Grant snapped awake far earlier than he expected to a roar of engines, he grabbed his pistol and communicator, jumping up towards the window and tearing the curtains aside.

Outside, a dozen VTOL gunships blew past his building towards another part of the city, engines roaring at their maximum forward tilt into the distance. Grant looked past them towards the city center, seeing it was bright with fire.

Grant nearly snapped his communicator as he tried to contact NERV HQ, punching in the numbers.

"This is Lieutenant Hyuga," stated the voice over the line, "What do you need Pri-"

Grant cut him off, "Lieutenant what in the nine hells is going on?"

"I don't know, um, sir."

"You don't know?! The downtown's on fire and a gunship squadron just buzzed my apartment!"

"I'm not aware of anything, sir. I'm not in the command chain, I'm just a communications officer. I'm not authorized to give you any information."

"You're telling me that the entire city is on fire and you don't know why! Emperor's teeth Lieutenant! Scramble my titan, now!"

Grant jammed his thumb into the 'end call' button and threw on his combat uniform, sprinting from his building towards the nearest access point to the Geofront.

The Warlord stepped from the launch cradle, Grant cranking his titan's auspex systems to full power and striding out into the city at flank pace. He had to be careful to step around the emergency vehicles streaming through the city, but he couldn't detect anything resembling an Angel or other enemy contact.

He'd have to keep his plasma cannon powered down, the risk of collateral damage even with an underpowered shot being too great to use with so many civilians around.

"NERV, this is the Warlord," he signaled.

"Go ahead, Warlord."

"I've got nothing on my scopes, did the JSSDF manage to detect anything at the outer defensive lines?"

"Negative," replied the Lieutenant, "We have no indication they even managed to engage anything, just a report of a 'moving object.' "

"Alright, well, I'll clear the city center and return to an access lift. I have no idea how whatever caused this managed to flee auspex range, not to mention evade detection on the way in and out of the city."

"Understood, Warlord."

How could something cause multiple explosions and still escape? The lack of an answer was maddening.

The streets were filled with people fleeing from the fires, many were injured or burned, but most were simply terrified. Grant felt helpless as he watched them run past him, but there was nothing he could do. He returned to the lift and powered down, letting his titan be locked into the rail system as his weapons deactivated.

Grant couldn't find it in himself to sleep, instead staying up until the next morning to head to school. He knew he'd be exhausted by the end of the day, but little was expected of him officially outside fighting whatever, or whoever, threatened NERV.

He was walking down the sidewalk after the public groundcar had dropped him off when he spotted the other pilots down a side street, Asuka behind hazard tape seemingly taunting the others.

With a sigh, he realized he wouldn't be able to avoid them for long, and approached the trio.

"Hello, pilots," he said, taking a sip from his travel mug of caffeine.

"Hey, Grant," Asuka responded with a bit of a nagging tone, "You were out in your titan last night, weren't you? Thinking you could be a hero without us?"

"You lot didn't seem inclined to join me," Grant said, turning to Shinji, "What were you doing while those damned gunships were buzzing about?"

Shinji blushed heavily for a moment, glancing at Asuka, "Uh well, Misato didn't take us over to the Geofront, so I don't think it was our problem."

Rei spoke up, "I was not notified."

Oh, not notified that they should be doing something via the gunship squadrons making combat maneuvers over residential areas and the massive fire?

"Of course," Grant retorted, "NERV's unwillingness to actually fight like a thone damned military force comes back to haunt us."

"I'm sorry, Grant," Shinji said, "I'm not sure what we can do."

"I'm not either, it isn't your fault anyways. I should be taking this up with the Major," Grant replied, realizing his mistake, "I'll talk to Katsuragi sometime this week, hopefully before anything else explodes."

Grant took a moment, realizing Shinji had blushed during that line of questioning. It wasn't directed at him either...

Asuka groaned in mock weariness, "Shinji, Grant, the one who loses rock paper scissors carries the bags the rest of the way to school."

"Eh, I don't want to," groaned Shinji.

The three went through the motions, and Shinji ended up being saddled with the luggage. Grant declined to hand his over, conscious of the hellpistol resting in his bag.

"I heard," said Asuka, moving to the fore of the group, "That a transfer student will be coming today. Why would anyone come to a place like this?"

"That's not our business," said Shinji.

"I mean," Grant replied, "Isn't this city pretty much built around NERV? They're probably the child of a new personnel transfer."

"Princeps, Princeps," Asuka chided, "Always NERV this and combat that with you, at least when the history textbooks aren't making your brain explode."

He sighed, seeing the school ahead, "Sure, Asuka. I won't deny that."

"Rise, bow, be seated!"

Grant pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat, while he hadn't been hit with a full Manifold crash the headaches wouldn't be letting up. He looked up at the head of the class, seeing a person he hadn't before.

"I'm... Kirishima Mana," said the girl, "Nice to meet you."

Suzahara called out from the back, "Nice to meet ya!"

The class laughed, and the teacher motioned for silence, "Okay, calm down everyone. Miss Kirishima, your seat... please sit next to Mr. Schutler."

The Kirishima walked up to the desk next to Grant's and sat, and Grant felt almost all the eyes in the room resting on either him or the new girl.

"You're Schutler, right?" she asked, turning in her seat to look at him. Grant felt his heart skip a beat, and he nodded.

"Er, yes," was his best reply. His brain was in overdrive, how in the nine hells was this of all things making him nervous?

"Well, nice to meet you Schutler," Kirishima smiled back, her pronunciation close to spot on, interesting considering it was her first time meeting him.

Grant couldn't help but smile in return, "Likewise."

As the tone announcing the end of class sounded, Grant packed away his notes and stood from his desk. He glanced towards the back of the room, spotting Suzahara and Kensuke leaving as well. Toji showed a thumbs-up gesture and smiled mischievously as he left, Grant following not too far behind.

Outside the class, Kirishima approached him.

"I'm glad our teacher seems like such a nice person," she said, walking up beside Grant as he continued down the hallway.

Grant turned back towards her, seeing her walking directly beside him.

"Oh, Mr. Yomikawa. He's a great teacher."

The two continued down the hallway a bit further, Kirishima glancing around.

"If you don't mind," she said, the two making eye contact, "Can I hear your first name?"

"Grant," he replied, "Schutler. And yours?"

"Mana," she announced, "Mana Kirishima."

"It's nice to meet you, Mana."

"And you, Grant," Mana paused to think for a few moments, "Can we go to the roof of the school?"

Grant sighed a little, "Sure, I'll show you the way up."

Grant felt a presence behind him, and by the sounds of lamentation coming from Shinji further down the hall, it was probably Asuka.

Without turning, he called out, "Hello pilot Soryu."

"Hey, Grant," Asuka teased, "When did you get so friendly?"

"I've always been friendly," he retorted, "It just doesn't show when you're around."

"I'll keep that in mind Princeps," Asuka replied, "But I think I know what you're thinking."

Grant opted to hold his tongue, "Unless you can to convince Katsuragi to let us fight a duel, I'd suggest you leave me alone."

"Oh, I'd love to see that," Asuka replied, "But I have my own plans for today."

Grant saw Shinji's expression out of the corner of his eye, he seemed a little worried, but Grant nodded in his direction before turning back to Mana as Asuka left.

"Sorry about that," he said as he started up the stairway, "That's Soryu for you."

"I'm not really bothered," Mana replied, giggling, "I think it's funny."

Grant chuckled, "I'm sure it is..."

They made their way up the stairs, and Grant led them to the rooftop.

"Here we are," he said, "I hope you like the view."

"Woah, I've never seen past the city from this high up outside it before," Mana said, a bit awed, "It's pretty."

"That's Tokyo-3 for you, it's beautiful for a fortress."

"I mean behind it, the mountains," Mana said, "There's still trees on some of them."

Grant looked out, seeing the gaps left by the multiple engagements with the Angels, especially the blue one that had given Ikari and Ayanami so much grief.

"It's nice, but you can't help but notice the scars," he sighed, "Even the city, it seems to get new ones every day."

Grant continued, "When I got here, the city was a bit more pristine. Still, it's standing, thankfully, and those aren't open wounds, they're just scars."

"I bet," Mana replied, "I mean, you're part of the reason why. You are a pilot, after all."

"What gave it away? Was it the big piece of metal stuck into my skull?"

"I thought that was cool," Mana replied a bit shyly, "Should I be calling you by some kind of rank?"

Grant laughed, "No, I wouldn't expect you to. I reserve that for when I'm in uniform."

"I'm not sure if I should be envious or relieved," Mana said as she rapped her nails against the railing.

"Why is that," asked Grant.

"I'm just a person living here, I can't help defend the city."

Grant nodded, "I understand. That's a lot to ask of anyone."

"It is," agreed Mana, "I don't want to be a hero, but I don't want to be a victim either."

"We're given opportunities, it's up to us to take them. The Emperor protects."

"The Emperor," Mana repeated, "Who's that?"

Grant paused, "I forget myself sometimes, it's a long story anyways."

"I don't mind," Mana said, "I'm curious."

"I'll tell you sometime," Grant promised, "But not now. Theology has never been my strong suit anyways."

He glanced down at his watch, "Unless you're planning on skipping classes, we should probably get something to eat. I'm starving."

"You're not going to try and make me skip?" Mana asked.

"Not today," Grant smiled, "I have more leeway than most, to be honest, this education is more to humor the other pilots than anything."

"I guess that makes you the only person who gets a free pass," Mana said, "I'm surprised you haven't been expelled."

Grant laughed as he headed towards the doors, "I don't know why the others and NERV worry so much about an education in mathematics. It's a waste of time."

Mana followed him, "You're a pilot, you need that."

"I suppose if I ever give up my princepture, as completely impossible as it is," Grant said, starting down the stairs with Mana in tow, "But what'll come after the Angels are defeated? What will people do then?"

"War, probably," Mana said, "The Evangelions are a new class of superweapon after all."

Grant smiled at that, "Finally, someone understands. I think we'll be good friends Mana..."

He sighed, grumbling quiet enough that Mana couldn't hear, "So long as you can tolerate the others."