Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Mark of The Beast ❯ Chapter 3

Misato parked her car and walked to her apartment, since the two pilots moved in she'd never found the time enjoy life as a single woman. Weather it'd be work or an Angel attack she always found herself busy. With Shinji, Rei, and Asuka undergoing mental evaluations from the Angel attack she knew they wouldn't be home for a few more hours. "A nice hot bath and a night of reading, hopefully pen pen isn't in the tub." Misato thought as she spotted two of Shinji's friends at the apartment door, Toji was the first to catch a glimpse of the slender woman he spent so many nights fantasizing about. "Ms. Katsuragi has Shinji returned?" Toji asked trying not to focus his attention on her breasts "I'm sorry but Shinji won't be home until the very late hours. What brings you two out here?" Misato asked knowing Toji's apparent crush on her "we came to see him, he hasn't been in school for nearly two days and well its not like him." Kensuke chimed in "I mean is he sick or something?" Misato laughed "no he's been busy at Nerv, when I see him I'll him you both came by."

Misato opened her door leaving the two young men outside. As they walked away, they could hear her yelling at pen pen to get out her bath. "I tell you just one night of drinks and a little…of my charm and she'll fall madly in love with me." Toji proclaimed as he and his friend walked down the corridor "you know the stories Shinji tells us about her are true. Could you still be in love with a woman that loves a man she dumped ten years ago?" Kensuke questioned as Toji gave some thought to answer, "Well she does have that type of body I love and can drink booze like a fish, my type of woman." Toji nodded his head "yep a woman like her is all I need, just imagine the fun I'd have." Kensuke shook his head knowing he was full of shit.

"Yeah right, Toji. Keep this little lustful fantasy up and it could come back to haunt you." Toji looked at him "as in haunt you mean me making passionate love to her as she screams out my name." Kensuke laughed as they entered the elevator to which would lead them to entrance of the complex. "You no saint yourself Ken; I've seen the way you look at Asuka and Misato. What's stopping you from asking the loud mouth girl out?" Kensuke turned slightly red as the very mention of the zealous redhead "listen if I wanted to waste my time with a bitchy girl I'd start taking a liking to Hikari." Kensuke knew of his friends crush on the girl and with that, said Kensuke caught him off guard. "Honestly now I don't know how Shinji can deal with the two of them, to guys like us he's got it made." Toji remarked as Kensuke paid for the bus that would take them to their houses; as usual, no one was on the bus just to two of them.
Inside the intimate bathroom, Misato placed the files down on a counter. She turned on the hot water and prepared the soaps and shampoo's she'd use. She looked at herself in the mirror a few bags under the eyes but nothing to dramatic. She took out the band that kept her hair back, the smooth locks of hair dropped down; as the steam slowly built up, she started to undress her slender body and large bust were what caught the eyes of men and boys alike. As the water was right, she got into the tub and relaxed the warm water relaxed her muscles. "What a long day of work, I don't know how Makoto and Maya do it." She thought as she took the files from the counter "Contents of Nerv, Authorized Personnel" She started to read the first page.

"From the Desk of Dr. Ryo Hazuki,

To all Nerv Personnel as you know the recent discovery has brought us one step closer to the nature of the angels. As you know, the very incident that occurred in the artic ten years ago was man's tampering with the nature of God. Which resulted in a catastrophic loss of life, As you know Dr. Takeda's speech covered the basis of our work.

Many in your organization claim that Adam was the first angel to cause the second impact, although backed by truth our findings have uncovered that Adam is just a piece of a larger puzzle. In various texts, descriptions of Angels are taken into account as we've compiled our findings into one report. In the middle east a region that heavily practices Islam, accounts from the prophet Mohammad and his followers detail a being that is black as night, and seen from the desert as his body is made of flames the name of this angel was known as Jinn.

This being was reported to cause mass famine, war and deplete the very streams of coveted water before the prophet was able to banish him. Although the second impact has served as his reawakening and has been spotted in the region in recent months. From the hot desert sands to the holy land known as Israel my findings have found the very Fallen angel that once tempted Christ. This being can take human form. While its form is up to speculation the dead sea scrolls that were provided by Nerv have described a being that is pure darkness even in the brightest of days. Further texts reveal that Christ's demonic tempter is known as Mephistopheles.

Such a being can only be described as the voice of madness as a lost soul enters the tunnel walking away from the light into damnation. During a recent trip to Italy my collogue and I were granted access in the vaults of the Vatican. During our time we've uncovered a text from the year 1000, the text written in Latin detailing a Fallen Angel known as Samael, the fallen angel arose on Passover out of the very bowels of earth where he possessed the souls of people as they acted on the seven deadly sins a perversion of the very creation of the world.

Although many of our findings may not be relevant to Nerv's goals we feel that by providing such knowledge Nerv may be able to stop the fourth impact…Armageddon.

Dr. Ryo Hazuki."

Misato sifted through the rest of the files relatively quickly as the sensation of a warm bath overtook her. "Just more angels…nothing to worry about." As her mind slipped away she washed herself thinking of the very man that she once loved. "Kaji, was I foolish in leaving you. We were going to be married yet I found you to be like the very man I abhorred….my father." Time slowly passed as she stayed in the warm bath.

***

Shinji, Asuka, and Rei sat alone in various rooms where the Nerv psychologist were the evaluations took place, Dr. Ritsuko looked at them from a room where they were being recorded and watched. "Shinji Ikari , age 14 pilot of the Evangelion 01. State for the record what happened during the period after Talmud was defeated until the time of recovery." The middle aged man asked as he put a recorder on the table where a young timid Shinji sat across from him in the cold sterile room devoid of a window or a clock save for one digital clock and a 60 watt light above them.

"After the attack, the Eva shutdown…everything went black save for the emergency power, I heard a sadistic voice that resembled my father…I seen the very vision of my own demise in cold dark cavern of people frozen up to their faces…" Shinji found it very difficult to continue he closed his eyes as tried to erase the vivid memory of hell "I saw no light…just a vision of my father standing over me showing no emotion on his face his eyes just started down at me…" His voice trembled with guilt as he bowed his head showing a submissive side of his personality.

"For the record Ikari Shinji has stated his account of the incident and will be asked further questions pertaining to the matter." He stated as the psychologist took out several files from this briefcase, with Shinji's Nerv profile. "I see you've reluctantly stated many times you'd not like to pilot 01. Tell me Shinji why do you have such a fierce animosity towards the machine that has saved countless lives?" He asked choosing his words very carefully that would invoke a detailed response from the young man. Shinji shivered at the thought of the Eva unit 01, a million possible responses raced through his mind as he tried to find the best result that would end this evaluation. Condensing the best possible response he thought back to the memory of when his father first made his pilot 01 after he seen the injuries of Rei. He cleared his throat as the psychologist awaited a response to his question.

"The Eva's are nothing more than a tool, like all tools they lack emotion. Nothing good can come from them." Shinji answered as best as he could feeling like a heavy weight was lifted he felt no contentment, his interrogator offered no look of ease like Misato, his almond eyes were very similar to a man Shinji detested his father Gendo. Writing down a few notes the question continued "in your statement you described a vision of hell, that's very similar to the canto written by Dante. This vision of hell is the 9th and final circle where the worst sinners reside. Are you familiar with the work Shinji?" His voice offered little comfort as Shinji felt vulnerable during the barrage of questions "I've heard of the work, but I'm not religious." Was all he could muster as he tried to keep his confidence up "you see young man this epic poem describes mans very descent into madness, in every circle of hell is an act of humanity and the cost of the love of it weather it be sexual pleasure, power, etc. Your statement of Talmud's vision is exactly that of Dante's hell." Shinji felt as if his statement was nothing more than a poem brought to life by his subconscious "But it felt very real, 01 wouldn't release me, I was trapped in that madness!" Shinji said trying to defend his sanity.

"Although you are right, 01 was at Talmud's mercy. For your treatment I will proscribe you several anti-depressants and a weeks medical leave Nerv has invested enough time and money into you not to let it go to waste." The psychologist said as he gave Shinji a note to take down to the infirmary "relax Shinji your not crazy, although I'll tell you something many who've suffered near death experiences during fight with the Angles have described to me similar accounts of hell. Your not alone Shinji." He said lighting the mood as the teenager grinned and walked out. "I'll begin my session with Asuka Langley Soryu , please bring her in." He said as he took his hand off the button "very well Dr. Satoshi, remember though Asuka isn't as timid as Shinji." Ritsuko said, Satoshi laughed as the young girl walked in wearing her usual yellow spring dress.

"Alright Doc, I'm not crazy What I saw was that weakling freeze after he shot the Angel!" Asuka shouted as she walked in trying to speed up the session with Dr. Satoshi. "I see they were right about you, you do know Pride is the first of the seven deadly sins right?" Asuka ignored him and sat down with her slender arms folded. "Very well young woman, lets begin State your name." She looked at Satoshi as if he was ignorant. "My name is Asuka Langley Soryu, pilot of Eva Unit 02. Although facing the Angel was intense I unlike the crybaby wasn't affected once it was shot. For the longest time static was all I heard when I tried to contact him. Before long I'm taken from you Eva and placed here." Satoshi wrote a few notes "just what are you writing!" She immediately asked with a harsh tone of voice "if you must know I've written that you are quite loud and very disrespectful of your fellow pilot." He responded trying to keep a bit of professionalism over the loud teen.

"In any case can I leave now, I've told you what you need to know." She implored as she was antsy to walk out. "Fine, although word of this will reach Misato." Ignoring the doctor she walked out "If anything she's just as crazy as Shinji!" She said as she closed the door "Commander Gendo has taken Rei for personal questioning, you are done for the day Doctor." Ritsuko said as Satoshi got up and placed his files in briefcase "that girl is quite rude, I'm amazed he's able to put up with her."

***

"Idiot! Get back here, I want a word with you!" Asuka yelled as she Shinji just walked out of the left infirmary wing. He sighed as he knew he couldn't escape the loudmouth teen named Asuka He started to slowly walk away from her, soon enough she was right behind him "your little breakdown caused me to talk to shrinks, I hate talking to them their just like you." She teased as they walked down the corridor to the main entrance "just what's in the bag? Your pills to keep you from going insane!" She mocked as usual Shinji took it without saying much, he knew it was apart of her nature even if he did want to smack her just once. He knew she'd end up fighting him back and hitting a woman no matter how bad she was to him just never crossed his mind.

"Have you meet Dr. Takeda and Dr. Hazuki Asuka?" Shinji asked as he put walked out of the entrance gates not knowing if she'd even bothered to talk to anyone that worked in Nerv other than Kaji or Misato. "I've met Dr. Hazuki, that guy knows more about god and his nature than the priests back home. They spend their lives researching every aspect of theology." Shinji nodded his head "they say that Talmud wasn't an Angel like the one's we've faced. Something was very different about it." Asuka had a flash back to the first time she viewed the being. "I've never seen an AT field like its, I could hear the screams from the blade when it clashed with mine." Shinji's attention was quickly caught "I've seen hell…" Asuka laughed "like you know what hell is, crybaby." Shinji ignored the rest of her teasing as they got on the late train back to Misato's apartment. Not a single soul save for them on board, when they finally got back it was dead night just a few passing cars but no one else on the street. The stars were out bright as he pulled out his key card the two entered and Shinji fell asleep in his room while Asuka fell asleep on the couch.