Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion 01 By David (DAG1064@aol.com)

Author's Note: All characters of Evangelion are the property of Gainax Studios. This story and the rest of the series is one hundred percent fiction.

Neon Genesis Evangelion 01 "Enter The Young Dragon"

It Is The Year 2015...

I kept on running through the streets of Japan, knowing the American Secret Service was still on my tail. It had been a few days since I stowed away on the Japan jet to Osaka. Someone had sold me out so I was on the run. I kept to the back streets and dark alleys, hoping I wouldn't run into the police major crime unit called Kunika or a regular police unit because of the illegal guns I was carrying.

I stopped long enough to catch my breath and to calm down some. I was starting to get the shakes, which was a very bad sign. I had to score some drugs soon, before I started getting sick. I had exhausted my supply days ago. Suddenly bullets hit the wall next to me and I heard voices yelling. I jumped away from the wall as seven men entered the alley I was in.

"David! Freeze! You're surrounded!" the leader yelled. I heard Jack Farlane's voice, the special agent assigned to difficult retrievals. This was not good.

"Oh fuck," I swore, diving into a pile of trash and waited for his crew to charge. They did, and at the last second, I came up shooting my H&K MP-5 nine-millimeter sub gun. They scattered as the bullets from my gun hit the walls, knocking chips of stone and rock off them. Even in my dazed state of mind, I knew what shrapnel from pieces of rock, cement, and stone could do. I lobbed a Deftec flash bang at them and ran for the corner. It went off just as I turned the corner. The shock waves shoved me around the corner and into a steel door face first. That hurt. Seeing stars for sure now, I felt along the door and found the doorknob. I discovered it was locked.

"FUCK!" I yelled, banging on it with a fist.

Shaking my head trying to clear the stars and bluebirds from my vision, I reached for my lock pick set inside my tattered Army jacket. I worked frantically on the door trying to open it before the men came around the corner. I could hear them shouting now, so that meant my hearing was coming back, at least in the right ear. I got the door open and slammed it shut as fast as I could. I could hear the bullets from their guns hit the other side of the door. I thought I was safe now. I rested for a moment and took stock in what I had, which wasn't much. I had a Ruger P-89 nine millimeter handgun, six mags for it, I had the nine sub gun with eight mags for it, I was down to three flash bangs, my drug kit was empty except for the syringe and needle, and I was a mess physically. I was bleeding from a dozen cuts and scrapes, needed a serious shower, food, and most of all, sleep. I stumbled away from the door and into the warehouse, at least that's what I thought it was. I kept going towards what looked like a lit room. I saw a car sitting in the middle of the room and ran towards it. It was a wreck, held together by duct tape.

"Fuckin' thing looks like it was driven here from darkest Africa," I said out loud.

I looked in the windows and saw cases of beer in the back area next to a bunch of taped together batteries.

"Yeah!" I grinned, grabbing a can and knocking it back quick. I started feeling a bit better after the fourth can. I opened the car door and sat inside it. Interior wasn't much to look at, but it seemed comfortable. I noticed what looked like a keypad by the right window, the driver side in Japan and pushed a lit button. Suddenly the ground shifted and started moving downwards.

"Earthquake!" I yelled out of fear, thinking the building was falling. I heard a loud explosion go off and debris flew past the car. The car got hit, but protected me. The ground kept moving down and all I could do was hang on and hope I'd get out of this alive, preferably in one piece. I poked my head out of the car window and realized that the car was sitting on some kind of metal platform, moving down like an elevator. I closed my eyes and sighed. I thought I was safe until I heard Farlane yell.

"Fire!" he yelled, and bullets were hitting the car. I crawled out the other window and got down as much as I could. I returned fire the best I could. I wondered how they were staying within distance, and then realized they were on a moving platform like I was.

"Fuck," I growled. Looking around on my platform, I found a couple of glass bottles filled with something. I looked at the labels and the word on it was sake. It was bottles of rice liquor. I opened one and swallowed a third of it and instantly regretted it as the stuff ran straight to my head. I watched the world spin madly for a minute or two before settling down again.

"Fuckin' awesome! This stuff's great!" I yelled. I drank the rest of the bottle and cracked open the car's gas tank and filled a third of the bottle, and then stuffed a gas soaked rag into it. I now had a Molotov cocktail ready to go. I giggled like a mad man and lit it. I jumped up and threw it. Even though I was seriously fucked up from the beer, sake, and cocaine, my aim was right on target. I heard Farlane scream in rage as it exploded in the middle of them. I saw one man jumping up and down, his body covered in flames. He took too many steps and fell off the platform. I watched his fiery body fall past me and keep going. I wondered if there was a bottom to this thing I was on. I certainly hoped so. I lay back and listened to Farlane cuss me out. I closed my eyes and tried to rest. The last six months had been hell...

It all started for me back when I was twelve, two years ago. I was just a normal kid, living a normal life until puberty hit. Things rapidly changed for me. I was discovering that I could get pleasure from my cock, and I pulled on it nearly all the time. I was also discovering that I liked looking at other boys as well. That scared me more than anything. My parents, God bless them, once they knew what was going on, tried to help me. They even took me to a psychiatrist to get me help. He turned out to be a homophobic asshole and very carefully manipulated my parents and me. Once he convinced my parents to have me committed to the mental hospital, he suddenly showed his true colors. I don't want to get into what they did to me, so for now I'll tell you that he, his assistants abused me, tortured me, and raped me nonstop for a period of six months. Somehow I managed to escape from them, to this day I don't know how, I just don't remember. They went and committed the worst thing they ever could do to me, and that was to murder my family and blame me for it. Every cop west of the Rockies was looking for me. One of the assistants dogged me everywhere I ran, and between us we destroyed a lot of buildings. He wanted to kill me and I wanted to kill him. It all ended one night when the cops stopped the psychiatrist for drunk driving, and in the process, discovered pictures of me on the floorboard of the passenger side being raped. The cops investigated, and discovered the truth. I turned myself in once they managed to convince me I wasn't in trouble anymore. I have a real dislike for psychiatrists; don't trust them at all. Hell, would you? I didn't want anyone near me, so I filed for emancipated minor and to my surprise, they gave it to me. During all that, some preacher from the Midwest started campaigning for President, claiming he would do all he could to make America great again. I believed him especially after he shook my hand one day and pledged his support for the gay community. This guy suckered us all. While he was running for President, I was living in a small town in the southeastern corner of Oregon, believing I was going to be okay. The people there seemed to like me. The house I was in was a bit small, but it was paradise compared to what I had been living in. The nightmares and the flashbacks were hell to deal with, so I started drinking to cope with them. Bad mistake on my part. The drinking soon got out of control. Then it finally wasn't doing any good. I discovered drugs one day when a friend offered me some cocaine. Talk about flying high! I could leave everything behind for a few hours. Cocaine became the cure for me. Soon I was using all the time. I was doing anything for it, even letting the dealers fuck me anytime they wanted to in exchange for sex. Then the elections happened, and Phelps was elected President. Nobody really suspected anything. Once he was sworn into office, he changed immediately. First thing he did was to declare America a state of disaster (Okay, I don't know much about how things like this is done when a President takes over, but bear with me, okay?) and suspended the Congress, the chiefs of Staff, and anybody who could challenge him. Next he declared open season on gays, stating that God wanted all the gays to be destroyed. Watching the gay people being rounded up and thrown into concentration camps scared me. This was not the America I knew. I had to get away. I quickly scored some more drugs, enough to get me out of the US. Leaving the house, I encountered a group of guys who were coming to get me. They may have outnumbered me, but my fighting skills were much better than theirs. In minutes, I put down all six guys and took their guns and started running. I made my way up to Portland International airport, where I got into a gun battle with Farlane and his crew. Between us, we tore up a good chunk of the airport. Airport security even had some serious hardware, which is how I got the sub gun and the grenades. I managed to board a plane to Japan unseen and hid in the bottom galley area. Once I felt the jet move and go up into the sky, I knew there was no way they could be called back, because International rules state that once a plane belonging to another country has left the ground, the country that owns the jet then takes charge. Japan would be rightfully pissed off if the jet had been forced to land. I was safe for now. I closed my eyes and slept all the way there, hoping I could find a better life there. My dreams were filled with strange things, people inside robots and a city that went underground. I put it down to nerves. I managed to get off the jet unseen and walked away from the airport, feeling better than I ever had. After getting the hotel room, I shot up again to stave off the shakes and relaxed in my high state. What I had not known at the time was that a security camera back in Oregon had caught me slipping aboard the jet. Once Farlane saw that he and his crew flew to Japan. Because of Phelps radical turn around and piling up massive civil rights violations, Americans were no longer welcome in Japan. The Japanese gave Farlane hell, so he left the country only to sneak right back in and continue his search for me. How he found me at the hotel a week later was never clear, but he showed up and we practically ran into each other. He started shooting first, and I responded. Everyone cleared out fast, and I managed to slip out with the crowd. He began to chase me and I led him all over Tokyo, going through the Ginza, the subways, through the shopping malls, the business offices, all over the place. That's how I ended up on this platform, going down to God knows where.

I shifted my position and looked down ahead of me. I could see what looked like a red glow ahead.

"Oh good, end of the line I hope," I said out loud. Nothing prepared me for the sight I saw when the platform came out of the darkness. There was a red glow as far as I could see. There was a huge pyramid off to the right of the moving platform. I blinked at the sight, wondering if I was hallucinating.

"A geofront!" I heard Farlane exclaim. So that's what the hell it was. I looked down and saw we were approaching what looked like a parking lot full of cars. I quickly judged the distance and jumped at the right time. I landed on the cement and rolled. There was gunfire aimed in my direction, but I had rolled under a truck in the nick of time. I threw one flash bang and as soon as it went off, I ran for the door to a tunnel fast. They kept shooting, the shots going wild as they were blinded. I got through the doors and used a chain I found to secure them. I kept running down the tunnel and hoped the chained doors would hold them off. It didn't. I heard the sound of breaking glass, and then footsteps behind me. I could hear the bullets bouncing off the walls and going past me. One grazed my cheek, opening it up. That hurt. Enraged, I rolled another flash bang down their way. It went off with a roar and my hearing quit again.

Elsewhere...

"Intruder alert in the tunnel parking area sir!" a tech yelled. The man sat hunched over his desk, unmoving. His hands supported his bearded chin as one finger pushed his glasses back up on his nose.

"Identify," he ordered.

"One male teenager, six adult men, all American, all armed with weapons, Commander Ikari. The men appear to be chasing the teenager," another tech reported. A Japanese lady turned to face the man. "Orders Commander?"

"Contain them, Captain Katsuragi, in any manner possible. They must not be allowed to reach the Evas," Ikari rumbled.

"Yes sir!" she said. Turning to the techs, she began issuing orders. "I want them alive if possible!"

Back at the battle...

I ran on, huffing like crazy. I was way out of shape and knew it. I hoped I wouldn't have a heart attack before I got to the end of the tunnel. I made it in the nick of time, sliding beneath a rapidly closing door. Someone knew I was here now. I hoped they were friendlies. I rolled on the floor into the wall and lay there, out of breath. I could hear them pounding on the other side of the door.

"God, I hope they aren't carrying any C-4 bangs," I said to myself. The pounding stopped and there was silence. I got up and looked in all directions, picked one and ran like hell.

"This is getting fucking annoying!" I raged as I ran through a doorway looking for cover just in case. Finding cover, I rolled into it just as the explosion went off. I looked down the hall and saw clouds of smoke and knew they had broke through.

"Oh God!" I said. They saw me and opened fire. I fired back, single shooting the MP-5 dry. I tossed my last flash bang; and amazingly enough they vanished very quickly. I heard the faint sound of the explosion and realized my hearing was coming back. I turned and ran down the hall towards what looked like a freight elevator. Rolling in through the doors, I kicked the buttons on the panel and was rewarded when one lit up. I lay on the floor, panting hard. Gunfire came raining down on the top of the elevator and I rolled myself into a corner, but then realized the top of the cage was protected by metal. The gunfire stopped and I watched the indicator move and stop. The doors opened, and I ran out into a well-lit hall. It looked nothing like the one I had started the ride from. This one was painted white with blue stripes at the center of the walls. I heard footsteps on the top of the elevator, so I turned and ran down the hall. Farlane was coming, and I needed a place to hide.

Command Center...

"Commander Ikari! The men blew the tunnel door, and they have opened fire on the teenager!" Katsuragi informed him.

"Inform security that the use of terminal force is authorized on the six men, the teenager is to be taken alive," Ikari ordered.

"Yes!" she said. Turning to the computer board in front of her, she pulled on a headset and activated it. "All security personnel, be advised the use of terminal force is now authorized against the six adult intruders, the teenager is to be taken alive. All other personnel is ordered to lock down their working compartments for the duration of this emergency. All pilots are ordered to remain where you are and contact command immediately!" Ikari nodded. "Good. Let's hope they don't penetrate the Eva storage."

"I've ordered a team of security agents to the storage, sir!" a tech yelled.

"Well done," Ikari nodded. "Continue tracking the intruders, get mug shots if you can so they can be identified." Technicians turned to their boards and got busy as Katsuragi paced the floor nervously, cracking her knuckles.

Back at the battle...

I dragged the wounded security officer into a room and closed the door. I opened his combat jacket and saw the blood coming out of his shoulder. Farlane shot him while he was trying to protect me.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" I cried.

"Not your fault, kid. They caught us by surprise. It's not that bad," he groaned. I stripped off my Army jacket and pulled off my t-shirt and used them for bandages once I tore the shirt and jacket into strips. His eyes widened when he saw my tattoos and scars.

"You're the kid from America, David Morgan, the Young Dragon," the wounded man whispered.

"Yup, that's me," I said. I made sure he was comfortable before I left.

"Wait!" the man called out. "Take my gear, you're gonna need it."

"You sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," he nodded. I quickly pulled his combat vest on and checked the pockets. There were a few more clips that would fit the Ruger nine, another four flash bangs, a headset radio, and a flashlight. I lifted the MP-5 and nodded. He raised his pistol and I went out the door. I turned to the left and moved in that direction. Farlane was catching up with me. I stopped in front of a door and tried it. A cipher lock protected it. No good. As I moved away from the door, Farlane opened fire on me. I returned fire with the sub gun on full auto, running the mag dry in seconds. Farlane flopped to the ground, my shooting missing him completely. I bought the chance to run.

"You little fucker! I'll kill you!" he screamed, angry beyond all reasoning now. I knew he wouldn't stop. A security camera moved, watching me move down the hall.

Command Center

Ikari rose as the camera showed me running down the hall, shock evident on his face. Not a word was spoken as people watched.

"My God. It's the kid from America. His name is David Morgan, and he's called the Young Dragon because of the dragon tattoos on his body," Kozo Fuyutsuki, the second in command informed Ikari. "I read about him roughly six to eight months ago. He had been... abused, accused of killing his family, cleared of the charges, and now they're chasing him again."

"Why?" Misato Katsuragi asked the older man.

"Because he is gay," Kozo informed her. People reacted to that information. Ikari's fist slammed down on the desk.

"Then we must rescue him from those... dogs. That is no reason to hunt down somebody just because they are something that someone doesn't approve of," Ikari snapped, his dark eyes glowing white-hot anger.

"The world can thank that jerk Phelps for that," Misato snarled. "I'd love to launch an Eva after his ass!"

"You and me both, Captain. For now, we must help that boy," Ikari rumbled.

"He's wearing a headset, sir!" a tech announced.

"I hope it's functioning," Kozo said.

Back at the battle...

I was exhausted. I stumbled into what looked like a cafeteria. I was so hungry at that point I just grabbed food by the handful and stuffed it into my mouth. I didn't care about my manners right then. I spotted a six of beer and immediately chugged two cans quickly, feeling the alcohol kick in. Good, because I was starting to get the shakes. I reached for my drug kit and came up empty.

"FUCK!" I screamed in rage. I needed another hit and soon. My body was starting to lose control. I could hear the voices in my head whispering again. I grabbed my head and screamed in agony.

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!" I yelled. The voices just laughed. I staggered back to my feet just as Farlane and his crew roared in. I went over the counter as they opened up on me. I caught a shotgun slug in my left shoulder. That hurt like crazy. I threw the four grenades I had and got out a side door and ran through the kitchen. The crew in there huddled on the floor. I grabbed two bottles of sake on the way out. I held onto my shoulder once I stashed the bottles in my vest. I heard footsteps behind me and I turned to see Farlane and two men coming after me. I had taken out four of them. Good. The odds were getting better now. I kept going as I fired the sub gun. I managed to change clips, only to discover I had put the last magazine in the gun.

"Shit," I swore as I ran on. "They're gonna get me now." Farlane could be heard cursing as he followed me. I ran through an open area and into another hall. Suddenly I heard a loud voice behind me, ordering Farlane to surrender, then gunfire. Someone in this place was helping me. I stopped long enough to turn the headset on.

"Is anyone out there?" I called into the mike as I stumbled down the hall, leaving a bloody trail. I heard a voice inside my head laugh hysterically, reminding me of the Pink Floyd CD "The Wall" from the twentieth century. I tried again. "Is anyone out there?" The laughter sounded again. I was growing tired, weak, on the verge of giving up. I went through a door into what looked like a medical lab. A woman in there turned around and saw me there.

"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked, scared.

"No I'm not. I need some drugs. Gimme drugs!" I said, body shaking so bad now I could barely stand. She turned to the cabinet and pulled out a long glass vial. She held it out along with a clean syringe. I took them and immediately shot half a syringe into me. Almost immediately my body calmed down. I was seeing things so much clearly now.

"How does this headset work?" I asked. She showed me, and then ran out the door. I turned and went out another door. I was comfortably numb now.

"Is anyone out there?" I tried again as I jogged down the hall.

Command center...

"Is anyone out there?" my voice rang out into the command center speakers. Ikari rose and picked up his headset and put them on as Misato and Kozo did the same.

"My name is Ikari Gendo, I am the head of this company called Nerv. David, we want to help you," Ikari said.

"Forgive me if I seem a little suspicious of you," I said.

"I understand, considering you're being chased by those men who are trying to kill you," Ikari said.

"Can I trust you?" I asked.

"Yes. I'm asking you to. We'll take care of you," Ikari said.

"Even giving me asylum in Japan?" I asked.

"Turn on a recorder!" Ikari commanded. "David, at the next corner is a security camera. Look straight into it and say that again. I didn't quite hear you right." The video monitors showed me standing there and looking straight into the camera.

"Sir, I am asking for asylum in Japan. To go back to America would mean my death," I stated.

"We got it," Misato reported.

"Good. Now inform the government officials of this incident and send that video. Hopefully it will be what we need to save his life!" Ikari ordered. Misato sat down at a computer and got to work. An explosion got everyone's attention. The monitors were clouded by smoke.

The battle...

Farlane had thrown a grenade at me. I saw it coming and rolled into another elevator in the nick of time. It started down, but I heard the sound of two men landing on the top. Now it sounded like they were prying the top off. The elevator opened up and I fired the Ruger through the lights and into the ceiling. Running dry, I rolled to my feet and started running down the hall. Both Farlane and the last man jumped down into the elevator car and fired on me, missing. They set out to run me down, but four Nerv security officers rolled out in front of them. In the exchange of gunfire, they nailed the last man but missed Farlane. Farlane left the man to die and ducked through a door. I kept running down the hall, growing weaker by the second. I went through a door and suddenly stopped quickly. I nearly stepped off a cliff. I looked down into what looked like liquid muck. I wasn't about to jump down into it. It had to be five stories down. The impact would shatter my left arm for sure, if not rip it from my body. I turned around to see Farlane coming at me.

"Nerv security!" Stop where you are!" a group of men shouted. At that moment, a lady came walking through a door. "What's going on here?" Farlane lunged for her, but I beat him to the punch and slapped him across the face. He retaliated by kicking the lady in the hip and sending her over the edge. I lunged for her and caught her in the nick of time. I screamed in agony as my left shoulder got dislocated and started bleeding massively.

"Got you now, asshole!" Farlane sneered as he leveled his Desert Eagle .357 at me. I stared down the huge barrel, the fear causing adrenaline to mix with the drugs and alcohol in my body. I was puzzled to see his sneer suddenly change into fear. I looked behind me, hearing a slight hum. A giant robot rose up out of the muck behind me, holding the biggest gun I'd ever seen in my life.

"Oh my God," I said hoarsely.

"Don't be afraid," the boy's voice said from the robot. My dream. It was all coming true. I wasn't hallucinating at all.

"You sir, stand where you are and surrender," the boy's voice said as he raised the huge rifle to point it at Farlane. Farlane hesitated for another second, and then put his gun on the floor and placed his hands on his head. Security rushed forward to take him down. I could feel myself on the verge of blacking out. Something picked me up from underneath me and the pressure and pain disappeared. I felt myself being placed on the floor.

"Shinji," the lady started.

"Father and medical team on the way," I heard his voice from a distance. I closed my eyes for a moment, the light hurting them. Next time I opened them, there were faces above me. Two women, two men, one bearded, the other an older one, and a boy. I wasn't feeling pain anymore.

"My name is David. I am addicted to drugs and alcohol. I need help," I said, breaking down into tears. "Please help me, I don't wanna go back!" The bearded man leaned over me. "David, we will help you. You won't go back. Our promise to you. Now let Ritsuko take you into surgery and fix you up." I nodded, and then blacked out.

I slowly came to. I could see the outlines of two people standing above me. "David? Can you hear me?" a man's voice asked. I slowly nodded my head. "Good. We are taking you to a drug rehab hospital. It's the best place we can find for you under our circumstances. Please don't mention Nerv or what you saw. I'll explain why later. Just trust me on that." the voice said. "Okay," I mumbled, and then passed out again.

Days later...

I came to in a bright sunny room. I felt like I had gotten chewed up by the cat and spit out, and then chewed up again for good measure. I tried to move and found myself strapped down. I laughed weakly. Will people ever learn? I suddenly felt sick, so I leaned over the side of the bed and threw up on the floor. Then I lay back and rested some more. I examined my position and realized I was strapped down in the classic position, hands close to head, feet to end of bed. I sighed and then moved my head to tackle the right one first, since my left arm was completely encased in a cast. I used my teeth to work the right cuff loose, and then got my arm out of it. Once my right arm was loose, I was able to break free of the restraints. I slowly sat up, feeling my stomach rebel. There was something hooked on my finger that ran to a beeping machine. I pulled it off my finger and it started making a continuous tone. I grabbed the stand holding an IV bottle going into my right arm. I didn't pull that out, because it had to be feeding my body. I shuffled into the bathroom and sat on the shower floor. I was already naked, no problem there. I examined myself from head to toe. I appeared to be okay, except for the IV, the catheter, the bruises around my ankles, and right wrist. I turned on the water lukewarm and let it run over me. The doctors and nurses found me in there. They cleaned me up and put me back to bed after changing the sheets. I refused to tell them how I got out of the restraints.

"My secret, bub. You won't need them now, I know I'm gonna be okay," I said. The doctor nodded. "I'll take your word on that. I'll let your friends know you are awake. They will be happy to hear that." I nodded as he walked out. I wasn't about to tell him what I had been through in that place. It would cause me more trouble and them as well. I lay back and closed my eyes. The shower had done me good. I slept for a few hours and then woke up. I had been moved to another room while I was sleeping. This one was a lot more cheerful with a beach scene painted on one wall and a great view of the distant mountains. There were flowers and cards on a table in front of me. I sat up as a nurse walked in with some food. Sure smelled good to me. The soup went down good. I ate bits of it here and there, not wanting to eat it all at once. The doctor walked back in an hour later.

"I am Dr. Ben. I'm glad to see you are feeling better. I will explain the rehab program to you, and hopefully it will benefit you. I understand your friends are going to get you into counseling once you leave here, so your stay here will be short one," he smiled at me. I can live with that. I really didn't want to he here longer than I had to. This place reminded me too much of Camarillo and the hell I went through there. Over the next thirty days, I talked about what had happened to me and why I had done the drugs and alcohol. The doctor was pleased with my progress, but I just wanted out of there. I kept my mouth shut about being inside that building, claiming memory loss. The doctor bought it and didn't push. The day came that I was leaving the rehab. I walked out the front door feeling better than I ever had. Everything looked bright and new, and I felt that I was finally waking up. I stood at the curb until a car pulled up in front of me. It was the same car that I had found inside the building. A lady in her twenties waved at me from the car.

"David Morgan?" she called out. I walked up. "That's me." She held out her hand. "Misato Katsuragi." I grinned. "Oh yes. We have mutual friends I believe." She smiled back. "Come on, we got to go." I tossed my bag onto the floorboard of the passenger side and got in. She drove off down the street.

"I am so glad to get the hell out of there," I said.

"We're sorry. It was the best one we could find," she said. "However, one of our staff psychologists will work with you. I know he'll do a better job for you. We just didn't know how to handle someone with addictions." I nodded. "I'm not angry about that. I assume it was a learning experience for everybody." Misato looked at me with a serious expression on her face. "It was. Even I was forced to take a hard look at myself, and I didn't like what I saw. But I changed for the better."

"Only way to go," I said. She slapped me on the knee. "Got that right! Now, first order of business is to go and meet Commander Ikari at Nerv."

"I kept that to myself. Didn't want to add to my troubles in rehab and cause you folks trouble as well," I told her.

"Good thinking. Glad you did," she nodded. We arrived at a warehouse and drove in. She pulled to a stop in the middle of the place. Shit, I was getting déjà vu again.

"We moved our entry. The other one was destroyed," she said.

"Sorry about that," I apologized.

"Not your fault," she responded. I suddenly remembered the security guard. "The guy who was shot, the one who gave me his headset, is he okay?"

"Ronnie is just fine, he went back to work three weeks ago," Misato said.

"Thank God. I was worried about him. The lady I saved from falling?" I asked.

"Dr. Ritsuko? She's fine too. Returned the favor by saving your life and your arm," Misato said.

"Remind me to thank her when we meet," I said.

"Done deal," Misato said. We rode the rest of the way down in silence, my mind busy with my thoughts. I wondered what was going to happen to me? I decided not to worry about it right now, and to deal with it later. She parked the car in the lot and led me into the building. I had flashbacks of the battle. I really wasn't lying when I told the doc I didn't remember things too well. Misato took my hand when she saw me cringe a few times. I closed my eyes and leaned against the elevator wall.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly.

"I'll be fine. Just some flashbacks is all," I said. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. That did the trick and the images faded away. The elevator doors opened and she led me into the command center.

I stood there in awe. The place was huge. There were computers everywhere and huge screens on the walls, and offices lining one wall. The Nerv logo occupied another wall. I tried to count the number of people in the room, but failed to.

"Incredible," I said.

"Thank you, David. Welcome to Nerv central," a man's voice said from behind me. "Glad to see you recovering." I turned to see a bearded man with glasses standing behind me.

"David, this is Commander Ikari, head of Nerv," Misato introduced him to me. I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you in better circumstances this time." The man smiled. "I agree. If you will follow me, there are some officials here to meet you and to have you sign some papers. The Americans gave up their claim on you once the video was shown to everyone. You are now an Japanese citizen." The video? Then I remembered. I had made a statement asking for asylum in Japan. Apparently I got it. I grinned as I followed Ikari up to a spacious office. Once the papers were signed and photos were taken, the officials left.

"Farlane was returned to the Americans in a straight jacket, screaming his head off about giant robots. I'm afraid the man lost his senses," Ikari snickered as I grinned. "I'll answer all your questions the best I can about this place."

"You are going to let me, a complete stranger, come in here?" I asked.

"Actually, I'm hoping you will join us. What I saw of your combat skills would very well be useful here. You could help the other pilots as well," Ikari said.

"I remember hearing a boy's voice from the robot that assisted me and the lady," I stated, sipping my Pepsi. A shadow crossed Ikari's face for a moment. "My son."

"I owe him thanks. I couldn't last another minute there," I said. He nodded, and then began explaining what Nerv was. It was an organization formed to combat these mysterious beings called Angels. The robots were called Evangelions, or Evas for short. They were built to help fight the Angels. The only people capable of piloting them were 14-year-old kids. I listened to him talk. It was clear to me now what I was going to do. I held up my hand to stop him.

"Please ask some people to come in here," I said. He nodded. Misato came in, followed by the boy, the old man, and the lady who I saved.

"David, my son Shinji, the older gentleman is Kozo Fuyutsaki, and the lady is Dr. Ritsuko Akagi. David has something he wants to say," Ikari said. I nodded. "Shinji, thanks for being there when you did. Saved my life. Doc, thanks for saving my life. I owe you one. I want to say this. I choose of my own free will, being of sound body and mind, to join Nerv in any capacity that I can fill. I swear before you all as my witnesses, I will never reveal to another person anything of Nerv, what I see, hear, and do. My word of Honor," I said.

"Welcome to Nerv," Kozo shook my hand. Ikari was next, followed by Misato. Shinji shook my hand next.

"I had to help. You were in trouble, and you were trying to save Dr. Ritsuko from drowning in the robot bath," he said. Dr. Ritsuko looked at me. "You do not owe me anything. You saved my life from drowning like Shinji said. I had to save you from bleeding to death." I smiled as she hugged me. Ikari stepped up to me and handed me a card.

"This is you ID card. It allows you in here and into authorized areas. Welcome indeed," Ikari grinned. "We'll discuss your role later, once your arm and shoulder have healed up and you're cleared by Ritsuko."

"Works for me," I laughed.

"Are the other pilots here yet Shinji?" Misato asked.

"Yup, in the briefing room," Shinji said. "I'll escort David there."

"Good, I'll be there in a moment," Misato nodded. I followed Shinji out of the office and down the stairs back into the command center. He led me to a smaller room and followed me in. There were two others in there, both girls. One had red hair and was cute. The other had white hair and red eyes and seemed strange. She showed no emotions.

"This is David Morgan," Shinji introduced me to them. "He's joining us."

"Another pilot? Fine, as long as he doesn't get in my way!" the red head huffed. Shinji sighed. "David, that's Asuka Soryu Langley. This is Rei Ayanami."

"I'm Honored to meet you both," I said.

"Well! Has manners! I like that!" Asuka said. Shinji just sighed and offered me a Pepsi. I sat down with it and opened it.

"How are you feeling?" Rei asked.

"Better, now that I'm out of the rehab. This is gonna be a one day at a time thing," I said. "Arm's feeling better, too."

"Rehab?" Asuka asked. I took another drink of soda and set the cold can down. "Yes, rehab. I was doing drugs and alcohol." She blinked at me a few times while Rei nodded. Apparently nothing seemed to bother her at all.

"Why were you messing with that garbage?" Asuka asked point blank. I decided to get it out now, instead of later. "I was a victim of abuse, torture and rape because I am a gay teenager." All three reacted. Asuka's jaw dropped while Shinji looked stunned, and Rei blinked in surprise. I felt like I had lost the chance to be their friend. I stood up.

"Where are you going?" Asuka demanded.

"I know you guys don't want me around now," I said, feeling sad. She stalked around the table and looked at me straight in the eye. "Where in hell did you get that idea? You're gay. So fucking what. That doesn't matter to me. What matters to me is you've been through a rough time, you're hurting, and you need friends to help you get through recovery. I had friends back in Germany that were gay. Nicest people you ever met. You are not going anywhere. You're staying right here with us." Unknown to us Misato, Ikari, and Kozo were listening in on the conversation. Misato grinned and gave the two men a thumbs up. I couldn't say anything. I was too flabbergasted at her reaction and what she said. It sank in that she was willing to help me. I put my arms around her.

"Thanks, darlin'. I needed to hear that," I said. She hugged me back. "Damn straight. Don't forget it, either."

"Be a big mistake on my part if I did," I grinned. She pushed my long hair back from my face. "David, you're okay." It was something I had wanted, needed to hear for a long time. I bowed my head as tears came to my eyes. Shinji and Rei both gently squeezed my shoulders. I felt really good.

Misato took us out for steaks after the meeting. I was still sorting things out in my head from the meeting. The plan was that I'd stay at her place. Shinji and Asuka were living there as well.

"Nice house?" I asked Shinji. Shinji just grinned. "I could tell you, but I don't want to spoil the surprises." Misato giggled as Asuka grinned. I sighed. "Why do I get the feeling I'm in trouble already?" Shinji laughed out loud as we walked back to the car. It was nice out. The evening was a bit on the cool side and the stars were out. I leaned against the car and breathed in the clean ocean air.

"You okay?" Rei asked.

"Oh yeah. Breathing in that clean ocean air tastes so sweet, the first real breath of fresh air I've gotten in a long time," I said.

"Is that a good thing?" Rei asked again.

"Definitely," I nodded. "I feel like I'm finally starting to wake up from a really long nightmare."

"Then that is a good thing," she said. We dropped her off at her place first. I watched her go and couldn't help but feel that she would definitely turn out to be a real friend. Stopping at the store, Misato headed for the beer, and then stopped.

"I'm not going to stop you, Misato. That is your own choice. I fell into it and it tried to destroy me. Just be discrete with it around me, okay?" I said.

"I will," she agreed. At the apartment building, I followed them up to the fourth floor and into the house. It wasn't too bad, just a bit of a mess. Shinji showed me my room. It was big enough, a corner room with windows next to each other. The bathroom was next to my room and Misato's room was on the other side.

"I'm gonna hit the bath. Feel like one," I said, coming out of my room wearing a kimono I found behind the door.

"Okay," Misato said absentmindedly as she put the food away. I walked into the bathroom to find a big bird sitting in the bath with a can of beer next to it. It looked at me and blinked. I slowly backed out of the bathroom.

"Ah, Shinji, Misato, there is a very strange bird sitting in the tub," I said very calmly, and then turned around to see Shinji, Asuka, and Misato rolling on the floor laughing their asses off. I sighed. "Why do I get the feeling life around here is going to be anything but normal?" Asuka guffawed even louder as the bird waddled through the kitchen, holding the beer can. It stopped in front of me and cut loose a loud burp, and then continued on its merry way. Shinji howled even louder as Misato pounded on the table.

"Animals," I sighed and went into the bathroom. The bath did me good. It relieved pain in certain places that I hadn't used in a while and it gave me a chance to think some things through. I had made up my mind to give this house a go. I just hoped they wouldn't drive me too crazy. I got out and looked at myself in the mirror that hung on the door. I looked at the tattoos and scars on my body. The large dragon tattoo stretched across the right side of my chest and around my back. I looked down and touched my penis that had a colorful snake tattooed on it. I knew they would never come off; they were there for the rest of my life. I sighed as I dried myself off with the towel and slipped back into the thin kimono. Going into my assigned room, I got my bag and opened it up. I pulled out a few clothes and put them away. I decided to ask Misato for help in clothes shopping tomorrow. For now I was tired and needed sleep. I lay down in the bed and pulled the sheet up over me. I stuck a second pillow between my body and the cast on my arm. Not only did I dislocate the shoulder, but also the arm broke in two places. It would be a long time healing. I dreamed of Shinji that night. I dreamed of us being in love and being together.

I woke up about nine thirty. I stretched out and felt things pop inside of me. I pulled on shorts and a t-shirt, and then the sling for my arm. I went to the kitchen and found Misato sitting there.

"Morning!" she said brightly.

"Hey," I replied sitting down. "Any coffee available?" She set a mug in front of me and I added a bit of sugar and sipped it.

"David, how much clothes do you have? That bag you brought in with you last night didn't seem all that heavy," she asked.

"Very little clothes. I need to go and get some more and I was going to ask you for help, since I don't know anything about Japanese currency or how to read the prices," I said.

"No problem. I'll see if I can get you set up with a company credit card and a bank account. You won't have to pay me back," she smiled.

"Darlin' you just too kind," I smiled. She grinned back at me and then put a plate of eggs, toast, bacon, and potatoes in front of me. She can cook okay. Wait till I get my chance, heh. We left the house once she had a look at what I had and checked my measurements. We spent most of the morning going store-to-store getting me things. This girl can shop. Returning to the apartment building, we saw a big truck in the parking lot and men standing around.

"Looks like someone is moving out," I commented.

"Wonder who?" Misato said. The apartment door was open when we walked in. I took Misato's gun from her and went into combat mode. I stepped in to see a man standing there in the foyer.

"Freeze," I said as I covered him with the gun. He raised his hands and put them on his head. "Commander Ikari is in the living room." I put the gun to his head and walked him into the living room. Ikari was there, sitting on the couch. There were four other men there as well.

"David, you can relax. Nothing to worry about," Ikari said. Misato came up behind me and I handed her the gun.

"No hard feelings?" I asked the man I'd taken down at the door.

"None. I'd have done the same if I'd been in your shoes," the man grinned as he shook my hand. "Got me good."

"What is going on, Sir?" Misato asked.

"Glad you asked. I think this place is getting a bit too small for all four of you. So we acquired a house for you and the kids to live in. It's a much larger place, the bedrooms are larger, there is a room for weight training, another one for martial arts training, and a big swimming pool. The house sits on two full acres. So you and the kids are moving there," Ikari said.

"Thank you sir!" Misato grinned.

"I do agree with Ikari. This place is a bit small," I said. Misato looked at me. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't want to offend you," I replied. Ikari looked at me. "You suffer from claustrophobia, don't you?" I nodded. "Yes I do. Last memory I have of them is getting stuffed into a small box. Both of them had to sit on the lid to get it closed. They said that they would be back the next morning. When they left the room, they turned out the light. That's all I remember." Misato hugged me as Ikari shook his head. "Then it is for the better that you all are being moved into the larger house."

"I don't want you guys to go to a whole lot of trouble just for me," I said.

"You are one of us. We take care of our own," a man said.

"Captain Misato, with your permission we'd like to start packing things," another man said.

"Go for it. Be careful of Pen-Pen," she said. At that moment, the bird emerged from the TV room holding a beer can between his flippers. He ambled through the kitchen, stopped in front of a surprised Ikari, cut loose a long burp, and then continued on his way. Misato and I were laughing so hard at the men's expressions.

"I wish I had a camera for your expression Ikari," I managed to get out.

"Is there anything else I should know about your private life Misato?" Ikari sighed. "On second thought, I don't want to know." I laughed again as Shinji, and Asuka walked in the door.

"What's going on?" Shinji asked.

"Your Dad just met Pen-Pen, and he's moving us to a much larger house by the ocean, " I informed them. Shinji and Asuka both laughed while Ikari growled.

"Get packing!" he said. "I'll meet you at the new house in an hour." We did get busy and had the apartment packed in an hour. There wasn't that much due to Misato's dislike of a cluttered house.

"I'm not too big on having tons of furniture in a house. Makes it look cluttered. I like the simple look. If the house is as big as Ikari said it is, it will be even better," she said while driving.

"That's good," I agreed. Shinji and I were sitting in the back seat of the car. I couldn't help but feel funny sitting close to him. I wondered if the dream meant that he and I would be together. I could feel my cock getting hard. His shoulder bumped into mine as we hit a pothole in the road. My feeling got even more intense. I had a vision of us lying together in bed, naked. I shivered from the intense feelings I got.

"David, are you okay?" Shinji asked, breaking into my thoughts.

"Yeah, just fine. I'm okay," I said quickly. Misato looked at me in the rear view mirror and I could tell she wasn't buying that. I looked out the window and noticed the scenery had changed. We weren't out of the city, but had entered a better-looking section of it. I could smell the ocean breeze ahead of us. The truck in front of us turned down a long driveway and we followed it to a stop in front of a large house. Ikari wasn't kidding about the size.

"Wow," I said, momentarily forgetting what had happened.

"Yeah, what you said," Shinji agreed. The house was two stories tall, done in the traditional Japanese style. I followed Misato up to the front door and into the foyer. Kicking off my shoes, I followed Asuka inside. The rooms were big. The main living room area was huge, the ceiling going all the way past the second floor. There were big skylights there as well. We explored the house while the men moved in the furniture and boxes. Each one of the twenty bedrooms had to be at least 20 by 20.

"Twenty four by twenty four," Ikari's voice said from behind me. I turned to see him standing there. "Very cool. I'll be comfortable here then."

"Good. I hope so," he nodded. I dropped my bag and all of the clothes from the morning's shopping trip on the floor.

"I'm going to need some furniture myself," I said. Ikari stepped aside as some men came in with boxes. They opened them up and quickly assembled a desk, a dresser, an entertainment center, and a computer desk.

"Thanks guys," I said as they left.

"You'll have a computer in a day or two," Ikari said. He looked over his shoulder to check for anybody standing there.

"If you download anything from gay sites, I suggest you put them into a pass worded folder," he said quietly.

"I will. Thanks for the suggestion," I nodded. Two more men entered at that moment and quickly set up the TV and stereo systems. I grinned as they walked out.

"Cool. Now I can listen to my tunes again. Love to get my hands on a guitar again," I said.

"You play guitar?" Shinji asked from the doorway.

"Sure do. I learned while I was recuperating from hypothermia and malnutrition in Oregon. I had found a beat up acoustic and learned to play. I taught myself," I said.

"Cool. I had a bass back home. It got stolen from me," Shinji said. "Just never had the time to get another one."

"When I go guitar shopping, I'll take you with me. We'll pick out some cool gear," I said.

"The house has a recording studio in a back room," Ikari said.

"Good. Then I can play loud with out disturbing people," I said.

"Let's check it out," Shinji suggested.

"Okay. Let me get my new clothes put away first," I said. Shinji left the room and I started putting things away.

"David, there is an envelope sitting on the table for you. It contains a driver's license, a Nerv credit card, and a checkbook for banking, all in your name. Use them wisely," Ikari said. I stood up and faced him. "Thanks a lot for everything."

"Not a problem. Dr. Ritsuko wants to see you tomorrow for a complete physical," Ikari informed me.

"Good. I want to ask her what I can do to try and repair the damage to my body from all the drugs and alcohol," I said. He smiled. "Good. I'm sure she will want to discuss that with you. See you tomorrow." He left me alone in the room. I stretched out on the bed and let my thoughts wander. I wondered how to approach Shinji with my feelings. I liked him as a friend, and I didn't want to scare him off. I sat up and sighed. I decided to let things go and hope it all works out. I went downstairs to the recording studio. Shinji met me at the door with a big grin on his face.

"Forget the shopping trip for gear. We got it all right here," he laughed.

Shinji wasn't kidding. He opened a cabinet and I counted six different guitars. He opened another cabinet and there were two acoustics in there. I opened a cabinet next to me and found three bass guitars. I noticed one on the chair next to Shinji.

"Had to get one out and play," he smiled. He sat down and started playing the opening notes to Metallica's Misery. I reached for a guitar and tuned it up quick. Asuka walked in at that moment and grinned.

"A drum kit! I used to play the drums for stress relief back in Germany!" she exclaimed, grinning. Shinji and I followed her into the play area and she sat down behind the drums. She wiped the dust off them and tuned up the drums.

"Shinji, start those notes again," I said. He nodded and started the opening bass line to the Metallica song. Asuka nodded, recognizing the song. Both of us jumped in at the right time. I started to sing.

You just stood there screaming Fearing no one would listen to you They say the empty can rattles the most The sound of your own voice must soothe you Hearing only what you want to hear And knowing only what you've heard You You're smothered in tragedy You're out to save the world

Misery

You insist that the weight of the world

Should be on your shoulders

Misery

There's much more to life than what you see

My friend of misery You still stood there screaming No one caring about these words you tell My friend before your voice is gone One man's fun is another's hell These times are sent to try men's souls But something's wrong with all you see You You'll take it on all yourself Remember, misery loves company

Misery

You insist the weight of the world

Should be on your shoulders

Misery

There's much more to life than what you see

My friend of misery You just stood there screaming My friend of misery (From Metallica's Black CD Copyright 1991)

I heard the keyboards kick in as Shinji played the bass solo. I looked up and saw Rei playing. She did a hell of a job. Misato sat on the small couch listening. I did the best I could with my arm and surprised myself. I actually managed to carry it off.

"Hey, you kids sounded good!" Misato applauded when we finished.

"Thanks. They did great!" I said, pointing to Rei, Shinji, and Asuka. Shinji smiled. "It was great to be able to play again. Gonna have to do this more often."

"Once your arm heals up, I bet you'd be awesome on the guitar David," Asuka grinned, tapping the drums.

"I can't wait for that," I said, pleased with myself. I put the guitar away and went into the living room. The packet was on the table like Ikari said it was. I opened it up and looked at everything. There was a brand new wallet in there. I opened it up and found a ten-yen note in there and a note as well.

"Hope you can use this. It's considered good luck to put a bit of money into a brand new wallet when giving it to someone. Hope it brings you good luck - Kozo" I smiled. He seemed like a cool dude. I put the driver's license into the wallet and the Nerv ID as well. Everything else went back into the packet. I looked out the window and saw the penguin sitting in the Jacuzzi.

"Pen-Pen sure didn't waste any time getting himself settled in," I laughed, pointing out the window. The others looked and laughed as well. I thought for a moment.

"Actually, he's got the right idea," I said, heading for my room.

I settled into the Jacuzzi a moment later. The Speedos I bought this morning fit perfectly. I was glad the cast was made out of fiberglass instead of the usual plaster. The door opened and I heard the footsteps faintly. I looked up into everyone's shocked faces. Damn, they saw my tattoos and scars. I knew that would happen eventually. I stood up and gave them a better look, and then turned around to show my back. After a moment, I sat back down.

"Doesn't hurt anymore," I said. Misato sat next to me on my right, while Shinji sat on my left.

"I can't understand how anybody could be that cruel," he said.

"People do things when they are afraid of something and don't understand it," Rei explained to Shinji.

"That sucks," he said.

"Don't I know it," I sighed. Shinji nodded. "This really is a nice place. I wonder why this place is so big, I mean, what are we going to do with twenty rooms?" I thought about that for a moment. "I wonder if we are going to have more people join us as pilots?"

"I'll ask at the meeting tomorrow," Misato said. I stood up and got out of the Jacuzzi. It was getting a bit too hot in there for me. I went over to the pool and walked down the steps a little at a time, giving my body a chance to get used to the temperature change. I sighed once I was in the water. Sure felt good to me. Asuka just simply dived in. Shinji sat on the edge and put his feet in. I couldn't help but notice him. He was on the slim side, a swimmer's body. His nipples were dark and medium sized. Looking at him gave me a hard on. I was so attracted to him. It confused me. I couldn't understand the feelings going on inside of me. I turned away and sat on the steps, the water at my chin. I thought of other things until my erection went away. I suddenly felt hungry. I stood up and got out of the pool.

"Is there anything in the refrigerator?" I asked.

"Hungry?" Misato asked.

"Yup," I replied.

"I'll put dinner on then," she answered.

Lying in bed that night, I couldn't sleep. Images of Shinji's body floated in front of me. I struggled to make sense of my feelings. I tossed and turned for a few minutes more, and then gave up trying to sleep. I got up and sat at my desk for a bit. Then I heard a knock at my door. Opening it, I found Shinji standing there.

"Hey," I said.

"Couldn't sleep," he said.

"Same here. Come on in," I said. He walked in. All he was wearing was a pair of shorts, like me. He sat down on the couch by the sliding glass door that went out to a balcony. I sat next to him a moment later.

"What's bothering you?" I asked. He closed his eyes for a moment like he was getting up the courage to say something. Then he looked straight at me. "David, ever since I saw you, I've been having dreams and feelings about you." I took his hand into mine. "Shinji, I'm honored that you feel something for me. I remember seeing your face above mine the day I got inside Nerv when you guys rescued me. I remember hearing your voice coming out of the Eva. I dreamed of you countless times while I was inside the rehab. I hoped to meet you again."

"These feelings inside of me... I don't understand them. They confuse me so much," Shinji confessed.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I agreed. Something made me look at him right then. Our eyes locked and everything else seemed to fade away. Before I knew it, we were kissing and hugging. His arms felt so good around me. I squeezed his body against mine. We broke apart a moment later. He looked at me with a dazed expression on his face. Standing up, he took a step away from me. He stood there for a moment and then turned around. He took my hand and led me to my bed. He reached for my shorts and pulled them down, freeing my erection. I did the same for him. I lay down next to him. He began touching my body. The only touches I had known were painful touches. His were slow and tender touches. Tears came out of my eyes and ran down my cheeks. He touched every scar, traced the tattoos with his fingers as if he was trying to heal them. He discovered the snake one on my cock and tears flowed from his eyes. He stretched up and kissed me, his lips soft against mine. I could feel things happening deep inside my spirit, my soul, and in my mind. The voices had stopped. I returned the touches, wanting to make him feel as good as he was making me. I felt his warm body against mine, our hard cocks trapped in between our bodies. The feelings were getting so intense. He reached down and took hold of my hard cock in his hand and started to stroke it. I reached for his and began to match him, stroke for stroke. I was getting close.

"Feels so good," I whispered into his ear.

"Love you," he whispered back. I felt my toes curl up and I knew I was about to cum.

"Going to cum," I whispered.

"So am I," Shinji whispered back. Suddenly we were. I felt the cum rush through his cock and out onto me. I felt the cum rush through my cock and onto him. The feelings were so super intense. Once it was over, we collapsed together. He looked into my eyes.

"Love you," he said, kissing me. Tears ran down my face. He reached up and brushed them away. I held him close to me as sleep overtook us.

END CHAPTER ONE