Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ Neon Genesis Evangelion: Wings of the Seraphim ❯ 01-Consequence ( Chapter 1 )

Neon Genesis Evangelion: Wings of the Seraphim

by Alexei Seranov

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Disclaimer: I do not own Neon Genesis Evangelion. Don't sue, I'm a poor Jew.

"Blahblah" is Dialogue.

'Blahblah' is Thought.

<Blahblah> is Telepathic Dialogue.

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CHAPTER 1:

Consequence

"Explain yourself, Third Child." The frigid edge of Gendo Ikari's voice reverberated in the dark, cavernous room that was his office. The combination of this voice, the near-darkness, and the ominous System Sephirotica etched into the ceiling, would have any normal man cowering in fear. However, it did not have the intended effect upon the young boy standing before the Commander's imposing frame. The young one was apparently too busy glaring shards of sub-zero hatred out of his depthless steel-blue eyes, into his father's.

"I'm doing my job, sir," the youthful voice dripped with acid, "I'm saving this God-damned planet." A smug look took his face, replacing the normally blank countenance.

"Your job is to defeat Angels, nothing more. Remember it…" The Supreme Commander of NERV and 'father' to Shinji Ikari gave a curt nod to his Second-In-Command. "Fuyutski, have the Third Child interred for a period of two weeks. He is to be prohibited from any form of leaving his cell, except in the case of an Angel attack. Also, he is to be disallowed exit of NERV headquarters until the end of his sentence, even if NERV is under attack." The man's dark gaze fixed his son's. "Understood?" It was a statement, not a question, so Shinji kept quiet. The elder Ikari nodded to waiting Section Two guards. "Take him to cell block A." The younger Ikari was roughly hefted from his position, and dragged from the room. Giving his father a final withering glare, the Third pulled his arms from the guards and allowed them to usher him.

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"Quite a mess your little one's gotten himself into, ne Mi-chan?" As Doctor Ritsuko Akagi read from the blindingly fast code scrolling down her screen, a tiny smirk came to her lips.

"This isn't funny Ritsu! God only knows what the Commander will do. Shinji's such a frail child, whatever Ikari does may break him…" The signs of worry and stress were heavily evident on Major Misato Katsuragi's face. The bandage around her forehead and the splint her arm was currently residing in did nothing to make her look less frazzled. Doctor Akagi shook her head, causing her bleach-blonde locks to bounce side-to-side.

"Misato, you know damn well Shinji's only frail emotionally. No weakling can threaten Commander Ikari and live. Shinji may be the bravest of any of us." Ritsuko's face became more serious. "And that's not the half of it. According to testing, his body is far stronger than it appears. Nothing amazing, but he could easily hold his own in a street fight. Of course, there's no discipline and such, so he'd probably be beaten up. But this is Shinji we're talking about. He's come a long way since you picked him up off the street." Ritsuko returned to her work, to hide the fact that her smirk was deepening. 'And this may just screw up the Commander's precious scenario…'

"Yea, you're right. He'll be fine. Still, I wanna check on him before I go home and get blasted."

"Go for it. Just watch out of Ryouji. He loves sticking his nose into stuff like this…" Watching the Operations Director blush and walk away, mumbling about the charismatic spy, Ritsuko couldn't help but smile. 'At least some things never change…'

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"What do you mean, two weeks?! He's saved your sorry asses more times than you idiots can count!" Faced with the wrath of a woman who was equal parts beautiful and dangerous, men have a tendency to follow baser instincts, such as sympathizing with her cause until she leaves you alone.

"I am aware of that Major. However, the Third attacked NERV HQ. It is not something to be taken lightly. You should be thankful; most people would be executed for treason against NERV." Apparently, the second guard, whom Misato wasn't talking to, wasn't aware of this baser instinct. The Major's russet eyes swept around and pinned him against the cell door. "We… we're… und… under direct order from… Uhhh… Commander… Commander Ikari… Sorry, ma'am…" The eyes turned back to the higher-ranking guard.

"What if an Angel attacks, huh? Shinji has our best combat record. What will NERV do? Will you go topside to fight the Angels?" Sarcasm and venom ran off Miss Katsuragi's voice like rainwater off a sloped roof. 'Damnit… Ikari would lock up his own son…'

"We'll do what we're told, ma'am." The older man looked her in the eye sternly, while the younger regained his composure.

"Damnit… just let me see Shi... the Third Child. NOW." The look on Katsuragi's face proved she wouldn't be taking "no" for an answer.

"Understood, Major." The two stepped back, and the younger punched a few numbers into a keypad next to the door. Next, the older guard slid a keycard through a reader on the other side of the hallway. The door opened with a mechanical hiss, and Misato quickly stepped through. When it hissed closed once again her face reverted back to one of worry from one of frustration. Though she could not hear it, she could tell each guard let out a dejected, yet relieved breath when she left. Moving forward into the dank, pitch-black cell, Misato scanned the room for that which she was apprehensive about. As her eyes adjusted, she found the boy sitting on a small bed that was situated in the far right corner of the cell. "Shinji?" Not having recognized her entrance, the young Ikari looked up to meet the face of his guardian.

"Hello, Misato-san." He looked at her anxiously, uncertain of her motives.

"Shinji-kun… we need to talk…" Her eyes clouded slightly, and her face seemed to droop a tad bit.

"About what? Touji? What that bastard," Misato could feel the edge of his voice, "that claims to be my father is doing to me? Or is it about how disappointed you are in me? Is Asuka plotting my death yet? It's okay if she is… The world would be a better place without me… All I do is hurt and kill things. I almost crushed Touji. I went crazy and attacked the Geofront. How stupid can I possibly be? You should just let me rot dow…" His rant was quickly derailed by his guardian's right hand.

"Don't you EVER talk like that! You have NO idea how much you mean to us!" The Major's voice hitched, and a tear streamed from her left eye. "Not only have you saved the whole fucking WORLD on more than one occasion, but we all care about you!" Another tear fell, followed soon by a river from each eye. "But that's not just it! We LOVE you because you're Shinji: the quiet, kind, bright kid who just happens to save the world for a living. Don't you EVER think we don't care, or that we don't love you. You're such a big part of our family; we'd be lost without you! DON'T FORGET IT!" Sometime during her tirade, she had pulled the Third into a bear hug, and he had started crying sometime after that. Together, they stood embracing in the middle of the dark, foreboding cell, crying for an indeterminable amount of time.

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"This is SO Baka-Shinji's fault! If he hadn't tried to act so tough, we'd be home by now, and I wouldn't have to be looking at your ugly face!" The fate of one Asuka Langley Sohryu was painfully obvious to those around her: She refused to shut up about it.

"Shove it, Devil. I'm sick'a your bullshit. This sure as Hell ain't Shin-man's fault. He just got all riled up: Don't expect him to be all calm and seren… serend… screw it! Mellow... after what his bastard dad made 'em do." The exasperated voice of the designated Fourth Child, Touji Suzahara, came in response to her complaint. He appeared to be the only one who could stand up to "the Red Devil," as he referred to her, and not be beaten senseless. Chances are it was because he was the only one who Asuka knew she had no chance of beating in a fist fight, though she'd take that knowledge to the grave.

"Shut up, Stooge. First, it's serendipitous, you moronic Neanderthal. Don't talk if you don't know what you're talking about." She flung her hair over her shoulder in an act of arrogance. "Better yet, just don't talk." The final statement was punctuated by a disgusted snort, and then the golden-haired Second Child turned and walked away. By the time the slightly slow-witted Fourth Child had analyzed her statement, she was long gone.

"That BITCH! I'm gonna get you, Sohryu!"

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"Shinji-kun, I have to go now. I'll visit when I can; maybe I can bring Touji or your other friend along, if your idiot father will allow it. Asuka or Ayanami might come too. Don't worry! Two weeks'll fly by before you know it. Stay strong Shinji. We'll need you to be." A heartfelt smile, a quick hug, and she was gone. Shinji was once again left to the silence of the cell.

"I wish I had my SDAT…" He sighed and the laid back on his bed. His eyes fluttered, and then a sardonic chuckle escaped his lips. "Asuka's always complaining about how much of a wimp I am. The one time I prove her wrong, she yells at me for it. Life's ironic, ain't it?" Another soft laugh escaped him.

<Indeed it is.> Shinji's eyes flew open as he heaved himself upwards. His steel blue eyes scanned the cell with great speed, searching for the origin of the ghostly voice. <Calm down little one. You need not worry.> The voice held a gentle, soothing tone that Shinji could recognize as vaguely familiar. It was similar to the one that Misato had been using mere moments before. It was almost…

Maternal…

"Mother?!?!" The young Ikari's jaw hung weakly, and his pupils dilated. All in all, it looked as if the legendary Third Child was about to wet his pants.

<Yes, Shin-chan, it's me. I'm sorry to frighten you, but I didn't have much choice.> The young Pilot began to search the room again, confused and awed at the same time. <I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, but again, I've had little choice in the matter. I suggest you sit down for this Shin-chan.> He eagerly complied, falling listlessly onto the cell's bed. <First off, I'm speaking to you through Unit-01.>

"Huh?" The young Ikari was visibly confused.

<I've been stuck inside the Eva since its first activation test. Remember, you were there Shin-chan. I had volunteered, but the Evangelion went berserk and absorbed me. What puzzles me is why, through all the times I've tried to connect with you, this is the first that I've truly succeeded? Maybe because you've finally accepted your connection to those around you?> Shinji blushed lightly, nodding the affirmative. <Well, that's good. Before, all I could see were a few good memories and far more bad ones. Now, I can see almost everything.> The way she said 'almost' made him gulp nervously. <I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you. There was nothing I could do. But now that you pilot Unit-01, I can at least keep you safe in there. There was no way I could predict you'd go through so much. Apparently, the man I married died when I was absorbed. My Gendo would NEVER do anything like this…>

"That's okay, Mother. I don't blame you. I never have. It's Father who abandoned me." His voice cracked, and a lone tear ran its course down his face. "It's just so good to hear your voice again. I've always known something else was with me in Unit-01, it was always warm. Now I know why; you've been there all along!" The boy's eyes glistened happily.

<Yes, Shin-chan, I've tried my hardest to keep you safe. When you were stuck in Leliel, the Twelfth, I kept you from dying. I slowed your body's functions down. You may have gone brain dead or worse if I hadn't. I'm so glad it worked. Just today, I managed to stop the Dummy Plug from crushing the other Pilot. I wish I had known he was your friend; I would have tried to stop it earlier. From now on, I won't wait to keep you safe.> Shinji couldn't help but smile softly. However, a frown set into his face soon after.

"What about the others? Misato and Doctor Akagi, Ayanami and Asuka-chan?" The look of worry intensified.

<Asuka-chan is it now?> The teasing tone was evident in the disembodied reply, <Well, it appears my little Shin-chan is becoming a young man. Kyoko always was a nice woman. Is her daughter just as much of a little fireball?>

"Mother!" A full-on blush took his face. "I'm trying to be serious here! This is NOT the time to discuss this!" As his face began to resemble an infuriated tomato, a light, airy chuckle entered Shinji's mind. It was a happy, soft noise, like wind chimes in spring. It quickly calmed the boy down, as he committed it to memory. God only knew when he'd hear it again. Determination shone in his eyes. "Mother… You said you would protect me. That's all I can ask of you. I am grateful. But I'm not a little boy anymore. I'm not going to hide behind your dress. I'm going to fight with all I have. I will protect everyone, because I have you. As long as you keep me safe, I can do the same for others. I'm not going to sit back and give up anymore. So help me, nothing is going to hurt my friends: Not the Angels, not Father, not God himself!"

<That's my Shin-chan. Stand tall against the Angels and mankind alike. I'll take care of the rest. You'll win out in the end, as long as I have a say in it. Shin-chan, I have to go soon, but I need you to do something for me, really quickly. Look into the top right corner of the cell. I have a few words for your so-called father…>

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"Fuyutski, regarding the Old Men and their scenario…"

<Ooooooohh Gen-kuuun…> Deafening silence overtook the room.

"My God…" The professor-turned-Sub-Commander stood stock-still, his jaw hanging limply.

"…Yui?" The always-composed Supreme Commander of NERV was, for once, ghostly pale. His glasses fell from their roost upon his nose, landing with a clack upon his desk.

<Rokubungi… you've been a bad, BAD boy…> First shock, then fear showed on the normally impassive face of Gendo Ikari.

'Yui hasn't called me that since before we were married…' Finally, anger took his face. "What do you mean Yui? Why did you call me Rokubungi?" His eyes swung towards the battery of closed-circuit televisions, particularly the one of the cell that held his son. He had been watching beforehand, and had noticed the boy seemingly talking to himself. Oddly, now the boy was smirking very malevolently at the camera.

<Took you long enough Gendo. I swear; you must have dulled while I've been gone. I mean, come on! Who else would be able to channel through my son? That's right, MY son.> The ghastly pallor returned to the Commander's face in full force. <You lost any title to this child when you left him behind. The funny part of this is that it's a two-way street… You leave him, so I'm leaving you, PERMANENTLY. Goodbye, Gendo. I hope you enjoy the rest of your life as a bachelor.> As all the blood had drained from his head, the nigh-invincible Gendo Rokubungi fainted dead away. His older compatriot followed suite soon after. The two Commanders were found unconscious, each in a fetal position, the next morning. The security tapes of the night before had been deleted, save for a set of single frames…

Containing divorce papers signed by a Yui Ikari, dated 2015…

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AUTHOR'S NOTES, VER.2.0:

Again, I changed a few things in this chapter. Touji doesn't sound like such an idiot anymore, which will give me far more room to mess around with him later on in the story. I hope you enjoy the little fixes I've made. Ja.

Alexei Seranov - May 24, 2003

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Well, there you have it. Chapter One of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Wings of the Seraphim. I hope I haven't sent you for a loop. I just felt that it would be prudent to give Shinji a reason to change his mind about being a wuss. Think about him in the series: He thinks he's alone, he just crippled his best friend, and no one is very happy with him. Would you want to save the world? So, as the problem solver I am, I thought, "Add Yui, get self-esteem for Shin-man." So I did. From now on, he'll be a tad bit more forceful, but no to the point where he's like Asuka. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little session.

The next chapter of Neon Genesis Evangelion: Wings of the Seraphim is coming sometime soon… See ya then!

Ja matane,

Alexei

P.S.: More big thanks to my prereaders ChiRho and TekkaDark. HUGS FOR YOU GUYS!!!