Neon Genesis Evangelion: Child of Eva

Chapter 1: The Calling

By: Terror of the Azure Flame

Disclaimer:

I don't own any of the characters or mechanics of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Everything about this series belongs to Gainax, Inc. A.D. Vision holds all copyrights to the translated version of Evangelion.

I recently made plans to revise a fanfic that I had posted for a friend of mine called 'Trials of Happiness' but after reading the flames for it that had mostly been directed at me I decided not to. I am sorry for any problems that arose because of my friend and this time this fic will be done in my own words. If any problems are found within this fic let me know and I will try to work them out.

This will take variation from the normal Eva timeline, as this will be my first attempt at an Evangelion fanfic. This will be occurring after Shinji has been recovered from Eva 01 and it will continue out from there. However, his time in the Eva has caused a few changes in him but for better or worse. My characters may become a little OOC at times but I'll try to keep them the same as much as possible.

"Talking" normal talk

'Thinking' normal people thinking

Shinji Ikari lay in bed staring up at the now familiar ceiling of his bedroom as he contemplating the recent events of his life. It has now been a week since he had returned from being absorbed by his Evangelion Unit 01 but he hadn't been to school since his release. The young Ikari closed his eyes and was instantly bombarded by different images. He remembered them from when he was apart of Unit 01 but he didn't understand what they truly meant. He also remembered telling Ritsuko that he didn't remember anything of what had happened but the truth was that he was afraid to tell her anything. For some reason, he felt that he had to keep this information to himself but he didn't know why.

Shinji sighed and glanced over at his clock. "It's 3 O'clock in the morning and I still can't get to sleep. Ever since I came out of Eva I have been having these strange dreams about what I saw. I just wish I knew what the hell they meant."

He sat up and climbed out of bed, deciding that he needed some fresh air. He walked out onto the balcony and gazed out at the quiet city. The very same city that he was forced to protect from the threat known as Angels when his father sent that letter that summoned him all those months ago.

"Why do I even continue to stay here when I know that I'm not wanted? My father only sees me as a tool since I can pilot Eva. Asuka hates me for once again beating her synch scores." Shinji spoke to the night air as if it would reply to him.

Shinji rested his chin on his hands. "I know that Misato says that everything will be alright but after being absorbed by the very thing that I pilot I'm not so sure. It's not like anyone really cares about me so why am I still here."

A sudden thought about his experience in the Eva came to him.

"Just what is the Eva?" Shinji asked.

He remembered always feeling a calm presence whenever he was in the entry plug. He knew the Eva's were biological in nature but something just didn't seem right to him about Evangelion Unit 01. On the first day he had been awake, he had went down to the cages and seen the angelic core of his incomplete Eva. This mere sight freaked the hell out of him and he ran back to his room until Misato came to see him. The sight of the core along with the strange visions was seriously affecting the young Ikari. He didn't even think he would be willing to get inside of his Eva ever again.

"Do I really even want to fight anymore if the only thing I have experienced from Eva is pain?" Shinji mused.

A sudden voice startled him out of his reverie. "That's a really good question."

Shinji whirled around to find his friend and guardian standing in the doorway. She had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders to ward of the cool night breeze. Shinji sighed and looked back out at the view of the city. Misato moved over to the railing and stood next to him.

"What are you doing up so late, Shinji?" Misato asked.

"I was just doing some thinking and I came out here for some fresh air." Shinji turned to his guardian. "What about you?"

Misato shrugged. "I just woke up to use the bathroom and I saw you standing out here. You looked so depressed that I decided to come out here and talk to you." The purple-haired woman smiled. "So, what's on your mind, Shinji?"

"Nothing, really I was just thinking about what could've been happening over the past month while I was in Eva." Shinji lied.

"Well, nothing really bad has happened if that's what you're worried about. The repairs to the Geofront caused by the 14th's attack are almost completed and your Eva 01 has completely regenerated." Misato said. She noticed him shutter at the mention of his Eva.

Shinji nodded but said nothing. Misato began to grow concerned and placed a hand on his shoulder. She gave it a gentle squeeze as she felt him tense up under her sudden contact.

"Shinji-kun, I know how much you hate to pilot but the fate of the world is riding on your shoulders. I know it's also been a huge burden to you especially after what happened the last time you rode in Unit 01…" Misato said but was cut off by Shinji.

"I know that it's my responsibility to pilot Eva, Misato!" Shinji said, almost yelling. "I'm not going to quit because if I do then, I'll just be admitting that I'm weak. Besides, if I leave I'll lose the only family that I have."

Misato smiled at Shinji. "Yeah, you're right! We are a family and nothing will ever change that. Although, I doubt that Asuka will ever admit that since she claims that you're a perverted little boy."

Shinji chuckled, softly. "Yeah, that's something that she would say. She's still mad at me for beating her synch scores the other day."

Misato turned to face him. "Actually, I'm a little surprised by your synch ratio. I would've expected it to be a little low since you had just returned from Eva."

Shinji nodded. "By the way, what were my synch scores?"

Misato hesitated for a moment. "Your synch ratio was recorded at 90.89% with out any fluctuations."

Shinji's eyes widened in disbelief and he turned to face Misato. "You're kidding right?"

Misato shook her head and looked back out at the cityscape. Shinji joined her but his mind was still reeling from hearing this information. The last time he was tested his synch ratio was only 78.25%.

(How could my synch ratio jump so much after I came back from being absorbed? This is just to confusing for me to understand.) Shinji thought.

Misato pulled her hand away from his shoulder, drawing Shinji from his thoughts. "Shinji, I'm going back inside and get some sleep since I have to be in early. Tomorrow will be your first day back in school so make sure you don't stay out here to long, okay?"

Shinji nodded and watched from the corner of his eye as his guardian reentered the apartment. Once the glass doors slid shut he released a sigh he hadn't realized he had been holding. He looked up at the pale moon for a few moments then, turned to head back inside. He headed back to his room and climbed back into bed once again staring at the ceiling.

"I wonder what it will be like when I see everyone tomorrow." Shinji immediately corrected himself. "Well, everyone except for Touji. I'll have to remember to stop by and see him after school tomorrow."

Shinji felt his eyelids grow heavy and he gently closed them, silently drifting off to sleep.

The next morning, Shinji Ikari woke up to the sound of someone pounding on his door followed by angry rants. He immediately recognized the voice of his redheaded roommate and slowly got out of bed. He stretched then, grabbed his school uniform off the back of his chair. He then walked over to the door and slid it open to reveal the angry face of Asuka Langley Sohryu already dressed in her school uniform.

"It's about time you woke up, baka Shinji! I've been pounding on your door for that last five minutes." Asuka said with her voice laced with anger.

"What do you want, Asuka?" Shinji inquired in a bored tone.

Asuka blinked for a second then, resumed her glare. "What do you think I want, stupid? Get in the kitchen and make me some breakfast, now."

Shinji narrowed his eyes at the German redhead. He was really getting tired of her trying to boss him around all the time.

"Why don't you go make your own breakfast and leave me alone?" Shinji stated as he stepped past her.

Asuka blinked a few times at the sudden comment from Shinji. She hadn't actually expected him to talk back to her and this made her even angrier. She looked to her right and saw him heading towards the bathroom and stomped after him. Before he could step inside she reached out and grabbed a hold of his shoulder then, spun him around to face her. However, the look on her face was something that she was unaccustomed to from the young Ikari. Shinji's eyes had narrowed even more until they were barely slitted and he had a lopsided grin on his face.

"What do you want now, Asuka?" Shinji asked in a calm, bored tone.

Asuka took a few seconds to regain her composure. "How dare you tell me to leave you alone, Third Child? If you don't get in that kitchen and make me some breakfast in the next few minutes I'll…"

Shinji cut her off. "You'll do what, Asuka? Are you going to yell and threaten me like you always do? Or are you going to beat me up since I'm doing what you want me to do?"

Asuka didn't reply but continued to glare at him. Shinji folded his arms across his chest as he waited for Asuka to come up with a retort. The redhead found herself becoming unnerved by Shinji's stare but refused to show any signs of weakness and break eye contact. After a few more moments, Shinji turned away from her and walked into the bathroom. Only when the bathroom door slid shut did the German redhead dared to move. She balled her fist at her sides while maintaining her glare at the bathroom door.

(How dare that stupid baka stand up to me like that? I'll wait until he gets out then, I'll teach him not to talk back to me.) Asuka thought, angrily.

With a flutter of her hair, she turned and headed into the kitchen to wait for him. Misato had already left for work so she didn't have to worry about her stopping her from hurting Shinji.

Forty-five minutes later, Shinji stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed and headed into the kitchen. As soon as he stepped through the doorway he found Asuka's vibrant blue eyes directed at him in a deadly glare. However, instead of backing down he returned her glare and grinned at her.

"What's the matter, Asuka? Are you still hungry?" Shinji inquired, sarcastically.

"Listen up, Third Child! I don't know when you decided to grow a spine but if you keep this up then, I'm going to rip it out for you." Asuka snapped, slamming her hands down on the table.

Shinji grinned. "Well, if that's the way that you want it to be then, try it."

Asuka stood up. "Don't think that I won't do it."

Shinji continued to grin as he walked up to her and stopped in front of her. Asuka tilted her head so she could meet his gaze and almost flinched. Shinji's eyes seemed dull and almost lifeless. She could also hear the sound of his deep breathing that gently blew at her hair on her forehead. The two continued to stare into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity although it was only a few seconds. She almost gasped as she felt his hand caress her cheek.

"Tell me, Asuka! Are you afraid of me?" Shinji asked in a mocking tone.

Asuka's eyes flared as she stepped away from him and opened her clenched right fist. Shinji dropped his hand to his side as he watched the redhead raise her hand in preparation to slap him. Asuka allowed herself a grin as she swung her arm towards the seemingly unprepared Shinji. However, before her hand could make contact with her face his hand shot up and grasped her wrist. She blinked in shock then, attempted to slap him with her other hand but her caught her hand again.

"Let go of me you stupid baka!" Asuka screamed and tried to break free.

Shinji didn't relax his hold a bit but pulled her arms down to her sides and pinned them there. Asuka always knew that Shinji had a limit to how much abuse he would take from her before he would stand up for himself. She just wished that he would've done so when Misato was around in case she needed her. He stepped closer to her until their faces were mere inches apart and smiled at her.

"What's wrong, Asuka? I thought you were supposed to be ripping out my newly acquired spine." Shinji said.

Asuka struggled against him. "If you don't let me go then, I will rip it out for you!"

Shinji's smile widened and released his hold on her. Asuka stepped away from him and glared at him but it still seemed to have no affect on him. The two continued to gaze into each other's eyes, neither willing to back down. Suddenly, Asuka noticed Shinji's eyes seem to flicker and he looked away from her. He walked past her and headed into his room leaving her standing in the kitchen in a confused daze.

(What the hell was that all about? First he grows a spine then, he just walks away without even apologizing to me. I'm really starting to think that being absorbed by his Eva really screwed up his mind. Although, his mind was pretty screwed up in the first place if you were to ask me but that's my personal opinion.) Asuka thought with a grin.

She took a quick glance at the wall clock and realized that she would need to leave now in order to make it to school on time. Asuka ran into her room and grabbed her bag then, made her way back into the hallway. She started towards the door but then, decided that she should at least let Shinji know she was leaving even if she was still at him. She walked to his door and began to pound on the thin door.

"Hey, baka hurry up or you'll be late for school!" Asuka yelled.

She waited for the regular response but all she received was silence. She pressed her ear to the door but she couldn't make out any sounds from inside of his room. The redhead let out a low growl and forcefully swung Shinji's door open. To her surprise, the room was completely empty and in perfect order as it always is.

"How did that baka sneak out of here without me knowing?" Asuka mused, aloud.

She shrugged it off and headed towards the front door, stepping out. After locking the door she heads for the elevator and steps in.

(If I see that baka at school I'll make him pay for talking back to me this morning. No one tries to upstage the great Asuka Langley Sohryu and gets away with it. Not even the 'Invincible' Shinji.) Asuka thought.

Meanwhile, Shinji walked along the path that would take him to school. His hands were stuffed deep in his pockets as his head was lowered in deep thought. He didn't know why he had acted so cruel towards Asuka earlier in the apartment but she did deserve it. He had grown tired of her ordering him around and always putting him down.

(I've never done anything to her to cause her to treat me the way that she does. Why can't she just be nice to me for once in her life?) Shinji thought.

Suddenly, Shinji stopped and looked up as he heard the sound of someone calling his name. A quick look around revealed that no one was around. Shinji blinked in confusion then, resumed his walk. A low hum began to fill his ears but he ignored it with minimal success. He stops as he realized that the sky had become a dark pinkish color and he can hear an almost mournful cry in the background. He remembered experiencing the same thing after he had decided to leave Nerv the first time but this time it seemed different. Shinji screamed as his head suddenly exploded in pain and he dropped to his knees, covering his ears.

A deep, rumbling voice began to call out to him. "Shinji…come…to…me. Become…one…with…me."

Through the haze of pain Shinji managed to speak. "Who are you and what do you want from me?"

The voice continued to repeat itself and grew in volume each time. Shinji felt like his head was about to explode and began to hunch over in pain. It soon became too much for the young Ikari to stand and he felt himself teetering on the edge of consciousness for a few moments then, falling over. His body went limp and he collapsed on the sidewalk.

A few minutes later, Asuka was walking the same path Shinji was taking to school. She had stopped by Hikari's house but her friend had already left so she was forced to walk alone. It was all Shinji's fault anyway and she was getting him back as soon as she saw him at school. She turned a corner and suddenly spotted a figure dressed in a school uniform, lying face down on the sidewalk. The German redhead quickly ran to see who it was and dropped to her knees next to the body. She rolled the figure over and gasped when she saw that it was Shinji. Although, she was still mad at him she couldn't just leave him in the street like this. She was at least glad to see that he was still breathing and leaned down towards his chest to listen to his heartbeat. The sound that she heard completely startled her. His heartbeat was there but it was beating in a rather irregular pattern of fast then, slow beats. This began to worry Asuka and she quickly pulled out her cellphone, dialing Misato's number. The phone rang a few times then, finally she heard the voice of her guardian.

"Hello, who is this?" Misato asked.

"Misato, this is Asuka! I have a really big problem with baka Shinji and you need to come and get us quick." Asuka replied, her voice near frantic.

"What do you mean? Has anything happened to Shinji?" Misato asked; her voice panicked.

"I don't know what happened to him since the idiot left for school before I did. I just found him lying face down on the side of the road but he seems to be okay. I think he must have passed out or something." Asuka said.

"Okay, tell me where you are and I'll come pick you guys up." Misato said.

Asuka looked up. "We're about a block away from the school."

"Alright, I'll be there in about twenty minutes." Misato said then, the line went dead.

Asuka pulled the phone away from her ear and placed it back in her bag. She looked down at Shinji's face, which was twisted as if he was in pain. Suddenly, images of him toying with her earlier flashed in mind and her anger was renewed. She stood and walked over to a nearby wall then, propped up against it.

"Serves you right for how you were acting earlier, baka-Shinji!" Asuka said with her voice laced with venom.

(I don't care about that stupid baka. The only reason I even called Misato is because I knew she would be worried about her 'precious' Shinji. It's not like there is anything special about him besides for the fact that he can pilot an Eva. He's just a weak, spineless little coward that only lucks out in battle. His Eva always goes crazy and saves his ass whenever he gets into trouble. And I still can't believe this stupid baka managed to beat my synch scores. I'm Asuka Langley Sohryu and I'm supposed to the world's best Eva pilot not some spineless little wimp.) Asuka thought, angrily.

Asuka looked down at Shinji's unconscious form and her expression, unwillingly, softened. She began to think back to all the Eva battles they had gone through and how he had even saved her life a few times but she would never thank him. However, the angry part of her mind immediately reminded her that Shinji was still just a weak little boy. If it wasn't for the fact that he was passed out she would've have left him right there. She looked at his face for a moment then, turned away.

"I'm not going to feel sorry for that stupid baka." Asuka snapped.

She jerked her head to the left when she heard the familiar sound of Misato's car speeding down the road. She always wondered how her guardian could drive so recklessly through the streets and managed to keep her car intact. A moment later, the blue Renault came to a screeching stop in front of her and the Nerv operations director jumped out of the car. Her face was masked with worry as she caught view of Shinji lying face down on the sidewalk.

"Shinji, what happened to him, Asuka?" Misato yelled and rushed to his side.

Asuka narrowed her eyes, slightly as she watched the purple-haired woman begin to check over her fellow pilot. (Hmph, she always gets so emotional when that stupid idiot gets hurt or something.)

Misato looked up at her. "Asuka, help me get him into the car."

Asuka jolted. "Why should I help? Because of that idiot I'm already late for school."

"Don't worry about that you can come with me." Misato said in a serious tone. "Now, help me get Shinji into the car."

Asuka would've protested even more but the tone of her guardian's voice made her realize it might be a mistake to refuse. She grumbled as she made her way over to them and together the two lifted the brown-haired boy up. She instantly realized that Shinji seemed to be rather heavy for a person of his size as they maneuvered him over to the open door. After a few more minutes of struggling, they managed to place him in the backseat then, climbed in themselves. The German redhead immediately strapped in, as she knew Misato would be in a rush to get help for Shinji. Her assumption was confirmed as the engine roared to life and they sped down the road at almost three times the speed limit.

Meanwhile, Shinji found himself floating in an abyss of pure darkness. He felt disoriented so he couldn't tell whether or not he had a body. He could hear a voice emanating from the darkness but he couldn't make them out just yet. Suddenly, images began to appear and rapidly race past his vision. He couldn't make any of them out but he notice that the voice had become louder until the point he could make it out.

A deep, rumbling voice drifted to his ears. "Shinji… come… to… me. Become… one… with… me. We…belong… together."

Shinji felt his hands cover his ears in a vain attempt to block out the voice. Suddenly, the images stopped and settled on one image. To Shinji's horror, he found himself staring into the demonic visage of Evangelion Unit 01. Shinji could not suppress the fear he felt as he continued to stare into those glowing eyes. He watched as the Eva's jaw shuddered open and he could swear that the voice was actually coming from his Eva. Shinji screamed as the jaw opened even farther and Eva threw its head back and screamed in a voice he knew only belonged to a berserker Eva 01.

An ear-piercing scream vibrated around the room as the Third Child sat up with a start in bed. He was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily as his heart was rapidly pounding against his chest. After a few more moments, he finally managed to calm down long enough to realize that he was in one of the Nerv hospital rooms. For a few seconds, he began to wonder how he ended up here but shrugged it off and laid back down.

"Someone should be coming in a while to check on me and I can ask them how I got here." Shinji said.

Shinji had just begun to close his eyes when he heard the door slid open. He looked over to see Misato enter the room and, to his surprise, followed by Asuka. He also noticed that she was glaring at him with more intensity than usual. Normally, he would've been worried if he hadn't remembered how he had treated her earlier. Even now he was still unsure as to why he had become so hostile towards the German redhead. He pushed the thought aside as he noticed Misato making her way over to him.

Misato smiled, warmly. "Hey, Shinji-kun How are you feeling?"

Shinji returned the smile. "I'm feeling okay but why am I here?"

"I was hoping you could tell us that. Asuka said that she saw you lying face down on the sidewalk on her way to school but we don't know why you passed out. When I rushed you here I had Ritsuko examine you but she couldn't find anything wrong with you." Misato replied.

Shinji looked away from her as he tried to figure out why he had passed out. His eyes widened as he remembered hearing that strange voice and the strange dream he just had. He was about to tell her about this but something in the back of his mind told him that he shouldn't tell his guardian and he complied with this urge. He once again turned his gaze back to the purple-haired woman and smiled.

"I'm sorry Misato but I don't know either. I guess I must have been under a lot of stress ever since I came back from the Eva and I passed out." Shinji said.

Misato nodded and smiled. "Well, you have been doing a lot of work around the house since you came back so I guess that it's only natural. Since we know what the problem might be I want you to just relax a bit for the next few days. Well, Asuka and I can take over the house work for a while so you don't have to worry about anything."

Asuka decided to speak for the first time. "WHAT! How did I end up having to do this stupid baka's work for him? It's not my fault that he can't handle the work and passes out on the side of street."

Misato turned to her and frowned. "Asuka that is enough Shinji has been through a lot lately so you can at least do a little bit of work around the house."

Asuka was about to continue arguing with Misato but Shinji interrupted her.

"Misato, it will be okay if she doesn't want to do any work. I'm feeling better now so I'll be able to handle myself." Shinji said.

Misato turned back to him, her expression softening. "Are you sure that you're up to it, Shinji-kun?"

Shinji nodded and smiled.

"Well, if you feel up to it but I still want you to take it easy. I have to go now so whenever you're ready you and Asuka can walk home."

Asuka bristled. "I'm not walking anywhere with this, pervert!"

Misato turned and glared at her. "You're going to walk home with and that's an order from your superior officer."

Asuka folded her arms across her chest and shot a glare at Shinji, mumbling German curses under her breath. Shinji grew a sweatdrop and laughed, nervously. Without another word, Misato turned and headed back out of the room, leaving the two children alone. After what seemed like an eternity, Shinji managed to work up enough courage to talk to his roommate.

"Um…thanks, Asuka." Shinji said, nervously.

"What the hell are you thanking me for? It wasn't like I leave you out in the streets like that." Asuka snapped.

"Yeah, I know but thanks anyway."

Asuka grunted in annoyance then, made her way over to his bedside. "That reminds me of something, Third Child! If you ever stand up to me like you did this morning then, I'm going to kick your scrawny ass." She leaned down closer to him and grinned. "Do we have an understanding, baka?"

The way the fiery redhead was grinning reminded the young Ikari of a wild animal toying with its prey and he instinctively nodded. He wasn't about to press his luck with her after what had happened this morning.

Asuka grinned. "Good, now get your ass out of this bed so we can go home and you can cook me some dinner. I've been forced wait here for you to wake up for the past five hours and I'm hungry."

The fiery redhead had begun to turn away from Shinji when she felt a hand wrap around her wrist, stopping her. Her anger flared as she realized that Shinji once again had the nerve to touch her and whirled around to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously. However, she gasped as she saw the same dull and lifeless look in his eyes as she had seen before. She tried to pull away from her but Shinji kept a firm grip on her arm and grinned at her. Asuka didn't want to be in this situation if Shinji decided to vent his anger out on her or even rape her. Although, she would never admit out loud to anyone, Asuka Langley Sohryu was deathly afraid of Shinji Ikari.

Shinji sat up in bed and bodily pulled her over to him. Asuka was so surprised by the strength of his pull that she fell on the bed and landed on his legs. Before she could move Shinji leaned down and pinned both of her arms down to the bed and held her there.

"Didn't I tell you before not to order me around? I won't be a slave to some spoiled little girl that thinks she's the best at everything that she does." Shinji said in a low tone.

Asuka growled and glared at him. "LET ME GO RIGHT NOW, BAKA! I'm going to kick your scrawny ass for even daring to touch me."

Asuka almost smiled when she felt his grip on her arms relax. She knew that even if Shinji tried to act tough he would always be a spineless wimp. However, her relief was cut short as he placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up to a sitting position. Their faces were only a few inches apart and Asuka could once again make out Shinji's deep breathing. She was about to yell at him again when Shinji's face darted forward and he pressed his lips against hers. Her eyes widened in shock as Shinji's tongue attempted to push past her closed lips. She placed her hands against his chest and attempted to push him away but she couldn't get enough leverage to do so.

(How dare he kiss me? Argh, I'm going to make him suffer so much that he's going to wish that he never came to Tokyo-3.) Asuka thought, angrily.

Although, Asuka was angry at Shinji for forcing a kiss onto her she could feel a duel of wills going on inside of her. Deep inside her head, a voice was telling her to push this perverted little wimp away from her and physically hurt him. Along with this voice came the familiar rush of rage and fear as well as irritation, confusion, and a burning embarrassment for being so weak. At the same time, she could feel her body feeding her emotions of joy, peacefulness, fascination, and an almost uncontrollable passion. As if some unknown force was guiding her, she felt her body relax and begin to revel in the emotions that she was feeling and closed her eyes. After a few more moments, Shinji removed his hands from her shoulders and he pulled away from her. Asuka's eyes were still closed and her hands were resting affectionately against his chest. His eyes had once again returned to normal but his mind was in a state of shock at what he had just done.

(What the hell was I thinking? Asuka is going to kill me for sure as soon as she stops spacing out.) Shinji thought, fearfully.

He was about to try to slip out of bed when Asuka opened her eyes and looked at him. His gaze met hers and he could see a swirl of emotions in the depths of her blue orbs. However, the peaceful moment between them didn't last long as the fiery redhead narrowed her eyes and she grasped the young Ikari by the collar of his gown.

"Since when does letting me go mean shoving your tongue down my throat? If you weren't such a waste of my time I would kick your ass right now." Asuka snapped. "Now, hurry up and get dressed so we can get out of here."

Shinji visibly gulped and nodded. Asuka released her grip on him and stood up from the bed with a final glare she exited the room. Once the door slid shut Shinji laid back down in bed and stared up at the familiar white ceiling.

"Just what is going on with me?" Shinji asked, hoping he would receive an answer.

Alas, no response came to the young Ikari and he quickly climbed out of bed. He found his clothes on a chair in the corner of the room and got dressed. With a heavy sigh, he walked out of the room and went in search of Asuka.

However, none of the occupants of the room had realized that the room had been monitored from the time Shinji had first awoken. Gendo Ikari sat behind his desk staring at the screen that was showing Shinji's room with his hands steeple before his face. Kouzou Fuyutsuki stood off to his right also watching the screen with an amused expression.

"Well, this is rather interesting change in your son. I would never have expected him to stand up to the Second Child or even work up the nerve to kiss her. For a few seconds I actually thought she was going to kill him." Fuyutsuki said with a small chuckle.

"Yes, this is very interesting indeed. It would seem that Shinji had experienced some rather disturbing side effects from being merged with unit 01." Gendo said.

"I wonder if this will have any affect on yours or SEELE's plans." Fuyutsuki mused, aloud.

"As long as he still able to pilot then, there will be no problems. In fact, the Third Child's new personality shifts may work to my advantage." Gendo smirked.

Fuyutsuki sighed. (Even after almost losing his own son he still treats him as a pawn. I just hope that you know what you are doing, my friend. This new Shinji may not be as easy to manipulate as he was before and you may end up making a powerful enemy in your own son.)

Gendo continued to smirk. (Soon, Yui my goals shall come to fruition and we will once again be together just like before.)

Well, that was Chapter one. Shinji has returned from Eva 01 but what are the results of his sudden mood changes? Will they have any affect on him and his ability to fight against the angels? Are they merely side effects from being absorbed by the Eva or are they just a prelude to something else?

The next chapter will be bringing Rei into the equation and we'll see how she reacts to Shinji. Also, I'm thinking about making this a Shinji/Asuka fic but I'm not sure. Give me some reviews and tell me what you think I should do with them. I'm always open to suggestions so feel free to give some.