Evangelion Rewrite: Chapter 17 A new leash on life
Author's Note: So, I just need to upload this and then I'll start work on another Naruto Chapter. Aurrghh, why did I start so many different long-term fan fictions at once!
End of author's note.
Shinji sat flicking a coin with his fingers. His last yen. He could have used it to buy a can of coffee, before sitting down to anxiously watch Rei and Asuka have their rematch with the freaky looking angel, but the vending machine was broken and he was too worried about the outcome of the fight to go looking for another. Despite not liking Rei and Asuka, Shinji still felt that they were important; because of their role as Eva pilots.
Up on the monitor, the angel reared it's ugly head behind the cover of a mountain. It's Yin-Yang face giving a nasty reminder as the extent of it's previously unknown ability. Shinji shifted his back against the metal wall, that he was leaning against, as he watched the monster on display. In front of him, Misato and the techies also analysed the monitor in wait. Eventually, the monitor switched to Asuka and Rei, in their Evas, who received a quick prep from Misato. Then they were finally launched as the angel made it's way further towards Nerv.
The two Evas shot into the sky and began to throw metal poles at the angel, Shinji held his head in a puzzled manner as the poles shot towards the angel, but smiled when he saw a weird barrier form between them; which split the angel into it's two halves. "Why can't I get something like that?" Shinji sighed. Back on the monitor, Asuka and Rei seemed to have achieved the impossible and were fighting in accordance with synchronicity. Circling around the angel, they fired multiple shots from rifles and then back flipped out of the way of the angel's retaliation. Landing on a pressure plate, a barricade bulged in front of them and protected the two Evas until they could fire back. "Again, why doesn't this kind of stuff ever help me out?" Shinji muttered, although he was beginning to lose interest. He smiled slightly in knowing that the outcome was assured. On the battlefield, Rei and Asuka were engaging in close-combat and had beat the separated angel back into it's original form. With one clean movement, the pilots leapt up into the air and drove their feet through the angel's core.
"Conformation, both Evas are operational." With these words as assurance of the pilots safety, Shinji straightened himself out and turned to make his way out of Nerv and back into Tokyo-3. But he stepped straight into the body of a large man in a black suit. "Excuse me." Shinji said as he rubbed his nose. "Your lump of useless flesh is in my way." The giant didn't say anything and only stared at Shinji, before his bear-like hands grabbed hold of Shinji's head and held him in place. "Shinji!" Misato yelled and ran to aid Shinji, but she was stopped by Fuyutsuki. "These are orders from Commander Ikari, don't interfere." Misato tried to push past but two more, albeit smaller, guards came to block her. "As captain I order you to-" Misato begin shouting orders at the two guards, but Fuyutsuki ignored the scene and stood in front of Shinji and the giant; who had managed to lift Shinji off of the ground. "Shinji Ikari, for disobeying orders, attacking an eva pilot, impersonating an eva pilot and a lack of concern for the superiority of your superiors."
"You sure tardiness shouldn't be in there somewhere?" Shinji sneered at Fuyutsuki, during his speech, but this only earned him a tighter grip from his captor. Fuyutsuki didn't react at all and instead continued as if nothing had happened. "I am here by placing a DSS Choker around your neck, as a means to prevent future disobedience." Shinji realized he didn't like the sound of what Fuyutsuki and stated and did his best to fend of the giant. But without the ability to see what was happening, he could only feel a tight pressure against his neck until he was let go, dropping to the floor, and was able to see the choker around his neck. He was helped off of the floor by Misato, the guards, who were blocking her, had seemingly made their way back to their posts. "Fuyutsuki this is too much, you've gone to far with this." Misato angrily told the deputy commander. "Are you arguing with your superior, Captain Katsuragi?" Fuyutsuki asked. Misato stood up to speak, but Shinji put himself in front of her. "I'm still going to kill Commander Gendo Ikari, before this is all over." Shinji said, his threat dripping with hate. Fuyutsuki ignored Shinji and gave a dry explanation "The DSS Chocker is an execution device, designed to kill captors who are causing trouble. Commander Ikari has a trigger and will use it at the first signs of disobedience or aggression." Shinji turned his back towards Fuyutsuki and made his way to the other stairs. Misato and the other members of staff watching him. "It goes without saying." Fuyutsuki spoke aloud, catching Shinji's ear. "That the device will activate if you try to remove it."
The streets of Tokyo-3 were becoming more and more vacant as time went by or, more accurately, as more angels made an appearance. Shinji stood in the middle of a street that was once unbearably crowded. However, at this moment in time, only Shinji stood in the center of the street. No doubt, there were still people in Tokyo-3 that would make the street crowded in a few days, but regardless of this fact. People were still fleeing in droves. Making Tokyo-3 abysmally lonely. As a pay-off for this emptiness, Tokyo-3 was quiet, making the smallest noise audible. Allowing Shinji to hear the muffled sound of shouting in a store, further down the street.
Two armed thugs pointed their weapons at a helpless old storeowner. One of the thugs had a gun, the other was armed with a knife. Both men had red bands around their arms. "I'm not telling you again old man, give us your money and give us whatever pieces of scrap you're hiding from us!" The armed gunman was the one talking and most likely the one in charge. So the old man tried to appeal directly to him, ignoring the knifeman. "Listen kid, my money is bare minimum and worth nothing to organized crime and my so called 'pieces of scrap' are just toys."
"Don't you dare lie to us, I will gut you." The knifeman, showing himself to be a loose cannon, delivered this threat. "Hello? I'm here to return a receipt." Shinji spoke aloud as he entered the store, making his presence known, but feigning ignorance. "Damn it." The gunman muttered. But looked expectantly at his partner. "Well get the kid."
"Hey kid, get out of here, run!" The store owner yelled as the knifeman approached Shinji with a confident swagger. Shinji put his hands behind his back and walked towards the knifeman, only to sidestep and trip the inexperience thug over. Adding insult to injury, the thug fell on top of his knife and clutched at his freshly wounded shoulder. In a panicked response to his partner's yelps of pain, the gunman turned and fired a bullet at Shinji. Due to the rapid, panicked response of the gunman, the bullet missed it's mark by a long shot. But Shinji still froze in place like a statue. The gunman pointed his gun more firmly, but his body suddenly dropped. Behind him was the old store owner, holding a taser. Shinji stood very still for a moment, then his brain caught up with the situation and he yelped "scary!" From behind him, the knifeman got up and was making a move on Shinji, until the store owner pointed his partner's gun in his face. "Don't move." The store owner ordered and then hit the thug across the head as hard as he could. Knocking the man down to the ground with a satisfying thud.
A little while later, after the carnage had been cleaned up, Shinji and the store owner sat at a table with two red bands in front of them. "So you recognize these?" The store owner asked. "Yes." Shinji replied half heartedly, the arm bands stirring up bad memories within him. "Well, you've already got enough on your plate, so I won't ask any questions. It's not like I need eva pilots worrying about simple thugs." The moment the store owner said this, Shinji jumped out of his seat and stepped behind his chair. Putting a barrier between him and the store owner. "How do you know what I am?" He asked. The store owner stared at Shinji's face, still as a statue until he nodded slightly. "You match the descriptions of a boy called Shinji Ikari, a boy I've been informed about by two old friends of mine. So are you not Shinji?" Shinji nodded in response to the old man's words and sat down in front of him. "I am." Shinji said, giving nothing else away. "I'm Akira Ryutaro." The old man declared this and stretched out his hand to Shinji. "Pleased to meet you, Shinji." Akira waited for Shinji's response until finally Shinji gave in and they shook hands. Giving Shinji the chance to observe Akira in full. Noting that he was the text book example of an old, prestigious Japanese man, with medium white hair and a slightly rugged nose. "Who told you about me?" Shinji asked. Trying to reset the balance.
"Like I said before, they're my two good friends. Although, they're friends of yours as well." Akira scratched his chin whilst speaking and laughed at a puzzle Shinji. "I imagine that today's been a pretty confusing day for you. But since you helped me, I'll do you a favour." Akira then gestured around his small shop. "You see these?" He said. Shinji looked at the small mechanical parts and toys in the shop and then nodded. "I make these for fun and a small living, but I'm actually a professional mechanic. I've been working on tech since the sixties. So, it wouldn't be much of a problem for me to remove that choker you're wearing." Akira pointed at Shinji's neck as he mentioned the choker. "It will go off if you try to remove it." Shinji said, bitterly.
"Not if you deactivate it first." Akira said with a smile.
Minutes later, the choker fell off onto the table. Causing Shinji to nervously ask "hey, there's probably some sort of explosive in there, shouldn't you be more careful?" Akira laughed and said "nah, it's a DSS choker, one of these fancy new collars. Once it's trigger is deactivated it's gone for good." Shinji picked up the choker and studied it for a while. "I see." He said curiously, then he put it back around his neck.
"Hey, what are you doing that for you stupid brat!" Akira shouted at Shinji and moved to take it back off of his neck. But Shinji got up and bowed. "Thank you for deactivating it. But, unfortunately I can't let people know that the choker is harmless, otherwise they'd put another one on me." Akira nodded as the new information churned in his brain. "I understand." He said as he realised Shinji's situation. "Clearly, Nerv is run by very dangerous people. I'd be more careful, from now on, if I were you." Shinji bowed again and made his way out of the shop. "Here, take this. It might just safe your life one day." Akira threw Shinji a switchblade and Shinji caught it with one skilful hand. It was a familiar feeling. "Thank you for your generosity." Shinji said politely. "No problem kid, the debt's been cleared. But don't forget to visit whenever you need my help." With these words, Akira disappeared into the depths of the shop and Shinji made his exit.