Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ False Prophecy ❯ The Beginning of All Things to End ( Chapter 1 )

I got a moderately good response from the prologue, and I didn't want to disappoint the people who read and enjoyed it, so here it is: chapter 1. Thank you for reading and enjoy. Oh, and I also recommend reading through the prologue again. There's some new stuff I added, that's very important to the story.

- -K.M. -san
Quick note: There is a scene here loosely based on a certain part in Andrew Huang's "The Heart, The Soul" fan fiction series. In this matter, I give him credit in inspiring me with this one scene. I would like to say right now, that I enjoy his fan fiction, and that studying his writing style, along with other authors, also helped me to find my own style as well. If he's reading, I'd like to thank him.

Another note: Sorry this chapter was not added immediately in my MediaMiner account. I usually like to pay more attention to my FFN account. I'll be sure to update both at the same time when the next chapter comes around.

~~~~~~

"Have you found him yet?"

"No, sir, the body lock we've placed seems to be ineffective."

"...Ineffective?"

"Yes sir. It was working fine a few hours ago, but his signal seems to have disappeared."

"...Useless. Very well then, I want full surveillance near his home and the surrounding areas and we will quell this... insurgency as quick as possible."

~~~~~~

11-41 Studios

Kenshiro Mitsui -san

False Prophecy

A hybrid alternate universe fan fiction

Chapter 01 : The Beginning of All Things to End

~~~~~~

Shinji looked up at the silvery, crescent-shaped moon with curiosity, as he walked home in the night.

That's strange, Shinji thought to himself. The sun was just beginning to set when I went inside that building, and I'm pretty sure I was only in there for about ten minutes... Shinji didn't carry a watch, but he saw the electronic clock near the entrance to the now-closed train station. The time was 10:58 PM.

What the - -?!? Shinji stopped in his tracks as he rubbed his eyes, and continued to stare at the clock. What's going on here? How did it get to be so late? He continued to gawk at the clock for a few moments, until - -
"I forgot about Asuka!" Shinji gasped out loud. "We were supposed to check out that new burger place!" Asuka had grown tired of the usual meals of rice and some kind of fish that Shinji usually cooks, and she wanted something more "American."

"Jeez, she's gonna have my head on a platter!" he said, as he dashed towards his apartment building.

~~~~~~

"Hey Shinji, you're home kind of late, aren't you?" the night guard near the elevator asked him.

"Mr. Toru! Oh, well... I was out... umm... There was a school play. Yeah." A sweat drop rolled down the side of Shinji's forehead.

Mr. Toru raised an eyebrow. "Really? But where's Asuka?"

"W-w-why do you ask?" Shinji managed to stammer.

Mr. Toru smiled. "Well, it's just that you two are always together. There is hardly a moment when I don't see you two walk together to and from school."

Shinji did his best to conceal his blushing. "W-well, Asuka wasn't feeling well today, so she went home early," he said as the elevator door opened and he stepped inside it.

"Yeah? Well, I hope she gets better. Have a nice night, Shinji."

"You too, Mr. Toru," Shinji said, as the elevator door closed.

~~~~~~

'...You two are always together...'

That one thought seemed to echo throughout the small elevator, as he thought about it many times.

He's right... We've been like this, ever since we first met...

~~~~~~

The vibration and sound of the elevator stopping startled Shinji as if he was just woken up, and the elevator doors in front of him opened, revealing the entrance to his apartment. However, Shinji wasn't headed there just yet.
I hope Asuka isn't too mad at me...

Shinji turned at a corner, and walked a small distance down the hallway to get to his door.

"Asuka?" Shinji said softly, as he lightly knocked on her door. After a moment of waiting, he dug into his pants pocket to search for his keys as he walked back to his own apartment.

She must be sleeping already... Man, I'm really gonna get it tomorrow...

Shinji stepped inside, and walked to his room. He turned on the lights to reveal - -
"Asuka?"

Indeed, Asuka was in there, silently dozing on Shinji's bed. She was wearing a blue silk blouse, with a short black skirt to match it. There was a hint of jasmine in the air surrounding her.

You were wearing perfume, Shinji thought to himself as he stared at the striking form lying down on his bed.
Was this... supposed to be a date?

Shinji quietly cursed himself after coming across this realization. He turned around to turn off the bedroom light, but stopped before he could reach the switch. Shinji couldn't help but take one last look at this beautiful girl. Shinji watched Asuka carefully, studying every breath that she took, taking in all of her radiance.

She looks so much better when she's asleep, Shinji thought as he slowly walked towards Asuka. He was now crouching down at her bedside. Shinji moved a strand of hair away from Asuka's eyes, and gave her a small kiss on her forehead. As he did this, he noticed something on Asuka's cheek - - it looked as if she had been crying, for there were tiny dried-up trails where the tears had fallen.

"I'm sorry, Asuka," he whispered to her. "I didn't mean to make you cry..." The wind from Shinji's breath made Asuka's face scrunch up cutely, causing Shinji to move away involuntarily for fear of waking her up. Caressing Asuka's cheek one last time with his index finger, Shinji got up, tiptoed away from the room to avoid waking her up, turned off the light, and closed the door.

~~~~~~

The sound of the door slowly closing shut was Asuka's cue. Slyly, Asuka opened her eyes little by little, until she could see somewhat clearly. After making sure the coast was clear, she sat up on the bed, and placed one hand on her forehead, where Shinji had kissed her earlier.

"Shinji..."

~~~~~~

"Come on, Shinji! Don't dawdle, and catch up!" Asuka called out to him across the street.

"I'm... hurrying as fast... as I can..." Shinji managed to reply between breaths.

Asuka turned around, and continued her grueling pace down the sidewalk. "I'll never be able to get home before dark at the pace you're crawling at," she said, ending her sentence with an authoritative "hmph!"

Shinji eventually found the energy to catch up to a few steps behind Asuka, and struggled a bit to keep up with her. From across the street, Shinji could hear a pair of familiar voices erupting in laughter.

"WAAAHAHAHAHAHA! Look at ol' Diarrhea Boy!" Toji exclaimed, making whipping sounds when he was done laughing.

"Got yourself a ball and chain, huh Shinji?" taunted Kensuke. "Are you guys shacking up together or something?"

Both Shinji and Asuka turned red at the comment, and Asuka looked like a volcano ready to explode, her fists and teeth clenched very tightly.

Shinji tried an attempt to calm down the red-headed girl. "A-Asuka, come on. Don't pay attention to them," he said as placed his hand on her shoulder, trying to urge her to keep moving. As the two stooges started walking away, so did Asuka's temper... slightly, at least.

Shinji tried to change the subject. "So, tell me where you live," he said nervously. "See, I live over there..." He pointed to a grey apartment complex up ahead.

"Huh, that's where I live."

"Huh?" Shinji uttered, her comment having gotten his attention.

"That's my building," she repeated, pointing to the same apartment complex. "What do you know, we live in the same place," Asuka said with an unsettling grin on her face.

"No...," Shinji moaned quietly, as Asuka took Shinji by the hand, and proceeded to run towards the building.

"What are you waiting for, neighbor? We're almost home!" she said gleefully.

Why me?!? was all Shinji could think all the way to the entrance.

~~~~~~

"So, when do I get to meet your parents?" Asuka asked Shinji while they were in the elevator. They were both getting off on the same floor.

"Umm... I don't really live with my parents..."

"Wha?"

"I guess I'm what you would call an orphan." Shinji smiled sheepishly. "As much as I know, both my parents are dead."

Asuka sighed. "Small world."

"What do you mean?" Shinji asked.

"I guess I'm an orphan too," she said with a somber face. "My mother died when I was young, and my father... well..."

There was something in Asuka's face that resembled something in between "fragileness" and "tenderness..." and Shinji saw it. He couldn't help but notice. Wow... he thought. She looks so... so pretty...

However, in the middle of Asuka's sentence, she returned back into her "normal" self. "What am I doing? Why am I telling some stupid stranger my life's story?!?" she blurted out.

Shinji was obviously hurt by that comment, and it showed on his face. He turned his attention to the buttons on the elevator, while Asuka suddenly found her shoes very interesting. This lasted for the duration of the rest of the elevator trip.

As the door opened, both of them walked out of the elevator at the same time. In front of the elevator was the door to Shinji's apartment. He stopped in front of it.

"Well... this is where I live..." he said softly.

"Yeah..." Asuka replied, in a similar tone. Abruptly, she spoke up in a louder tone of voice. "Look Shinji, I apolo - -"

Shinji interrupted her. "You don't have to apologize... I understand."

His face, Asuka thought. I never noticed...

She quickly pushed these thoughts in the back of her head and tried to change the subject.

"Well... can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Who were those two guys making fun of you?" Asuka inquired.

"Oh," Shinji replied, looking down at the floor. "They were the ones who played that trick on me I told you about."

"I see..." Asuka said wistfully. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, Shinji," she said with a faint smile.

"It was nice meeting you," Shinji replied, as he entered his apartment, and closed the door.

Asuka stood in front of the closed door for a second, and returned to the elevator and pressed the button for the main floor...

~~~~~~

It was Saturday morning, the start of a new weekend. After waking up, Asuka sat up on the bed, stretched a little bit, and looked around the room, giving herself a small reminder.

I'm supposed to be angry... Angry...

Soon, her nose detected a faint, but familiar odor, which was accompanied by small, crackling sounds, and - -

"OWOWOWOWOWOW!!! Damn cooking oil!"

Whatever the odor was, Asuka's mouth was salivating, as she opened the door and headed to the kitchen, to see Shinji holding his forearm under cool running water.

"What the hell did you do to yourself this time, Shinji?" Asuka said with a yawn. She made her way to the frying pan on the stove. "Hey! Sausages!" Asuka exclaimed gleefully.

"Well, those things are painful to cook!" Shinji blurted out weakly in his own defense. He switched off the faucet, and turned around to face Asuka. "Well, I wanted to apologize for standing you up last night... I picked these up while you were still sleeping this morning. This isn't exactly a cheeseburger, but at least it's not 'the usual stuff.' I'm really sorry, Asuka..."

Asuka stood there blankly, somewhat speechless, and somewhat blushing. However, she quickly returned her attention to the frying pan.

"Here Shinji, let me take care of this." Using a spatula, Asuka quickly transferred the sausages onto a plate lined with paper towels, and took the plate to the small dining table, where another plate of fried eggs and toast was sitting.

Both teenagers ate their meal in silence for a fair amount of time. Shinji looked up from his plate to look at Asuka, who was quite content with her meal.

"So, what do you want to do this weekend?" Shinji said, breaking the ice.

"Huh?" Asuka blinked, and looked up from her meal. "Whatever, I guess. What did you have in mind?"

Shinji took a small sip of water. "I've been thinking, this whole week has just been so stressful, and that we both need to just get out somewhere. And it's such a nice day outside too," he said, looking out of the window, the bright sunshine streaming into the room.

Asuka smiled faintly, as she put her fork down on her empty plate. "Sure. Why not?"

~~~~~~

The rush hour crowd was strangely nonexistent that morning, so Shinji and Asuka were able to avoid having to stand up in the train car again. They did not say a word to each other, until - -

"Shinji?" Asuka asked. "Where were you last night?"

Shinji was a bit stunned at the tone of her voice. It wasn't angry, or suspicious; it was just a normal, inquiring tone of voice.

"You- - You're not mad?" he replied.

"Well, let's just say that I'll let you go just this once," Asuka said decisively.

Shinji blinked a few times, and squirmed in his seat uneasily.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you the truth," he muttered, as the train neared their stop.

"Wouldn't believe you? Try me." Asuka moved her body closer to Shinji's.

Shinji began to nervously twiddle his thumbs. "Well there was this one girl- -"

"Girl? What girl?" Asuka hissed, her left eyebrow twitching unsteadily.

"No! It's not what you- - Waaaugh!"

The train car shook violently, almost falling off its tracks and down onto the street below before coming to a stop.

At the end of it all, Shinji was on the floor, nursing a bump on his head, and Asuka scraped her knee.

"Shinji! Are you okay?" Asuka exclaimed, as she held a hand out to Shinji, which Shinji took.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Shinji said as he pulled himself up. "Your knee, it's bleeding!"

"It's nothing," Asuka replied, flinching from the pain.

The train car shook again briefly, eliciting a yelp of fright from Asuka, as she held on tightly to Shinji's shirt. After the abrupt aftershock, silence pervaded the car and its two sole passengers.

"Was... was that an earthquake?" Asuka asked.

"I... I hope so..."

The sound of metal being torn apart violently pierced through the brief quiet. The roof of the train car looked like the top of a sardine can when opened and small pieces of shrapnel fell to the floor. Asuka shrieked as the roof flew from its original place and on to the streets below. The newly-made opening revealed a man, dressed in black, wearing a pair of dark sunglasses and a gun holster. The man pulled his gun out, and pointed the silver barrel straight at Shinji's head.

"Mr. Ikari," the man said with an evil smirk on his face. "You did not heed my warning. Prepare to meet dire consequences."

~~~~~~

About two blocks away, on a building rooftop, a man watched the same incident through the scope of his rifle. With one hand, he tied his long hair back with a rubber band, while he had a cell phone in his other hand.

"You were right, sir," he said through the cell phone. "It would be best to watch this kid, 'cuz he's in a lot of trouble now."

"An agent?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked.

"Yep. Only one, but that's a lot to handle for a mere copper-top like him."

"Deal with this agent properly, Kaji."

"Yes sir."

"And Kaji?"

"Yes?"

"Please refrain from using such a derogatory term in the future."

The line closed, and Kaji put away his cell phone.

"He never did like that phrase..." he commented, placing his attention on the Agent lined up in his sights.

"Let's see Mr. 'Man in Black' dodge this puppy..."

~~~~~~

Agents have been known to avoid all sorts of attacks with incredible speed- - even bullets. This was because they anticipated the attack, and moved accordingly to avoid certain death. However, one can't dodge what one couldn't see coming...
By the time the Agent turned around to investigate the sound of a full-metal jacketed spike headed his way, the slug was only millimeters from his face, leaving him with a measly few microseconds to try and evade it. He jerked his head to the left, but he wasn't fast enough, as the bullet pierced through his right eye, breaking the lens of his shades, his cornea, and several of his facial bones. The bullet exploded, taking the Agent's head along with it. As the decapitated body flopped down from the roof, the bloody mess that used to be his head splattered noisily on the concrete below the tracks.

~~~~~~

Kaji pumped his fist in victory. "Perfect shot, every time!" He picked himself up from his prone position, and pulled his cell phone out.

"I got the Agent. Ayanami, he's all yours."

~~~~~~

Shinji was staring at where the Agent's head used to be so absorbedly, that he almost failed to notice a trembling Asuka desperately clinging on to him in fear.

Shinji tore his eyes away from the corpse, and looked at Asuka's face, which was now streaked with hot tears.

"Asuka," Shinji said as soothingly as his voice could muster. "Asuka, it's okay..."

"Ohgodohgodohgod, he toreofftheroof and his head justexploded ohmygodohmygod- -" Asuka continued in this manner, until Shinji began to shake her lightly.

"Asuka, snap out of it! It's okay, it's over..." Shinji gave her a small kiss on the forehead, as he returned the hug that Asuka gave him.

A familiar, soft-spoken voice called out behind Shinji's back.

"Ikari."

Shinji turned around to see who was addressing him.

"It's you again!" he gasped.

Indeed, it was the same girl Shinji saw the night before, but this time, she was wearing a white, skintight PVC bodysuit, and carried a sub-machine gun in one hand.

"Our plans have changed, Shinji Ikari," Rei said in a calm manner. "You need to come with us now."

~~~~~~

"There is an automobile waiting for us half a block from here," Rei explained, as the trio walked quickly down the street. "We must get there quickly, before any opposition- -"

The three of them ducked for cover and hid behind a nearby corner, as they were interrupted by a barrage of bullets coming from behind them. While Rei steeled herself for the upcoming gunfight, her companions were not as rigid as her.

"What does this have to do with us?!? I don't want to die!!!" cried Asuka, as the bullets continued to zoom past their hiding spot. Shinji and Asuka desperately held on to each other through the deafening noise of gunfire.

"I will need some artillery support; we are under fire," said Rei on her cell phone before putting it away. She waited for a momentary lapse in the firing, and then tried to take a few pot shots at the police that barricaded the road with several police cars and a SWAT van.

~~~~~~

Kaji got the call, and moved as quickly as he could to the battle. He cradled his rifle in his arms, and from his original spot, he took a running start across the roof of the building he was on, and pushed himself off the ledge with his feet, soaring high in the air, before landing on the rooftop of an adjacent building. He continued in this manner, leaping from rooftop to rooftop, until he was directly above the policemen on the street who were firing at Rei, Shinji and Asuka.

"I got your 'artillery support' right here," Kaji said, as he quickly set up the tripod and scope on his gun, and took careful aim...

~~~~~~

The streets were rocked by a large explosion, and Rei peeked around the corner to investigate it. What she saw was a scene of chaos. The SWAT van had apparently exploded, and the force of the blast flipped it over, landing on top of a squad car, along with quite a few squad members.

Rei decided to take advantage of this confusion, and ran out of her hiding spot, and towards the disheveled police officers.

"Rei!!" exclaimed Shinji. "Rei, what are you doing!?!"

The remaining opposition tried to aim at the nimble Ayanami, but it was no good; she was too fast. Anticipating the bullets that would be coming at her, Rei jumped up, and ran up the wall of the building to her left. At the peak of her wall climbing, she kicked off, twisted in the air, and let loose a spray of lead from her sub-machine gun, immediately felling a large number of police. Landing on her feet, she dropped her gun, pulled a pistol from her hip holster, and ran towards the remaining police officers.

~~~~~~

While Asuka continued to hide behind the corner, Shinji peeked around it, watching in fear and wonder as he saw Rei pulling such death-defying maneuvers.

Rei...

~~~~~~

One of the officers brandished his billy club, waving it frantically at Rei's face, but to no avail. Rei quickly grabbed his club arm, twisting it so that he let go of his weapon. Still holding on to his arm, Rei performed a quick flip, further twisting the man's arm until an audible snap was heard from his shoulder joint. The SWAT member screamed agonizingly, as Rei roundhouse-kicked him to the ground, and shot the man in the back of the head, rendering him inert.

The three remaining SWAT members in sight now brandished electric stun batons, and were charging the young Ayanami in a small triangle formation, with two guards in front, and one in the back. Rei took a small running start and jumped up, kicking both of the front guards simultaneously in the face. As she kicked off of the two guards' faces, she did a double flip and twist over the third guard, and ended up sitting right on his shoulders. Rei clenched her thighs tightly on the guard's neck, and tersely jerked them to the right, breaking the guard's neck cleanly. As soon as she got up, she walked over to the prone forms of the other two SWAT members, and shot them both dead with her pistol.

~~~~~~

Asuka's frayed nerves had calmed down somewhat while Shinji and her were riding in the black car they escorted into by the red-eyed girl. When they were a couple of blocks away from the scene of destruction, the driver, an attractive, purple-haired woman, turned around to address Shinji.

"So, you're the one who's been the cause of all this," she said with a stunning smile. "Now, let's hope that you were worth going through all this trouble." The woman waved with her free hand at him. "My name is Misato. You've already met Rei," she said, gesturing towards the blue-haired girl sitting next to him.

"Wait a second!" Asuka exclaimed. "You guys haven't explained what the hell is going on here! What does all this have to do with Shinji- -"

Asuka gasped as the sight of the end of a gun barrel curtly interrupted her.

"Our orders did not consist of taking you in, as you present a risk to the successful completion of this mission...," Rei hissed, her eyes dangerously narrowed.

"That's enough, Rei," Misato ordered. "You need to calm down." She then looked towards Shinji and Asuka through the rear view mirror.

"I'm really sorry, but Rei is acting on standard procedure. Any person who isn't one of us... is one of 'them.'"

"Yes, Major Katsuragi." Rei put her gun down and continued to eye a confused Asuka warily, while Misato resumed talking.

"As for an explanation, I'm afraid that will have to wait until we reach our destination."

"W-where are you taking me?" Shinji asked.

The woman gave Shinji another bright smile. "Just watch and see, Shinji."

~~~~~~

"Sir, are you sure it's all right to trick him like this?"

"There is no other way, Doctor Akagi. We must save this boy from this false reality, or the Agents will get him."

"But aren't people usually given a choice to leave or stay?"

"I will hear no more opposition to my plans. As part of the crew, you may either follow my orders, or leave. I am sure that this child is The One."

"Hmph. The One... What a joke. I know your ulterior motives, Gendo. I know the true identity of this boy - -"

"You know nothing. And I will see your life end to keep it that way with the rest of the crew, if need be. Now prepare; they are here."

"...Yes sir."

~~~~~~

The black car stopped at the back entrance of an old, brick townhouse. Rei stepped out of the passenger door first, followed by Shinji, who stared down the edifice with a mixture of awe and foreboding. Asuka stepped out of the car next, returning the glares of suspicion she was getting from Rei. The purple-haired woman turned off the engine and got out of the car. She wore a pair of red leather pants that hugged her curves tightly, with matching boots and a jacket, and a ribbed black tank top, cut so her belly button was showing. Shinji felt a bit of pressure on his nose, as the woman walked ahead of them and opened the door.

Inside the townhouse, it was dimly lit and musty; looking very much like it has been abandoned for quite some time. The group climbed up a majestic set of stairs up to the third floor. Misato led Shinji and the others down a dark hallway, finally stopping in front of a large wooden door.

"This is it, Shinji. Do you want your questions to be answered?" Misato asked him.

Shinji simply nodded, as Misato turned the knob and opened the door. The room inside was sparsely furnished. There were two lounge chairs, with a small coffee table in between them, in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace. A man sat on one of the chairs; he was of medium build, with dark brown hair neatly combed forward and a thin, trimmed beard. He wore a dark, stylish suit, with matching white gloves, and a pair of dark eyeglasses. His hands, folded in front of his face, prevented Shinji from seeing all but his eyes.

"I have been keeping my eye on you for quite some time, Shinji Ikari. It is an honor to finally meet you."

Shinji took a reluctant step towards the stranger. "Who... who are you?"

"My name is Gendo." He motioned for Shinji to sit down across from him. "Please, rest. You've had a long ordeal." Gendo pointed towards a glass of red-colored liquid sitting on the coffee table, as Shinji sat down on the plush chair. "You must be thirsty. I think you will find that this will quench your thirst," he said with an unsettling smile.

Kaji suddenly walked into the room, interrupting Gendo. "Sir, I must protest - -"

"We have already discussed this, Ryoji." Gendo said forcefully. "For the good of our people, this must be done."

He turned to face Shinji now. "I'm terribly sorry about that, Shinji," Gendo said, his voice sounding saccharine. "Now please, drink."

As untrusting as this character was in front of him, Shinji felt that he wouldn't be dragged all this way just to be killed.

I don't think I'm gonna die from these people, just after they saved me...

And so, Shinji put the glass to his lips, and drank half of the contents of the glass. Indeed, he did find his drink to be refreshing, and proceeded to drink the rest of it, as Gendo watched him, smiling slyly.

Gendo now placed his attention on Asuka, who was only a few steps away from where Shinji was.

"Forgive me for being so rude. I must offer our other guest a drink as well. Kaji, please give this girl a beverage."

Kaji had a look of contempt in his eye as he was given this order, but he held a look of defeat as well.

"Yes, Commander." He walked out of the room for a brief moment, and came back with a glass of blue-colored liquid, offering it to the teenaged girl.

"What is this?" Asuka asked, as she took the glass gingerly.

"Kool-Aid," the commander replied. "Please do not mistrust us; you are not here to be harmed."

Asuka eyed the glass of "Kool-Aid" for a while.

Well, Shinji did drink it, and he's fine... and I am kind of thirsty...

Asuka finally took a few sips of her drink, drinking just half of the contents of it.

Gendo suddenly stood from his seat. "Good. We can begin. Shinji, follow me." He walked out of the room, and Shinji halfheartedly followed him, along with the rest of the group. They were led into another room, filled with many electrical objects and computers.

"Begin the process," Gendo ordered.

Kaji took Shinji by the hand, leading him to a chair. "Please sit here, Shinji."

Shinji did so, while Rei proceeded to remove the button-down shirt he was wearing.
"What is this?" Shinji asked nervously.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing to Shinji?!?" Asuka exclaimed, her fist waving in the air threateningly, as Misato held her back. "What the hell is this?!? Let me go!!!"

"Asuka!" Shinji called out, as Rei began to attach electrodes all over his chest and arms. Asuka continued to scream profanities for a few seconds, before her voice began get weak and distant.

"What... is this... Shinji... help me..." Asuka's voice drifted away, and she fell unconscious.

"Asuka!!" Shinji began to struggle, but Kaji held him back in his chair. "What the hell did you do to her?!?" Shinji screamed angrily.

"Commander," Kaji commented, "the girl did not drink the entire blue pill, and it's too late to give her the rest."

"It is sufficient enough to make her forget about this. Continue as planned."

Shinji would have continued screaming at his captors, but his body began to feel strange, as if he fell into a swimming pool of soda. His body began to flicker strangely, and began to look around at his surroundings, until everything faded to black, and all he could hear were voices.

"How is he?"

"He's going into shock. He has severe hypotension!"

"Did you get a lock on his signal?"

"Almost there..."

"Sir, cardiac arrest! He has no pulse!"

"De-fib him, Major."

The electrical jolt given to Shinji shocked him back to consciousness, screaming at the mixed sensations of pain and disorientation, as the room swirled around in his vision.

"I got him! Signal's clear."

"Do it now, Dr. Akagi."

The last thing Shinji remembered was the room morphing into a plethora of green computer code, before his senses were engulfed by pure white noise.

~~~~~~

End of Chapter 01

~~~~~~

Asuka woke up in her room with a start.

"It's... just... a dream..." she said between gasps of breath.

She got up, and looked at her electronic clock/calendar. It was Monday, 9:00 in the morning.

Monday already? But wasn't it just Saturday yester- -

"Scheisse, I'm late for school!" she exclaimed as she scrambled to get dressed and ready. "And that idiot Shinji didn't bother to wake me up!" She stormed out of her apartment, trying to make it in time before the next train leaves.

~~~~~~

Legalese: Story © 11-41 Studios. The Matrix is the property of the Wachowski Brothers and Warner Brothers Studios. Evangelion is the property of Gainax, ADV, and Manga Entertainment.