Evangelion: Beast

Disclaimer: I don't own shit. Nuff said.

Chapter 3

Shinji growled before reluctantly crawling into the Entry Plug and settling into position. The plug had been refitted a bit so he could lie on his stomach. Gnashing his teeth as he felt the other mind pulsing, he brought all of his animalistic rage to bear. He would force the other into submission.

Ritsuko watched the sync ratio waver between fifty and sixty percent but never above that. It was odd but the results spoke for themselves. Fortunately we can slash the weapons budget she mused. Scans of the Evangelion showed it was changing to a more bestial form. It seemed to be changing to a wolf but some traits existed from a bird.

Maya smiled at Shinji in the viewscreen before returning to her work. Fingers danced across the keys lazily but there was a certain…urgency there in how her fingers stabbed down a bit harder. Shinji had been an…interesting roommate. Of that there was no doubt. But the early morning walks were getting to her. Four in the morning is too early she bemoaned.

Shinji cocked his head as something barely impinged upon his awareness. Spending so long with the dogs can gifted him with an almost supernatural ability to sense magnetic fields. And he was feeling a massive disruption proceeding towards NERV. Snorting the LCL out in a plume, he looked down at his covered body and wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The latex outfit clung to him like skin, but it was uncomfortable. It didn't allow him to feel the air on his skin or the sloshing of water. Blinking at the dull thunk which indicated the Plug being inserted into the Evangelion, the beast closed his eyes and found the mind which was housed within the giant purple monstrosity.

It was almost child-like. But there was a deviousness there that would befit foxes. In addition, there was a savagery there that would scorch any lesser mind clean of all thought and instinct.

The only thing that could tame it…was a superior beast, a harsher monster. And should he fail, it would devour him whole. Obey! Shinji's mind roared and he threw all his raging heart against the Evangelion's mind. Slowly, it started to back down. The previous piloting experience had been too fast to allow this. They had worked in tandem, a pack of one.

Slamming himself against the mind of the Evangelion and slowly cowing it, Shinji set up his own mental domain within the Evangelion, one which would allow him unfettered access.

It had been a week and a half since the last battle with the Angels and the time was drawing near when Raiden would rise once more.

ASASASASASASASAS

Maya sighed as she walked along the blank, featureless corridors of NERV, her steps weary and beleaguered. Hearing her mentors voice, she picked up the pace in her soft-soled shoes before freezing.

"Your son has been moulded well under Fushiwari's care"

Biting her lip to stop from gasping, she clenched her reports tight. Fushiwari had been jailed for a period no shorter than a thousand years due to crimes against humanity. Specifically, psychological torture. He had been jailed in 2005 for his crimes. The ranch where they arrested him had been a slaughterhouse.

Especially after the human hounds he had trained attacked the force that breached its perimeter.

"Indeed. Everything is going according to plan. He has tamed the Evangelion thus far. How is the backup plan?"

Maya felt incandescent rage flood her veins. Unseen, the wall was dented by an odd silvery shimmer. Slowly controlling her rage, she almost lost it once again at her mentors words.

"Indeed. The chemical cocktail is ready. We'll start filtering it into the LCL for Unit One soon. Should triple aggression and block pain nerve signals."

Maya clenched her fists before spinning and walking away, her dark eyes smouldering with anger as the pupil flashed red for but a heartbeat. Whilst she respected and adored her mentor…she couldn't condone such treatment of their saviour. No matter what.

Quickly making her way down to the changing rooms after dropping off her work in Ritsuko's office, Maya licked her lips nervously before entering the changing rooms. And giggled.

Shinji lay there in a foetal position and was scratching his head with his foot, purring softly. Looking up as Maya entered, Shinji licked his lips before ascending to all fours and padding over.

Maya knew that what she was about to do could very well get her fired and permanently removed from life. But she wouldn't allow such a promising child to be used as a berserker for NERV, even if it resulted in the extinction of mankind. After all, if mankind could treat a child like this and do worse, did they really deserve to survive the Angel's?

Sitting down on one of the benches and watching Shinji's animal-skin clad body follow her up onto the bench and place his chin in her lap, her hands idly massaged his scalp. His long mane was still shimmering under the lights and looked soft as silk. "Shinji…I need you to try something for me. Can you do that?"

Shinji blinked. He understood few words she said. He could hear them fine but couldn't put meanings to words. Nodding slowly, Shinji tensed himself in preparation to either attack or flee. He had grown up half-feral, animal instinct warring with human logic.

"Shinji…can you say Maya?" she asked quietly, making the sounds slowly so he could hear and memorise them.

Tilting his head, Shinji opened his mouth and made a harsh keening noise. Trying time after time, he slowly started to modulate the sounds.

In a gravely, rough voice dusty with disuse and so deep it was almost indistinguishable from a growl, he got out, "Ma…ya"

Smiling happily, she embraced Shinji with all the strength she possessed and felt the animal skins for the first time. They were oddly soft and silky. Glancing down, she smiled in understanding at the sight of the fur still on the skins. Sitting back up and pointing to herself, she enunciated her name again. Repeating this, she stopped at the sight of a gleam in Shinji's eyes which denoted understanding. "Good boy."

Shinji preened at the praise and bared his blood-soaked teeth in a savage grin. "Ma…ya" he repeated, voice still rough and harsh. He felt a cold pride well up in his heart. Whilst he was perfectly content to be a beast, a blood-thirsty creature, he longed to cast down those who walked on two feet, those who thought themselves better than him.

Maya nodded. "Let's go home, Shinji" Maya ordered before standing and leaving the room, Shinji hot on her heels with bloodshot eyes scanning relentlessly.

ASASASASASASASAS

"Evangelion Unit One, Launch!" Misato ordered as she stood firmly in the command centre, arms crossed and brown eyes holding steady before the onslaught of horror that was the Angel. Even from this distance, she could feel the siren call to submit, to join with the Angel and become one being. All of those touched by Angels heard it.

Maya opened up a small communication window to Shinji who lay in the plug, teeth bared in eager anticipation. "Fight, Shinji. Fight!" she whispered and got a hungry growl in reply. Satisfied, she closed the window before anyone else noticed and sat back to watch the fight. She had felt something…off around Shinji for the last three days. The hairs on her head seemed to stand on end around him.

Ritsuko smiled at Maya as she watched her open a window to Shinji. Whilst she ordinarily didn't allow any emotional attachments to form in her crew to expendables, she allowed this. Maya's proficiency seemed to double and Shinji also fought harder, fiercer.

Watching as the Evangelion shot up, the entire command centre held their breath. What would the Evangelion do this time, what horror would it unleash.

And Gendo was smirking. Perfect. With each battle, the Earth dies a little bit more. And with each portion of life lost…the closer we are to Instrumentality.

ASASASASASASASAS

Unit One shot out from the launch tube and immediately set to sprinting, the energy whips barely missing it. It could feel the energy slowly massing inside of it, like a child. Slowly growing. Leaping and spinning in mid-air, it shot over a shelter and stopped, watching the Angel warily. This prey would not be so easy. Those energy whips and the core shielded behind razor-sharp rib bones…truly, a worthy challenger.

Skulking between buildings and keeping its AT Field deactivated for the moment so it couldn't be sensed, Unit One didn't see the faint arcs of electricity arcing between its fingertips on its right hand. Freezing as the Angel spun to face it, it abandoned caution and raced toward the Angel, crashing to the ground and sliding to avoid one of the whips which would have impaled it.

Cruelly ripping at the torso of the Angel with sharpened claws, Unit One slid past and immediately stood to run away. But was pulled up short by the whip which wrapped around its ankle and gripped tight. Yowling as it was yanked backwards and sent tumbling through buildings, Unit One dipped its head to nuzzle at the blackened armour and scorched flesh.

The electrical discharge grew stronger.

Spinning on his axis and barely dodging a slash from the whip, it growled and leapt onto another building, gazing down at the Angel balefully. Its eyes glowed a deep teal before it lunged at the Angel, jaw ripping open to howl in challenge. And was viciously blindsided by a braided energy whip and was sent into the ground, ploughing along the roads and hit the mountain with a loud crunch.

Moments later and the braided whip snapped down twice more, shattering the Evangelion's knees. Shamshel had seen what the freak had done to Sachiel and it would not allow its own mission to be denied! Looming over the Evangelion, it aimed the tip of its joined energy spears down at the Evangelion and brought them up to pierce the Evangelion.

Unit One was flashing in and out of consciousness. With its legs destroyed and now pain filling its synapses, it mewled. Defeat…submit… it called to its pilot. If only its pilot would surrender its will then it could defeat the foe. But it was rocked by the forceful roar from within the Plug.

Even Shamshel paused at the sound before plunging its spears down. But the Evangelion moved.

Throwing itself to the side and forcing the majority of energy to regenerate its legs, Unit One slowly stood and gazed balefully at the Angel. And it started to draw in as much electrical energy as it could, numerous transformers both above and below ground burning out as they channelled a massive load of electricity to the Evangelion.

A cloud of sparks formed around Unit One's fist before it started to glow a deep gold, AT Field vanishing from around it only to reappear around the fist to contain the building charge. Rocking back onto its haunches and slowly tensing its muscles for the final leap. This would end it!

Muscles coiled, the Evangelion leapt at a building. One of the few super-buildings in Tokyo-3, it could withstand an Evangelion slamming into it once. Landing feet first and clenching a hand into the roof, Unit One launched itself again with the energy whips scorching its face. Snarling, it brought its glowing golden fist roaring forwards and slammed it against the core, cleaving through the razor-sharp ribs.

The S2 Organ held up to the electrical charge for all of ten seconds before it suffered catastrophic overload. Detonating in a gory shower of blood over the Evangelions hand, the blood then started to explode, one cell at a time.

The supercharged fist continued through and swung up in an uppercut, shearing through flesh and brain to emerge in a violent detonation of blood at the apex of the Angels head and arcs of lightning melting buildings as they grounded against the cities structures.

Shamshel collapsed backward, ripped apart and defeated as Unit One stood above it, snarling angrily down at the Angel with its fist scorched black and armour sloughing off from the heat.

Lowering its maw to the Angel, Unit One started to rip and tear at the flesh. The sweet tang of Angel-blood flowed down its gullet as it tore meat from bones, ravenous and unholy.

ASASASASASASASAS

Shinji emerged from the plug and froze at the sight of Rei Ayanami watching him with a bare flicker of distaste on her face. Curling his lip in a snarl and slowly padding towards her, he growled deep in his throat. This was a superior predator to him. For now. But he would not back down and allow it dominion. Growling and hacking up a piece of raw meat, he spat it at her feet before stalking off, ungainly yet moving with an economy of movement.

Gendo watched curiously at the confrontation between Rei and Shinji. He had been hoping they would bond but based upon this confrontation…It seems the Angel Virus is more virulent than we ever anticipated he mused to himself as he watched Rei turn and walk away, face screwed up faintly at the scent of raw, partially-digested meat.

"Fushiwari did a good job, didn't he? Really stripped the humanity from him" Ritsuko stated as she walked up behind Gendo.

Nodding, Gendo kept his eyes fixed upon the meat.

"But will Yui forgive you?"

Gendo growled before turning and backhanding Ritsuko across the face which sent her sprawling. Stalking over to her, his hair was highlighted by the amber overhead lights to make his hair look like a mane. "Don't forget, Akagi. I was his first success. I could kill you and gladly consume you. As for Yui…she will agree with whatever I say. She was my bitch" he snarled out before turning and storming into the depths of NERV.

ASASASASASASASAS

Shinji silently paced in the apartment. He needed to feel the cold light of the moon upon his flesh. To feel its call. Clumsily opening the door in hands unsuited to such fine motor control, he gladly darted outside and up the fire escape. This section of the city all had buildings very close to each other. Perfect for a hunting ground. Hearing a howl, Shinji grinned before darting across the tarred ceiling and leapt over the gap.

A blue-haired wolf bounded across the rooftops, body shifting to a more muscular form to be able to fight, to run better. Catching sight of a brown-haired youth charging at her, she leapt at him and clawed at him, sending him bouncing across the roof and crashing into the cement barrier, cracking it. Snarling, her red eyes caught the moon and they glowed like embers from the very pit of Hell.

Shinji growled and shakily stood, leg trembling. Snarling, he lunged at the blue-haired predator and was sent reeling by another blow to the ribs. Growling and stalking over, electricity running down his mane of hair. As the blue-haired demon lunged at him, Shinji whirled and let his mane slash at the opponents face, electricity discharging and making her scream. Pulling his paw back to deliver the killing blow, he stopped.

Sniffing and then taking a deeper sniff, Shinji stiffened. He smelt…himself in her. Parts of himself. Sister…that same voice in his mind whispered and Shinji snarled but couldn't bring himself to kill her. Slowly lying down opposite her, his bloodshot eyes stayed on her, ready to attack at a moments notice. But the blue-haired creature merely eyed him warily.

Her hair hung down to her calves, braided with pieces of glinting metal. It made her look dangerous and deadly. And if that hair had been used against him, he would have been grievously injured. Sniffing him and finding he carried her scent, she seemed to nod before bounding away over the rooves.

Shinji watched her depart before flexing his paw. Part of the treatment to all of the dogs had been an artificial gland to boost muscle density for a short period of time. When used in conjunction with adrenaline and the titanium-fortified bones, it made their kind almost the perfect dog soldiers. Peering over the edge and looking down, Shinji spotted a bum sleeping in the alleyway.

And a hungry grin bloomed on his face.

A/N: And the anticipation is building! What is the Angel Virus, who is that blue-haired beast? And I hoped you enjoyed that Gendo moment. Brutal but necessary. And I realise that whilst I may be "over-powering" Unit One and Shinji, keep in mind there are prices to pay for such a power. Shinji's price is yet to be seen, but with the Evangelion…C'ya later!