Angel of Humanity - Chapter 1

Evangelion Fan Fiction

The Once and Future Angel of Humanity

By Kraven Ergeist

Chapter One

"AT field detected within NERV HQ!"

Hyuga Makoto had been spending the past several minutes of active duty watching Shigeru play air guitar. Though it had been as boring as watching 80 year olds play golf, he would have gladly gone back to it if it meant not having to deal with this current problem.

"Impossible!" cried Misato Katsuragi, the commanding officer at NERV.

"It's affirmative!" Makoto spoke out, his eyes racing over the screen display. "It's inside! Pattern…white?"

Misato took note of this particular information. Normal Angel patterns appeared as blue. Before, they had encountered a pattern orange, and it had turned out to be on a parallel plane of existence. What could white pattern indicate?

"Scanning…" Shigeru said as his fingers danced across the console. "Confirmed! It's coming from the hospital branch!"

Misato started. "The hospital branch?"

xxxxx

By the time NERV personnel pinpointed Rei's room as the location of the AT field, the signal had vanished. And the room was empty.

The commander did not even want to ponder the situation. He foresaw only one possibility.

"Think back, Dr. Akagi," he said sternly, the Sephirotic system looming ominously over him. "Rule out any possibility of error. The first child's body was confirmed destroyed?"

Ristuko Akagi, for her part, just nodded. "Yes sir. Her body was terminated and replaced with the third form. Her memory underwent the transfer, and she was placed in the room in which the AT field appeared." Ritsuko shifted her weight. "Sir, if the possibility your thinking of took place, it was with the third body, not the second."

Gendo glared back. "Even though you assured me that such an event would be impossible? Even though the chances of it occurring with the second body when it was brought back as it was is .000000001?"

Ritsuko nodded. "I am willing to accept that there may have been an error in those speculations. Because I know that Rei was in her third form. There can be no doubt about that fact. I witnessed it personally, sir. I can even show you the remains if you wish."

Commander Ikari shook his head. "No, thank you. I'll have to look into this matter further. You are dismissed."

Ritsuko turned to go without so much as a word.

When she had left, Gendo's sub commander Fuyutsuki cleared his throat. "I think we may be overlooking something, old friend."

Gendo glanced up at him. "Such as?"

Fuyutsuki shrugged. "Do we know for a fact that the AT field came from the girl? It could have been anything. Maybe even another angel. Or perhaps the old men have gotten restless and sent the fifth child? He could very well be drawn to his other, and simply have no intention of going after Adam as of yet. It would be no difficult task for him to enter undetected."

Gendo nodded. Something wasn't right. If an angel had sprung up, no matter its source, it would have gone after Lillith, thinking it was Adam. This angel had simply disappeared, which lead Gendo to believe that it could only be Rei.

Unless…

"Perhaps…" The commander ceded. "This will require more thinking."

Fuyutsuki smiled. They did a lot of that.

xxxxx

A pattern white? Misato mused as she drove home. She had spent the last 24 hours at NERV, and after no further appearances, she was finally granted a tired reprieve, settled that she would be called should an event arise, and in any case, the commander was still present at NERV. But that didn't stop her from turning the matter over in her head.

A pattern white AT field? Inside of NERV? And it suddenly disappears? Misato thought, pulling up to the street next to the apartment where she lived. It just doesn't work out.

Needless to say, she had not been informed that the room in which the AT field had sprung up was Rei's. As well, she was unaware that Shinji has been with her. In fact, it was only until she got home did she ever wonder.

"Where's Shinji?"

xxxxx

Tokyo-3 was a beautiful city. Particularly from Shinji's vantage point atop it's tallest building. The view was even better than that of the city from the palace that Misato had shown him before. It was there that he had found refuge with Rei lying unconscious at his side.

He had applied his newfound powers in an attempt to help her. He had not had any doubts that he could. He had not even questioned whether or not he should. He could not explain why, but he was soon aware of an alien feeling inside him, a feeling that had never arisen in the boy before.

Confidence. Deep down inside, he could feel it. He was invincible with these new powers. Any life thing that approached him, he could see it coming. Anything that attacked him, he would be able to stave off relying only on his own devices. And if that failed, he could fly away faster than the speed of light and disappear without a trace.

It was exhilarating.

Then he felt Rei stir to life. Felt it. He could sense her very conscious mind take hold of her body strongly enough to open her eyes.

Shinji smiled at her. "Welcome back, Rei."

Rei blinked her eyes and focused her sight on Shinji's face. Three words passed her lips.

"Who are you?"