Obligatory official disclaimer

I admit I don't own Gainax or any form of rights to Evangelion or the characters there within.  If I did I wouldn't be a broke college student, at any rate.  I think that covers all legal obligations for now.  Oh, I am rating this PG-13 for now, that may go up overtime, or it may not, you never know.

So what's the story?  Well you're just going to have to read then won't you.  I don't like trailers or teasers.  Not even for movies they give way too much away anyhow.  The only thing I can tell you though is that this begins directly after the 12th Angel.  I'll reveal more in my notes over time as to what may happen in the future, for now though, just sit back and enjoy the first chapter.

-That's Good For You-

by: _zero

Chapter I:

To Change

'Are you sure that's what you want?'

'…yes…'

'Well, that's good for you.'

With that, the faint blue light faded within Shinji's mind.  Everything was black, he couldn't remember what had just occurred.  The world was dark and virtually silent. Then he could clearly hear the sound of the entry plug emergency hatch being opened from the outside.  With a large creak the hatch was opened. Harsh light quickly came across his blue eyes which now snapped shut, the sound of a Woman crying was filling his ears.

"Shinji!... Shinji!... Are you alright!?" In between her desperate sobs, she cried out for him, blinded by her tears of joy, anguish, and relief.

'She's… Misato… is crying… for... for me?'  With the hazy thoughts slowly coming to life within his mind, he felt Misato fall upon his and take him into a hug.  However, when she fell upon his form, something was wrong.

Misato Gasped, "Wha, wha, huh?"  Her crying abruptly stopped, tears still filling her, eyes she stood and backed up toward the plug hatch.  She now regarded the form in front of her with a more serious, and yet shocked investigation.  Asuka was standing behind her unable to see just what she was seeing.

"Weren't you going to punish him?"  Remarked one Asuka Soryu.  Misato turned around and flashed her a look that would kill if it could, this caused the fiery redhead to take a step back in a rare show of surprise.

"Asuka, go get Dr. Akagi now…" In a low tone but she was definitely back into major mode, with the look of death still in her eyes. "That's an order."

"What did the baka…"  Misato was going to give Asuka no quarter.

"NOW!"  Asuka turned to run toward the temporary command center.  Before the medical personnel could arrive at the entry plug, Misato sat at the edge of the hatch, in a stunned silence.  Her mind still trying to grasp what was lying in front of her.

'She's not… crying anymore… she sounded, scared…'  Shinji was still gathering himself, not knowing just what was going on.  He kept trying to move around, but his body gave no sign that it wanted to do such a thing.  'What's… what's wrong?"

"Oh, my God… Shinji."  Looking down at Shinji, she really could tell it was still him, yet it wasn't.  The blue and white plugsuit was torn, not from some sort of struggle, but the form that it previously held seemingly outgrew it's fitting.  Still laying half-naked in the plug, what appeared to be an older version of Shinji.  "It's… not possible… is it?"

Shinji caught this, he tried to form words, but his flooded lungs prevented it. Now barely coughing up the LCL from his lungs heaving them free of the putrid liquid, he spoke in a weak voice "Mi-Misato… what's… I can hardly… move."  He kept trying to open his eyes, but he still couldn't get used to the ever blinding light.  "I, I can't…"  Shinji began to fade back into unconsciousness.

"The doctors are… are on their way… hang on."  She was holding back the tears now, still sitting in the entrance to the hatch.  Shock, overtook her as she then sat in wait for the good doctor. 

Sounds of personnel running toward the plug started to get louder as they approached.  Dr. Akagi was at the front of the line.  "Move it Major, you're in the way!  Just what's wrong with…" Pulling Misato away from the open hatch making her way into the plug, "Oh my…" She gasped now seeing the figure, Shinji, in the plugs command chair who was now fully unconscious.  "What, what the hell?"  Dr. Akagi stood stunned for a few brief moments before regaining a panicked composure. "Get the Third Child out and into the secure infirmary now!"

---

"Does there appear to be any of effects that would adversely effect unit 01?"  Dr. Akagi now stood in front of Gendo's desk. He sat in his normal position, hands steepled in front of him.  Although he was mildly surprised by the effect that the angel had on the returned pilot, he did not show it, for in the end, he wasn't concerned.

"No, the initial tissue testing results from the MAGI show similar effects, in that it too has aged approximately five years seven months and four days with an error of point zero-three percent.  Other than this, there does not appear to be any other effects that would hinder our current plan."  Dr. Akagi finished her preliminary report on the incident with Unit 01 and the Dirac Sea.

"Is there, something else Dr. Akagi?"

"Yes, I believe that Major Katsuragi may suspect something."

"Let her be for now, I believe her attentions will be turned elsewhere for the time being."  Gendo was short and blunt, still calculating using the events to his advantage.  Ritsuko stood with a quizzical look upon her, as if waiting for Commander to inquire about something else.

"Anything else?  Doctor Akagi?"

"No sir."  She now glared at him, 'you bastard' she thought, 'you don't even care about your son do you.'

"Very well, you may return to your work."  Dr. Akagi spun on one foot and quickly made her exit from the cavernous office, making her way back to the infirmary.

---

Misato sat next to the bed of the still unconscious Shinji.  She had been sitting next to his bed for hours now, he was moved into the security wing, almost no one was allowed, meaning he couldn't have visitors, except for her, the good doctor and whoever assisted her, and his Father who would never visit him.  She knew he didn't want to be alone when he awoke somehow, especially now "How did this happen, just what is going on?"  Saying this out loud just as Dr. Akagi came through the door.

"Just what are you doing here?"  Dr Akagi retorted with an authoritative air, surprising Misato a little she turned to face her, responding with a voice mixed with sadness, anger, and fatigue.

"Waiting for Shinji to wake up, he should see something familiar when he does.  I don't think he'll even recognize himself."  Misato glared at Dr. Akagi with eyes that went right through her soul, as she melted under the gaze, knowing full well it would do no use to argue with Major Katsuragi now

"It was the Sea of Dirac."  Akagi stated bluntly. 'She doesn't need to know the little details.'

"Huh? just what does that mean? What exactly happened to him!?"  Misato was now clearly angry.

"Well I guess I have to spell it out for you."  Ritsuko seemed to be taunting the Major. "Remember when I said the only to describe the Angel was through abstract mathematics?" 

"Yes, I was there for that."

"Good, well it would appear that the universe the angel created with its AT Field had a different timescale when compared to our own. Within that universe, time moved at an accelerated rate.  As you can see, the effects on the pilot show just that."  Ritsuko gestured toward the sleeping Shinji.  Misato winced within herself as Ritsuko referred to Shinji just as, 'the pilot'.  Then another thought came to her.

"Well then if time moved faster then he would have run out of power a hell of a lot sooner then we predicted…"  Misato paused as she shuddered at the possibility of Shinji actually dying long before they were even to attempt rescue him, she continued, slowly "But the life support systems would have ran out long before we could have reached him, just how did he survive?"

"I'm not sure, the initial tests I've run through the MAGI haven't come back with any conclusive results.  However, even though he did somehow survive some form of stasis that he appears to have been in.  It still doesn't explain how his body did not suffer absolute muscle atrophy."  Ritsuko was staring off behind Misato toward Shinji.  "We'll have to keep him here for awhile to run more tests when he wakes up, I've done all I can without him being conscious." Dr. Akagi was finished 'That should be enough for now' she thought.

"Right."  Misato was still glaring at the doctor "Just, how much did he… age?"

"Over five and a half years, this means that physically he's just over the age of 20."  The lavender haired woman couldn't help but stand there in silence, disbelieving the information that she knew to be true, the evidence was lying just behind her. "I'll have something more conclusive for you later once he wakes up." Dr. Akagi now turned back into Misato's friend, at least temporarily, "You should get some rest, you look like Hell."

"As I should." Misato let out a sigh. "I've told Asuka I wouldn't return to apartment until he woke up at least."  Misato was now bleary eyed while Ritsuko turned back into the good doctor.

"You didn't tell Asuka anything else did you!?"  She was frantic, fearing just what the effects might have on the second Child's psyche.  Asuka was already showing very early signs of mental instability.

Misato replied coolly, not betraying any emotion to her 'friend'. "No, I didn't, I don't think she needs to know.  Not yet anyway.  All I've told her so far was that he may have had some sort of mental trauma, nothing beyond that.  So don't worry." It was Ritsuko's turn to let out a sigh of relief. "I'm still trying to figure out how to tell Shinji, let alone Asuka. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"Just remember you're the one who signed up for it."  With a hint of sarcasm, this drew nothing but negativity from the Major, she wanted nothing to do with such banter from this point.

"This isn't a time to joke Ritsuko…"  With that she turned from her friend and took her position once more beside Shinji's bed.  Saying nothing more, Dr. Akagi left the room quietly closing the door behind her, as the door made a resounding click in the empty room.  All the sound that remained in the room shortly there after was the sound of Shinji's methodical breathing and the monitor's that were hooked up to him.  Misato continued to look down at the sleeping form.

'I can't believe this is, he looks similar to the commander…'  She shudders at this thought 'But yet he looks different, more of his mother's influence now'  breaking off her train of though she ran her hand through his chestnut hair, that was now much longer, covering his closed eyes now slightly. 

"Shinji, I don't know you're going to take this…" 

Misato then sits down in the chair next to the bed and lay's her flight jacket across herself hoping that sleep will come to her.  'I'll be here for you when you come around.'  She continues to stare at Shinji in silence for another hour, before sleep finally overtakes her will to stay conscious one final thought resounds through her mind. 'With his hair like that… he kind of looks like… him.'

-More to come-

That was a fairly short chapter no?  The beginnings usually are, more will be coming over time, as I already have a start on the yet to be named Chapter 2.  Nope you don't get any spoilers/hints just yet.  Aaand I can't really promise fan service now can I.

Thanks goes out to BC Baron for helping me see something I over looked.

(Update 07023002: I corrected one of the worst errors one could make.  I'd like to thank Alaric for pointing it out to me.)

_zero

feedback is welcome at [email protected]