A/N: To prevent any confusion in future reading here is a nice little fun fact. Since Rei was a clone of Shinji's mother that would make her his sister. During Third Impact Rei fused with the Angel Lilith and they became one singular entity with Rei's appearance. Therefore that would make Lilith Shinji's sister. Make sense?
Disclaimer: I thank all of those who have left a review from the bottom of my heart. Reviews allow me to improve my writing. The closest I'll ever come to owning Neon Genesis are the Manga and DVDs. That right belongs to the boys at Ganiax studios alone. I do, however, own the characters Noah and Akao.
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Chapter One: Reality Through a Looking Glass
-New Tokyo-3 October 2nd 2040 AD-
Flashing lights sliced through the darkness as the shrill sirens pierced the night air. The police cruiser came to a slow stop in front of the tapped off sidewalk, its two occupants stepping out and surveying the scene with mild interest.
"What do we have?" Lt. Toji Suzahara of the New Tokyo-3 Police Department questioned one of the officers already on the scene as they approached.
"It looks like a double homicide, classic drug deal gone bad at first glance," the officer answered lifting up the yellow tape and leading the two detectives back to the crime scene. "But the way they were killed suggests a third party with great sword skills."
"Another Katana wielding maniac?" Sgt. Aida suggested.
"I don't think it's as generic as that, this guy seriously knew what he was doing, it looks like he took them out before they even knew he was there."
"Oh sweet Jesus," Toji gagged at the sight of the blood and gore splashed alleyway and the two mutilated bodies in the center. Kensuke pulled out a napkin from his pocket and covered his mouth as he knelt down to examine the bodies closer.
"Do we know what kind of blade the perp. used?"
"Not sure, we've got ballistics working on it right now, but my guess is that it would have to have been a broad sword to be able to cause that much damage," the officer explained. Kensuke leaned closer to the two victims faces, noticing that they're eyes were missing.
"Did forensics already perform a retinal scan for their last images?"
"No, the eyes we're gone before we got here"
"Are you sure, the way they were cut out, it looks like a surgeon did it."
"Well, like I said before, this guy really knew what he was doing."
"Hey, Kensuke come look at this," Toji called his partner over to the wall he was looking at. "What do you make of that?"
"Not sure, I've never seen a symbol like that before." Before them on the wall was a circle with two slanted L's connecting it to another circle inside of it drawn in the victims' blood.
"The past is irrecoverable, the future is unknowable, and the present is irrefutable. Between the three The Door of Heaven lies bounded by the crosses five. Pray ye to Samuel and he shall guide your fate. The past is safe, the future is dead, and the present is hopeless. Abandon hope, all ye who enter here," Toji spoke reciting the words written in Latin below the symbol.
"Sounds like something from Dante's inferno," Sgt. Aida observed. "I'm starting to think this guy is a religious fanatic."
"How so?"
"The victims eyes were cut out, at first I figured that he was trying to cover up his tracks, but this," he said gesturing to the blood soaked wall. "Is completely different."
"Why would he take their eyes if he wasn't trying to prevent us from getting an Id?"
"They say that your eyes are the windows to your soul, remove them and your soul can be stolen."
"So we're looking for a priest with a broad sword then?"
"I doubt it's going to be that simple."
"Well either way I can't make heads or tails of it, this Occult bullshit is Sohryu and Ikari's specialty."
"Think we should call them in then?" Toji glanced down at his watch and shook his head.
"Nah, you know how those Ministry of the Interior guys are, let 'em sleep, we'll send 'em the report in the morning."
"Alright, you want to wrap this up and go get a cup of coffee?"
"Sounds good." In the shadows of a down cast building across the street from the scene of the murder a pair of cruel eyes flashed in the darkness. "And so the pieces fall to place as we have only just yet begun," insane laughter echoed from the shadows and the eyes disappeared.
------
Special Agent Shinji Ikari Sohryu yawned, stretching his back out as he sat up in bed. "Man what a weird dream," he thought out loud.
"Any weirder then usual?" A muffled voice asked from beneath the sheets beside him. Shinji looked down at the pair of soft, blue eyes that peered up at him from a tangle of fiery red hair.
"Good morning to you to, Asuka." Asuka sat up and frowned noticing the odd expression on her husband of sixteen years' slightly scruffy features.
"What was it about?"
"I was in a movie theater watching my life on the screen, but it wasn't really my life, I was the pilot of some giant robot and my dad was the evil leader of some kind of government organization."
"Your dad, evil?" Asuka laughed at the absurd concept. Shinji frowned slightly at the interruption.
"Sorry, please continue."
"Lilith and Noah were in the theater with me and they kept asking me to make some kind of choice about the fate of humanity."
"What kind of choice?"
"Something along the lines of death or rebirth."
"What did you choose?"
"Rebirth."
"Then what happened?"
"I woke up."
"Hmmm, that does seem pretty odd, not as notable as some of the dreams you've had, but still," Asuka said. "So you chose Rebirth huh? Even in your dreams you're looking out for humanity, my hero." Shinji laughed and shook his head.
"You know if this keeps up I might have to retire early, this job is starting to get to me."
"Good, that means I can stop worrying about you getting killed out there and you can spend more time at home with me and your daughter." Shinji glanced down at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed and sighed.
"Might as well get up," He said throwing the covers off him. "Shift starts in and hour and I need to pick up Noah." Asuka pouted in annoyance as her husband grabbed his clothes and disappeared into the bathroom.
"He still doesn't drive?" She inquired.
"Nope," Shinji called back from the bathroom, the sound of water running muffling his voice.
"I can't believe it, Fifteen years on the force and the man still doesn't have a driver's license."
"You know my sister's husband, still sticking to the pre-new century values, if he had a choice the man would ride a bike everywhere." The couple was silent for several minutes, Asuka listening to Shinji going through the motions of getting ready for work. Shinji walked back into the bedroom, grabbing his brown bomber jacket and fedora off the chair in the corner before kissing Asuka on the lips.
"I'll see you at dinner alright?"
"Try not to get killed out there okay?"
"I'll try my best," he remarked, pulling his jacket on and placing the fedora on his head. "Bye." He walked out of the room closing the door behind him. Making his way down the hall he paused before a door covered in several rock band posters. Opening the door, he leaned against the frame and watched its occupant sleep peacefully beneath the mound of sheets. He smiled slightly, thinking about how much the young girl before him reminded him of his mother.
"Akao-chan, time to get up," he called gently to his daughter.
"Ok, dad," came the sleepy reply as the fourteen year old rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. Shinji frowned before a devious smile split his features.
"Wow, Father Abel and Vash are playing strip poker, that's not something you see every day!" Shinji watched in amusement as his daughter shot up in her bed her vibrant, green eyes franticly searching for the half naked men.
"You suck," Akao growled softly after discovering she had been tricked.
"I love you to, I'll see you after work, have a good day at school alright." The brown haired teen nodded, getting out of bed and grabbing her clothes to take a shower. Shinji slipped on his shoes and walked out, locking the apartment door behind him as he went. "Another slow start to an another average day."
------
Shinji pulled up the driveway of his sister's home, honking the horn as he stepped out and leaned against the side of the car. Several moments later a man with short, spiky, black hair walked out of the house carrying two foam cups followed by a woman with reddish pink eyes and white, shaggy, wolf like hair.
"Good morning, Lilith, Noah," Shinji greeted his sister and his partner.
"Shinji," the two answered in perfect unison. Shinji cringed slightly.
"I wish you two would stop doing that, it creeps the hell out of me, and I don't scare very easily."
"We will," Lilith began.
"Try," Noah finished a small smirk forming at the corner of his mouth. "Coffee?" Shinji accepted the offered cup and took a sip, letting the hot liquid pour down his throat.
"Nothing beats fresh coffee brewed your way sister." Lilith smiled slightly at the complement. An uncomfortable silence be felled the trio. Lilith frowned sensing her brother's unusual behavior.
"Something troubles you Shinji?" She inquired in concern.
"Just a dream I had, nothing really important."
"When something is bothering you, it usually is important," Noah stated bluntly. "What was it about?"
"I was in a movie theater watching another version of my life. You guys where with me. I think you where supposed to be some kind of Angels or something. You kept saying that I had to make some sort of decision for the future of humanity. I remember I asked you something important, Noah, but I can't quite remember what it was. Anyway it's nothing to worry about, the way Lilith just smiled now, though, it was same way she smiled in my dream." The two albinos regarded each other silently, taking note of the surprise and concern in each other's eyes.
"Your probably right, Shinji," Noah agreed. "In our line of work it isn't unusual to have weird dreams, maybe it's just a sign that you should retire."
"Yeah, maybe." Shinji paused, taking another swallow of the hot coffee. Shinji sighed again before standing up. "Well we better get going, Noah or Director Katsuragi is going to have our heads on a platter." Noah nodded in agreement, leaning over he kissed his wife goodbye.
"Do you think that he remembers?" He whispered to her.
"After twenty-five years?"
"You're right, we'll talk later."
"Agreed," Lilith waved slightly as Noah climbed into the passenger side of he car.
"Thanks for the coffee, Lilith. Say hi to Ezra for me will you?" Shinji called out the window. Lilith nodded, watching as the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the street.
'If this occurs again, it may prove to be a problem,' she thought, walking back inside the house.
------
'Why me?!' Shinji sighed as he starred at the enormous pile of files stacked on his desk in the lower levels of Japan's Ministry of the Interior's headquarters. Slumping down in his seat, he pulled out a pen from his desk and reached up for the first of many files of paper work to come.
"I hate paper work, I hate this place's filing system, I hate these stupid requisition forms, you know, I just hate," Shinji growled. Noah laughed slightly at his brother-in-law's rant as he took a seat at his own desk opposite of the enraged man.
"Hate is a very powerful word, you know, I'd prefer greatly dislike."
"If you start talking like Karwrou again, I swear to God I will slit your throat with this accursed file!"
"What's wrong with Karwrou?"
"What's wrong with him?" Shinji questioned incredulously. "He's the bastard that always heaps this paper work on me, I'm a field agent not a God damn desk jockey!"
"I see your wife's German temper is starting to rub off on you."
"Noah?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up." The pair lapsed into a prolonged silence, Shinji's irritated grumbling and his pen scratching against paper where the only sounds audible.
"So do you think Kaji is still trying to get into Katsurgai's pants?" Noah questioned, breaking the silence.
"Do birds fly?" Came Shinji's response.
"Think it'll ever happen?"
"If he gets her a life time of Yebisu beer then it's a possibility."
"Ah, yes, Director Katsuragi and her affinity for cheap booze."
"Don't let her here you insult her favorite beer, Noah or she'll probably castrate you." Noah visibly cringed, his hands instinctively covering his groin.
"I am victorious!" Shinji shouted suddenly causing Noah to jump. "I came, I saw, and I conquered!"
"You still have to file them away, you know what happens when you don't."
"And yet out of the fire of victory comes the ashes of defeat," Shinji sighed dejectedly slumping back into his seat.
"Um, excuse me, Sohryu-san," a tentative female voice called from the doorway. Shinji looked up at the young intern standing before him with a small smile.
"Yes, Hikari-chan and please, I told you to call me Shinji." The girl blushed slightly as she entered the office carrying a folder in her hands.
"This just came for you from the NT3PD," Hikari stated, handing the man the folder.
"Think it's another case?" Noah questioned.
"Most likely," Shinji replied. "Arigato Hikari-chan." She nodded and left off to perform another errand. Shinji opened the file and began to skim it before the phone rang.
"Ministry of the Interior, Occult sector, Agent Sohryu speaking," he answered, picking up the receiver.
"Hey Shin-man what's up?"
"Toji? It's been awhile."
"To long, did you get the file I sent over?"
"Yeah I just got it, what's it about?"
"Read it and you'll find out." Shinji put the phone down and turned his attention to the opened file on his desk.
"My, god," he whispered his eyes widening in shock as he read. With shaking hands, Shinji reached over and picked the phone back up.
"Toji?"
"Yeah?"
"I'll have to call you back." Shinji slammed down the receiver and stood, grabbing his jacket and hat off the back of the chair.
"Noah, get your stuff, we're leaving."
"Where are we going?" He asked with raised eyebrows.
"To a living nightmare."
TO BE CONTINUED-