Shinji Steel 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Max Steel. Wish I did, though.
(One year later)
"Sorry, but all phone lines are currently unavailable. Please try your call again later."
A disgusted fourteen year old Shinji Ikari slams the receiver down into place before looking around. A scowl on his face as he takes in the sights of Tokyo-3.
"I'd rather be in Old Osaka than here. Or on a mission with Dad. Or at least in Okinawa with Ritsuko. Hell, wish Ritsuko was here with me right now. It'd be better to have a flirt here with me than me being alone."
"Sorry, Shinji." The sound of Berto's voice soothes Shinji's anger. Somewhat. "The note was very specific and for your eyes only. Josh feels the same way. Ritsuko called shortly after you left."
"How's she holding up? She didn't exactly take my reason well."
"She's doing fine and she understands. She's giving you a rain check good for when you get done down there."
"Good to know, Berto." Smiling fondly at the thought of his girlfriend, Shinji looks around and soon his eyes pick up a blue-haired girl standing in the street.
Prompting his eyes to focus on her, he soon hears an explosion and looks away in time to see a JSDF aircraft about to fall onto him. Jumping away, he gets a look at a massive creature that looks like Birdman's older brother. Only uglier than Birdman. He then looks back to where the girl was standing, only to see she's nowhere in sight. Shinji can only sigh haplessly.
"It's going to be one of those days, isn't it? Just like all the others." Clenching his left hand, he makes ready to 'command' his switch when a blue car pulls up beside him. The driver, a very attractive woman with long purple hair, looks out at him.
"You Shinji?"
"Yeah."
"Get in, quick!" Once Shinji's done so, the driver goes on. "Nice to meet you, Shinji. Sorry I took so long to pick you up, but I wanted to look my best for you." Smirking, she asks, "What'd you think of my picture?"
"Sorry, but I didn't get much chance to see it. Kat burned it, saying I've already got a girlfriend." The sound of Berto's laughter is almost enough to make him burst out laughing himself.
"WHAT? WHO'S KAT?" At Shinji's wide eyes of her volume, the woman snorts before waving it off. "In any case, I'm sure you'll be surprised to see your Father again."
"Unless he's decided to wear a woman's bikini and sing opera off-key, not really." The woman can barely stifle a gagging giggle at the imagery. Neither can Berto for that matter.
"Thanks for that thought, hermano. Now I'll never be able to sleep with the laughter that'll keep me up." Shinji shrugs before going on.
"You are?"
"Misato Katsuragi. You can just call me Misato."
"Nice to meet you, Misato." Next thing he knows, Berto's voice bursts in.
"Look to your right, Shinji. The JSDF aircraft are bugging out. Mention it casually."
"Strange. The aircraft are flying clear for some reason."
"Casual enough." At the same time, Misato catches what Shinji said.
"Huh?" Misato turns and gasps. "Oh no! They're dropping an N-2! Get down!"
Lunging over Shinji to cover him, she inadvertently presses his face into her crotch just as the N-2 goes off. Within seconds, the blastwave washes over and Berto clears his throat.
"While I'm sure she's nice, I'm sure that Misato shouldn't be in Ritsuko's position."
At that, Shinji clears his throat.
"You can get up from me now, Misato."
"Okay." Misato's tone has a hint of disappointment as she goes on. "You're really shy, aren't you?"
"Yeah, but I'm also loyal."
"She must be a lucky girl." With that, she notices the car's on it's left side and grimaces. "Let's get this thing wheels down."
"Okay." Waiting until Misato's out of the car, he says, "Just a little T-juice should be enough."
"Just a dab, hermano. It'll take a week to get the generator up and running. So watch your stunts."
"Got it, Berto." Clambering up out of the window and onto the ground, he spots Misato cracking her knuckles in preparation. Shaking his head, Shinji starts pushing on the car already. Just in time too as Misato turns to push it, she sees it's back on its wheels already.
'How the…' Putting it out of her mind, she shrugs and gets back in to start the car. Only for it not to. 'No. Don't tell me…' Getting back out, she opens the hood and screams.
"DAMMIT! The battery's destroyed! How am I going to get you there now?"
"Maybe we can get a battery from that store over there." Misato looks over at Shinji and sees he's looking at a nearby car parts store. Closed and abandoned.
"Good call, Shinji." Berto's voice has Shinji smiling softly. As does Misato's.
"You're handy to have around, Shinji. Thanks."
"Welcome." Five minutes later, a grimacing Shinji says, "When I said a battery, I didn't mean enough to open our own store with." Berto's laughter at Shinji's comment nearly gets a snicker from Shinji.
"It's okay. I'm a Military Officer and this is an emergency."
"Somehow, that doesn't sound quite right."
"I'd buy that for a dollar." Shinji can't help but roll his eyes, with Berto tacking on, "Don't roll your eyes, Shinji. It'll make me sick."
"You're no fun." Playful mood coming up, Misato asks, "Why was my picture destroyed again?"
"Like I said, Kat told me I have a girlfriend already."
"Do you? Is it Kat?"
"Yes. No." Reaching into his shirt pocket, he goes on. "Her name's Ritsuko Takamiya. I met her last year during break in Okinawa." Scowling, he adds, "We were supposed to go on a date last night, but the asshole's letter said I had to come here."
"Good description of him. Accurate to a T."
"Not much caring toward your Father, huh?"
"Why should I be? That worthless sack of shit doesn't deserve the title of 'Father'. I'm just going to be here long enough to tell him he can go to Hell. Then I can go back to Old Osaka and go on with my life."
"Looking forward to that, Shinji. I can't wait to see his face."
"Where does Ritsuko live?"
"Kyoto-2."
"That's quite a ways away." Snapping her fingers, she asks, "Do you have that ID you were sent?"
"Yeah. But don't expect me to keep it. I'm just going to give it back to him and tell him to fuck off."
"I'll make the popcorn and record it so you can watch it later on."
'Yep. Definitely no love for his Father.' With that thought, she picks up her phone and calls in.
"This is Captain Katsuragi. I have the boy and am on the way. Yes, I understand. His safety is my priority. Ready the car train at Entrance Charlie. ETA ten minutes. Katsuragi out." Hanging up the phone, she reaches over and plops a folder onto his lap.
"What's this?"
"Good question. But I seriously doubt either of us will like the answer."
"Even though you don't intend to stay, this'll explain everything that Commander Ikari called you for."
"Hoping this'll get me to change my mind? Don't hope too much." His curiosity getting the better of him, he quickly looks over the paperwork before closing it back. "Nope. I'm still leaving."
"You go, hermano. But keep your thoughts open. This may be bigger than your grudge against Gendo."
"Fast reader, huh?"
"Yep. There was a speed-reading competition at my school six months back. Part of it was information retention. I took second place."
"Who took first?"
"Believe it or not, an autistic boy named Tokona Kotsu. Older than me by a year."
"I still find that hard to believe."
"Wow. You're right. I don't believe it. How'd he pull it off?"
"Mainly by playing word-sentence association games within his mind. He picks one word to correspond with a sentence and goes from there."
"That was pretty cool too."
"How'd it make you feel?"
"I was okay with it. As was my family."
"We were more than okay, Shinji. We were damn proud of you."
"Tokona's family must've been thrilled."
"He has no family. They ditched him when they found out he was autistic." Smiling fondly, he adds, "My best friend's family stepped in as Tokona's surrogate family and encouraged him. As did my family."
"I'd like to meet him and them sometime."
"I'm sure they'd like to… whoa! An actual Geofront!" For the first time, Berto doesn't speak.
"Yes. Our last known defense for the future of mankind is before you."
"I'm mildly impressed, but not enough to convince me."
"I'm not liking where this is going."
"What would convince you?"
"No one knows. Not even me." Ten minutes later, they're on an escalator and Shinji snickers.
"Boy, am I glad I'm not in a skirt." Berto's laughter rings out again.
"Don't make me bust a gut! Please!"
Misato swings her fist back, only for Shinji to catch it. Smile on his face.
"Whoa. Nice reflexes."
"How'd you do that? No one ever caught my fist."
"Kat gave me some martial arts and boxing lessons."
"Nice. But that's not what I meant."
"Oh that. I made a smartass comment." Shrugging, he asks, "Why else wouldn't you try slugging me?"
"Just be glad Ritsuko isn't there with you, man. She'd do more than try slugging you."
"I see. Well, let's move on, shall we?"
"Sure." With that, they 'make' their way through the building. Only Shinji can't help but feel something's wrong. As does Berto.
"Either she doesn't know her way around or she's up to something. Take over. I'm accessing the structure's schematics now." A minute later, he says, "I've got them. Follow my lead." Shinji softly nods and takes over.
"Let's try going this way, Misato."
"Don't push it, Shinji. I'm a Captain, after all."
"Yeah. A Captain with a seemingly piss-poor sense of direction."
"If you insist, Misato." Before Shinji or Berto can snicker, Misato sighs.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Bringing out a cell phone, she quietly utters a sentence. Only not quietly enough for Shinji's ears to avoid picking up. An approving Berto chimes up.
"If in doubt, dial a friend." Shinji lightly snickers at that sage advice.
Three minutes later, an elevator door opens. Revealing an attractive blonde woman wearing a blue one-piece and a lab coat over it.
"What is this? A Military installation or a modeling agency?" Berto's wondering the same thing. Nonplussed and flattered, the blond smiles at Shinji before turning to Misato.
"Still getting lost I see, Misato."
"Come on, Ritsu. Cut me some slack. This place is big and I was distracted by this joker's smartass comments."
"So, this is the Third Child?"
"According to the Marduk report, he is."
Berto can't help but sputter out, "Third Child? Marduk report? What inanity is this?" Shinji is equally perplexed and annoyed by this unexpected turn of events.
Clearing his throat, he says, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I'm no Third Child and I don't know anything about any Marduk report."
"That makes two of us, hermano. I'm looking it up right now."
"He sounds just like his Father, too." The blond woman's comment elicits a scowl from Shinji before he goes on.
"Ugh. Don't remind me of that deadbeat dork. The sooner I see him, the sooner I can tell him he can go fuck himself and I can leave."
"Somehow, Shinji, I don't think it'll be that easy. So let's play it by ear." Wanting to know what Berto meant, but not wanting to tip his hand, Shinji can only nod silently.
The next five minutes are spent in silence as the blond leads Misato and Shinji to a doorway and guides them in. As they go in, Shinji spots a boat tethered in the room and grins lightly.
"On any other day, it might seem strange."
"How so, Shinji?"
"Well, let's see. A giant being with a bird-like face almost killing me. A girl appearing out of nowhere, only to vanish. Two women that could be supermodels with their looks. And now a boat tethered in a room." Misato gives him a radiant smile before she nods.
"You sound like you've gone through those things."
"You could say that."
"And in spades, no less."
Shinji doesn't say anything more as the boat makes its way across the room into darkness. It's so dark, he can't help but say, "If you're trying for the haunted house bit, you've done a good job so far." Next thing he knows, a light snaps on and a massive purple face comes into his view. One with a horn.
"This is what I'm here for? To see a horny robot?" Berto's laughter causes Shinji to smirk.
"This is what your Father's been working on, Shinji." At Misato's words, Shinji blinks incredulously before snickering. Berto's laughter finally getting to him.
"This is his work? A big, purple and horny robot?" Berto's laughter is still going strong while Shinji snickers.
"Correct and incorrect." The sound of Gendo's voice stirs Shinji's ire to no end. Along with Berto's. Causing Shinji to look up and see a bearded man wearing orange tinted glasses. "It's been a while."
"Not long enough. In fact, I could have done without hearing from you ever again."
"True that."
"Regardless, you're here now and I have a use for you."
"For what? I've got better things to do with my time than take your bullshit."
"Then why are you here?"
"Just long enough to give your ID card of me back to you and tell you to fuck off."
"Remember what I said, hermano. Keep your mind open."
"Is that your final answer?"
"Hell yeah, motherfucker." Shinji ignores the dropped jaws of both Misato and the blond woman. With Berto renewing his laughter. Up in the control bridge, Gendo seethes.
'Those incompetents. Very well then. I'll have to "persuade" the Third to cooperate.' Reaching down, he toggles a switch and says, "Fuyutsuki, wake Rei. She's needed. The spare is unusable."
"She can barely move, Commander."
"She's not dead yet." Ending contact, he waits five seconds before smirking and saying, "Very well. You may go."
"Gladly." Bringing up the ID card, Shinji says, "You can take the ID and use it as toilet paper. I'm gone." Tossing it over his shoulder and turning around, he adds, "Go fuck yourself, bearded asshole."
"Nice way to keep yourself open, Shinji. But I think you've got incoming."
"Noted." Shinji had spoken so softly, Berto had trouble picking it up.
As he makes his way to the doorway, Shinji soon sees it slam open. Along with a gurney with a girl on it. Wrapped in bandages. As the gurney draws close, he gasps at the likeness of the girl before him to the one he'd seen earlier. It rolls past him just enough until the floor shakes horrifically. Knocking the girl off of the gurney. Yet she doesn't hit the floor. As Shinji quickly moved to catch her.
Looking her over, he can't help but feel she's more familiar than what he and Berto had seen earlier. Pure white skin, blue hair and one red eye visible. With the other covered by bandages. Shinji can't help but feel it'd be a safe bet the other eye is red as well. As the girl turns toward him, she hisses and pants in pain.
"No, don't try to move. Stay still." Concern soon makes way for anger as he turns back to the 'man' that dared summon him. "Let me guess. I don't do what you want, she does and dies! Do I about have it?"
"Correct. You pilot and she gets to recover."
Before Shinji can reply, another violent rumble on the floor is felt. Along with sending scaffolding plummeting down toward them. Shinji knows full well it's moving far too fast for him to dodge and resolves to shield her with his body. Awaiting impact. Only to feel nothing. Unsurely looking up, he can see a large purple hand holding up the scaffolding.
"Doctor Akagi! The entry plug wasn't even in place!"
"I can see that, Maya! But how?"
Up in his perch, Gendo evilly grins in triumph. Only for the grin to falter. 'Clearly Psycho didn't do enough. No matter. A monkey-wrench was thrown into the works, but I can adapt.' Watching as Shinji puts the girl back down onto the gurney, he nods. 'He has your heart, Yui. There is no doubt about that.'
Back down in the cage area, as Shinji watches the gurney recede away, he sighs and thinks, 'Ritsuko's gonna kill me. I just know it.' Berto, somehow reading his mind, chimes in.
"I think she'll understand, Shinji." Shrugging his semi-agreement, Shinji turns back to Misato and sees a concerned expression on her face.
"Misato, you okay?"
"Yeah. I just wish you didn't have to go through what you're about to."
"Same here. But I think I can handle it." For some reason, Misato can't help liking the sound in Shinji's voice. Neither can Berto.
"As of now, this is an N-Tek surveillance mission with possible actions involved. Good luck, Shinji."
Ten minutes later, Shinji's seated in the plug, a pair of white clips on his head. The blond woman, identifying herself as Ritsuko Akagi, explained to him that all he needs to do is sit in the plug. Nothing more. Her name, however, has Shinji and Berto thinking of another Ritsuko.
'In a way, I'm glad she's not here right now. She'd be thinking of different ways to have fun in here. At the same time, I wish she was here. I could use some fun right about now.'
"I'm just glad Ritsuko isn't there right now. I'm sure she'd be tearing Gendo a new one if she knew what he was doing to you."
Next thing Shinji knows, orange fluid comes up at him.
"What the fuck? You jokers trying to drown me?"
"Relax, Shinji. It's LCL." Misato's voice reassures Shinji somewhat, but not by much. "In a nutshell, breathable liquid that'll cushion you against any and all shocks." The liquid gets above Shinji's head and he inhales. Feeling nauseated immediately.
"Ugh! I think I'm going to be sick!"
"Suck it up, Shinji! You're a boy, after all."
"Me being a boy has nothing to do with me feeling like I'm gonna fucking barf! You try breathing this sludge sometime!"
"Would if I could, but the only ones that can are Children. Sorry."
Shinji can only roll his eyes at that apology. Berto can't help but feel queasy himself. At both the LCL and Shinji's eye-roll.
(Command Bridge)
"What's his sync at?"
"This can't be right!"
"What is it, Ritsu?"
"His sync's at 70! That can't be!"
From his position on the bridge, Gendo can't help but think the same thing.
"Get me Captain Chiron, Vice-Commander."
"Yes sir." A minute later, Fuyutsuki adds, "Connected."
"Chiron here."
"Captain Chiron, regarding that matter we discussed some time back. It seems a 'Plan B' may be in order."
"Very well, Commander Ikari. A 'Plan B' will be figured out and submitted by day's end."
"Excellent." Hanging up, he nods in satisfaction. 'Now to see what he can do.'
Back on the control floor, Misato nods and says, "Launch Evangelion Unit 01!" As the EVA rockets up to the surface, Misato keeps a cautious eye on the boy that'd been 'drafted' into the war. Once on the surface, Misato says, "Okay, Shinji. Just concentrate on walking."
In the plug, Shinji nods and replies, "Roger." Smirking, he mentally adds, 'I think I'll do more than that.' With that, he has the EVA jump into action. Catching the being before him and everyone back in the Geofront by surprise. Mentally commanding, 'Going turbo!'
Everyone in the Geofront can't help but be aghast at what Shinji's doing to the being, designated as the Third Angel. Having the Evangelion rip the being's beak off of its face to open before moving on to its arms. Ripping them off at the shoulders and throwing them away before hoisting it up and carrying it outside the city before punting it up into the air.
In the cockpit, Shinji grins savagely and says, "If you got artillery, go ahead and blast away!"
"Nothing we have will penetrate!"
"Now that's just wonderful. Oh well." Commanding the EVA to jump up toward the Angel and drop kicking it back to the ground. "Ryan's Barrage!" Once it's impacted with the ground, the Angel weakly gets back up and encircles the Evangelion in the remnants of its battered body. "Oh boy. This is gonna hurt!"
"Yeah. It sure looks like it, Shinji."
With those prophetic words from Berto, the Angel detonates, rendering a massive fireball outside the city.
Back on the Command Bridge, Misato and Ritsuko scramble to get the Evangelion and Shinji recovered. The explosion was bad enough, as was Shinji's charge. But his brutality toward the Angel caused one of the three bridge workers, Maya Ibuki, to lose her lunch.
Up in Gendo's position, his eyes are wide in shock at how quickly and brutally Shinji dealt with the being. 'A monkey-wrench wasn't thrown into the works. A damn volley of rocket-propelled grenades was launched into and destroyed them!' Leaning back into his seat, he rubs his temples.
"This was definitely not in the scenario."
Back in the Evangelion, Shinji is so weak, he can swear he feels fingers running through his hair. A comforting presence with him. Not wanting to say anything, he waits for Berto to speak.
"You did good, hermano. You did good. But this is just the beginning. I'll brief you after I tell Josh and Kat about the situation so far. Along with what I found. About NERV, Marduk and Gendo."
Berto ends contact, leaving Shinji to ponder it. Before he can, though, he goes unconscious. Thinking about how this all happened to begin with.