So I'm re-uploading my first ever fic in a hopefully much improved format, if you read the original this version first I apologise and second I hope you enjoy this one. As always please review just at least some element of constructiveness would be appreciated. I do believe that's all. Thank you and enjoy
James walked quietly besides Ritsuko Akagi, the doctor who had examined him upon his arrival.
"Since you're here the commander wants us to run a test in your Eva so we'll get that out of the way and then you can meet the other children." Ritsuko said as they walked down yet another corridor.
"I'm not a child." James growled angrily
"I guess you're not but you are only 14 so you're going to have to get used to being called one." Ritsuko retorted calmly.
James glared at her back for a few seconds before realising she was right and grimacing.
A few minutes later James was being shown into a simple locker room where a black and red plug suit hung on the door of a locker with a set of written instructions about how to put it on next to it.
Throwing the useless instructions over his shoulder James set about getting changed.
Emerging only a few minutes later than he should have James found himself confronted by not one but two attractive females, Ritsuko was now accompanied by a purple-haired woman.
They stopped their conversation as James stepped through the door.
"Hello I'm Misato I'll be the person in charge of any operations you and the other ch-pilots will undertake." She greeted him with a slightly forced smile.
James just nodded silently.
"Let's get going Unit-05 is ready and waiting." Ritsuko said before setting off down the corridor again.
"Mächtige Zuschlag." James spoke up from the back
"What are you talking about?" Misato asked confused
"My Eva, its name is Mächtige Zuschlag, Mighty Hammer." James explained.
"Ah yes I forgot about that." Ritsuko said in a tone clearly indicating she thought it was stupid as they walked into the Eva hangars.
"I can see why you called it Mighty Hammer." Misato murmured the photos she'd seen not really comparing to the real thing.
Standing five metres taller than any of the other Eva's and much heavier set it was an intimidating sight, the armour plates covering its arms and legs clearly defined the massive bulges of muscle beneath them.
"Right James I'm assuming you've been told about this and what you need to do." Ritsuko said patting the plug jutting out of Mächtige Zuschlag's back.
James nodded again eager to get started.
"Then get in and we'll start the test soon." Ritsuko said
James jumped into the plug quickly, taking a few seconds to set himself correctly he nodded at the man waiting to close the hatch.
Ritsuko walked into the control room to find Asuka glaring at a monitor while Shinji peered curiously over her shoulder and Rei calmly looked out the viewing window at the massive black Eva.
"Asuka, Shinji, Rei." Ritsuko said, ready for when Asuka spun on her heel.
"Why the hell is his Eva different to every other one?" Asuka exploded
"One: because your Eva are designed as Multi-purpose decisive weapons while his is designed as…basically a walking battering ram and two: it was designed and made by the German branch so no one here had control of how it was designed." Ritsuko said quickly not letting Asuka interrupt her.
"So, what's he like?" Shinji asked once Asuka had returned to glaring at the new pilot waiting somewhat impatiently in his plug.
"I don't know I've only known him 15 minutes longer than you have, you'll have to ask Kaji." Ritsuko said before ending the conversation by ordering the synch test to start.
Asuka had turned around at the mention of Kaji but stayed quiet as all the monitors in the room lit up.
After several minutes of confusing babble the three children heard the one thing they did understand.
"Synch rate is…adequate." Maya said looking concernedly at her monitor
"How adequate is adequate?" Asuka demanded. Ritsuko ignored her as she leant over Maya's shoulder to look at the monitor.
"This may not even be enough but we'll just have to hope it is." Ritsuko said to no one in particular before standing up hitting the button that opened communication between her and James.
"Ok James everything's set, try and move." Ritsuko said her gaze bouncing between the various monitors and Mächtige Zuschlag itself.
James nodded slowly.
The control room was silent except for the various beeps from several consoles as Mächtige Zuschlag's leg moved forward less than half a step.
"Well that's better than nothing." Maya said quietly as Ritsuko talked to James
"How does it feel James? Your synch rate is low but is there anything that feels wrong or uncomfortable?" She asked.
"It feels, heavy." James said
"His voice matches his face at least." Asuka said to no one but Shinji knew he had to respond.
"What do you mean?" He asked
"It's ugly." Asuka said with a toss of her hair.
Shinji didn't think it sounded that bad but he couldn't disagree that he was ugly, the scars on his face standing out sharply, he was snapped out his thought as Mächtige Zuschlag took a huge step forward.
James' chuckle filled the silent control room
"Maybe a bit less force this time." Ritsuko said calmly.
James grinned in excitement as he moved the other leg up to finish the step, he could feel the power in the bio-mech. Taking another step he stumbled but managed to right himself with help from the wall.
"Ok James that's enough for today" Ritsuko said popping his bubble of excitement
"Shouldn't I practice more?" James asked hoping for more time
"You can practice tomorrow after school." Ritsuko said
"Fine." James grumbled slowly walking Mächtige Zuschlag back to the position it started in.
Emerging from the locker room James found himself facing two attractive females…and a boy.
"Ah James this is Asuka and Shinji you'll be living with the three of us." Misato said
"Hello." Shinji said
"…Hi." James replied
Misato destroyed the awkward silence by leading them all outside and into her car. The ride to her apartment was accompanied by a strained silence as no one else knew what to say and James wasn't interested in starting a conversation.
Arriving the rest piled out leaving James to follow more slowly, entering the "messy" apartment James looked around with a sneer of distaste on his face.
"I'm sorry I try to clean up but it just gets dirty again." Shinji said from a doorway leading into the kitchen
"Don't apologise for something that isn't your fault." James said
"Why not?" Shinji asked
"Because then people will think it's your fault…where am I sleeping?" James asked
"Oh I don't know you'll have to ask Misato." Shinji said
James went looking for Misato without saying anything.
He found her emerging from her room in shorts and shirt that covered significantly less than it should have.
"What do you want James?" Misato asked
"Where am I sleeping?" James asked after giving himself half a second to admire the body in front of him.
"Oh uhh I hadn't thought of that. I guess you'll have to sleep in Shinji's room…I think I have a spare futon around here somewhere." Misato said scratching her head absentmindedly.
"Ok…Where is Shinji's room?" James asked
"Oh down the hallway it's one of the doors at the end." Misato said cheerily before moving past him and into the kitchen.
Walking down the hallway James picked a door at random and opened it giving himself a very nice view of Asuka with her shirt over her face.
James was still watching when she pulled it off and saw him, they stood still for a second as Asuka stared back in surprise before exploding
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" She screamed before running forward and slamming her foot into his stomach.
James grunted and as he was pushed back half a step.
Asuka stared at him in surprise again before covering herself with her arms and glaring at him
"Aren't you going to apologise?" She said
"No." James replied
"What? Why not?" Asuka asked angrily as she quickly grabbed a shirt and held it in front of her.
"Because I'm not sorry." James replied with a lopsided grin.
"GET THE HELL OUT OF MY ROOM!" Asuka yelled as she slammed the door shut.
James chuckled to himself before opening the other door to find an empty room. Stepping into it he looked around before shrugging and setting himself up in a corner.
Sitting up against a wall he let his mind wander to thoughts of home until they overwhelmed him and he stood up violently before getting into a push up position and working out until his mind was numb with exhaustion and his body couldn't keep itself awake.
Shinji opened the door to his room quietly, seeing James sleeping on the floor he took a cautious step inside. James was on his feet before Shinji could take a second one.
"Oh, just you." James said rubbing his eyes before shaking his head and walking to where he'd decided to sleep.
"I didn't mean to wake you up." Shinji said
"Its fine, where I come from if you don't wake up fast you die fast." James said
"Where are you from?" Shinji asked
"You didn't get told? I was born and raised in South Africa." James said before yawning
"South Africa? Isn't that…frozen?" Shinji asked trying to remember his geography lessons.
"Yeah pretty much but I was in the greatest tribe in South Africa so we always had food and fire and shit like that." James said his tiredness making him more open than normal.
"Tribe?" Shinji asked from his bed
"Well yeah there wasn't enough anything to support even a town so everyone was either in a tribe or died very quickly." James said
"And yours was the biggest?" Shinji asked his curiosity getting the better of him.
"No we weren't the biggest we were the best but I'm tired and want to sleep now." James said as his brain finally comprehended what they were talking about. Shinji looked disappointed but rolled over and closed his eyes anyway.
"Hey Shinji." James said from the floor.
"Yeah?" Shinji said as he rolled over confused
"Do you have a spare pillow or something? Germany made me soft." James said looking up from the bare floor he'd commandeered.
"Uhh yeah but why are you on the floor?" Shinji asked as he got up to check his cupboard
"Nowhere else to sleep." James said
"Oh well here you go." Shinji said chucking a pillow to James.
"Thanks." James said
"Can I ask one more question?" Shinji asked once he'd gotten into his bed
"If you must." James said
"Your scars look like they were done on purpose." Shinji said
"That's not a question but yes they were done on purpose but I'm not telling you what they're for yet." James said as he got comfortable.
"Ok…Goodnight." Shinji said
James just grunted