Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball Z or Neon Genesis Evangelion. Plus I make no money from this.
Note: The story is set after episode 16 in Neon Genesis Evangelion and just after the Cell Saga in Dragonball Z.
Chapter 1: Shinji's Power.
The screams of Shinji Ikari were the only things heard as the giant purple robot began to sink into the black shadow that had suddenly appeared below it.
"Misato! What's going on? HELP ME!" Evangelion Unit 1 continued to sink into the circular shadow below it while the giant black and white sphere floated in the sky. Shinji's cries for help suddenly cut off as the Eva's head disappeared beneath the surface. Misato Katsuragi, the one responsible for Shinji was in a full panic. "Retract the cable, do it now!" The cable machinery came to life and began to reel in the Eva's umbilical cable. The end of the red cable finally emerged from the black shadow, however Unit 1 was not attached to it.
"SHINJI!"
X
"Where am I now?" Shinji Ikari finally began to stir from his slumber and looked around. He was surrounded by darkness. "Guess the angel must have swallowed me. Some top ranked pilot I turned out to be. Couldn't even defeat an angel without getting swallowed, bet Auska's real happy about now." As he looked around something began to dawn on Shinji.
"Where the hell is Unit 1? I was inside it when I was swallowed so where the hell is it?"
"Do you really want to know, Shinji Ikari?" A ghostly voice answered Shinji from the void.
"Great now I'm hearing things. First I'm swallowed then I lose my mind. Man Auska is going to have a field day with this." Suddenly a figure appeared in front on Shinji. "You are not hearing things Shinji. I merely asked if you would like to know?" Shinji was in shock. The man in front of him was about Shinji's height with short, white hair in a Mohawk style. He was wearing some strange sort of fighting gi but the weirdest thing about him was that he had purple skin.
"Who are you? Are you an angel?" The small man chuckled at this line of questioning. "No I am not an angel, but I can be considered as somewhat of a god. I am the Supreme Kai. The being that watches over this universe, and all others. I have come here because I need your help Shinji Ikari." Shinji was speechless. "Why do you need help from me? If you are a god then I'm pretty sure that there's not much I can do to help you." Once again the Supreme Kai chuckled to himself.
"Shinji, I do need you help but it's not just for my sake. If you don't help me then every single life form on this planet will be wiped out very soon." Shinji didn't look shocked. "Do you men the angels because it's a bit late to warn us about…" "No! It is not the angels. Compared to this new threat the angels are mere toys. Their power does not even begin to compare." That got Shinji's attention. "What could be more powerful than the angels?"
"These new entities are not of your world. They are creatures that wander the universe looking for planets that have a large potential. When they find such a planet they begin to strip it of everything that it has, energy, technology and raw materials. Once they are finished they destroy the planet leaving nothing but a debris field. With every planet they strip they become more powerful than before by absorbing the planets life energy. They have chosen the Earth as their next target and there is nobody on this planet capable of stopping them, except you."
This revelation definitely shocked Shinji. "What can I do against creatures that can do all that?" "You possess a power within you that could be enough to defeat these invaders. When that angel swallowed you, you merged with Unit 1. Its power is your power. With training I believe that you could become very strong indeed. I am going to take you to a place where you can get that training. I will take you to an earth in a different dimension. On this planet some of the greatest fighters in the universe live. They will teach you to use your power. Are you ready for this?"
Shinji looked ready to break down. 'How can I fight that kind of power? It's impossible! But if he's right and I don't try then everyone I care about will be annihilated. Misato, Auska, Ayanami, Toji, Kensuke. I can't let them down. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away. I mustn't run away.' "I'll do it. Take me to where you want me to train." The Kai solemnly nodded. "This will be one of the hardest things that you will ever have to do Shinji. I hope you are ready for it," As he finished he extended his hand and Shinji took it, "Hold on this could be bumpy." With that Shinji fell into darkness once more.
X
The day was going as usual at the Son household. Baby Goten was making a racket and Chi-Chi was trying to calm him down. Gohan had skipped out again to train with Piccolo. "I swear that boy will be give me gray hairs. Its alright Goten, Mommy's here." Meanwhile a few miles from the house two people were engaged in a sparing match. One was a fourteen-year-old saiyan boy with black hair and the other was a tall man with green skin. Both were giving everything they had into the fight and their blows sounded like thunder. Suddenly the green man raised his hand, signaling an end to the fight. "Do you feel that Gohan? Two powers just appeared. A large one and a smaller one. They're not too far away." The black haired boy closed his eyes for a few seconds and concentrated. "I feel it Piccolo, think we should check it out?" His only reply was a nod and both took to the sky and headed towards these new powers.
X
Once again Shinji awoke in unfamiliar surroundings. He found himself lying in the shade of a tree. "I see you are awake." Shinji looked up to see the Supreme Kai standing over him. "Where are we?" The Kai took a few steps away from Shinji. "All will be revealed in time my young friend. Look your new trainers are here." Shinji stared in the direction the Supreme Kai pointed but he couldn't make out a thing. Suddenly a pair of black dots appeared in the sky. As Shinji squinted to get a better look he realized that they were not planes, but something else. This realization did not help him hide his shock when those two dots turned out to be people. As Gohan and Piccolo landed it was all Shinji could do to keep standing up. "Who are you and what do you want?" The Supreme Kai was not surprised at Piccolo's rudeness at all. "Ah Piccolo you are just as blunt as I had heard, and Gohan you are just as I imagined you to be also." Piccolo still looked pretty ticked off. "I don't know who you are but you better give me some answers soon." A smile crept onto the Supreme Kai's face.
"Come now Piccolo. I know that you have Kami's memories. Surely you can make a guess at who I am?" Piccolo took a second look at the short man in front of him and jumped. "You're the Supreme Kai!" The Kai had another chuckle to himself. "Correct, and I have a favor to ask you and Gohan. I want you to train this boy." The Kai gestured to Shinji who during the conversation had cowered behind the Supreme Kai. "You want us to train this pathetic human? Why?" Piccolo listened intently as he described the danger that Shinji's home was in. When he was finished Piccolo looked to Shinji, "Do you want to be trained?" Shinji nodded. "This will be very hard on you boy. I will not go easy on you. Do you still wish to fight?" Shinji nodded again. "Very well Supreme Kai, we will train the boy." The Supreme Kai nodded. "Thank you Piccolo." He turned to Shinji. "Shinji, I will return for you in four years. Train hard Shinji. If you don't your world is doomed." With that he vanished leaving Shinji alone with Piccolo and Gohan.
"So kid what's you name." Shinji nervously cleared his throat. "Shinji Ikari." Piccolo snorted. "Well, Shinji Ikari, if you are going to learn to fight then you need to have some fighting clothed." Shinji looked down and realized that he was still wearing his plug suit. "I…I didn't have time to change before I came here so…" Piccolo pointed his palm at Shinji and suddenly Shinji was wearing a gi similar to Gohan's. "Now you look like a fighter."
"We better go back to my place. He can stay there while we train." Gohan spoke up from behind Piccolo. "Good idea Gohan. Lets go." As both the Z fighters rose into the air Shinji watched them dumbstruck. Piccolo finally noticed that Shinji wasn't following them. "Don't tell me that you can't fly either?" Shinji shook his head. Piccolo growled and grabbed Shinji by the back of his gi and took off into the air muttering all the while. "What have we been stuck with this time?"
X
Shinji slowly settled into his new routine in the Son household. Chi-Chi thought that he was adorable when he offered to do some of the cooking and was shocked when he actually began to clean. His training with Gohan and Piccolo was another matter entirely. While Gohan worked with him on manipulating his ki, Piccolo worked on his technique. Piccolo had a simple teaching style. He pounded on Shinji until Shinji was good enough to pound back. What surprised the Z fighter was how fast Shinji absorbed what they had to teach him. At first he was hesitant about fighting but after a few weeks he became more enthusiastic. This didn't mean that Piccolo was any less demanding than before. In fact he became more so and Shinji was battered and bruised every night when his training finished.
Shinji was also learning all about the history of this planet too. He learned about the titanic battle's that had been fought on this planet and marveled at the fact that Gohan was the strongest fighter in the universe. The two boys became fast friends and Gohan even helped Shinji to improve his academic skills in the process. The months passed and Shinji became stronger. Until eventually he became just as strong as Piccolo. Shinji then moved to sparring with Gohan instead. After a year and a half both teens were equally matched when Gohan was in his normal state, but Shinji was no match for Gohan when he transformed into a super saiyan.
After training one night both boys were sitting on the roof of the Son house talking. Conversation drifted to Shinji's home and Shinji told Gohan all that happened to him. He told him all about Eva and the fights he had been in through the years, all the pain his father had caused him and the love he had for his friends. Both of them understood each other's pain at losing people that they cared about.
X
As the second year started Shinji had hit a brick wall where his training was concerned. No matter how hard he trained he couldn't increase his power any more. While taking a break from a sparring session he asked Gohan about it. "Gohan how can I get stronger? No matter how hard I train I can't get any stronger than I am right now. The Supreme Kai wouldn't have sent me here if this is all that I'm capable of." Gohan seemed to think for a minute. "Maybe if I taught you the Kaioken technique it would help you improve your strength." Shinji looked puzzled. He thought he knew all of Gohan's techniques. "Uh…Gohan. What's the Kaioken?"
"It was one of my Dad's techniques. It can boost your power a lot but it comes at a price, any pain or exhaustion you feel while using it is also increased. I guess you could call it a double-edged sword. My dad used it in his fight against Vegeta."
"Gohan, Please teach it to me." Gohan leapt into the air. "You got it, lets go get some work done."
X
Once again Shinji threw himself into his training. With a new goal in sight he trained harder then ever. Even Piccolo was impressed. "If anyone ever told me two years ago that the brat would be that powerful I would have laughed in their faces. He could surpass Gohan one day." Piccolo was resting under a tree watching Gohan and Shinji spar. They were so alike it was almost frightening. He watched as the pair exchanged blows and ki blasts. "Shinji is going to be very strong one day."
Shinji and Gohan glared at each other in their fighting stances as they sized each other up. Suddenly both fighters moved and the fight had begun. Shinji received a punch to the face while his knee slammed into Gohan's gut. The fighters staggered back a few feet before launching another assault. The fight began to get more intense as both began to use more energy attacks in their opponents. Suddenly Shinji stopped his assault. "Stop going easy on me Gohan or I'll never get stronger! If I don't get stronger my world is doomed! GIVE ME ALL YOU GOT!" Shinji screamed at Gohan.
Gohan merely nodded and transformed into a super saiyan. He began to charge his most powerful attack. "KA…ME…HA…ME…HA!" The giant blue blast flew at Shinji. He couldn't dodge it so he raised his arms in an X in front of him to attempt to ward off the blast. As the blast hit Shinji barely managed to hold off the blast. Steadily he was losing ground, being pushed back by the blast.
'Maybe I shouldn't have taunted him like that? If I can't stop this blast then I'm not going to be able to protect my home.' The intense energy from the blast began to overpower Shinji. 'Guess I won't be able to see them again.' Pictures of his friends flashed before his eyes as he lost more ground to the blast. 'NO! I won't let them down! I mustn't run away! I mustn't run away! I mustn't run away!' Shinji began to gather his power. "I MUSTN'T RUN AWAY! KAI-O-KEN!!"
A massive red aura engulfed Shinji as he felt his ki skyrocket. Inside this aura Shinji began to change. His hair began to stick straight up and it began to change color. The brown was being replaced by bright red. Shinji's eyes also began to change. The regular blue color was replaced with red. Suddenly Shinji knocked away the deadly beam and stood face to face with Gohan once again. The two fighters sized each other up. On one side stood Gohan, his golden super saiyan aura blazing around him. On the other side was Shinji, his hair and eyes were now bright crimson and his red aura blazed just as bright as Gohan's. Without a second thought both fighters plunged into the battle once again. Both were evenly matched, blow for blow. Suddenly both fighters dropped back and began to charge up energy attacks. "KA…ME…HA…ME…HA!"
Both fighters released massive beams of energy at each other. As the beams met a power struggle ensued between the two. The seemed to be at a stalemate until Gohan poured some more power into the blast. A massive explosion engulfed the two combatants and when it cleared Gohan was the only fighter left standing. Shinji was left sprawled on the ground. His aura disappeared and his hair returned to its natural brown color. He shook his head as he sat up and grinned at Gohan. "Nice match!"
X
The three fighters were seated under the tree where Piccolo had watched the match between the sixteen year olds. "Shinji how did you do that?" The question came from Gohan who was still amazed that his friend had transformed. "I don't know. I just thought of everyone that I had to protect back home and it just sort of happened." Shinji shrugged. "Perhaps I can explain it better Shinji." All three fighters jumped at the sound of a voice behind them. Almost immediately Piccolo was up and facing this new threat. "Who's there?" A figure stepped from the shadows behind the tree. "How soon you forget your friends Piccolo." The Supreme Kai frowned at Piccolo and the Namek warrior took a step back. "Please forgive me Supreme Kai. I did not sense your approach."
"I just arrived piccolo to check up on Shinji but I find he has exceeded all my expectations for him." Gohan looked eager to ask something. "Uh…Supreme Kai. Can you tell us what Shinji just did? I mean it looked like a Super Saiyan transformation, but different." The Supreme Kai took a seat next to Shinji. "That was the true form of the Kaioken, Gohan. The technique that your father learned was an incomplete version of what you just saw. Millennia ago great battles ensued between the users of the Kaioken and the super saiyans. The Kaioken could only be used by extremely exceptional people. Eventually the numbers of people who used the Kaioken dwindled. With no opponents the super saiyans also began to go into decline."
The Supreme Kai took a deep breath and continued. "As the years passed the true form of the Kaioken and the super saiyan transformations passed into legend. The only people who knew the exact specifics of these techniques were the Kai's themselves." Gohan looked puzzled at this statement. "So if King Kai knew that the Kaioken was a special transformation why didn't he teach its true form to my dad?"
"The simple fact Gohan is that King Kai didn't have enough time to teach it to your father. Also the true power of the Kaioken cannot be harnessed by a saiyan. A saiyan can used the power boost ability of the technique but this is offset by the energy drain it puts the user under." A wry smile crossed the Kai's face. "And a saiyan doesn't need a further power boost does he Gohan?" Gohan looked at his feet. "Guess he doesn't."
The Supreme Kai looked back at Shinji. "The transformation you went through was the first stage of the kaioken. Like the super saiyan transformation, the kaioken has a number of levels. You will have to train hard in order to access these Shinji." Shinji nodded at the Supreme Kai. "I wont let you down sir."
The short Kai nodded. "Good Shinji. In light of this advancement I'm going to cut your training down to three years. In one year you will go back to your world to defend it." Once again he looked at Gohan. "Gohan Shinji, despite his new power may not be enough to defend his world. Will you aid him?" Gohan looked at his best friend of the past two years. He knew Shinji would help him if the situation were reversed. "He is my friend and I always help my friends." Piccolo perked up at this. "If Gohan is going then I'm going too. Someone has to look after these brats." Shinji and Gohan looked outraged at this statement as the Supreme Kai laughed. "With the three of you on the job I almost pity the people threatening the Earth. I must go now but I will return in one year. Be ready Shinji, your world depends on it."
X
With his new transformation at his disposal Shinji trained even harder. In a very short time he was able to match Gohan perfectly while he was super saiyan. Both the teens complemented each other perfectly. The last few month of his training passed quickly for Shinji. The sparring matches with Gohan became more intense as both young fighters pulled out all the stops in order to increase their strength. As the last week of his training approached, Shinji decided that it was time to explain the specifics of his world to Gohan and Piccolo.
"Just remember that in my world people cant do what we do. They can't fly or fire ki blasts from their hands. We are fighting a war against strange creatures called angels. These things appear in many forms and before I came here they could only be defeated by deploying huge robots called Evagelion. These things are incredibly weak though so we shouldn't have to worry about them." Shinji glanced at Piccolo. "We don't have aliens on my world piccolo so people might be scared of you for a while but just let me do the talking and I'll tale care of everything."
"I can't wait to introduce you guys to my friends. They'll be so surprised at you guys and me too I guess." Shinji frowned at himself. 'I just hope my father doesn't try to take advantage of this situation.'
X
The day of Shinji's return had finally arrived. All three fighters stood outside the Son household as they said goodbye to Chi-Chi and young Goten. "Don't worry mom, I'll be back before you know it." Chi-Chi looked close to tears. "Just be careful Gohan. Don't get hurt." Gohan smiled at her. "With the three of us I don't think that there is going to be any problem." Gohan bent down to his brother. "You be good for mom okay squirt." Goten looked excited. "Just make sure you bring me something back, okay Gohan." Gohan ruffled his little brother's hair. "You got it squirt."
There was the sound of moving air and the Supreme Kai appeared behind the fighters. "Are you ready to go?" Shinji glanced up and nodded. "Lets go Supreme Kai, I'm anxious to see what's changed at home while I have been gone." The Supreme Kai looked grim. "Shinji you will find that you have been gone less than a day. When you reappear you will still be in the angel so your first task will be to break out. With the three of you I don't believe that it will be a problem. When you emerge from the angel you will find that less than twenty four hours have passed in your world."
Shinji looked confused. "How can that be?" The Supreme Kai gave Shinji an enigmatic half smile. "You forget that I am the being that oversees all Shinji. It was a simple matter for me." Shinji blushed with embarrassment. "Time to go Shinji. All three of you hold on to me and we will leave." Piccolo, Gohan and Shinji took hold of the Supreme Kai. "Good, now hold on tight." The next second all four had disappeared, leaving Goten and Chi-Chi standing alone outside the house. "Please be safe Gohan."
X
"What do you mean you're going to blow it up? What about Shinji?" Misato Katsuragi was extremely pissed. "He is an acceptable risk. Don't forget the objective of NERV is to destroy angels. It is his fault this happ…" Dr. Ritsuko Akagi was interrupted by Misato's hand hitting her face. Both women glared at each other until a loud crash startled them. They looked to their right to see the angel changing. The sphere changed to pure black and seemed to expand. "What the hell is happening?" This came from Ritsuko who stared at the sphere in shock. The black shadow beneath the sphere began to split and dissipate. Long jagged cracks appeared on the sphere and golden light began to shine through. "Is it Shinji?" Misato's voice was full of hope as she stared at the miracle that was happening in front of her. "Can't be. Unit 1 shouldn't have enough power to do something like this. I don't know what the hell is happening."
The cracks on the sphere continued to lengthen until the sphere itself cracked apart under the strain of what was happening. With a huge explosion the sphere was gone. Not a trace remained of it, Unit 1 or the shadow. The women squinted at where the sphere used to be. They could barely make out three specks floating where the giant sphere used to be. The dots seemed to be glowing and Misato didn't like the look of them. Misato pulled out her cell phone and hit a speed dial. "Hyuga, get unit's 0 and 2 active and get me a scan of the angel's last known position. I want to know what's out there." Hyuga's voice came back over the phone. "Major the angels pattern has completely vanished but we are reading three other large power signatures heading directly for your position Major." Misato looked up and saw the three specks approaching. "Get the Eva's operational now!" She jammed the disconnect button and pulled out her gun. 'Those things destroyed the angel like it was nothing. How can we beat them without Shinji? Where the hell is Shinji anyway? The angel is gone so he should be back.'
While Misato was watching the three specks resolved themselves into people. She stared in shock as the three reduced their speed and landed in front of her. She raised her gun. "Who and what are you? Answer me!" One of the people stepped forward. He was about Kaji's height with brown hair. He was wearing a martial arts gi that had seen better days.
"Answer me now!" She raised her gun higher and pointed it at his head. The figure just looked at her and made no threatening moves, in fact he looked sad. "Have you forgotten me already Misato?"
Misato did a double take and looked over him again. There was something familiar about him. She still looked confused until something clicked in her mind. The hair, the eyes, it was Shinji. "Shinji? Is that you?" A wide smile appeared on the man's face. "Guess you do remember me after all, Misato." She ran forward and engulfed Shinji in a hug. She held him for a few seconds then stepped back and slapped him across the face. "Don't ever do that again!" Shinji rubbed the red mark on his face and grinned. "Its good to be back."
X
A half an hour later a meeting was called in the temporary command post that NERV had set up. In the MCP already were Shinji, Gohan, Piccolo, Misato, Ritsuko and the bridge crew. So far there was no conversation in the vehicle. The NERV personnel were distrustful of the newcomers despite Shinji's assurances. The silence continued until the Eva pilots arrived. The first indication that they had arrived was the loud voice of Auska. "Guess 'Invincible' Shinji wont be coming back from this one. After al it was just a matter of time until he screwed up and got himself killed. Right wonder girl." Auska opened the door and walked into Shinji's back. "Watch where you're going idiot!" Auska was extremely pissed. Not only was the angel destroyed before she could have a crack at it but now some idiot was standing in her way. The guy turned around and looked at her. 'There is something very familiar about that guy. Where have I seen him before.'
The man smiled down at her. "Long time no see Auska." Auska was surprised. 'How does this guy know my name. I know he looks familiar. Brown hair, blue eyes. He looks so familiar.' "Who are you?" The tall stranger merely laughed at her. "Stop laughing at me!" Misato just smiled at the pair. "Put her out of her misery, Shinji." For the second time since walking in Auska was speechless. "Shinji? Is it really you?"
Shinji nodded and received a slap for his trouble. "That's for acting like an idiot!" Shinji rubbed his face again. "What's everyone got against me today?" Everyone laughed at him. Even Piccolo managed a chuckle. Ritsuko was the first to recover. "You've kept us waiting long enough Shinji. What happened to you?" Shinji went on to explain what happened after he was swallowed. There was some parts hat Shinji knew that they didn't believe. When he was finished the NERV personnel were shocked. Ritsuko was the first to voice her skepticism. "So you mean to tell us that you have been in some alternate dimension for three years training to defeat some threat that is supposedly more powerful than the angels?"
Shinji nodded. "And you mean to tell us that man over there is from another planet?" She gestured at Piccolo. Shinji nodded again. "Impossible! Do you expect us to believe any of this?" Shinji was angry now.
"What I expect, Dr. Akagi, is that you at least consider the validity of what I have been saying. I did not spend the last three years of my life training to defend this planet just to have it thrown I my face by the likes of you. Do I make myself clear?" Ritsuko was shocked. Never had she dreamed that Shinji would act like that. "Alright Shinji relax. Its just hard to believe." Misato tried to calm Shinji down. "Okay Misato. I'll relax. Its just that…" Shinji suddenly looked to his right. "Gohan do you feel that?" Gohan closed his eyes and concentrated. "Yeah. A big power heading this way fast. Should we check it out?" Shinji thought for a minute. "Alright we'll check it out." He turned to Piccolo. "Piccolo, I need a favor."
"Shoot kid." "Look after everyone here while Gohan and I check this out." Piccolo nodded. "You got it kid. Be careful, both of you." Gohan and Shinji nodded and headed for the door. "What the hell is going on?" Misato decided to make her presence felt. Shinji looked at her gravely. "Something powerful is coming Misato and I have to find out what it is. Don't worry Piccolo will look after you." With that Shinji and Gohan were gone. Everyone else quickly followed.
Once they were outside they saw something that astounded them. Shinji and Gohan were floating in mid air facing off against a tall, blue skinned, bald man. "So the power I sensed was from you boy? How could a normal human have that kind of power?" Shinji smiled at his opponent. "There's a lot you don't know about me. What is your name?" The man glared at Shinji for a moment. "My name is Kole. Are you my opponent little boy?" Shinji didn't take his eyes off Kole for a second. "Gohan this guy's mine." Gohan floated back to the ground. "You got it Shinji. He's all yours." Shinji dropped into his fighting stance and began to power up. "Bring it on!"
X
Note: That was the first chapter of my Evangelion/Dragonball Z crossover. Please R and R and tell me what you think.