SHINJI THE GLADIATOR
by Gunman
Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or Gladiator, or their characters.
Summary: The pilot who became a soldier. The soldier who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. This is his story.
2-22-2022
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Chapter 1
Shinji Ikari had been teleported to Europe, 168 A.D., by the 12th Angel, where he is found and forced to join the Roman Legionnaires, and becomes one of the right-hand men of Maximus Decimus Meridius, general of the armies of the North and commander of the Felix legions.
12 years later, Shinji has become one of Maximus's chief lieutenants. Under their tutelage he became a skilled swordsman, archer, horseman and hunter. Even Quintus and Valerius seemed impressed by him, despite that he was not a Roman soldier like them.
Shinji was an odd one. Many assumed he was a foreigner whose family was killed by barbarians and left him to die. He remembered very little of his past, and seemed more like he would make a good valet or a manservant. But Maximus saw his potential and put him into training with the rest of his legions.
It was during the final campaign against the barbarian tribes of Germania, Shinji is with Maximus when he rides out against the tribes as part of the calvary.
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The forest of Germania, where the last battle between the Barbarians and The Roman Legion was about to begin.
In the distance of the forests, the Roman calvary was anxiously awaiting their call to battle. They could almost hear the screams of the Barbarians, calling them to their deaths.
Shinji patted his horse to calm him down.
"Relax. We'll be going soon." he said to his steed.
Germania was all he had known. The 12-year campaign against the Barbarian tribes had been all he had known. The Legion was all he had known. This was to be the final battle. Victory was assured. But what then? What afterwards?
Just then, Maximus appeared before the calvary, riding his horse. His dog, a mostly black Belgian Shepard, right next to him and his aide.
"Patres!" the general shouted.
"MAXIMUS!" the calvary replied.
"Three weeks from now, I will be harvesting my crops. Imaging where you will be, and it will be so. Hold the line, stay with me! If you find yourself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on your face, do not be troubled. For you are in Elysium, and you're already dead!" he said with a laugh.
The men laugh at this.
"Brothers! What we do in life, echoes in eternity!" he declared.
Maximus does a quick inspection of his men and once satisfied, he positions himself at the front of the column right next to Shinji.
"This is it." Maximus said.
"I am ready." Shinji replied.
"Are you sure?"
"You trained me for this."
Maximus gives the signal to the archer. The archer fires the arrow high into the sky, giving Quintus the signal to unleash hell upon the Barbarian tribe.
Within seconds the sounds of explosions and men shouting can be heard. Maximus, once sure the tribes have engaged his men, gives the signal to attack.
"ROMA VICTOR!" he shouted before he lead the charge.
The calvary advanced through the trees.
"Hold The Line! Stay With Me!" Maximus shouts as his horse gallops through the forest, the rest of the calvary quickly following him.
Shinji was at his side the whole way; him and the dog.
The plan was a perfect two-prong attack. While The Archers fired their volley and the Infantry made their advance straight at the enemy, keeping them distracted, The Calvary would attack them from behind, catch them in the midst of battle.
A trap.
The calvary raced through the dense forest, taking the barbarian tribe by surprise.
Maximus swung his sword left and right, cutting down the enemy forces as he rode through them. His sword got stuck in a tree after he beheaded one of the Barbarians, forcing him to abandon it and pull a secondary sword from the saddle of his horse. He rode through the melee, cutting down Barbarians left and right, until he was knocked off his horse by one of the barbarians who tripped up his horse. Shinji was at his side in a second, jumping on the back of a barbarian who tried to attack him while he was down. He jabbed his sword into the back of the barbarian, ending his life.
Grabbing a second discarded sword, Shinji leapt to the attack, protecting his general and any other Roman soldier who happened to be under attack.
The dog was quick to join the fight as well, leaping on and biting down on the barbarians.
The winter snow continued to fall amongst the fighting and bloodshed, yet the combatants paid it no mind. Their opponent all that concerned them, as the blood and mud caked every man and uniform on the battlefield.
Shinji had cut down at least ten barbarians and like his general was moving on to the next one. Roman legionnaires were pushing back the Germanic tribesmen, with some managing to escape.
The tense and embittered silence was barely noticed as the fighting all but came to an end. The sound of clashing swords and the pained screams of battle were no longer heard.
Tired, sore, groggy and winded, the victorious Legionnaires looked across the battlefield to see if there was anyone left.
They all raised up their swords when they heard the cry of their general.
"Roma Victor!" Maximus shouted, his men cheering along with him.
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With the battle won, Marcus Aurelius, the current and aging emperor, honors Maximus for his bravery and victory.
Shinji was sitting upon a rock, petting the dog that had charged into battle with them, as Maximus retrieved his sword from the tree.
He looked over and saw several soldiers stop and bow, before realizing that the Emperor had arrived.
Shinji, of course, bowed with them.
"You have proved your valor, yet again, Maximus." Marcus Aurelius said as Maximus bowed to the much older man. "Let us hope, for the last time."
"There's no one left to fight, sire." Maximus stated.
"Ah. There is always someone left to fight. How can I reward Rome's greatest general?"
Maximus was speechless for several second, before he found his voice.
"Let me go home." he said to the emperor.
"Ah. Home." the aged man said with a simple smile.
Shinji followed his general, the black dog following his master and side-by-side with his friend. All around the rows of Roman soldiers cheered and celebrated.
"They honor you, Caesar." Maximus said.
"It's for you, Maximus. They honor you." Marcus Aurelius said as he gave a small wave towards the men, indicating that Maximus should stand forward.
The general held up his sword, the soldiers around him clamoring and cheering in response.
Shinji then looked up and noticed a group of horses racing into the middle of the army, heading towards Maximus and The Emperor. The men riding were Praetorians. The man leading them, was Commodus, the Emperor's son.
"Have I missed it? Have I missed the battle?" Commodus asked as he dismounted his horse.
"You have missed the war." Marcus Aurelius said as he was embraced by his son.
"Father, congratulations. I shall sacrifice a hundred bulls to honor your triumph."
"Save the bulls. Honor Maximus. He won the battle."
"General." Commodus said, turning to Maximus.
"Highness." Maximus said as he was greeted warmly by the royal.
"Rome salutes you, and I embrace you as a brother. It has been too long, my old friend." Commodus said with strained tone of voice.
"Highness." the general replied, accepting the compliment.
"Here, Father. Take my arm." Commodus said, turning to his father to hold out his hand to aid him in his walk.
"I think it is time for me to leave." the Emperor said as he turned and walked towards his horse.
Marcus Aurelius mounted his horse, tilting slightly to the side. Maximus handed his sword to Shinji as he raced over and adjusted the saddle straps.
"So much, for the glory of Rome." Marcus Aurelius said to Maximus.
Shinji just stared at the scene, wondering what to make of it. There seemed to be a tension between the three of them - the Emperor, his son Commodus, and Maximus. His eyes narrowed and he wondered just what that was all about.
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The emperor's son, Commodus, and daughter, Lucilla, had arrived at the encampment at the behest of their father. Though Commodus believed that his father will announce his succession as Caesar, only to learn that his father actually favors Maximus instead of him.
Of course, Shinji had no way of knowing this. And had he known, things might have been different.
Cicero, Maximus's manservant, is one of Shinji's closest friends. Shinji had just gone to sleep when Cicero burst into his tent.
"Shinji! Shinji!" Cicero whisper-shouted.
"Cicero? What's wrong?" Shinji asked, groggily.
"It's Maximus. He's been arrested by the Praetorians." the manservant said.
"What? Why?" Shinji asked in confusion, but now fully awake.
"I don't know. They're taking him to be executed." he said.
"I have to go!" Shinji said as he grabbed his armor and weapons.
"There's something else." Cicero said.
"What?" Shinji asked as he strapped his sword to his belt.
"I overheard them talking. Quintis said that his family would meet him in the afterlife."
Shinji paused. While his first impulse was to ride out after his general and rescue him, he knew two things: Maximus could take care of himself, but his family could not.
Shinji quickly gathers up his things and rides. He had never been to Spain, he had never met Maximus's family. But Maximus had told him about it, time and time again. He really didn't have much choice. The Praetorians would kill them all if he didn't get their first.
But the burning question was why? Why would the Emperor do this to his favorite general? He hadn't had the chance to talk to Cicero about what happened. Still... against all logic, he decided this course of action was better.
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(Two days later.)
Shinji and his dog arrived in the hills of Tiujillo, where Maximus's wife and son are. They had ridden hard and managed to get there while the house was still standing.
He approached an open field where a little boy was playing with a pony.
He stopped as a woman with black hair approached him.
"Hello. Are you from Rome?" the woman asked.
"No. Not really. My name is Shinji. I serve the general Maximus." he said.
"Oh. What news is there? Is my husband coming home soon?" she asked, but then her mood turned dour. "Or... have you come to bear ill news?"
"Actually..." he started to say, before the dog started barking.
Shinji looked behind him as he saw in the distance a group of horses riding towards him. The riders all wearing dark armor and bearing flags that were from Rome.
"They're here!" he said as he quickly pulled the woman along with him towards her son.
"What's going on? Who are they?" the woman asked.
"Praetorians from Rome! They've come to kill you and your son."
"No. No! Tamaso!" the woman shouted.
Shinji orders the farmers to run while he takes Maximus wife and son and hides them away. The dog follows.
The woman, Ximenia, can only watch in horror as the soldiers attack any of the farmers who fall behind, while burning and ransacking the house itself. They paid no mind to the scurrying of animals, including a dog which they did not know.
Shinji was tense enough. He had been without rest, riding for two days without food or water. He had been running on adrenaline the whole time. And worse... he didn't know why.
It would have made more sense to go and find Maximus and rescue him. So why hadn't he? Why had he come all this way, pushed himself so hard, to save Maximus's family? He didn't know them. He had never met them. So why was he risking his life to protect them?
He had done so with the Legion. But they were his comrades, his brothers-in-arms. This woman and her child were unknown to him.
But Shinji knew the answer to that. He knew why he was trying to save them.
Shinji's hold on his sword never weakened the entire time the Praetorians were razing the house and farmlands.
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The next day, another rider arrived.
Maximus had managed to escape the Praetorians, killing them, taking two horses and rode hard to get to his home in Spain.
His only thoughts on his family, he was tired and almost dehydrated, and his horrified expression at seeing his house and farms burning did not help his mood. He sees men dead in the field. He sees a Praetorian flag imbedded in the ground near his house.
"Tamaso! Ximenia!" Maximus called out to his son and wife, respectively.
"General!" he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him.
"S-Shinji?" Maximus gasped when he saw his young captain emerge from the grove.
"Papa? Papa! Papa!" a boy shouted, appearing around Shinji.
Maximus is so happy that they are safe, he can't find the words to speak.
He hugs his son tightly, kissing his head as much as he can.
He then sees his wife.
"Maximus!" Ximenia cried as she saw her husband.
Shinji kept his distance as he watched the tearful reunion.
Shinji, having ridden hard from Germania to Spain, was more than a little tired.
He had had nothing to eat in nearly three days. He had ridden hard to get ahead of the Praetorians, to reach Maximus wife and son in Spain from Germainia before the soldiers reached them first and killed them.
He had protected them, without sleep, waiting for Maximus to arrive. Having ridden with his general so much, he knew a few Praetorians weren't going to be the end of him.
Now, however, he was tired. With Maximus having arrived, Shinji could rest.
Maximus was beyond grateful to Shinji, and just let him sleep.
However, while Maximus and his family catch up, they try to figure out what to do next, wondering if they should rebuild their home now that everyone thinks they're dead.
The problem was, did Commodus know he and his family were dead?
The Praetorians hadn't killed him, or his family. But they hadn't been killed here by Shinji.
Would they return to Rome and inform Commodus that they had failed or hadn't found them? Would they return to their Emperor and tell them that they had killed Maximus wife and son, just to save themselves from their own failure?
Maximus wasn't sure what to do now.
They could rebuild their home and hope no one found out. Commodus would be so busy running his new Empire that he might not bother with Spain. Right?
The only guarantee would be to go to Rome and kill Commodus himself. But that would be nearly impossible now that he was Emperor.
Would his army help him? He could ride to them, rally them, and lead them to Rome. Overthrow Commodus... but would it work?
The Praetorians wouldn't be a match for his army. But would the Roman army be loyal to their new emperor Commodus... no, they would be loyal to him, their general, not the murderous, petulant child of their fallen emperor.
Maximus had much to think about. Even as he and his family gathered up everything they could to make it through the long nights ahead.
While Maximus and his family were away at the house, leaving Shinji to sleep under a shaded tree in the orchard, a group of slave traders were passing by. They find Shinji asleep, and grab him.
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When Shinji awoke he was on a wagon of some kind. All around him were unfamiliar people and several animals.
There was a small monkey on his chest, and he noticed that his hands were bound in chains.
He didn't see Maximus or his family, so he was sure they were alright. Which was for the best.
But now, he wasn't sure what to do. He had been captured by slave traders, that much was obvious, but where were they going?
Shinji then felt something on his side. He looked down and saw the gash on his right arm that was no longer bleeding. He remembered how he had gotten that wound in Germania. Looks like it had reopened after all this time. He also saw several white maggots in his wound. He reached for them before he was stoped.
"Don't. They will clean it. You will see." a tall, dark-skinned man said, the maggots eating the dead flesh of Shinji's wound.
"Argh!" Shinji groaned.
"Don't die. They'll feed you to the lions. They're worth more than we are." the man said.
He looked over and saw a pair of lions in cages growling at everyone.
'At least I'm not walking.' Shinji mentally groaned.
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It was days later, as the caravan arrived at the Roman Province town of Zucchabar, located in Northern Africa, where they are brought to an open market.
Shinji had learned that his new friend and fellow slave was named Juba. He was a hunter who had been taken from his homeland.
"Make sure they get some water. I don't want them dying before we can sell them." Rashik, the head slave trader, said to his men.
Shinji, Juba and the rest are given water and tied to various stakes to prevent them from escaping. There were several guards all around them for the same reason. Shinji just sat against his post, wondering what would become of him now.
He looked up as he saw Rashik returning along with an important-looking man. The man was older, distinguished, with a white mustache and dressed in a wine-colored and blue robes. He had tanned skin that looked like rough worn leather. His eyes were sharp and had the look of experience to them.
"Do any of them fight? I've got a match coming up." the wealthy-looking man asked.
"Some are good for fighting, others for dying. You, need both, I think." Rashik said.
"Get up!" the man shouted at Juba.
Juba gets up, standing a bit taller than the man.
"What was your trade?" he asked.
"I was a hunter." Juba said.
"No, no. I bought him from a salt mine in Carthage. Sit down." Rashik barked at Juba.
The man comes over to Shinji.
"Mark of the legion. Deserter." he said, looking at Shinji who lazily looked up at the man. He pointed at the 'SPQR' that was tattooed on Shinji's right arm.
"Maybe so. But who cares? He's a foreigner. No idea where he's from." the slaver said.
"I'll take six... for 1000." the man said.
"1,000? The Numidian alone is worth 2,000!" Rashik argued.
"These slaves are rotten."
"It all adds to the flavor."
The man starts to walk away.
"No, no, no, wait, wait, wait! We can negotiate." he shouted back to the man.
"I'll give you 2,000... and four for the beasts. That 5,000 for an old friend."
Shinji smirks at hearing that. Mostly because the slave trader accepts it.
The group of six are placed in a large cage on a wagon and carried out to a large house made of stone and earth.
"Come on! How long does it take to get into my own house!" the man shouted in irritation.
Shinji, Juba and the others are brought into what looked like a large training area. They saw more than a dozen other men training and fighting with wooden weapons. He saw several animals such as lions, hyenas, giraffes and vultures all around. He also saw several dead bodies as well. Bloodied, cleaved and left rotting in the scorching sun.
"I am Proximo! I shall be closer to you for the next few days, which will be the last of your miserable lives, than that bitch of a mother that brought you screaming into this world. I did not pay good money for you for your company. I paid it so that I could profit from your death. And as your mother was there at your beginning, so I shall be there at your end. And when you die, and die you shall, your transition shall be the sound of," the man shouted as he brought his hands together.
Clap, Clap, Clap, Clap.
"Gladiators... I salute you." Proximo said as Shinji and the others were powdered and salted by the other servants.
Shinji sighed, realizing that if he did die, he'd be fed to the lions, or left out for the vultures to feast. Something that seemed just as bad as being bloodied and cleaved on the battlefield.
He did notice several men were tied up to various racks around the yard. They were most likely dead.
He wondered how badly they failed in their training.
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Over the next couple of days, Shinji and Juba are educated in becoming gladiators.
Shinji, however, is a little reluctant, seeing little point in fighting for sport.
Hagen, a large and muscular gladiator, who sounded like he was from Germania, was in charge of training and conditioning the newly bought slaves.
Juba proves fierce, deflecting Hagen's blows, and then attacking with ferocity.
Hagen actually smiles as he does that.
"Red!" he shouted as a man came over and painted a red mark on Juba's tunic. He then sent him back to sit down as he looked over at Shinji. "Foreigner!"
Shinji knew they were talking about him.
He stood up, gripping the wooden sword in his hand. He stood before Hagen, who easily towered over him.
Hagen moved to attack. Shinji quickly deflected his blows, before spinning around and allowing Hagen to move past him. The large Germanian turned around and saw Shinji calmly ready to receive him. Hagen moved on him again, swinging fiercely, only to have Shinji dodge his every move. He didn't even try to fight back.
Hagen smiled at the younger mans agility and quickness. It seemed that mark on his arm was not just for show. He seemed to have skill in fighting. Yet, he was holding back. Hagen was about to move, when Proximo shouted.
"That's enough for the moment!" Proximo said. "His time will come."
Hagen nodded, though he still appreciated the younger mans skill with a sword, even if he is only trying to stay alive.
Proximo however suspects that there is more to this man than meets the eye.
It was shortly after lunch and Juba found Shinji sitting by himself. He had found a sharp stone and was using it to cut of the 'SPQR' that was tattooed on his right arm off of his kin.
Shinji wasn't sure why he had allowed himself to be tattooed as he had. Maybe he felt it made him belong. But now, after all that had happened, he felt more than a little disillusioned about the Legion he once fought in.
He still didn't know why Marcus Aurelius had ordered Maximus and his family killed.
Then a thought struck him... what if it wasn't Marcus? What if it was Commodus? What if... no, that seemed a little dark.
Still... was it possible?
"Is that the sign of your gods?" Juba asked.
Shinji just looked at his friend and he noticed that he was talking about his tattoo.
"Will that not anger them?" he asked.
Shinji smirks and continues cutting.
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(The Dye Market, Zucchabar Arena, the next day)
Shinji, Juba and the others were chained to a long wooden log, being forced to carry it, while being lead through the marketplace. The whole market, from the awnings to the strange lashings around the tents themselves, were dyed red. People were even dripping red dye over passing animals as well.
It was eerie to Shinji.
"The Gods favor you." Hagen said from behind Shinji as they passed under the red shadows. "Red is the Gods color. You will need their help today." he taunted the younger man.
Shinji and the others were herded together in a pen, surrounded by wooden fencing and watched by Proximo's guards.
Over by the betting tables, Proximo was talking to two other men who were also trainers.
"Still leading with the German, huh?" the first trainer asked, staring at Hagen.
"The crowd loves a barbarian. Besides that he's made me rich." Proximo said.
"That Numidian, has he fought before?" the second trainer asked as he looked at Juba.
"No. First time." Proximo stated.
"And that one? The foreigner. He's new." the second trainer asked as he looked at Shinji.
"Yes. He can fight. But I get the sense he's holding back." Proximo said.
"Oh? Guess you haven't fully broken him in yet?" the first man teased.
"He's about as broken as it gets."
"Really? How about a wager then?" the first man asked.
"What wager?" Proximo asked.
"Five hundred sesterce the Numidian and Foreigner team makes it through. And 1000 that the Numidian makes it through alone." the first trainer argued.
Proximo spit on the ground, getting disgusted glances from the other man.
"Are you asking me to bet against my own man?" Proximo asked his friend. "That's unethical."
"What if I make it two thousand?" the other man asked.
Proximo looked at the man, obvious interest written on his face. The man simply smiled as he drank from his cup.
However, nearby, a hooded man was listening intently to the conversation while staring at Shinji.
Maximus and his family had followed the slave traders when they found out Shinji had been taken. The former General didn't know what to do or think, as he had no plan of action. However, his wife and son were with him here and now, figuring that staying in Tiujillo was not a good idea. They had also brought the dog, the black Belgian Shepard, with them.
Zucchabar was a Roman province, but with very little Roman presence. No Roman soldiers or heads of state. No political representatives or merchants. Yet, they still used Roman currency. Any guards or soldiers present were on the payroll of people like Proximo and his associates.
But still, Maximus couldn't get close to the pens, since they were guarded and watched. They were slaves, after all.
He had little worry that Shinji would live. But... how to free him?
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The group was sitting in an underground chamber beneath the arena. The crowds chanting above them. The thundering of their feet and fists pounding on the stadium seats. The roaring of the beasts nearby. And even the vultures that were circling over head.
"Some of you are thinking that you won't fight. Some, that you can't fight. They all say that, until they are out there." Proximo said to his men.
He pauses as the chanting of the crowd gains strength.
"Listen."
("Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.")
Proximo pulled a sword from one of the racks.
"Thrust this into another man's flesh, and then they will applaud and love you for that. You... you may begin to love them for that." he said as he stabbed the air in front of him, for emphasis.
He stabs the table in front of him with the sword.
"Ultimately, we're all dead men. Sadly, we cannot choose how, but... we can decide how we meet that end, in order that we are remembered as men." he said in dramatic fashion.
"On your left, draw your shields. On the right, draw your swords!" one of the other men shouted.
Shinji sighed, and gathered up some dust from the ground. Like had seen his general do many times before, he smelled the earth and then dusted his hands with it.
"Pair them up! Red with Yellow!" another man said.
Shinji and Juba are paired with each other. Juba is given a sword, while Shinji is given a shield.
Hagen is paired with another man who is scared out of his wits.
Proximo's gladiators are lead into a tunnel leading towards the main arena. Hagen seemed to be ready to fight, though the man next to him, in front of Shinji, seemed to be pissing himself.
Shinji noticed this... and stepped back.
When the gates open, Proximo's gladiators, lead by Hagen, rush into the arena.
The armored gladiators attack, one smashing his spiked flail into one of the first men out of the gate.
Hagen rushed forward, attacking a man wearing a bulls skull and what was left of it's skin. He hacked and slashed, while his partner, scared out of his wits, screamed in terror. Hagen pulled him towards the Bull-headed gladiator, only for the little man to be skewered easily. Hagen however took the opportunity to attack, stabbing and slashing the other man until he was dead. He then cut off his partners hand, using the chain as a long-range weapon on the other gladiators.
Shinji and Juba stayed close to each other, to give each other slack in their chain. Juba slammed his sword into the weapon of his foe, trying to make a killing blow on his opponent. Shinji was deflecting the attacks of another gladiator, smashing his shield into the helmet of the other man.
Proximo's gladiators were quickly losing the fight. One-by-one they were eliminated, cut down by the arena champions.
However, the arena champions were having their own losses. Especially with the fighting prowess of Juba and Shinji working in tandem.
In the end, Shinji, Juba and Hagen are all that remained of Proximo's fighters.
"How is he?" Ximenia asked her husband, her son close to her, the dog staying close to the boy who had him on a leash.
"He's alive." Maximus said.
"Are we staying here?" she asked.
"For a while. Until I'm sure Shinji is alright."
"We owe him much. But what will we do?"
"I don't know. Yet."
However, Ximenia knew her husband well. She knew he was thinking about something far and away. She knew he was thinking about Rome, about the Emperor. While they were safe here in Zucchabar from Rome, they still had to be wary. No one in Rome knew them, and only vaguely of Maximus himself. And no Roman soldier or official were in Zucchabar. Still, if their true identities were discovered, Commodus would have them killed.
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(AN: Sesterce is actually an ancient Roman coin used during the time of the Roman Republic)
Zucchabar is an ancient town in the Roman province of Mauretania Caesariensis. It is now present-day Miliana, Algeria.
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Authors notes:
Been writing this for a while. Another story I've written and am uploading on this day. But... no flames or criticisms. I have to do this, and I enjoy sharing these kinds of things with everyone.
Anyway, Gladiator was a great movie and I wanted to write a crossover with Evangelion for a while. Hopefully, this meets with everyone's approval, especially since I am putting Shinji in Maximus's place and by saving his family from death. Their deaths were so tragic and underserving.
Anyway, please read and review.
