IN DOUBT OF
WHERE TO GO
Chapter: 2
How can one live with his sins?
"Damn it! Escaped again." Circling around the tree, Shinji was searching for every earth where the anomaly would go after.
"Not only it escaped me, it even managed to steal those other Shinji's. Just what the hell does it want with them?!" angry, he started looking in all old versions of the earth, in the hope to catch the anomaly off-guard or at least learn the origin.
That was another problem for him, no matter what he tried in their fight he could never manage to break the mask to learn who this person is. Whoever they were, they hide well enough. At times like this Shinji wanted to check on the Tree of life so he could find the origin of this anomaly, but that would require him to search on infinite universes with each of them having a different scenario all the time.
He wanted to ask Kaworu about this problem but he knows the rule, Kaworu should not be touched or taken away from the reality he has been brought or the tree of life will crumble and the prime timeline would vanish.
A cold sensation wrapped around Shinji, 'the anomaly must be moving again…`
Studying the moves he soon learned where the anomaly was headed.
Earth: 13876594
Name: Read The Fine Print.
'Read the fine print? But that Shinji is soulless, why would the anomaly go for someone useless like him…unless' checking the time of each event he came to the conclusion that the anomaly was heading towards the beginning of this earth story.
Opening the portal he rushed on his way to stop the anomaly from taking another Shinji.
Can one man alone save what he loves?
With every day that passed, Shinji's nervousness slowly grew. He tried to keep himself occupied by putting more effort into his studies, but soon found himself out of homework and admonished by his teacher to 'take a break'.
So he decided to go out into the garden and help his teacher by doing some weeding. Within ten minutes he was back inside holding his arm under the kitchen tap where an errant rose thorn had gouged a nasty line in it. The next day his teacher handed him a long pair of gardening gloves and told him to be more careful.
Just when it seemed to him that the person had decided not to bother replying, a letter landed on his desk. Shinji stared at it for a moment, then up at his teacher. The man gave a little smile before returning to his chair and book.
The young boy had to take a minute and several long breaths before he felt up to opening the letter, which he did with the utmost care.
Dear Shinji,
Apparently, I'm not allowed to tell you my real name. Security or something. For now, just call me Agatha.
He slowly read the letter out loud, stumbling over some of the longer words.
I'm also not allowed to tell you about what I do, which I only found out after writing the first letter. They could have told me before, but I appear to be surrounded by the dumbest smart people in the history of IT. So in a way, this is already the second letter I'm writing to you.
I'm six and a half years old, and since you wrote the address on the envelope, you should know where I live. The weather's kind of nice here all year long, unlike what I've heard about Japan. Endless summer would drive me crazy.
Shinji paused for a moment as he looked out his window at yet another clear sky. Japan's eternal summer, something to do with Second Impact changing the planet's weather, was only generally tolerable during the wet season, but that tended to bring its own problems. He wondered if 'Agatha' would ever come to Japan, or if he would ever go to see them.
With one final frown directed at his window, Shinji continued through the letter.
So you play the cello, huh? Are you any good at it? My dad once bought me an instrument, but I only managed a few lessons before stuff got in the way. Maybe I'll have another go once things have settled down.
He involuntarily shivered a little when the pen-pal mentioned her father, and the next line didn't help his sharply dropping mood.
You say you're living with a teacher being home-schooled. Where's your mum and dad?
Anyway, that's enough for me for now. Apparently, it takes about a week for mail to get from here to there, so I expect to hear from you again in two weeks at most. Don't keep me waiting!
Regards,
Agatha
Outside the house, the anomaly was looking at how the young boy was starting to write back to his online friend.
'Agatha, what a stupid name to hide her identity. Not that it matters, this Shinji will be mine by the end of this time jumping from the tree they were sitting on, they made their way to the house.
That is until an AT-Field spear landed in front of them.
"You won't make another move, unless you want me to leave another hole in your body, Anomaly." The voice of the multiverse Shinji came up from the sky as he looked down on his enemy.
"Protector, fancy meeting you again. How are the Shinji's you protected?" replied the anomaly, sarcasm dripping from their computerized voice.
Snarling at their words multiverse Shinji dashed to the ground at high speed and landed a blow strong enough to leave a hole, but the anomaly managed to dodge the attack.
"Aww, did I hit a nerve protector? Don't blame me that you can't do your job correctly." They replied as they reached from the back and pulled out-
"The spear of Cassius?!" Shinji stared in shock.
"Ah so you know the spear, do you happen to be from the rebuild universe? Or have you been there?" the anomaly replied as it pointed the tip of the spear on Shinji.
"I've been on that universe once but there was nothing for me to interact at."
"Nothing to interact with, or was there nothing of your interest there?"
Shinji stared at his enemy in silence, not wanting to give the answer that might satisfy them. The anomaly lowered the spear and started circling Shinji.
"You hide your face really well behind that cloak protector, but I don't really care who you are honestly…do you know how I got this spear?" they asked while stopping in front of his face.
"By stealing it from the rebuild universe of course." Came the reply.
"tsk, you are wrong. I got this spear from the Shinji Ikari of that world…before I killed him that is"
It was taking a lot of control for Shinji not to punch this person right now, to know that they have possibly been doing this behind his back this whole time brought him back memories…from his world.
Seeing how there came no reply from the protector the anomaly continued "This Shinji was an interesting one for sure, he had the spear of Cassius and was in full control of Unit-01. Even had this weird ability when his eyes would go purple, he was too dangerous to be left alive so I killed inside his entry plug and threw his Eva to space."
Flashback.
"Who are you?! What did you do to Unit-13?" The young boy screamed at the figure in front his Eva.
"Who I do not matter to you, Shinji Ikari. What matters is that you will give me that spear nicely, like a good boy you are."
"over my dead body."
The anomaly didn't speak for a while, staring at Eva.
A sigh came from the figure as it raised his "I was hoping we could have done this nicely, now, you will have to die."
Shinji raised his spear to impale the enemy before they could attack, however, the enemy had teleported inside the entry plug leaving Shinji in shock.
The last thing he felt was the cold feeling of an AT-Field impaling his heart.
"Don't look at me like that…it hurts me to do this you know? But you didn't leave me a choice…but I guess I can show you who am I before you die" the figure said as it removed the mask for Shinji to look at.
Staring in shock he couldn't believe the person that ending his life.
"You…are " he never finished the word as his heart stopped beating leaving Shinji Ikari to die inside the entry plug.
End of flashback.
"You killed him?! Why? Isn't your goal to hunt these Shinji's down? Why would you kill him?!" he said as he took some space between each other. The figure meanwhile was silent, seemingly studying Shinji or thinking on what to say to him.
"…Why I did that is none of your concern, also don't let your guard down or this will happen."
The anomaly threw the spear at Shinji, he managed to jump in time but it still pierced his leg.
"What is going on here?!" the voice of an old man reached both of their ears, turning their heads they saw the teacher holding a Mossberg 500 with the little Shinji behind his leg.
"A shotgun? How cute of you." Calling the spear back to them they threw it in the old man's direction. Multiverse Shinji saw this opportunity and used his eye laser, a technic he learned from the Awakened Unit-01 of Rebuild universe.
The spear trajectory was pushed away but due to the force of the beam so was the old man and the young version of himself, he saw an opening on the anomaly and focused his AT-Field on his arm, his whole arm started to glow taking an orange color before it was retracted completely from his body and slamming on his enemy.
Jumping up he focused his AT-Field on his leg and launched himself on the enemy, as soon as he saw he was close to them he used the beam again this time landing it on their face.
Or so he thought as he saw the AT-Field appear on their face "You're not the only one who can use an AT-Field friend." Kicking Shinji on the stomach they managed to free themselves from his attacks and opened a portal behind them.
"Ah, get back here you dirty glitch!" Shinji jumped on the portal in pursue of the figure.
The old man got to his feet and quickly went to check on the little boy, "Shinji? Shinji! Are you alright?" the man asked, concerned about the boy's well-being.
"I-I'm okay sensei." The young boy coughed a couple of times, the old man wrapped his arm around him, hugging him tightly.
…
"No, no, NO! Where did they go?!" jumping from the universe-universe Shinji was trying to find where they had gone, a moment ago he was after them yet somehow he lost where they went.
Another cold sensation came over him, he went to the tree of Shinji to find out where they had gone. Looking at a branch with no leaf, he noticed that it was shaking.
'That's where they must have gone on, I have to hurry." With a determined face, Shinji opened his way to the universe, in hope that he arrives there in time.
Earth: 1330
Name: N/A
The smell of the sea filled her nostrils, a sign that she was no longer inside Instrumentality. Getting up to her feet she looked around herself, broken buildings everywhere and a red sea with the Giant head of Lilith greeting her sight.
Hearing slow steps, she looked at her left, hoping that it was the idiot.
"You sure took your time to come out from there thir-" she didn't finish her words as a hand took hold of her throat.
"Asuka Langley Soryu, I'd say I'm honored to meet you but I would be lying. You are not worthy of having Shinji Ikari." Raising the strength on their hold the anomaly raised her little body high and snapped her neck, letting go of the body like it was a piece of trash the anomaly found that this universe was unneeded and they had no nerves on waiting for the Shinji of this world to arrive.
Two hours after they left Shinji arrived in the universe, looking around he didn't see any change in this post third impact world. Noticing the body of Asuka in the sand he went to check on her, if his information was correct this was an Asuka who caused the third impact in the hope to bring Shinji back to life after death at the hands of the mass production Evangelion.
Getting closer to the body he noticed something off…she wasn't breathing. Rushing at her side he believes was proved correct, she wasn't breathing and from the looks of it her neck was broken, using his AT-Field he managed to fix her neck…but she wasn't breathing…
"No no don't do this to me, don't do this to me again." Putting his hand on her chest he used the field to try and make her heart start beating again.
One, two, three, he tried hard to bring her heart back to life but it was too late, Asuka had died and it was all-
"My fault…it was my fault, I failed her again like I failed mine…" picking her body up he hugged her tight, crying at his inability to save her. He failed her again and he will not forgive himself.
No…he will never forgive them.
"YOU BASTARD! YOU KILLED THE GIRL I LOVE—I WILL MURDER YOU FOR THIS YOU HEAR ME!" he shouted to the empty world, lowering his body to Asuka, weeping at his failure.
To be continued…
Author note: new chapter up, much faster than I believed, big thanks to the author of Read a fine print (thanks halt) be sure to go and read that story too, it's fun fan fiction. I'll leave an omake now, see you all next chapter!
Omake
Before Asuka could put the dildo inside, she heard fast footsteps from the door of their apartment.
"DON'T PUT THAT DILDO OR YOU WILL DAMAGE HIS RECTUM!" came the shout from multiverse Shinji as he threw himself on the couple throwing the dildo out of the window.
"Mission complete." And the mysterious man that had ruined their pegging moment disappeared through a portal.
"What the fuck was that?!"