Bound in Silence

by Cjsouls

Everything changed after his mothers passing, he became mute. He existed, but was Bound in Silence. A little humor thrown in, especially some harmless dialogues involving our favorite flightless bird. SxR

1. Chapter 1

Bound to Silence

'Thoughts'

"Dialogue"

"Messaging"

I do not own the rights to Neon Genesis Evangelion.

Chapter 1

Misato Katsuargi didn't know what to think with the boy she saved, (granted it was mostly her fault that they both nearly died), she read his psych profile from the Marduk report. It states he's quiet, intelligent, but had signs of possible depression. Who she picked up was 16 year old Shinji Ikari, and it seemed the reports were wrong in a sense. He wasn't just quiet, he was mute. 'He must've experienced something traumatic, guess he's just like how I used to be.'

Any attempts at conversation were responded with silence and side glances. While he didn't respond verbally, he did respond to a few requests. He handed her his ID and papers he received from his father. Confirming said papers she handed him a 'Welcome to NERV' pamphlet and told him to read. As he was reading, she was startled by an extremely loud explosion, she slammed on the brakes and spun around, she saw the explosion rising into the heavens. She was about to yell at him to get down and cover him with her body, but a powerful shockwave hit before she could get into action. The resulting shockwave hit her blue Renault Alpine A310 hard, she wasn't able to brace herself and was knocked out cold from the shockwave and hitting her head on the wheel.

Shinji held his position strongly, barely moving at all in his seat, forcing his head against the headrest of the seat. He was filled with mild discomfort and pain from the resulting crash against the ground. After the car stopped rolling against the ground, luck would be blessed upon the car's occupants, the car landed upright and did not need to be pushed back onto its wheels.

Shinji looked passively to his right and noticed that the woman who picked him up, very late from the set time, was out cold. She was still breathing which would have been a relief but Shinji didn't think about it too much. Shinji exited the car and walked to the drivers side and picked up the dosing body of his future commanding officer and carried her to the passenger side and set her down in the seat, pulling the safety belts across of her, he then went back to the drivers side and went to check if the car could be started. Turning the key over seemed to have no effect, after two more attempts which ended in failure, he popped the hood to check the engine. Overlooking the impressive build of the car, he first went to check the car battery. Unfortunately the car battery seemed to have shorted out from the blast and crash. Doubting he could get it started, he checked his surroundings, he noticed a store that avoided some damage from the blast. Jogging across and hoping for a spare battery he entered the front and took stock of the store. Finding what he needed he obtained a car battery, he then left a wad of Yen and left the store.

He ran back to the car and removed the ruined battery from the car. Placing the newly acquired battery and making sure everything was in order, he ventured back to the drivers side and started the car. After one turn of the key the engine roared back to life. Looking at the car's other occupant he noticed she was still asleep. Knowing the general direction of where he was supposed to head towards he put his foot on the gas and began the journey.

-X-

Stirring in her sleep she began to wake up. She gasped aloud fearing the time that was lost in her slumber. "What happened?" She said to no one in particular, she then took notice of what was happening, the boy she picked up was driving her car in a straight road which was thankfully heading for Tokyo-3.

"Good going Shinji, how long was I out?" She asked but doubted he would answer, she was very surprised to see him flash five from his fingers 3 times.

"Oh." Was all she said and fell into a silence, until she made a call to make way for a train car to deliver them down to headquarters.

"Yeah, I got him, don't worry, we may be a little late but his safety is my priority, just make sure to get it ready when we get there. Ok, thanks, bye."

Feeling a tad bored, she wanted to pass the time, so she did what she did best, and teased. Looking down at her attire and seating arrangement she knew that he must've moved her to the seat, and she noticed that her outfit was a tad ruined from the explosion. With that, an idea of what to say came to her mind.

"Oh Shin-Chan, to think we just met and you carried me off my feet while I was sleeping. But my outfit was ruined, so we'll have to postpone our date for another time." She finished batting her eyelashes at him. Expecting a noticeable blush on his face she took a glance to her right and was fairly disappointed. 'Not even a reaction! Have I lost my touch? I guess I'm getting old. Maybe he's messed up? But besides his muteness he does seem normal.' After that disaster of a failed tease she just remained silent for the remainder of the trip.

-X-

Reaching the train car with the help of Misato, they departed for NERV headquarters. Misato even pointed out the Geofront to Shinji and looked for a reaction.

"…" he said and blinked.

'Nothing seems to phase this kid, and the Marduk Institute chose him as the third child? I hope it works out in the end.'

Leaving the car, Shinji tossed Misato her keys and began to lead out of the parking through security and ventured to find Ritsuko Akagi. After using some escalators they began wandering the halls of NERV Japan and subsequently became lost, even with a map, her lack of time around NERV was to blame.

Shinji immediately realized Misato didn't know where she was going, he grabbed Misato's attention with multiple snaps of his fingers and held his hand out for the map. She reluctantly handed it to him and told him where they were supposed to go. In a matter of minutes, Shinji led the way to a pair of elevators, taking a stop on multiple floors from the elevator, they ventured out and eventually found Ritsuko Akagi just leaving an area filled with orange liquid.

Ritsuko, seemingly stunned that her friend Misato actually managed to make her way on her own, spoke up to congratulate her.

"I must say, I'm impressed, Misato. I didn't think it would be possible for you to make your way in a timely manner all on your own." She said, pulling a lab coat over her one piece bathing suit.

"Eh-heh, actually Shinji here managed to find his way through this map, he was actually able to understand it." Misato said, scratching the back of her head in embarrassment.

"Huh…So is this the boy?" She said shifting her eyes to the young boy next to her long time friend. He was fairly tall for his age, around 180 centimeters, looked slim but possibly well built, it was hard to tell based on his current attire. He had a nice set of cobalt blue eyes, and features that definitely swayed more towards his mother.

"Yep, this is Shinji Ikari, the designated third child from the Marduk Institute," she then continued in a whisper. "His file said he was quiet, but he's a mute! He's even more quiet than Rei!" She whispered in exacerbation.

Ritsuko's eyes widened in surprise. 'I was not made aware of this, how long has this been going on?' "Well that is news to me…no matter, my name is Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, it's nice to meet you Shinji." Shinji just stared in response. 'God, he really is just like Rei, this isn't going to be easy for me.'

"We should be on our way now, the Angel is making its way towards our position, time is of the essence." Doctor Akagi said while walking the group to the elevator. She was going to make a quick stop at her office to change back into her clothes.

After the detour the group was once again in an elevator, Ritsuko was going to converse with Misato about the current situation but spoke to Shinji once more for some information.

"Shinji, if you can answer this for me, how long have you been mute?" Shinji answered her curiosity by flashing all his fingers and then 2 more after holding all 10. '12 years… Yui was absorbed 12 years ago, the same amount of time as Gendo abandoning Shinji. Seems one of those causes made him this way.'

She then switched over to converse with Misato over the current situation. She informed Misato of the planned usage of Unit-01, and answered her pondering of the odds of activation. It wasn't high.

-X-

Reaching the cage of Unit-01, the group entered a doorway which led to darkness, walking some meters ahead Shinji stopped, once the lights were turned on, he was face-to-face with a purple titan.

"…" Reacted Shinji. He turned towards Ritsuko as if to ask what the purple behemoth was.

"This is the Artificial Human Evangelion, Unit-01. This is mankind's ultimate weapon, and our last hope against the Angels." Explained Ritsuko. Misato listening wondered why they were showing Unit-01 to him, before she could come up with an answer, a powerful voice boomed across the cage.

"Hello Shinji. It's been a while." Supreme leader and commander of the para-military corp of NERV spoke Gendo Ikari, down towards the group.

"…" Shinji said, looking up towards his Father. He hadn't seen him since the day he abandoned him. Not even to visit his mothers grave on the anniversaries of her death.

Gendo raised his eyebrow on the lack of reaction and speech of the Third Child. He looked towards Doctor Akagi, about to ask why he seemed unresponsive. Then there was a tremor from above which shook the NERV pyramid. "It's here. Prepare for sortie."

Misato immediately interjected. "But Unit-00 is still being repaired! Wait… you plan on using Unit-01?! But it's never been activated! And we don't even have a healthy pilot!" That's when she realized why Shinji was here.

"Our spare pilot has been delivered. Shinji, you will pilot." Said Gendo

Misato once again interjected. "But it took Rei months to synchronize with her Eva!" She was about to continue when Ritsuko interrupted her.

"All he needs to do is get inside of it. That is all which is expected from him." She turned towards Shinji and asked a question that would either save the world, or damn it. "Shinji. Will you pilot?"

"…" said Shinji, he looked towards the face of Unit-01, then to Misato, then to Ritsuko. He nodded his head slightly to confirm.

Gendo showed his trademarked Bastard King smirk and told Doctor Akagi to take care of things and headed back to the command center.

When he returned to Sub-commander Kozo Fuyutsuki on the command deck, he then ordered his suburbanites to prepare for sortie.

"I see things went well?" Kozo spoke, relieved that preparations were being made.

"Yes. It seems time has turned the boy into an obedient tool. Though I didn't not account for him to be a mute, this could very well work in our favor." Gendo said, smirking the entire time.

'Or it could not. We couldn't possibly know what he'd be thinking.' Kozo thought, but did not speak aloud his paranoia.

-X-

Inside the entry plug sat Shinji Ikari, preparing for battle. He had his eyes closed, he was in a meditative state. He was removed from the state by the feeling of liquid rising in the plug. Showing no reaction, a live view of the command deck opened up with Doctor Akagi.

"Don't worry Shinji, the liquid LCL is breathable, it will feed oxygen directly to your bloodstream."

Shinji then emptied his lungs of air and took a deep breath of the LCL to mitigate any reaction from the replacement of air in his lungs. Shinji showed no disgust towards the taste and smell of the foul liquid.

Meanwhile during neural interface.

"All signs are green. A-10 Connection is green as well."

"Cognitive interface, set base function to Japanese."

"Initial contact, all statues green."

"Bilateral network established, synchronization at… 59.2 percent!"

"He's a natural! It's like he was born to pilot Eva!" Misato exclaimed proudly.

"Harmonic signals are all green, no sign of system runaway."

"It's gonna work." Dr. Akagi pronounced with full coincidence.

Misato gave her a strong nod in approval, and set upon orders to prepare the Eva for launch.

"Unit 01, prepare launch!"

"Unit 01 primary restraints unlocked, confirmed."

"Also secondary restraints unlocked."

"Disengaging safety systems 1-15. Confirmed."

"Unit 01 is now ready for launch."

"Internal power storage, full power."

"External power cord connected, all systems green."

"Roger, transport Eva 01 to launch bay."

"Alright. Shinji, I hope you're ready." Misato said while looking at the video of Shinji. He had his eyes shut in preparation. She then looked toward the Commander and asked for permission to launch.

"Granted. Unless the Angels are defeated, humanity has no future." Gendo said in a cold demeanor.

Misato just nodded. She then looked at the image of Shinji. She took a hold of her cross and wished good luck in her mind. 'Good luck Shinji, come back to us.'

"Eva launch!" She ordered.

-X-

Shinji still had his eyes closed as he was launched up to the surface. If not for the liquid, he would surely be crushed from the velocity. Once he reached the surface he then opened his eyes. He saw the beast he would face. A humanoid monstrosity with two avian faces.

The Angel, Sachiel, was laying waste to his surroundings. It was using its energy lances to cause damage to the surrounding buildings and streets. It was unaware of the angel of the Lilim a hundred meters ahead of it.

Misato spoke to Shinji to focus on walking before engaging. Shinji took his first steps after the restraining bolts of the launch pads were released. It felt odd to control something that wasn't his own body, but he persevered. Becoming comfortable with walking, he heard some cheers from the command crew. Following the cheering he was notified of a weapon to use on his left shoulder cover. Sheathing the knife off for all to see, the angel finally took notice of his foe. Shinji then ordered a defensive stance, preparing for its attack.

The Angel held no regard for patience and ran up to the Lilim abomination and prepared to strike. A flying palm aiming to grab Unit-01 was caught in mid travel by Unit-01's left hand. What came next sent chills down to those who witnessed the battle. Unit-01 crushed the angel's hand with a loud crunch and pulled the useless appendage towards the defender of humanity. Having the angel in close proximity, Unit-01 then slashed at the wrist and brutally cut off the appendage. Sachiel screeched in pain, at that moment the angel felt fear, fear for its life, fear of the potential failure to reunite with father.

Sachiel's healing factor was in overdrive and repaired the damage caused from Unit-01, enclosing the bleeding appendage into a nub, then reanimating a functional hand. As Sachiel was gaining space from the false angel, Unit-01 was beginning to stride towards its opponent, holding the knife in a way to prepare for offense. Before Shinji could go offensively, Sachiel launched a lance of energy towards Unit-01's stomach and landed a decisive blow, Shinji was stunned momentarily as he was launched 30 meters back into the street. Shinji, getting a feel for the enemy's offensive capabilities, got back to close proximity and threw a left hook to the face of Sachiel. Cracking one of the avian faces, it stunned the angel for a single moment and was left open. Shinji launched an offensive which involved more hooks, stabbing, and slashing.

Shinji was able to grab the angel's arm and kept slashing, after 3 strong slashes it was able to sever the arm from the elbow to rid of one of its energy lances. Following the attack on the arm, he grabbed the top avian face and forced it to the ground, using Unit-01's weight it forced the angel into a struggle. The angel kept lashing out its appendages to free itself from Unit-01's hold, it couldn't get free from it, but it began to rise from its knees and slammed itself with Unit-01 into multiple buildings.

Shinji would not let up his hold on the beast. He had to find its destruction point, and the giant red orb on its front was a good starting point. Shinji kept stabbing and slashing from behind the angel, he couldn't get a good enough strike at the core as Sachiel's thrashing was prohibiting him from a solid hit. Shinji decided to let go of his hold on the angel, before he let go, he shoved the angel into a couple of buildings after gaining his footing into the ground.

Sachiel was fighting a losing battle, it knew it was on the verge of defeat, it couldn't win with just its fists, it had to use its energy attacks and AT field. Launching an energy blast from its voided eyes, it struck Unit-01, but it held its arm together to form a defense against the blast. While it withstood the blast, Unit-01 was sent back 80 meters from the target. Shinji decided it best to begin another assault, and he would start his attack against the red core. Launching with a running lunge, he leapt across the 80 meter gap from himself and the angel. Unfortunately Shinji was met against a force field of some kind. Knowing he didn't have a moment to lose, he began to strike the field with all his might. His strikes filled him with pain, but he kept going, he eventually managed to create a web of cracks after the 5th strike, the field was beginning to break against his strikes. After 3 even more powerful strikes, the field was eroded and broke like glass. Less than 20 meters stood the angel, and Shinji forced it against the ground once more, this time Shinji had Unit-01 straddle his opponent, and used the knife to bash against the red core. He struck it hard and fast, after 10 strikes in less than 15 seconds, the orb began to crack. Shinji never relented, he kept striking and striking. What came next could not be foreseen by Shinji.

Sachiel was in a fit of fright and rage, it was about to die at the hands of an inferior being, by a false brother. It knew it couldn't take much more of the assault, if Sachiel would die, Sachiel would die on its own terms. Sachiel molded itself to the Lilim abomination, and self-destructed. A cross shaped explosion launched into the sky, with the target inside of it. Inside of the flames one being remained, Unit-01 was victorious. But with victory came collateral damage, and injuries to a few occupants of the city.

The stress induced from the final blast proved too much for Shinji. His reward for being victorious against the angel was unconsciousness. The Evangelion slumped over and powered down.

The battle was won, there was hope against the angels, and that hope was a boy who had been abandoned and left alone in the world. What the world didn't know, was what that boy could truly do.

-X-

Before the climax of the battle.

"Alright Shinji, just focus on walking before the angel notices you." Misato said in her captain Katsuragi tone.

After consecutive steps were made, the crew who were present during the battle began to cheer, hope was filled into their hearts. One of the bridge techs or 'bridge bunny' as they would come to be called, notified the pilot of a weapon he can use against the angel.

"Pilot Ikari, there is a shoulder compartment on the left shoulder which houses a blade, it's called the progressive knife, I would advise you to use it." Said a long haired tech named Lieutenant Shigeru Aoba.

With the knife deployed and the pilot formed into a defensive knife stance that would make any martial artist proud, Misato was filled with pride and hope. "He's got this, he can really win." She said with no hidden pride evident.

"It seems your son is even more capable than predicted Ikari." Said Fuyutsuki in a level tone only the commander could hear.

"So it may seem." Said Gendo in as surprised a manner as anyone such as Gendo Ikari could muster.

"Sempai, take a look at the synchro graph, it's steadily increasing." Said another 'bridge bunny' tech, Lieutenant Maya Ibuki.

"As expected, a synch ratio increases during actual combat." Said Doctor Akagi.

A few moments passed, and during that time, the angel began to run towards its target to attack. What followed was a cringe inducing crunch and a ripped appendage.

Some of the techs, Maya in particular, pale faced at the crunch. Following the attack a bright energy strike hit Unit-01 across the stomach, the bridge only watched and waited for the pilot's retaliation.

They watched as Unit-01 came back in close proximity and threw an astonishing left hook across one of the angel's faces.

"Yeah! You can do it, Shinji!" An absolute ecstatic Misato Katsuragi. It seemed she didn't need to throw out orders, as she was witness to a talented boy who knew the way of martial arts.

After the prolonged assault from Unit-01, the angel struck back, a powerful attack from the eyes of the angel hit the Eva hard, but its pilot held up its arms to minimize damage. What followed was a running lunge to get back to the angel after being sent back. But Unit-01 struck against a field of pure energy, the light of the soul.

"An AT field?" Said a nervous Misato, she tried to reach the pilot through communication but there was a problem.

"Shinji. Shinji? Shinji!" She wanted to tell him to bring up his own field to possibly counteract the opposing field. But it seemed as he was ignoring her, or something was wrong with the communication equipment. She looked towards another tech 'bridge bunny' Lieutenant Makoto Hyuga.

"Unable to establish communication to the pilot, the blast must have cut the comms on Unit-01!" Said Hyuga to the captain.

All they could do now was watch, they couldn't guide him or try to help him, it was all up to Shinji.

They watched in awe as Shinji began to strike the field, after 8 strikes he successfully broke the field and launched one final assault. They watched him try to destroy the red core, which in theory was the angel's power source. Before it could be destroyed, they saw the angel cover the unit with its body.

"What's it doing!" Said Misato, she wasn't prepared to see a massive explosion set off against one of humanity's saviors.

"Self destruct! SHINJI!" Cried out a devastated Misato. Cameras around the area were short circuited from the blast. It took multiple minutes until video communication was reestablished. A sigh of relief was shared across the command bridge, all but one sighed.

Doctor Akagi asked Lieutenant Ibuki about the pilot's vitals. Rest assured, as the pilot's vitals were fine, Shinji was only unconscious.

Rescue operations were in effect, led by captain Katsuragi, victory was had. There was no time for celebration, as the damages of the city had to be rebuilt, repairs would be needed for mankind's ultimate weapon, and possible injuries of humanity's savior would need to be tended towards.

"So, she didn't need to be awakened. This wasn't part of your scenario was it?" Asked the Sub-commander.

"No, but this can still be adapted to, why look a gift horse in the mouth, we have received a skilled pilot, that will suffice for now." Said Gendo as he prepared to leave to answer to the committee.

-X-

The hero of humanity must have been sleeping. He heard a voice, a voice he could never forget. It was a soft voice, it was her. Mother. He felt like he was brought into an embrace, he heard a whisper, she said something he's heard from her before, yet, it felt different.

"I'm so proud of you, my son. I love you." Said the long lost voice of his mother. The warm embrace remained for some time. When it ended, he was stirring awake, he opened his eyes.

"…" said Shinji.

'An unfamiliar ceiling.'

End Chapter One: A Silent Battle.