as the title says i need help. i have a first chapter more or less written but i'm very nervous about the reaction i might get when i post it. it is rather heavy for a first chapter i'll admit but i cannot think of any other way to begin this story. anyway basic out line is this:
september 2000: shinji ikari lives in britain havng been traveling all over europe from birth. his parents are japanese but as his father works for sony europe he has never seen his ancestors land. he lives in england because his mother was raped at work and has suffered massive mental trauma. his father has lost his job and now stay at her bedside 24-7. shinji is largely ignored totally by both parents. his father was a workoholic anyway and his mother no longer recognises him. eventually the trauma causes her to see him as the devil coming to punish her for her sin. she will not go within 50 yards of him without screaming and acting like a caged animal. the once mighty house is a ruin. shinjis life is slowly starting to crumble around him and he sinks into cold indifference as a defence.
all this is told in memories and introspection.
all things come to a head when shinji returns home late one night.
he is ambushed by his mother in the kitchen brandishing a butcher knife.
she attacks and stabs him in the gut. leaving the knife in him she proceeds to choke him to death.
following a life altering near death flashback shinji decides that his mother has been dead all along and fights back. he knocks her away and pulls the knife out of himself. still not willing to kill her he treis to defend against her assault until she jumps at him and the knife gets in between. she dies immediately. shinji gets up and staggers throught the sea of red(can u tell wat it is yet?) that was the kitchen floor. he makes it to the top of the stairs(basement kitchen) before he collapses leaving a red waterfall behind him.
he sees everything and nothing at all before suddenly clutching the cross he'd ripped off his mother during the fight and promptly passes away.
Second impact occurs at that moment.
5866 miles and 15 years across time and space shinji ikari awakens and screams.

well what do ya think? i'd also like info on da pilots birthdays and the precise day of second impact if it's not too much trouble!

Either that makes shinji about 30 when the angels attack or that is one fucked up dream.

okay now heres the good surprise that i didn't really wanna reveal but i guess i have to explain myself anyway. ever hear of the hindu belief that you 7 chances at life before total death? well this is shinjis soul in the twentieth century. the time of death is important because as shinjis soul is 'recycled' it splits in two because of the second impact blast, false reality thingymajiggy. like when identical twins are born the two halfs of the soul copy each others properties to become two identical copies. one of these goes on and is 'recycled' remembering nothing of the previous life. the other goes into the instrumentality thingymajiggy. shinji has this dream on the anniversary of his previous death. feeling the 'imprint' of his previous life if you like. the story goes that the other shinji (the one trapped in 2ndI LcL thingymajiggy) comes to try and help his 'brother' out in 2015 but is caught by nerv and imprisoned. this is of course after the usual argument with younger self intospection thingy that comes with the lcl false reality thingymajiggy.
rules i am following for this semi ACC:
1. no special powers i.e no telepathy no supersoldiery no piloting the eva perfectly on his first go(if indeed i decide to make him a pilot) and no instant sexual attraction from any female characters.
2. no fast cars. no pimp chains(at first!)
3. he will have depth and be interesting. (hopefully)
4. no being a complete wanker by saying stupid shit to sound good or making crap jokes which noone will find funny (i.e acting like me)
5. No SI (did i say that before?)

If he can give the original shinji a backbone of sorts I'll be happy.

But the idea is good, do you have any written?

Oh second impact occurred on September 13 2000.

From memory shinji and rei where 14 at the beginning of the series while auska was 13 as the first 9 episodes where in August. But for the exact birthdays:

Auska - December 4th 2001

Rei - Umm... Rei's B'day is a bit messed up (she did die twice) just make it up, she did die twice, we won't hold it against you.

Shinji - June 6 2001

thankyou very much for your help. i do have a first chapter written like i described in da first post. i have like an ending i wanna get tobut i don't really have a clue on how to get there yet. i think ill just see how things pan out.

As long as your writing is legible in your story and you have proper technical merits (like writing "I'll" instead of "ill" as you used in your posts), then I could come check it out and perhaps offer my two cents. I haven't written any Eva but I have read plenty of good Eva stories.

thankyou when i'm finished with this first chapter (which will be by the end of this week even though i have damn GCSE's) i will notify you all of where it can be found or i might just stick it up here who knows.

note: when i actually write seriously i often proof read at least twice and spellcheck at least 4 times. i just misspell and don't punctuate well on here cos i iz lazy!

Good news everyone(or bad depending on your perspective) you can now read my first chapter on ff.net in the 'r' section of the eva section. it is called :'in this life or the next' please read and say what you think.

P/S: i need a couple of pre readers as i don't really trust my own opinion

Thankyou, Merci, Gracias, Danke.

Gentlemen, ladies, and various other superpowerd imaginary board beings!

I give you!

the first chapter of my fic. (Others already written. Will follow)

Please give comments and feedback to me to help improvement! Will post other two chaps after small feedback has been given.

Next Episode productions

Proudly presents

A Dark Machine FanFiction

In This Life or The Next

Disclaimer: I don?t own Eva. But if I did I?d crush Old Trafford and destroy Manchester United. We all live in hope that the day will come. If Gainax request it I will remove this fic from the web.
Also my musical recommendations for this fic are there to add to the story. You don?t have to listen to them as you read but I find it helps get the mood going.
<Thoughts>
?Speech?

--START GAME--

Chapter 1: The End [September 12 2000]

[Intro Music track ?- ?Where is my Mind?? ? Pixies]

?Deep in the shady sadness of a vale
Far sunken from the healthy breath of morn
Far from the fiery noon, and eve?s one star
Sat gray-hair?d Saturn quiet as a stone.?
-John Keats ?Hyperion?


It was a day like many others before it. The wind blew and the plants swayed in the breeze. The sun shone on both land and sea opening flowers and calming storms that the night had closed or whipped up. Despite this it was not an ordinary day. Fate knew that it would be a strange one, but had declined to mention it. He loved to see everyone running around in a panic while he sat back in his chair and sipped on some tea. Served them right for paying him so little anyway.
And so the world passed blissfully beneath while the heavens sat peacefully above.

[Liverpool, England]

Shinji Ikari was bored. There was no getting around it. He had been listening to the same lecture from the same senile old fart for the past three weeks! The lecture was on British history, and how the empire had successfully dominated a quarter of the globe for the good part of half a century.
<Here comes the question?>
?Now who can tell me the name of the general who led the British in the battle of Waterloo??
<That is so easy it?s embarrassing? now for the response>
?The Duke of Wellington Sir??
?Good Adam and now who can tell me?? Shinji tuned him out again having grown tired of his directing game. He returned to staring out the window at the back of the class. As he stared he thought about his life, and though he was still young, how so much had happened in such a short time.

He was not Japanese by birth but English, though he supposed that he could be called European by now with the amount of countries he?d lived in. His father travelled a lot with the work he did for Sony Europe. He had been sent over from Japan long term while his mother was 2 months pregnant. And had given birth to Shinji in England purely by chance. Shinji had first gone to school in Germany however, although his mother had been against it his father had said it would be good for him to travel and learn new things. After starting school in Germany he had moved on to France, Spain, Italy, and finally back to finish in England. On the way he had become fluent in French, German, Spanish and English. He had also learned basic Italian though he had not been there long enough to learn it very well. Mysteriously though his parents had neglected to teach him their native Japanese. Having spoken the language of whatever country they were in at home so as to keep in practice.

Shinji had been very confused as to where his home actually was, growing up with all the different sights and sounds around him. However his family stayed in England after a terrible incident with his mother.

Two burglars that had broken in while his father was at work and he at school had raped her. He had come home to find her crying on the floor. He had tried to comfort her but she had pushed him away. Only accepting help from his father. After an examination from a doctor she was given a clean bill of health physically. However mentally she had been shattered. As time passed her condition grew worse util she was bedridden. His father stopped working to care for her and so lost his job. Shinji had thought that it couldn?t get any worse than it already was. Looking back at it now he realised he was foolish to tempt fate.

After a time his mother began to show signs of total mental breakdown. The doctors had said that she was drifting into a fantasy world of denial. This world it seemed did not contain Shinji, or anyone else except her and his father. She soon stopped recognising Shinji as her son. At first ignoring him, then questioning his father as to who he was and why he was there. No answer that he tried to give made sense to her though and so she soon stopped asking.
6 months after her rape Shinji had tried to visit her again. However when he had entered she had stared wide eyed at him in total fear. When he?d tried to approach she had started screaming at him to leave and that he was the devil himself. After that he could not even be in the same corridor as her room without her screaming or trying to jump out of her window.

His father had taken out his frustration on him as well. Blaming him for what happened and saying that he should never come near her again. He had shouted that it wasn?t his fault and a gigantic argument had ensued. In the middle of it somewhere his father had said that he should consider himself a ?bastard? from now on. Shinji had hit back saying that he already did for all the time he saw his father and that at the end of the year he would leave.

That had been the end of the matter and the last time he had spoken to his father.

That had been a year ago. He had not seen his mother for over a year, nor spoken to his father in nine months. On the outside it appeared there was nothing wrong, except that he cried every night before he slept and there was no one to hear him. Besides he always was a loner anyway.

Having been so immersed in his thoughts he had not noticed the time, or the fact that his class was empty. Checking his watch he saw that school had already been over for a half an hour! He packed up his books and slowly walked out.

[Music track ?- ?Who am I? [Animatrix edit]? ? Peace Orchestra]

Shinji had no idea really as to where he was going. He supposed he should go home?
<What home is that then?>
He chuckled as he remembered the grand building that was now slowly decaying into dust and air. Sighing he realised also that he had no other place to go back to.
<Sad isn?t it?>
Well even if there was no love or any real feeling of home left within the walls now, it was still shelter and base human instinct drove him to return to it.

{A/N Small thing here. I fully believe that visualising something can really help you get into it. So I make a request that you take the five to ten minutes that Shinji will take to walk home and just listen to the track, or whatever you?ve got on. Close your eyes and put yourself there. Look around you; see yourself in the shop window as you pass. Take on all Shinji?s problems. See the house, feel the cold. Let go of the world around you and be free in mine. Just a thought.]

Shinji got home within 10 minutes. To quickly for him really to be near to a hole of absolute despair. The once proud walls now were crumbling and anything metal now was rusting to powder. The whole place summed up Shinji?s world. As it crumbled slowly around him with fear and neglect. He walked in. not needing a key; his father no longer saw the point in one. Throwing his bag into a pile of old clothes, he made for the kitchen. Opening the fridge he examined what was left of a chicken sandwich before moving onto a small piece of rapidly moulding cheese and a half bottle of milk. He peered through the gloom into the darkened backs of the shelves. The pilot light had broken several months ago but he hadn?t bothered to fix it. He no longer cared for this house and was very keen to be out of it. Closing the fridge door he looked hurriedly in all of the cupboards. Why did he actually bother? It?s not like his father went shopping anymore. All he did was order pizza or takeout to be delivered to the house. Same order every time. Same time every day.

He heard a noise from upstairs. Promptly the lights on the roof began to sway and some dust glided down and scattered onto the tabletop below him. Mother was having another panic attack again. Shit! If father found him he was dead meat. He hated to hear his mother scream in terror and rage, knowing that it was his doing. Even if he didn?t mean it, it didn?t mean he wasn?t guilty of causing another persons pain.
<That?s all I ever seem to do these days?>
He swallowed his self-disgust and grabbed a small breakfast bar from the cupboard. Bolted for the door and slid off into the night.

He strode through the city to the special place that he only knew of. The tall empty office block that no one had thought to pull down and still had running water and electricity. This was in the vain hope that someone would come eventually and fill it?s empty emotionless husk with fire and love one again. For now it was content to let Shinji pour out his thoughts onto the world from his great seat over the world. Who cared who paid for it?

[Music track ?- ?Clocks? ? Coldplay]

He sat there for? well he?d lost count at one hour 30 minutes. Music poured through his head and painted over the cracks in his soul.
He went over the shattered mirror that was his life. Looking at the fragments and for the thousandth time trying to piece them all back together. Despite all his efforts he could never get it all to fit. It was like a gigantic jigsaw that has one piece missing. No matter how proud you are for putting it together that empty hole stares openly at you every time you look at it. And every day it seems to get bigger.

<It?s just not working is it? God Damn it why won?t it work?! Why won?t it fit?>

He sank his head down over the rail surrounding the roof. Gazing down at the mist that lightly covered the streets below.

<I wonder how long it will take me to hit bottom?>


It was 2:00am before Shinji finally returned home. He made his way in quietly, gently closing each door and creeping through the hall toward the kitchen. He hadn?t thought to bring any money for extra food on his little escapade and so was hoping that maybe there would be something left over from one of his father?s takeouts. Yes! There was some leftover rice in the back of the fridge. He didn?t bother trying to heat it in the microwave, it would probably start his mother off again. Instead he dug into in hungrily, having no use for manners in his current situation. Placing the dish in the sink he turned to head for the relative paradise of sleep.

Suddenly the door creaked?

<What the??>

A woman stood before him. Her hair was matted and tattered form neglect; she wore a nightgown over her impossibly thin body. Her face was haggard and wretched. If he hadn?t seen her chest moving with ragged breaths he would have sworn she was a scarecrow. His eyes moved to the glinting fat steel in her right hand. Then back to her clothes. Sudden recognition both relieved him and sent chills along his nerves.

<Mother what is?? What are you??>

The questions got stuck in his throat as he looked at her face. There was no love, just pure animalistic aggression. That humans were dangerous primitive animals at heart was proven at that moment. All other thoughts were quickly put aside as she spoke.

?So devil you think you can just wait beneath me till I die??

He could remember her original voice and this certainly was not it. This was dry, coarse, rasping, vicious and full of venom.

?Well no more now I will rid myself of you once and for all!? the rasp rose to a shriek. ?Now you will die!?

And with that she pounced. Jumping and knocking Shinji to the floor, pinning him down with her legs and thrusting the knife she held deep into his gut.

The pain was? excruciating. White heat spread from Shinji?s stomach out to all ends of his body. It burned terribly. He saw the fountain of blood that was spurting out of him between the skin and the blade. Survival instinct took over and persuaded him to try and fight whatever was attacking him. He struggled to no avail, his vision began to cloud as he heard a frustrated cry and then felt hands around his throat.

?Die! Die! Just Die!? his mother screamed maniacally bringing him back from the blackness slightly. He looked up at her face as he tried desperately to breathe.

<Maybe this is for the best?> he remembered all of the happy times they had shared before? of the trips to parks and stories at night. The love she had shown then?

<This is not her! No! Mother is dead! She always has been!>

Finding strength from somewhere he kicked out at her and pushed her off sending her crashing into the fridge. She did not move seemingly dazed by her fall. Sinking down into a pile on the wet floor.

Shinji grabbed the countertop and pulled himself painfully up out of the red glistening puddle. Leaning heavily on the counter he felt for the handle sticking out of his torso. Finding it sent a horrible pain up his body but gritting his teeth he started to pull. As it came out he screamed through his teeth. More blood gushed out of his body. Splashing onto the already red floor tiles. He jammed a hand onto his stomach to stem the red tide. Turning he looked at the crumpled heap on the floor, putting a hand to the three scratches on his right cheek, shit he didn?t even notice when that happened.

<You?re just a shell but even you deserve to live? for father?s sake?>

Turning away he leant heavily on the sideboard, doubling over from the burning that threatened to consume him. He didn?t hear her get up or even the small splashes as she approached him.
He did however hear the roar and turned as she jumped at him again. There were a sick squelch? a whimper, then silence?
She lent against him her eyes frozen with shock then slowly slid down his body pulling the knife out of his hand before dropping to the floor. Shinji just stood for god knows how long. He was frozen like a statue. Even though deep down he knew it wasn?t really her, he still hadn?t intended to kill his mother. But shell or not that is what he had done and the pain of it filled his head till it felt like he would burst.

Through the pain an instinct told him to get help. It doesn?t matter who, just get help if you want to live. Following this subliminal voice he staggered across the red lake of blood that he?d given such a contribution to and fell onto the stairs. He crawled up each agonising step feeling himself getting weaker and weaker. Just as he reached the top and dragged himself desperately onto the landing his strength failed him. He collapsed onto the left side of his face his arms spread at odd angles across the floor. He saw his blood cascading down the stairs in an almost beautiful manner. And despite trying to persuade himself before not to be scared when the time came he was.

He was afraid.

[Music track ? Nearer My God to Thee ? Titanic Score]

He felt the copper liquid caress his hand and clenched it. His breathing increased as panic set in. His eyes widened as he saw all his life as like a flick-book of colour. Then suddenly the veil was lifted from his eyes, and he saw the beyond. He saw the truth that we all see just when we?re at the point we can?t tell anyone.

<God must have a sense of humour?>

And with that he breathed his last?


At that same moment, by pure coincidence, the event that would become known as Second Impact occurred in the antarctic.


5866 miles(9440km) and 15 years away across space and time Shinji Ikari awoke with a soundless scream?


--ENDGAME?

Don?t worry peeps all shall be revealed and explained soon. Be cool and review as this is my first time writing any fanfic at all.

Hope ya ready for the Next Episode?

Next Episode Productions 2004

Presenting chapter 2.

In This Life or The Next

By Dark Machine

Disclaimer: I plan to own it at some point. But I don?t own it now so get over it. This is non-profit stuff. If Gainax requests it I will remove this fic from the web. Thank you.

A/N: Sorry for the long update time but exams and school and whatever got in the way. Thank you for your patience.

<Thoughts>
?Speech?

--START GAME?-

Chapter 2: Dreams/So it?s come to this?

[Intro Music Track ? Where is My Mind? ? Pixies]

?We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep.?
- The Tempest Act 4 Scene 1

[Katsuragi/Ikari Residence, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

Shinji stared at the wall in front of him for several minutes. Recovering from these nightmares was not a pleasant experience; he?d had one every night for the past week. At first it hadn?t been so bad, certainly more pleasant than mangled Reis after the 5th angel?s assault. However since Wednesday things had got much darker and horrific, once again he?d found it hard to sleep. This latest dream had been the worst he?d had since coming to Tokyo-3. Admittedly ever since he?d got into the Eva he?d been troubled by nightmares. Images of his father?s abandonment of him had been particularly prominent, as well as those of hurting Touji?s little sister Mari.
Shinji cringed as he thought of the little girl lying in the hospital. He still had not forgiven himself for that incident. He knew it was his entire fault, despite the fact that Touji had said it was an accident and even become his friend.

He sighed and looked at the bedside clock.
<5:00 aww well not like I?m gonna get much sleep anyway, hmm maybe I should ask Dr Akagi about this? nah she?d just think I?m crazy and then do 6 hours of tests for nothing. Best not to bother anyone about it. >

Shinji shook himself and walked quietly to the bathroom, washing his face he stared at his reflection in the mirror. He nearly didn?t recognise who stared back, the lifeless heavily bagged eyes, and the stress lines already appearing on his cheeks. The look of a person who is cracking under the demands of his life.
<I mustn?t run away! I mustn?t run away! I mustn?t?>
The words were already starting to sound hollow. He stared at himself again, trying to search deep down for some resolve, something to live for?

<It?s the same every morning?> he trudged out of the bathroom.
YEEEEHHAAAAAAHHHH! That is the way to start a morning! Misato yelled slamming her beer down on the table.
<You?d think she was at a football game or something!> Shinji thought watching Misato munch through her breakfast that he?d once again prepared meticulously for her. He kept his comment to himself and settled for a sigh. Munching on his toast his thoughts again turned to his dream from last night.
<Same place, same time, similar things happen, always from the first person. But what does it all mean? Maybe it?s just feedback? Yeah that?s probably it. But why am I getting this from the Eva. I saw the date and the Eva wasn?t even planned back then.>

?Shinji are you okay? You don?t look so good.?
Brought out of his reverie Shinji looked up to see Misato staring curiously at him.
?Yeah I?m fine Misato honest. I was? just thinking.?
?About what??
?Nothing, it?s nothing.?
Misato didn?t believe him for a second, but decided it was too early to pursue the matter. <He looks terrible>
?Shinji are you sure you?re okay you really look a bit pale.?
?I?m fine Misato honest, I gotta go or I?ll be late!? Shinji picked up his bag and opened the door, ?See you later Misato!? he called before running out.

?Bye Shinji?? Misato looked down at her half full can on the table. <The kid?s havin? problems? but he will still not talk about it. Then again would I really want to hear about ?em? Ha I doubt it.>
Chugging the last of her beer Misato makes a perfect three pointer into the bin behind without so much as a glance. <Maybe I should ask Ritsuko about those psychoanalysis reports. He doesn?t seem to be sleeping well. His eyes are shot and he?s been really distant over the last week too. Shinji what?s going on in that head of yours?>

[Tokyo ? 3 Municipal High School, Japan]

School passed quite quickly for Shinji. He barely noticed what was happening around him and switched to autopilot after greeting his friends and following Hikari?s morning drills. At one time during the first class he thought he saw Ayanami looking at him, but shook it off as his imagination. Why would Rei Ayanami be looking his way anyway? It?s not as if the incident with the fifth had affected her everyday routine. That one smile was all he?d seemed to get from her, and then things had gotten back to normal. Whatever normal was.

The problem was that Shinji was not in a state to notice the little things. Which is exactly what you need to be in to pick up on the nature of Rei Ayanami. When you have insomnia or problems with sleep nothing?s real. Everything is a copy, of a copy, of a copy. The volume is turned down on everything. It?s like living with your head in a fishbowl of water. Voices and sounds are distorted, far away. Sight is fuzzy, you dropping off and then jerking awake without realising.

So basically if you want to know what?s going on around you your screwed.

So it was for Shinji at lunch break.

?Yo Shinji you listenin? dude?!? Touji said knocking on Shinji?s skull.
?Huh? Wha? Whatyousay??
?Damn man you?ve been outta it all day! What?s up wit you man??
?What d?you mean out of it? I?m fine.?
?Kensuke show him,?
?Sure,? Kensuke said producing his camera and hitting the playback button. ?Here you go, see.?

Shinji watched as the video showed him staring into space blankly,
Ignore his name on the register and fall asleep on the desk for a full ten minutes before jerking awake and cracking his nose on the table.

?I guess I was kinda out of it huh?? Shinji said sheepishly scratching the back of his head.
?Kinda? More like totally?? Said Touji.
?And completely.? Finished Kensuke.
?So we wanna know what?s up wit ya!? Touji said grabbing Shinji in a headlock and giving him a friendly noogie.
?Yeah you?ve been like this all week man,? Kensuke added ?And we?re getting a bit worried about you.?

Touji let go of Shinji and stepped back as if scrutinizing a work of art. Seeing Touji do this set the rest of the stooges off laughing in an instant.
?What is so funny den eh?? Touji exclaimed
?It was just seeing you??
?Looking so focused.?
?A once in a lifetime experience, eh Shinji!?
?Why you! I oughtta!? Touji fumed going pink in the cheeks
?Calm down Touji! We were only joking!? Said Kensuke panting. ?Anyway weren?t we seeing what was wrong with Shinji?
?Oh yeah, we was weren?t we?? said a now pacified Touji. ?So what?s bin up wit you man? The way you bin behavin? it?s like you?re on another planet.?
<Thanks Kensuke> thought Shinji tiredly. ?Look guys nothing?s wrong with me okay! I?m just having some trouble sleeping after the last angel battle that?s all. Keep thinking that thing had blown my head off. It would have if it hadn?t been for Ayanami.?
?You sure that?s all Shinji?? said Kensuke peering at him over the top of his glasses. ?You haven?t been tiring yourself out over AT Ayanami?s have you?? by the crooked smile on Kensuke's face Shinji knew what was coming next. As Touji joined in the taunts while he offered back exhausted half-hearted resistance. He looked down at the ground over the rail of the school roof.
<Wonder how long it will take me to hit bottom?>

[Katsuragi/Ikari Residence, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

Shinji had declined the offer to hit the arcade with his friends and instead had headed home for the evening. He found a note on the table from Misato when he got in.

Shinji,

I?m going to have another all nighter at NERV again. Lot of work to do but I?ll be back in the morning k. Take care and stay safe.

Love
Misato xxx

<Fine by me I could use some quiet time anyhow.> Shinji thought. He yawned and sighed frustratedly. <I?m beat, I?ll just rest my eyes a bit> He went into his room and found his S-DAT, lay down yawned once more and dropped into the void. Food could wait.

[????????????]

<Where?? What?? How??> Shinji Ikari felt the questions run through his head as his brain rebooted. Everything was red, or orange he couldn?t tell. There was nothing around him just this red, orange stuff that he didn?t know the colour of.
<If this is heaven then it?s seriously fucked up.>
He tried to walk around, before he realised that he wasn?t standing, or sitting, or anything for that matter.
<I?m floating? What the hell is going on?>
Suddenly a blinding pain emerged in Shinji?s head. He slapped a hand to his head immediately. Then a great white light flashed before his eyes. And he fell hard on something hard and metal with a clunk.

Stunned Shinji picked himself up and shook himself.
<What was that? Ow that hurt!> Rubbing his rear Shinji suddenly found he was standing in a train car. It was sunset, which gave the place a similar colour to the previous venue. The train was rushing through countryside unfamiliar to Shinji. Past mountains and lakes, through green fields to some unknown destination. Looking around himself he saw that the car wasn?t completely empty. There were three others in the car with him.
<Maybe one of them knows what?s going on.>
Shinji approached the nearest one of them. He was wearing a trench coat and hat and reading a paper. Shinji glanced at the front page and read the title and headline:

THE PRESENT TIME

DEATH, WHAT IS BEYOND?

<Weird name for a newspaper?> Shinji thought.
?Excuse me sir what train is this?? The man did not reply but appeared to keep reading his paper. Shinji tried again thinking the man had not heard him.
?Sir, hello? Do you know what train this is?? getting no reply Shinji peered down under the peak of the mans hat and recoiled back in horror. The man was completely black, like a shadow and had no face. Backing away slowly Shinji headed down the car toward the next person. He didn?t even need to go near to know that this one was the same. Shinji could tell by the pink cardigan and above ankle jeans that it was supposed to be female. She was reading a book with a black cover. It was entitled THE PAST, and had a picture of a boy his age sitting on a chair under a spotlight. The boy had his head down with his hand in his hair in a classic ?thinker? position. However Shinji looked closer and saw a tear drop running down his cheek, he had his eyes closed and was clearly in the depths of sorrow.

Shinji seeing this did the only thing that came to mind, no matter how stupid it was. He ran. He ran all the way down the car, almost bumping into the door to the next one. He saw there was a poster stuck to the glass in the door. It had two words written upon it:
THE FUTURE
And below it;
??????????

Shinji gazed wide-eyed at the door. He had a strong urge to pull the handle, to walk through and satisfy his curiosity. But as always the little voice of doubt slowed his hand. However this time another voice encouraged him. Remember your dead, it said.
<And if I?m dead then there?s no point in having fear and doubt!>
Beaten, the voice of doubt was silenced and Shinji stepped confidently through the door?

The other side was he had to say a bit anti-climactic. It was the same as the previous car, sans the occupants. He walked through to the middle of the car near to the sliding doors.
<Shinji you dolt your dead. YOU HAVE NO FUTURE!>
?Hello Shinji,? He span round.
?What! Who?s there?? Shinji found a small boy much younger than him standing in the aisle where he?d just walked a second ago.
?I am here Shinji you silly!? said the child in a singsong voice. He hopped onto a seat and stared at Shinji with a grin.
?Who are you?? Shinji asked still amazed at the sudden appearance of the boy.
?Silly Shinji doesn?t know himself!? said the boy with giggle.
?Know myself? What are you on about? Who are you?? Shinji demanded.
?I?m you silly Shinji!? said the boy with a smile.
Shinji just stared in disbelief at what he?d just heard. The boy looked familiar and there were similarities, same blonde hair, same deep green eyes, and the clothes hadn?t mum bought some just like them when he was young.
?You?re me? What do you mean?? Shinji stared wide-eyed at the boy as recognition of his younger appearance washed over him like a tidal wave.
?Sit,? the young boy said patting the seat next to him, it was not a request. Shinji sat staring blankly in front of him as his brain tried to put the day into a rational order for him, and failed miserably. He turned his head slightly to see that the boy was speaking again. ?How to explain? Hmm very tricky. How ?bout we start at the beginning. Mum always said it was the best place to start.?
The mention of his mother sent a pain through Shinji and he clutched his head. The boy carried on as if nothing had happened.
?Mum was dead, her soul had left her, but her shell remained and attacked you. You killed it but died from the injuries it caused. That OK?? Shinji nodded though it made the throbbing pain in his head worse.
?Now for some reason instead of going on to wherever, we?ve ended up here?? The boy continued.
?Yeah but where is here?? Shinji asked remembering the first question that had come into his head.
?Not sure,? said the boy shrugging his shoulders, ?But I think that it?s like a holding place for souls. Remember that big pain you felt when you arrived??
?When I fell over??
?No before that, before the train.?
?Yeah that was weird. There was a horrible pain, then a load of bright light and then this.?
?Well that seems to be when your soul was forcibly violated.?
?What do you mean? Violated.?
?Like when you love someone they let you into their soul and you let them into yours. They touch and complete each other. Violated is the opposite. Like a rape.?
?RAPE! Someone raped me??
?No they touched our soul without permission.? The boys face had changed to a serious frown. He looked like he was trying to work out a maths problem. ?You remember studying the Hindu religion??
?Yeah, the teacher went on for six months about all that stuff. Why??
?Remember how they believe that you?re re-incarnated seven times??
?Yeah.?
?Well maybe that?s what happened, that?s the only reason I can think of for your soul to have been touched after death.?
?But shouldn?t I be back on earth then??
?Hmm yeah,? the boy frowned again, ?maybe the force of whatever pulled us here was too strong. Our soul may have only been copied not overwritten.? He looked at Shinji brightly.
?Thanks for making me sound like a computer file.? Shinji grumbled.
?Anytime,? said the boy smiling happily. He then produced an ice cream from nowhere and began to slurp.
?Can I have one of those?? asked Shinji suddenly hungry.
?Sure,? chirped the young Shinji between mouthfuls of ice cream, ?What flavour??
?Strawberry.?
?Of course! Same as me!? And from nowhere another ice cream popped into Shinji?s hand.

They sat there in silence; the only noises the slurping on the ice cream as each ate. Suddenly another thought occurred to Shinji.
?Hey if my soul was copied, wouldn?t there be another me out there somewhere??
?Possibly yes, he might even look like you.?
?Will he have the same kind of life I?ve had? You know soul alike, life alike.?
?It?s possible, but even if it were true what could we do from here??
?You mean we?re stuck here!??
?I think so although I have a small idea,? little Shinji raised his eyebrows and looked up in thought. ?Yeah you see this entire world is of your creation. Me, the train, and the people back there, they?re all from your mind. So I guess you?d have to decide to leave and re-appear, though it would take great force of will?? he trailed off and licked his ice cream. Shinji threw back his head. Strength of will, the one thing he lacked.
<Great?>
?If only we had a target, y?know something to focus on.?
?Like what?? Shinji said sarcastically.
?Well what about the other you? You sounded like you wanted to help him before.?
?Yeah but how do we find him genius??
?Well you two might have a slim connection, nothing fancy like mentally or anything,? he said catching Shinji?s look ?but sub-consciously like.?
?Yeah right.? Shinji looked away and saw that night had fallen. The moon was up and cast a beautiful mirror-like reflection on the lake below.
?Just give it a shot.? Said his smaller counterpart encouragingly.
?I dunno, thinkin? about it what kind of difference could I make? It?s stupid really I?d just be there, in the way? like before??
?Hey!? Said little Shinji nudging his arm, ?sometimes just being there is enough to change things. And would you want someone to go through what you went through if you could change it??
?No but what could I do seriously!?? Shinji cried putting his head in his hands.
?Just be there and be who you wanna be man. Besides you?re dead remember! Consider this your time to life fat and die young or whatever. Not many people get it so you should take this opportunity.?
?Here I am being told the value of life by a kid?? Shinji shook his head, ?all right I?m in, so what do I do??
?Well,? little Shinji thought ?just concentrate and picture the world, you?ve seen the space pictures, like that.?
?K I think I?ve got it.? Muttered Shinji as he closed his eyes and furrowed his brow.
?Right now just focus in like a camera and try to find a presence like your own.?
?Okay,? said Shinji shakily ?let?s see??
?Find anything??
?Hang on! This is hard you know?? Shinji contorted his face in an effort to squeeze more concentration out of himself. ?I can?t feel anything,? he said in frustration.
?Come on keep trying! He?s out there somewhere!? encouraged the younger Shinji putting an arm round his shoulder.
?Wait?I think I got something!? Shinji said happily. ?He?s in Asia, the feelings stronger there.?
?That?s still to far out, you need to be pretty close try harder!?
?I am trying! Let?s see? eastern Asia, definitely. I know I?ll just go through the main areas: China no, Korea no. Thailand? No I?m getting colder errr? Japan that?s it!?
?Great going! We?re almost there!?
?Whoa! Doesn?t look like it did, I wonder how long we?ve been out??
?No way to tell I?m afraid, just get the city and then go for it. It?ll be impossible to get any closer than that.?
?All right! I got him! Now what??
?Just think about being there and you?ll be there!?
?How the hell did I let you talk me into this??
?You listened to your heart for once.?
?I?ll blame you for everything you know,?
?You forget, I am you.?
?Don?t care I?ll still blame you!? The Shinji?s shared a laugh for the first time.
?See you on the other side!? Little Shinji said as the world began to fade. ?Oh and watch that first step!?
?Hey wait a sec what the hell do you mean by?OUCH!?
And with that Shinji Ikari emerged back into the world.
?Shit??

[Katsuragi/Ikari Residence, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

Meanwhile Back in his bed Shinji Ikari awoke, sat up and gingerly rubbed his back.
?Shit??

--ENDGAME--

In This Life or The Next

By Dark Machine

Disclaimer: I plan to own it at some point. But I don?t own it now so get over it. This is non-profit stuff. If Gainax requests it I will remove this fic from the web. Thank you.


?Thoughts?
?Speech?

--START GAME?-

Chapter 3: Re-Entry

[Music Track ? Encore ? Jay-Z]

I have been a stranger, in a strange land.
- Exodus


[NERV - Central Dogma command bridge, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

Misato Katsuragi hated these long shifts. She was sure NERV just put them in so they could get money out of the coffee machines.
?Ritz, why am I even here? Do you really need me?? Misato whined looking at her friend and the head of Project-E Ritsuko Akagi.
?I?m afraid so Misato. I need to go through our plan for the Jet Alone conference.? ?I'd better go through this quickly, I?m tired of her loitering around here always getting in the way.?
?Awww but that?s not for two weeks!? Misato whined giving Ritsuko the puppy dog look. ?Can?t we just leave it till Monday or something??
?No! I want you prepared for this conference so you can ask the directors some hard questions. I myself already have some prepared.?
?Really??
?YES! God Misato you make it sound like whole new idea that?ll change the world!?
?Humph! Just because you always have everything down to the last detail doesn?t mean you have to force it on the rest of us.? Misato muttered just loud enough for everyone to catch.
?Ms Akagi just wants everything to go well Captain Katsuragi,? Maya piped up turning round from her console. ?The MAGI have those specs you wanted ma?am.?
?Put them up on the screen please Maya,? Ritsuko said turning back to Misato. ?You should be thankful I decided to help you with this, I could have just left you to deal with the consequences.?
?What consequences? It?ll just be some boring old men in suits celebrating their new toy. It?s not like their going to cancel the launch now anyway.?
?Well next time I won?t bother.? Ritsuko finished contemptuously ?Maya where are those specs on the Jet Alone project??

Maya who had been absorbed in watching the argument between the two women hurriedly turned back to her console. While her back was turned she failed to notice a brief flash on the console and the brief appearance of a blue pattern deep in the bowels of the base. The pattern appeared and disappeared so quickly that the MAGI determined it as nothing but background noise. And so it went unnoticed, though that would not last very long.

[NERV ? Floor -13 - Corridor]

?Shit! That really fucking hurt! Watch the first step! What step?! More like first fall!? Shinji Ikari got up off the floor gingerly rubbing his backside, which had come off rather badly in a fight with the steel floor. ?Little sod!? he muttered before taking in his new surroundings. ?Where the hell am I now?? He looked around the tunnel or corridor he?d landed in. spotting his old sports bag he pulled it over. ?What?s this doing here?? Opening it he found a note taped inside it read:

Dear Shinji,
Just thought I'd pack you a few essentials to get started. It?s not much but they seemed important so consider them a gift. Enjoy your new life! I know I will!

Sincerely,
Yourself.

?What the heck is that all about?? Shinji wondered as he opened the bag. Inside he found his music player, a tee shirt, jeans and some chocolate bars. Suddenly realising that he was famished Shinji tore into the chocolate hungrily. He also found all his European passports at the bottom. What he needed them for he could only guess. Having finished the first bar Shinji ripped open a second. ?I guess I'd better start walking??

[NERV - Central Dogma command bridge, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

?This is too complicated at this time of night Ritz!? Misato complained as she tried to follow the long series of diagrams and explanations on the Jet Alone project that Ritsuko and the computer were churning out. Ritsuko glared at the interruption and checked her watch.
?It?s only 12:30 Misato! You have to try and stay with me if we?re going to put any pressure on the bigwigs at the meeting.?
?But you?re the expert in all this science stuff anyway, why do I have to learn it?? Misato said yawning.
?Because you need to put forward how difficult it would be to use in combat and make it convincing! You are the Chief tactical officer against the angels you know!? Ritsuko countered exasperatedly.
?Yeah but why now why not tomorrow or the weekend??
?Because this is the only spare moment I?ve got to help you with this stuff. Now are you going to pay attention??
?Yes ma?am!? Misato said giving Ritsuko a mock salute.
?Good then we?ll continue, now, you know that the Jet Alone is powered by??

While the lecture continued to distract the already bored and tired rudimentary class on the bridge, everyone failed to notice a boy carrying a sports bag wander past camera 17-A which covered the corridor of floor ?7. Had camera 17-A been able to report it Noisily then it would have been a lot more effective in it?s job. However it had been muted for the lecture upstairs and so the boy went unnoticed yet again.

[NERV ? Floor -7 - Corridor]

?Great, I?m bloody well lost! Just my luck! Shinji you have got to start thinking things through before you act on them. I mean you dive straight into an unknown country where you don?t speak the language, and try to find and help someone who you don?t even know. Jesus what were you thinking!? Shinji Ikari's voice echoed around the dusty black corridor that he walked along. The ring off the steel almost made it seem like there were other Shinji's calling back to him. Despite being hopelessly lost and wandering in a fair few circles he had managed find his way up several floors. Since there were no windows he assumed he was underground and had confirmed it when he found a sign with the floor number. However due to his lack of Kanji knowledge Shinji had not made any progress in finding a quick way up. The staircase had only gone up six floors before ending. Things were not bright, in more ways than one.

After stumbling around for another ten minutes Shinji frustrated and exhausted gave up.
?Great I?m Never gonna get out of here!? Shinji slid his back down the steel wall before knocking his head back into it in frustration. A whirring noise started behind him making Shinji spin round, just in time to see some lift doors open creating a hole of light in the gloom. Consulting the buttons on the inside Shinji jabbed the top one. ?I?ve had enough of being in the dark!?

[NERV - Central Dogma command bridge, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

?Shigeru run a diagnostic of the security systems would you?? Ritsuko said, her lecture postponed while Misato went for more coffee. Really she could not understand how she had failed to change from college. She was still immature and still left everything to the last minute. She was distracted by the noise of the lift on her left. ?That?s funny, noone should be down there right now so what?s??? The doors slid open and out stepped Shinji. At least he looked like Shinji, but the hair was different. Blonde instead of brown, and the eyes too. They still had that same deep effect but were green not blue. ?Shinji? What are you doing here? I thought you?d be home at this hour.?

Shinji froze. Suddenly remembering the problems of not knowing the language. ?Shit! Think of something quick!? Nothing came to mind in time.
?Shinji?? Ritsuko repeated ?Are you Ok? What did you do to your hair? And are those contact lenses?? Shinji said nothing. Ritsuko was getting nervous now. ?What?s with the silent treatment?? Noticing the bag he was carrying she tried another angle. ?What?s in the bag Shinji??
Shinji meanwhile was trying to edge his way toward the door without being too obvious. Thinking that he would have to answer eventually he desperately tried to think of Japanese. However he was spared by the arrival of Misato who chose that moment to enter with her coffee.
?Hey Ritz, here?s your coffee didn?t miss anything did I?? Misato said handing over the coffee.
?No but I didn?t know you?d brought Shinji, doesn?t he have school in the morning??
?But I didn?t bring him.? Misato replied bemused. ?He?s still at home.?
?Well he?s here now.? Ritsuko said pointing to Shinji, who was trying to sneak quietly out of the door. And it looks like he?s planning to stay the night.
?Shinji?? Misato said turning round to face the young boy, ?what are you doing here at this time of night! Shinji! Helloooo!?

Shinji normally would be delighted to meet two such beautiful women late at night. However under the current circumstances now was not the time for charm. To Shinji all that they had been saying had been a very confusing set of sounds and gestures. He?d recognised the looks of surprise from the blond, and her questioning tone of voice. And he?d definitely recognised the anger and surprise in the purple haired and very attractive lady that had just entered. The problem was, having no idea what they were saying meant he could not answer.
?Crap! What do I do now?! This could be the shortest return from death in history! And how the heck do they know my name? I wonder if the other me also has my name? Wonder what else we share?? Shinji shook himself, now was definitely not the time.
?Errr?? Shinji muttered as response.
?Shinji, are you alright? And? JESUS CHRIST! WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!? Misato cried having only just noticed the changes the introspective boy had gone through. ?Jeez I told him to express himself a bit more but I didn?t think it would go this far!?
?Errr? errrrmmm?? Shinji murmured again hoping to God for some more divine intervention. Which, as is usual in the real world, didn?t come.

Misato looked at Shinji carefully, now noticing the change in eye colour as well.
?Ritz, could I talk to you for a minute?? she asked giving Ritsuko a sideways glance. ?In Private??
?Sure,? Ritsuko replied also giving Misato a nervous glance.
?Excuse us would you Shinji?? Misato said giving him a false smile before quickly turning round and dragging Ritsuko away to the other side of the bridge. ?Ritz, has Shinji had any abnormal effects from the Evangelion? Mental damage anything like that??
?No,? Ritsuko replied puzzled ?According to the latest reports he?s good, no problems at all.?
?You?re sure now? Nothing not even a micro problem??
?No, apart from the usual withdrawn thing and an unhealthy helping of shyness.? Ritsuko looked down at a nearby screen and brought up the latest psychoanalysis results. ?As far as I know, Shinji's tip top.?
?Yeah, he?s been fine at home too as far as I know. Though,? Misato paused glancing up at the boy who was looking nervously from side to side, as if he were being hunted. ?Poor kid still has trouble sleeping, he was fine for a while but it started again after the 5th angel.?
?What started??
?Nightmares,? Misato sighed ?They?ve been so bad recently he can?t even get to sleep properly. Only time he gets any is when he?s dropped dead from exhaustion.?
?That may be so but nightmares don?t usually get people to change this much, angels or not.?
?I know that?s why I wanted to know if there had been any abnormalities recently.?
?You know if you would just read the reports?? Ritsuko started to say but Misato interrupted.
?Ill get round to it. Anyway the thing is, I think this may not be Shinji.? Misato said leaning closer and whispering in Ritsuko?s ear. ?I think it may be an impostor, or even a spy.?
Ritsuko glanced at Shinji again.
?Looks just like Shinji to me, except for the hair and eyes.?
?Exactly!? Misato said ?But Shinji would never change like that. And that boy looks really nervous, heck even Shinji has gotten used to this place by now.?
?So what do you want to do about it? Arrest him??
?No, not unless I have to, Ill just take him down to my office and ask some questions that?s all. He can?t have seen much downstairs, all the powers cut down there to save on the bills. It?d have been pitch black.?
?Very well but do it quickly!? Ritsuko said, ?I don?t want him seeing anything else. You know I could take a blood sample instead and compare DNA.?
?No, we have to be careful. If there?s an incident it?ll be both our heads. Let?s just keep this quiet huh?? Misato said with a wink. She turned and slowly approached Shinji. ?Shinji? Would you come down to my office please?? Misato said.
As Shinji looked up he spotted Misato?s pips on her collar.
?Shit! I must have turned up inside some future military base type thing.? As Misato put a hand on his shoulder to guide him out he panicked. ?I?m not going to jail for the rest of my life! I?ve only just got it back!? he spotted a gun resting inside the officers jacket holster. Quick as a flash he snatched it and held it up to bear on her head. ?Thank god for First-person shooters!? he thought as he flicked off the safety. ?I always said Counter-Strike would come in handy one day!?

His move had taken Misato completely off guard, before she knew it she was staring down the barrel of her own gun.
?Damn! Stupid Misato! Even if he looked like Shinji you shouldn?t have let your guard down!? Misato cursed herself as the round hollow steel pointed at her forehead. The boy was shouting something at her now. It sounded like English but she couldn?t be sure. ?So that?s why he was so quiet he must not speak Japanese.? Trouble was she hardly knew English at all. She put her hands up defensively as he shouted again into her face. He was constantly looking around, jerking his head from side to side. Not slow enough to get her gun back unfortunately, and with the safety off she didn?t want to risk it.
?Ritsuko help!? She said, knowing that by the time the doctor got her gun she would be dead. The boy shouted in response, shaking the gun at her and wagging it from side to side.

?Shit! Now what? Shinji huh!? Shinji hadn?t thought that far ahead, though he knew his ultimate objective: get the hell out of dodge!
?Don?t move!? he shouted at the female officer, ?you move and I kill you!? He nudged the gun against her back for good measure. With surprising strength that even he didn?t know he?d had in him Shinji pulled the woman back through the bridge door and into the corridor. He turned her round with him harshly and marched her down the corridor turning left and then right till he was sure they were a good distance from her companion. ?Where is the lift?? he said, his voice low and harsh.

Misato meanwhile was desperately running through all her hostage training to find something that would help her. His voice startled her out of her reverie and she turned her head back to him. He was staring at her expecting an answer, his eyes burned with animal instinct and fire. She knew those eyes, only two people she knew had them: Shinji and Commander Ikari. While the Commander hid his behind those glasses, Shinji?s had never had this fire and passion except for during the last angel battle when he had saved Rei from being fried. The boy spoke again, and Misato recognised what language he spoke now, though this didn?t help her much as the amount of English she spoke came to ?Two Beers please?. She shook her head at him and hoped he understood. He furrowed his brow apparently having got the message. After a minute he spoke again this time in a different language which Misato was still unfamiliar with. Getting her dumbfounded look the boy urged her to move on with a nudged of the gunbarrel.

Shinji scrunched up his face in concentration as he sought to remember the languages he?d not used for years. He?d tried English, Spanish and French and had had no luck with the woman yet. ?I would have thought they would have improved the language teaching in Japan by now?? He decided to try the last tongue he knew and spoke to the female officer again.
?Do you speak German??
He was relieved as she jerked and looked back at him again.
?Ja.? She replied having finally understood him.
?Take me to the elevator,? he said ?and no tricks!? He nudged her again with the gun.
?OK OK I?ll take you, just calm down!? Misato was afraid that the boy could become unstable at any minute. ?It?s this way.?
?Thank you.? He replied as they turned and walked down another passage. He Thought for a minute and then decided he it couldn?t hurt to ask. ?What?s your name??
?Misato.? Misato said, glad to see that her captor wasn?t as inhuman as she?d first thought. ?What?s yours??
?Shinji. Shinji Ikari.? Misato Jerked up at his words.
?Shinji Ikari?? Misato frowned ?If this is somehow my Shinji then I have to try and subdue him without harming him till I can get help.? Deciding to test and see if he was her Shinji Misato thought up a few easy questions that he would know even if he had been drugged or brainwashed. ?They wouldn?t be able to do a very good job in so little time anyway?? Misato turned her head again towards the blond boy. ?So Shinji, where are you from?? She said as calmly as if she?d met him in a bar.
?England, well all over Europe really. My parents were Japanese though. Father worked for Sony Europe, so we travelled a lot.? The tone of his voice and the ?parents were? was not lost on Misato.
?God he even sounds like Shinji when he?s talking about his parents! Not that he talks much on that subject?? Misato knew that Shinji?s parents and especially his father was a very dangerous area with the young Ikari.

They were halfway to the elevator now and Misato knew she was running out of time. ?What brings you to NERV Japan then??
?NERV? Maybe that?s the name of this base?? Shinji thought ?I just dropped in to see a friend but I?m afraid I got a bit lost.?
?Who is your friend?? Misato asked curious about what company a European 14-year-old spy kept.
?Well that?s kinda hard to explain, see I?m not exactly sure??
?Not sure? Well do you even know his name? What he looks like??
?Like I said I?m not sure?? Shinji considered whether or not to try his theory out. Seeing he had nothing to lose and noting that this woman seemed to know someone like him he gave it a try. ?I think his name might be Shinji though. Shinji Ikari?? Seeing her stiffen slightly he knew the gamble had paid off. ?You know anyone by that name??

Misato?s mind was racing. Here was an almost complete doppelganger of Shinji, looking for Shinji. Least to say she was slightly confused. If he were a spy then surely he would have known what Shinji looked like. And if his appearance had been altered he would have been told why surely? she had no time to consider as they came upon the elevator she?d unconsciously led him to. He pressed the call button and the doors opened immediately. ?This is it?? thought Misato ?I have to act now or he?ll probably kill me!? He spun her round to face him and backed slowly into the elevator.
?Which floor will take me out of here fastest?? He asked. He knew that even with the gun to her head he was trusting her.
?Top button. It?s the Car Park level. There?s a lift there that?ll take you out.?
?Thank you.? Misato waited for the shot but it didn?t come. Instead he pushed her back into the corridor and smiled at her. ?Thank you for your help. I would very much like to meet Shinji if that?s possible in the future.? He released the clip from the gun and threw them back to her separately. ?I wouldn?t have shot you. I don?t go around destroying God?s works of art.? He pressed the button and the doors began to slide closed. ?Till we meet again Misato!? He said with a wink, then he was gone.

Misato stood there staring at the doors for a good 30 seconds working out how she was still alive and how unusual her captor had been. When she finally came to her senses she remembered her job and flipped open her cellphone.
?Ritsuko! He got away! He made me take him to lift 34-C and he?s heading for the parking level.? Misato waited for he friends response, hoping that she?d had the sense to call up Section-2.
?Misato it?s okay, I called up Section-2 and they?re on their way to your position and to the Parking Level. I?ve got the lift up here on screen, we?re going to do an emergency lockdown of that floor once he gets off.?
?Thanks Ritsuko. Tell Security to use non-lethal force. I want him alive OK??
?Why? He?s just a spy.?
?He talked to me Ritsuko while I was hostage. I managed to get some information about him that you may find interesting. Just make sure we get him alive so we can interrogate him properly.?

?Okay, It?s your call Misato? Ritsuko put the phone down before looking back up at the screen showing the lift had arrived at the parking level. ?I think your crazy though??

[Music Track ? School of Hard Knocks ? P.O.D]

[NERV ? Parking Garage, Tokyo ? 3, Japan]

Shinji stepped out of the lift and heard the doors close and the car slide away. Immediately he was greeted by warning sirens and a robotic Japanese voice over the loudspeakers. He looked around panicking before seeing ?Exit? written over a large door underneath the Japanese. He rushed for it and ducked under the lowering shutters. He ran blindly along the road feeling the ground in front taking him upwards. He had to roll under the next door doing his best Indiana Jones impression. He sprinted along the path. When it ended with a closed door he turned right and leapt up some maintenance stairs. He reappeared and made for the pedestrian access doors, which were slowly closing on his freedom. He slid across the floor like it was the World Series but found his feet slamming on hard steel. He stood up and stared at the shutters.
?Damn it!? he said in frustration. It was over he knew but still he had come pretty close. He heard the click of the agents behind him raising their guns. They shouted at him in Japanese as he slowly raised his hands to his head. He felt them grab him roughly from behind and there was a sharp pain as one hit him with the butt of his gun in the back of the head. They dragged Shinji Ikari away to his fate, the details of which no one but his former hostage knew.

?What should we do with him Major?? The agent?s voice crackled over the radio to Misato freshly returned to the bridge.
?Put him in a cell for now, it?s too late for all this. We?ll deal with it in the morning.? Misato yawned
?Affirmative.? The radio fell silent. Misato turned to Ritsuko.
?It?s a good job the commander has that UN conference in America. When will he be back??
?4 Days from now according to schedule.? Ritsuko replied. ?I?d like to perform some tests on your prisoner and also to sit in on the interrogation. That OK??
?Sure. You know he wants to meet Shinji this guy.?
?Our Shinji??
?Yep,?
?What?ll you do??
?I think I?ll grant his request. Shinji can come see him after school tomorrow. Of course I?ll have to explain a bit to him first so we?d better get some good info out of this boy. Could you check the records??
?Yeah but I?d need some info from him first.? Ritsuko said
?Well it?ll be top priority tomorrow. I need this out of the way before Ikari returns or he?ll chew us both out.?
?You?d better get some sleep then Misato. Otherwise I?ll have to translate your snores.?

--ENDGAME?

Also I hope I got the foreign language bits right and that they didn?t confuse you. Shinji and Misato?s entire conversation was in German if you didn?t realize.

- Dark Machine

Next Episode Productions 2004

That is the final completed chapter. Currently working on the next one. Will re-edit the previous ones later when I have time. Damn A-Levels....

Whole thing is going to be bloody well re-written. Mostly because I have made a terrible Blue Screen type critical error with the basic mechanics of the story. One which makes it both uncomfortable to read and for me to write.

Hmmmmm....maybe if I actually planned and thought about it this time instead of just randomly typing a windey story of crud. Pre-Readers would help too.... Meh.