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CHAPTER 4: A NEW HOME

When he came to Shinji bolted upright to find himself in a hospital room. He quickly checked his arm, it was intact. He then felt his head. No bandages. He didn't even have an IV hooked into his arm. But, he had felt every bit of pain the EVA felt. "This is bull shit," he grumbled as he plopped back onto the pillow.

After lying there for an hour he got up and walked about the ward to stretch his muscles. As he stood looking out a window into the Geo-Front he heard a gurney approach. Turning he saw the girl, Rei, lying on it. Fresh bandages had been applied and she was looking more drugged. "Are you okay?" He asked her as she was wheeled past. She said nothing but nodded in response. 'Who is she?' Shinji asked himself. 'And why does she seem so familiar?'

XXXXX

As they were transporting Unit-01 back to NERV Ritsuko received the call that Shinji was awake. She informed Misato who was enjoying the air conditioning in the vehicle a little too much. "How is he?" She asked softly.

"Nothing permanent," Ritsuko replied. "He did suffer a good beating to his head but…"

"You don't think he could have brain damage?" Misato panicked.

"Calm down!" Ritsuko snapped. "I just said there was nothing permanent."

"Hoof," Misato puffed, leaning back in her chair. "I'm just not sure what to think about him. One minute he wanted nothing to do with the EVA and then…" Her mind flashed to seeing him hold Rei last night. "He couldn't let her do it."

"What was that?" Ritsuko asked.

"Shinji," Misato answered. "He knew Rei would die if she went out. So he went instead. I wouldn't be surprised if he thought he was going to die last night. What is going on in his head?"

"I wonder if he'll stay," Ritsuko said looking over her notepad. "The poor kid. His cerebellum must have taken a lot of punishment last night."

"Cerebellum?" Misato snorted. "What about his heart?" ''Poor kid' is right Ritsuko. But not for the ordeal he went through. But because we tricked him into coming here.' She then thought back to what he had said the night prior.

"I don't like being used," he had said to her. "And I have no respect for liars."

'Shinji, I'm so sorry…'

"There's another thing that's interesting," Ritsuko added. "He's only, what sixteen? But he's got a tattoo."

"He's got a tat?" Misato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," Ritsuko nodded. "A rattlesnake coiled around a sword on his right bicep. I wonder how he got it."

"Really? I never noticed that last…wait, isn't it illegal for kids under eighteen to have tattoos?" Ritsuko only shrugged.

When she found him, Shinji was back in his clothes, minus his jacket. He was waiting in the ward lounge. "Ready to get some fresh air?" She asked him.

"You have no idea," Shinji nodded, retrieving his jacket from the back of the chair and holding it over his right shoulder. "I hate how hospitals smell."

"Understandable. I don't like them much either," at that moment they arrived at the elevators. "Not to change the subject, but, where'd you get that tattoo?"

"You're thinking it was illegal for me to get them, right?" Shinji sighed. He'd heard this all before. "Let's just say there was a technicality involved; since at the time the government had bigger fish to fry than a few tattoo law violators."

"I see."

"Plus, it's legal for minors with a parent or guardian's consent." When the elevator arrived the doors opened revealing the commander. Shinji locked eyes with him and gave him a glare that had 'fuck you' written all over it in bold letters. 'Those two are not going to get along,' Misato realized. She decided it was best to wait for the next elevator.

When she heard Shinji was going to be rooming alone she couldn't let it stand. Even though he said it was fine. Still, she didn't think it was right. "WHAT DID YOU SAY!" Ritsuko screamed into the phone.

"I said Shinji will be living with me!" Misato replied. "It's already been approved. And don't worry, Ritsuko. I promise not to put the moves on him."

"I should hope not!" Ritsuko snapped. "How can you say something like that! You have no shame at all! What kind of gutter talk is that, Misato Katsuragi?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot. She never could take a joke," Misato said as she hung up the phone. "Ready?" She turned to Shinji.

"Are you sure about this?" Shinji raised an eyebrow. "You may regret it later."

"Come on!" She said cheerfully. "Or are you nervous about living with a beautiful woman like me?"

"Yeah, right" Shinji chuckled. "It's more likely that you're trying to seduce me."

"Are you calling me a pedophile?" She asked as a vein began to bulge on her head.

"I didn't say that." Shinji clarified as he got in the elevator.

XXXXX

On the way out they stopped at a nearby convenience store that Shinji called a 'Stop-and-Rob'. When he asked what it was for Misato's reply was "To celebrate my new roommate, of course!"

'Oh, great,' Shinji said to himself as he noticed her first destination in the store: the beer aisle. While she was doing that and getting the 'main course' of microwave food Shinji grabbed some beef jerky and ginger ale.

While in the check-out line Shinji overheard some older ladies talking about last night's battle. "This city used to be so safe," lady number one said. "Now it's a battleground."

"I know," her friend nodded. "Did you see the damage that was done to the Shogo District? You'd think that it was Fallujah or Philadelphia or Berlin."

"And you'd think that they would've done a better job fighting that monster off than sending another monster out to fight it. I swear it's all those militant juntas in Tokyo-2's fault." Shinji ignored them the best he could but he could sense their fear.

'You dumb broads don't know the half of it,' Shinji said to himself. 'Going either way.'

"My husband said it'd probably be for the best that we leave the city."

"Where would you go? I can't go anywhere. My grandmother is too weak to travel and there's also the economy…"

"Let's go, Shinji," Misato said after paying for the groceries. He nodded and followed after her, leaving the complaining ladies to their conversation.

After leaving the convenience store Misato said they were going to make a quick stop at someplace really cool. Shinji couldn't help but notice that they stopped at an overlook of the city. "Nice sunset," Shinji commented at the orange glow it gave the scenery. "Are you sure you're not trying to seduce me?"

"Shut up," Misato replied. "Now." Sirens then sounded and the next thing Shinji knew over a dozen more buildings were rising out of the earth. Skyscrapers, all of them.

"Whoa!" His eyes grew. "Now this is cool!"

"This is Tokyo-3," Misato said as the red warning lights for aircraft lit up on the roofs. "The buildings retract into the Geo-front for protection during attacks. This is our city…the city that you saved."

"Saved," Shinji replied as he stared at it. "But…I don't see how I could have…"

"Huh?"

"I…I don't remember anything other than getting my ass knocked down for the count."

"Well…" Misato paused. "Don't worry about it. Everything's fine now." On that note they got back into Misato's battered car and headed for her home.

A half hour drive later and they were at a modest apartment building where Misato led him to a corner penthouse. His footlocker was already outside. As he stopped at the door he noticed a nondescript car in the lot. Its lights were off but Shinji could tell from the glow of the instrument panel that there were two individuals inside and that the engine was not running, but the battery was still keyed.

"I guess your bulk shipment hasn't arrived yet," Misato said.

"No," Shinji replied. "This is it." She looked at him in surprise. "This is all I own."

"How is that…?"

"Who's that in the Men in Black car?" Shinji motioned towards the parking lot, changing the subject.

"Huh?" Misato looked. "Oh, uh, that's Section 2." She replied.

"Section 2?"

"Yeah, Section 2 is NERV's special security division. They're there to watch out for you."

"Watch out for me or just watch me?" Shinji asked. "I don't like having rent-a-spooks looking over my shoulder everywhere I go."

"Well, unfortunately you don't get a say in the manner," Misato explained. "Your safety as a pilot must be ensured."

'I can look after myself better than a couple of suits with guns,' he said to himself as he grabbed his footlocker and wheeled it inside Apartment 3-A. "I'm still not sure about all this."

"Shinji," Misato muttered. "This is your home now."

"Honey!" He shouted jokingly. "I'm home!"

"Welcome home!" Misato joined in.

"Just put the groceries on the table," Misato said as she turned on the lights. "Sorry about the place being a little messy."

'If this is what she calls a 'little messy' I'd hate to see what she calls a pig sty,' Shinji stared at the dump heap. The place was ridiculously messy. Beer cans, magazines, potato chip bags, and other random garbage dotted the whole apartment. "I wonder if her fridge is just as bad," he looked. "I knew it. Ice, snacks and fifty gallons of beer! Eesh." That's when he noticed the other fridge. "Hey!" He called out. "What the hell are you doing with two refrigerators?"

"Huh? Oh, he's probably still sleeping!"

"'Sleeping'?" Shinji looked towards her bedroom door. "What the hell kind of answer is that? I swear this apartment can't get any weirder." He was wrong.

After dinner, and he was using that term loosely in regard to Misato's cooking, and dividing up the cleaning duties Shinji decided on getting a bath. As he entered the bathroom he nearly ran smack dab into a penguin of all things! "Um," he said opening the partition to the kitchen. "Does this place double as Noah's Ark?" At that moment the waterfowl sauntered on past him

"Oh, him?" Misato smiled. "That's Pen-Pen. He's your other roommate." The penguin then marched itself into the second fridge.

"That's random," Shinji shook his head.

"Um, shouldn't you cover up?" Misato said to Shinji.

"Huh?" He looked down. "Take a picture, it lasts longer." Shinji easily dodged the flying can of tooth picks before going back in the bathroom.

'I'm probably being too rigid,' Misato said as she sipped on her beer. 'And he's probably already made up his mind about me.'

Indeed he had. 'She's not a bad person,' Shinji said to himself. "But what the fuck am I going to do now?" He closed his eyes and went back over the previous night's events. He recalled staring his father down; piloting that EVA; that girl Rei…but did he really beat that angel? All he could recall of the battle were brief flashes of him pounding the angel, and thoughts of absolute rage. Another thing he recalled was a feeling of serenity in that entry plug. "But, can I pilot it again?" He asked out loud. 'More importantly…can I trust these people?'

Shinji didn't know anything about this city. And he knew hardly any more about the people he's met so far. Other than they could be manipulative. But, coming from UN lackeys, that wasn't too surprising. But what he did know was that they were fighting creatures that seemed bent on the destruction of the human race. They kind of needed his help.

Yes, he was pissed that they didn't simply ask for it. But, he couldn't run away from it now. He'd much rather stay and fight. "And then there's Rei," Shinji said. "If I run, what's to stop my bastard father from sending her to her death?" That settled it more than anything else. He couldn't trade one person's life for his own. He could never live with himself if he did that. He was certain that's what his 'father' was hoping for. But as far as Shinji was concerned, Gendo Ikari could go fuck himself with a diesel powered dildo.

What's more is that he knew there was something else going on in this city. He had no clue what it was. But he had a feeling that it wasn't good. NERV's seemingly incomplete map, the feeling of paranoia he had the whole time he was there and just the feel of the place itself was all wrong. It screamed at Shinji that there was more to NERV that just battling angels. They were hiding something.

XXXXX

As Shinji got ready for bed Misato took her own bath while she was on the phone with her friend Ritsuko. "He said he'd stay and fight," she told the scientist. "But I don't think it's because he's doing us a favor."

"What are you talking about?" Ritsuko asked. "He defeated the angel and he can still pilot an EVA. What more could we've asked for?"

"His help," Misato clarified. "He feels betrayed, Ritsuko. Used. Like some tool. It's going to take a little more than a simple apology to get on his good side."

"Maintaining him is part of your job now, you know."

"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it."

"Are you still upset because we didn't tell him the whole story before he got here? Misato, you know full well that we can't just let secret information travel over open communications."

"So instead we Shanghai a sixteen year old kid into fighting a battle he felt no part in?"

"Look Misato…"

"Listen, Ritsuko," Misato interrupted. "Shinji is a person. Not a computer. He has feelings. And he feels betrayed. In all likelihood he hates us. He pretty much said so last night."

"If he hates us then why did he pilot last night?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Misato asked. "The Commander didn't bring Rei to the cages to have her pilot. He brought her out to force Shinji to do it."

"That's pretty cynical for you, Misato." Even though she knew it was true.

"Ritsuko, you're too used to dealing with computers. Not people. Shinji is going to be a handful. And I don't know anything about kids to begin with. So I'm really flying blind here. And he's a pretty moody person, too. He's not going to stay simply because we ask him to."

"Do I hear you complaining already? Remember you volunteered for this."

"Oh, shut up!" She snapped before hanging up. 'Shinji didn't pilot for us. He piloted for Rei.' She smiled a little at his chivalry. 'He certainly does follow his conscience. And it told him not to let an injured girl die in a hopeless battle.'

After her bath she stopped by Shinji's room. He left his footlocker against the wall, deciding to unpack in the morning. However, he was not on his bed. He was lying on the floor in the corner across from the bed with the blanket and pillow removed from the bed. "Shinji?" She asked softly.

"It's been a while since I've slept in an actual bed," Shinji replied, knowing what her question was. "I'm not used to 'em."

"I see. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that what you did yesterday…"

"I didn't do it for you guys," he grunted.

"I know that," she nodded. "You did it for Rei. That was very noble of you. And I'm sorry." He looked over at her. "I felt guilty about not telling you the truth. But I appreciate that you're staying, even though we tricked you into coming here. Just…hang in there. Okay?" He waved 'yes' before rolling over, turning his back to her. "Good night, Shinji. I'll see you in the morning."