Evangelion: Beast
Disclaimer: I don't own shit. Nuff said.
A/N: Alright. For the squeamish, this story will contain mentions and flash-backs of child abuse. Nothing sexual, but physical and mental. You have been warned. And before you get on my case about "Angsty-Shinji", don't. I'm fairly certain you've never seen shit like this in this category.
Chapter 1
"Damnit! Why'd I have to lose him at a time like this?!" Misato swore as she slammed her foot down on the accelerator, spun the wheel and rocketed around a corner on two wheels. Racing down an alley that appeared too small, the blue missile blasted through trash and tore through a chain link fence before emerging back onto a street with the train station in sight but she almost spun off the road at the sound she heard.
A blood-curdling howl ripped through the area and Misato gasped for breath as she barely avoided a telephone pole and rocketed along the roads. Hearing a screaming from overhead, she winced as a VTOL detonated against a building and showered the area with shrapnel and burning petrol. "Fuck!" she snarled and barely got between the explosion and a crouched figure. Popping the door, she turned but was struck dumb by the sight.
It was no boy. It may have been once but no more. It was on four limbs with its upper lip bared back to expose sharpened teeth. Matted hair fell down his back like a stormy ocean, almost seeming to writhe. Lank and dark with oil, it looked more like a horrific demon than a child. "S-Shinji?" she asked warily, ready to draw her gun and fire if it made any threatening movies.
Shinji growled before nodding once. Nails clicked on the pavement as he gazed past Misato and up at the Angel. His body was tanned and fraught with scars, some deep and some not so deep. Bt the disturbing aspect were his eyes. Bloodshot to the point of crimson, the colour surrounded a deep blue, bordering on black iris. They were the eyes of something that should not exist.
"G-get in" Misato whispered and watched him clamber in. Looking at his clothes, she felt disgust rear within her. He was wearing animal pelts all stitched together. And from the way he moved, it was obvious he rarely took it off. He was too accustomed to it. Shutting the door and pumping the accelerator, she shot off the mark just as an Angel's foot slammed into the ground where she had been, a spray of rocks hitting her back windshield.
Seeing Shinji whimper and duck down, curling into himself in a foetal position, she winced. Seems he isn't used to cars. This is bad she thought worriedly. If he couldn't handle a one tonne car, how could he handle piloting an Evangelion?
Shinji watched the sky warily, the faint whisper in the back of his head slowly growing louder. Fight…fight…fight… it whispered and his blood started to pulse in response to the call. It was still faint but it was growing. Growling hungrily, he looked around. Meat…the boy thought, eager to rend and tear sweet, juicy flesh. Looking at Misato, he shook his head. Bad meat. Too salty.
Misato flinched at the growl as they entered the freeway. She was officially scared. What the hell did you do to him, Ikari? She wondered. She had seen cases like this when in the psychology ward after being rescued from Second Impact. But nothing this severe. Nothing this…horrifying. Braking as she noticed the Angel disappear over the horizon, she pulled her binoculars from the dashboard compartment and leant out of her window and sat on the window.
"What the hell…shit, N2!" she yelled as the aircraft disengaged and shot away at almost supersonic velocities. Diving back in and covering Shinji with her body, she felt him tense and for but a moment, she felt his muscles ripple. He was a predator and she was intruding into his space. But she had no time to back away as the mine struck the Angel and the blastwave tossed the car like a stone across a pond.
Shinji growled angrily. The bad meat was touching him! He had been chained into a crate and had not eaten in two days. And he could almost smell the blood and feel its pulse against him. Maw opening slightly, he was so tempted. Feed…Shaking his head, he closed his mouth and the sharpened teeth clicked lightly and he pressed his lips together tight.
Misato shuddered at the sound of Shinji's growl and the click of his teeth together. Waiting for the car to settle, she looked around and quickly scrambled out of the car and looked around. Shinji scrambled out as well but he leapt free and landed on all fours, casting about with both nose and eyes. Catching sight of a few rats, he lunged forward and grabbed two. With nary a pause, he clenched his hands and snapped their necks.
Misato watched in disgust as he ripped the meat from the rats and eagerly consumed the meat, blood drooling off his chin to splatter on the devastated road. Bending over and vomiting, she turned away to regain her compousure. What the fuck is going on here?!
Shinji purred as he felt his stomach stop quaking. He loathed rat meat but considering it was all that was there…he ate it with relish. Tossing the skeletons aside and returning to the car, he sat back on his haunches and stared at it. Before charging at it. His muscles seemed to swell as he charged forward but just a moment and he struck the car like a sledgehammer, flipping it over onto its wheels easily.
Misato watched the boy turn the car over and the bloodshot eyes turned toward her, blood still trickling off his chin even if it was slowly congealing. Biting back the urge to dry heave, she shakily nodded before slipping back into the car. Nodding as Shinji warily entered the car and curled into the seat, she took off once again, tyres screeching and Shinji growling.
ASASASASASASASAS
Doctor Ritsuko Akagi looked at the pile of raw meat she had ordered delivered and gulped. Reports from the S2 Agents had told her the boy was barely an animal, eating raw meat. And he was hungry. So she had amassed the meat here for him to feed on before the battle. Having a pilot, even if it was one such as this distracted by hunger could prove fatal to all mankind.
Checking her watch and sighing, she walked to the door and opened it, only to blink in shock at the sight of a harried Misato running towards her, pursued by Shinji. Letting out a harsh whistle and pointing to the meat, she smirked as the boy turned his savagery upon the meat, ripping through the half-inch thick steaks like paper. "My god…" she whispered. He's like an Evangelion. Raw…
Misato collapsed against a door and panted for breath. "That was not smart" she wheezed before standing straight. Flushing at the raised eyebrow, she elaborated. "I tried to divest him of those skins. He didn't appreciate it" she stated and got a snarl in response from the boy. Leaping a foot in the air, she placed a hand over her heart. "Ritsuko…what the fuck is going on?" she demanded.
Ritsuko sighed. Misato couldn't be told the details of Project B. It was against every single human rights charter. But she could redirect. "He was apparently abused by a local gang where we sent him to. He retreated into himself and…"
Misato frowned. Her bullshit detector had been finely honed in the military and this was smelling like a fat man after a burrito-fest. "Let's get going then" she sighed before yelping as a shred of raw flesh smacked her in the face. Looking back, she saw the eight one-kilo steaks had been demolished, leaving only bones.
Shinji sniffed and he seemed to stiffen. There was another predator him. A powerful one. Hackles raised, he cast about for it. On all fours, he followed them into a dark room and growled as the darkness engulfed them. Whilst most human beings couldn't walk on all fours, Shinji had been forced through some horrific surgery. His knees had been reversed so they were like a canines.
Moments later and the lights were turned on, revealing the enormous Evangelion staring at them, purple armour plating shining under the lights. "This is the artificial life form and humanities last hope for survival, the All-Purpose Fighting Cyborg Evangelion Unit One." As if expecting an awed response, she grumbled as Shinji merely stalked forward and sniffed warily before leaping back, growling.
"Welcome, Shinji!" Gendo called and he received bared teeth in return, the bloodlust thick and heavy in the air. "You are to pilot this machine for humanity" Gendo stated and got a blank stare in return and he clenched his fist. That gaze was unnerving. Damnit, he doesn't even have any language skills! We'll need to use Rei he thought. Tapping a button on his collar, a direct communication window opened to his Sub-Commander. "Fuyutski. Wake up Rei. The spare is unusable."
Shinji sniffed the air and he licked his lips at the smell of blood, the acrid tang making his mouth water. Watching the door open warily, he felt another predator enter the room. She was lying on the gurney and bleeding. A wounded predator, a wounded challenger. Stroking his black-tinted claws along the steel, he flexed his muscles.
He was brought up short by a tremendous roar and girders along with light tubes falling to earth in a shower of steel and heat. He didn't know why he moved but he did. Racing towards the gurney and leaping over it, his hand caught the albino's wrist and as he spun, threw her beyond the range of the debris, bouncing her like a tennis ball across the steel. Looking up, his face seemed to vacate of all expression and fill with peace and…thankfulness.
A shriek of tearing metal preceded a purple metal claw rearing up and batting away the metal, a few light-tubes shattering against the reinforced glass of Gendo's observation post. The giant purple beasts eyes glowed A luminescent green, almost teal. It seemed to calm Shinji as he seemed to relax and pad back over, sniffing curiously. Looking up at Gendo, the boy-turned-beast nodded grudgingly.
"Prepare the Evangelion!"
ASASASASASASASAS
Shinji sniffed the plug curiously even as his eyes widened at the smell of blood. Licking his lips and looking around, he leapt back as a communication window opened right by his head. Feeling something puddle around his feet and rise, he let out a howl and started to claw at the hatch as the LCL rapidly filled the plug. Punching at the plug and denting it slightly, he snarled before being finally immersed.
"Shhhh Shinji. Take a deep breath" Maya crooned softly before blushing under theb irritated stares. But her voice did the trick and Shinji floated back down, head cocked curiously. "Good boy" she cooed and seemed to blush harder at the snickers whilst a tremulous smile crossed her face at Shinji's odd-sounding purr. It started from the back of his throat and it sounded like someone rolling the letter r.
Misato smiled at Maya and nodded. The beauty that tamed the beast she mused and blinked at the thought of Maya being beautiful. Putting it out of her mind and turning to the launch window, she blinked at Ritsuko's happy laugh. "Something the matter, Ritsy?"
"It's odd. He's at fifty-five percent but…there's something odd. There seems to be some discord in the synchograph." As if to prove her point, she gestured to the graph and it looked as if the lines were vibrating slightly. "Never seen this before" she stated softly before shrugging. "He's good enough. Launch him when ready" she stated and stepped back to overseer her subordinates.
Misato nodded even as she felt a small spike of fear start to crawl up her spine. Something about that comment brought back memories of Antarctica. "Evangelion Unit One, Launch!" she commanded.
And the lights went out.
In the box, they all covered their ears at the sound of a roar and the sound of bones snapping. A brain-rattling shriek bore down upon the box before all was silent. As the backup generators came online and activated the lights, they all looked down…and screamed.
Unit 01 had apparently snapped its knees backward to resemble its pilot and the armor had regrown over the joint, the previous plating having been torn off by the force of the snap. Now on all fours and growling, it raised its head before slowly padding over to the launch tube and driving its claws into the wall and climbing up.
Misato shuddered at the sight of bone and blood splattering the launch bay. In a wavering voice, she confirmed the launch. "U-unit One h-has launched" she stated.
ASASASASASASASAS
Sachiel slowly turned around the building and stilled as it felt the Evangelion slowly approach. Forming the unstable ball of energy within it's AT Field and aiming it at where the Evangelion would appear, it waited.
Thump…
Thump…
Thump…
Unit One beat at the metal hatch which impended its movement. Shoving its feet into the armour plating and bracing itself, Unit One slammed both fists into the cover and sent it flying before rolling along the street. Heaving itself out, it was brought up short as the energy equivalent of a shotgun to the face sent it flying, the armour melted slightly from the impact. Landing on a building and crushing it, Unit 01 stayed silent with its mouth welded shut before flipping over and onto all fours.
Rocking itself back and forth as if finding its balance, Unit One didn't feel its claws lengthen and sharpen or its muscles spasm as it readied itself for the electrical overload. Spreading its arms to its head was closer to the street, plumes of mist shot from its nostrils and quickly covered the streets in a layer of humid mist.
Readying itself, Unit 01 immediately burst into a sprint, loping like a leopard towards the green monstrosity. With its feet and hands stirring the mist, it burst into great eddies which shrouded the Evangelion from sight temporarily. Darting between buildings to dodge shots of energy which levelled swathes of the city, Unit One was slowly closing the distance. This prey was powerful. It would taste good.
Sachiel was getting worried. The Evangelion was showing almost precognition in being able to dodge the energy bolts. Deciding to go for a melee onslaught, the third Angel darted towards the last known spot of the Evangelion before casting around for it.
Unit One stayed silent and still behind the Angel, shadows camouflaging it. Poised atop a series of skyscrapers and watching the prey, it leapt into the air before descending down upon the Angel from behind, the combined weight sundering the road and burying the Angel two metres into the ground. Raising its claws and slashing them down, Unit One ripped into the Angel.
Sachiel could feel the claws ripping through its sacred flesh. Dislocating its elbow and turning it one hundred and eighty degrees, the tri-fingered hand gripped the throat of the Evangelion. With its arm lance glowing, Sachiel exuded an air of smugness before letting the lance pound forward mercilessly.
Unit One stayed silent as the lance repeatedly slammed against its throat armour, the armour cracking and bending inwards. Four blows later and it tore through the fragile flesh and punched out the other side. Thrown backwards and ploughed through several buildings, the lance retrated and Sachiel stood.
ASASASASASASASAS
Misato stared in shock at the battle. The Evangelion was acting like one of the great cats. Stalking its prey and attacking from behind. Wincing at the rear attack which tore great strips of flesh from the Angel's flank, she blanched at the sight of the Evangelion having its throat sundered. "Pull the Evangelion back!"
"It's not responding!" Maya shouted as she tried every trick she could think of to slave the Evangelion back to their will and make it retreat. Fingers blurring across the keyboard, she was unaware of Ritsuko's impressed nod and the others awed expressions. Cycling through the camera and audio systems of the battle, she blinked as a faint whisper rang through the command centre.
Fight…fight…fight
It started as a thunderous whisper and slowly grew. Bringing up the cameras in the Entry Plug, she blinked. Shinji had shifted position so he was floating, lying on the chair on his stomach and legs floating behind him. And his mouth was moving.
Fight…fight…fight
The whisper echoed through the command centre and sent chills down everyone's spines. Everyone except Maya. "Yes…fight" she whispered and Shinji's eyes flashed open wide.
And the Evangelion reactivated!
ASASASASASASASAS
Jaw ripping open, Unit One made a hacking noise before its throat started to bubble, surrounded by pustules of blood and biological matter. Moments later and it all sunk inwards, restoring bone, flesh and armour. Letting out a slow growl, Unit One started to stalk towards the Angel, swaying from side to side to evade incoming bolts.
Vanishing into the swirling mist, Unit One "quietly" climbed a buildings and brought the mist with it, turning the building into a pillar in which its shape could barely be seen. As the moon passed behind it, it leapt away into another part of the city.
Climbing the tallest building it could find, Unit One cut loose with a howl of declaration. This city was IT'S hunting ground, its nest!
Lunging down off the building and loping towards the Angel at a break-neck speed, it hit the AT Field like a train hitting a mountain. Snarling as it slashed at the field, a wake of energy was left as its claws passed by and left gaping holes in the field which were quickly repaired. On its hind legs, it pushed itself away and crossed its wrists before it.
And brought them thundering down, tearing a gaping hole in the field. Before it could vanish, Unit One leapt through and brought its right arm screaming down and severed the Angel's left arm with its claws. Pivoting on its now earth-planted hands, it brought its hind legs up. Raptor talons had extended from its foot. Pulling its claws back and poising them, it let the claws snap forward and tore through the Angel's stomach and out the other side.
Pulling its legs back and spinning back around, Unit One gazed at the Angel. One arm severed and gutted, it staggered. Opening its maw, razor-sharp metallic teeth exploded from its gums. Launching itself forward, it brought its teeth down upon the core and clenched down hard, slowly piercing the core.
Letting out an unearthly scream, Sachiel seemed to liquefy before engulfing the head and torso of the Evangelion. Setting up a feedback loop in its S2 Organ, the core bulged before splitting, allowing the energy to expand outwards at the speed of light.
A massive burst of energy rose high into the sky, shaped like a cross. In tandem, a rainbow rose to hover over the cross. But down below, Unit One had perched itself on a cliff and was howling as it gazed down upon its domain. The fires from below highlighted it and made its armour glow as if it had been recently forged.
ASASASASASASASAS
Maya watched nervously as the plug was cut free, the armour having melted over and freezing the Entry Plug inside. Licking her lips nervously, she was aware of the looks she was getting from the other technicians and doctors. That fight had been glorious, it had been brutal. The stuff of legends. And there was yet more to go. Breathing increasing at the possibility, she blinked her eyes rapidly.
The boy was magnificent in his mecha. Aeries reborn almost. Gripping the edge of her jacket and licking her lips, she couldn't help herself from running forward and steadying the strange boy. Ignoring his weak growl and slowly helping him towards the gurney, she aided in lifting his legs onto it. Placing a hand on his brow as if offering a benediction, she leant forwards. "You won the fight. Now rest, victor."
Shinji weakly growled again before nodding and curling up. Mewling at the feel of a warm blanket, the beast smiled peacefully.
Maya blushed before stepping back. Watching the boy carted away, she nodded before returning to NERV HQ, ignoring the snickers and calls of cradle robber. I'm just thanking him is all. Idiots she snorted.
But she couldn't get the sight of the Evangelion clinging to the cliff out of her head.
A/N: Alrighty! First chapter done! I hope you enjoyed it! The premise seems fairly original I think. Review please! Cheers! I can't promise any sort of schedule for updates but I will try.