"Sir, please let Unit-01 take the shot! He's getting into position. All I'm asking is for you to show some faith in your son!"
Alone in the command deck, with the exception of Kozo, Gendo smiled openly. It was a grim smile, one of cold mirth as he laughed at the world. "But Captain, Faith is all I have in him."
Alone in the command deck, with the exception of Kozo, Gendo smiled openly. It was a grim smile, one of cold mirth as he laughed at the world. "But Captain, Faith is all I have in him."
— The point where you know things are Off the Rails
Matters of Faith is a Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction.
In the grim Post-Second Impact world, Gendo Ikari is out to do some good in the only way that he can; by being the most magnificent manipulative bastard that he can be. Meanwhile, Rei is out to help us all; by doing SCIENCE!
The story actually starts off from Gendo's point of view and gives a look into the inner workings of a man in charge of safeguarding humanity. The author makes several small changes to the world, ultimately leaving none of the cast the same as their canon counterpart; with Shinji more aggressive, Asuka more interested in the workings of the Evas, and Rei... being Rei.
It can be found here
. Unfortunately it has not been updated since 2017.
Tropes used in Matters of Faith:
- Adaptational Badass: Shinji is more hot-blooded and aggressive than his canon self.
- Asshole Victim: Tabris. He deserved it.
- Body Horror:
- Sympathetic injuries as a result of damage to the Evas at higher synch rates can cause permanent damage to the pilots.
- During the fight with the Sixth Angel, Shinji permanently lost a leg. Later, in the fight with the Fourteenth Angel, he lost an arm and the lower half of his body before sublimating into the LCL.
- Deadpan Snarker: Rei has her moments.
- After a simulation, with Ikari as a commander instead of Misato.Asuka: C'mon, take some pride in yourself! You're in command of a brilliant and deadly warrior, and Rei!Rei: And despite the Second Child ignoring even the simplest of orders, you have managed to successfully lead the operations to an acceptable end-state, with minimal collateral damage.Asuka: What's that supposed to mean, First?Rei: I was agreeing with you.
- After a simulation, with Ikari as a commander instead of Misato.
- For Science!: Rei, and to a lesser extent, Asuka. Rei as a means of connecting with Gendo and Shinji, Asuka as a means of defeating the Angels and earning prestige.
- Gratuitous German: The scene breaks are Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier. Or Vier, Drei, Zwei, Eins.
- Mad Scientist: Rei. Take your pick:
- Treating her relationship with Ikari purely as a scientific experiment (it changes later).
- Burning down her previous house (she was testing the flashpoints of different materials).
- Creating Lance of Ayanami (a spear able to pierce AT fields, but with a nuke). Just listen to Asuka:
Asuka: Wonder-girl, you crazy bitch! Was that a fucking nuke? (...) Rei, this goes beyond the normal situation. You can't just detonate a nuke and not expect there to be some sort of inquiry!- Kidnapping and imprisoning Kaji. She wants to experiment with downloading his mind into one of her clones
- Official Couple: Shinji/Rei, Touji/Hikari and Asuka/Maya.
- Out of Focus: The fic was originally supposed to center around Gendo, but he quickly became overshadowed by the pilots.
- Shout-Out: Several, including Nobody Dies, H. P. Lovecraft, Thomas Dolby and Portal.
- "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Asuka to Rei, after a fight with Katsuragi (while Rei remains passive):Asuka: Way to back me up there, Rei. (...) Why do you insist on being their doll, their little puppet? (...) I thought you had something, you know. I thought you had some promise. You and Shinji, just starting to come out of your little shells. The three of us, a team! A unit! But you still just do whatever the Commander tells you to do, don't you?
- Yandere: Rei is quite violent when it comes to Shinji. Just ask Tabris.
