Running, I had to keep running it would catch me if I didn't.
"IT" followed close behind me, loping along easily yet its inhumanly long arms and legs meant that it was still eating up the distance.
A light burst into existence ahead of me, penetrating the all-consuming gloom, as I drew closer the light changed, first becoming a woman I didn't know, yet still recognised, then as I watched shifted into the slight form of Rei; stark naked, arms outstretched.
A taloned hand closed around my ankle, pulling me down, I screamed and turned, striking my assailant hard across the face, which shattered.
I looked up at the revealed face for a few scant seconds and screamed before the creature scythed its claws down.

"Aaahhhh!" I jerked awake to the sound of someone screaming at the top of their lungs, it took be several minutes to realise that it was me. Gradually as I calmed down I began to take in the room around me; white/blue/beige walls (is beige the only colour doctors can see or something? Every hospital in the history of mankind has been beige!) and a sharp antiseptic smell combined to form one word: hospital. That was good in that I wasn't dead (unless God or Lucifer had a sense of humour) it was also bad because of what might happen if someone thought to perform a blood-test on me.

Nobody seemed to be around so I got up to investigate the room further, I quickly discovered my clothes, neatly folded on a chair next to my bed, they stank of blood but being the only things available I pulled them on anyway. From what I could hear in the corridor outside I was alone. Good, I needed some time to think…
Leaving the room confirmed my suspicions; the place was empty. A line of windows took up most of the opposite wall and, lacking anything better to do, I went over to take a look.
There, glinting malevolently in the morning sun was the black pyramid of NERV, it was kind of funny that something that looked so much like a tomb would hold the 'future' of mankind, especially when that future was won by battling 'angels' with lobotomised things which were piloted by fourteen year-olds in giant tubes that looked frighteningly like tampons.
'Yessir Shinji.' I thought to myself 'Things couldn't get more screwed up if you tried."

The clattering of a hospital gurney travelling towards me at an alarmingly high speed interrupted my miserable monologue, I span around in time to catch a flash of blue and red before she was gone.
"Shinji!"

"Hello Misato."

"It's good to see you up and about kiddo, how's the head?"

"Okay…why do you ask?" something about the way she asked made me feel like I was missing something rather important.

"No reason. Anyway I've got to take you to headquarters for your room assignment" She was lying of course, but now wasn't really the time.

This journey through NERV took substantially less time then our previous one, Misato had obviously memorised the route which was good as getting lost in some underground labyrinth wasn't my idea of a good time. It was quiet too, especially after we ran into father.
It was about 15 minutes after Misato had come to collect me, we were waiting patiently for the lift when the doors opened with a shrill chime revealing; HIM.
To my personal disgust I took an involuntary step back in shock and do you know what he did in response? The bastard stared at me! Just stared at me with that same disdainful look he'd given me from his armoured box in the cage.
The trip kind of went downhill from there.

"He's WHAT!"

To cut a long story short we'd finally arrived at the right room and I'd been given my room assignment; somewhere in the mostly deserted eastern block apparently, and whilst I had no problem living alone (hell it'd be just like old times) Misato apparently did.

"Living alone ma'am, its all here." Replied the lieutenant weakly, obviously trying to avert Misato's wrath. Judging from the fear that was now practically dripping from the walls Misato had quite the reputation.

"It's fine with me Misato" I chipped in, the lieutenant shot me a grateful look "I'm used to living alone."

If anything of this had reached planet Misato she certainly didn't show it, instead she tore the papers in two and scattered them all over the floor.

"Inform the commander that Shinji will be living with me, I'll file the paperwork tomorrow." And with that she stormed out leaving the stuttering lieutenant and me standing stunned in the office.

"Excuse me!" I yelled, breaking out of my shock long enough to catch up with her.

"Yes Shinji?" she replied pleasantly.
"Just what gives you the right to decide my living arrangement like that?" It wasn't that I minded per-say, living with a beautiful woman is kind of dream material for most boys my age and Misato was certainly that, but her cavalier attitude towards my free-will irked me, and that wasn't even considering what could happen if he came out…

"How does COMMANDING OFFICER sound mmmm? If that one doesn't work there's always woman who'll make your life a living hell if you don't shut up and agree."

Something in the way she said that completely bypassed my brain and sent my feet marching orders, and by the time I had realised what had happened, I was already climbing into her battered Renault.

It's quite scary to realise that the woman who views beer as a universal condiment could quite easily take over the world if she could be bothered isn't it?

"What do you say we throw a little party Shinji? To celebrate you moving in?"

"Hhn." I grunted in reply, I still wasn't too happy with her about the whole 'moving in business' and even less happy at her apparent ability to control my motor functions.

"Aww c'mon, don't be a grouch."

Silence.

"I know something that might cheer you up, hang on."

"Hang on." Was said at the precise moment that Misato, disregarding any concept as absurd as a 'speed limit' or 'road safety' accelerated to what felt like 125 MRH.

13 fear-filled minutes later…

"So this is it?" 'It' was a winding part of the road that overlooked the city, admittedly the view was nice, but nothing spectacular and certainly nothing near amazing enough to cheer me up.
"Just wait and see." Said Misato in the smug tone I had now come to realise was her default one.

"I still don't…" my scepticism trailed off mid-whine; the city was rising, whole buildings were rising out of the ground, it was stunning; Tokyo 3's many buildings (what was left of them anyway) framed in the setting sun was the kind of sight poetry was made of.

No you aren't getting any, so there.

Misato, it turned out, lived in a condominium contained in a mostly deserted apartment complex. Whether the other residents had left in fear of an Angel attack or Misato's driving was unclear and probably best left unknown.
The elevator was out (Misato living close to the top, off course) but the walk was nice and the groceries (read junk food) we'd bought from a nearby convenience store weren't heavy.
Soon I begin to detect my own scent and a moment later we were there; a plain gunmetal door whose only adornment was a tacked-on sign bearing the legend: Misato's lovely suite.
To my surprise the few boxes of possessions I had taken with me were neatly stacked by the door.
Well that explains the scent at any rate A lesson to all; NERV works VERY well when given proper motivation.
I stopped an inch away from the door, and not just from the almost overpowering stench of stale alcohol. I don't know where it came from but something was telling me that the moment that I stepped over the threshold something big would change, whether this was for good or ill said anonymous subconscious informant refused to say (as always)

"C'mon Shinji, this is your home now."

Home, that'd be nice. The place that I'd lived in with my 'teacher' hadn't been a home, just a place I lived in for a while, as for that nagging feeling; to hell with it, we only live once.

I stepped over the threshold and into more insanity then I could imagine.

Misato, to my surprise wasn't the slob I took her for, no Misato was a bigger and better slob then I had dreamed; almost every surface was littered with empty liquor bottles and the remains of instant meals, from the looks of things it was a miracle Misato was even alive today let alone blessed with such a figure. The smell of alcohol alone almost forced me to run away screaming for god's sake!

Misato, apparently noticing my look of shock attempted an explanation "Sorry about the mess, I haven't had much chance to clean up lately."

"Sure, if lately means ever." I muttered sourly, the stinging to my nose caused by the beer and other, harder drinks making me surly.

"What was that?"

"I didn't say anything."

Misato gave me a level look before turning to go into another room. "Put the shopping in the fridge would ya? I'm gonna…" she paused here, mischief dripping from her voice as she continued "Slip into something more comfortable."

Just so it's clear to everyone; that woman is pure evil.

As every open door seemed to contain an equal amount of trash, I picked one at random and hoped for the best. usually I'd let my nose tell me which room smelt of food, but right now my nose couldn't tell me what I smelt like, let alone penetrate the wall of alcohol that filled the distillery of Misato's rooms.

Fortunately the air in the room was somewhat cleaner and, judging from the two fridges I had struck it lucky in my search or the kitchen.
Wait a second… Misato had said THE fridge, singular. So why was I faced with plural?

"Hey Misato!"

"Hmmm?"

"Why do you have two fridges?"

"Oh, don't mind him, he's probably still asleep."

'Don't worry, he's probably still asleep'? This was not an answer I was comfortable with, If I'd heard Misato correctly, which given my hearing I was sure that I had, who the hell was she talking about?

Well, I wasn't going to stand here all day staring at a pair of fridges, like a lemon, so I employed an ancient tactic, honed over the centuries through painstaking trial and error;

I used teeny weenie money moa.

The fridge duly elected through the wisdom of the ages held beer, lots and lots of beer. Judging from Misato's apparent lack of any other food she was apparently powered by beer.

I was saved from trying to work out how this was possible as Misato appeared in the doorway, wearing a baggy shirt and the shortest shorts known to man.

"Whadda'ya think Shinji?" She asked, striking a provocative pose; hips tilted, shirt showing the hint of cleavage.

"Fine…" I replied, flushing slightly. I'd never really been comfortable around scantily clad women, and Misato's currant 'playful' mood was leading my thoughts into all sorts of interesting tangents.

Dinner was a surprisingly subdued affair, I kept quiet and Misato seemed content to massacre enough beer to poison a small army.
"Oi Shinji."

"Yes?"

"What's with the moping?"

It was a moment before I answered. How on earth do you tell someone that the smell of their apartment combined with the stench of the gallon of alcohol they had just consumed was causing you to use all of your concentration to avoid throwing up?

Unfortunately I took a second too long pondering this and my eventual answer came out as a strangled yelp as Misato leaned over the table and shoved down on the top of my head with her hand yelling "No misery guts allowed! You're a boy aren't you? SO ACT LIKE ONE"
It should be noted here that not only was Misato not wearing a bra but her currant position gave me a perfect view as to the contents of her shirt.

Not that I was paying attention to such things, never.
"Sorry!"

Misato drew back with an exasperated sigh. "C'mon kiddo, cheer up would ya? You're starting to get me down."

"Sorry…It's just a bit much to take in all at once."