Creation began on 12-06-24

Creation ended on 01-27-25

Neon Genesis Evangelion

Talismans: Back into the Routine

Two weeks. Two weeks…and NERV, a paramilitary agency tasked with destroying unknown creatures dubbed the Angels, using skyscraper-sized constructs called Evangelions, relying on a handpicked few of children with no mothers involved in their lives…was shutdown and liquidated, leaving everyone employed there forced to seek new employment elsewhere. This led to most people that knew of NERV to feel relief towards how their organization would no longer be supported by the UN, of how any agency had been a waste of time and resources right from the start…and only some people to ponder why such an agency existed if the so-called Angels had already been dealt with by some demonic beings fifteen years ago. And then, there was the revelation of a secret society known as SEELE, the group that made NERV and its predecessor agency, GEHIRN, was now being investigated by every investigative agency on the planet for their involvement.

Two weeks of periodic astral projections and information gathering, Shinji, after losing sight of where his father was, returns to his body and begins to get his bearings to return to his apartment.

"…So, you're really heading back to your apartment?" Hideaki asks as Shinji packs his duffel bag. "Just like that?"

"Just like that, Mr. Katsuragi," Shinji tells him, zipping up the bag and tossing it over his left shoulder. "With NERV no longer capable of anything, my old man is out of a job…unless he can apply for some teaching gig elsewhere, but I doubt any would even want to learn from his heartless ass."

"But your father… I…"

"Go on. What about him?"

"I don't know him very well in the present, and I didn't know him well in the past before Second Impact, but what I can tell you is that Gendo is not someone you should consider to be done with you just because he has been met with several setbacks. If he wants something, he'll go to extremes to get it, whatever those extremes are."

"If his father," they hear Auntie say behind Hideaki, and he turns to face her, "or anyone else wants to persist and take a crack at anyone here, they had best make sure that they keep their distance and have means to protect themselves from the blowback."

"Auntie," Shinji greets her and bows his head. "How's that dog treating you?"

"Just as good as the horse every other day," she says. "I'm feeling at the top of my game."

Shinji then steps out of the room he used when he needed to hide from his father and his cronies and heads for the stairs leading up to the shop above.

"Shinji," Auntie stops him for a moment more. "Should you feel the slightest bit of unsafe out there, you know you can come back until the danger passes."

"Yes, Auntie," he replies with a smile, and then turns to leave. "I'll be back tomorrow."

-x-

"…I don't like this," one of the two men say to the woman as they sat around a fast food shop in Ōta. "It's been two weeks since that half-assed paramilitary was disbanded, and we've been trying to keep tabs on these nobodies from a distance with little to show. Damn burrito's gone cold again."

"Same with my teriyaki," the other guy responds, "but as long as the beer is cold, I don't really give a damn. Some of these nobodies work the night shift at that shop, and all seem to be efficient at serving as guards. At least four of them are a regular night watch bunch with interesting aliases."

"Dragon," the woman sighs. "Juggernaut, Bouncer and Steampunk. They sound like nicknames or street names from places where losers grew up. But since these shop people beat the crap out of us the night we lost the talisman locator, we know better than to underestimate someone based solely off of their chosen name. Plus, a lot of nobodies have made-up names they prefer over their real names."

"But what really has me curious among the younger employees of this shop is this Shinji kid that started up when he was twelve. Originally, his full name was Shinji Ikari. Recently, he had his last name changed to Omamori, effectively severing his ties with the Ikari family. Well, that's one way to get emancipated from your relatives without needing their permission. He's been living in this town ever since he left his aunt and uncle's home. His father tried to get him to work for his paramilitary agency, NERV, and it didn't pan out for him. The kid saw an opportunity to get away from him, and he took it."

"Gendo Ikari. What a turd, that man."

"Probably lost his mind when he learned his son changed his name and effectively renounced his familial ties."

"Either way, this kid is among the younger employees at that shop…and one of the more subtle-minded ones; he doesn't give anyone lip or complains about anything. That's Employee of the Month right there…or of the whole year. But why would someone like him want to work at a junk shop? What with his pedigree, he could be looking for a way to get into a university somewhere, but he chooses a junk shop, a place that recycles old things. From the perspective of a treasure hunter, you're either interested in something that is already there…or you're sorting through the garbage in search of the treasure that is hidden within."

-x-

Oh, what a marvel it was to be standing in front of his apartment building again. With a smile on his face, Shinji sighs in relief at how good it feels to finally be back at his building.

"It's good to be back," he utters as he steps inside the building.

Be careful, he stops as he hears what sounds like a woman's voice.

It sounded like Naoko Akagi's voice, except he shouldn't have been able to hear any voices from the astral plane because of how the Sheep Talisman's power works with people. Unless, of course, just because he used the power of astral projection every chance he got, not every individual affected by such a power was affected the same way he and every other person that used the talisman directly. This could mean that Naoko Akagi, a victim of the Evangelion, was likely visible to him when he was in astral form, but he could hear her voice, only subtly.

Walking to the elevator, Shinji steps inside and presses the button for his floor. He was tempted to use the Sheep Talisman to confirm whether or not he was being visited by Ritsuko Akagi's mother, but he decides against it because all he did hear was a voice that sounded like hers saying to be careful. When the elevator reaches his level, he vacates and walks down the hallway, just mere moments away from the comforts of his unit that was his first home since leaving that shameful family behind.

"…I swear," he hears a woman's voice as one comes from around a corner, "I have never met a man as arrogant or despicable as that Gendo Ikari before."

She was in her early twenties, with short, brown hair, wearing a blue dress with a dragon head depicted on the chest and waist.

"Excuse me," Shinji gets her attention upon hearing her talk. "Did you say…Gendo Ikari?"

"Yeah," she replies. "Do you know him?"

"Big guy? Dressed in black? Orange-tinted glasses? Unsettling expression bordering on anger and disgust? A real bastard? Probably drops the temperature around you by ten degrees or so?"

"All of the above, sir, including the 'bastard' designation. He just moved into the unit across the hall from me."

Shinji's eyes widen in disbelief.

"In this building?" He asks her.

"Yes," she answers him. "Unit F-34."

Oh, no, Shinji realizes his new predicament. "Dammit!"

"I take it you know this creep?" The woman asks him.

"He was my father," he reveals, "and he now lives right next door to me."

"Your father? You mean to say that you're the one he calls the 'unreliable traitor' among other choice terms?"

"Of all the… I gotta go."

He heads back to the elevator and presses the button for the ground floor.

-x-

"I'm surprised that the supermarket had these in stock again," went Sheegwa to Cobra Moss as they were bringing back groceries to the shop. "I had to go pass three different markets just to find such canned food."

"Well, with the planet actually restored to its proper axis and state, people are now rebuilding and can afford to stop taking requested items off the shelves just to save on things," Cobra Moss states, happy that the store still has his choice of hair conditioner among other things. "But on the plus side, we do things right, we can look forward to greater days…until someone else tries to start something."

"Why did you have to say… Hey, is that Shinji?"

They look down the street and see someone speed-walking towards the junk shop.

"Must be," Cobra Moss says, noticing the duffel bag over the person's shoulder. "He had a duffel bag with him when he left."

By the time they make it to the shop, they find Hideaki Katsuragi sweeping up the floor and Serpentina at the register, reading another magazine. Both had expressions of woe.

"Did Shinji return?" Sheegwa questions them.

"Yeah," Hideaki answers her, "and he was not happy with what he learned when he got to his building. Not happy at all."

"What happened?" Cobra Moss wants to know.

Shinji's astral form floated up from the floor in front of them, and Hideaki steps back due to his arrival being so sudden.

"What happened?" Cobra Moss repeats.

My father might be living in my building, Shinji reveals to them.

"What?" Hideaki reacts in disbelief. "What is he doing here for?"

"What indeed," went Auntie as she, Juggernaut, Dragon and Drago came out from the back room of the shop. "If his motive is related to Shinji, it would explain why he's likely moved into his building. But since we know nothing about his motives, we need to ascertain what brought this man here to Ōta."

Hideaki raises his left hand up.

"Hideaki?" Auntie questions.

"I could try talking to him," Hideaki suggests.

"What makes you think he'll talk to you?" Serpentina asks him.

"If he's here for Shinji, I'll remind him why he needs to back off."

"If this Gendo is dead set on pursuing a vendetta," went Drago, familiar with the desires of vengeance and how far one will go to pursue them, "he may not be reasonable. He may not even discuss his reasons to anyone."

"Take Juggernaut with you," Auntie tells Hideaki, which surprises Shinji and Sheegwa.

"Why Juggernaut?" Sheegwa asks Auntie.

"He's been to Shinji's building, and he has dealt with uninvited guests before…and his warnings often get taken seriously."

Hideaki looks at Juggernaut and can only imagine the pain he could and would feel if he crosses the man…and gulps a breath of air.

"If he doesn't talk," Juggernaut says, "I'll make sure he can't talk."

I'll be waiting for you, then, Shinji tells them and then flies out the shop towards his building to eavesdrop on his father.

-x-

SEELE no longer had anything to gain from NERV or Gendo, but Gendo still had something to gain from this unexpected turn of events, which was revenge on his son for abandoning him when he had a need for him. Once he did what he needed to do, there would be nothing left to say. The world was already rebuilding itself after these so-called demons had restored it to its pre-Second Impact state, but he doesn't want to be a part of it without Yui, who was now out of his reach forever after the cores of the Evas were destroyed, and he blames Shinji for preventing them from being together. Despite being informed of what he needed to know, no more than less of the situation, the boy chose to abandon his purpose, and he would answer for all of it, no matter what it took him.

I see nothing of particular interest with this building, Gendo thinks as he looks out on his unit's balcony at the neighborhood around him…and then to his left at the empty balcony next door. You ruined everything with your defiance, and I will ruin your life here.

But because he was so focused on what he wanted to do, Gendo fails to take notice of the two individuals crossing the street nearby and heading towards the building.

-x-

"Shinji lives in this building by himself?" Hideaki questions Juggernaut as they enter the apartment complex Shinji resided in since he left his aunt and uncle's. "He didn't strike me as the modern architectural type."

"When you're Shinji Omamori, there's many things in his life that can surprise you," Juggernaut expresses as they step into the elevator. "Sixth floor, Unit F-35. Half the time, his door has his nameplate on it, but he hasn't had time to get a new one made to replace his old one."

"What is the plan if Gendo refuses to leave Shinji alone?"

"We all work at Auntie's. This man bothers Shinji, he bothers the entire shop, and we'll treat him like we'll treat the Demon Sorcerers."

Ding. The elevator reached the sixth floor, and they stepped out and walked to the left of the hallway towards Gendo's unit.

"He's likely armed," Hideaki warns Juggernaut.

"I've dealt with guns before," he informs him. "Adrenaline relieves the fear of bullets and the intensity of rage."

They came to the door and could see Shinji's astral form standing beside it.

He's in there, Shinji reveals to them, and Juggernaut presses the doorbell.

"I'll be subtle," Juggernaut says. "I'm good with subtlety."

"Who is it?" They hear a voice say to them.

"Friends of Omamori-San," Hideaki utters, and the door opens to reveal Gendo, who looks like he's seen better days. "Ikari."

"What do you want?"

"We're here to deliver a message," Juggernaut expresses, and then grabs Gendo by his shirt and slams him against the wall, surprising Hideaki. "You so much as go after Shinji Omamori just once, just once, and you better make damn sure you got life insurance, because I'll make sure the ground opens beneath your miserable feet. He's off limits to you. You hear me?"

"This is subtle?" Hideaki questions.

"He's still breathing and has all his digits."

"Are you threatening me?" Gendo asks them.

"No," Juggernaut tells him. "This is a warning to you to leave one of our own alone when he decides to come home. When it becomes a threat, you'll know of it. Don't make me have to come back here to see you. Do we understand each other?"

Gendo didn't expect for a young man like this to be willing to use deadly force on him if he felt it was necessary to defend his rebellious son, but he decided to play along for now.

"I got it," he says. "Now, unhand me."

Juggernaut kindly releases Gendo from his grasp…and then holds up his gun in his right hand, surprising Hideaki again because he didn't see Juggernaut relieve him of the weapon at all.

"You got a permit to carry this?" Juggernaut asks him, taking out the bullet in the spout.

"I do," Gendo answers, and then he disarms the gun of its mag before handing it back to him.

"Piece of advice: Don't carry a piece unless you have every intention to pull the trigger on someone, and don't go bothering Shinji again. He was supposed to come home today and was looking forward to it until he found out you moved in. Move on with your life and let him live his. Good day to you."

As Juggernaut turns to leave, Hideaki stays behind and looks at Gendo.

"Look," he tells Gendo, "I don't really know what it is you're doing here in Ōta for, and I honestly don't care, but if you give the shop any indication, just one reasonable excuse, that you're out to hurt Shinji, then all bets are off. I've only been working there for a few weeks now since I met them, but I've seen enough to know that everyone that works there are a tight-knit bunch. I wouldn't threaten them or anything to turn their lives sideways. Even the nobodies deserve to be left alone to be who they are."

"That makes no sense," Gendo responds.

"Not everything does. Not everything really has to. All that really needs to be understood…is that you had a chance earlier in your life to make amends with your son…and you threw it away. Instead of trying to get to know Shinji when you had the chance to, you decided to try and exploit him, and he had already decided that you were not going to exploit him for your own ends. It's hard enough for any child or orphan to admit to themselves that they were failed by their parents in one sense or another…but it is just as hard for any parent to accept that they chose to fail their children…and aren't entitled to their forgiveness or a second chance to atone for their failure."

"Who says I failed him?" Gendo questions.

"You do. Every single time you choose to try and become a thorn in his side. I have to respect Misato's personal space and keep my distance if I am ever to try and get back in her good graces, but if you don't respect Shinji's personal space, it's unlikely that you two will ever reconcile."

"I don't have time for a petulant child like him."

Hideaki sees Shinji's astral body and notices how his expression is full of resentment.

"Your choice of words hurt more than you can imagine, Gendo," he tells him. "I will pray for your soul. Have a nice day. And stay away from Shinji."

As he turns to walk away, Shinji's astral form watches as Gendo quietly fumes as he returns to the inside of his unit.

"Who do these people think they are?" Gendo questions, reaching into a small box and pulling out another mag for his gun. "Telling me to stay away from the boy. It's his fault I am here to begin with. If he had just done what he was expected to do from the start, none of this would have happened. But no, he had to go and rebel and run away when he saw an opportunity to do so. So, he's going to pay for his rebellious behavior, one way or another."

Shinji frowns and shakes his head in the negative towards this man; Juggernaut's warning clearly didn't get through that thick head of his, despite the subtlety of force being hinted at if he was forced to come back for a reprisal visit. If his father was dead set on bothering him, then the line was already crossed, and this man had zero intention of leaving well enough alone. Fortunately, Shinji had the advantage of monitoring his father and gathering information that he couldn't have gained without the use of the Sheep Talisman, so he was going to stick around for a while to find something on Gendo that he could use as personal leverage. It was always the best thing to have something for a rainy-day fund.

Seeing as you hardly sleep, all I can do is watch and wait for you to do something stupid when you think nobody's watching and listening, Shinji says as he ponders when his father will decide to snooze for a bit.

-x-

Drago found the limited information on Gendo Ikari to be anything but limited as to the type of person he chose to be. In practically every sense, the man, while human, had the same behavioral levels as those of his own father; both Shendu and Gendo Ikari were full of deception and a willingness to exploit others to get what they wanted from a situation they had no control over. The only difference between them was that, while Shendu, deprived of the talismans and forced to rely on the assistance of people that were willing to do anything, including harm others, in exchange for wealth or power, Gendo, who likely had nothing now that NERV was shut down, had to do everything on his own, refusing to be dependent on others, as he lacked the capacity to trust anyone. But just like Shendu, Gendo was still likely holding personal secrets that others were unaware of, hoping those secrets will serve as a sort of personal power over others in the future, and just like Shendu, Gendo would likely make the same degree of mistakes that included underestimating the people he saw as pawns or foes, something Drago wasn't going to repeat with his new lease on life.

"Learning anything new, Mr. Drago?" Desdemona asks him as she finds him in his room in the warehouse, using an old laptop.

"Shinji's father is a… His father is a lot like my father," he tells her. "They're both terrible parents that don't know how to be parents."

"Yeah. He came here once while Shinji was working. Basically, harassing him because he chooses to work here rather than for his father."

"That's awful."

"But Shinji couldn't let him have his way. A guy like that…is unworthy of his son's respect."

"Hell for the fathers is known only as the wrath and scorn of their sons."

"That sounds very extreme. Who said that?"

"I did."

"Impressive."

"Thank you."

Drago then notices that Desdemona was standing in his doorway, as if waiting for him to say something else unrelated to what he was doing with his free time.

"Was there something else you wanted to ask me?" He questions her.

"Tea?" She offers him, and he smiles.

"Yes, please," he responds.

-x-

Dai Gui couldn't help but silently sneer at Shendu's current predicament of being nothing but a statue without a single one of his talismans. Before returning to this building, he made sure to leave the Tiger Talisman with Po Kong as insurance against this sneaky dragon. So far, his brother's human allies were just keeping tabs on these people that live in Ōta, where Hsi Wu last saw Drago, who now seems to be living there with the people that run an antique shop; unlike Shendu's allies, the ones belonging to the Moon and Thunder Demons were a bit more reliable at information gathering due to being shut-ins most of the time. Taking a step back and learning from their past mistakes, the other Demon Sorcerers found their limited knowledge of human behavior and unpredictability, as well their innovation of science and technology to have been their reason for failing, time and again, at securing their permanence as the masters of the world. As humans would say, those that failed to learn from history were the ones condemned to repeat their mistakes, and they needed to make sure that they did everything right this time around since realizing they were in a different universe where the Chans were not present.

"You look like you have nothing else to think about, Shendu," Dai Gui tells the imprisoned serpent mounted on the wall. "Then again, you always look this way."

"You should try it sometimes," Shendu retorts; because of his immobility, all he could do was take offense to anything anyone says to him.

"This time around, things will be different."

"Do you two think you can argue less until after we learn everything about the people that work at this shop in Ōta?" The human boss that Shendu employs questions as he goes over a newspaper article from the previous day. "You'll have plenty of time and opportunity to hash it all out once all distractions are removed from your path."

Both Demon Sorcerers are reminded that this route they were taking, while costing them personal patience, was only due to the fact that they weren't working on a tight schedule. As immortals, they have nothing but time to resolve their problems. The only difference for them was their impatience with things, something they need to work on.

"I may have found something you can use against one of the employees there," he tells the demonic brothers. "Now that NERV has been disbanded, this man, Gendo Rokubungi-Ikari is currently out of a job and has no reestablished connections with the Japanese education system."

"And this human should be of use to us because…" Dai Gui asks, unimpressed.

"He's the father of Shinji Omamori, formerly Shinji Ikari, one of the younger employees of Auntie's Rare Antiquities. Says here that he once tried to employ his son, but he escaped from him at around the time the planet was restored to its proper axis to return to Ōta. From what it says in this article, his son was pretty much emancipated from the Ikari family at an earlier age, severing his ties from them completely after legally changing his last name a few weeks ago. Seems like the father would want payback against his son for abandoning him."

"Children will always rebel against their superiors," Shendu responds to this.

"Shendu, is that the pot calling the kettle black?" Dai Gui retorts, reminding him that he also has a son that has turned away from him, even tried to kill him several times.

"Grrr," Shendu growls.

"Gentlemen," the boss man utters, reminding them that they could settle their differences at another time. "As I was saying, this Gendo Ikari may offer an opportunity against his son, who works at the shop. All he needs is a little incentive."

"And what incentive would work on this human?" Dai Gui questions.

"If the man wants payback against his son for supposedly ruining his life, then we offer him a route to pursue his payback."

-x-

So, it's true, then, Shinji expresses as he sees the astral body of the woman he freed from Unit-00. It was your voice I heard warning me to be careful…Ms. Akagi.

Naoko Akagi, wanting to keep as much of a tab on Gendo as she could now that she was free from the Evangelion, had no idea that Shinji lived in the building Gendo moved into, and felt she had to warn him when she saw him walk into the building. She was puzzled at why Gendo would relocate to the same city and neighborhood as his son, but wasn't going to put aside the desire for revenge against him.

Hello again, Shinji, she greets him within his father's apartment as said man was eating takeout while watching the news. It would appear that we both have a reason to keep tabs on this man.

I honestly expected you to wander around and catch up with the world now that you were freed from the Evangelion, he tells her. Or at least follow your daughter around. Why follow my father around? Unless, of course, the reason includes haunting him in his sleep.

Haunting him? Now, that's something I could try to do every now and then. Anything he does now could serve to further disgrace him now that he has no authority over anyone. But when he chose to come here, I followed him. I had no idea you lived in this building, though.

I don't broadcast my feelings toward the people I dislike or have yet to believe I can trust yet. Also, you have a personal history with my parents, something that, while I don't let it get in the way of my own relationships with people, is a factor in the way I tolerate you.

But even if Shinji was aware of the fact that this wandering spirit had an affair with his father, the same as her daughter later on, it didn't matter much because nobody was perfect; sooner or later, someone somewhere would commit a sin that would tarnish their relationship with someone else. And his parents were nowhere near the level of saints in anything they did. They could've been medical advisors, musicians, bakers, even firefighters, but what they chose to be with their lives had done nothing but hurt others, and he had to get away from that despicable family before they dragged him down a dark hole that he couldn't have escaped from on his own.

I think it's safe to say that your father has it out for you, Naoko states to Shinji as they see Gendo take out a folder and open it up to reveal it was a photo of Shinji.

Bastard, Shinji responds. If he tries anything, he will answer for it in the worst possible way.

Naoko was under the impression that Shinji meant that Gendo would pay with his life if he goes after him.

How big are your priorities? She asks him as they take notice of some papers listing how long Shinji spends in school and how long he works at the shop on each day.

We have demons that want to enslave the human race for their own leisure, he informs her. They restored the planet to its previous state, disposed of Lilith and the other Angels, and we're taking steps to ensure that they won't become the new gods among us insects that are better off without anyone becoming our overseers. My priorities are…the same as everyone else's. But this man is threatening me, threatening a routine I wish to get back to.

You have a routine?

Everyone has a routine, an order to their lives, something to help them navigate what we understand to be a chaotic world that we live in. And to have it uprooted by some…by some punks that can't take a hint that their presence isn't wanted…just throws it all off.

That's true.

Didn't you once have a routine? Didn't you once have a set of things to do that kept order in your life, Ms. Akagi?

Once upon a time, young man. Once upon a time.

I'm guessing this jerk ruined it like he ruins most of everything else that he touches?

Exactly.

Since it was clearly oblivious to these two wandering souls that Gendo was clearly coming after Shinji, there would need to be some plans set for when to deal with him should he cross the line. Until then, Shinji would likely have to extend his stay at the shelter under the shop; even if Gendo had been threatened by Juggernaut, the man was unlikely to take the hint and know his place in his son's life, which was just as nonexistent as his aunt and uncle and their kid, even his own mother.

Where do you see yourself a few years from now? Shinji asks Naoko. Where do you see yourself after all of this?

Hopefully, someplace better than where he's at, she says as she points at Gendo, who was holding a picture of the shop where Shinji works. I fail to see his sudden interest in your work employment history, though. He chose the path of science, technology and politics. You chose the path of reusing items other people want to discard. You clearly follow two different paths that go down two different routes to entirely different outcomes. Your father's route takes him down a point of no return, but yours goes down one your only limits are the ones you allow for yourself. Where do you see yourself a few years from now?

I see myself living a life of stability, living a routine that works for me. Maybe meeting someone I don't mind spending my personal time with. What I need right now is stability, something I can't have with someone like my father getting in my way.

Naoko could see that Shinji, even without the aid of his familial ties, had a life that was something he really wished to get back to. Even if most of it was lived in the astral plane due to some artifact he possessed, the fact that he had a life he enjoyed was something he took pleasure in. But being denied his right to embrace the other aspects of such a life, and by a relative out to get him, no less, was what most young people would refer to as a buzzkill.

And what's more, Shinji continues, I still need to work to save up on things I'm after in my job. I'm trying to acquire an incomplete set of artifacts that have been around longer than I have been alive and will promise me more stability as I get older.

An incomplete set? Why are you after an incomplete set when it's better to have the full set?

Any large number out of a set of twelve is better than not having the whole set at all. In my case, it's a set of relics associated with the Zodiac, with each animal representing a different type of power that can be granted to whoever possesses it. I acquired the sheep, and here I am, enjoying it the most. I haven't had much practice with any of the other acquired members of the Zodiac, but this job affords me time to study each relic I am after. My employer, Auntie, has more than a dozen workers that are loyal to her and each one of them covets something at her shop…and each one of them will work their ass off to acquire the stability necessary to obtain that which they desire from her, which she will give to them when they have earned it.

And you want to earn what you're after.

Yes. To earn is to prove that you can deserve…and to deserve is to prove that you can earn.

To deserve is to prove that you can earn, but to earn, you must prove that you can deserve what you're after. A rather strange philosophy that Shinji used on Naoko, but one she can accept because Shinji was like any other person that didn't have everything handed to him. No, he had to put in the effort to understand what he was after, what he was getting into, to develop the taste for it, to become addicted to it and desire more of it. He basically developed a quality and was proud of it because it brought him comfort, stimulation that he didn't get from somewhere, or from someone else.

I'll help you put an end to your father if you want, she tells him.

By helping me, he responds, you will help yourself, as well.

People like your father, they think the rules don't apply to them when they do, that they need to respect the personal space of others that may not allow themselves to be manipulated by them. And if they refuse to accept such boundaries, then they leave themselves vulnerable to the repercussions of their choices.

Shinji watches as his father continues to study his personal file, which likely held some details of his public life…but not everything was public in his life that people only saw the surface of.

He's just another enemy on the list of potential threats, Shinji expresses. Let him be dealt with in a timely manner before he escalates out of control.

To be continued…

A/N: And with this, another ally is obtained and other enemies learn of the situation that has shifted in all directions. Everyone on all sides is trying to take control of the power struggle by using different tactics, but have yet to make large moves against the opposition that exists, and Shinji, who was looking forward to returning to his apartment, has to extend his stay a little longer at the shop until things with his father are handled to some degree. Until the next chapter.