"She's late."
Raising his arm, semi-obscured by a white long sleeve under a black tee, the brunet checked the timepiece hugging his wrist, deep blue eyes narrowing.
"I don't like people being late."
Dropping the limb, the teen took some time to survey his surroundings, silently making note of the nonexistent population density.
The boy raised the handset beside him, punching in the phone number hastily scribbled onto a provocative photo of the woman he was attempting to reach.
"Due to a city-wide emergency, the phone lines have been temporarily disabled. Please make your way to one of the nearby shelters."
With a groan, the teen slammed the receiver back into its housing, doing so with a bit more force than intended, before sliding the photo back into his khaki pockets and grabbing his bookbag from the sidewalk.
"He calls me over here, makes me pay for my own ticket, and then can't even send someone to pick me up on time?"
He checked his wrist once more, growing further irritated at the growing distance between the assigned time and now.
"Whatever he wants, it's not gonna happen."
Throwing the bag on, the 16-year-old began walking toward one of the shelters mentioned in the automated message.
Before he could take a step, however, a flash of blue caught his eyes, causing the youth to jerk his head toward whatever it was.
What he saw briefly snaffled his breath.
Before him stood a girl no younger than himself, her blue locks cut just below her chin as brilliant ruby-red eyes seemed to bore right through to his soul.
But the instant he blinked, she was gone.
And the explosion came.
The brunet slammed his palms over his ears before looking upward, just barely catching sight of the aircraft fleet as they flew off toward their destination.
"I wish my driver showed that kind of hustle."
But before the boy could even laugh at his own joke, he had to retract the statement as he came to a crucial realization.
The jets were, in fact, not heading toward something.
Rather, they were fleeing something.
And Shinji Ikari could now see why.
Not too far off in the distance stood a massive…thing, its thin arms extending down to its knees, the latter tacked onto two elongated, disproportionately sized legs.
In the center of its solar plexus rested a bright red object, guarded by bone-like formations that seemed to also make up its small head and massive shoulders.
All in all, it was evil-looking.
And Shinji wanted nothing to do with it.
The youth ducked as a second set of jets cut through the city, fervently making their way toward the beast as their retreating comrades shot retaliatory rockets.
Rockets that did nothing to halt the beast's advance.
The monster stuck an arm out, aiming its palm at the mass of vehicles before firing a purple beam of energy.
The attack eviscerated over half the fleet, sending the firey remains into the city and buildings below.
"Woah!"
The teen dived forward, narrowly avoiding a jet wing that threatened to crush his 5'9 form.
Rising to his feet, the boy quickly ran 60 meters opposite the carnage, managing to avoid the beast's massive foot.
Suddenly, the sound of burning rubber met the teen's ears as the distinct sound of a door opening followed soon after.
"Are you Shinji?!"
The youth turned toward his left, settling his sights on a lavender-haired woman.
"The same one from the picture."
"Yeah! I'm Shinji Ikari. You're Captain Misato, right?"
"Yeah! Get in!"
The brunet all but dove into the car, barely managing to close the door before the woman sped off.
"Copy that sir. We'll deploy the ordinance according to plan."
Placing the phone down, the military officer looked at the man beside him, offering only two words.
"Drop it."
"Are they…are they dropping an N2 mine?! Are they insane?!"
Misato dropped the binoculars before covering the teen with her body.
"Get down!"
And not a moment too soon.
The explosion that followed was deafening as the resulting force threw the vehicle a few meters back, the car rolling as it did so.
Contrary to how they started, it was now Shinji shielding Misato, the taller of the two wrapping his torso over the captain before securing her with his arms.
"GOT EM!"
The man who'd called for the bomb turned about-face, an arrogant grin on his face as he stared at the duo at the back of the room.
"Sorry, it seems like your help wasn't needed-"
"ATTENTION: SHOCK WAVE INCOMING!"
"Are you alright, Captain?"
"Yeah, but my mouth tastes like dirt."
The teen couldn't help but laugh a little before looking around the vehicle, taking note of the dented hood and cracked passenger window.
"I hope you've got insurance."
"I do, but I don't think it covers damage done by warheads."
"Then it's not good insurance then, is it?"
It was the Captain's turn to laugh now as she leaned back, resting her head on the boy's chest.
"You're a pretty funny kid."
"I make jokes when I'm nervous."
"Really? Your file hadn't mentioned that."
"Did it mention the time I tripped in front of the girl I liked?"
"Nope."
"Then I guess it's not as thorough as you thought."
His tone was a mixture of humor and ire, a mixture that wasn't lost on Misato's ears.
Reaching upward, Shinji managed to unlock the door before opening it, using the roof of the vehicle to pull himself out.
"Here, let me help you."
Reaching into the vehicle, the youth grabbed hold of the Captain's arm, pulling her upward with one hand and supporting her bottom with the other.
The teen then rounded the vehicle, facing the freshly dented roof of the car.
"Help me push."
"Kk."
With a short jog, Misato was beside him, both pushing against the top of the car in an effort to return it to its wheels.
Before long, the car leveled, allowing the duo to continue toward their destination.
"It won't start."
Had the car started.
Stepping outside the car, Shinji made his way to the back before opening the trunk and taking a look at the engine.
"The batteries shot and it looks like your radiator hose got torn as well."
"Can we fix it?"
The brunet scanned the area, deep blue eyes searching for a possible solution.
And before long, he found one.
"There's a department store a few hundred meters out. They should have a car battery but I don't think they'll have a new hose."
"Can we drive without one?"
"A radiator hose? If you want your engine to explode, sure."
"So no."
"Nope.
"Current status of the target?"
"Target status unknown, EMI too strong."
A brief pause filled the space before a series of pings rang out.
"Sensors back online."
"Energy readings at ground zero."
"Visual feedback online."
The men occupying the room couldn't believe their eyes as they watched the massive screen before them.
"No way."
"It's alive."
"All done."
"Are you sure that'll hold?"
"Not in the slightest! But they didn't have the hose and we kinda need the engine."
"But duck-taping it back together? Really?"
"Better that than getting squished."
"You're right."
After closing the hood, Shinji slid into the passenger seat before buckling himself up.
Not even an hour into meeting her and he already knew the captain liked to drive fast.
Unlike the teen, Misato left herself unbuckled, opting instead to retrieve a phone from the glovebox before starting the car.
"Alrighty, Shinji! Next stop: NERV!"
"As predicted, its body is regenerating."
"Of course it is. Otherwise, it'd be useless as a standalone weapon."
The hulking figure emitted a bright flash from its chest, scrambling the signal and cutting the monitor's visual feed.
"Exceptional. It seems to have enhanced its abilities."
The younger of the two pushed his tinted glasses up before obscuring his mouth with his hands once more.
"And it's getting smarter."
"It's only a matter of time before it resumes its advance."
"Special Agency Nerv?"
"Yep! It's a secret organization operating under the UN."
Shinji nodded his head before casting a stray glance at the letter peeking out of his book bag, the envelope in less than stellar condition.
"And that's where my father works, isn't it?"
"Right. Do you know what it is your father does?"
The brunet offered a dry chuckle, his fists tightening around the loose khakis adorning his lower half.
"Besides being a deadbeat? No not really."
Misato leaned back into the car seat, closing her eyes as she felt the vehicle move along the lift.
"I'm guessing you don't like your father very much."
"You're a good guesser."
The lavender-haired woman could only chuckle, hazel eyes still obscured by their lids.
"That makes us the same."
"As of this moment, you have command over this operation. Let's see what you can do."
The bearded man, seemingly an older version of Shinji, offered a small nod in response.
"Understood, sir."
A bout of silence filled the space before the military officer spoke once more, a light tint of ire in his iris.
"Ikari. Do you really think you can beat this thing?"
"It's the sole reason Nerv exists, sir."
The man could only furrow his brow slightly before nodding.
"Then don't let us down."
"Hey, Ritsuko!"
The faux blonde could only roll her eyes in response, said eyes tinted with annoyance.
"Don't "Hey, Ritsuko!" me. We're short on time and manpower! Where have you been?"
"Picking up some of that much-needed manpower!"
It was only then that the blonde had turned her attention to the blushing brunet standing in the elevator.
"So is this the boy?"
Misato nodded.
"Yip yip. He's the Third Child."
Sticking a hand out, the aforementioned teen offered it to the new woman, a light smile on his face as he looked anywhere but down.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Shinji Ikari."
The woman returned the gesture, a smile on her face as gave the teen a once-over.
"Ritsuko Akagi. It's nice to meet you as well."
The faux-blonde turned her eyes back to the captain, her smile showing her amusement.
"I already know what you're thinking and yeah, he looks a lot like his father. Kid's way funnier than that grouch though."
"I land a good punchline here and there."
For the briefest of moments, Ritsuko looked…skeptical, as if she was unsure if the teen before her was truly Shinji Ikari.
"No. The Institute has never been wrong."
And with that thought of reassurance, a smile was calmly back on the swimsuit-clad woman's face.
"I'll leave you in charge."
With a press of a button, the lift whisked away the bearded man to the lower levels of the building, leaving the grey-haired by his lonesome.
"How long has it been since he's last seen him…"
Before he could muse on the subject too long, a youthful voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Deputy Commander, the target has begun moving again."
The older man sighed before narrowing his brow and turning about face.
"Very well. All personnel to their battle stations."
"Call me crazy…but I don't remember the brochure mentioning a giant robot."
Ritsuko chuckled.
"You were right, Misato. He really is funny."
"Told ya."
Turning toward the youth, Ritsuko shifted her expression from one of humor to one of business, characterized by furrowed brows and narrowed eyes.
"This is the ultimate multi-purpose decisive combat weapons system created by man. The Artificial Human, Evangelion. This is Unit 01 of the series."
"This is part of my father's work, isn't it."
"Correct."
Storm-blue eyes shot up to the deck above the Eva, resting themselves on an all too familiar yet oddly unfamiliar face.
"Father…I knew you had to have a hand in this. Who else would pick such a god-awful paint job?"
Misato snickered in the background, watching the family reunion as though it was primetime TV.
The words that came next from her commander, however, killed that laughter.
"Launch the Eva."
The Captain immediately shook her head, confusion and disbelief fresh on her expression.
"Launch the Eva? You mean the one that's still grounded?"
She received no verbal response as the commander and the faux-blonde opted to instead cast their sights on Unit 01.
Something that didn't go unnoticed.
"You can't be serious."
"We have no other choice
Confusion turned to ire as the Captain's voice rose in volume.
"And what about Rei? She's in no condition to pilot! Who do you expect to steer that thing?"
"Me."
All three adults suddenly turned to the previously forgotten of brunet, a spot of shock on two of the three's faces.
"They expect me to pilot the Eva. Is that correct, father?"
"Yes."
Misato was now fully in disbelief as she turned toward the blonde once more, her neck growing discomfortable from the constant turning of her head.
"But how?! It took Rei 7 months to synchronize with Unit 01. He just got here!"
"All he has to do is sit in the cockpit."
"But-"
"Our number one priority right now is defeating the Angels. If anyone is even remotely capable of synchronizing with an Eva then we need them to try, regardless of experience."
There was a stretch of silence as the lavender-haired woman ground her teeth before answering.
"...You're right."
Content with the response, Ritsuko turned toward the prospective pilot, raising a hand to rest on his shoulder.
"So, Shinii, will you pilot Unit 01?"
The teen only ignored the woman, choosing instead to glare at his father.
A glare the man returned back twofold.
"…13 years."
"What?"
"You abandoned me for 13 years claiming that I was no use to you-"
"There is a need for you now-"
"Go fuck yourself. I'm not piloting that thing and I'm going back home. The next letter I get mentioning you better be about your funeral."
As though to punctuate his sentence, a shockwave rang out, the force of which caused the space to shake.
The brunet turned about face, intent on returning to the dinghy that'd brought him to the mechanical beast in hopes it'd take him away from it.
Before he could take a step, however, a hand on his arm stopped him.
Blue eyes met the form of Misato Katsuragi, the typically jovial woman now firm and serious.
"Shinji. Get in the Eva."
"Let go of me."
His tone was cold, so cold in fact that it reminded the woman of the commander standing right above them.
Changing tactics, the Captain released the youth's arm, opting instead to offer him a look of sympathy.
"Shinji, tell me, why did you come all this way?"
The question elicited a noise not dissimilar to a growl as the boy turned his head slightly, glaring at his father.
"13 years of child support is a nice chunk of change."
The joke, if it even was one, earned no laugh from the woman, her expression remaining a mix of soft and stern as she looked up at the teen.
"I don't believe that. I think you came here seeking something more. And if that's the case then you can't run away. Not from him and especially not from yourself."
Whatever reaction the woman expected, she didn't get as the prospective pilot raised an eyebrow at her.
"He leaves me for 13 years but I'm the one running away? I think you're having this conversation with the wrong Ikari, Captain."
Peeling his eyes away from the woman, Shinji again began to walk to the dinghy, a fair bit angrier than he was previously.
From his elevated position, Gendo turned to the screen at his left, calling a name.
"Fuyutsuki."
The display lit up, showing a grey-haired man in some sort of control room."
"Yes?"
"Wake up Rei."
"Is she able to pilot in her condition?"
"Is she alive?"
"…Yes."
"Then you have your answer."
"Understood."
Once again, the display shifted however, no visual feed came up.
"Rei."
"Yes?"
"The backup has failed. I need you again."
"Yes, sir."
A brief lull in the space occurred before being broken by the faux-blonde, her attention turned toward the crews up above.
"Reconfigure Unit 01 for Rei Ayanami! Reactivate!"
"Roger. Suspending current tasks and initiating reactivation."
Steps away from the boat, Shinji could only shake his head as he came to a certain truth.
"13 years later and he's still a piece of shit."
Right before stepping onto the watercraft, the sound of doors opening caught his ears, causing him to turn back.
His eyes caught sight of a group of doctors, each holding onto a stretcher they rolled into the space, stopping right in front of the Eva.
From his position, Shinji caught a glimpse of what lay upon the cot.
And he didn't like what he saw.
There lay the minutely familiar form of the girl he'd seen when roaming the streets of Tokyo-3, same red eyes, and blue hair.
Only this time, however, she was severely hurt, blood-soaked bandages covering gashes and bruises as an IV drip stuck to her arm.
All in all, she looked half-dead.
The bluenette began to slowly sit up, her body trembling and chest heaving she did so.
And then, another shockwave hit.
The resulting tremors threw the teen off her stretcher, leaving her sprawled out on the cold floor.
She wasn't the only thing affected, however, as several light fixtures began to fall,
Right over Rei.
With all the strength he could muster, Shinji sprinted the 40 meters or so between himself and the bluenette, throwing himself over her before shutting his eyes and awaiting the impact.
One that never came.
Slowly, the youth opened his eyes, turning them up toward the ceiling.
And what he saw shook him to his core.
A massive purple hand rested over him, the lights scattered at its sides as it protected the teen.
As startled as he was, however, Shinji turned his attention back to the girl under him, storm-blue eyes searching for any additional injuries.
After finding none, the boy scooped her up as delicately as he could before laying her atop the stretcher, discomfort on his face as she watched her writhe in agony.
Those same blue eyes then shifted to his hand, blood as red as the girl's eyes staining his skin.
Finally, they turned toward his father, furrowed in heavily restrained anger.
"I'll do it."
"This is so gross."
"Just deal with it! You're a big boy, aren't you?"
"Does this thing have a mute button or no?"
His question went unanswered as the personnel continued the start-up sequence, intent on deploying as fast as possible.
After a minute or so of hit benchmarks, the frantic speaking slowed down as the restraints around the Eva retracted, the massive mech then being transported to the launch bay.
"Do I have your consent?"
"Of course. The future of humanity depends on defeating the Angels."
Misato nodded before turning back toward the personnel before her.
Fuyutsuki, on the other hand, looked at the commander, confliction on his wrinkles.
"Ikari, are you sure about this?"
He was given no answer.
"Unit 01, LAUNCH!"
The moment Misato gave the order, a tremendous G-Force glued the teen to his seat, the mech rocketing upward toward the surface.
Toward the Angel.
Before long, the youth reached the surface, coming face-to-face with the emptiness that was currently Tokyo-3,
And coming face-to-face with the devilish-looking Angel that was his target.
"Are you ready, Shinji?"
"No."
The woman was again unsure as to whether he was joking or not but decided that thinking about it too much would do more harm than good.
"Alright. Release final safety locks!"
The last bits of metal tethering him to the elevator fell away, leaving just him and the mech.
And the giant angel a few hundred meters out.
"So uh, how do I move this thing?"
A small digital screen popped up at the left of his head, the feed showing one Ritsuko Akagi.
"Try focusing your thoughts on walking."
"Alright."
The boy's hands tightened around the control yoke as he followed the woman's instructions, imagining the Eva as an extension of himself before imagining that extension walking.
Like clockwork, the machine began to move, taking a few hesitant steps before smoothing out its strides.
Immediately, a chorus of praise flooded the entry plug, courtesy of the crew overlooking the operation.
So caught up in his effort to walk, the poor boy hadn't noticed his foe had gotten closer,
And was now charging a beam in its palm.
"SHINJI, DODGE!"
But it was too late.
The beam slammed into the teen's chest, sending him back about 70 meters as searing pain bubbled throughout his chest.
"IT HURTS! WHY DOES IT HURT?!"
"It's a side effect of linking with the Eva! Just calm down, you aren't sustaining any actual damage."
"I CAN FEEL MY SKIN BURNING OFF AND YOU'RE TELLING ME TO CALM DOWN?!"
Ritsuko offered no response, choosing instead to watch as the pilot struggled to his feet.
As though offended by the sight of the machine, the Angel closed the distance between itself and its opponent before grabbing Unit 01's head with its left hand.
"SHINJI, BREAK LOOSE!"
The teen tried just that, slamming the Eva's hulking right leg into the Angel's stomach.
The attack seemed to work, stunning the beast briefly.
Too briefly.
Without warning, the beast concentrated energy into its right hand, forming a glowing blade,
Before ramming that blade into the mech.
Over.
And over.
And over.
The pain was unbearable, forcing screams of agony to bubble up like bile, spilling from the youth's throat.
With a final stab, the beast reared its left arm back before tossing the Eva like a sack of potatoes, sending it crashing into a building.
"Several puncture wounds in the torso, sternum plate heavily corroded, and cranium plates moderately damaged."
"And the Pilot?"
"Pilot status currently unknown."
"What about the entry plug feed?"
"Disconnected."
Misato chewed her thumb as she stared at the information before her, what little she had spelling out one thing.
The death of Pilot Shinji Ikari.
Steadily, the Angel crept up toward the Evangelion, as though taunting the crew it knew was watching.
Reaching down, the beast grabbed hold of the unit by its throat, bringing the machine up toward its bony skull.
It then rested its right hand atop the machine's head, wrapping its lithe fingers atop it.
Before pulling with all its might.
"IT'S TRYING TO DECAPITATE UNIT 01!"
"SHIT! CALL THE JSDF! TELL THEM WE NEED AN N2 MINE NOW!"
Misato nodded before reaching for a direct line to the aforementioned organization.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
One instant, the beast had its left hand around the Eva's throat and its right atop the machine's skull.
The next, the purple Eva had its massive legs around the Angel's throat, capturing the beast in a triangle choke.
As clean as the chokehold was, it did little more than cause a bit of discomfort to the beast, evident by the ironclad grip it retained on the Eva's skull and throat.
A grip that wasn't as strong when Shinji slammed both heels into the Angel's skull, fracturing it.
He was dropped instantly, allowing him to put space between himself and the beast.
For a while, the two remained still, each seemingly waiting for the other to make the first move,
And before long, the Angel made it.
Leaping at the boy, the beast attempted to drive its palm into Unit 01's chest, presumably in an effort to spear its heart.
Shinji used his left arm to swat the attack away, responding with a right front kick that connected cleanly, sending the monster reeling back.
With a deep step, the teen was on his foe like white on rice, throwing a left hook followed by a right uppercut that sent the beast's head snapping back.
Before he could continue his assault, however, the angel managed to tackle him, producing another blade which it attempted to drive through the Eva's throat.
The youth bucked his hips in response, managing to reverse positions and secure the mount.
It was there that a single thought rang throughout the Eva, rang throughout Shinji.
Devour.
And that's exactly what the teen did.
It started with ruthless punches to the beast's skull and sternum, each blow leaving a crack and crater in the Angel's body.
And then the punches turned to elbows, creating gashes that oozed blood, the bluish-purple liquid sticking to the mecha.
Those elbows then turned to scratches and gauges, tearing out hunks of flesh alongside the beady red eyes nestled deep within the Angel's sockets.
And finally, when that wasn't enough, Unit 01 split its bound maw open before digging into the angel, its massive teeth removing large pieces of the creature.
Raising its fists far above its head, Unit 01 slammed them down over the angel-cracked core, destroying it wholly.
Its enemy defeated, Unit 01 unleased a victorious road, one that seemed to shake the very ground he sat upon.