Born of Conflict

Author: Anime Ronin

Rating: M

Summary: Misato wanted her Shinji back – what she got back from the Eva was something rather unexpected.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Having a little fun with this one… don't take it too seriously, as I'm deviating from canon quite readily.

(Unit-01 Holding Area)

"GIVE ME BACK MY SHINJI!"

The distraught woman in front of the armor-less being had been hysterical for several minutes when the tests to bring back the Third Child, Shinji Ikari, had shown that something had gone wrong, and she'd broken down even further when only the white and blue plugsuit came out of the mess of LCL, so she and everyone else were quite surprised when a voice came from the inside of the supposedly empty plug.

"Ow. Be quite, Misato-chan…"

Misato's head snapped up, her eyes hopeful even as her cheeks were soaked with her tears, "Shinji?"

The voice came back, this time slightly sarcastic, "No, it's Chairman Kaga from Iron Chef."

Misato blushed for a second before something clicked in her mind – the voice wasn't Shinji's, "Who are you? You're not my Shinji." She stood and drew her sidearm, pointing it at the hole in the Entry Plug, "Come out with your hands up!"

A very put-upon sigh came from within the Entry Plug and the person who claimed to be Shinji said, "Alright, alright, just don't shoot me, alright? And can you get me something to wear?" With that, a man climbed out of the Plug and Misato's critical eye poured over him – tall, taller than most, actually, a bit on the lean side but the muscle tone there was perfect, like that of an athlete or of a male model. His dark hair hung limply around his face, wet with LCL, and storm blue eyes pierced the hair, boring into her soul as he looked her over as well, and with the scruff that was at his jaw, he looked like a more… well, HUMAN version of his father, albeit younger.

It was at this point that his last comment snapped in her mind and she looked down at his 'soldier' and immediately dropped her gun, "… damn."

In the booth, Ritsuko Akagi and Maya Ibuki both looked at the man who climbed out of the Entry Plug and didn't even flinch as the gun dropped out of Misato's hands and clattered to the deck below.

Maya's cheeks were the same color as the Second Child's hair as she absently recorded the entire event and she reached to the neck of her uniform and undid the two top buttons. My, why was it warm all of a sudden?

Ritsuko's jaw dropped slightly and her green eyes widened as she looked at the specimen that stood in front of Misato, "Yummy." Oh, yes, she needed to… run some tests on him…

Shinji looked at the shocked look on Misato's face and, yes, he knew that something was different, but the fact he was naked in front of her for the second time in recent memory was pressing on him, "Misato-chan?"

Misato shook herself out of her stupor, "Yes?"

"Can I have some clothes, please? I'm feeling a bit of a draft." THAT might explain the cold feeling that was doing marathon laps up and down his spine…

(Later)

Commander Gendo Ikari frowned slightly as he looked at the hospital gowned man on the examination table as the MRI continued to do its work, "Blood tests?"

"Confirm that it is Shinji Ikari, as do fingerprints," Dr. Akagi said with an odd sort of tone in her voice. "DNA tests are running, but the blood markers that we find in all of the Children match Shinji's."

Gendo adjusted his glasses – damned things, always slipping, "Does he know what's happened to him?"

Over the intercom, Shinji's voice came back, older than Gendo remembered, and rather sarcastic, "Gee, I've put on over a foot of vertical and nearly eighty pounds of muscle – no, I HAVEN'T noticed I've changed."

Ikari arched an eyebrow at Akagi and she immediately turned off the intercom, "Gomen, Commander." She composed herself and turned him towards the x-rays that were already up, "According to the readings on bone fusion and calcification, he's anywhere from the age of 22 to age 30, he's in relatively good health and as far as we can tell doesn't have any memories of what's happened to him beyond that of being absorbed by Unit-01."

Gendo grunted, "Anything else?"

"Not until we get the DNA results back, Commander."

Gendo mentally growled – this was not part of the plan, "Keep me apprised, Doctor Akagi." He turned on his heel and walked out of the examination room, sure that he had many things to account for in his plans…

Ritsuko sighed and sat down in her chair, turning on the intercom again, "I'm sorry about that, Third Child."

As the MRI machine moved down his torso to his hips, Shinji shrugged, "Why so formal, Doctor Akagi? You've seen me naked almost as many times as I have, so you can at least call me Shinji."

Inside the booth, Ritsuko smiled slightly for some odd reason and licked her lips, "Very well then, Shinji. Now, stay still while I finish the scans."

"Like I have anywhere else to go," she heard him grumble slightly.

Ritsuko, however, was thinking of something else – yes, she HAD seen him naked many times, every time in a purely professional, medical, way, but now… well, if she'd known that THIS was what he'd have looked like when he 'grew up', she would have fought Misato for guardianship of him. "Lucky bitch."

Shinji looked over at the booth, "Did you say something, Doctor?"

Ritsuko blushed a little and shook her head, "No, I didn't, Shinji, and stay still." She paused for a moment before she smiled, "And, as we are being all cozy here, please, call me Ritsuko."

The shiver went up and down Shinji's spine again, and it wasn't a shiver that he liked, "Alright."

Thirty minutes and two scans later, he was looking at Misato, who was looking at him, Lt. Maya Ibuki, who was looking over something on her clipboard, and Dr… Ritsuko, "So, Doc, did I pass? Am I healthy?"

'VERY healthy,' was the thought that went through all three ladies' minds at the same time, but it was Ritsuko who spoke, "Yes, you are, Shinji, but I'm afraid I have to ask you again – do you know what happened to you inside of the Eva that might have… caused this?"

Shinji looked around, "Is it really that cold in here? I'm… I'm getting shivers up and down my spine…"

Misato stepped forwards and handed him a bag, "Why don't you change into this, Shinji, and talk to us while you do?"

Shinji looked into the bag and saw a standard NERV coverall, some boots, boxers and socks, "Alright, Misato-chan." He hopped off of the medical table and walked behind a screen, forgetting completely that the back of his gown was open and didn't feel the three pairs of eyes that bored directly into his ass, "Alright, so where should I begin?"

AN: Alright, that's it for this part – don't ask me where this story is going because, honestly, I have no idea. Reviews, por favor (please).