Unravel

by Homer's Disciple

Shinji rejected Instrumentality, but he made so many mistakes. He has one last chance to set things right, to unravel everything and save what matters. A retelling or altering of the series, an altered version of Shinji with an altered past. Life takes a different path, but do all paths lead to the same destination? Is Shinji doomed to never know happiness?

20. In Plain Sight

Hey guys, I'm back. Wanted to update sooner but I had finals.
Special thanks to all the new readers!

This chapter begins sort of fast paced and changes through out.
Action packed and revelations await. Long, but stick with it.
Here's chapter 20: In Plain Sight

Note: opening quotes may now alternate authors.

---

"What's the best way to hide? I thought about that for a really long time. I had to plan for the worse case scenario, where I would fail... if you had died Shinji. I needed to hide in plain sight. You see, that's the answer. The best way to hide is right out in the open."

- the broken man

---

Tokyo-03 was pure panic as the Angel appeared in the sky. The massive sphere like construct hovering over the city, disrupting the electronics in the area as it moved. The alarm was bellowing, people clearing the streets as they headed for shelter. They city taking on the appearance of a ghost town as people fled to safety. Yet the living shadows beneath the sphere got people in its wake, not all the citizens made it to their shelters...

Nerv was in contact with the military(JSSDF) about how the Angel had appeared so suddenly. No warning, it had simply emerged over the city. No one had the answers.

…

"Damn it. Roads are blocked by the shadow things. Have to find a different route. Hang on Shinji!" Mari called. The older girl bringing her motorbike to a stop before revving the engine and starting it up again, drifting along the street and turning around in a whirl of sparks.

Shinji held onto his girlfriend for life as Mari turned the bike around, finding a different way to Nerv. The strange black shadows that moved covering the highway up ahead, the Angel hovering miles away over the city menacingly.

Don't let those shadows touch you The thing in his head told him.

Shinji clung to Mari as the wind blasted by his face. Mari driving on and on.

…

Asuka slammed the breaks on the car, sliding into the parking lot and bumping into a street light in the process. She knew how to drive, she was a prodigy after all.

Sorry Hikari, I dented your father's car. Nerv will pay for the repairs Asuka thought as she ran out of the car, not even bothering to close the door. She'd used her authority at Nerv, which she didn't actually have, to obtain the car from Hikari's dad in this emergency.

Making her way to the Nerv locker rooms, grabbing a comm unit along the way, she briefly wondered what was taking the others so damned long.

"Alright, alright, I'm here. Misato, what's the plan!" Asuka shouted into the comm after quickly changing into her plugsuit.

Rei emerged into the locker room as Asuka was leaving, still dressed in her street clothes, but the quiet girl surprisingly fast as she headed for her plug suit. The two girls exchanged looks before going their separate ways. Asuka would be first to deploy it seemed.

"We're not sure yet. The JSSDF has been doing recon but they can't close without their comms jamming. The Angels seems to redirect their missiles too. We're sending you out to investigate. We'll work from there" Misato's voice answered on the comm. Pure relief in her voice that one of the Eva pilots had made it.

"I am here as well." Rei said into the comm as she began changing into her plug suit from the locker room.

Ritsuko glanced at the display screen being fed the video stream from the military's recon data. She pressed a few keys on terminal equipping Eva Unit 02 with what she thought Asuka might need, and one new item to be used as a last resort.

Misato watched from the observation window as Asuka stepped onto the hangar, entry plug being released as fast as humanly possible.

"Launch!" Misato said into the comm once Asuka was inside her Eva. With a rush of sparks, Eva Unit 02 was deployed onto the surface.

Upon reaching the Geofront, Asuka wasted no time as Eva Unit 02 sprinted off toward the Angel floating in the sky. New weapons locked and loaded.

…

Rei stepped out of the locker room in her plug suit, heading for her Eva and wondering where Shinji was. As if the world somehow answered her thoughts, the boy's voice came over the comm.

"We're here. Mari and I are here, we're heading to the locker rooms" Shinji's voice said onto the comm.

Rei turned as if expecting the boy to emerge onto the hangar, but he did not.

"Rei, no time. Get to your Eva." Misato said into the comm. She felt for the girl but now was not the time for any teenage angst.

---

Later

Shinji head into the locker room, parting ways with Mari as they both ran for the plug suits.

"See you on the other side!" Mari called to him as she disappeared into the locker room.

"I uh, you too!" Shinji called back, now sure how to respond to that.

Mari rolled her eyes at that, somehow managing to keep a bit of her humor even in this dangerous situation. That was Mari alright. "Such a dork" she giggled as they parted ways.

Stay focused. There are two Angels out there, one of them is hiding. The thing in his head stirred.

Shinji scowled hurriedly changing into his plug suit.

Distantly, he heard Misato's voice on the intercom. "Unit 00 launch!". Followed by the roar of sparks as Rei was deployed onto the surface.

Good luck out there Rei Shinji thought. He'd be joining Asuka and her shortly.

Adam is very angry. He sent them for us. For you. One of them is nearby. Be careful.

Shinji walked out of the locker room him with his plug suit on, interface helmet in hand as he was putting it on. He headed for 01 with a strange feeling crawling down his spine, just nerves he figured. But why? Mari joined him already fully dressed in her plug suit.

"Asuka and Rei are already deployed. You'll serve as backup for now, we need to know what we're dealing with here." Misato's voice said into both their comms.

"Roger that" Shinji said answered into the comm as they entered the hangar.

"Exciting, isn't it? We get to work together for once" Mari said smirking at him.

"Yeah" Shinji said, shadow of a grin on his face. Whatever it was, they'd face it together. He reached over taking her hand in his for a moment, she smiled at him.

"Entry plugs released!" a voice called onto the intercom as Eva Unit 03 and 01 were prepped for deployment.

"Mari. You first" Misato called into the comm. Shinji watched her go waiting his turn as his entry plug lay on the hangar floor.

Don't know why everyone is panicking, the Angel in the sky hasn't attacked anything Shinji thought with a frown.

Get down! The thing in his head stirred so hard that Shinji flinched, grabbed his forehead in pain.

BOOM

The wall of the Nerv Hanger exploded, breaking apart with no warning. The shock wave reverberating throughout Nerv.

Whatever had been going through Shinji's mind was abruptly wiped away as his senses went into overload, his ears ringing from the crash, the cloud of smoke and debris flying through the air.

Shinji found himself flying back from the shock wave of the explosion, tossed away as if he was a rag doll. Debris smacked him on his head as he flew back, a sickening snap barely audible within the roar of the explosion. Shinji's skull... fracturing from the impact.

He landed on the floor hard. Barely able to hear from the ringing in his ears. Everything in his body ached, down to his bones, as he struggled to get to his feet before stumbling to his knees.

Weakly, he opened his eyes to see a massive hole in the wall of the hangar. Bits of concrete and steel littered about the launchpads and clouds of ash filled the massive chamber.

Get to your Eva

Shinji felt himself panting, breathing deep hard breathes as he struggled to center himself in the chaos. In his head it felt like hours, in reality it couldn't have been more than seconds.

THUD

THUD

THUD

"All Nerv staff evacuate the area!" Misato's voice was calling frantically on the intercom.

Shinji. Get to your Eva the thing in his head stirred.

"Shinji!" he heard Mari calling out from somewhere. The comm? His comm unit was still working. Last he'd seen his girlfriend she'd been boarding her entry plug.

"BREACH! Nerv has been breached!" Ritsuko's voice rang on the intercom.

A figure was emerging from the gaping hole inside the wreckage of the hangar. Taller than even an Evangelion with a large, bulky body and prominent armored core.

The Angel was almost humanoid, tall and armored like a mixture of what the Beast and Abnormal Angels had been, with long retractable arms along its side. A strange contradiction of unfolding flexible material and yet tough and spear like at the same time.

Face-plate dark and grey, the monster looming as a silhouette in the cloud of ash before slithering its way inside Nerv.

Zeruel... he was one of the strongest Angels last time. Something's different here. He's stronger than before. Angrier.

Shinji weakly got to his feet, feeling something warm on his forehead. Blood. He'd been hit by the shock wave of the attack and somehow he knew his skull has been hit badly. He could feel the warm red liquid dripping down his face.

Zeruel stood almost in the heart of Nerv, looming over Shinji and the command center. The onlookers watching in awe and terror at the sight of mankind's enemy before them.

The Angel... it hates me. It hates me. It's looking right at me Shinji thought numb from the shock and fear as the monster turned its massive head towards him.

Deep red eyes visible from the faceplate, staring at the boy with absolute hatred.

…

The Other Place

Other rose to his feet from the remnant that was his place in the void. The Old Man staring back out from within the mind of the boy. Mixed eyes, one brown and the other red, meeting the Angel's gaze head on.

Staring back at Zeruel with hollow empty eyes. Each aware of the other.

"Shinji. Get to your Eva. Now!"

…

Shinji. Get to your Eva. Now! The thing in his head stirred.

The boy stumbled to move, still numb from the impact of the explosion and wound on his forehead, gritting his teeth from the effort just to move.

Misato stayed behind in the command center trying to call for back up or help from whatever what was available. The other Nerv staff screaming as they backed away heading for the exit or else too stunned to leave. The enemy right in front of them, within the actual compound.

The Angel moved for Shinji, ignoring all others in the hangar.

"Screw you!" a voice called out an another speaker.

Eva Unit 03 leap from its launchpad, breaking free of its bolt early with an enormous screeching roar as the metal hinges bent and broke.

Mari drove her Eva's fist into the Angel's face-plate with all 'her' weight behind it, using the Eva's momentum to drive the blow even further. The wild girl screaming her head off as she felt the phantom sensations bring her the pain of her hand breaking from the impact.

The Angel stumbled back even as Mari grappled with her foe, Unit 03 tackling Zeruel and forcing the monster back and onto a spare launchpad.

"Misato! Launch!" Mari called out from the Eva's external speaker system, not even bothering with the comms anymore. Her voice booming out from her machine.

Misato snapped to attention slamming her fist on the command key, and with another roar of screeching metal the two titans were sent flying to the surface of the Geofront.

What? Mari! Shinji thought wincing as he almost fell over again.

Get in the robot Shinji!

He gritted his teeth, shaking his head and running on shaking and unsettled feet for his entry plug. The damned thing had almost tipped over in the explosion, but it was still operational.

Misato watched him with worried eyes, seeing the blood falling from the boy's face but knowing they had no other choice.

---

The Geofront

"Trying to get the jump on us!" Mari was shouting as she punched the Angel again and again.

Phantom sensations making her feel like she was slamming her fists into a brick wall, her hands aching as she felt the pain of her fingers breaking. Pain, nothing that Mari couldn't handle.

Zeruel grappled with Mari and her Eva, shrugging off the punches as an adult shrugs off the pitiful tantrums of a newborn. An annoyance at best.

BOOOOOOM

Mari flinched from the phantom sensations as the Angel caught her fist mid strike with its hand, twisting her Eva's arm and threatening to snap the machine's limb in two. She hissed trying to drove her free hand into her foe's chest...

Instead Zeruel slammed its faceplate into Unit 03's.

CRUNCH.

The force of the blow leaving cracks along the armor plating of the Eva, debris flying and strangle LCL like liquid gushing out as the Evangelion was sent stumbling back.

"Gah" Mari wheezed feeling the wind knocked out of her. Her Eva's faceplate bent and dented, liquid flowing down its face... like blood from an internal wound.

Zeruel by contrast stood still and silent, unscathed.

---

"Mari. Fall back" Misato's voice called into the comm. She was speaking frantically into her comm as Maya ran to keep pace, laptop in hand relaying what information Nerv still had.

They'd started evacuating the area after prepping Unit 01, though the Eva seemed to be having trouble forming an operational sync. Ritsuko, who connected to the command center wirelessly via her laptop, was running with them as a group heading for the surface.

Two Angels! As if this day couldn't get worse! Misato thought.

"Rei. Asuka. Back her up. Shinji! I know you're hurt but you need to get the Eva up and running."

…

Shinji sat panting inside his entry plug, the plug having been inserted into Eva Unit 01, yet both pilot and machine still and unmoving. Unable to sync.

"Come on... come on" Shinji wheezed, blood dripping down his face. He was hurt badly, he knew his skull been cut and possibly even fractured but he was still conscious. And as long as Shinji was conscious he had to try.

He winced from the pain struggling to keep 'awake' in the haze that was threatening to overtake him. He could barely keep his thoughts straight.

I will take your pain for you. The thing in his head stirred.

Just like that, the pain from his wounded forehead vanished. Numbing as if his body had been ordered to ignore the sensations from the skull fracture. It was strange, he knew that he was hurt badly. Knew that he needed medical attention, but it would have to wait, and that he'd lost quite a bit of blood. Yet no pain. The haze fading.

His mind seeming to clear as Shinji found his eyes widening in surprise. How was this possible?

Mari's in trouble. No time for this. Need to help! He thought shaking his wounded head and steadying himself.

Shinji grabbed the controls of the Eva and forced himself to keep going, trying to form a sync with his Eva.

---

On the surface

Mari raised her Eva's hand, an AT Field erupting into existence as she backed away on unsteady feet. The brilliantly bright protective pattern forming a 'wall' between her and the Angel.

Zeruel raised one of its strange retractable arms, and launched it as if throwing a spear. The arm reaching out and striking Mari's AT Field with such force that Unit 03 was sent back. The Eva's feet sinking into the ground before leaving a trail of dirt and mud in its wake as it was sent gliding backward.

"Ahh! Damn it" Mari hissed. Her AT Field flickering out of existence for a brief moment before she willed it back.

BANG

Sparks flew across the Angel's faceplate as Rei appeared piloting Eva Unit 00, emerging from the other side of the buildings. Having made the effort to grab a rifle for the Eva. Rei was smart, keeping her distance until she knew more about the Angel they were dealing with and covering her partner at the same time.

BANG
BANG

Rei fired short continuous bursts, landing direct hits across Zeruel's faceplate and armored torso with no effect. The Angel standing tall as a titan and unfazed even as the bullets bounced off its skin. Mari watched, panting from inside her entry plug, and trying to think of a way for them to stop this monster. It was armored like a tank, fast, and showed no signs of a weakness for them to exploit.

Zeruel's faceplate lit up, bright beams beginning to form from within its eye slits. Charging up an energy projectile of some kind.

Rei's mind flashed back to her early days of piloting, back when Shinji has used the advanced prototype positron sniper rifle against an earlier Angel, and she calculated that their current foe had something similar.

That's what it used to break into Nerv. Mari thought, knowing that Rei had the weakest AT Field out of the four of them.

Rei began swerving as Zeruel fired... only for Mari to leap forward. Unit 03 letting the AT Field drop and tackling the Angel, Mari slamming her open palm atop the faceplate.

Forcing Zeruel's head back as the shot went wild. A bright beam of light roared past them, missing Rei by a margin, and instead colliding with various buildings in Tokyo-03. The shot burning through entire floors of empty office space and towers.

Can't get hit by that thing. Eva might not be able to take it Mari thought with a grimace as she forced herself to keep moving.

Grappling with the Angel again, using her speed to stay ahead of Zeruel. Fighting like a boxer, punching, bobbing and weaving, trying to overwhelm her foe.

That tactic did not fare any better than the last time, Zeruel shrugging off the blows until wrapping its strange arms around Unit 03 in a bone crushing embrace. The Angel wasted no time lifting the Eva up and throwing the massive machine...

Mari's world went flying as her Eva was tossed like a rag doll into the night air, flying directly into the oncoming Rei whom had been trying to help. The two Evangelions collided with a massive thud that sent both of them rolling to the ground.

---

"I'm on my way. This Angel is on the move. And where the hell is Shinji!" Asuka was shouting into the comm. Unit 02 turning and heading back to the Geofront.

Asuka had tired shooting the sphere in the sky, but something strange kept happening. Every bullet she fired never made contact. It wasn't that she missed per say... or even that the bullet had no effect... but that the bullets never hit anything.

The rounds seeming to disappear, vanishing into the thin air before they ever reached their target. None of the city's surrounding defensive structures were hit, no distant thuds audible in the silence of the night. Nothing.

Damn thing ignored me and the JSSDF. How the hell do we fight it? Asuka thought, turning away from the sphere and heading to backup Mari and Rei.

---

Zeruel raised its retractable arm, selecting its target with a cold detachment. Its true enemy was elsewhere.

Rei raised her Eva's rifle and tried to fire, only to scream as the Angel launched its 'spear-like' arm at it. The Angel's weaponized limb striking through the rifle and impaling itself into Unit 00's torso.

"Ahh" Rei screamed in pain. The phantom sensations relaying her the pain of being impale through her torso, her rib-cage feeling like it just been fractured. The rifle fell in two pieces to the ground, rendered useless from the strike.

Mari forced her Eva to its feet, wincing at the sound of Rei's scream.

Zeruel's eye slits began lighting up, charging its long range weapon for another shot, aiming directly at Rei and her Eva. The Angel looming over Eva Team Two.

Mari withdrew her Eva's prog knife and slashed at the Angel's spear-like arm, striking the limb at a downward angle with an audible clang. Using all her Eva's weight behind the blow, gaining leverage and pulling the Angel arm back. She knew couldn't severe the arm, but Mari succeed in yanking the spear-like limb from Rei and Unit 00.

Rei cried out in pain over the comm, but Mari wasted no time in shoving Unit 00 to side and rolling her Eva away. The beam of destructive energy went flying past them, searing the air around them as it went by.

BOOM. An explosion sounded off somewhere in the distance from the city. Not good, Mari only hoped a shelter hadn't been hit... only hoped no one had died.

Dodged it. That's a start. Need to kill stupid thing. Mari thought. Her Eva wasn't in perfect condition anymore, damaged and the phantom sensations made her bones ache. But no matter.

"Rei. Fall back" Mari called into the comm, seeing her partner's Eva leaking strange luminous LCL like liquid from its torso. The wound Unit 00 had suffered was slowing Rei down, the girl barely able to catch her breath.

Zeruel retracted its arm again, aiming at the weakened Rei and Unit 00. Mari gripped her prog knife tight and rushed out heading for the Angel.

Can't let it fire... Mari thought. Seeing the Angel charging up for another shot, the eye slits of Angel's faceplate lightening up again, giving their foe a demonic look.

Zeruel was smart, it tried to spear Rei again with its arm. Only for Rei to throw up her Eva's hands as an AT Field appeared. Unit 00 went flying back, the Shield shattering upon impact. Slowing the blow but unable to stop it completely.

Eyes... that's the only weakness. Got to get its eyes Mari thought timing it right and rolling off to the side. Her Eva leaving a trail of crushed dirt in its wake, moments before the blast would have hit her. Zeruel had missed.

Another explosion sounded off in the distance as the energy beam hit another building.

"Just die already!" Mari screamed, reaching the unprepared Angel and stabbing her prog knife directly into the Angel's now eye slits. Sparks flew as Mari pressed the knife in deeper and deeper, using her free hand to shove the Angel back.

Tackling the Angel as the two titans went gliding back. Mari had found at least one weakness, the eyes.

Zeruel snarled at the knife in its eye, but did not fall. Standing its ground even as Mari grabbed onto the armored core in the Angel's chest.

Mari let out a blood curling scream as she continued her assault, stabbing the Angel through the eye and trying to crush the armored core at the time. Luminous Angel blood seeping from the eye slits of Zeruel's faceplate, giving it the appearance of weeping blood from one eye.

Zeruel began charging another shot, choosing to ignore the knife in its eyes. It tried to reach its arms up and get the troublesome Eva aside, but Mari was too fast. Shoving and grappling with it even as it charged and charged its blast, light gathering throughout the faceplate as Mari stabbed deeper and deeper.

…

"Launch!"

Shinji heard a voice on the comm say. It had taken nearly four frustrating minutes to sync with his Eva once the pain had 'vanished'. Misato and the others having evacuated outside and operating command remotely.

Eva Unit 01 launched up to the surface with a whirl of screeching metal. Shinji not even bothering to wipe the blood that had slid down half his face. Determine to save his friends and girlfriend.

…

Come on! Almost there! Mari thought twisting her prog knife deeper into the Angel's eyes. The light from the charging energy blinding her display.

Unit 01 arrived onto the battlefield. And Shinji stared in shock at the scene that met his eyes, Unit 03 grappling with Zeruel. Prog knifed stabbing into its eyes even whilst it charged for another shot.

Mari no! Shinji thought.

Zeruel stood its ground, refusing to yield and instead glaring at Unit 03... before firing.

BOOOOOM

There was a flash of light that seared the air itself. Blinding Shinji, Rei, Unit 00 and Unit 01 momentarily as the shock-wave echoed into the night menacingly. An earth shattering explosion at point blank range directed at Mari.

Once the flash had ended... Mari stumbled back in her Eva. Unit 03 fumbling over barely able to stand as the smoke cleared.

Unit 03's arm was gone. Not blown off, but completely obliterated along with the prog knife. A stump of twisted metal and strange burnt flesh remained from the shoulder of the Eva.

The blast hadn't stopped there. Blacked plate armor had been shattered and blown off the Eva, and 03's helmet was a blacked burnt mess.

Mari didn't breathe. The phantom sensations threatening to overwhelm her at the pain of her nerves being fried off. The pain of an eye being seared into dust, burning the skin around it, and the ache deep in her bones. Like an explosion had gone off right in front of the teenager.

Her eyes wide, Mari fighting the pain and assuring herself that her real arm was fine. She was going into shock, the sensation being too much even for her.

Mari tried to fight back, to raise her Eva's remaining arm and fight but found her limbs stilted and weak.

Shinji watched from his display opened mouth in horror.

...

Zeruel retracted both its arms and proceeded to impale them both in Eva Unit 03's chest, the spear-like limbs piercing completely through the burnt plate-armor and breaking the power cable in two.

Mari gasped from the phantom sensations, eyes wide in agony as the Angel lifted her Eva off the ground.

Like a form of torture, Zeruel held the impaled Evangelion high into the air before tossing Mari aside and reclaiming its weaponized arms.

Unit 03 landed with a heavy thud far away. Unmoving.

Shinji screamed.

---

Zeruel turned to face him just as Eva Unit 01 was upon the monster. The Angel tried to spear him like it had with Mari and Rei, only for Shinji to get there first.

Shinji slammed his Eva's fist into the Angel with all the strength he could muster, not caring as the phantom sensations made him feel like he'd punched a brick wall. Somewhere in the haze of rage inside him, he felt the pain of his fingers being broken from the attack.

You hurt Mari! Shinji thought enraged. Cutting lose for perhaps the first time in his life.

He slammed his fists into the Angel again and again, not caring that his hands were aching with each punch. Not caring that his head wound had started weeping blood down his face again, all that mattered was that the Angel was still standing.

Zeruel seemed to laugh at him, taunting him with its eyes, as his attacks did nothing more than push it back.

Shinji cried out in pain as Zeruel stabbed Unit 01 through the chest, the spear-like limb cutting completely through the armor and shattering his power cable. A warning message came up on his display, telling him he'd have limited time before the back batteries died.

He glanced down at his chest, the phantom sensations bringing him the pain of being impaled. But he couldn't stop. Unit 01 grabbed a hold of the arm impaled in its torso, and Shinji pulled the Angel forward slamming into the thing with a headbutt.

Rei had started moving again, she had grabbed a pistol for the Eva and was shooting for the eyes as she ran to help her friend.

Zeruel ignored the pain in its eyes, the only real weakness it had, and lunged. Dragging Shinji and the impaled Eva Unit 01 with it as it slithered away.

Heading back into the city and away from the other pilots.

…

"Shinji!" Rei called out into the comm. Her heart pounding at the sight of Shinji being dragged off.

She glanced back from her displace screen at the unmoving Unit 03 and unresponsive Mari, then back to her only friend being dragged off into the city.

Rei closed her eyes in frustration, fighting the orders that had been instilled into her by commander Ikari, and turned heading after Shinji.

"We're sending a recovery team for Mari. Back up Shinji! Asuka is on the way!" Misato's voice called into Rei's ear via the comm.

Good... Rei wouldn't have to explain her choice to her superiors.

---

The empty city

"Stupid Shinji. Had to get yourself captured. Why the hell do these things hate you so much" Asuka scowled.

She had grabbed the big guns for her Eva, having arrived at Nerv and been deployed first. Only to find that she'd missed the entire fight because of it.

Above them all, the sphere in the night sky began moving. The Angel from before finally on the move, the 'living shadows' moving frantically with it as it floated above the city.

No... that's impossible. The Angels have never done that before... working together as a unit? How?! Asuka thought as she realized what was happening.

The Angel flying above them was heading for its comrade, heading for Shinji.

…

"Ahh!" Shinji hissed in agony.

Zeruel was dragging his Eva around, digging its spear-like limb deeper and deeper as it literally hauled Shinji throughout empty Tokyo-03. Slamming him into buildings as it pulled the Eva back and further into the city, away from his fellow pilots.

It's taunting me. It hates me. Shinji thought seeing Zeruel glaring at him, blood weeping down from the eye Mari had stabbed.

Zeruel was almost smiling as dragged the impaled Unit 01 through the empty streets.

You hurt Mari! Shinji thought gritting his teeth. He accepted the pain, diving forward as the spear went deeper into his Eva's torso, and slammed a fist into Zeruel's mouth.

In response, Zeruel lifted his Eva off the ground and slammed him back down with such force that it left a small crater in the street. Shinji's eyes went wide as the spear in his Eva's chest slide down, slicing through the Eva's 'flesh' and plate armor, like it was gutting him from the inside.

Once again, the pain vanished from Shinji's body. The agony being re-directed elsewhere. He should have gone into shock by now, the pain of being struck in the internal organs was unimaginable, yet Shinji struggled to fight on.

Zeruel held him down, its eyes beginning to light up once again. Charging for a shot to Unit 01's head at point blank range.

Shinji saw what was happening and raised his hand, an AT Field erupting into existence over his Eva. He put everything he had into the Field, summoning the power that had let him stop an N2 mine on the Mount Asama incident.

He had to close his eyes least he go blind as Zeruel fired over him, the destructive energy meeting its match against the AT Field. Shinji felt his hand burning and knew he won't be able to hold the Field up for much longer.

Then as suddenly as it had come, the heat faded. The blast had been stopped for the first time. Zeruel roared in frustration. It dragged Shinji through the street violently, spear still impaled in 01's chest. Unable to shoot him.

…

Unit 00 came stumbling after them. Rei's heart filling with dread as she moved her aching muscles, forcing her Eva forward and unsure of what to do. Her friend was held prisoner by this monster and although Shinji had blocked one blast... she doubted he could keep it forever. Not with 01's power cable destroyed.

She was useless here. Rushing in would have the same result as last time, Mari had been unable to take on the Angel. Their foe seemed impervious to all of their attacks.

I am replaceable. Shinji is not. I will save him. I will Rei thought. She did not know if it would work but she knew how to prime the self-destruct sequence. If she could isolate the threat away from her only friend... maybe it would work.

But before she could begin, another figure joined them.

…

Shinji felt his eyes growing heavier and heavier, his body seemed to be ignoring the pain via the Eva's phantom sensations but he was hurt badly. His head wound hadn't been treated, and the trauma from these attacks were still affecting his body.

His comm was crackling in his ear, the other Angel was nearby and distributing their communications again. He flinched at the sound in his ear.

"Shinji! Just hold on, Asuka is coming and the JSSDF is mobilizing to step in as back up" Misato's voice came frantically through the line.

Zeruel flung him around again, slamming Unit 01 into a building in a thunderous clang that brought down walls of concrete. Shinji grunted, grabbing onto the spear in his Eva's chest and pulling it free with a gasp.

The Eva's phantom sensations came flaring up, but once again the pain was re-directed elsewhere. Unit 01 stumbled back, now free of Zeruel's arm.

"Hey idiot! Move out of the way!" a voice sounded off in his comm unit.

Shinji stumbled back just as Asuka and Unit 02 emerged from around a building. The red Eva unit armed with big guns. Reinforcements had finally arrived.

...

Zeruel glanced back at Asuka and Unit 02 with annoyance. It was getting tired of these distractions. How many of the Lilin and their creations would stand against him?

Asuka glared and fired her Heavy Hitter, the Evangelion sized missile launcher. An N2 missile locked and loaded. Nerv's latest weapon for the heavy class Evangelion.

The Angel didn't even move, simply stood there as the missile came flying for it. When the explosion came, it sent shock-waves that shattered windows with a thunderous roar. The power of a small nuclear age missile but without the dangerous radioactive fallout.

Zeruel went flying back in a cloud of ash. Disappearing from sight and leaving the three Eva Units standing in the middle of the utterly devastated section of the city.

Shinji blinked up at Asuka in awe. Panting as he felt the blood loss starting to get to him, managing a small smile at the sight of Unit 02. Asuka was smirking too, she'd always wanted to use that gun.

Rei only stared at the spot where the monster had stood. Unable to process what had just happened, what she'd been willing to do. Thankful that Asuka had arrived when she did.

"Tsk. Looks like we're even now idiot" Asuka said lightly, putting on a confident tone but without her usual bite. Her Eva moving to stand beside Shinji's.

For what? Shinji thought offhandedly. There were times he really did not understand Asuka, but he was just glad she'd shown up to save him.

Shinji checked his display screen, he only had about five minutes of power remaining.

"I'm calling it in. Misato, threat #2 has been dealt with. The Angel in the sky is still active. No idea what the hell it's doing. Nothing seems to touch that thing" Asuka said into the comm for all of them to here.

No. Zeruel is not dead. The thing in Shinji's head stirred. The voice sounding strained, breathing slow and softly.

THUD

THUD

THUD

Shinji and the others turned, all of them turning opened mouthed, at the sight that came to greet them.

Zeruel walking for them again. Smoke gliding off the armored skin and hulking body, black burn marks littering what surface skin was visible. Yet not a single wound.

Like death itself, Zeruel came for them. Hateful red eyes visible from the slits of its blackened but unscathed faceplate.

Asuka raised the heavy hitter again, loading another N2 missile into the chamber. Her hands shaking and her fingers unsteady as the Angel came for them.

"Asuka? Shinji? Rei? What's happening? We can't see where you are. We can't- szzzz what- crackle " Misato's voice came over the comm. The connection was bad, breaking in and out as if being jammed.

Leliel... Shinji tell the others to run

Above them, the massive sphere structure hovered over city. The Angel having made its way to join Zeruel in the fight against the Evas. Wherever the hovering sphere went, communications were disrupted.

"Negative. Threat #2 is still active. Both Angels are coming for us" Rei said into the comm, managing to get a message through the static.

Shinji blinked, shaking his head and forcing himself to stay awake. He spotted Zeruel moving its arms and he acted quickly. Stepping in front of Asuka and her Eva.

"Ugh. Rei... he's back. Take cover." Shinji wheezed from the strain.

An AT Field erupted into existence moments before the spear came striking for Asuka. Zeruel's arm colliding into Shinji's AT Field, but held back. Shinji grunting from the effort of holding the strike at bay. He'd saved Asuka but Rei was too far for him to shield, she needed to find cover.

Asuka and Unit 02 stumbled beside him. 02 raising the Heavy Hitter whilst 01 covered the both of them. "Drop the shield! Shinji I got this!" Asuka said into the static filled comm, N2 missile locked and loaded.

"No... too dangerous" Shinji wheezed in despair. He could see Zeruel charging up that energy blast again, the eyes beginning to light up. He couldn't drop the shield.

"Asuka. The shadows. They're coming for us. Don't let them take you." the Other Shinji said into the malfunctioning and static filled comm.

"What-" Asuka began. Only to be silenced as Zeruel fired on them, Shinji's AT Field stopping the blast head on. Struggling against the force of the blow. Other Shinji covering Shinji and Asuka.

"Asuka. Rei. Run." Other Shinji said into the comm softly.

"The shadows are moving!" Rei said cried into the comm steadily. The flying sphere above them tilting as the living darkness underneath began to move as if it was alive.

The comm was going crazy, crackling with interference as the shadows came for the three of them.

Zeruel stood its ground, watching calmly as its partner arrived. The shadows running down the empty city streets and moving for Eva Unit 01.

Shinji blinked struggling to keep the AT Field up. Zeruel staring him down as it came for him and him alone.

"Retreat! All of... you... ju!... get the... HELL OUT OF THERE." Misato's voice roaring into the comm through the static.

Rei jumped back landing atop a defensive structure, narrowly dodging one of the shadows as it moved through the streets.

Asuka shivered at the sight of 'living shadows' coming for them and shouldered her gun and grabbing Shinji's Eva by the arm.

Before she could start hauling him back with her, Zeruel fired another shot that Shinji's AT Field blocked. The impact sent both of them stumbling back.

The shadows reached Unit 01 before Shinji could do anything. The dark liquid like things wrapping around his Eva's legs and pinning him to the ground.

Zeruel stopped moving. Watching as Shinji struggled to break free.

"Stupid Shinji! Come on!" Asuka shouted. 02 grabbing 01 and trying to pull Shinji free.

I... I'm sinking into this... this thing Shinji realized darkly. The shadows were literally pulling him through a void of some kind. His Eva disappearing slowly bit by bit as the Angel's shadows sucked him in.

Rei and her Eva had jumped onto a building to avoid the shadows. Only to watch in terror at the sight of Shinji being taken once again.

Zeruel let the shadows take him, the Angel willingly stepping into the shadows and disappearing from the surface as if stepping through a trap door. The Angel leaving for the moment.

That's how he attacked Nerv. Those two work together... one to fight and one to transport... Asuka thought before turning back to this stupid stupid boy that... that had saved her again with that AT Field of his.

Shinji wheezed as the Field broke. Fading from existence even as he struggled to hold onto the street, trying to fight the shadows pulling him away.

"I'm done for... Asuka go." Shinji said panicking as Unit 01's lower torso vanished into the shadows.

"Come on! The other one left!" Asuka shouted trying to pull him free.

Shinji's eyes went wide as he saw the living shadows coming for Asuka next. The strange substance twisting and turning to grab onto her too.

"Go!" Shinji shouted into the frantic comm. He shoved her aside with his Eva, sending Eva Unit 02 stumbling back.

The shadows left Asuka alone, returning to Shinji and bringing him down into whatever lay on the other side.

"Shinji..." Rei said in a small broken voice.

Asuka scrambled on her Eva's feet, but it was too late.

Shinji and 01 were gone.

The Angel above them starting moving again, flying past them as it headed off. Rei and Asuka stood back in shock as the Angel left them both behind, shadows trailing its wake. Asuka made to follow but the shadows stirred, heading for her once again and she was forced to jump back.

Hurrying, Unit 02 dropped the guns and climbed atop one of the city's defensive structures as Rei had been forced to do. Both girls unable to do anything except wait for the Angel to leave.

"Report. Asuka! Rei! Shinji! Fall back! Retreat back to the Geofront!" Misato was shouting into the comm.

...

Misato was standing with a group of evacuated Nerv staff on the Geofront surface. Ritsuko and her assistants were with her, as well as a handful of other important Nerv staff. The group standing about a mile away from the breached Nerv, and watching the city from a safer distance.

"It's the Angel in the sky. It's interfering with the comms. And Asuka said her bullets never even hit it... never making contact. Almost like... almost like it was folding space around itself" Ritsuko said. The scientist in her working with data that she had, her eyes trained on the moving sphere in the sky.

"Damn it... comms are still messed up" Misato scowled.

...

"The Angel took Shinji." Asuka said into the comm, her voice unsteady and shaking. The Angel in the sky having moved far enough so that a connection could be made through the comms.

"What?" Misato asked stunned.

Briefly, Asuka and Rei reported what had happened. About the seemingly unstoppable Angel built like a tank, and the living shadows that came for them. The monster that had dragged Shinji into the darkness before leaving with the sphere in the sky.

"Rei and I are on the move, heading for-" Asuka began.

"Negative. Fall back, we don't know enough to fight this thing" Ritsuko cut into the comm. She shared a glance with Misato, they'd both decided to retreat until the military had joined with them. The JSSDF was mobilizing to lend support.

Misato stared at the Angel flying over Tokyo-03.

Shinji. Why is it always you?

---

Four hours later

Asuka and Rei stood outside of their Evas on the surface of the Geofront, nearby the breached and heavily damaged Nerv base. They'd both been ordered to retreat, with Shinji and Mari both out of commission for the time being.

Shinji MIA with no one knowing what exactly had happened to him. Mari in a tent with a medical team looking her over. Misato's recovery team had pried the girl from her Eva to find her unconscious with several wounds from her fight with Angel threat #2.

The scene could be described as 'operational chaos' with groups of people working together and coordinating littered through the area. Commander Ikari was present, and the JSSDF had mobilized around them to secure a safe zone so they could work under military protection. Aircraft flew overhead circling around to keep an eye on them, ready to fight or else move the Nerv teams elsewhere if needed.

JSSDF... humph. Military always complaining until they forget how much they need us Asuka thought. Watching the mobilized soldiers encircling them, the aircraft hovering over the Evas, and the various stations they'd set up to monitor the situation.

Asuka turned to look as the medical team left the tent, pulling along a stretcher with the now woken Mari. The wild girl could barely keep her eyes open, tied down to the stretcher as they wheeled her out.

"Lay off. I can pilot. I can. Ah... Need to save my dummy. Just give me some meds and I'll be fine" Mari said struggling against the restraints.

"No. You won't be. Unit 03 isn't operational at this time. Damage was too severe. Just take it easy, we're working on a plan to get Shinji" Misato half lied. Putting on a braver face while on the inside she was full of dread.

Mari couched as they dragged her away on the stretcher, head wrapped in bandages, and an IV bag attached to her wrist. She was alive but hurt, she'd lost blood and suffered at least a fractured bone or two. Asuka and Rei watched her go.

"Save him" Mari managed to call out to them, her voice heavy and weak from the strain of her injuries, as she was pushed towards one of the helicopters. Misato seeing Mari off and taken away for treatment.

...

"Stupid Shinji. He shouldn't have charged off like that, thinking he could take that Angel on his own. Should have waited for me." Asuka grumbled mostly to herself. She'd heard Rei's report about how Shinji had flown into a rage upon seeing Mari hurt.

Asuka crossed her arms, she'd been able to push the Angel back but not much else. Zeruel was too tough. She honestly didn't know what the hell they were going to do, but maybe if stupid Shinji had waited for her they could have thought of something. He had had the only shield that could withstand the Angel's attacks.

"... he saved you. Three times now." Rei said suddenly. The quiet girl having spoken for the first time in almost an hour. Apparently she'd overheard Asuka grumbling to herself.

Ah. I'd forgotten how much Rei was attached to the boy. Damn him, he doesn't even realize what he's doing to her. Shinji the asshat. Shinji has to be everyone's hero. Everybody just has to fall in love with the golden boy Asuka thought with a scowl.

"And I saved him back. Jeez, stop being such a doll all over him." Asuka said.

Rei narrowed her eyes at her.

"You pilot only to hear the approval of others. Nothing more." Rei said blankly, her eyes icily cold. Shinji is better than you Rei's eyes seem to say as she stared Asuka down.

"I don't need anyone's approval but my own!" Asuka shouted back.

Footsteps approached behind them and Asuka and Rei looked up to see an adult heading their way.

"Knock it off you two. Kiddos, this is not the time to fight" Kaji said appearing onto the scene looking just as exhausted as the other Nerv staff.

The older man glancing between the two girls as they stepped back, parting just a bit further than before.

"Misato needs to count on both of you. You're all we have left" Kaji said to each pilot in turn, and crossing his arms disapprovingly.

"I will obey orders" Rei said flatly. Voice devoid of any emotion what so ever, as if she was once again the girl they'd seen months and months ago.

Asuka nodded, playing the cool leader for Kaji's sake.

Just great. Teenagers and their drama. Damn it, Shinji. We could have really used you in a time like this Kaji thought. Turning to gaze at the sphere in the sky.

...

---

In the Darkness created by Leliel

Shinji woke with a small start again, he'd been falling in and out of consciousness since being dragged down into this place. Inside the entry plug of 01, the red emergency light illuminating the cockpit as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

Dried blood ran down the left side of his face, his skull fracture had messed him up badly. He felt like he was going to die. The events of the last few hours... how long had he been here? The events since being dragged down here seemed to blur in his memories.

He remembered the other Angel, Zeruel, the thing in his head had called it. Zeruel attacking him in this dark place, of Shinji struggling to hold out even as his power ran out.

The thing in his head stirred, and suddenly the memories came flooding back...

...

Other Shinji raised the boy's hands, blood running down his face, the pain that Shinji felt being redirected towards Other because he could take it, and facing off against Zeruel.

Zeruel roared as it fired another energy blast at him in the darkness within Leliel. Other Shinji summoned the AT Fields... plural. Not one shield, but two. One from each hand of the Eva.

Other having wrapped the Eva's hands over the massive machine's chest, and by doing so forming a 'cocoon' of AT Fields that protected the entire Evangelion. The memory continued, Zeruel roaring in anger as it fought and fought. Unable to break the shield but with Other not strong enough to attack either. A waiting game between the two.

"The boy is under my protection. You cannot have him" Other Shinji said sternly. His lips did not move, no audible sound but an unfamiliar language that was of the mind.

Zeruel roared at the words of the Other Shinji, frustrated and outplayed. Unable to break the shields that Other had crafted for himself and Shinji.

Then Shinji heard it in the memory... the deep voice that spoke in a language that wasn't human. A language that he could somehow understand. Not the thing in his head. Not Other Shinji. But the Angel's language.

"DANGEROUS THING. ABOMINATION. LILIN THAT IS NOT LILIN. STARVE. DIE."

… words from Zeruel. Not an audible sound emoting from its mouth, not a human form of speech but alien. As if the words came flooding directly into the mind.

Other Shinji held his pose in the memory, wrapped in the AT Fields and protected from any and all attacks but unable to fight back.

Zeruel walked off in the dark, the shadows moving around the mighty warrior. Forming a 'gateway' as Zeruel dropped through and left the darkness.

"STARVE"

Words from the other Angel. Leliel. Flooding into the mind. Then the memory ended with Eva Unit 01 wrapped in the AT Fields, motionless in the dark. Shielded but trapped.

...

In the present, Shinji shook his head. What? I- that was me? But I don't remember- how is this happening? I... the Eva's power ran out. How-

It was me. I saved you. The thing in his head stirred.

Shinji raised a weak hand to his blood covered face. He needed his pills... no he needed to save Mari. She'd been hurt and he'd failed. He failed! He couldn't do anything! He was trapped here in this... this thing with no power. Yet the AT Fields remained, standing vigil to protect him even here.

The thing in his head stirred.

The Evangelions are not simple machines. They are 'alive' in a sense. Clones of the First and Second Angels, with cybernetic implants. Controls to tether them. Pilots to sync 'with' the soul trapped inside.

Shinji glanced at his display that was somehow still on, the screen flickering in and out of existence and displaying a power percentage of 0%.

I needed to wait for you to wake up again. Shinji, we have to kill these two Angels. No one else can. They're stronger than they were before.

What the hell does that even mean? Why am I going crazy again? Eva piloting... it makes my condition worse. It always has. Shinji thought in despair.

You're the pilot Shinji. You have the power just as I did. I've gathered my strength, but I need you to do your part. I've done what I can to protect you this way... but time ran out. Things have moved forward.

Shinji shook his head leaning into his seat, putting a hand to his face in his despair. Why didn't he feel any pain? He had to figure something out. He couldn't just sit here. Waiting to die with only the madness in his head for company.

The boy lowered his hand to find the entry plug was gone... Eva Unit 01 was gone. Shinji was gone.

---

The Other Place

Shinji gasped in terror, unable to breathe, his eyes wide as he was once again inside the void of his mind. The place of his 'madness'.

"You are not insane, Shinji. You've been lied to for almost your entire life" a voice called. Not a mysterious thought from within his head, not the stirring from inside his skull. This was the voice... from a living breathing man.

Shinji was not alone.

The boy shook in terror. It was just like the nightmare from before, that Other Man was here in this place with him. The small stretch of land with the ruins of a city visible in the distance, dark water touching the cracked and corroded pavement where they stood.

"Time ran out Shinji. I- I'd hoped it wouldn't be this soon. But here we are. We have a job to do, there is no one else to do it" The Other Man said. His voice tired and sorrowful.

Shinji breathed weakly, realizing for the first time that his skull fracture was gone. There was no longer any blood on his face. This was the mind, not the body.

He remembered his last 'chat' with the thing inside his head, this Other Man whom would talk to him. This thing that seemed to have a will of its own.

Shinji turned slowly and his eyes widened further at the sight of the Other Man... standing right behind him. Steps away. No longer keeping his distance, no longer hiding his face from the boy.

Mixed eyes, one brown and one red, met Shinji's. The Old Man with a mop of greying hair, dressed in rags, and standing before Shinji. His face weathered and beaten down, and with hollow empty eyes devoid of any warmth. Only sorrow. A broken man.

The Man stood so close that Shinji could see his own reflection in the mixed colored eyes before him.

Other Shinji looked down at his counter part, gazing at the reflection of his broken and battered form in the eyes of the boy before him. Brown eyes, not broken, similar but different to the ones of Other's youth.

After all these years, the two of them finally face to face.

"You" Shinji whispered in awe of the Man. The thing inside my head... he thought.

"You're hurt Shinji. You had your skull fractured in the attack, and you've lost a lot of blood. You're dying. We have to get you out of here" the Other Man said, looking over the younger boy. His voice soft and plain, simply stating the facts.

Shinji felt himself teetering on the edge, he was losing his mind. That had to be it. The skull fracture had messed him up... no... it was the Eva piloting. It was his lack of medicine. He was going insane again. At the worst possible time, he needed to save Mari. He couldn't be struck in his head at a time like this.

Insanity or not, Shinji could handle it. Could work with his condition.

"You're in denial. We can't play this game anymore Shinji." Other said shaking his head.

Shinji involuntarily stepped back, pure reflex, as Other stepped forward. The Other Man raised a hand, trying to calm the boy.

"You don't have schizophrenia. The doctors whom treated you know that you don't have it, but they diagnosed you to cover up their research. Deep down you know the truth, that's why I couldn't let you see me until now." the Other Man said.

"Truth?" Shinji asked running a hand through his hair. It was unnerving to feel his head devoid of any injuries when he knew he'd had a skull fracture in the real world.

"I'm more than just some 'thing' in your head" the Other Man said.

Shinji thought back to the memories he'd been shown earlier, of the flashes of his body acting all on its own without him being conscious. And other things began to piece together in his memories, the times where he couldn't explain what had happened. When he'd blink dazed and confused to find himself somewhere he didn't remember arriving. Gaps in his memory.

"It was you... you... you took control" Shinji whispered realizing part of the truth.

Other looked away, closing his eyes for a brief moment. As if ashamed of his actions, but committed nonetheless. Before turning back to Shinji and saying "I did. I needed to prepare you. To protect you."

"Protect me?! What?! You- took control! I- " Shinji began.

"I had to. You will understand, I promise you Shinji. You. Will. Understand. It's alright if you hate me, it's alright if you never forgive me. I would not blame you." Other Shinji interrupted simply. The Other Man never yelled, he spoke with a calm stern voice that carried through this place.

Shinji stumbled back, his forehead hurting as he felt the thing inside his head stirring in the real world.

"Gah!" he shouted in pain, falling to his knees.

…

Evangelion Unit 01 lay motionless in the cocoon of AT Fields, the protective bubble holding onto existence as it started.

Sync ratio raising.

76%
78%
82%
85%
90%
91%
94%
96%
97%
98%
99%

…

Shinji winced as the other Man knelt down beside him, raising an old battered hand and resting it on the boy's head. Shinji's pain vanished and with it gone, he could think clearly.

His sync ratio was raising to unheard of levels. It blew his mind, he was still in sync with Unit 01 despite being out of power.

"You already know pieces of my story. I didn't want you to see any of it until you could handle it, but I messed up. You saw flashes of things you shouldn't have seen yet, flashes of my memories. That was dangerous. I tried to stop you from looking, your brain cannot process that much information when it conflicts with the time-line. Every time my memories bled into yours, you almost died. You weren't strong enough... but you are now." the Other Man said softly.

Shinji looked up as the Other Man removed his hand from Shinji's forehead.

The Other Man was missing two fingers on his right hand...

"Your life has been hard Shinji. Mine was too. This is where everything changes. I had to wait years and years for this moment" the Other Man said.

"Wait for what? Why are you doing this? Why me?" Shinji asked still in shock. His voice trembling. Aware that he achieved a 99% sync ratio with his Eva out in the real world.

"For us to talk. Face to face. Where no one could overhear. Where you could learn the truth. Shinji... these are your first steps." the Other Man said.

Somewhat roughly, the Other Man stood and grabbed Shinji by the arm to haul him up to.

"You haven't made it easy for me. You're so stubborn. Ignoring my guidance. I wish we weren't so divided, but all of this my fault. I created all of this but I can't control it. All I can do is work with I have." The Other Man said.

The Man looked away shifting as he seemed to struggle with the words to use, he had been alone for so very long now. He wasn't good with people, perhaps even worse than Shinji had been.

Finally, he looked back at Shinji and spoke.

"Despite our differences... I am sorry for what I've done to you. For what I've put you through. It was the only way." Other said his voice full of sorrow.

The Other Man's hands curled into fists as he continued "SEELE did this to us. They would ruin the world and everyone in it, all for a chance at immortality. But they're wrong. They've always been wrong."

"You're the reason I was put in a mental ward...and all you have to say is sorry?" Shinji said slowly. He didn't want to believe this, he'd been told never to talk to the voice. But this was something else, somehow deep inside he knew that this was happening. He was talking to a person... a person inside his head.

"It's not enough. I know. But first, we need to save you. Nerv and the military are planning on dropping all their N2 mines on Leliel. Unit 01 would survive but you wouldn't." Other said suddenly.

"What? But you're not real... you're just-" Shinji stammered in shock, not understanding. His heart skipping a beat at the thought that Nerv... that Gendo would sacrifice him so readily.

The Other Man shook his head interrupting Shinji.

"I am real. I have always been real."

Shinji felt himself take a step back in whatever this place was. He was never sure what this man was or what he wanted. At times he was cold, and other times sorrowful and haunted. Broken, and Shinji had seen him get frustrated before.

The Other Man sighed. How best to describe this? Years now and he'd never quite figured this part out. Talking with his counter part was not easy, it brought back old pains and lost emotions.

"Shinji... I am not limited to the inside of your skull" the Other Man said.

Shinji took that in, unable to process the words until the gravity of it hit him. He stared eyes wide at the broken man saying "you- you-"

"I have a body" Other Shinji interrupted him mid-stammer.

Shinji stared at the man, remembering the strange gaps in his memory, the things that he couldn't explain. That this man whom could take over...

"Yes, and no. I have a body. Not your body, but mine. Separate from your own. Independent of yours. As much as I've tried to protect and guide you... I needed to be sure I could act. I needed a way to help you beyond my words." the Other Man said sadly.

Other looked away again, once again struggling with the words. Hard for him to admit, he carried so many sins in his heart. Another harsh truth that the world had made him confront in the darkest of hours.

"And... and I needed a way to act if I had failed you. If they, Page, Gendo, and SEELE... if they had killed you I need a way to live on. To survive without you. A worse case scenario. So I did it. I hid in plain sight for all these years. Being in two places at the same time." the Other Man said.

…

Shinji Ikari lay semiconscious in the entry plug of unit 01. The display screen showing a power level of zero and an abnormal high sync ratio that rose to that final step.

100% sync with the Eva and raising beyond. The boy unmoving in his seat, the controls untouched... as the Evangelion began to move. AT Fields dropping within the dark void that Leliel had made their prison.

The boy's body breaking apart as Shinji was absorbed into the Eva.

---

Geofront

SLAP

"If that's your plan than I have just decided to veto the operation! We are not sacrificing Shinji!" Misato cried out in a mixture of frustration and horror.

Ritsuko stumbled back, stung by the blow.

The scientist scowled saying "there is no other way! That Angel in the sky is folding space! It's the only explanation for the things it's done! The Angel literally exists in a pocket-dimension only explained by the highest theories within physics. It warps reality in small degrees to capture objects or else move its comrade across distances. There is no other way! We have to overload its defense with raw force."

Both women on edge as they stared each other down. Before both turned to look in the distance, where the two Angels stood within in the city and its defensive structures.

Leliel and Zeruel stood in the city, Leliel in the sky unmoving as it starve their true foe out from within the pocket-dimension. Zeruel acting as guard, letting no aircraft get close enough to strike. Allowing no assault to get by him. Partners.

With the electronics messing up we can't hit it long range. Need a jet to get close and fire manually. Misato thought. She understood that, she did. But this was too risky.

"Ma'am, we need the Evas. With the pilots acting as vanguard, an all out assault on threat #2 will give us the window we need to drop the N2 mines on the sphere in the sky" the JSSDF general said. The older man coming between the two women. He didn't like this anymore than they did. All efforts to attack the Angels were met with failure.

Nearby, Gendo stood watching everything with a cool collected expression. Why do the Angels not attack? Why do they wait? Are they trying to kill Shinji? Why? The commander of Nerv thought.

"Enough. We have no choice in the matter. I am ordering the operation forward. The combined efforts of Nerv and the JSSDF will surely succeed." Gendo cut into the bickering leaders before him.

Misato glared up at him. You're own son... you didn't even try to save him! She thought furiously.

…

Asuka overheard the news and scowled. Heading to her Eva, she felt a heaviness in her heart that she couldn't explain. A coldness that threatened to overwhelm her.

I am not crying over him! I am not! He was... was my friend... he saved me and I saved him. We're even now! I am not crying! Asuka thought.

Rei stood in shock before the orders given her. A protest caught in her throat, the words begging to be released into the world. That she would not obey, that she would not doom Shinji to a death by N2 mine. Her hands shook even as Gendo turned to her.

"You have orders, pilot. Report to your Eva!" Gendo called coldly. Misato glaring at the older man the whole time.

Rei nodded. "Yes sir" she said flatly, her lips trembling as she did so. She'd never hated herself more in that moment, this battle inside her soul. Her nature and training demanding that she follow command and yet her heart screaming not to.

…

The Assault

Eva Units 00 and 02 marched in union towards the Angels. A small fleet of military aircraft following in their wake, N2 mines armed and loaded. Asuka equipped with the Heavy Hitter and four missiles, and Rei equipped with another shield for her Eva. A tall sheet of metal designed to survive nukes.

Threat #2 isn't going down easy. They're just hoping to overwhelm that monster with N2 mines til it falls? I have a bad feeling about this... Asuka thought. She kept her mind away from the boy and his stupid awkwardness. The boy whom made her breakfast everyday, the one whom had saved her life more than once. It wasn't her fault, it wasn't. She was... she was only following orders.

Asuka Langley Sohryu did not cry,

"Hold! Somethings happening! There's movement from with inside the sphere!" Misato's voice called into the comm.

Zeruel stood watching the marching Eva pilots and their air support with mild annoyance, waiting for them to come and be slaughtered.

Suddenly the Angel snapped to attention, looking to the sky where his partner was starving out their foe as Adam had commanded.

There was a strange booming sound that echoed across the empty streets, like a whale being torn apart from the inside...

Leliel screeched as a single hand tore through the sphere. The massive hand protruding from the sphere ripped its fingers down in a slashing motion, and luminous Angel blood came rushing out as Leliel was cut open from within.

Zeruel watched with uncertain eyes as its partner died, falling to the floor with a soft thud that should not belong to such a massive being.

Asuka and Rei watched transfixed as out of the corpse of Leliel emerged a lone figure into the night sky. The being leaping out of the prison that had once held it.

Evangelion Unit 01.

"Shinji..." Asuka and Rei said into the comm. Too stunned to move. The JSSDF held their position, the trained soldiers unsure of what to do without the Evas marching with them.

---

The Other Place

"I... I don't understand. You did that. How? How am I seeing that while I'm here in my mind? How is the Eva moving without me piloting it?!" Shinji said eyes wide.

The Other Man tilted his head in a motion that reminded Shinji of Rei.

"Shinji, why do you have such a high sync ratio with 01? Why do you have power that the other pilots do not?" Other asked him calmly.

The two of them standing in the memory together, face to face. Past... and future.

"You... you're inside the Eva." Shinji whispered.

…

THUD

The earth shook as the Evangelion leaped from within Leliel's corpse, landing hard on the ground in the late night air.

Silent and deadly, Eva Unit 01 stood. More alive than machine. No roar, no yell, no sound, the beast only stood tall with its deep red eyes opened for the first time.

Not a mad dog, not a berserker... but intelligent.

Eva Unit 01 raised its massive hand, the armor plating falling off in pieces, and grabbed onto lower half of its faceplate. The Evangelion started walking forward eerily silent, walking through the morning mist like some kind of ghost, as it reached its claws into the faceplate.

CRACK

With a thunderous sound of twisting metal, of bolts being ripped out, of steel being torn, the lower half of Unit 01's faceplate came tearing off.

"Hhhhhh" Evangelion Unit 01 hissed into the morning air, its mouth finally free from the armor that had held its jaw. The Other Shinji breathing out into the morning air, moving after all these years.

In the distance, Asuka stumbled back in her Eva at the sight of the flesh revealed underneath Eva Unit 01's armor plating. Misato and the Nerv command center watching in just as much awe from the safety of their base.

"Hhhhh" Evangelion Unit 01 hissed as it opened its mouth wide as if flexing muscles long since used. A alien face of twisted flesh, strange and beautiful, revealed to the world. The Evangelion was not human but not Angel either. All this time hidden underneath the plate-armor. Not a machine, a living being.

The massive titan knelt down placing the remains of the faceplate down onto the empty street. So careful not to crush anything in its wake.

Zeruel roared at the loss of its partner.

01 stood like a human, walking forward on two legs before coming to a stop. The Evangelion closed its massive eyes, raising its head. Hands spread out open towards the sky as if prying. Other Shinji gather his strength.

Asuka flinched at the sight... just like the night she'd found Shinji standing on the apartment balcony. Eyes closed, head raised, hands spread out as if in prayer. Same movements.

…

Deep down in the hidden layers of Nerv, the embryonic form of the First Angel stirred. Enraged at what had happened, at the abomination calling upon its power.

Adam was struck by something invisible, in its mind the Giant of Light fall to its knees in agony. Adam roared even without a mouth, raged and raged before being struck down. Silenced... for now.

...

Zeruel came rushing after 01, its footsteps thundering across the city as it made for him.

BOOM

Zeruel fired off a shot of its devastating energy blast... and 01 simple raised a hand. AT Field roaring into existence and blocking the blast effortlessly. Other opened the Evangelion's eyes breathing out the morning air. This was not like piloting.

01 turned facing Zeruel as it came for him. Other Shinji lowered the Evangelion/his hands breathing softly with this new body of his.

Zeruel launched an arm his way, trying to spear him like it had so many others. Seeming to know the movements even before Zeruel did, 01 tilted its head to the side. Zeruel missing by inches.

Zeruel fired its other arm and again, 01 dodged with minimal effort. Like an afterthought even as the Evangelion made its way to meet Zeruel head on.

Silent, unblinking, and terrifyingly 01 came for Zeruel.

When the monster tried to spear him again, 01 side stepped dodging before reaching a hand up and grabbing the Angel's arm.

Other Shinji tugged with all his might and Zeruel came flying towards him. The Angel taken aback by the strength of Other as it was sent flying across the empty streets. 01 raised an AT Field and Zeruel slammed head first into the shield, cracking its face-plate and shattering the armored skin upon impact.

01 released Zeruel's arm as the Angel slide to the floor bleeding from its cracked face-plate. A skull fracture. Then, as easily as an adult lifts a toddler, Other Shinji grabbed Zeruel and lifted the monster into the air with one hand.

"Is that... is that Shinji?" Asuka whispered in awe. Transfixed by the terror and power 01 held.

Other Shinji threw Zeruel off into the distance. Far away from the city and instead onto the Geofront near Nerv HQ. Where their battle would endanger no one else.

Asuka and Rei stood transfixed by the scene, in utter awe at the sight before them. A helmet-less Eva Unit 01 facing Zeruel and winning. The JSSDF unsure of what to do, hovered over Units 00 and 02 even as Nerv began to get clear readings and the comms went back up with the death of Leliel.

In mere moments, Evangelion Unit 01 was on the Geofront with the wounded Zeruel. Silently and utterly terrifying in a 'human' posture quietly moving for its target.

Zeruel began charging up another shot. But 01 raised a hand gathering the mysterious AT power around its hand. Different this time. Not a field, not a shield, but a weapon. No longer defending but attacking.

An AT Blade erupted into existence, an extension of solid light from the end of 01's hand.

Other Shinji stabbed the AT Blade into Zeruel's chest before the Angel could fire, and the blade went completely through. Piercing the armored skin and cutting all the way through Zeruel's back.

The light in Zeruel's eyes died... the energy blast faded before having ever fired as the Angel lay impaled and bleeding out on the Geofront. Zeruel moaned weakly, brought to its knees by the abomination that was Other Shinji.

"My god... what is it?" Asuka said not caring that her comm was on, not caring that she sounded like a scared little girl at this thing in the distance.

…

Ritsuko stared at the display on her laptop not believing the readings even as her team around her panicked at how close the Angel had landed from their mobile base.

"The sync ratio. We're getting the readings now that 01 is outside again. Shinji is synced at 400%! That shouldn't be possible! He shouldn't have any power left!"Ritsuko was saying frantically checking the data display.

Misato stood eyes wide at the scene playing out a mile or two away from their base. Her sweet boy, the Shinji she'd seen grow from an awkward lonely boy... inside the Evangelion as it destroyed the most powerful Angel that Nerv had ever seen.

"The Evangelion is free! It's broken the confines of the plate-armor... it won't respond to any of our controls!" Ritsuko said panicking at the readings.

…

Evangelion Unit 01 raised its free hand, gathering the energy around itself. As a second AT Blade emerged from the hand. Similar in length to a prog knife, the AT Blade shined dark red in the early morning.

With a single swing, Other Shinji beheaded Zeruel.

The Angel fell to the floor with a massive thud that sent crushed dirt flying. The monster that had held its own against all four Evas defeated in mere moments.

Zeruel's head landed elsewhere, while the Angel's body lay unceremoniously on the floor.

…

"This is the power that we yield. It is dangerous, Shinji. Only ever used in a last resort. Only when the situation requires it. If you were not absorbed into 01... this would have killed you." the Other Man said softly. Both his eyes were red now. The brown eye overridden.

Shinji looked down at his hands from within the Other Place, he could feel the power within him too. This bond he had with the thing inside his head, whether he wanted it or not.

…

Unit 01 pulled the corpse of Zeruel up so it was laying face up. Other Shinji reached the Evangelion's hand inside the Angel corpse, prying free the armored skin as it reached passed the internal organs... and ripped free the S2 engine from within.

...

Asuka covered her mouth at the sight of 01 dissecting the Angel.

...

Evangelion Unit 01 opened its now freed mouth wide, showing massive teeth and a surprisingly human like tongue as it brought the S2 engine into its mouth.

01 swallowed the S2 engine whole, absorbing the alien power source completely. No longer would the Evangelion be dependent on a power cable, no longer requiring a battery pack. It would be truly autonomous, self-sustaining with unlimited power for its operation.

Other Shinji breathed heavily into the morning air with the massive lungs of the Evangelion. Feeling the S2 power supply already taking effect.

---

"What the hell is that thing?! Is it a threat?! Do we engage?!" the military was screaming into the comms. At a loss for what to do. Both Angels had been eliminated.

Nerv was just as a frantic on the comm, with Asuka and Rei standing by in silence. Finally, Rei managed to stammer out a confused and scared whisper. "Shinji... what has happened to you?"

…

"Do not engage!" Gendo was calling into the comm. His rank and authority putting an end to that danger before it started. The older man breathing heavily and unable to stop the excitement in his heart, he turned away from the comms, turned to stare at Unit 01 in all its glory.

Yui... Yui my love. It's you. You saved Shinji. Oh... all this time I knew you were still in there Gendo thought in awe of the Evangelion. Never realizing that he was wrong.

…

Evangelion Unit 01 walked passed the Geofront, the Nerv team at the mobile command center scattering as only Misato and Ritsuko remained in awe of the being looming over them as the sun began to rise.

Deep red eyes looked down at them, intelligent eyes. Aware of their presence. 01 knelt down to the two women and what terrified remnants of Ritsuko's team was left standing.

And the Eva spoke.

"Hzzz... SAVE HIM " the words strained as the Evangelion's mouth moved slowly.

Ritsuko and Misato stepped back in shock.

"HELP. SHINJI." the Eva said.

Its voice booming and with a controlled sense of feral power about it. As if speech did not come easily to the Evangelion. Deep, and tough as steel.

Ritsuko stammered over herself. Everything she knew about the Evas coming into question. Misato only trembling at the thought of what had happened to Shinji.

Help Shinji... help Shinji! Ritsuko thought.

Then without another word, Unit 01 left them. Heading to the damaged Nerv HQ, and stepping inside as carefully as it could. Reaching the hangar and planting itself into a launch pad. Closing its eyes and tilting its unarmored head down as if in sleep.

...

"Shinji. These are your first steps. Everything changes now." The Other Man said to Shinji.

---

Epilogue

It was hours into the next day, the awakened Evangelion Unit 01 was bolted in pace, chained up, with teams of scientist and engineers surrounding the thing. Nearby construction workers doing their best to repair the damage done to Nerv by Zeruel.

Ritsuko typing away and running diagnostics on the computer systems, accessing the systems inside the Eva and peering into the unknown. 01 had freed itself of their control, and now Shinji had vanished. Absorbed into the Eva with no idea how to get him out.

Misato watching the massive titan, appearing to be sleeping, with a tense worried face. Running a hand through her hair. Rei sitting nearby watching the Eva. Mari in the hospital, Asuka brooding and alone away from the base.

Shinji... what happened to you? What happened to you? Misato thought on the verge of tears.

…

The Other Place

"You killed the Angels."

"We killed them" the Other Man corrected.

Shinji stood with uncertain eyes in the void from inside his mind. Time seemed to move differently here. He was unable to go back. Unable to leave. The boy lost and confused as he stood in the other place, somehow aware of what was happening on the outside whilst being in here. His body, wherever it was upon being absorbed into the Eva, was still messed up. Shinji having suffered a skull fracture during the attack, but he didn't care. Shinji wanted to leave. He wanted to leave this place and... and-

"Not yet Shinji. You need to learn the truth. The Unraveling." the Other Man said. Interrupting Shinji's thought. Looking at the young boy with pity more than anything else. It was a lot to throw at someone, but it needed to be done. There was no one else to do their job. Other had come so far just to reach this moment.

"You did all this. You saved everyone. And you... you were inside the Eva all this time. I- the visions I've seen. The pills I take. Everything comes back to you" Shinji said slowly. Very nearly in shock from all the revelations of the day. Putting together the pieces that plagued him all his young life. The thing inside his head.

"Yes. Ironic, Page and her superiors have theorized about my existence. They call me the 'Other', but I was the original. All of this... everyone here... are the 'others'. Is that your tragedy? Or mine?" the Other Man said slowly. A sad smile on his weathered face, a brief moment before it faded too.

Shinji sank down to his knees. This was all just too much, he was just a kid. Just a goddamned kid dealing with things no one should have to.

"I was just a kid too. Then they took everything from us. SEELE, they stole the world and all the lives living in it. Shinji... you need to see. I'll show you. No more flashes. This time, we start from the beginning. With our mother." the Other Man said.

Shinji blinked, and shook his head in the other place. Nothing made sense anymore. At least before... he could box everything strange in his life to his condition. But now he was forced to accept the truth, this thing was real. He was not insane.

"What. Are. You." Shinji asked looking up at the strange old man before him.

The Man had done Shinji no harm, had saved him, Asuka, Rei, Mari, and everyone at Nerv. He had shown Shinji a power he didn't know he had. He was the reason Shinji had such a high sync ratio with the Eva. The Man was in two places at the same time.

He lived in Shinji's head, and also inside the Evangelion.

The Other Man turned to look at Shinji, both of his red eyes glancing down at the shocked boy before him. Other wished he was better at this, wished he could have comforted Shinji the way his parents never had. Other wished for a lot of things, for him and for his counterpart, but he wasn't a child anymore. He was old enough to know that people don't always get what they want, that sometimes... life was hard.

"I am Shinji Ikari" the Other Man said softly.

---

After 20 chapters, Shinji has met his future fully.
This chapter was very 'action packed' but there are various character moments littered about too. I wanted to show Zeruel being stronger than he was before, him coming alongside Leliel as Adam's wrath. Then showing the unlocked Eva Unit 01's power.

Did you suspect the revelation about Other Shinji being in two places at the same time? It was actually foreshadowed in the first chapter and in chapter 2. About 2 to 4 lines actually.

Shinji will be changed after these events, and next we will see The Unraveling. All I want to say is... it is probably not what most readers are expecting. It is a very human tale in spite of the science fiction and fantasy elements. I'm very excited and nervous for the next chapters. It's probably the most 'out there' I've gone, so please give it a chance when it comes.

For now, what did you think of the chapter?

Thanks for Reading and please Review!