Chapter: 1A - Shinji Stands Frozen In Place
Choice Path: Start – 1A
Author: Fresh C
Terror seized Shinji's mind. His feet froze in place. He could only watch in horror as the giant being drifted slowly toward him. Even the sound of the missiles and aircraft flying above were drowned out by his all-encompassing fear. He only had eyes for the monster looming in front of him, and to his addled mind it felt as if the monster only had eyes for him. Hearing his name called was the only thing that snapped him out of his life threatening brain stall.
"Shinji, get in quick!"
Initially Shinji did not realize that the woman in the sports car was the same one from the picture in his pocket. He only saw the open passenger side door and recognized it as freedom. He hastily clambered into the vehicle. The woman took off before he had a chance to close the door.
After several moments, Shinji remembered to breathe again. A look at the woman's face showed that they weren't quite out of danger yet. She was frantically searching her surroundings as she drove, making sure not to collide with any shrapnel or debris (falling or otherwise). Shinji instinctively followed her lead and tried to help locate potential danger. Several times he'd been close to shouting out a warning to the woman, only to have her settle the issue before he could say anything. Though he felt far from safe, he was glad to see she knew what she was doing.
Eventually their course lead them to higher ground, where the battle between the monster and military could be easily seen. The woman retrieved a conveniently placed pair of binoculars from her purse and scanned the horizon.
"They're withdrawing," she said. "They're not going to..."
"Not going to what?"
"Get down!" the woman yelled and literally flattened him against the car seat. She shielded him with her body as the car was battered by displaced air and bathed in blinding light.
The woman's name was Misato, not Ms. Katsuragi. She made that very clear. She also had no problem addressing him by his first name. Shinji wasn't used to such informality – even his uncle addressed him with honorifics – but he didn't dislike it. Given that she had recently saved his life, there wasn't much she could do to upset him at the moment. Misato explained the blast was the result of an N2 bomb released by the JSDF. Shinji was caught off guard by this. Even he knew that no nuclear strikes had been ordered since the end of the Second World War.
Misato mistook his minor shock for optimism and said, "Don't get your hopes up. That thing won't die so easily." Shinji was surprised at the venom in her voice when she addressed the monster. "That's why it's best we get you to headquarters as soon as possible."
That signified the end of their chat. Misato asked for his help in flipping her car back onto its wheels. It was currently resting at an improbable angle. The passenger side of the vehicle was entrenched in the ground. The whole scene looked as if they'd somehow been driving sideways on an invisible wall before crashing horribly. Together, with much effort, they were able to right the car again.
To their mutual surprise and relief, the vehicle was still operational. Misato took a brief moment to mourn the horrible state of her car, before driving off toward where Shinji assumed her "headquarters" were. The use of that particular term bugged him.
"So you work with my father?" he asked.
Misato gave a strained smile. "Yes," said Misato. "Your father is the head of our operation. You should be proud."
Shinji didn't know what to say to that. He'd felt a lot of things about his father in the years they'd been apart. Pride was not one of them. They continued on in silence until they pulled into a dark garage and parked the car. Shinji reached for the door handle but Misato told him to wait.
"Just watch," she said. "You'll like this."
To Shinji's surprise a gate opened up in front of them and the structure they were in began to move. He realized quickly that this was not actually a garage, but a kind of elevator system for cars. As light streamed in from the outside he could see the side of the structure was not made of concrete, but glass. This was fortunate, as the view out the window afforded Shinji with one of the most magnificent sights he'd ever seen in his life.
It was a city suspended underground. Towering sky scrapers poked beneath the surface of the Earth and gleamed in the light. Below these buildings was crystal clear lake, that had the bluest water Shinji had ever seen. Near this lake stood a giant black pyramid with the word "NERV" engraved into the front.
"This is the geofront," said Misato, smirking at the awed expression on Shinji's face. "Welcome to NERV."
The hallways of NERV all looked the same: bland, white walled corridors with high ceilings and simple patterned floor tile. The only things that distinguished one hallway from another were the signs with arrows hanging at each junction. Each sign was marked with a letter and a number which held no particular meaning to Shinji. If there was a pattern to their naming convention it was beyond his understanding as they had not passed any signs with incremental letters or numbers. However, Shinji was relatively sure that they should not be seeing the same sign more than once. He kept his mouth shut anyways.
Misato continued to walk purposefully through the halls, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She never hesitated at intersections or seemed to be making any sort of decision. Had Shinji not been so certain they were lost, he would have had complete confidence in her abilities. After rounding one last corner they spotted a blonde woman wearing the odd fetish fueled combination of a lab coat and a bathing suit. Considering her strange outfit and Misato's out of place Chinese dress, Shinji was starting to wonder if his father's secretive job somehow involved a cosplay café of some sort.
"Lost again, Misato?" asked the woman in the lab coat. She seemed more amused at the prospect than annoyed.
"Oh Ritsuko, you know I was just taking the scenic route for Shinji's benefit," said Misato. Her tone held a playful quality to it. "We were just heading toward the cages now."
"What a coincidence," said Ritsuko. "I happen to be heading that way as well."
Shinji noted that they were facing in opposite directions. With a hint of nervous laughter Misato turned around and the three of them began to walk.
"Shinji, this is Dr. Akagi, the head of Project-E and one of the most beautiful and intelligent women on the face of the Earth. Ritsuko, this is Shinji, the commander's son."
Before Shinji could think to respond, Ritsuko said, "Nice to meet you, Shinji. I'm sure we'll be getting to know each other quite well." She then turned to Misato and said, "And I suppose I can forget about, how far away from the cages I found you when I write up my report."
Misato put a hand to her mouth and pretended to whisper to Shinji. "She's also incredibly kindhearted."
"You're laying it on rather thick today, aren't you?" said Ritsuko. "I'd think you were patronizing me, if it weren't all so terribly true."
Shinji didn't quite know what to think about their conversation. It seemed rather childish for adults to talk that way. The whole experience left him feeling somewhat out of place. He thought about the monster out there terrorizing the city, and how he'd almost lost his life. It didn't make sense that two people could carry such a lighthearted conversation after something like that. It didn't feel right.
"What exactly do you do here?" he asked. "What kind of place is this?"
Misato openly frowned at his question. Ritsuko stepped in to supply a very unsatisfying answer.
"I think those are questions best left for your father to answer."
The rest of their walk together was silent.
Later - much later - Shinji would recall the theatrics of it all with a feeling of deep seated betrayal and no small amount of awe. The whole affair spoke of a surprising level of coordination. Having been completely left in the dark before they'd reached the cages, made the effect of the scene that much more disorienting.
He walked alongside his chaperones obediently, all the while knowing that something big was coming. His anticipation and fear dominated his mind in this state of silence. The tension only magnified as they drew closer to their destination. He watched that the lighting dim further and further as they walked, until they were surrounded in complete darkness. Before Shinji had time to voice his concern, an overhead light turned on as if cued by a director. What the light revealed caused Shinji to cover his mouth and gasp.
He faced a giant being, as large and imposing as the monster that was terrorizing the world outside. It wore thick plated armor painted in hues of purple and green. The eyes behind the armor glittered with light. Though the thing seemed unmoving, it felt as if it were watching him with an intensity that bordered on obsession.
Shinji backed away on instinct. "What is that thing?"
Another stage light behind him flashed on with an audible click. Shinji turned around to meet the director and principle actor in this grand power play. His father, Gendo Ikari, stood in a room high above them, shielded by a thick sheet of glass. When he spoke his voice came from all directions and even his lightest whisper boomed in Shinji's ears.
"That thing is my life's work. Man's last hope and salvation against the coming storm: The Evangelion."
Shinji stared up at his father in shock. His mind tried to reconcile the man who had left him alone for so many years with the image of the beast behind him, but failed. In the end, he could barely understand his father's words. He stared at the man so far above him and could only see the distance between them.
"Why did you call me here, Father?" he asked quietly, but his question was easily heard.
"Eva is the only thing that can combat the enemy outside these walls. You are one of the few people who possess the latent ability to pilot it."
The words sunk in slowly for Shinji, but when they did he found himself shaking in rage.
"Is that all, Father? I don't hear from you for all this time… and you call me for this?"
Gendo smirked at his son's apparent outrage. "I've called you here because I have a use for you. Will you pilot the Eva or will you simply run away?"
"Enough!" Shinji yelled. "I thought things were different… that you want things to change. But this… it's all the same." Shinji hung his head in defeat. "But you just want to use me! You want me to get in that thing and fight. How can I? Even if I wanted to?"
Ritsuko chose this point to speak up. "We can talk you through operating the Eva."
Shinji shook his head. "I can't."
"We're all depending on you Shinji," said Misato. "We wouldn't ask if there was any other way."
"I can't!" yelled Shinji.
"Fine," said Gendo, his voice echoing over the loud speakers. Any traces of his earlier amusement were completely gone. "We've wasted enough time here. Send in Rei."
A rolling bed enters from stage right. Shinji and everyone else is transfixed at the sight. On this bed laid a girl with striking blue hair. Her eyes were tightly closed as if in deep concentration, and her breathing came out in audible shallow gasps.
"Rei," said Gendo. The girl's eyes popped open as she was addressed. "You will be needed after all."
Rei thinly whispered. "Understood."
"You can't be serious!" said Misato. Shinji was surprised to see that at least one other person was not content to follow the script. "She's in no condition to-"
Gendo cut her off. "There is no other choice."
"Commander," said Ritsuko. "Unit-00 is out of commission and there is no guarantee that Rei can even activate Unit-01. Even if all goes as planned, she has virtually no chance of succeeding in her current state."
"I am aware of the risks, as we all are. Configure Unit-01 for pilot Ayanami and prepare for launch."
"Yes sir," said Dr. Akagi. She resigned herself to the reality of the situation.
Shinji, however, did not understand. He watched as the frail girl slowly pulled herself up from bed, supporting herself with one trembling arm. Her other arm was wrapped in bandages, rendering it immobile. She stood on shaking legs and walked toward Shinji. Her breathing was labored. Her eyes were unfocused, and it felt to Shinji as if she didn't even recognize his existence. The wrongness of the whole situation struck Shinji fully and he wanted to scream out and protest. This girl shouldn't have to fight monsters any more than he should. None of this should be happening. But there was nothing he could do about it… nothing he could do…
And then the girl collapsed. Shinji lost what little mental fortitude he'd had. He rushed to her side and lifted her torso from the floor, placing her head awkwardly in his lap.
"Are you okay?" He asked. He did not receive a response. A rumbling noise, even louder than Gendo's voice over the loudspeakers, drowned out all other sound. The building shook violently and to the surprise of every, large chunks of the ceiling fell down to the floor. A giant purple hand moved at blinding speeds to cover the area above Shinji and the girl.
"It can't be…" said Ritsuko in astonishment.
Shinji however barely registered the action. His attention was focused on the lithe girl breathing heavily in his lap. He stared at her face and thought. Someone was going to have to get into the robot and pilot. It was obviously dangerous… how else had the girl been injured? But… someone had to do it or everyone would die. Shinji, or this girl… an obvious choice, but a difficult decision. Shinji closed his eyes for several moments.
He tightened his grip on the girl and said, "I'll pilot it."
They told him to relax. Shinji trembled.
They ejected the entry plug and told him to get in. Shinji complied.
They nearly drowned him in LCL and told him to breathe. Shinji choked.
They told him to walk. Shinji fell.
They told him to fight. Shinji failed.
The Eva did not.
When Shinji opened his eyes again, he was laying on his back staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. After looking at his surroundings for several moments he realized he was in a hospital bed, but he did not feel particularly injured. His eyeball felt a little sore, which was odd, but other than that nothing was really wrong with him. He closed his eyes again and information slowly seeped into his mind.
Details of the previous night were probably lost to him forever, but what he did remember would always stay with him. The fear was the main thing. He felt his heart racing just thinking about it. Every moment that he'd been in the cockpit of the Eva, he was sure it would be his last. Then there was the pain. The pain had overwhelmed him to the point where he no longer cared what happened anymore and it was then that everything went black.
But Shinji didn't want to think on these things too long. He sat up in his bed and looked around the room more carefully. His room had a large window on the wall facing the door, through which he was being observed by the strange girl that he had decided to pilot for. She was carrying an IV stand with her. Their eyes met for several seconds and Shinji felt confused again. He wondered how long she'd been watching him, and if she'd come into the room now that he was awake. The girl slowly turned away and began to walk down the hallway.
Shinji had two visitors during his brief stay in NERVs hospital wing.
Ritsuko greeted him warmly enough, but from there the conversation went downhill. She congratulated him on his success in his first battle. Shinji could only focus on the reality that there might be another battle. The thought of fighting again instantly brought the terrible fear from the previous night to mind. He found himself wishing she would leave soon after she opened her mouth.
Ritsuko picked up on his shift in mood and decided to hurry things along. She explained the role that he was expected to play in simple terms. He would live here in Tokyo-3. He would train with the Eva during his free time. He would fight the angels as they arrived. These were statements, not questions. She did, however, make it very clear that the whole of NERV was behind him and that she personally, alongside everyone else in the company, would do her best to support him in any way possible. The words fell just short of reassuring. He could easily see Ritsuko's sincerity and appreciated that. But he wondered if 'the whole of NERV' included his father. At the time, he wasn't sure whether that would be a good or bad thing.
Ritsuko then went on to explain how NERV would provide for his living. They were offering him a room within the base, as well as a stipend for living expenses. If he decided not to live in the 'more than adequate' room at headquarters, NERV was even willing to increase the stipend some to allow him to live out on his own. The latter option was the one currently being used by their other pilot, Rei.
Shinji's jaw tightened at this news. The option of living with his father was noticeably missing. And if the two of them were not going to magically reconcile together, then Shinji had no idea why he'd come there in the first place. The whole situation left him feeling edgy. Ritsuko noticed this as well and decided to leave, telling him to take all the time he needed in deciding.
When Misato came a couple of hours later, Shinji still hadn't finished brooding. But he was glad that she'd cared enough to bring him flowers, and her smile was a little infectious. Shinji felt compelled to put some effort into answering her questions, which had very little to do with NERV, biological robots, or his father, to his relief.
Misato asked him how he was feeling and he gave the customary response of "Okay". She also seemed interested in getting to know certain things about him, like where he used to live, if he did any extra-curricular activities at school, and if he had a girlfriend back home who would miss him. These questions embarrassed Shinji, but he was glad to have them asked, even if answering felt odd. Not many people seemed to take an honest interest in him, and it was flattering that such an attractive woman would do so. He realized of course, that she was just being nice, but that didn't take away from his gratitude.
Eventually their conversation lead them to Shinji's current situation. When Misato found out what NERV had planned for him she would have none of it. She claimed it was a shame that someone as young as him should have to live alone. And without hesitation she offered to take him into her home. At his clearly surprised expression she decided to give him some time to think about it.
Shinji was initially disoriented by this proposal, and even more confused by Misato's apparent enthusiasm for the idea. He had no idea why she would offer to take care of him so readily and in truth, the idea scared him a little bit. He'd never lived with anyone aside from his uncle and the two of them rarely seemed to interact with each other. Shinji liked Misato, but living with her… would just be awkward. He didn't see a reason to subject either of them to that. Shinji could easily take care of himself. It was the one thing he was good at.
But what really bothered him when he thought about it, was the fact that no one had bothered to ask him if he even wanted to stay here. His father certainly hadn't. The man didn't even come to visit him while he was hospitalized. And everyone simply assumed that he was going to pilot the Eva. Even if he wasn't any good at it. Even if it terrified him. Even though he might die. Everyone assumed that he would risk everything for them, as if he was obligated to do so. But what did he really owe any of these people? He'd saved their skin by piloting. If anything they owed him. Rei would be healthy soon enough, and then she could deal with whatever Angel or monster or Godzilla clone came their way. He'd never agreed to any of this…
But he could feel their genuine gratitude in their soft words and tentative smiles. They were relieved he was here. They felt like they needed him. And he knew that if he left them, the relief they felt would disappear. Whether he liked it or not, these people - Misato, Ritsuko, and even his father - they were putting their hopes in him. If he left, he would take that hope with him. And he wondered… was it really okay to abandon them? Could he honestly leave all the fighting to a frail girl like Rei?
These were no easy questions, and Shinji had no easy answer. After thinking on these things for some time he reluctantly came to a decision.
2A – Shinji lives on the NERV base (go to ch 5)
2B – Shinji moves in with Misato
2C – Apartment Hunting Time!
2D – "Screw this guys, I'm going home!"
Voting is now closed for this chapter.