Synopsis:
Second Chance Shinji takes place in an alternate reality where the three main characters, Shinji, Asuka, and Rei have no memory of their battles with the Angels, and are simply teenagers in a (weirdly British) high school. Misato is one of their favourite teachers with many rumours floating around about her dating habits. Gendo Ikari is the much-feared principal who seems to have a secret agenda of his own.
This is a spy-fi story influenced by the TV show Alias with many twists and reveals. All major characters will be introduced within the first ten chapters.
Disclaimer: Neon Genesis Evangelion and all characters are the property of Gainax.
Rating: PG-13.
Morning Has Indeed Broken
"Get up, you idiot. We're going to be late," the girl shouted, standing at the foot of Shinji's bed and gazing down at the practically lifeless body below her. How lazy could one boy be?
He jumped out of bed and stumbled about the place, not realising that his duvet had dropped to the floor.
"Ew, you stupid pervert! I didn't mean that you should get that up."
Before he knew it, Asuka had slapped him straight across the chops.
"What the hell was that for? It's not like I can help it. I am a man, you know. Maybe you should knock first," he said, cupping his cheek in consolation.
But Asuka was off on a tangent already. She had completely ignored what he had said and had turned away. Shinji had been forced out of a world of dreaming – a Neverland of infinite pleasure – by a fiery wench with an attention span of a two-month-old.
"This room is a complete pigsty!" Asuka used a nearby pencil to pick up some of the clothes and inspect them curiously. "How are you ever going to get a girlfriend with a room like this?"
Shinji ignored her question. He was, by now, very red in the face.
"Honestly, Shinji, sometimes I don't know what you would do without me," she said mostly under her breath, spinning round in hope of gaining praise or devotion. Either would do.
The boy muttered lightly, "Be free from your constant torment."
"What did you say, you baka? Honestly, you-you ungrateful pig. If it wasn't for me you'd never get out of bed in the morning. I am gonna make you regret that." Asuka motioned towards Shinji with her right arm drawn up into the air. "Don't forget your place, Mr Ikari. You would not like to get on my bad side."
"There's a good side?"
He was waiting for another slap when she suddenly twisted and sped out of the room in a rage.
What a head case, he thought.
Shinji tucked his shirt into his jeans. Although he was amused that he had somehow managed to get into a fight with Asuka right at the start of the day, he questioned why she hadn't slapped him. A humiliating public beating now seemed more than likely. He looked around his room and pondered at the clothes that furnished his bedroom floor. Some piles were beginning to emit an odour not unlike one of his mother's cats.
"Mum," Shinji yelled, looking around to see where his mother was hiding.
"In here!"
Shinji spun around and headed towards the kitchen.
"Mum, I'm going to be late tonight home tonight, okay?" He looked around cautiously to see if there were any more cats around. Why did she keep bringing in strays when she knew he had allergies? Another woman who's trying to kill me.
"Okay, dear, you go on now. You don't want to be late again. I can't keep pretending that pile of late slips under your bed doesn't exist!"
It was official: mothers knew everything. "Umm, Mum?" Shinji queried.
"Yes, dear?" She tilted her head and half-gasped at the hand imprint on the young boy's face.
"Could you somehow try and get rid of some of the cats. They're really sweet an' all, but umm, we've got more than twenty cats and everybody thinks that you're some crazy cat lady who never leaves the house!"
"Oh, Shinji, don't make me laugh. Now scoot and have a good day at school."
She turned back and he could tell she was already off in a different Neverland, one filled with unlimited feline companions. Shinji loved his mother but she had gotten more and more unstable after the divorce.
Another voice boomed through the house. "Shinjiiiiiii!" Footsteps approached the kitchen. There was no trace of the earlier anger in her face. That was the thing with Asuka: she changed mood more than money changed hands.
She dragged him out of the kitchen by his ear. "Leave your poor mother alone. Bye Mrs Ikari!"
"Another ordinary day," he muttered to himself.
After a series of episodes - one involving running down a shortcut with a set of rabid pitbulls in pursuit, and another involving Asuka's hair extensions getting caught in a shop door – the accident prone duo arrived at school. Breezing into their usual hangout room, Asuka and Shinji could not believe their eyes: the room was not full to the brim as usual but devoid of life. They both looked at each other, and Asuka glanced down at her Pucca watch.
"What?" she bellowed as she caught sight of the time. They were half an hour early. Shinji stared at Asuka, and Asuka stared at Shinji. Neither really knew whose fault it was. Asuka couldn't bear missing out on an opportunity to shout at Shinji, and he guessed from the expression on her face that either she was going to implode and cause one hell of a mess or that another argument would ensue. The more probable event occurred.
"I just cannot believe that one boy can be so ignorant!"
Shinji put on his best Bambi impression, failing miserably.
"Taking a shortcut where I nearly got maimed for life so that you wouldn't miss a minute of catch-up with your friends, and we wind up getting here so early that all I have for company is a sorry meatbag like you!"
Shinji tried to withdraw, like a spider shrinking into the corner of the room, but Asuka mirrored his every step, a superior player in this game of predator and prey. The passionate redhead was just getting started.
"Firstly, you are asleep when I come round for our usual morning rendezvous today, which wouldn't make me so angry if it wasn't for your complete disregard for my effort every morning. Do you know how I strive to arrive on time every weekday morning, Shinji? Huh? Do you?" She stretched out her index finger and prodded him up against a nearby radiator. "I get no thanks for—"
"But Asuka, I do realise. Honest I—"
"Do you know how rude that is? Interrupting people is another one of your many, many faults."
The door swung open and in poured the usual gang. Asuka scuttled away, not wanting to be seen investing this much time in Shinji Ikari. Their fight would have to be put on hiatus.
Asuka and Shinji had a varied set of friends. She firmly belonged with the popular girls and had no qualms about being placed in that category despite those who presumed she was a pretty husk with no substance. She liked meeting new people and expanding her social circle; Shinji, on the other hand, preferred to know as few people as possible and did his best to repel those who sought his company. Avoiding human conversation came as a gift to him, and he liked having a more select group of friends. All of this notwithstanding, he could put up a facade from time to time, though this usually took effort and Shinji generally despised doing anything that required effort. He was the epitome of laziness.
Banter between the group meant that nobody noticed the door opening again. A petite girl with short blue hair caught Shinji's attention. Unusual red eyes - searching yet weary - stared back at him, and the girl did not look away, so much so that he had to break their mutual gaze first. Deciding to go against his personality and talk to her, an all too familiar shriek froze his feet to the floor.
"Oh, hi!" Asuka said in transit to the unflinching, blue-haired girl. Must be a strange one, ja?
Meanwhile, Shinji was thinking, So Asuka's awoken from her daydream to realise that someone besides herself exists. Her shrillness echoed in Shinji's mind and he wondered if she had a different type of scream for every occasion. Happy scream, sad scream, the infamous angry scream. More banshee wail than scream, really.
"My name is Asuka Langley Sohryu. Charmed, huh? I'll be escorting you around our lovely school. I'm sure you'll find yourself right at home here. Do you know anyone?"
The girl blinked at Asuka. "I'm new."
Asuka thought that she might be a little insane. Oh well, Asuka didn't really care. She was fresh meat to mould. How rude not to give her name in return, though. Hmm, will have to teach manners to the poor, uncivilised fiend. And those shoes are an abomination of all things Mary Jane.
"And your name would be?" Asuka repeated.
"Rei," the girl replied and then walked out of the room. She lingered for a moment and looked back at Shinji, her eyes examining his body with a doctor's precision.
Asuka wanted to rip off one of Rei's ugly shoes and beat her to death with it then and there, but what would her friends think?
Rei smiled and walked towards what she believed to be the science block, judging from the gas taps that were visible from a downstairs window.
What kind of a name is Rei anyway? Asuka thought.
I wonder if she's in any of my classes, Shinji thought.
"He'll do just nicely," Rei said aloud.
