Shinji Steel 19
Disclaimer; I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Max Steel. Wish I did, though.
As Shinji and Rits look around the ground floor of the dilapidated building, Rei watching passively, Rits frowns lightly.
"It can't have gone too far. Unless of course, one of the goons that 'Dumbass' has working for him came to take the body away in a vehicle none of us heard."
"Maybe. Maybe not." Focusing his eyes on the bullet hole, Shinji can't help but frown. "No sign of flesh associated with a non- to a fatal wound. No shell casing on the floor and no gunshot was heard."
"Yeah! That's right! Maybe whoever it was used a silencer." Next thing she knows, Shinji's sniffing the air. In amusement, Rits can't help but ask, "What are you? Part bloodhound?" For that, Shinji can only smirk.
"I can't deny the possibility, Rits. But, oh well. We got places to be and things to do. We can always ponder it later on."
"Yeah. Later." Shinji then turns to a still passively watching Rei.
"Rei, could you please not tell anyone about the scene here? I want to get a better look at it later on."
"But it would be a violation of orders from Commander Ikari to withhold that kind of information. Along with you investigating the scene here."
"It's not really an investigation, Rei. Just a gut feeling there's more to this than meets the eye. I just want to confirm it to be sure."
"Very well. Should your gut feeling prove accurate, am I to inform the Commander then?"
"If it comes to that, I won't stop you."
"Understood."
With that, the three exit, with Shinji thinking about what he'd smelled.
'I smelled three different things. A small explosive charge, like what'd be found in a squib. Gunpowder from a live round. And stage blood. But, that would mean it was a set scene. To what end, though?'
Three blocks away, the transient makes his way to a black sedan. As he draws near, the left rear door opens. He then ducks into the sedan and closes the door. Rubbing his jaw all the while. In the backseat, a fellow 'transient' looks over him with a concerned look on his face.
"The 'Third Child' hit you that hard, Harry?"
"It wasn't the 'Third Child', Marv! It was his girlfriend! And it was no hit, either! That hellcat's got a Hell of a kick, believe you me!"
"What'd you do to get kicked like that, Harry?"
"I grabbed her leg and propositioned her. Next thing I knew, pow! Right in the chompers! Oh, God! I think my fillings are coming out!" Turning toward the front of the sedan, Harry adds, "Captain Chiron, just what was my intent in the apartment building of the 'First Child', anyway?"
"You were to scare the 'Third Child', or at least rattle him, so badly, his psyche would be shattered. What made you deviate from the set plan?"
"Oh, come on! I saw a cute girl with him and figured that if I came onto her, he'd be scared out of his wits! Much to my surprise, though…"
"I see. Say no more. Did you use the 'package' I'd given you?"
"Yeah. And I picked up the casing too. Made it look like I was hauled away and the scene 'cleaned' as it were." Shrugging, Harry adds, "But somehow, this kid and his girl don't strike me as the kind to rattle easily."
"Then we should see about finding what would rattle him. Yes?" Instead of Harry responding, it's Marv.
"Um, yeah. But, where do we start?"
Chiron can't help but feel that Marv's question is a very good one as he's at a loss himself. Not that he'll tell either of them, of course. With that, he starts the sedan and heads for NERV's entrance.
"Let's see about getting your face checked out by Doctor Akagi, Agent Harry."
"Sounds good to me, Captain."
On the way to drop Rits at school, Shinji moves himself closer to Rits until he's almost pressed against her. Rits notices and smiles, holding back some until he makes physical contact with her from behind. It's then that she feels his hardness and smirks dirtily.
"I've got you hard still, don't I?"
"Yeah. That sight of you earlier I'm not going to let go of any time soon."
"I'm glad to hear it." Spotting an alley up ahead, Rits asks, "Rei, could you hold up a bit, please? Shin and I have something to take care of right quick."
"Yes, Rits."
Rei can't help but blink as Rits and Shinji duck into the alley before turning forward.
As she and her boyfriend head into the alley, Rits hikes up her skirt and turns around. Just in time to receive Shinji's tongue in her mouth. As the two kiss, Rits snakes her hand down to Shinji's trousers and feels his member. When their kiss ends, her dirty smirk gets even dirtier.
"We need to fuck. Now." Shinji only nods before unzipping his trousers and Rits can't help but giggle dirtily upon seeing within them. "You went 'commando', huh?"
"Yeah." With that, Rits puts her back to the wall and feels Shinji's member entering her. His lips pressing against hers as he starts pumping. "I love you."
"I love you too."
Back outside of the alley, Rei hears the sound of feminine moaning two minutes later and shrugs it off. Although she can't help but feel a sensation she'd never felt before. Both negative and understandable.
'What is this feeling?' Upon hearing Rits lightly cry out in rapture, the feeling compounds even more. 'It has to do with Ikari and Takamiya's activities in the alley right now. That much I am certain of.'
Back in the alley, Rits' legs are wrapped around Shinji's waist, with his hands supporting her by her ass. Just as her orgasm starts, Rits presses her lips to Shinji's, with Shinji returning serve before they cry out their lover's names.
"SHINJI!"
"RITSUKO!" Next thing they know, they feel Shinji's essence rushing into her, causing them both to cry out.
"AAAAHHHH!"
Back out, their shared cry can't help but bring a red flush to Rei's face. Along with a slightly throbbing vein on her forehead.
'This feeling is embarrassment. Combined with irritation over their sexual antics in public. Ikari did say we have places to be, yet Takamiya elected to handle an issue best suited for a later time. They are most perplexing.'
Back in the alley, as their passion ebbs, Rits' legs come down until her feet meet the ground. Shinji withdrawing from her as he releases his hold on her ass.
"How're you feeling, Rits?"
"Hmm, divine." Rits' reply has a tone of smugness in it as she goes on. "You enjoy our little quickie?"
"As long as you did." Rits can't help but give him a warm smile before bringing her skirt back down and sinking to her knees. "Rits?"
"I gotta clean you off, sweetie."
Wrapping her lips around his member, she bobs back and forth. As she does so, Shinji puts his hands on the wall in front of him so he wouldn't fall over. Three minutes later, Rits releases him from her mouth. A happy smile on her face.
"All clean, Shin."
"Thank you." Offering her a hand up, he smiles when she accepts it and gently hoists her up. Once she's back up, he zips his trousers back up, being careful to not damage himself. "We better go and get you to school, honey."
"Yeah and you and Rei got those sync tests today too." Upon seeing Shinji offering his right arm to her, she smiles widely and loops her left arm into his extended right arm. Her hand gently latching onto his. 'This is the way it should be for all time. My future husband and me.'
At the same time, Shinji thinks, 'This is the way it should be for all time. My future wife and me.' As they exit the alley, they see Rei facing away from the alley's entrance and Shinji says, "Sorry if we were too loud, Rei."
"There is no need to apologize, Shinji. You had no control over the issue. Neither of you did."
From there, they walk to the school in silence. Rits basking in the afterglow of a quick romp. Shinji worrying about the upcoming sync tests. Rei in contemplation. When they reach the school, Rits reluctantly releases her hold on Shinji's hand and gives him a tender kiss.
"Have a good day today, sweetie."
"I'll see if I can make it better than good, dear." Rits can't help but giggle at how corny Shinji sounded. Neither can Shinji. "Oh, man, did that sound corny or what?"
"It did. But, at the same time, it was sweet." Giving him one more kiss, she playfully shoves him away, saying, "You better get going or I'll be tempted to go with you. See if we can give 'Dumbass' a coronary, at least."
"You're more than welcome to." Rits gives a giggle before blowing him a kiss and bolting into the school. "I guess we'll have to see about giving 'Dumbass' a coronary some other time, then. Let's go, Rei."
"Very well, Shinji." Two blocks of walking later, she then asks, "You are Commander Ikari's son, correct?"
"Yeah, though I profoundly wish I wasn't reminded of it."
"Why would you wish that? Your Father is a great man." Under his breath, Shinji mutters a retort that Rei's ears can't pick up. "What was that, Pilot Ikari?" He finds himself with no choice but to speak up.
"I said that if he was so great, he wouldn't have ditched me at a train station when I was four." He then asks, "Just out of curiosity, who was the dumbass that put you in that dump to begin with?"
"I would thank you to not speak of Commander Ikari that way. Your own Father, no less."
"Oh, so he's the dumbass. I figured as much."
SLAP
Rei's red eyes are boring into Shinji as he smirks against the burning in his cheek.
"You can slap me all you like, Ayanami. It won't change my opinion of 'Commander Dumbass' one bit. He ditched me when I was a little boy, semi-ignored my existence for years and then, out of the blue, he mails me to come back here when I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him."
"Do you dislike the Commander that much?"
"I do."
"Then why did you not leave during the attack of the 'Third Angel' if you wanted to?"
"It's because of you, Ayanami. You were badly hurt still and 'Dumbass' wanted to put you into that thing to fight."
"I would have fought even if you had refused."
"Yeah and you'd have died for nothing and this city would be a hole in the ground. My family gave me my code. What I live by."
"Your code being?"
"Don't turn away from those in need. Even if they don't know they need you."
"Such a strange code."
"Yeah, well, it's a strange world."
"That is for certain, I am sure." As they enter the Geofront, Rei asks, "Those people you were conversing with during the expo? They are your family, correct?"
"Oh yeah." Smiling fondly, Shinji says, "Josh McGrath, Kat Ryan and Berto Martinez. They may not be a proper family by any context, but they're close enough." Next thing he knows, Josh's voice comes through. Wistfulness within.
"Much like while you weren't exactly of our blood, you're the best thing that ever happened to us, Shinji." That reply in itself gets a soft smile onto Shinji's face. Confusing Rei to no end.
'What caused the smile to appear on Ikari's face? Thinking about his family, perhaps. Or is it something more?' Shinji notices her face examining him intently and decides to change topics.
"Aren't you nervous about today, Rei?"
"No, I am not, Ikari. Even more, while we are on duty, I recommend we regard each other by our title and surnames or just our surnames. Off duty, our first. Do you find this agreeable?"
"Yeah, sure. Which setting are we on now?"
"When we are within the Geofront, on duty. Not within, off duty."
"I can work with that, Ayanami."
"As can I, Ikari."
On the road outside Tokyo-3, the 'Roadcruiser' is rolling along on its way back to Old Osaka. Josh is behind the wheel when his eyes pick up a shape in the mirror. Curious about what it might be, he pulls the RV to the side of the road and stops before peering out the window to get a better look. His eyes focusing on the object before he yells out.
"Berto! Up and at 'em, bud!" Josh's yell wakes Berto and Kat both up. Berto blushing that last night had happened and Kat smiling at the time they had last night. Getting up from her bed, Berto walks up to Josh's side.
"What's going on, Josh?"
"Look out there, bro. 9 o'clock." Feeling to urge to be a wiseass, but deciding against it, Berto does so and his jaw drops. "Is that what I think it is?"
"It could very well be, hermano. It could very well be."
"The Fifth Angel." As the diamond-shaped being makes its way to Tokyo-3, Josh goes on. "See if you can get hold of Shinji and analyze it."
"I'll contact Shinji while Berto analyzes, Josh." Blinking, Kat asks, "What're you going to be doing?"
"A little recon." Switching over to his other form, Max Sr. adds, "If Shinji's going to defeat that thing, he'll need all the knowledge he can get."
Walking to the back of the RV, he opens a man-sized access hatch and steps in. Within the space is a dirt-bike with street tires, a full-face helmet on the handlebars. Putting the helmet onto his head and fastening the chin strap, he looks back at his friends.
"Keep in touch, guys."
"Be careful, hermano. You don't have an Evangelion to fight that thing, after all."
"I'm not going to fight it, Berto. I'm just going to gather some intel for Shinji. Mainly from that spot Captain Katsuragi took him to after his first battle."
"Good luck." Max gives Kat a nod before opening a hatch on the right outer edge outside of the RV. To say his exit was risky would be an understatement as cars are roaring past him. "Boy. When they open the gate, they open the gate."
"Yeah." Upon seeing an open spot approaching, he adds, "Looks like I'll have to wait… until… now!" Opening the throttle, Max launches the dirt-bike into the lull of traffic and quickly crosses to the opposite lane while Kat closes the outer hatch from her position.
"I don't know what's scarier. When he does that or how he does that."
"I'm the same way myself, Kat." His laptop analyzing the Angel for weaknesses or capabilities, he can't help but shake his head. "If Shinji's going to fight this thing, he'll need something that's powerful. I can't spot any weaknesses at all. I can't even find its offensive abilities!"
"A veritable fortress."
Back in NERV, after Rei had finished her sync test/activation of Unit-00, the Angel alert goes off.
"All hands! We've detected the 'Fifth Angel'! Ready for battle!"
From his perch, Gendo nods, saying, "Good job, Rei. You can relax now. The 'Third Child' in Unit-01 will sortie against the Angel." The image of Rei in her Unit's plug brings a slight smile to his face before her reply.
"Understood." Once contact ends, Gendo turns to the bridge crew.
"Ready Unit-01 for launch!"
"Roger!" Turning to his colleagues on the bridge, Hyuga gets a sneaky smirk onto his face. "How much you wanna bet Shinji takes this one down faster and harder than the other two times?"
"Hyuga! We can't be betting on something so flippantly!"
"Relax, Maya. It's all in good fun." Aoba smirks back at Hyuga and replies, "Three weeks of all our reports are yours to do if he flubs it."
"Okay. Same to you if he doesn't flub it, Aoba. Maya?"
"Two months of coffee duty for you two if he doesn't make it."
"Fine. Same to you if he makes it." Maya gives him a nod before smirking herself.
"What's your bet, Hyuga?"
"The first read of the next manga I buy says he takes it down fast and hard."
"Can't you think of something better to bet, Hyuga?" Aoba can't help but roll his eyes at Maya's question while Hyuga shrugs.
"I can't really think of anything better than first reads of manga."
"Well, then we'll have to find something better for you then, won't we?"
"What could be better than reading manga?" Maya can't help but smirk at that one.
"Dating." Aoba rolls his eyes before offering his.
"Cooking." Misato's is next.
"Barhopping." All three roll their eyes at that one before the four hear Fuyutsuki's suggestion.
"Doing your jobs." With that, all four go back to work and Fuyutsuki lightly grins. 'That ended that little debacle. Now it all falls onto Shinji's shoulders.'
At his position, Max Sr. gets a better look at the Fifth Angel and grimaces.
"Berto, I'm at the point. I can't see any weaknesses of any kind at all."
"Same here, hermano. What the? Oh shit! Shinji! I'm picking up a buildup of energy in the Angel! It seems to know you're coming! Release your stops!"
"Berto?" Next thing Max knows, Unit-01 flies out of the ground. Leaping into the air into a forward flip just before the Angel blasts away. "Berto, are you talking to both of us at once?"
"In a way, hermano. Kat's right beside me allowing Shinji to hear me." With that, Unit-01's foot slams down onto the Angel. Accompanied by a moan from Shinji. "Shinji? What is it?"
"If you ever kick a Sherman tank with your foot, how would it feel?"
On the bridge, Maya works feverishly as she tries to find out what caused the stops to release. When Shinji's question comes out of the speakers, she can't help but check his sync ratio. Along with see the amount of bio-mechanical activity.
"Pretty damned painful I'd say, Shinji. Why?"
"Because this is an Angel-sized Sherman tank, Misato! Uh-oh!" Upon seeing the purple Evangelion scramble onto the top of the Angel, Misato can't help but smile in amusement. "I'm going to try using my prog knife!" With that, the left shoulder pylon opens and a handle juts out. "Let's play 'Operation', shall we?"
In the plug, as he ignores the pain in his foot, Shinji works to find a weakness in the Angel's armor. Only to have no such luck as the prog knife can't even penetrate. Yet, he can't help but feel a sense of satisfaction upon seeing a dent the size of an Evangelion's foot in the Angel's armor.
'Okay, so I can't cut this fucker, but I can dent it. Something's really fucked up here.' Shaking his head, he says, "I need something more powerful. Like a gun. I can shoot this fucker at point-blank range and see if I can bust a cap in its ass."
"Okay. Sending you the EVA magnum." Misato's voice brings a smile to Shinji's face just as Berto chimes in.
"It's a good thing you heard us and deactivated your catapult's stops, Shinji. It was too close a call." Shinji can only nod in agreement as the building beside him opens and reveals an EVA-sized Desert Eagle. "If this doesn't work, then you'll need more gun."
"Here goes."
BLAM
BLAM
BLAM
Those three shots have no effect, causing a grimace to rise on Shinji's face.
"The magnum's not having much luck. Let's try a rifle."
"Shinji, look at your battery counter." Misato's voice has grimness within as she goes on. "You don't have time to try a rifle. Best thing you can do is make a tactical withdrawal until we can find a better option." Shinji looks and grimaces as well.
"I'm down to two minutes. How'd that happen?"
"The Angel's blast destroyed your umbilical as you leapt, Pilot Ikari." The voice is not Misato's, but Gendo's. "You should have remained in position until the stops were deactivated."
"And if I'd done that, I'd be in a liquid barbecue, dumbass!"
"Regardless, how did you know of the Angel's attack before we could tell you?"
"Just a hunch, Vice-Commander." Smiling at Berto, Kat and Max Sr.'s cheers, Shinji adds, "Just a hunch."
At his position at the point, Max Sr. can't help but smile in relief. Only for the smile to fade upon hearing a familiar arm.
"Hello, 'Smiley'. You have a lot of nerve being here when I think about what you'd done to Shinji."
"Relax, Steel. I'm not here to fight you." As the Evangelion leaps into an open hatch and out of sight, Psycho adds, "That was a close call he had. Too close."
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Dragonelle's alive and she's a Mother now."
"No way! I thought she'd died during Second Impact!"
"She didn't." His face taking a familiar smirk, he adds, "But that's not for now. What I'm here for however is."
"I'm listening." What Psycho has to say throws Max for a loop. When he's done, Max can't help but ask, "Why would Gendo want that for Shinji?"
"No idea at all, Steel. But I'll tell you this much. The end-result cannot be good if Gendo gets his way. So keep Shinji's morale up. As I already told Dragonelle about what Gendo has in mind."
"Where is she?"
"The last place you'd ever think to look." Walking away, Psycho adds, "I'll keep in touch as much as I can." Once Psycho's out of earshot, Max can't help but shake his head.
"Now I know I'm getting old. Psycho filling me in on what Gendo has in mind?" Looking around, he can't help but grimace. "No sign of the white rabbit. So I didn't fall into a rabbit hole."
"That's reassuring." Kat's voice brings a smile to Max's face as he gets ready to leave. "What do you think 'Smiley' was talking about?"
"You heard what I heard. In any case, I think we should trust him. A little bit."
"What's his angle, though? Psycho's always had an angle or an objective. He's not prone to working in this manner."
"I know, Berto. It's weird."
"Try really fucking weird, Max. We should keep our eyes out. Just in case."
"I agree on that, Kat." Gazing back at the Angel, Max grimaces before adding, "I don't think we should be too far from Shinji if he needs us."
"On that, Kat and I agree, hermano. If anything, this is getting twisted."
Later that day, as Rits walks home from school after the day was out, she sees her Mother getting out of the van when she gets there.
"Hey, Mom!" Deidre looks toward Rits and smiles warmly.
"Hi, Ritsy! How was your day?"
"Oh, it was okay." Grimacing as she points her thumb over her shoulder, she adds, "Of course, leave it to an Angel to mess up an otherwise beautiful day." Deidre can only nod at Rits as she walks in, murmuring, "I just hope Shinji's okay down there."