Shinji Ikari: The Angel of Vengeance

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

"Messaging"

'I've never asked for this. I never wanted any of this.'

A lone boy sat in the middle of a park. It would take a second glance to see if that boy was actually real. He was as still as a statue, but up close you could see the fresh tears that reflected from the bright sun across his face. That boy was humanity's savior, NERV's ultimate warrior, the Third Child, the angel killer, Shinji Ikari.

"I'm so sorry, Toji. I should have been better, I should've done something, anything. But I didn't do anything, and now…I'm so sorry." Shinji sobbed to no one in particular. To have your own hands be used by another force to murder, how could he continue. The Eva only brought him pain, and now…it inflicted pain on others. 'What would be the point of saving lives, If you can't even save one.'

"Shinji?" The boy was brought out of his dangerous thoughts by a familiar voice. The voice held a certain calmness and kindness. The voice held no judgment on what she was viewing from the emotional boy in front of her. She was a classmate, she was one of the few people that he made acquaintances with at school when he first transferred in. She had short red hair, light blue-gray eyes, she was wearing a casual dress that suited her well. Her name is Mana Kirishima.

Not bothering to wipe away his tears, he sniffed before acknowledging her. "H…Hey Kirishima." He said with a sad smile followed by a small wave.

"Are you…alright?" She asked with concern. She encircled the front of him, to put her in a straight view.

"I…I'm…no." He gave a loud, sharp sigh. "I'm not alright." He should've lied, pushed her away to not trouble her with his own problems.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked while taking a seat right next him, a comfortable distance away, to listen.

"I don't want to bother you with my problems, I'm sorry." He mumbled. He lowered his gaze away from the girl.

She shifted her position and got closer, when she was right in front of him, she knelt down. She then placed her hand under his chin and had him face her.

"I'm here for you. I'll be here to listen…as a friend." She said with a slight tinge of pink in her cheeks.

Classified information be damned, he couldn't hold it in anymore. He's been neglected by everyone on what has transpired over the days, and now with an open ear in front of him, that he doubted would judge him, he told her what was troubling him, the sins that have been committed.

"The last attack, an angel hijacked the Eva, one that was just brought in from the States…the Eva had a test pilot, he was my friend." Tears filled his eyes once more. "And I didn't do anything, I was useless, when the angel took out both of my fellow pilots, it stalked up to me. It began to strangle me, and I did nothing. I wanted to save him, but I didn't want to hurt him. I wouldn't murder my own friend, I refused to, I would have rather died. Next thing I know, the feeling of being strangled ceased, but I wasn't in control anymore. Some auto pilot system took over." He began sobbing while explaining the details of what he was forced to see. "I begged him to stop it, I told him it was done, and he…he used me, he broke me. I watched as my hands, against my will, crushed the very plug that held my friend." He broke down when he confessed the sin that was haunting him. He was on all fours, about to vomit, remembering what he had and had not done.

She was horrified at what the boy was put through. She wanted to comfort him, so she put herself into action. She latched onto him, and held him as tight as she could.

"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry." She cooed her comforting voice over her own tears, right beside his ear while she held him.

The boy had been held like this a few times, yet somehow, this time it felt different. The way he was being comforted was something he never thought he needed nor deserved. Right now the whole world stood still, nothing else mattered now, it was just him and the girl right in front of him.

"I've never had a shoulder to cry on." Shinji said in a small whisper, afterwards he gave a sad chuckle. "No one ever really cared about how I was, how I felt. All they cared about was if I got in the goddamn Eva." Shinji ended with a sharp intake of breath. He truly felt no one cared about him, not Shinji Ikari, the young man, but Pilot Ikari, the Third Child. Even his guardian cared more about her vendetta than she did him.

"I don't know what to do. I don't even know if he's alive." He said sniffing. "All I remember was seeing red, and threats of destruction. Then I blacked out, and woke up in a holding cell. I was being charged with insubordination and threatening a superior. They let me out after a day, and I've been here ever since." He got out of the embrace and looked toward the girl, tears still in his eyes. He gave the best smile he could at the moment. "Thank you. For being here for me. It means so much to me."

"I…You're welcome… You seemed as if you needed help. I want to help you." She said with blush.

"I'd like that." The boy said with a smile. It then turned into a frown with his given predicament. "I still don't know what to do, can I really go back?"

"I don't know…if you can't decide now, you should ask around and build towards a choice. But you should check if Suzahara is alive. If he is alive, you should talk to him first."

"You're right…I may not be ready to face him, but I mustn't run away, I have to face him." With a sigh and a now determined look he continued. "Thanks…Mana. I owe you one."

"I'll keep that in mind." She gave a light giggle.

The two stared into each other's eyes, they both shared a blush until the worst possible interruption took place. Warning klaxons. An angel was approaching.

The boy stood up and helped his companion up. "You should get to a shelter. Please…be safe."

She gave him a stern look, and a nod. She turned away and was about to begin her way to the nearest shelter when he spoke once more.

"Wait! I…uh…maybe soon….would you…uh…like to…" His face began to turn beet red, then she cut him off with a giggle.

"I would like that. But please, be careful."

"…" He gave her a strong nod, and then a promise.

"I'll come back…I promise."

Once the boy was out of sight, she began the journey to a shelter. 'Shinji…please be careful…stay safe…come back to me.'

And with that, he ran, he ran as fast as he could.

'One last ride…whatever it takes. I have to make it back.'

With the angel just outside of the city, he just hoped he wouldn't be too late. He would have to re-enter the geofront and get to HQ, he hoped that the outside defenses would do their job and distract the angel for as long as possible. He had a choice to make, but first he would have to defeat the angel, if it came to that. He now ran with purpose. He had a promise to keep