Love Hina Fan Fiction / Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction / Bubblegum Crisis Tokyo 2040 Fan Fiction ❯ Bat Tales ❯ Priorities ( Chapter 8 )

Man! Maybe being sick isn’t so bad, huh? Now that I’m writing up a storm.

Now, in regards to the new Batman/Eva fic out now: I’ve become friends with it’s creator and I personally look forward to more chapters of it. If it becomes as popular as my fic remains to be seen, but I hope all the readers of Bat Tales also look in on Crusade. It’s good. Trust me. Despite the Shinji/Asuka-ness promised (gag).

Let me make this clear: I do not hate Asuka. I’m actually quite fond of her. But I just think that she and Shinji do not make a good couple and to tell the truth, there are too many Asuka/Shinji stories anyway. I just think that Shinji already has a love (coughReicough), and the fact that he and Asuka were at the End of Evangelion is irrelevant-For all we know, Rei could have come back up right after “This sucks.”

I like the different facets of relationships in anime, because who knows who might have ended up with whom? I personally like Ritsuko/Shinji stories, because putting them together well is a challenge and a very interesting one at that. I like the unexpected in relationships. I’d love to see more Mana/Shinji, Misato/Shinji, Hikari/Shinji, or Maya/Shinji stories, myself, because I like the unexpected, the different. I like stories that make me go, ”What if that did really happen?”

Okay. Enough of the author’s notes. I’ve kept them to a minimum during this series because I know YOU guys don’t care-You want to read the story. So, I promise: Longest author note you’re gonna get. Now, on with the story!

----

The heat today was nearly unbearable. The heat waves from the sun oozed back up off the pavement like burning oil smoke from a grill. Ritsuko groaned, and pulled her hat down over her eyes. She was sweating buckets. She REALLY regretted wearing silk this morning.

She finally came to the hidden, broken-down phone booth. She clicked the pen in her fingers twice. It made no other sounds. The doctor nodded to herself, before entering the phone booth and picking up the phone.

“Shinji? Are you there?” She asked quietly.

“Urgh… Yes… Dial 1047.”

Ritsuko did so. She started slightly as the phone booth jolted her, and the broken glass panes and phone vanished into the grey tunnel she descended.

She found herself in a large, grey grotto. She blinked and studied her surroundings a bit more thoroughly. No, this was a man-made shelter… One of the abandoned ones after the Third Angel attack. This one had, mercifully, been unoccupied during the attack, but it had been logged as unusable and any further mention of it had vanished into the paperwork. She nodded in approval.

Clever.

Who would think to look for the Batcave in a place deemed unusable?

She stepped out and began walking, frowning a bit more. Where am I supposed to…?

“In here,” croaked Shinji, from a hallway nearby. Ritsuko walked towards the sound, and soon saw light emitting from the entrance. She entered. She gasped.

“Shinji… What the hell did you do?” The Third Child, and Batman, smiled wryly, through a bloody nose, blackeye, numerous cuts and bruises, not to mention some ugly marks on his ribs and stomach.

“Drug bust. It… Didn’t go as I planned,” he noted.

“That’s an understatement,” Ritsuko shook her head as she sat down on the medical table next to him and ran a penlight over his eyes.

“No concussion, thank God… What the hell did you do?”

“Well… There were about… Fifty… Sixty guys?” Shinji shrugged, wincing slightly, as Ritsuko continued to check his injuries. “Like… The heads of two major crime families, at least. Maybe even three… They were getting ready to leave… I had to go right then, or I might have lost them all…”

“And so, you went against sixty armed gangsters all by yourself?!” Ritsuko’s eyes were wide. “YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!”

“Well… Yes…” Shinji shrugged. Ritsuko slapped him. “OW! Hey!”

“That… SHINJI IKARI… Was the dumbest thing you have EVER DONE!” Ritsuko stood up and towered over him, fairly red in rage. “What did you think about, huh? Did you stop to think about WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN IF YOU DID GET KILLED?! HUH?!”

Shinji, as Batman, was used to criminals screaming and ranting at him. Having his doctor, superior officer, and potential love interest rail at him like this was actually something new. Thus, he had no idea what he should do when regarded by an angry female. As himself, not the Shinji-Ikari-The-Wimp-Mask.

“Er… Um…”

“No… OF COURSE YOU DIDN’T!” Ritsuko shrieked, throwing her hands up and stalking out of the medical room. Shinji, awkwardly, followed her, grunting as he limped to the center of the cave, with the Batcomputer standing there. He saw Ritsuko stop short, staring blankly at the gigantic computer.

“Cray 18s. You’d be surprised at what you can find on Ebay,” Shinji explained, focusing on his breathing to ease his pain like his sensei had instructed him. Ritsuko turned, frowning.

“The Cray series ended at 17.”

“I took the 17s I could find, upgraded them with some MAGI tech, and, well…” Shinji shrugged. Ritsuko stared at him. He stared back.

“You used MAGI technology?” Ritsuko’s voice was filled with wonder. She turned back to the computer, walking up to the control board and beginning to type. Shinji cringed. He didn’t like anyone messing with his computer… It had taken him months to get everything right as it was.

“… Shinji, this is incredible,” Ritsuko whispered. Shinji blinked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve flawlessly integrated the protein-based network of the Crays with the artificial neuron nets of the MAGI. They work in tandem. Perfect efficiency. Well… As close to perfect as we could make it, anyway.” Ritsuko turned back to Shinji, amazement still written on her face.

“How did you do it?” Shinji coughed.

“I… Hacked your mother’s notes.” He paused. Ritsuko didn’t respond, so Shinji continued. “I needed a computer system that I could use to get into NERV’s mainframe without anyone noticing… And one that could, at least, stand up to one MAGI. Not to mention running the Car, the forensics laboratory, the medical equipment, the Plane, my satellites-”

“Satellites?” Ritsuko blinked. “Satellites?!”

“Er, yes… I had them billed as normal communications sats for a dummy corporation I set up,” Shinji shrugged. “This rocket company in Nevada put them into orbit for me. I’ve been using them to keep appraised of criminal activity over most of Japan.” Ritsuko now approached Shinji, and soon stood only a foot from him. Shinji fidgeted.

“Shinji… FOR GOD’S SAKE!” Ritsuko shouted. “You’re a FUCKING GENIUS! You could have made NERV run at THREE TIMES it’s EFFICIENCY! ALREADY! You could be RUNNING NERV! I’ve seen your strategies! I’ve seen your inventions!” Ritsuko shook her head.

“And, to top it all off, you’re OUR BEST PILOT! WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU WASTING ALL YOUR POTENTIAL ON… ON… ON BEING BATMAN?! WHY?!”

The cave was very quiet, then. Ritsuko breathed heavily, as Shinji stared at her. Then Shinji was gone, and the Bat appeared in his eyes.

“I am NOT wasting-”

“You’re damn near our ONLY HOPE to survive the Angels, to save the world and keep us from going extinct, and YOU’RE worried about AVENGING YOUR AUNT AND UNCLE?!” Ritsuko shuddered.

“You’re so FUCKING SELFISH!” The blonde was sobbing now, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms around Shinji’s waist. “So… Fucking… Selfish…” Shinji just stood there, positively frozen.

“Please… Shinji… If you get killed… As Batman… We are all doomed. ALL of us. The innocent and the criminal.” Ritsuko raised her head up, her tears running down her cheeks in torrents. “Please… Put it aside. You do this for good… PLEASE… Put it down for the greater good. Put it down… For me? For Rei, Misato, Maya… Asuka… Please?” She pressed her face into his warm belly, sniffling softly.

“Please…”

Shinji didn’t answer. At least, not verbally. He knelt down and took the sobbing woman in his arms, rubbing her back gently, trying to calm her and make sure she knew that he was here and wasn’t going anywhere…

---

“You’re what?” Maya asked in disbelief. Shinji looked up from the main power switches for the cave, before pulling the first one. Click. The lights over the Batmobile went out, hiding the sleek, urban assault vehicle in darkness.

“Quitting. I‘ve… Reassessed my priorities.” Click. The lights over the sleek, new Batjet went out next.

“But… But the Joker-”

“The Joker is gone. And even if he wasn’t… He’s a criminal. The police are responsible for him.” Click. The Batcomputer went dead, now a silent, lightless monolith in the growing shadows.

“They can’t handle the Joker! Only you can! Only we can! Shinji-!” Click. The medical bay and maintenance areas vanished.

“Maya! The fate of humanity is at stake.” Shinji shook his head. “I should have given this up when I first became an Eva pilot. Ritsuko’s right… I have been selfish. Being Batman… Doing all this… It’s just another kind of running away. From my responsibilities.”

“We’re going to need Batman, just as much as we’re going to need the Third Child! Please, Shinji!” Maya pleaded, reaching out for Shinji’s hands. Shinji gently brushed her away, deactivating the backup generators and emergency lights. The direct link into NERV went next.

“Maya… I am needed to save this world. From the Angels.” Shinji shook his head. “This… Is lunacy. Being Batman, when so much hinges on me…” Ikari shut down the last switch. The light over the costume vault, where the Bat-suit stood salient, now vanished. The cave was now completely dead. Shinji sighed.

“Maya… Isn’t it better? To not risk my life every night, when I really can’t afford to? One of these days, you would have been hurt. Maybe even killed. Rei was in the same danger. Danger I put you in.”

“We CHOSE to be put in danger, Shinji! We chose to! You didn’t force us into it!” Maya argued, desperate.

The boy shook his head.

“Then I choose to end it before you get hurt. Before my grief causes us all to die.” Shinji turned, walking to one of the hidden lifts.

“BATMAN!” Maya screamed, feeling panicky. Shinji didn’t even turn back.

“My name is Shinji Ikari. Batman… Is dead.” And with that, he left. Maya felt tears well up in her eyes.

She knew Shinji, a lot better than she thought she could have only a short time ago. He’d opened up to her, showed her the pain and anguish he carried, the courage and inner strength he possessed. His kindness, his love, his hope…

She felt herself falling for him. And she knew, that without Batman… Shinji would not feel whole. He’d put too much into Batman to stop now.

And, the worlds of Batman and the Evangelion were going to intersect. She knew it. Rei knew it. And without Batman, she didn’t know if any of them would survive…

---

Rei was sitting on his bed, when Shinji got home and entered his room. He stared at her. She stared back.

“… You don’t want me to be Batman anymore too, do you?” Rei stared back at him, not answering. Shinji sighed, closed the door behind him, and sat next to her.

“Shinji… You are always yourself. No matter what mask you wear or do not wear.” She looked over at him. “You do not separate yourself from Batman when you are out of costume. Not completely. Just as Batman does not omit you completely when the circumstances are reversed.” The blue-haired girl leaned her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Shinji ran his fingers through her azure locks gently, stroking up and down her scalp.

“You are you, just as I am I. The costume makes no difference, save for a visual one.”

“…”

“I know you feel, sometimes, that Shinji Ikari died when your uncle and aunt were murdered,” continued Rei. “I too, sometimes feel dead from… Experiences in my past. But I am not. And you are not dead, either. You changed. As did I.” She lifted her head up and looked directly into his eyes.

“Even without the costume… The cave… The weapons. You will always be Batman. And yet, you will always be Shinji.” She kissed him gently, as Shinji returned the gesture.

I am not a doll. I will no longer listen to the Commander’s orders. This is what you taught me, Shinji…

---

Slightly more serious chapter, but don’t worry-The next will be less serious and more fun!

To tide you over until then: An omake!

OMAKE OMAKE OMAKE

“No… OF COURSE YOU DIDN’T!” Ritsuko shrieked, throwing her hands up and stalking out of the medical room. Shinji, awkwardly, followed her, grunting as he limped to the center of the cave, with the Batcomputer standing there. He saw Ritsuko stop short, staring blankly at the gigantic computer.

“Cray 18s. You’d be surprised at what you can find on Ebay,” Shinji explained, focusing on his breathing to ease his pain like his sensei had instructed him. Ritsuko turned, frowning.

“The Cray series ended at 17.”

“I took the 17s I could find, upgraded them with some MAGI tech, and, well…” Shinji shrugged. Ritsuko stared at him. He stared back.

“You used MAGI technology?” Ritsuko’s voice was filled with wonder. She turned back to the computer, walking up to the control board and beginning to type. Shinji cringed. He didn’t like anyone messing with his computer… It had taken him months to get everything right as it was.

“… Shinji, this is incredible,” Ritsuko whispered. Shinji blinked.

“Huh?”

“You’ve flawlessly integrated the protein-based network of the Crays with the artificial neuron nets of the MAGI. They work in tandem. Perfect efficiency. Well… As close to perfect as we could make it, anyway.” Ritsuko turned back to Shinji, amazement still written on her face.

“How did you do it?” Shinji coughed.

“I… Hacked your mother’s notes.” He paused. Ritsuko didn’t respond, so Shinji continued. “I needed a computer system that I could use to get into NERV’s mainframe without anyone noticing… And one that could, at least, stand up to one MAGI. Not to mention running the Car, the forensics laboratory, the medical equipment, the Plane, my satellites-”

“Satellites?” Ritsuko blinked. “Satellites?!”

“Er, yes… I had them billed as normal communications sats for a dummy corporation I set up,” Shinji shrugged. “This rocket company in Nevada put them into orbit for me. I’ve been using them to keep appraised of criminal activity over most of Japan.” Ritsuko now approached Shinji, and soon stood only a foot from him. Shinji fidgeted. Ritsuko was breathing heavily, her cheeks red.

“… Something on my face?”

“Oh, God, Shinji,” Ritsuko sighed. “You’re… A genius.”

“… Er… Thank you,” Shinji coughed. He froze as Ritsuko traced a single finger across his bare chest.

What the-?

“I… I got into this line of work… Because, well… I am, literally… A technophile,” she breathed. “I get aroused… Around… Intelligent men.” She leaned forward and breathed in his ear.

“Very, very aroused.”

In Shinji’s mind…

A chibi version of himself stood on one side of a table. On the other side, a chibi-version of himself, clothed head-to-toe in Bat-armor, sat.

“We shouldn’t… It wouldn’t be right,” began the chibi Shinji.

“Agreed. It would interfere with the mission. THE MISSION IS ALL THAT MATTERS,” the Bat said loudly, slamming his fist on the table. Shinji jumped.

“Bullshit,” came a chibi-Asuka angrily, sitting on another side of the table. “We need happiness to sustain ourselves. If there is no happiness, we all die, Bat-breath.”

“The Mission will sustain us,” the Bat argued.

“Illogical,” A chibi-Rei spoke quietly. “Ikari-kun is human. As such, he requires human sustenance. Food, shelter, and love.”

“The MISSION is all that Matters,” the Bat said again. “All of you are irrelevant.”

“If we turn her down, she will be injured,” the chibi-Rei argued. “She is an innocent. You will not be allowed to harm her.”

“Irrelevant. She is a tool. Part of the Mission. Use her but do not be distracted by her,” the Bat said again. “I am the only relevant part of this life. The Mission is all that he is.”

“… Is it?” Everyone else on the table turned and looked at the chibi-Shinji. He stood up, breathing deeply.

“YOU got the Joker killed,” Chibi-Shinji snarled at the Bat, who looked taken aback. “YOU weren’t good enough! You aren’t perfect! Without Ikari, you are nothing! Nothing but the ravings of a lunatic! And if Ikari dies, you die. And Ikari needs love.”

“… I am the Mission. I am ALL THAT THERE IS! HOW DARE YOU FORSAKE THE MISSION!” The Bat roared, smashing through the table and tackling the Chibi-Shinji.

“I’m-Not-forsaking-anything!” Chibi-Shinji snarled, punching and kicking the Bat back. “But I’m NOT going to be alone anymore! Not because of my father, or a couple of punks, and especially NOT BECAUSE OF YOU!” Chibi-Shinji them grabbed the shell-shocked Bat, and messily devoured him. Chibi-Asuka and Chibi-Rei stared at him as he gulped the Bat down.

“… Shinji? You… Okay?” Chibi-Asuka asked cautiously. Chibi-Shinji vanished into the shadows for a moment… Before remerging, in a chibi-version of his normal Batsuit.

“I am Batman… But I am also Shinji Ikari,” Chibi-Batman said firmly. He then blew a raspberry. “So there.”

Chibi-Asuka and Chibi-Rei sweat dropped.

Outside Shinji’s twisted mind, he’d responded to the doctor’s advances, and soon had her mewling happily atop the Batmobile. Which, some part of Shinji’s mind noted, he’d have to get cleaned later.

For now, however, the Doctor and he were alone and happy bonking the daylights out of each other.

---

Some time later…

“Allright… Welcome to the first meeting of the ‘I Slept With Shinji Ikari’ club,” Ritsuko noted blandly. Rei blinked at her, confused, while Maya looked miffed.

“Yes… Now. We’re here to decide what to do.”

“Ikari-kun is mine,” Rei said flatly. “None of the rest of you may have him.”

“Bull! He’s mine, ice queen!” Maya snarled.

“He did have sex we me too, Maya,” Ritsuko pointed out. She smirked. “It was… Wonderful…”

“Doesn’t make him yours!”

“I’ll make him mine SOON ENOUGH!”

The meeting soon descended into a furious cat fight. Misato walked in, looked around, and blinked.

“Huh… This isn’t ‘Reckless Drivers Anonymous’…”