FicWad

DISCLAIMER: I really don't know how many different ways I can say this. I do NOT own Jack Shit! I never even met the man!

CHAPTER 1: BACK IN JAPAN

In the year 2017…

"We're sorry," the computerized woman's voice said through the telephone. "All lines are currently down due to a state of emergency. Please proceed…"

"…To go to hell," Shinji snapped slamming the phone down on the hook. "This is bull shit!" The sixteen year old boy grumbled as he picked up his back pack and duffel. "What the hell is with these people? The train stopped at the right station, on time, but the chick that's supposed to be picking me up is thirty minutes late. Half a fucking hour! And on top of that, everybody's disappeared quicker than a Socialist at a TEA Party convention."

He then looked down at the picture he received of the person who was picking him up. It was of a snapshot of a babe of a young woman bending forward in what appeared to be a yellow swimsuit or something. There was an arrow on the picture pointing down her cleavage with 'look here' written in kanji next to it. "She doesn't seem very mature, either."

Now, Shinji Ikari wasn't normally an angry person. Not even after everything that happened. But, after a fourteen and a half hour flight into Tokyo-2 followed by an hour and a half in customs, another two hours on the train, and waiting for almost an hour at a deserted train station would pretty much piss anybody off. That and he wasn't used to the warmer weather here in Japan. Ever since Second Impact Japan was in almost constant summer with only about a month-and-a-half of autumn between December and January; in America the climate was mostly autumn-like with particularly cold winters for most of the country.

Shinji was wearing blue jeans, a multicam camouflage t-shirt, a well-worn olive combat jacket with a US flag patch on the right sleeve, and a pair of equally well-worn hiking boots. Around his neck a thin black cord held a small shark's tooth flanked by three black beads on each side just over his heart. His green field pack was hanging off his back and his green military style duffel bag was at his feet. His hair was cut into a Filthy Thirteen style Mohawk. 'I should get moving,' he said to himself as he looked at the time on his 'liberated' Russian Army issue watch. 'But where to?'

Shinji didn't like being in cities, he was raised in rural Pennsylvania with occasional trips into Harrisburg or Philadelphia, and that was about as comfortable he got as far as urban areas go. He usually only went to cities for class trips or with his guardians for shopping. One history club trip into Philadelphia turned to hell in a hand basket. It was where Shinji got his watch…and his scar.

He felt paranoid in cities; too many people. Normally. This time, there was no one around which gave the place a ghost town-like vibe. And that just made him even more paranoid. Feeling eyes on him he looked back down the street and saw a blue haired girl about his age standing in the middle of road just staring at him. "Huh?" Some birds on the power lines got spooked by something and drew his attention away for a split second. When he looked back she was gone. The street was deserted and there was nothing nearby for her to hide behind.

Shinji then became defensive and began to check his surroundings, feeling really paranoid. A second later an explosion rocked his ears causing him to duck behind a nearby trash bin on reflex. His eyes were immediately locked on a ravine at the edge of the city. Loud footsteps preceded the green monstrosity that marched out from the hills. "Aw, fuck," he grunted. "That can't be good." TOW missiles raced overhead and detonated harmlessly on the monster.

Shinji darted down an alley and away from the battle as the military aircraft from the United Nations battled this otherworldly creature. As he exited the alley he spotted something blue moving very fast and very close. It took him only a split second to recognize that the car was in danger of running him over so he jumped in the air. This allowed himself to land and slide on the hood as the driver stomped on the brakes, and he gracefully rolled off the opposite side.

When the car came to a stop Shinji had landed on his right foot and left knee, uninjured. "Shit!" The woman driver of the car cried out as she stuck her head out the window. "Are you alright!" She asked as he stood up.

"I'm standing, aren't I?" He asked rhetorically as he brushed dirt off his pants.

"Get in, quick!" She barked. That's when he recognized her as the woman from the picture; the one who was late.

"I can't decide what to give you," Shinji said as he sat down, "the Better Late Than Never Award or Perfect Timing Medal."

"Shut up and hold on!" The woman barked as she threw her car into gear and raced out of the city at the speed of Holy Shit.

"You're Major Misato Katsuragi, right?" Shinji asked as they exited the city.

"That's me!" She said cheerfully. "Huh?" She suddenly stopped the vehicle on the overpass on the outskirts. She broke out a pair of binoculars and leaned over Shinji. "Excuse me," she said after the fact.

'Nice manners,' Shinji said to himself as he took notice of her 'view'.

"What is that?" She asked as she observed the monster in the distance. "NO! They're going to use an N2 mine!"

"The fuck!" Shinji snapped.

"GET DOWN!" She then shoved him beneath her and covered his body with hers. There was a bright flash, loud explosion and then darkness.

XXXXX

'Well, I'm not dead,' was the first thought that went through his head as Shinji came to. He then noticed that the car was on its side and the Major was also coming around.

"Are you…alright, Shinji?" She asked as both coughed up some dirt.

"Peachy," he grunted as he freed himself from his seat belt. They then proceeded to climb out of the car. It was then that he noticed his sun glasses were shattered so he tossed them aside. "We'd better push this over," Shinji said after giving it a once over. "It's not banged up as bad as it looks. I think it'll still run."

"Right," the raven haired woman said as they went around to the other side. "On three. One…two…three!" They then pushed the vehicle back onto its own wheels. "There," she said dusting her hands off. "You're pretty handy Shinji."

"So they tell me," Shinji said. "But thanks for the compliment, Major."

"Oh, Misato's fine with me," she said taking her undamaged sunglasses off. "Well. You ready to get out of here?"

"You have no idea," Shinji said climbing back into the car.

"Good," Misato said as she walked around to her side. "That thing isn't dead yet."

"What?" Shinji asked, wide-eyed. "It just took an N2 mine up its ass!"

"Trust me," Misato smiled. "That's only going to slow it down." She then stepped on the gas.

As they drove towards Tokyo-3 Misato was on the phone calling in for a special car train. She then got out a handbook entitled 'NERV Employee Handbook' and gave it to Shinji as he handed over the letter he received from his 'father'.

'Father, huh?' Shinji said to himself as he skimmed through the handbook. 'Elitist bastard finally decided to contact me after all these years? And all he says is 'Come to Tokyo-3, now'? No, 'Glad you survived a war' or anything like that? After the war the only thing I want to do is relax for a year or two. So what the fuck could he want now of all times? At least the asshole paid for the plane and train tickets. But what in the name of God does he want with me?'

As he was absorbed in his own thoughts Misato was observing him. 'Not quite what I was expecting,' Misato said as she examined him. 'Ritsuko said he'd most likely be a shy and timid boy with low self-esteem. But he's more like a young man.' All she needed was one look in his eyes to tell him that he had been hardened somehow. That and the jagged scar that ran obliquely along his right temple from just to the side of his eye brow to just forward of his ear lobe gave him the appearance of someone who should be older than he actually is. 'He looks more like some kind of street thug.'

Shinji could sense her watching him. He wasn't offended by it but he was curious about one thing. "What was that thing?" Shinji asked out of the blue.

"Oh, we at NERV call it an Angel," she explained.

"Pff," Shinji scoffed. "Who the hell decided to name something that's as ugly as a female Josef Stalin an 'angel'? Demon would've been a better name."

"Hey," Misato snapped pointing her finger right at his nose. "I didn't name them. And besides, it's just a name."

"Careful what you do with that finger," Shinji said staring down at it. "I've been known to be a bit of a biter," he said matter-of-factly. Quickly, Misato recalled her finger. Inwardly, Shinji laughed his ass off.

A half-hour later and they were driving onto the car train heading down. "By the way," Shinji spoke up once more on the way down. "What does my father want with me?" Misato remained silent. "The silent treatment, eh? I was just kidding about the biting thing earlier." Misato then glared at him. "I just don't like it when people point at me like that."

"Sorry," Misato said.

"But, really, after all these years my bastard of a father sends me a letter from out of the blue and tells me to come to Tokyo-3. But he doesn't say why. What the hell gives?" He then grunted as he looked back out the window. "Knowing him he didn't call to have a touching father-son get together."

"You don't get along with your father, do you?"

"You try getting along with an asshole that abandoned you as a child and never sent one word to you in ten years."

"Heh, heh," Misato chuckled. "You sound just like me." Shinji looked over at her wondering what she meant by that. At that moment the train came out from the tunnel and into a Geo-Front of all things.

"Well!" Shinji exclaimed. "Now this is cool!"

"This is NERV HQ. It's our fortress for mankind."

'And I bet my father sees this as his personal sand box,' Shinji said to himself.

This Story is not mine