[EVA] [fan-fiction] My first one, be nice!

[Novel Idea]

Ok, this is my first fan-fiction and I'm hoping to make a small series out
of it.  The title is "Too Little; Too Late."

Just a couple of notes:

1. This isn't in the storyline.  I've watched the whole series through once,
and not all at one time.  I'm sure if I tried, I could meld my story to
conform what happened in the actual series, or maybe not.  I've heard what
some people term as AU, (I presume that means Alternate Universe) but that
seems a bit too... corny.  So let's just say mine is "different".  ^_^

2. The timeline.  Like I said, since this doesn't really fit too tightly (or
at all) into the actual series, it's sort of hard to say.  What I can say
right now though, that this is after what happened with Touji.  Touji, even
after the Angel took over his Evangelion and the resulting bloodshed, he got
back in and started piloting.  I'm using "Marie" as his sister's name.  I'm
not to sure if that is her actual name, but I think I saw it in a couple of
fan-fictions.  Let me know if I'm wrong.  Later on, I might go into why
Touji started piloting again, and it will inevitably go to his sister, so it
is rather important I have her name.

3. Mana.  I saw her in a couple of fan-fictions, and I think she was in am
Evangelion game.  I've never played the game, nor have I seen here anywhere
else, so I more than likely have her character wrong.  It's just derived
from the fan-fictions I have seen her in.  Again, this is my own little
story, so if something did happen to her, it didn't happen here!  Or hasn't
happened yet.

4. The rest of the characters.  I'm trying to keep all characters true to
the Evangelion series.  I haven't read the manga or anything else that has
sprung from the Evangelion series, so all character information comes from
the show.  Speaking of information, through the middle of writing this
little piece, I noticed that the S2 Engine and an Angel's core were two
different things.  I tried to correct it, but if you see me saying the "S2
Core in the Angel", it is an error I'm correcting.  Shinji is still the
same, though you might not see it too much in this part of my fiction, which
will be explained later.  I am planning on adding to this.

5. This might seem like an action fan-fiction right now, but as the story
progresses a lot of WAFF will be added into it.  This was just a... rude
awakening.  There will be more fighting, but romance in it too.  Maybe even
a little dark added into it, though I will never end on a dark note without
at least a glimmer of hope.  Besides, the dark parts will never be
mind-shattering dark, just... a little shadowy. ^_^

6. I'm probably forgetting something, something important, but the
fan-fiction is just below:

____________________________________________________________________________
___________________

		Oh SDAT, how I love thee;
		Let me count the ways.


	I once told myself that if you keep breathing, you could survive anything.
I mean, really, isn't breathing the most basic function of survival?  Each
day... each day I found out exactly how much that statement is... false, at
best.  You may survive physically, but there is no survival instinct to keep
your brain 'breathing'.  You have to make a conscious effort to cheer
yourself up, so to speak.  I was never good at that.  A reason to wake up
every morning, it would be great to have one reason to wake up, one reason
to get me out of bed.

EVANGELION

	No.  I attribute to many bad things with Unit-01.  Pain, fear, stupidity,
blood... especially blood.  How much blood have I seen since I've piloted
the Eva.  I've hurt myself in the Eva; I've hurt other people... Touji's
sister; Maria.  Touji.
	I shook my head.  No, not Eva.

MISATO... ASUKA

	The answer didn't come readily to mind.  I remember my first impression of
Misato, "A good woman," I think were my exact words.  The bath, I remembered
the image of her holding up a finger saying, "A bath cleans the body and
soul."  My soul...
	I curled up into a tighter fetal position.  My soul.  My soul; my soul is
lost.  No, not lost, because I can feel it inside me still, but it's not
talking.  It's silent, my soul isn't telling me what to do anymore.  My soul
isn't there to comfort me in silence.  Could Misato be my soul, could she
tell me what to do, what would best for me... without thinking of NERV's
best interest?  I mentally shook my head, she's a guardian, at times a
friend... but she's always the superior officer.
	Asuka?  No.  I do like Asuka, and maybe even on some level, love her.
She's like me though; I use my silence as an emotional self-defense
mechanism.  I know that, but I cannot stop it.  Like breathing, I can alter
my emotional mechanism, but I cannot stop it.  In the end, I will always
return to my introverted state.  Asuka on the other hand uses her... ample,
voice to drive people away.  Instead of crawling into her shell, she's
drives people away with her temper.  Funny that, people I mean.  I can drive
people away by being silent, and Asuka drives them away by being... loud.
	No, neither of them.  I want to protect them, but I could not put the
responsibility of my soul in their hands.  I couldn't trust Misato with it,
I don't think so, and I can't place that burden on Asuka's shoulders.  She
has enough troubles as is, I'm sure.

FRIENDS

	Touji.  Kensuke.  Hikari Even.  Again, I mentally shook my head.  I wanted
to protect them, but I couldn't make that the reason I woke up every
morning.  The reason I climbed into the Eva each time I did.  Why couldn't
wanting to protect be enough to wake up every morning?
	My eyes stung as tears tried to drip out, but I forcefully kept them in
check.  I didn't want to become a blubbering idiot, I wanted to think
clearly now.  Protecting.  Yes, I suppose that's a good enough reason to
wake up tomorrow, and maybe even the next day.

*	*	*

	I had just closed my eyes; content with the fact I found a reason to wake
up when the alarm sounded.  Oh god, did I set wrong?  Asuka's going to be
pissed if it wakes her up.  I reached up from my bed and groggily hit the
snooze button.
	It persisted.
	The realization of what the alarm hit me.
	"No," I pleaded, "No, oh please... no."
	Suddenly my door slid open with such force that it rebounded, and started
to close itself again.  That is if there wasn't a fiery redhead blocking the
way.
	"Shinji," she yelled, "There's an attack, and we have to get to NERV!"
	I groaned, but I didn't have time to do anything further as I was quickly
dragged out of bed, and half pulled out the door.  Asuka skipped the
elevator and she ran down the stairs at suicidal speed, still having her
grip on my wrist.  I was wondering about Misato when we exited the bottom
floor, and then I saw her already in the car.  I was thrown into the back of
the car gracelessly as Asuka took her place up front.
	True to style, Misato literally burnt rubber as I heard the tires screech
against the pavement before we lurched forward at a sickening speed.
"Damn," I heard Misato mutter, "You'd think they would at least have some
decency... attacking at this hour," she shook her head.
	I think I dozed off, or maybe it was Misato's driving, either way... we
were pulling into the automobile elevator, heading down into the GeoFront.
I took the time to dig some of the sleep out of my eyes, and I could see the
impatience grow in Asuka's face.  The quietness suddenly vanished as
Misato's phone rang.
	"Yeah," I heard her answer.  "We're heading down right now," she said
crisply to whomever was on the other end, "Yeah... yeah, well we're going as
fast as we can!"
	Suddenly, the 'automobile-elevator' lurched and then increased it's speed
dramatically.  "I didn't know they could do that," Asuka mused.
	Misato put her hand over the receiver, "Neither did I," she replied.
	The speed we increased to was so fast, I was pushed up against the side of
the car, but it was mercifully brief as we abruptly stopped.  I got out of
the car, not needing Asuka to drag me out by the wrist.  When we got to
another elevator, this one made for humans, there was someone they're
holding the doors open.
	We all entered, and suddenly were hurtling upwards.  We passed the floor
that our changing rooms in, but I didn't say anything.  Asuka though... "We
need to get into our suits Dummkopfe!"
	He was silent until Misato, reminding him she was still Major, gave him a
curt, "Ahem."
	"The Commander said there is no time."
	Time?  The changing rooms are connected to the Eva holding area via an
umbilical bridge.  It would be the first place to go... if there was an
Angel.  From the faces of my roommates, they understood that too.  It was
silent for a while, but for the ticking of the counter telling us we were
heading up, when suddenly there was a loud crash and the elevator shook.  I
felt sick; I could only guess how far down it was from here.  Thankfully
though, the elevator announced our arrival with a sharp 'ding' and the doors
slid open to the bridge.
	The man was the first out, and then motioned for us to follow.  I could
hear the sounds of metal hitting metal, flesh ripping... and various other
combat sounds.  Asuka was the first to walk out, before I saw the expression
of the man... change if you could call it that.
	"No," he shouted shielding Asuka.  From my vantage point from still in back
of the elevator I could only see cement debris spray the man.  I rushed out,
more out of curiosity than anything, and saw the black Unit-03 combating the
Angel.  The huge space where the holographic projectors displayed their
image was now an arena for the two goliaths.  We started running to the
center of the bridge.
	I saw Miya turn around to Ritsuko.  Miya was wearing soft pink pajamas with
a brown teddy bear embroidered on the front, while Ritsuko was still in her
normal, everyday clothes.  What Miya said was not lost in the crash of sound
though, "They destroyed B-24," she cried out.
	B-24?  "B" stands for bunker... they destroyed a bunker... of civilians?
If the Angel is here, then...
	"There are more," father said from atop his pedestal, in answer to my
thoughts.
	"More," Misato beat me to the question.
	"There are six on the surface," Ritsuko answered.
	Six, I mouthed silently.
	"Rei is combating them as we speak," he added.
	"Rei?  You sent her alone," Misato yelled over the battle sounds.
	He stayed silent.
	"Oh god, Wondergirl is up there... we're all gonna die."
	Misato turned to her, "Then why don't you get in Unit-02 now!"
	And what of me?  There is still that lockdown on Unit-01, why am I here?
	Misato barely acknowledged me as she turned to Miya.  "What is the status
of Unit-00?"
	"Operational."
	That didn't sound good.
	I could see that the fight was going well for Touji.  Too well, if he
didn't get the Angel out of here, it would detonate its core.  How did the
Angel even get here anyway?  Touji had the Angel senseless it seemed, as he
pushed and shoved it though the whole that connected to the Eva holding
areas.  He pushed the Angel back into one of the catapults, "Doctor," I
heard Touji yell.
	"What," she responded.
	Misato groaned in tired disgust.  "Launch the catapult."
	"Oh," I heard Ritsuko said meekly, then turn to smile at me, "I wonder
where he got that from?"
	"I'm in," I heard Asuka say over the com-link.
	"Assist Ayanami... Launch!"
	The Holograms were turned back on, and I was able to see most of what was
happening to my friends.  Touji, after being sent to the surface was
attacked by a second Angel.  So he was fighting two.  Rei was stuck with
fighting four.  Asuka would be released just a hundred or so feet away from
the fight.  She would alleviate a little pressure, or add some.
	"Where's the seventh," I muttered to myself.
	"There," Miya said pointing to a screen.  The seventh was standing atop a
small mountain, surveying the battle going on beneath him in the city.  The
other six all looked the same; sort of like the first Angel I fought.
Bi-pedal humanoid shaped.  This one looked different... he looked... aware.
	"And Mana?  Is she ok?"  I felt so weak.
	"She hasn't come yet," Miya indulged me, and suddenly there was the
portrait of Unit-05 on one of the smaller screens.  It's deep, dark blue
with just the faintest hint of purple reflecting some light.  Mana...
	"Hey, that's two more notches on my prog knife," Touji exclaimed, his
cockpit cam showing an excited Touji.
	"That's not fair," Asuka, retorted, "We were late because baka wouldn't get
up!"
	Some of the cameras on various structures showed the battle between the two
Eva's and four Angels.  It would be a few moments before Touji could get
across city to help them.  In the moment that Asuka had shrugged off an
Angel to berate Touji, she wasn't watching Rei's back, and one of them was
trying to backstab her.
	"Ayanami, behind you," I shouted.  Reacting... reacting means not thinking,
if I would have been thinking, I would have known.
	"I see it."  Monotone.
	Her arms were currently locked with an Angel's, but she suddenly shifted
her weight and spun around, leaving the Angel trying to backstab her to cut
his comrade down.
	"Shinji, maybe you should, umm..." Misato tried to put it gently.  That
hurt.  I understood her logic, but it still hurts to be called useless.  I
nodded and moved back away from Miya and the control panels.
	I could see in the monitors that Asuka, immediately stabbed her prog knife
through the core of the Angel that Ayanami was struggling with.  Two more.
Touji finally made his presence known, wielding an axe that he picked up
along the way, and cleft one of the things through it's midsection.  He
didn't tear all the way through, but it did hit the core, fracturing it and
the inevitable explosion.  Though these seemed... smaller.  Unit-00 and
Unit-02 were back-to-back, facing the last... no, second to last angel.
	"I got this one Wondergirl," Asuka said huffily.  She charged the thing,
and one swift feint attack, had her left fist crunching through the core.
"That's what Touji... two for me," she asked smugly.
	"Yup," he replied, sounding defeated.  "And three for me."
	The three Eva's then turned to the ominous silhouette still standing on the
mountain.  One of the camera's zoomed into the Angel.  Starting at its feet,
it moved up until it settled on its face.  I was sure... there is something
different about this Angel.
	"Shinji," father said.  In the silence, his hushed whisper sounded like a
blood curdling scream.  Or maybe it just made me tense up like it was one.
	"H-hai?"
	He didn't look at me, "I'm removing the hold on Unit-01, you will be
launched if necessary."
	Misato took the order, and started barking the necessary arrangements to
the underlings.  What?  Did this Angel scare my father that he didn't think
those three could handle it.  If they couldn't... why did he think I would
be of any use?
	My musings were cut short as another voice sprung into the air, "What is
with all this racket... I swear, a girl can't sleep like this."  Mana... no
fear.
	"Hai," I told my father before being lead to my Eva.

*	*	*

	Inside the Entry Plug, I could see all my friends' faces in small screens.
While the Bakelite had been destroyed, the restraints were kept in place.
Mana wasn't sent to aid the other three Eva's.  There was some deliberation
on what to do... there was no orange signals coming from it, showing a lack
of an AT field.  Asuka, in her impatience quickly picked up a rifle and shot
a volley of bullets at the Angel.  They would have all hit the mark to if
suddenly the aforementioned AT field didn't spring to life.  Immediately
after the last bullet hit, the Angel, however it did it, leapt from the
mountain and crossed the five to six hundred yard gap in a single bound.  He
landed but meters away from the three, and I suddenly got a very bad feeling
in my stomach.
	With a speed and agility that seemed impossible in something that large,
the Angel put down the three Evangelions.  They were all up in a flash, but
that was not the only trick this Angel had.  They all worked in unison, the
pilots; Touji was holding one arm while was behind it, her arm around it's
neck and the hip of her Unit-00 pressed firmly into it's lower back.  Asuka
was striking it repeatedly, but there was some sort of membrane around the
core.  It's legs kicked up and pushed off of Asuka, sending her to the
ground, flipping up and over Rei, and finally breaking her and Touji's hold.
In another flash of fists and feet, the Angel sent Unit-00 and Unit-03 to
the ground.
	"Should... should I go help," I said meekly.
	"Yes," Misato ordered.
	"No," father said calmly.
	"Wha..."
	"No."
	"But..."
	"No!"
	I tried to sink into my chair, and accidentally let a whimper escape my
lips.  Things were looking grim for the pilots, for my friends.  I was
afraid my teeth were going to crack when I clenched them down as I heard
Unit-03's arm snapping and Touji's cry of pain.  He wasn't yet use to it...
he couldn't numb himself to the physical pain... if he can't even do that,
how will he handle the mental pain, the emotional ones?
	"Rei... get Unit-03 to a catapult, Asuka, continue to engage the enemy.
Rei, return once Touji is safe," Misato ordered.
	"Affirmative."
	Rei quickly scooped up unit-03, and Asuka diverted the Angel's attention.
Tried to at least: The Angle hit Asuka in the gut, sharply and with a lot of
force, which in turn made her grab her stomach.  The Angel then hit Asuka
across the face with a right hook, and in her cam I could see a frail
tendril of blood escape her lips then disappear in the LCL.
	"Asuka, retreat," father said.  At that time, Rei was placing Touji in a
catapult sending him downwards.
	"I can win," she said weakly and with much pain.
	"I gave you an order," he replied.
	"Hai," she conceded.
	The Angel didn't appear to advance on her as she crab-walked away from it.
	"Shall I engage," Rei asked calmly.
	"No, you will return as well."
	"But that would leave us defenseless," Misato pointed out.
	"I'm recalling all pilots," he continued, ignoring the Major, "Shinji..."
	No.
	"You will engage."
	"Hai," I whispered.
	I suddenly looked out of my Eva, through the whole that was created in wall
separated the Evangelion holding cells and the bridge.  I magnified so I
could see all of them clearly.

PROTECTION.

	"Hai," I repeated, a bit stronger this time.
	Rei was just being locked into place, and Asuka was coming down the
catapult now.  I was being moved to the shoot that would bring me a good two
hundred or so feet away from the Angel.
	"How do you expect me to win though?"
	If I was answered, it was lost as the g-force pulled me down and drowned
out any noise except those of my discomfort.  I came to a bone-jarring halt
as I reached the surface.  The door in front of me slid down quickly with a
thick metallic hiss.  My heart caught in my throat as I saw the Angel
standing by a meter away.  I swear, my heart was in my throat.  Every beat,
I felt my throat expand to accommodate it.

CHAMPION?

	It came in a feeling.  Not in a voice, or an image, just a feeling in my
heart at what it 'said'.  "What," was my only reply.

CHAMPION?

	It said it much slower, as if it was speaking to a child... heh, I guess it
is.  "N-no... I mean... I don't think so."
	"Shinji, who are you talking to," Ritsuko asked, a bit exasperated.  Of
course they couldn't hear.  I wasn't really surprised.

WORTHY.

	Again, my only reply was, "What?"

WORTHY!

	"I don't... I don't understand."

YOU WILL.

	"Shinji!  What's going on?"
	"I'm... I'm ready to fight."
	"Huh?"
	That did sound odd coming from me.  I knew it, but... but...
	"Release him from the catapult," I heard my father say.

*	*	*

	No one noticed the smile forming behind the Commander's hands.
	"I don't understand Gendo," Fuyutsuki said.
	The smile only broadened, a tight malicious smile.

*	*	*

	I was released from the cage and the Angel stepped back, allowing me room
to exit.  When I did step out, the cage slipped back into the ground.  Out
of nowhere, it suddenly swung its right arm to strike me, but I had my left
up to intercept it, and quickly connected my right fist with his chin in a
swift uppercut.

WORTHY.

	It said that to itself.  As if confirming its first assessment of me.
	"Shinji, take it out of the city," Misato ordered.
	I backed up, and the Angel followed me, keeping equal distance at all
times.  We reached a clearing.  Actually it was a small forest, but there
were no buildings, thus it was a clearing.  With the swiftness that I
observed back at the bridge, it quickly swung its elbow, and it connected
with the Eva's jaw.  In that moment of opportunity, it then swung around
plowing its forearm into my face.  My eyes started to water.  It was more
out of luck that I caught his next swing, and pulled him towards me.  I
kicked his leg at the knee and allowed him in his momentary imbalance to
head butt my fist.
	It fell to the ground on it's back.  I was on top of it quickly, and used
both my fists to bludgeon its head.  In a roar of fury, I was kicked off,
and rolling away.  He got to his feet and steadied itself.  I used the
momentum of my roll, to push off the ground and land on my own.  I only
slipped a little bit.  We both charged each other, and I managed to land a
left hook before we locked our arms together.  The next part really lacked
any finesse, as it was a matter of blocking, parrying, and just dodging
fists and feet.  After a barrage of attacks, I planted my foot and struck
out with my right fist, except I didn't bring it back quick enough as the
Angel grabbed it.  I was pulled to him, and my right arm was twisted behind
my back.  I clenched my teeth as not to cry in pain as he put pressure on my
arm.  More specifically, my collarbone.
	My stalwart attempts at not crying out failed as the bone reached breaking
point.  Stupidly, I struggled, for in my struggle, I added the last bit of
pressure, thus snapping my own arm.  I screamed my agony, but he wasn't
finished there.  He started to twist and pull the arm of.  For a while, I
thought he'd give up, but suddenly in a flash of burning white, I couldn't
feel my right arm anymore.  I screamed, not in agony, the pain was far
beyond that.  After a few minutes of screaming, my throat was raw and
molested, but through the waves or red that clouded my vision, I could see
him draw his fist back.  Without a moment to spare, I moved my head to the
side.  His fist sailed past me, and he was off balance by my sudden
movement.  I quickly head butted him, and then gave him another left hook.
Taking advantage of his sudden confusion, I sailed towards and tackled him
to the ground.  I used my left fist, and elbow to repeatedly thrash his
face.  I could see the armor or exoskeleton, or whatever, start to crack and
dent.
	I am going to win!  My sudden confidence shot as he grabbed my left arm,
but he was too dazed to do anything else immediately.  I quickly improvised
and kept head butting him in the face.  He rippled his body weakly to try
and thrash me off, but I wouldn't have it.  His left arm came up and grabbed
my face.  With strength I didn't expect he pushed me off as he got to his
knee.  I ran towards him and kicked him in the face, sending him sprawling
on his stomach.  As I approached him again, he played possum until I got
close where he then kicked me in the chest, making me stumble backwards.
Our fight left the clearing and brought us a cliff that dropped straight
into the ocean.  I had him cornered.  He stepped back so he was but meters
away from the drop off.

WORTHY.

	The voice came back, tired, raspy and broken.  He gave me what looked to be
a salute, hand brought to forehead at a perfect forty-five degree angle.  It
then fell backwards into the mist that covered the ocean.  I stood where it
was, looking down.  It was sill too early, and the sun hadn't even risen, so
my vision couldn't pierce the fog.  It has to be down there.

WORTHY...

	A feeling of a smile followed this one.  I'm not sure if it was his
impression or mine, because I noticed that I had been smiling too.

*	*	*

	"We've lost it," Aoba shouted.
	"Confirmed, Blue Pattern has... vanished," Miya followed up.
	"After the beating Shinji gave it, I suppose it's broken body couldn't
survive the fall," Ritsuko surmised.
	"Status on Touji," Misato asked.
	"He's moving his arm already, noting serious," Miya reported.
	"And Asuka?"
	"It looks like her ribs are bruised, a lot of her left side as well."
	"That's good," Misato replied.  Almost as an afterthought, and she mentally
berated herself, "Shinji?"

*	*	*

	I tried to reply, but my throat hurt, it was dry even though the LCL was
pouring into it, and it just came out in a scratchy grunt.
	"Shinji, you can come back to base now."
	I swallowed, "Hai."
	"And Shinji," Ritsuko chimed in, "could you pick up your arm on the way
back?"
	"Hai."
	I did as I was told, finding the metallic arm with organic tissue
fluttering in wind at the shoulder of the arm.  I noted how the missing arm
was now just a dull ach and not a searing white pain.  I had a sick feeling
in my stomach, and the negative g-force that I got on the rush downwards
only increased the feeling.  I'm going to be sick.
	As I guessed, once the entry plug was ejected and the LCL flushed out, I
fell to the umbilical bridge and empties the LCL into the floor.  Even some
of that green stuff you vomit, when you don't have anything left in your
stomach came out.  A medical team appeared next to me.
	"I'm fine," I told them, but I wasn't surprised when they didn't move.  I
looked down; I was holding my right arm awkwardly.  I sighed; the nausea
passed, and stood up.  With much discomfort, I shook out my right arm.
"Really... I'm fine," I repeated.
	I was awarded with a reluctant nod from the doctor as the gurney was rolled
away.  I took a deep breath, and noticed that my chest hurt too.  I noticed
why we weren't brought to the changing rooms, I guess in the Touji-Angel
battle, it was... destroyed.  The bridge led to a side hallway though, and
as the door slid to the side, allowing me passage, I saw Misato there.  She
had a very... worried look on her face, though there was almost a sense that
she was... proud?
	She looked about to cry she was so happy, but she kept herself in check as
she said, "There are spare changing rooms, after you shower, there will be a
debriefing... there are spare clothes in there.  I'll show you where it is."
	I nodded.
	"Do you need help walking," she said, she looked on the verge of tears.
	I shook my head.
	"Ok, follow me."
	The spare changing room wasn't far away, she could have told me how to
reach it.  I walked in without a word, and saw my clothes on the bench.  My
clothes.  A school uniform?  No, not my clothes... a school uniform, yes,
but not mine.  Until now I suppose.
	I peeled the LCL drenched clothes from me and threw them in a basket.  With
a towel in hand, I walked to the showers and hung the towel on the rack
before turning on the hot water.  Just a little cold to take the bite out of
it.

PROTECTION.

	"Yeah... I guess I did ok."  The memory of Miya saying that they destroyed
a bunker made that a short-lived sense of pride.
	What the Angel said.  Just that the Angel even 'spoke' was unnerving.  I
leaned forward against the tile wall and let the water splash over me.
"What happened to me out there," I asked.  I didn't go berserk, I remember
everything, but I don't know how to fight like that.  I'm not the Champion
of this city.

CHAMPION.

	I scrubbed the LCL out of my hair furiously, trying to drown the feeling
out.  I ended up resting my head against the tile again.  Out there I was
something I've never been before, I don't have a word for it.  I was...

WORTHY.

	"No," I hissed to myself, clenching my right fist.
	"Shinji?"
	I gasped and reached for my towel, trying vainly to be decent.  Mana stood
in the middle of the large white tile shower room.  She was in her school
uniform.
	"Mana," I said desperately, and I'm sure the heat I feel on my face is not
from the hot water.
	She just smiled with an evil little snicker in her eyes.  "I just came to
make sure you were all right," she said.
	"I-I'm fine," I stuttered out.
	She tried to look over the towel that I had as a screen between her and me.
I quickly wrapped it around myself; she just gave me the same evil little
look and licked her bottom lip lightly.  Winking, she turned around and
walked out of the men's changing room.  I made the rest of the shower brief,
in case any other female personnel couldn't wait until I got out.  The
clothes were my size and fit just like the uniforms I had at Misato's
apartment.  I really didn't suspect they weren't.  I discarded the towel in
the same basket that the LCL drenched school uniform was in and walked out.
	Heading to the briefing room, I saw Miya about to head into the women's
changing room.  I guess she was going to get in her NERV uniform.  "Miya," I
stopped her.
	"Oh, Shinji," her eyes lighted up.
	Mine didn't though, "How many people were in the bunker?"
	She sobered up, I knew she didn't handle deaths well either.  Looking down
at the ground, "Forty-three."
	My jaw tightened and I continued walking to the briefing room.
	"Shinji," she called after me lightly.  Thinking it rude to just ignore
her, I muttered something about having to get to the debriefing now.
	It was a bit confusing, where I was, but I quickly found familiar terrain
and made my way to the briefing room.  They were all waiting in there.  All
of them.  I blushed as dozen or so pairs of eyes turned to me.  I quickly
and quietly took my seat.
	Ritsuko began, "At o'two hundred hours," two in the morning in my mind,
"the first Angel appeared on mountains out skirting Tokyo-3."  My Angel.
"Alarms were sounded once we verified the blue pattern."
	"It just appeared," Asuka asked incredulously.
	"Yes.  At o'two o'nine, the six other Angel's appeared just like Angel One
did."
	"One just appeared in bridge," Touji asked raising his hand.
	"Yes."
	"At o'two fifty-seven, the six sub-Angels were destroyed.  At o'three
seventeen, Units-00, 02, and 03 engaged Angel One."
	Misato cleared her throat, with an amused smile on her face.
	Ritsuko continued, "At o'three eighteen, Units-00, 02, and 03 were ordered
to evacuate."
	Asuka scowled from behind me.
	"At that same time, Unit-01 was ordered to engage.  At o'three nineteen,
Unit-01 did engage Angel One, and lead it out of the city.  At o'four
fifty-four, Angel One's pattern vanished.  Presumed dead on impact with
water.  Will verify at first light."
	"You are dismissed," Misato said.
	I got up with my cohorts, but was singled out by Ritsuko, "Shinji, not
you."
	I sat back down as the other pilots left; some gives me a wave goodbye.
	"You never answered me Shinji, right before you engaged Angel One, you were
talking... was that thing communicating with you?"
	"Hai."
	"What did it say," she asked, becoming very excited.
	"He asked me if I was the champion of this city."
	I could tell Ritsuko was playing back what happened in her mind, so she
knew my response.  "Then what did it say?"
	"I am worthy."
	"Damn straight you are," Misato muttered.
	"I don't know if he meant worthy of being the champion of this city, or
worthy of fighting him."
	Ritsuko considered this a moment, then shrugged.  "It doesn't matter now.
You are dismissed Pilot Ikari."
	"Hai," I replied getting up from my seat.
	Now I have to deal with school.  I'll have to find out if Touji is going or
not.


____________________________________________________________________________
___________________


Ok, that's it for this little section.  The grammar might be more than a
little poor.  I used the .txt editor on this instead of the .doc, so I
didn't have the blessed spell checker with me.  Of course commends and
CONTRUCTIVE criticism are welcome, but don't flame me; I'm a petite delicate
flower, dammit!  ^_^
Now, I will repeat this is my first attempt at a fan-fiction, and I will
also repeat that I'm not trying to conform into the series.  This is my own
wittle world, and I'm happy with it.  Any blatant errors or inconsistencies
should be brought to light though, and I'll change them if I think I should.
Some inconsistencies were on purpose.  I know that in the show, never did
Angels attack in force.  The closest thing would be when that one Angel
split in two.
Oh yeah, and that thing I forgot.  Everyone is the same age, and all
routines are the same, everything is basically... the same.

Ok, right below is the end of this email.
-Novel Idea