Ch. 4: What's that Plate for?
As Brian and Dingo emerged from their Frames, Asuka had one thought in her mind. That though was how much she wanted to hurt those (in her opinion) cocky, arrogant jerks. When the one called Dingo removed his helmet, Asuka could see how he had gotten so good. Dingo looked about 23 years old, and around 6' 2''. His face gave the clear impression that he had years of battle experience. His appearance aloud her to calm down, because she expected that Brian, would look the same way. She was wrong. Brian looked like any normal 16-year-old boy. The only unique thing about him was, he had a metal plate on the back of his neck. This she only saw when he bent his head down to remove his helmet. And she only saw is because it reflected some sun light into her eyes. She then swallowed her anger, for now, and got out to greet the runners.
When Shinji saw Brian, he visibly relaxed. He too had expected both runners to look like Dingo. He was glade he would be working with a kid his age, he also knew that this would mean Dingo was used to kids, and wouldn't hold him too much when he made a mistake, unlike Asuka would, and did. When he saw Asuka getting out of her Eva, he and Rei got out as well. But as he got out he tripped and fell on his face.
Great. Brian thought, just great. I get to work with a clumsy boy, a blue haired albino, and what appears to be a very pissed off girl who looks more suitable for being a cheerleader, and not a combat pilot. Ok, if I remember the data right, clumsy here is Shinji, the albino could be Rei, so that leaves the fireball over there to be Asuka. Lucky me, my gut was probably right; Asuka and me probably won't get along. May be I should try to be nice to her,.. nah. Oh well, could be worse. At least I can finally be around people my age, Dingo's cool, but he's almost always around Ken. It'll be good for me to be around kids my age, even if I don't like them much.
An hour later the group was just finishing the de-briefing.
"Well, Commander Ikari that's about it." Dingo said in a matter of fact voice.
"Very good," said Gendo, "but.. I do have one more question."
"Which is?" asked Dingo, who was eager to get some food.
"That plate on the back of Brian's neck, what is its purpose?"
The door slammed and Dingo found himself alone with the NERV CO who was looking at him impatiently. He saw revenge as he tried to explain Brian's abrupt departure. But he knew he would have done the same thing, given the circumstances.
"Hey you!" said a sharp female voice.
Brian, who had been walking down the wall way very quietly, stopped and turned around.
"What is it," Brain said in an under tone, "Asuka, is it?"
"Ya, that's my name, what's with that plate on your neck? I noticed it when you took your helmet off."
"I don't wana talk about it."
"Oh, and why is that? You some kinda cyborg?"
"That's none of your concern."
Brian then turned his back on Asuka and continued to walk, a mistake Shinji had mad several times before.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Asuka yelled as she attempted to land a punch on the back of his head. But she stopped when she heard a voice.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you little girl," said a voice that made Brian stop and turn around.
"Hi Ken. When you get here? By the way Dingo's in the room on the right side of the wall way."
Ken, a 19 year old girl, who almost every Orbital Frame Runner knew had a huge crush on Dingo smiled. "Thanks. Who's your friend Brian?"
"I'm not his friend! And don't tell me who I can or can not punch!"
"Oh, I'm not telling you anything, more than just a warning. Brian is kind of, touchy on that particular subject, and you, er.don't want to see him, er. react if you, touch that panel."
"Shut up Ken! She doesn't need to know about any of this. It's bad enough Dingo told you, because he was there, and I thought he could keep his mouth shut."
"Please Ken, tell me. Please."
Ken sighed, " I you want to know look it up. Run a search on nanobots and Anubis."
Brian glared at Ken as she walked into to the de-briefing room to join Dingo.
As Brian and Dingo emerged from their Frames, Asuka had one thought in her mind. That though was how much she wanted to hurt those (in her opinion) cocky, arrogant jerks. When the one called Dingo removed his helmet, Asuka could see how he had gotten so good. Dingo looked about 23 years old, and around 6' 2''. His face gave the clear impression that he had years of battle experience. His appearance aloud her to calm down, because she expected that Brian, would look the same way. She was wrong. Brian looked like any normal 16-year-old boy. The only unique thing about him was, he had a metal plate on the back of his neck. This she only saw when he bent his head down to remove his helmet. And she only saw is because it reflected some sun light into her eyes. She then swallowed her anger, for now, and got out to greet the runners.
When Shinji saw Brian, he visibly relaxed. He too had expected both runners to look like Dingo. He was glade he would be working with a kid his age, he also knew that this would mean Dingo was used to kids, and wouldn't hold him too much when he made a mistake, unlike Asuka would, and did. When he saw Asuka getting out of her Eva, he and Rei got out as well. But as he got out he tripped and fell on his face.
Great. Brian thought, just great. I get to work with a clumsy boy, a blue haired albino, and what appears to be a very pissed off girl who looks more suitable for being a cheerleader, and not a combat pilot. Ok, if I remember the data right, clumsy here is Shinji, the albino could be Rei, so that leaves the fireball over there to be Asuka. Lucky me, my gut was probably right; Asuka and me probably won't get along. May be I should try to be nice to her,.. nah. Oh well, could be worse. At least I can finally be around people my age, Dingo's cool, but he's almost always around Ken. It'll be good for me to be around kids my age, even if I don't like them much.
An hour later the group was just finishing the de-briefing.
"Well, Commander Ikari that's about it." Dingo said in a matter of fact voice.
"Very good," said Gendo, "but.. I do have one more question."
"Which is?" asked Dingo, who was eager to get some food.
"That plate on the back of Brian's neck, what is its purpose?"
The door slammed and Dingo found himself alone with the NERV CO who was looking at him impatiently. He saw revenge as he tried to explain Brian's abrupt departure. But he knew he would have done the same thing, given the circumstances.
"Hey you!" said a sharp female voice.
Brian, who had been walking down the wall way very quietly, stopped and turned around.
"What is it," Brain said in an under tone, "Asuka, is it?"
"Ya, that's my name, what's with that plate on your neck? I noticed it when you took your helmet off."
"I don't wana talk about it."
"Oh, and why is that? You some kinda cyborg?"
"That's none of your concern."
Brian then turned his back on Asuka and continued to walk, a mistake Shinji had mad several times before.
"Don't turn your back on me!" Asuka yelled as she attempted to land a punch on the back of his head. But she stopped when she heard a voice.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you little girl," said a voice that made Brian stop and turn around.
"Hi Ken. When you get here? By the way Dingo's in the room on the right side of the wall way."
Ken, a 19 year old girl, who almost every Orbital Frame Runner knew had a huge crush on Dingo smiled. "Thanks. Who's your friend Brian?"
"I'm not his friend! And don't tell me who I can or can not punch!"
"Oh, I'm not telling you anything, more than just a warning. Brian is kind of, touchy on that particular subject, and you, er.don't want to see him, er. react if you, touch that panel."
"Shut up Ken! She doesn't need to know about any of this. It's bad enough Dingo told you, because he was there, and I thought he could keep his mouth shut."
"Please Ken, tell me. Please."
Ken sighed, " I you want to know look it up. Run a search on nanobots and Anubis."
Brian glared at Ken as she walked into to the de-briefing room to join Dingo.