This is a revision of the first chapter of Heaven Piercing Evangelion, to make up for the long-ass period of time inbetween chapters 2 and 3. Some parts have been rewritten, some additions made, and the opening paragraph has been rewritten in first person to sort of mimic Simon's opening monologue about digging in Gurren-Lagann. As a result, the chapter if a couple hundred words longer. Wish I could say the same for chapter 2, which is still a third of the size. I'm still working on chapter 3.

Also, I think the last line is suitably more awesome than the original in all-caps.

1. I'LL DO IT!

I always run away. When my mother died, I ran. When my father abandoned me, I ran again. Everytime I felt pain and heartache, I ran. It makes sense, doesn't it? What's wrong with running away from reality if it sucks? I have no friends. No one wants to talk to me. I'm the oddball. I can barely string enough words together into a passable conversation.

"Creep," they say, "that Shinji guy doesn't even talk. He just sits down and listens to that SDAT player all day!"

They're right. I am creepy, and I do listen to my SDAT player all day. Anytime the teacher isn't talking, I'm listening to the music. It's not even my music, it's my father's music. It's mostly classical. I don't care, I don't listen to it for the music. When you have earphones at high volume, you can't hear anything else, especially the hurtful comments people tend to make about me because they think I don't have feelings.

"Ignore them," my uncle would say. "they're not even worth giving a second thought. Walk with your head up high, Shinji."

He couldn't say it with enough force - enough bravado, I guess, so his words meant nothing to me. Not that I wasn't grateful my uncle even took me in. He's great, but he's not my father.

My father... I think I hate him. I don't really remember him, but what I do remember isn't very pleasant. After all, how can he be a good man if he abandoned me? But I still long to meet him. One day, I want to see him face to face. I'll tell him to repeat what my uncle said.

"Ignore them," my father would say. "they're not even worth giving a second thought. Walk with your head up high, Shinji."

If it came from his mouth, surely it would be strong. Awe-inspiring. I could even call him a father.

But I know that won't happen.

Today was a day that could only be described as 'different'. Today, Shinji Ikari did something spontaneous, perhaps even a little brave. Shinji had received a letter from his father - the first in ten or so years, urging him to come to Tokyo-3. At first, he had no intention of going. He crushed the letter into a ball and threw it away. A few minutes later, he's retrieved it and unfurled the crinkled mess of paper. It hadn't changed, it still only read one word.

'Come.'

He boarded the train the next day, unsure of what to expect when he got there.

The train was well air conditioned. A little too well air conditioned, in fact. Shinji exposed arms and face were starting to feel the chill of cool air circulating the train cart for several hours straight. He shuffled uncomfortably in his seat, then realized his backside was feeling rather numb and stood up to stretch.

When he sat down, he reached deep into his pockets and found a small, rectangular shiny black ID card. It had his name and face on it, though where they'd gotten a hold of a photo of him was questionable. It was an ID card for an organization he'd never heard of before, called 'NERV'.

He checked the letter it came with again, as if expecting more than just a single word, but it remained unchanged. Shinji savagely scrunched the ball in his fist and threw it down the train aisle, where it bounced off the back wall and rolled around on the floor. Good thing there wasn't anyone else on the train to get hit by it.

Shinji felt sweet relief when the train slowed to a halt. Wasting no time in the freezing carriage, he hastened to disembark and bumped into several people at the door, who brushed past him to board the train. No one - with the obvious exception of himself - wanted to visit Tokyo-3, they were all far too busy putting some distance between themselves and the forsaken city. Standing awkwardly at the platform and clutching his luggage, he silently cursed when he realized he had no cell phone. Audibly sighing, he set out into the sunny streets of Tokyo-3.

Half an hour passed with no social contact, as Shinji sought a payphone in the empty streets. There were no people, no cars on the move, and it looked as though the city's last inhabitants were the ones that boarded the train an hour ago. Seeing a booth, he made a beeline for it and stepped in.

Fumbling for coins, the phone greedily consumed them. Dialing off the number written in black marker on a photo he'd been given in the letter, he listened intently and then zoned out when it spat out a warning message in a smooth woman's voice. It was running on a loop, a generic warning detailing the city's state of emergency and lockdown of communication lines. He slammed a fist into the panel, cursing it for stealing his money and giving him nothing in return.

He dropped the receiver, stepped out of the booth, and mumbled to himself absently. "No phones, no cars. Nothing works in this city."

Realizing he was still clutching the photo he'd been given, he glanced over it absently. It came in a second letter alongside his father's, and depicted, in glorious colour, an attractive woman in her twenties scantily clad and with an arrow scrawled in marker pointing at her cleavage. What kind of woman would send him this kind of photo? Shinji was supposed to meet her today, as the woman had announced she'd pick Shinji up personally once she arrived.

"So much for meeting up today. I guess I'd better find a shelter."

He looked away from the booth in disgust, still mourning the loss of his money, and something immediately caught his eye - at the same moment, a flock of birds leapt off the nearby powerlines, distracting him for the split second he thought he saw a girl his age, standing across the street. He thought he'd seen blue hair, and red eyes, but she was not there.

Deciding he was simply imagining her presence, he sighed, and sat down by the side of the road. For once, he'd actually like to make some contact with something - anyone, just to confirm this wasn't his father's sick joke to make him travel halfway across the country to a completely abandoned city. He stared absently out at the pavement of the road.

Quite suddenly and without warning, a giant red foot slammed into the pavement a few meters in front of him. It sunk into the ground, leaving a deep impression and cracks in all directions. Shinji screamed. It was a high pitched, girly scream, very unbefitting of an adolescent boy. He couldn't tear his eyes away as the giant red foot was forcibly dragged backward, desperately digging its heel into the road, but it could not hold and tore the ground apart.

Looking to the sky, Shinji saw two giants grappling one another in combat. One was slightly more humanoid, and covered in shiny red plating that gave it the appearance of a giant armored robot. It was clearly losing to a slightly larger beast it fought against. The larger beast was only vaguely humanoid, probably closer to a gorilla in appearance, and featured lanky arms reaching well beyond its knees. It was sporting a glowing red orb from its chest.

A young woman shouted at him from the red robot's loudspeaker. "Are you stupid? What the hell are you doing out here? Go find a shelter!"

Carefully maneuvering its right leg off the pavement, and without letting go, the red robot delivered a powerful kick at the other giant's red orb. The giant toppled backwards, letting go of the robot, and landed on an apartment block.

The shining red giant gestured off into the distance with one of its armor plated hands, and retrieved a gigantic knife from its right shoulder pylon. The pilot inside shouted again. "Well, go on! If you get crushed, it's not my fault!"

Shinji hopped up from the side path and made a run for it, as far away as he could in the opposite direction. Just before the intersection, a blue sports car swerved right in front of him, and the passenger door opened invitingly to a familiar woman in her twenties reaching out. It was the woman from the photo.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" she said, oddly cheerily given the situation.

She outstretched an open hand for him to take and yanked him into the passenger seat, where he fell ungracefully and quickly slammed the door shut as the driver veered the car backwards to avoid being crushed by a giant red foot. The red robot toppled over, collapsed and leaning on a building. It no longer moved, and the pilot inside said nothing.

Some distance away from the action, Shinji could hear the sounds of war being waged beyond the hills, expending taxpayers' money and having no effect whatsoever. With the red robot defeated and its pilot presumably injured, the JSSDF had taken charge of the operation to bombard the giant with as many explosives as possible.

The woman stopped her car a little further out the city, somewhere out in the countryside. Shinji leaned out the passenger window, only for the older woman to awkwardly lean over him with a pair of binoculars to spot the giant from afar.

Aircraft flew overhead in formation, one situated directly above the giant.

"What the hell are they up to... oh, crap!"

For a moment she thought about getting the car revved up again and driving the hell out of there, but it was far too late. She recognized what the JSSDF had in store, and there was no time to escape.

"They're dropping an N2!" she tossed her binoculars into the backseat and screamed "Get down!" while she dropped to the seat and held Shinji tight.

A huge explosion tore up the landscape and lit the sky, the force sending the car toppling sideways down a sandy hill. It miraculously halted on its side at the bottom of the hill.

Shinji and the older woman crawled out of the torn up wreckage of the blue sports car, and both instinctively shielded their eyes from the dust storm kicked up by the explosion.

"You alright?" called the woman over to Shinji.

"Yeah, I think so... I've got sand in my mouth..." he gagged on the taste.

"I'll take that as a yes. Help me with this?"

She gestured to the car, and then leaned up against it, back against the sideways roof. Shinji followed suit.

"On my go. Go!" on her word, she and Shinji pushed with all their might until the vehicle toppled back onto its wheels.

She grinned at him, but winced at the battle torn vehicle. "Well, that wasn't so bad. Thanks for the help."

Shinji smiled in return. It was a good feeling, to at last meet someone in this seemingly abandoned city who seemed actually quite friendly.

"Ms... Katsuragi?" he remembered the name in the nick of time, reciting off a visualization of the letter he'd been given.

"Oh please; its Misato to you, if you don't mind."

"Well, then I guess I'm Shinji to you."

For a moment, the JSSDF thought they'd actually killed the damn thing. They'd dropped their most powerful conventional weapon, the clean non-nuclear explosive, right on its head, all that remained should be a charred crater. How wrong they were as the sensors at NERV lit back up, and the giant stirred back into motion, very much alive.

"God damn it! That was the strongest weapon we have and it didn't do squat!"

The official sat down, gnashing his teeth at the huge display. The others followed, admitting defeat. One cursed and slammed his fist on the desk.

Ignoring the irate JSSDF officials, NERV sub-commander Kozo Fuyutsuki spoke up to his superior. "It's flashing its A.T. Field, then?"

The commander's orange glasses reflected the room's lighting, giving him a thoroughly imposing appearance. "Indeed. It wouldn't have survived the blast, otherwise."

"Shall I order the retrieval of Unit 02?"

"Of course, Fuyutsuki. Let the JSSDF continue to waste their ammo, and while the Angel's distracted I want a rescue team sent out to retrieve Unit 02 and pilot Soryu."

"Thank god my Renault still works, I still have 12 payments on this thing!"

Patting the dashboard of her beloved sports car, she put on a brave smile in an attempt to reassure the still shaking young boy in the passenger seat.

"Say, Shinji, you're awfully quiet about all this. You don't have any questions about... I dunno, about the big giant that nearly stomped you?"

Shinji roused from deep thought.

"Ah, no... I didn't think you'd answer them, anyway."

Misato felt a little bad. The boy didn't even want to ask, even though he no doubt had a burning curiousity about the near-death experience. Did he really believe it'd all be hushed up, or was he just that socially withdrawn?

Continuing her weak smile, she responded. "Of course I'd tell you! The big red one is called an 'Evangelion'. It was fighting an 'Angel'."

"Angel?"

"Well, not really Angels, they're actually more like aliens."

Shinji was about to ask a questions when they drove into a dark tunnel. Misato stopped the car on a platform and leaned back casually in her seat. A gate closed slowly behind them, and then the room fell into complete darkness. An abrupt beginning of rumbling of machinery indicated they were moving again, and after a few seconds of darkness, lights switched on. The car was atop a platform slowly descending deep underground.

"Where are we going?"

Misato waggled a finger. "I'm taking you to your dad, silly. At NERV."

"NERV? You mean..."

Shinji removed the shiny black ID card from his pocket, and turned it over a few times in his hands. The photo was definitely him, and what was really concerning is that it was recent - this was his fourteen-year-old self in the photo.

"Yep, that NERV. You know what your dad does, right?"

He quoted his uncle word for word, exactly what was said to him whenever Shinji asked what his dad did for a living. "Work of utmost importance in the protect of humanity. That's what my uncle says."

"Well, your uncle's absolutely right. Here, take a look at this."

Misato handed Shinji a green booklet, labelled top secret and 'for your eyes only'. It was a welcoming to NERV, and a general purpose guide. His father was beckoning him, for help.

Looking up from the booklet, he asked; "What is this...? Am I going to be working here?"

Misato didn't answer question. She leaned back in silence, and then asked her own question. "Do you get along well with your dad?"

Shinji answered truthfully. "No, not really."

Misato chuckled. "Yeah, me either."

Upon finishing that sentence, the dark tunnel gave way to blinding orange light. It poured in through every window and bathed the car's interior with an orange glow.

Shinji immediately perked right up and gasped. It was beautiful, and it left him speechless. His reaction was most amusing to Misato, it was exactly how everyone else reacted to their first visit in the GeoFront on a sunny afternoon.

The huge domed cavern was lit by gratings in its ceiling, allowing sunlight to stream through and bask the interior with afternoon sunlight. What looked like upside buildings were protruding from the ceiling, and there were monorails networked across the entire expanse. On the ground was endless stretches of rolling green hills and forests, surrounding a lake that glowed orange.

"Welcome to the GeoFront, Shinji. This is humanity's fortress. The cornerstone to rebuilding our world."

One uneventful tram ride passed, and the two found themselves hopelessly lost. Well, Misato was, at least. Misato couldn't read a map to save her life. Shinji occasionally interjected by pointing them in the right direction, but progress was slow in getting to their destination.

"Jeez... could they have made this place any harder to navigate?"

"We're lost, Misato."

She was quickly defensive. "Hey, I'm just not used to this place! But if we keep going forward, we'll get there eventually!"

But what Misato was really hoping for, was for one Dr. Ritsuko Akagi to show up and guide her to wherever it was she was meant to be going.

Ritsuko clambered onto the platform, dripping red water, and slowly removed her bathing suit and diving mask.

Sighing, she realized she knew Misato too well to expect that she would make it to NERV on time. "What a surprise, Misato is late."

Impatient, and set off to find them. She dressed back into her lab coat and headed for the elevator when the lights blinked. There was a good chance this elevator was Misato's, and it was the perfect opportunity for a joke between friends. Wearing a deadly serious face, she stood imposingly at the elevator door and waited for it to open. The best part was that Misato had been waiting close to the door, and she was now face to face with a very scary Dr. Akagi.

"Gah! Ah, hi there, Ritsuko..."

Ritsuko tried not to laugh. "You're late. So late, in fact, I decided to greet you in person, Lt. Colonel Katsuragi."

"Heh, sorry."

These two were clearly good friends. Ritsuko turned to Shinji.

"Is this the candidate?"

Misato nodded. Shinji was poring over the NERV booklet he'd been given, but stopped to look up at the doctor.

"Candidate?"

"You'll see. Pleased to meet you, Shinji Ikari."

An uneventful boat ride passed over red water, and Ritsuko directed them into a large, dimly lit chamber. The last of light faded away as the door closed, not that it revealed any of the room's details in the first place.

Dr. Akago broke agonizing silence. "Mr. Ikari, there's something I want to show you."

The lights switched on.

There was something big, metallic and purple in Shinji's face. It was another one - an 'Evangelion'. He gasped and nearly tripped over backwards. Curiosity rising instantly, he started flicking pages through his NERV booklet furiously, trying to find the section that mentioned 'giant robots'.

"You won't find it in there. This," Dr. Akago began, very spectacularly; "is the ultimate man-made fighting machine. The artificial humanoid battle unit, Evangelion."

Shinji stared into its eyes, and it seemed to stare back. It was submerged from the shoulders down in red water, and its head was positively huge, so what of the rest of its body?

"My father... makes these?"

"Correct."

This time it was a man's voice. A voice that was deeper than the last time Shinji had heard it, coarser from years spent apart. Shinji looked up to the source of the voice, and his father Gendo Ikari, the commander of NERV, stood there behind observation glass.

"It's been a while, son."

For several long moments, only father and son existed at NERV.

"Yeah, it has."

Shinji broke eye contact, he couldn't bear to look at the man anymore while he was boring down upon him in such an imposing manner.

"Shinji Ikari." Shinji had phased out of listening to the doctor and Misato several minutes ago, but abruptly turned his attention away from his father, because Ritsuko was talking. "Do you understand why you have been brought here?"

He felt increasingly stupid as he stood there. It made no sense, why would they show him this? "No. Why am I here?"

Ritsuko was about to speak, but Gendo interrupted. "To pilot."

Shinji looked up and stared at his father, thoroughly dumbfounded. "What? You want me to - to pilot this thing?"

"Correct."

"But, why me? I'm just a kid! What about that other one, the red one?"

Ritsuko looked at Misato, and they nodded to each other. Ritsuko spoke up. "Pilot Soryu is currently injured. She is in a state unfit for battle, and cannot pilot."

Shinji started to cry. It felt terrible, to be so emotionally weak. "But, I don't want to pilot! I thought you didn't need me, dad! And that's why you left... but now you're calling me back?"

"I need you now, Shinji. The city needs you."

"Why can't you just find someone else? I - I..."

Shinji cried in silence for several minutes, and then Gendo called his name. "Shinji."

Shinji looked up at his father, who continued speaking. "There is no time. Look, I admit it, I am a terrible father. I abandoned you when I could have been there for you and for that, I am sorry. But you must listen to me, Shinji; you are one of the few unique individuals who is able to pilot an Evangelion."

"You're wrong! I don't know how to pilot this thing, I've never even seen it before!"

"We'll explain it to you."

Shinji wiped his tears and looked down at his feet.

"Wait a moment, Shinji." Gendo walked back into the room behind the glass, disappearing briefly. A few seconds later, the door on the right side of the room opened and Gendo was walking towards him. Finally reaching the middle of the platform, he stood next to Shinji and gazed at the Evangelion proudly. A few moments later, he layed a hand on Shinji's shoulder.

"Why did you come all this way? Are you just going to run away? We have a motto here at NERV, Shinji. It goes like this..." he paused for effect, and then added with incredible force; "Never back down. Never run away."

Shinji looked up at his dad, who removed his glasses to allow them to make complete eye contact.

"Never back down... never run away?"

"You heard me, Shinji. You've come a long way, and now's as good a time as any to cast off your old self and be strong. Repeat after me, Shinji: Never back down. Never run away."

Hesitantly, Shinji timidly repeated the mantra. "Never back down. Never run away."

"Louder."

Shinji raised the volume to normal speaking voice. "Never back down. Never run away"

"I can't hear you!"

He screamed it out loud. "NEVER BACK DOWN! NEVER RUN AWAY! I'LL DO IT, I'LL PILOT!"