First Of All, I want to say how sorry I am this is so late. I was side tracked by school and other more important things and forgot about the story in general, which is a bad thing! So, from now on things will be a bit late, but I'm no longer posting these chapters in Tri-Chapter installments. I'm going to post each individual chapter as it's finished. Thanks for taking the time in reading this story in the first place.
-Nightshade The Anime Furry Addict!
The Prices of War
I woke to another morning in my old room in Misato's Apartment, feeling refreshed. It had been five days since my climactic battle with the White Evangelions, and things were finally returning to normal. Well, there was one problem, my father. What would he do when war was over, would he keep us, or kick us out again? That's when I heard a screaming jet type of a sound. I was all alone in the apartment when the missile hit. It was a Scud Missile, made famous by the 20th century Iraq President, Saddam Hussein. The screaming jet noise ended abruptly following the explosion of the other Apartment Tenants, across the street. I saw the building shatter and begin to crumble to the ground.
'Dear God!'
I ran from the window outside, down the hall, and into the elevator. People began to run out of their rooms as well, following my example. I waited for the elevator to stop and the doors to open before I ran out. I heard crying and screaming coming from under some of the debris and ran to it, pulling out chunks of metal, wood, and plaster. I found a hole of space where the crying was coming from. A little girl was crying for her dead parents to wake up, she had no idea they'd be dead.
"Hey," I whispered gently, "Come here, I'm gonna get you out of there."
She didn't move an inch. I carefully climbed down and stood right in front of her.
"Why won't they wake up?" she asked, stifling a sob.
"Something happened that caused them to fall asleep and they can't wake up." I said, trying to get the point to the girl.
She resumed crying, obviously understanding. I picked her up and told her to hold on to me as I climbed out. I climbed out of that crevice just as the debris began to fall back in, covering the dead parents and what was down there. I helped the girl down and heard a cheer go out. Looking up, I saw all the people who had poked their heads out their doors and saw me run.
"Well. . .Come on! Dig!" someone shouted, while the little girl ran to another man, obviously an Uncle.
I immediately threw myself into the debris, searching for whoever was still screaming. I began to dig and pull things out, the screaming becoming louder. Finally I found the woman who was screaming. She was stuck between a metal beam and debris. It was crushing her! With all my strength I heaved on the metal, lifting it up enough for the woman to pull herself out. She screamed and ran towards her husband who was also, pulled out of the debris, bruised and cut, but alive. I resumed my work, helping people pull out the living and the dead. I saw a few Nerv Vans pull up to the site. Men in black suits jumped out. I saw Cynthia, Sora, Asuka, and Rei also jump out of one of the vans. Asuka looked annoyed but shocked, Rei looked worried until she spotted me and started run towards me, and Cynthia and Sora both looked at the debris. Rei reached me and wrapped me in a tight hug.
"You jerk! I thought you were dead, again!" she said to me.
"Sorry I scared you, I had to help these people though." I replied.
The Nerv Security agents began to move around questioning people about what happened. Ambulances arrived and paramedics began moving to the injured, wrapping them in blankets and leading them to the Ambulances. Asuka walked over to us.
"We have to go back to headquarters. Now." she said, before giving one more disgusted look at Rei and I, and walking back to the vans.
We followed suite and walked to the same van, sitting in the back, whereas Asuka was in the front, muttering something in German. One of the Security Agents sat in the drivers seat and began driving us to Headquarters. I sat with Rei's hand in mine watching the reconstruction of the buildings which had been damaged during the fight with the Eva Series. I felt a sudden craving for meat, strange, since I didn't usually eat meat that often. As soon as the car stopped we were rushed to the locker rooms. I suited up, as did the girls, and walked straight to Unit-01, looking at it from the lift. I looked at that disgusting monsterous face and felt my rage start to rise. I got into the plug and waited for my orders.
Sora's face was the first thing I saw after the initial start up.
"Alright, here's the deal. We've found out that Iraq created a hidden base in Old Tokyo. Due to the sudden attack, the JSSDF moved in immediately, however, no contact has been made with the JSSDF since the designated retrieval time. So, in shorter words, we're gonna destroy the base. Don't hesitate, just do it."
"Roger." we replied.
'Well, here we go again.'
"Oh! Before I forget, they have 4 of the Eva Series units under their control, however it is possible that they haven't got them running yet. If they aren't running, I want you three to capture those Units and bring them back to us in one piece."
"Roger."
"Eva Launch." she stated.
I felt the jolt and the push of gravity as I was pushed up to the surface. I automatically
started up my s2 engine and began running to Old Tokyo, Unit-02 and Unit-04 on my
heels. I was ready to take down the whole fucking world single handed, my rage beginning
rise from below, I saw Old Tokyo in sight. Being guarded by 4 white Evas.
Battle-Zone Tokyo
They stood there watching our approach, not moving the slightest inch. At first, I would have thought them to be non-active, but I was wrong. As soon as we were within 100 yards of them they lunged forth, attacking with speed and the element of surprise. Unfortunately for them, we were used to this kind of shit. The first one slammed up against me, so I grabbed it by the neck and the waist and snapped the fucker's back in half. In a way I pitied how the Unit was killed so easily, after they must have been regrowing all of the unit's limbs only to have it destroyed once more. The one thing that puzzled me was how they did it within five days. I saw Rei and Asuka each dispatch another each, leaving the last one, standing in front of me. I growled.
"Here I come you bastard!"
Unit-01 roared as I leapt into the white Eva, smashing it to the ground. I ripped off it's left arm. Then it's legs, before severing it's head and breaking the body in half. I smiled. Wait, this wasn't me. Something was wrong about this. I began to wonder until I saw a bright green beam slam into Unit-02, severing it at it's mid section.
"Dear god." I heard Rei exclaim.
Another beam hit her, lopping her leg off. She screamed, my rage rose. I saw where the next beam was coming from. It chopped off my left arm. I bit back and roared. Lunging at the Eva which was firing the Positron cannon, for it was another Eva. It was another Unit-00B model, with a dummy plug. I let loose, literally ripping it to pieces. By the time I realized what I did, there remains of the Eva were scattered around for all to see.
"Fuck." I thought.
I slammed into the building that was holding the Iraqis who began to flee again. I killed and killed and killed. Every single Iraqi I saw on the ground, running away, or inside the buildings trying to hide. I killed. I smashed, ripped, tore, killed. When I finally finished I looked at what I did and nearly broke down in sobs. I couldn't handle it. I just cold heartedly murdered thousands of people. Enemy or not. That's when the Angel arrived. It was angry at me. I could hear it screaming at me before it launched it's barrage of beams at me. I leapt for cover behind buildings and into the Ocean. The Angel was a simple looking creature, resembling a giant fiery bird. Like A Phoenix. It wouldn't go near the water and remained in the air, flying overhead, just waiting for me to appear. That's when the fireball hit the water. Fireball after fireball hit the water, causing the temperature to rise. It was trying to boil me in the water. The pain was extreme and intense. I launched myself from the water and higher, into the Angel, bringing it down into the water. It's flame was extinguished immediately and the temperature grew even higher. I pulled it out of the water with me, and it kicked me away.
It screeched and began to launch beams at me again. I put up my AT Field to full power. The beams were reflected easily. I spread my wings and flew into the Angel, lifting it into the air with me I punched straight through it's center and held the Core in my hand. I squeezed it tightly, not cracking it. It amused me how the creature had such a large weakness considering it's power. It screeched in pain as I squeezed it's core. The core began to pulsate and glow in my hand.
"It's gonna self-destruct!" shouted Sora.
Sure enough it did. But it was more powerful than anything I had ever seen. It exploded
in my hand, tearing off my arm from my hand to my elbow. I screamed as I heard my own
bones snapping. My arm and my legs. I felt a searing pain in my forehead and I blacked
out.
* * *
When I awoke I was alone in a hospital room feeling like shit. I realized that my arms and legs had healed over the time I was asleep. But, how long was I asleep? I looked around. It was day time. The room was white and clean, but there were two chairs that had been overturned and a curtain had been ripped down.
"What the fuck?" I asked no one.
I got out of the bed and walked to the mirror. I saw my face. It was like it always had looked. Not well shaven, but clean. I gazed at my own red eyes. The left one had returned to normal, but it was still red. I felt a slight pain in my forehead. The image in the mirror changed to the face of a wolf, teeth barred, red eyes blazing. Blood was running slowly down the side of it's muzzle. I screamed at it and smashed the mirror with my fist. Shards of glass flew and embed themselve into my hand. Blood ran dripped down to the ground. The door opened and I looked over to see two nurses staring at me in disbelief. I glared and turned toward them, blood running from the new cuts in my hand. One of them screamed at me and ran for help while the other picked up a chair, as if to fend me off. A sudden pain hit me in the face. My eyes! Blood was beginning leak out of my eyes. I began to scream and thrash about. I felt the nurse hit me with the chair. I wrenched it from her hands and threw it, hearing a crash and the shattering of more glass.
I opened my eyes and saw the red clouding my vision. I trashed about even more when the men dressed in white jumped on me and began to wrestle me to the ground.
"Let him go!" some one screamed.
"Miss, get back."
"NO! You let him the fuck go!" the voice screamed.
It was Rei! I could understand that voice anywhere!
"Rei! The AT Field!" I growled.
The sudden weight from the men was pushed off and the thud against the wall told me that they had been thrown to the wall from the force of Rei's AT Field. She wrapped her arms around me, craddling me on the ground. I stopped thrashing about. Everything was awfully quiet. I was beginning to think I went deaf until I heard Rei whisper into my ear.
"It's going to be all right. I won't let them take you away."
"Rei Ayanami. Please step away from him." came a cold harsh voice, known only as my father.
"No." she said.
"Step away Rei. That's an order."
"Fuck. You." she replied.
There was a slight gasp. No one. And I mean, "No one" could say that to my father aside from myself. I looked up and saw Asuka. She stared at me in disbelief and somewhat approval. I got up, shaking a bit.
"Father." I muttered.
"You have something to say? Pilot Ikari?"
"Oh shut the fuck up! You son of a bitch! Why don't you get it through your fucking thick skull and stop this madness! Let us go! You can't get mother back! I know that you can't! I saw her! I talked with her! So stop making a larger mess and clean up your own dirty work."
"What." he replied.
That made me even angrier.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM!" I screamed.
"I-"
"No! Don't say anything you fucking crazy bastard! You can't bring her back. She doesn't want to come back! She knows what a monster you are now, she hates you!"
That made him angry.
"Don't you ever say that again!" he yelled.
"Fuck you! She hates you! She's hated you ever since you threw her life away inside Unit-01!"
Everyone gave an audiable gasp aside from Rei, who already knew the truth. He looked down. He knew it was true. I knew it. Rei knew it. Now, everyone in this room knew it. I saw Cynthia staring at me. Sora gazing. Misato was shocked. Event he bridge crew was here and Dr. Ibuki. And if Dr. Akagi had been here, she would have been smiling at me. My father raised his head and gave the final order.
"Pilots Ayanami, Soryu, and Ikari shall be released from all duties at 2000 hours, tomorrow."
With that, he turned around and walked away. As did everyone else, save Rei and Asuka.
"You did it Shinji. You finally spoke your mind." said Asuka, who was smiling now.
I smiled back. She hugged me, to show her thanks.
"I'm impressed. You went from shy boy, to fuck up, to killer, to man. You got us out. For
that one thing I thank you." those were her final words before the building was rocked by
an explosion.
Turnover
We ran out into the hallway and to the locker rooms, Asuka and Rei to theirs, I to mine. As soon as I got in I found my locker, took out my suit and put in on. I pressed the suction button and got up, running to Unit-01. I found the plug, opened and awaiting my arrival. I got in and the lid closed over me. I watched as the bright rainbow lights flashed, before I could see through the Eva's eyes. Sora appeared on the screen.
"Ok you two, it looks like some old demons have come back to haunt us all, and cancel your expulsion. Get ready to battle an old enemy who just won't shut up and die." she stated grimly.
"More Angels?" Rei asked.
"Yep. Two of em."
"But I thought they worked independently!" I said.
"Not anymore. We're calling them the Neo-Angels. I'd expect they aren't much different from the originals, aim for the core, break it, and they die."
"Well shit! I knew it wouldn't last," stated Asuka, "Almost, eh Shinji?"
I felt the Eva being moved to the launch pad and took a deep breath before Sora gave the launch command.
"Launch Evas!" she yelled.
I gripped the control handles as the G-Forces pressed against my skin. The Eva was rocketed up to a sudden halt. I looked around, spotting the weapons that were inside the elevator nearby. I took a look over them and saw the sword that I had taken from the White Eva a few days before. I hefted the blade and looked as Unit-04 also came to a sudden halt. It detached from it's launch pad and made way to the weapons, picking out the sniper rifle, her favorite.
"Alright Rei, Asuka, I'll take point, you cover me." I said.
"Right." she replied.
"No problem Shinji, just don't get your ass kicked" chuckled Asuka.
She was definitely in higher spirits. I moved out into position, running forward and ducking behind buildings. I looked at the two creatures that stood motionless just outside of the city. They were hideous mutations from another world. One of them was a mass of squiggling tentacles, while the other was like some deformed dog, with skeletal wings and horns everywhere. They were not moving at all. What were they waiting for?!
"Rei, you see them?" I asked.
"Yeah."
"Asuka?"
"Yeah, I see the fuckers. I'm taking aim.
"Each of you, fire one burst at the tentacle thing."
I heard the machinery sound and then the beams flew overhead, slamming into the tentacle beast. The creature was vaporized. The dog looked over with fright and dove for cover.
"It's taking defense?" Asuka asked.
"That's what it looks like. Ok, I'm gonna flank from the left, Rei, you go to the right, Asuka, run around and get it from the back. We'll all jump it from the sides."
"Roger."
I waited for Unit-04 to get into my position, before giving the command.
"Go."
I flanked left, Rei flanked right, while Asuka snuck up from the back. The creature looked at us and gave a tremendous, ear splitting roar. We dove in at it, only to get thrown back by it's massive claws. I watched helplessly as it lumbered forward towards me, grabbing my neck, lifting me up. I feared it as it gazed coldly into my eyes. A sudden red flash shot passed. Images began to flood through my mind.
"What is this?!"
Rei, Asuka, Touji, Kensuke, Cynthia, Sora, Misato, Maya, Ritsuko. . .father.
"No. . ." I begged.
The Angels, My fights.
Sachiel.
"Enemy!"
Shamshel.
"Enemy!"
Ramiel.
"Enemy!
Gaghiel.
"Enemy!"
Israfel.
"Enemy!"
Sandalphon.
"Enemy!"
Matarael.
"Enemy!"
Sahaquiel.
"Enemy!"
Iruel.
"Enemy!"
Leliel.
"Enemy!"
Bardiel.
"Enemy!!"
Zeruel.
"ENEMY!!!"
Armael.
"ENEMY!!!"
Armisael.
"ENEMY!!!!"
Tabris. . .
"Kaoru. . .you. . .you. . ." I shuddered as the image of the smiling boy gazed at me.
"YOU BETRAYED ME!! ENEMY!!!!!!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
Father.
"YOU BASTARD! I HATE YOU!!"
"I no longer have a use for you."
"FUCK YOU!!"
"You're useless."
"FUCK YOU!!"
"I suspect we shall never meet again."
"FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU, FUCK YOU!!!!" I screamed.
The images stopped and I was left with bleak darkness. I felt exhausted and drained as I panted in the dark.
A bright light homed in and I squinted at it, not able to make out the form. I heard a gruff voice. It sounded like a series of growls. No matter how impossible it seemed. . .I could understand it.
"It is time you were restored." the voice said.
"What?"
"The longer you rage like this, the closer death will loom. You must be restored."
"What?!"
I heard a sigh.
"I am you inside. I am the real you. The you which can only be seen when you rage and when you care."
I blinked.
"I don't understand!" I exclaimed.
"You will. To tell the truth, you're talking to yourself right now, you just don't realize it."
I blinked again.
"Are you saying I'm schizophrenic?" I asked.
The voice laughed deeply.
"No. But it's time to go."
"Am I dead?"
"No, but to the rest of the world you will disappear for a long time, save for two." it said grimly.
I nodded. The white light offered his hand. I took it, realizing it was furry, clawed and strong. It gently pulled me into the white light. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!! Was the sound I heard when I woke up. I was watching Unit-01 and the Angel, merge and Unit-04 and 02 were forced to fire upon it, causing the Unit and the Angel to explode. Fire and blaze rushed around me, but I didn't feel any pain. All I could think about was my mother.
"Mother!" I barked.
Wait a minute. Barked? I blinked, realizing how big everything seemed. I looked down at my. . .paws? What was going on here?! What am I? That's when it dawned on me. I was a wolf. Just like the one I saw. Just like what the white creature tried to tell me. I looked at the black fur on my paws and turned, seeing my tail.
'Wow. . .I'm a wolf.' I thought. I sat and watched as the aftermath of the explosion died down and saw Unit-04's plug eject. Rei got out. She was crying. Unit-02's plug was ejected and Asuka was by her side immediately.
'Oh god.' I thought.
I never got to say good bye. Thinking quickly, I sniffed the air. No other human scents. I ran to her, slowing down and timidly approaching. She looked at me and cried. I walked slowly to her, not making any sound.
"What the fuck?" asked Asuka, taking a step back, but still gazing at me.
She sniffed and wiped her tears away, sitting down on the ground, pulling her knees to her chest. She put her hand out in front of me. I sniffed it. It smelled like a weird rubber, do to the suite, but I pushed that aside. I walked closer and nuzzled against her neck. She started crying again as she began to caress her hands through my fur. I jumped when I heard the cars coming and bounded away.
"No! Don't go!" she screamed. But it was too late. I was far away.