on it. The brain damage is the least of my worries" He remembered the cell phone in his pocket and pulls it out. 'I wonder if this is broken' He shrugs it off and decides to give the two women reassurance as he checks his missed messages. "Don't feel bad for me. The doctors I talked to told me it wouldn't worsen as long as I don't drink or continually bludgeon myself" He continues to thumb through the messages until he's satisfied and slips it back into his pocket without making eye contact with the two women on the other side of the monitor.
The entire bridge, including Misato and Ritsuko, are silent with Shinji's calm demeanor, but get back to work once they remembered their objectives.
"We're at tw…o minutes until we launch" Ritsuko says, trying to sound indifferent to the pilot's condition but fails when voice breaks in mid sentence. "But we can't accurately detect your thought patterns so we need to recalibrate the systems in order for them to work properly. With luck, I'll be able to rewrite you a specific program after running some tests and giving you a full physical examination before the next activation. For now though, I'll integrate a primitive command routine, but we won't be able to accurately detect your sync ratio"
"So you'll have your hands all over me? I can live with that" He gives her a wink and a small grin, causing her to turn a bright shade of red. "So how long will it take for the temporary fix?"
"Uhh…thirty seconds if I…" She gets cut off yet again, but does not feel the same anger she once did.
"That's fine, just try to get it done before the angel gets here" He cuts the video and audio feed to the bridge, deciding to doze off until it's time to fight.
Back on the bridge, the women discuss the condition of the pilot, feeling it is safe because he cannot hear them.
"What the hell happened to this kid?" Ritsuko says as she types hundreds of lines of code on a nearby keyboard.
"He said it was because of his father…but I think he's hiding something from us. He did fool NERV intelligence after all" Misato says as-a-matter-of-factly. "How's the program coming?"
"Done in…now" She double checks her work, showing great pride in it even if it's slightly outdated. "It's not perfect, but it should be sufficient"
"Ok, dock Eva in the catapult bay for launch procedures" She stares at the large holographic display, taking note of the enemy's position. "And tell our pilot its time to head out"
"Yes Ma'am" Says a man at the main console, "Mr. Ikari, we are sending you out a mile away from the enemy's position. We will send the three J.A.'s from the air, behind the enemy while you wait for orders" Slight snoring is heard through the man's headset "Mr. Ikari?"
"What...? Oh, yeah yeah. Let's get this show on the road" He hears the Purple unit being moved, shaking slightly. "So how fast will the unit be going through the catapult?"
"Near mach one, is that a problem?" Misato answers.
"…No" He thinks about it for second. 'Well, I should be fine'
"Ok…Ready?" The major asks, giving him a slight smile for good luck.
"Yeah" Shinji puts his hands on the entry-plug controls, clicking the triggers to see if there was a reaction. When nothing happened, a question popped in his head but he stayed quiet.
"LAUNCH!" Misato commands. Shinji feels the pressure building through his body as the Eva rises to the surface. An expression of ecstasy covers his face from the pleasure of the high G-forces, pushing his body's limits harder and harder. The bridge crew stares in awe, watching Shinji grin with passion as the Eva climbs to the surface.
It only takes ten seconds until the launch procedure is successful. With the unit coming to a sudden halt at ground level, the rush Shinji was feeling is now over. He scopes the area, waiting for confirmation on the target.
"So…where the hell is it…and where are those Jet-alones that you keep 'promising' me?"
"The J.A.'s are dropping from the aircraft as we speak" Says Misato. "They'll fall behind the target and distract it. After which you will charge in and incapacitate it"
"Sounds easy enough" Shinji leans back in the chair, hearing three distinct 'Thuds' in the background. 'I guess they made it in time' He thought. After a few seconds, three distinct explosions are heard. 'And I didn't use them, damn' He mentally laughs at the many ways he can use the J.A.'s as weapons. "I'll head in, because obviously the guys remotely controlling the Jet's need to play a little more with their playstation"
Ritsuko stands over a computer reading that the Jet-alones units were destroyed. She pinches the bridge of her nose and closes her eyes, feeling slightly angered at the UN's uselessness.
"Okay, try walking first, you still have time until the enemy is on your position" Misato sighs, wondering why they even use the UN's help when all it does it cost more money. "Remember; if you think it, the Eva will do it" She looks over at one of the bridge crew and gives him an order "Release the locks on the Eva"
"Yes Ma'am" The technician types a few commands on his computer. Suddenly, Shinji feels his unit slouch forward. "Unit01 is clear for attack maneuvers. You may proceed Mr. Ikari"
"Roger" replies Shinji. "Okay…walk…" He says, thinking of moving his right foot. The Eva lumbers one foot in front of it, causing the Bridge crew to gasp as the Eva keeps its balance steady. "Hmm…" He gets an idea. Not a good one but an idea nonetheless. "So…how far is the enemy from my position?"
"It should be there in ten seconds"
"Ok" The pilot of Unit01 makes another step forward, trying to keep its balance. His feet stay steady as he starts to walk down the city street, looking for any signs of the enemy. When he rounds a corner though, he is met with the eyes of a very pissed off angel. "Why, hello there" He chuckles at the beast.
However, the purple giant does not amuse it. The black angel takes its hands and wraps them around the Eva's head, lifting it off of the ground. Shinji only crosses his arms as he feels himself being raised from the surface, waiting for the right moment.
His moment comes. Shinji swings his feet forward, and kicks the Angel in the chest. The black behemoth's grip on unit01's head still holds tight, bringing both units to the ground, but loosens it as they both fall.
Far from the battlefield, Gendo watches the angel attack unfolding from an office high above the bridge.
"It seems your son has great potential, Gendo" An old man stands next to his side. They both stare at Shinji's debut fight from the holographic projection on the bridge, watching his calm face in the entry-plug. "He appears unwavering"
"Yes, and he makes a perfect pilot" The video from the battle is reflected off of Gendo's glasses, both of his hands folded in front of his face. "But we may have underestimated him"
"Underestimated?" replies the old man. "This is unlike you, not being able to cope with a minor anomaly in the scenario"
"This is no 'minor' anomaly Fuyutsuki" They both stare at the projection as Shinji surprises everyone by picking up the enemy by its legs, swinging it around, and tossing the angel half a mile across the city. "We may have opened up a can of worms by bringing him here"
"Gendo?"
"He is calm when fighting, and only fights because he fears for his daughter" Gendo unclasps his hands and stands from his desk, overlooking the bridge through his observatory. "His daughter is his strength and his weakness"
"You aren't planning on…" Fuyutsuki shows an expression of mild disgust.
"No, because if we were to do so…" Gendo pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "…He would kill us all"
"Parental instincts?" The old man raises an eyebrow at Gendo's words.
"Yes, and they can be quite…trivial" a bead of sweat falls down his forehead. "Therefore I propose we increase security around the third and make sure the girl is safe" The old man nods in confirmation.
'Only you would know' thinks Fuyutsuki. The battle rages on the monitor, as Shinji effortlessly punches his way through the enemy's AT-field. "It looks as though we have won"
Back on the battlefield, Shinji is giving the angel his best, but from the cockpit, he is as calm as he was when he first started. When he starts attacking the angel closer and closer however, he notices an orange barrier separating them. Without thinking, he pushes Unit01's hand full force into the barrier, causing it to shatter and send the angel flying. Misato cannot help but stare as this troubled young man continues to beat the angel to a pulp.
"Status report" she commands on the bridge.
"Ma'am, Unit01 has penetrated the Angel's defense"
"I can see that, but how did he do it so easily?"
"I'll ask the Magi for a full report of the aftermath," Ritsuko walks over to another monitor, checking Shinji's life-signs. "It appears he hasn't even broken a sweat"
"Not surprising…patch me a line through to the pilot"
"Yes ma'am…Signal is being received"
"Shinji-Kun, are you going to kick its ass all day because I want to get to bed" The bridge stares at the woman, some scared for her life and some praising her for being able to command such a scary individual.
"Yeah, yeah" Those are his final words before he delivers one last kick into the black beast's chest, causing the red orb to crack. Knowing it is defeated; it grabs a hold of Shinji, contorting its body mass around the Eva. In a bright flash, a quarter mile of the city is destroyed. However, out of the ashes rises the phoenix. Shinji's unit is seen walking away from the explosion, slightly damaged.
"The target self-destructed…we won!" The bridge was in an uproar of cheers, unknowingly hugging each other and some giving a small toast with their coffee mugs.
"Let's check on our boy shall we? Patch a video to the pilot" Asks Misato in a sincere voice.
"Yes ma-am…Uhh ma'am…we have another problem…" The technician stares at the screen, watching through the camera inside the entry-plug.
"What is it?" Misato asks, worried the pilot might be injured. However, the answer she receives puts her at ease.
"He's sleeping, ma'am"
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There is chapter 4. Must rest…4 hours of sleep…need caffeine…
Thanks for all the replies.
I would also like to thank everyone for volunteering to beta-read. It makes me feel better knowing people like my fic.
I would like to say I'm very proud of my work but if you find problems with it, I'll go over it. In addition, if you think a chapter is mediocre, I can rewrite it because I will type when I am nearly asleep so it might not always turn out the way I want it either…
Anyways,
Have a nice day.
A/N from the Beta Reader: This fic was done well with no spelling mistakes and very few grammatical errors, great job Derek and Good Luck on the next one I'll be waiting.
Special thanks to D-Wrecked for helping out.