Fanfic / Evangelion: You Do (Not) Belong

Evangelion: You Do (Not) Belong is a Neon Genesis Evangelion fanfiction written by Alex The Animator.

Michael Hart is an Ordinary High-School Student, with a crush on a friend named Jade (though she has a boyfriend already), an annoying younger brother who is taller than him, and a mother who is implied to be somewhat verbally abusive to him. One night, he becomes fed up with his problems and leaves for a walk, only to be hit by a car and, somehow, be transported to Tokyo-3. Nearly everything is the same, except one major difference: Shinji Ikari is dead, killed by Sachiel's suicide explosion. It also doesn't help that Michael himself doesn't actually know the full events about to unfold. However, Michael makes a deal with Gendo Ikari to pilot Unit-01 if they can get him home, though whether that is possible or not remains to be seen.

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Tropes present in Evangelion: You Do (Not) Belong:

• Abusive Parents: Michael's Mom. It's apparent even in the first chapter that both him and Shane fear her. The reason for why is that she is a verbally and physically abusive religious zealot who constantly claims Michael will go to Hell for various reasons. However, it's implied she wasn't always this way, and something changed her to become more cruel to her children.
• An Arm and a Leg: Asuka loses her left leg during the Final Battle, mirroring Touji's injury in the Anime. However, this doesn't stop her from crawling over to Michael's entry pod after it crashed.
• Attempted Suicide: Michael cuts himself after not knowing what is real or what is fake after Touji's death, but this isn't actually his intention, and Asuka only mistakes him for trying to kill himself. However, this is Played Straight with Asuka, after Michael tells her she can't come with him or stay with her.
• Big Brother Mentor: Michael reveals to Rei he desperately wants to be one to his brother Shane, but feels like he is a pathetic excuse for one, due to how Shane takes most of the abuse from his mom.
• Bittersweet Ending: The story ends with Michael deciding to stay in the Evaverse, viewing it as a way for him to protect other people, as well as finally finding love in the form of Asuka. However, Rei and Kaworu leave for unknown reasons, the world is in complete ruin with most of the world being killed due to instrumentality, and Asuka loses her left leg. Despite this, the fic ends on a note that the world can be rebuilt and will take time.
• Big Little Brother: Michael is smaller than Shane, who towers over him.
• Berserk Button: Michael is pretty effective at triggering them, it seems:
  • The first time was when he, in the heat of the moment, said that his sister deserved to be put in the hospital for being there during the battle, pretty much turning Touji's "one punch then leave" plan into a "No-Holds-Barred Beatdown".
  • Michael triggers Asuka's by bringing up her mother and how she needs her. The result is a Asuka who gains an Unstoppable Rage, only intervened by Misato.
• Body Horror: Michael being partially absorbed leads bits of his flesh and skin missing at first, and the grafting of different skin only gives him a patchwork appearance at best.
• Bold Inflation: Michael refers to his mom in bold, not even calling her "mom", instead, he calls her "she". This pretty much emphasizes how much Michael completely disowns his mother as both a parent and a person.
• Cain and Abel: A case with Michael and Shane. Michael is noticebly more aggressive than his younger brother, who is more carefree and lively. It becomes even more apparent that, when suffering an Unstoppable Rage, he gives Shane a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown on him and nearly choking him to death.
• Classical Music Is Cool: Averted in the case of Michael. He is not a big fan of classical music, as evidenced by how he does not like "Both of you, Dance Like You Want To Win!" when training with Asuka for Israfel, calling it "absolute crap".
• Convenient Coma: After Unit-01 eats Zeruel/Rei, Michael is partially absorbed into Unit-01, and the physical trauma of it causes him to go into a coma for over 2 months, making him miss out on Arael.
  • Also happens with Asuka, when she attempts suicide after Michael breaks her heart, by telling her she can't come with him or stay with her. Later on though, She later wakes up to fight against both the Mass Production Evas and Shinji in Eva-01.
• The Corrupter: It's implied that Shinji has been slowly corrupting Michael's desire to return home and amplifying his rage to dangerous levels. Judging by how Shinji talks with Michael, it's apparent that Michael gets most of his anger from Shinji. Later on, it's made more explicit by how, despite being a fragment, each felt what the other felt, explaining Michael's nihilistic tendencies.
• Cruel and Unusual Death: Shinji's death is told through a vision while Michael is inside Unit-01. It is not pretty.
• Crystal-Ball Scheduling: Sort of. Phantom Ties, a book Rei gives Michael to help with his kanji, at first doesn't seem to have any connection to Evangelion. But it's Gainax Ending, as well as its overall use of religious imagery and message about anywhere can be called a paradise, uses heavy references to Evangelion itself. Also uses a bit of Dramatic Irony, for the fact that Michael doesn't actually know how Evangelion ends, in both Rebuild of Evangelion and the Anime.
• Deadpan Snarker: Michael, bar none. He is both snarky in his head and out of his mouth, being mostly this towards Misato, Touji, and Asuka.
• Death by Adaptation: As mentioned, Shinji died to Sachiel, making Michael his replacement pilot. The same thing happens with Touji, as he is killed during the Unit-03 Incident, like the Manga.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: What Rei and Michael do to each other. Michael convinces Rei she isn't replaceable and makes her happy, while Rei comforts Michael when he opens up to her and even subtly tells him to go help Asuka when she gets upset, making him more empathetic.
• Disappeared Dad: Michael's father is notably absent throughout Michael's entire life. His mom appears to be the only parental figure he's had, and his father never had any input in his life.
• Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Michael absolutely hates pity, as he does not like being vulnerable towards other people, and doesn't trust others easily. He also gets annoyed very easily by people being empathic towards him, viewing it as pity too.
• Easily Forgiven: Despite Michael beating the absolute shit out of Touji, after Michael apologizes for the fight, Touji forgives him and even offers Michael to come and talk with both him and Kensuke. Michael is completely baffled by this.
  • Later on, this same interaction happens between Michael and Shinji. Despite the fact that Shinji nearly destroyed the world, and heavily wounded Asuka, Michael says he doesn't hate him for what he did, saying that he understands why he did it. Shinji, in turn, is completely baffled by Michael's forgiveness.
• Everyone Can See It: Pretty much between Michael and Rei. They are extremely close to one another, to the point where other characters can clearly see that they both like eachother, but refuse to admit. Michael personally claims they are Just Friends, but it's blatantly obvious to both the audience and characters that he is Oblivious to Love, both to his own feelings and Rei's. It isn't until the final chapter that Rei finally admits that she always loved Michael to him, causing him to be surprised.
• Evil Makes You Monstrous: Not evil, but hate. Michael is partially absorbed into Unit-01 after it eats Rei/Zeruel, causing it to metamorphose into resembling a gigantic, flaming demon, representing Michael's hatred, both at himself and the world.
• Face Death with Dignity: When Shinji confronts Gendo, Gendo finally admits he was afraid of Shinji, not wanting to abandon Yui in favor of him. In turn, Shinji promptly incinerates him to ash, not even screaming.
• Funny Afro: Shane sports this, complete with the classic "comb stuck in hair".
• Final Battle: The final battle happens not against Seele or Gendo, but against Shinji, now possessing Unit-01 wielding half of the Spear of Longinus, while Michael and Asuka face him, with Michael having the other half.
• Hate at First Sight: Asuka and Michael immediately begin insulting each other when they meet on the Over The Rainbow, Michael especially, thinking her as a "self-absorbed bitch" in his own words.
• Hates Being Touched: Downplayed. Although Michael does not like hugs all that much and doesn't hug back, he is fine with them.
• Hot-Blooded: Michael. He never backs down from a fight, even if it results in his death.
  • Also Asuka, of course.
• I Don't Like You And You Don't Like Me: Asuka quotes this trope verbatim, saying that while he knows Michael does not like her and she may not like him, they still need to defeat Israfel together.
• I Want My Mommy!: Asuka does this in her sleep in front of Michael, like in the Anime. However, Michael is both concerned and disgusted with her for it, claiming "it's pathetic to cry for your mom" ^*  Though this is because Michael does not know about Kyoko's fate and has a bad relationship with his own mother.
• Jerkass: Even when it's revealed he does have a softer side, Michael is a pretty big asshole. He is incredibly sarcastic and uncaring to other people, is extremely violent, and doesn't seem to really value other people, no matter how close they are. His actions towards other people, such as berating Asuka ( even mocking her dead mother), reveal just how petty he truly is. This is even Lampshaded by multiple people, specifically Leliel, who basically calls him out on how much he causes suffering to other people and enjoying it. Though, despite all that...
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Although rarely showing it and despite being mean to nearly everyone around him, Michael does care for the people he is close to. The most obvious example being Rei, who he shows a great deal of appreciation towards.
• Kick the Dog: Michael and Asuka get into a heated argument after a sync test where he surpassed her. During the argument, Michael starts mocking her for being a Momma's Girl, which is extremely wrong due to the fact Asuka witnessed her mother's suicide. This inevitably triggers her Berserk Button, only for Misato to step in an tell him to apologize tomorrow (though not hearing what he actually said). Afterwards, Michael actually smiles when he hears her crying, further upping the trope.
  • Another example is how he tries to choke Asuka for talking trash about Touji, with him nearly coming close to bashing Misato's head in before running away. Then, when confronted by Rei, he calls her a doll to push her away, which succeeds in the most Tear Jerker way possible.
• Kick the Morality Pet: Michael calls Rei, the only person he trusts and talks to, and promised her he'd never hurt her, a doll, causing her to cry and run away.
• Locked Out of the Loop: Michael possess very little knowledge about the world of Evangelion, with the most telling examples being not knowing Ritsuko's first name or even knowing who Fuyutsuki is beyond being Gendo's right-hand man. He also doesn't know that Yui's soul is in Unit-01, nor about SEELE. Justified Trope, however, since his only knowledge comes from second-hand sources, as well as only watching the first two Rebuild films.
• Lying to Protect Your Feelings: Michael pretty much does this whenever he feels sad and not wanting to make others miserable, putting on a fake smile and brushing it off, most notably to Jade. He also does this to Misato when she asks him if he is happy in Tokyo-3. However, this is notably Averted when Asuka asks if she can at least come with him if he can't stay in Tokyo-3. This slip ends up breaking Asuka's heart, trying to kill herself like in the Anime, and being sent into a coma.
• Misanthrope Supreme: Shinji is revealed to have become this, viewing people as selfish, immoral, and cruel, believing everyone should die because of how he was used by his father. He later moves on from this mindset in his final moments.
• My Country, Right or Wrong: Not country, per se, but universe. Michael, despite how terrible and boring his life is, prefers going back to his universe rather than stay in the Eva one, despite the fact it had brought him friends, a reason to fight, and even a girlfriend. Unfortuantly, his conviction to his home universe causes many terrible things, such as breaking Asuka's heart after saying he wouldn't stay for her, and slowly dying due to it. In fact, he's so convicted to going home that when Kaworu tells him that he can go back home by causing Third-Impact, he barely even hesitates to commit to it, despite the fact it will kill everyone on the planet, including Asuka. He finally gets over it in the finale, deciding that going back would just make him more miserable than he already was.
• Never My Fault: Michael goes through a bit of this phase, specifically during the aftermath of Bardiel. He blames nearly everyone for killing Touji, but never taking into account of how he was pretty much the one who crushed the plug. Though the fact that he is said to be a sadist implies he enjoyed it so others feel his pain.
• No Dead Body Poops: Heavily Averted. When Shinji dies, among the other painful things that happen to him, he defecates himself before his death.
• Noodle Incident: Played for Dramatic Irony and In-Universe with Michael, who never finds out that Iruel attacked NERV, nor ever asks why he was ejected into the lake.
• Nominal Hero: Michael is pretty much this trope par excellence. It's apparent that Michael possess a very shaky moral compass, with his near Unstoppable Rage and willingness to attack pretty much anyone if they piss him off speaks volumes of to how little he values other people. He also does not give a damn about killing others, whether that be when he first met Touji or his own brother. His main goal is also to get back to his home universe, no matter the cost, even if it means abandoning everyone he has known in the Eva world. It becomes even more obvious during the later chapters, with how he's willing to cut ties with Misato, and how he is willing to commit mass extinction of the planet just to get home to an unwelcoming world, showing how little morality he has left at that point.
• No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: When Touji confronts Michael for being an Eva Pilot (despite him saying he was not), it results in a fight much more violent and bloody than when Touji confronted Shinji. Michael even nearly strangles Touji to death, only to be stopped by Kensuke before he can do it. Also serves as Forshadowing for his more violent side, and how the same nearly happened to his brother.
• "Not So Different" Remark: A non-direct example. Fuyutsuki compares Michael to Gendo, after seeing how he is willing to burn the world to the ground for a singular goal (Yui for Gendo, and returning back home for Michael) and viewing both of them having "the devil in their eyes".
• Pensieve Flashback: Michael experiences these in the form of dreams, specifically of Shinji's death.
• Poor Communication Kills: The same thing happens with Michael with Touji being the Fifth Child, since he doesn't actually know who is the new pilot. As such, no one tells him Touji is the Fifth Child. And, true to the tropes name, Touji does die.
• Rape as Drama: Kind of. Asuka gets Mind Raped by Arael, but is saved by Rei before it gets out of hand. When Asuka is penetrated by Armisael, she acts like she experienced sexual assault. When Michael comes to comfort her, she tells how she saw visions of her father, Gendo, and Kaji who did... something to her (implied to be rape), then afterwards proceed to eat her alive.
• "Reason You Suck" Speech:
  • Michael gives one to Asuka, about her need for validation and being a Jerkass. He crosses the line, however, for bringing up her mom and and how she isn't around, which inevitability sets off her Berserk Button. Her crying afterwards in her room is an absolute gut-punch.
  • Leliel gives a pretty hefty one to Michael. He states that Michael not only uses people for the sake of making himself feel superior, but the only reason he befriends Rei is to manipulate her to like him. Leliel also states that he causes pain and suffering to everyone else, thriving in it. He uses probably the most telling example of why: Showing Michael a memory of him nearly choking Shane to death. Afterwards, Michael looks at Leliel, now transformed as a demon, and can only compare himself to one thing: The Devil.
  • Gendo gives one to Michael after Touji's death. He says that Michael let's his emotional side take control of him, making him do reckless things without thinking of the consequences of his actions, especially true when it comes to Michael's anger. Although, considering the kind of person Gendo is, he does have a point.
• Relationship Upgrade: Asuka and Michael constantly fight eachother, with them pretty much starting as enemies. However, they slowly grow closer towards one another. Even after Michael mocks Asuka's mom and strangles her after Touji's death, they still are really close. Eventually, Asuka confesses that she likes him, and Michael admits to himself that he always did like Asuka, cementing their relationship as a couple. Unfortuantly, it doesn't last long, as Michael breaks Asuka's heart by saying he would leave and not stay for Asuka, causing her to go into a coma. Luckily, she gets better, and is able to fight alongside Michael during the Final Battle.
• Riddle for the Ages: It is still unknown what caused Michael's mom to turn on her sons. She wasn't always an Abusive Parent, and really did enjoy spending time with her children, including buying Michael a guitar, but something changed that made her a complete zealot and frequently gaslit Michael. It could be the stress of her being a single mother, her slowly being absorbed into evangelical programs or some odd combination of both. Regardless, the answer remains a mystery.
• Satanic Archetype: Michael's sheer self loathing causes him to view himself as a demon or the Devil himself. His intense rage and antisocial perosnality causes him to lash out and hurt others as a means to protect himself from being hurt in turn, but this only fuels his already weakening mental state. His view of himself even warps Unit-01, becoming the emobdiment of his pure, unfiltered rage and hate towards himself and the world.
• Self-Harm: Michael begins to question reality and if his entire situation is a dream or reality, after the Unit-03 incident. To test this, he cuts himself to see if he feels pain, which he does.
• Self-Insert Fic: Along the lines of New Perspective Evangelion and Self Insert Evangelion, though with one key difference: The self-insert possess barely any knowledge about Evangelion, which puts him in a very bad spot for when things really start to go bad.
• Shutting Up Now: Michael has a habit of shutting down as soon as he opens up, usually saying "this is stupid" or "this is silly" in his head. This happens when telling Misato about his cross, and when he tells Rei he relates to her feeling worthless.
• Skewed Priorities: Michael's goal of going back home takes center stage towards anything else. When Asuka tells him if she can at least come with him? Tells her straight to her face that she can't. When she's in a coma because of his own actions? Considers plotting to end all life on the planet (including her) just to have a shot at going home.
• Soul Fragment: It's revealed that Michael carries a soul fragment of Shinji Ikari, explaining why he has dreams relating to his death and how he can sync with Unit-01 despite not being related to Yui. It is also possible that he has become more violent because of how Shinji died, and thus Shinji's influence has been slowly corrupting him.
• Straw Nihilist: By the time Michael learns he can't go back home, his mind takes a deep downward spiral, viewing everything as pointless and fuelling his feelings of not feeling like he can belong. When he learns from Kaworu that he can go back home by instigating Third Impact, Michael begins plotting to use Unit-01's power to activate it, and viewing the extinction of all life on the planet as "phantoms" and something he has to force himself to accept.
• There's No Place Like Home: Michael's main goal. He desperately wants to go home to his home universe, seeing it as his true home instead of the Evaverse. However, this trope is Deconstructed in terms of how utterly selfish such a motive is. While it is reasonable for one to want to go home, Michael is completele unfettered in how to achieve it, and is especially upset when told he cannot go home by Ritsuko. He is so unfettered about going home, that when given the choice between staying in the Evaverse and causing Third-Impact, Michael barely hesitates to cause Third-Impact, potentially ending not just humanity, but all life on the planet. Ultimately, however, Michael chooses to remain in the Evaverse, wanting to help protect other people.
• Token Minority: Michael is pretty much this to the entire cast. He is the only Black member among a cast of Japanese and half-Japanese people. Justified, though, since not only is he from an entirely different universe, but from a different continent as well, the United States.
• Too Much Alike: Actually the case with Asuka and Michael. Both are sarcastic, Hot-Blooded, are jerks who actually care about those they admire, absolutely hates being pitied and having a hidden sensitive side they like to hide, with the only difference being the relationship with their actual mothers. However, because they are so similar to each other, they are incredibly venomous towards one another, with several characters Lampshade Hanging the fact that they pretty much exist to fight one another.
• Trapped in Another World: The entire conflict of the story revolves around this trope. Michael desperately wants to get to his home universel and is constantly asking Ritsuko for any updates. Though as the story goes on, it becomes readily apparent that going back would be the worst decision, since not only would he lose all the connections he made in the Eva world and revert to The Aloner, but also be a target of abuse for his mother. The only reason he can give as to why he wants to go back is more of a "My Country, Right or Wrong" situation, stating that he belongs there and not in the Eva world. It also becomes a major problem when he breaks Asuka's heart by telling her he would not stay, and instead take the chance to go back, leading her to become hospitalized. Ultimately, though, it doesn't actually matter, as Ritsuko explains that there was never a way for him to go back, making his entire goal completely pointless and unobtainable while also putting Asuka in a coma. However, Kaworu explains that Michael can create a wormhole to travel back home, but the only way to do so is to create Third Impact. Michael, already reaching his Despair Event Horizon, is too apathetic to care about the casualties that will result from it. However, after experiencing and learning people do care about him, he decides to stay in the Evaverse.
• Tragic Keepsake: Michael's plastic cross. After a very heated argument with his mother, Michael made a cross necklace from bits of trash, using it as an anchor for praying, specifically praying for a better life than the one he has now. Later on, he gives the cross to Rei as her own personal keepsake, saying he doesn't need it anymore, with it being gone on his person by the time he wakes up.
• The Unfought: Arael, though only from Michael's perspective, since he was in a coma. It still causes Asuka's Mind Rape, though she is protected by Rei before it gets worse.
  • Iruel, as per usual as well.
• The Unfettered: Michael is completely dedicated to going back home, despite the fact that going home is practically worthless and far from worth it. This behavior is the reason why Asuka's health slowly declines, as he rather prioritize going home then stay with someone he loves.
• Unstoppable Rage: Michael can become incredibly furious when push comes to shove, either that be during an Angel attack or just a common person like Touji. Michael also reveals that this reason is why he didn't make many friends and preferred to be by his lonesome.
• Wants to Be Hated: Michael views himself as a terrible person, and thus tries to enforce this view onto everyone he interacts with so he can be viewed as a despicable person. It's unclear why he does this, but it's heavily implied it comes from his Mother, whose constant verbal and physical abuse has drained his psyche enough that he, despite hating her, actually is starting to believe her words. This is later Lampshaded by Sumire Nagara, who points out that Michael wants people to hate him for pretending to not care about the people sacrificing themselves for him.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: By the final chapter, a lot of characters have ambiguous fates, including Fuyutsuki and Seele, who aren't even mentioned or have their fates spelled out. Akagi presumably dies by Gendo's hand, but this also isn't confirmed.
• We Will Meet Again: Although she doesn't spell it out, Rei says that while she isn't sure if they will meet again, she promises to still try to see Michael again if she can.
• You Know the One: Michael's mom is subjected to this treatment, almost never being referred to as "mom", and only being called "she" instead.
  • Later on, Shinji starts referring to Gendo as "him", paralleling Michael's treatment of his own mom.