Evangelion - Exodus
Episode Five: A Perfect Roommate
By Jonathan Jordan
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3
"Pilots have all reached the cockpit of their entry plugs."
"Good. Initiate test sequence Echo-Bravo-Alpha." orders the Senior Technician.
"Yes ma'am." replies the long haired man at the terminal.
He deftly types the command sequence into the computer and the lights in the adjoining room dim. Within the now darkened room is nothing more than three entry plugs, removed from any Evangelion units. They are each individually numbered, and each contains the diminutive body of one of the Eva pilots.
The lab which houses the machinery used for these tests is in many ways a contrast of the other room. Where the other room is dark, this room is flooded with light. The other room is nearly empty, while this is crowded with various pieces of machinery. Pacing at the back of the room is Maya Ibuki, Senior Technician of NERV since the untimely death of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi a few months back.
Her second in command, Shigeru Aoba, is monitoring the progress of the tests. "Test sequence running. All pilot vitals are optimal. Synch ratios at 90%"
"Introduce a variable. We want to see how well these ratios stand up against stressful situations. Increase variance by 2 degrees."
"Yes ma'am."
*****
Inside the entry plug numbered 14, Nicholas sits and flips the switch on his radio. He cycles through all of the different frequencies and channels on the radio with a look of frustration on his face. The color from his spiked hair, blue today, is beginning to permeate the LCL surrounding him, changing it from the normal yellow to some sickening green. ~Come on. This thing has to be able to pick up radio stations just as easily as communications. These tests are boring. I need some good techno beats to keep me awake.~
Inside the plug labeled 15, Yumiko is sitting and patiently waiting for further orders. Occasionally Nicholas can be herd muttering something about music over the radio as he flips through the communications channels. She does not bother responding, or even telling him off for his behavior. She just rolls her eyes.
The final plug, labeled 04, holds Lance. Of the three of them, he is the most noticeably nervous. He fidgets and squirms in his seat, idly flipping switches and pushing buttons. He sighs to himself, his thoughts drifting toward Angela again (as they have been ever since she died).
The radios in all three plugs crackle to life. "The testing has begun. Nick, Yumi, you both know what to do. Lance, you just need to concentrate on connection. Like if you were really piloting your unit. We will be introducing some stimuli to the procedure to simulate combat situations. Just attempt to adapt as best you can. Nobody is expecting you to have great results this time around, so don't worry if you find it difficult. And Nick, stop playing with the radio."
Everything falls silent, and the tow children and a young man begin their tests.
*****
"Variance implemented. Synch ratings are now as follows: #14: 75%. #15: 88%. #04: ...that can't be right."
"What is it Aoba?" asks Dr. Ibuki.
"His synch ratio. It's remained at 90%. There wasn't even a moment of fluctuation. He has maintained his ratio."
"How? Even Shin...the Third Child did not have ratings like that. Could this be a computer glitch?"
"It's possible, but everything seems to be in order."
"I will want a copy of the results of this session to examine later."
"Yes ma'am."
*****
It is nearly an hour later that the tests end. While the technicians perform their last second calculations and general wrap-up of the tests, the pilots head off to the NERV showers to clean up.
Lance and Nicholas are sitting on the bench in front of their lockers, pulling out their street clothes. They are both still steaming from the shower and are wrapped in towels. Lance has already taken the time to put his trademark cowboy hat on, even before pulling his pants out to get dressed. Nicholas similarly has postponed dressing to don some brightly colored strings of beads and to reapply the color to his hair.
"So, what did you think of your first synch test?"
"Wasn't my first. I've been doin' these for a while. Preparation for the actual pilotin' of Unit-04. This was just the first that had other people testin' at the same time."
The Sixth Child turns to look at his Texan companion. "Still, it must have been different enough to be like a first time..."
Lance shrugs. "I suppose. Wasn't much of anything special for me."
Nicholas opens his mouth to say something else, when a small Japanese girl rounds the corner. She has her mouth open, as if she too was about to speak, when she suddenly blushes a deep crimson and turns to face away from the two young men.
"Gawd, you two, get dressed already."
Nicholas smirks. "What's wrong Yumiko? Afraid you might like what you see?" He proceeds to remove his towel and toss it over her head. She rips the towel off of her head with a sound indicating her displeasure. Lance can't help but laugh at this.
The seventh Child whirls on her heels, towel in hand, and storms over to stand face to face with Lance. She glares down at him, her short stature doing little to aid in her attempt at intimidation.
"What are you laughing at?"
Trying hard to stifle his laughter, he responds. "Just that...well...it's funny to see you get all worked up over nothin'."
"Nothing? You think this is nothing?"
He nods. "That's the short of it, yeah."
Before she can retort, Nicholas clears his throat. "Um, a little privacy Yumi. Some of us still need to get dressed." She looks up to see him standing in front of her, wearing nothing more than a smile and a strategically placed washcloth. "And, can I have my towel back now?"
The young girl gives another angry noise as she throws the towel back at him and leaves to the sound of the two boys laughing.
*****
The view screen on the tiny machine in front of Annabelle Oliver flickers to life with the press of a button. She silently stares at the static on the monitor. Watching a single line form at the bottom of the screen, then creep its way up until disappearing at the top, only to return her eyes to the bottom to find another line forming. She finds it soothing, relaxing even, to just allow the screen to remain unfilled. It is peaceful to hear the snowy hiss of an unopened communications line.
But, she has work to do. She doesn't allow herself more than a moment of this bliss before she dials in the code for a secure line, then the number to connect her with the base in Nevada.
There is another minute of silence and static as the call is routed and the other side of the connection is answered. The black and white chaos of the static fades into a technicolor jumble, which congeals into the image of Commander Young at NERV-02.
"Sub-commander Oliver, what do you have to report?"
"I have the final analysis of the battle during our flight to Japan. Our first suspicion was that it was an Angel attack. However, after speaking with Commander Fuyutski and receiving a briefing on events that have transpired during our period of missing time, we cannot be sure. All readings indicated Angel, but the prophecies have all been fulfilled. The last Angel was defeated months ago."
"Any speculation on what this new threat could be?"
"I have rechecked the data from the battle. There is one slight discrepancy between the AT Field produced by this beast and the AT Fields of the original Angels. All readings matched, save for the slight variance in the spectrographic particle wave. We are still going over the data to see if we can determine what the hell that thing was. If you will pardon my language, Sir."
The commander smiles. "No apology necessary. How are other things going?"
"Most of the team have acclimated well. There are a couple techs that have had some difficulty with the systems here. Mr. Murphy has likewise had a good deal of difficulty fitting in. We are working on solving these problems. Everyone is still having a difficult time dealing with the loss of Lt. Evans."
The screen shows the commander nodding. "What about you? How are you doing?"
"I am doing fine, Commander. Commander Fuyutski is very accommodating of my needs. My work is going along as scheduled."
"That isn't what I mean, Anna. How are you holding up?"
She doesn't answer for a moment, her face a mask of emotions. When she does speak, her voice is soft. "It...has been hard. Lt. Evans and I were not what I would call friends, but I did like her. She was a good person. Her death...it was so sudden and pointless. It is hard to hold it all together, but I have to stay strong to keep the rest of the team from falling apart."
Commander Young responds with a sigh. "The curse of leadership. You know that if you need someone, I am here for you."
"I do. Thank you, Charles." She composes herself, wiping the tears that have begun to form in her eyes away and sitting up straight. "End of Report. If there is nothing further, I have a meeting with the commander in 15 minutes."
"No, that will be all. I will check in with you in 3 days for an update. Commander Young out."
The screen goes blank, returning to the static from earlier. Annabelle leans back in he chair, closing her eyes. She begins to cry, her body trembling as the soft crackle of static fills the room.
*****
Lance is sitting alone in an open area of the NERV complex. He is relaxing beneath a tree, enjoying the early spring air as he fiddles with a guitar. He plays bits and pieces of a variety of songs, never completing one before jumping to the next. With no one else around, he has lowered his facade of happiness to let his true feelings show. There is a mixture of sadness and anxiety beneath the surface he portrays, and it is starting the leak through.
"That's not too bad." says a voice from slightly behind him. With a start, he strikes a sour note and stops playing. Turning to see who it was that spoke to him, Lance sees Yumiko standing a few feet off.
She speaks again. "I'm surprised. You are actually good at something."
He give a very fake and sarcastic smile. "Well, thank you so much. I will take that as a compliment, even though I am more skilled than you probably realize."
"You can't pilot an Eva."
"What are you talkin' about? I have, can, and still will pilot and Eva. Unless you forgot about the reason I'm here to begin with. I'm pretty good at it too, if today's tests mean anything"
"You may be good in the tests, and you may be allowed to control Unit-04. But, you are not a true Eva pilot. You never will be. Nicholas and I were chosen for this because it is our destiny to be Eva pilots. You, on the other hand, are only using your Eva until a suitable child can be found."
Lance is stunned into silence momentarily. "You come all the way out here to tell me this? That I'm not good enough to be one of you?"
"Actually, no. I came here because this is one of my favorite areas to just sit and think. It was just luck that you were here."
"I'll let you have it then. No reason to stay here and be insulted further."
He packs away his guitar and walks back toward the main building. Yumiko sits down under the tree, in the spot Lance just vacated, and stares at him as he leaves. Then she turns toward the horizon and watches the sun creep along the edge of the geofront.
"It's going to be a nice day" she mutters to herself as she leans back to enjoy the scenery.
*****
"That new guy is amazing, isn't he?"
The two men sitting with Makoto Akiyama grin. "You would say that, Akiyama." says the one with longer hair.
"What's that supposed to mean Aoba?"
The other man responds. "Isn't it obvious? We can all tell you have an interest in him."
"Yeah," says Aoba "I've seen the way you look at him."
The young woman glares at the two me. "You're one to talk Hyuga. What about you and Major Katsuragi?" Almost as soon as she says this, she realizes her mistake. Ever since Misato was killed in the attack on NERV, the mention of her name has been a definite taboo. She was well liked by everyone who worked with her, and even more so by Hyuga. "Look...I'm sorry about that I shouldn't have brought her up."
The other man simply shakes his head. "No, it's ok. We lost a lot of people that day. It has been a few months since the attack. The city has begun to rebuild. It's time we all got over our losses and moved on."
They all fall silent at this. Each is lost in their thoughts. Around them, the regular business of NERV continues on as if the three of them are not even there. In the background, the sounds of computers processing and people typing at keyboards can be heard.
Hyuga breaks their silence. "He is impressive, though."
Aoba nods in agreement. "Yeah. Better than the other two are. If he wasn't too old, I'd be sure he was supposed to be one of the actual Evangelion pilots."
"Even with his age, he would make a much better Sixth Child than the one we have. That Nicholas kid is lucky to get his Eva moving at all, let alone be useful in a fight. At least Yumiko, the Seventh Child, is competent." responds Hyuga.
"That's really unfair, and you know it. Nicholas may not be as good at Ikari, or Ayanami, or Soryu. But, neither is Yumiko. You don't do them justice by comparing them to the original three." scolds Akiyama.
"The new guy stands up to comparison with the first three." Says Hyuga.
"He's special, though." responds Akiyama.
The other two men laugh. "You should just ask him out and get it over with, Makoto. Save all of us the trouble of hearing you go on about him."
She blushes. "I couldn't do that. Didn't you hear? The woman who died in the Angel attack on their flight here. He was dating her. It is just in bad taste to ask him out so soon after that."
"Why don't you three get back to work, and save your personal lives for after we are done here?"
All three technicians slink down in their seats and turn to look at Dr. Ibuki. She has a half grin on her face as she continues. "Come on guys. We have a lot of work to get done with the contingent from NERV-02 here. Let's just try to get finished with today's tasks, and we can all talk about the new arrivals afterwards."
*****
Above ground, and outside of the area once covered by the geofront, in what was once a residential section of Tokyo-3, lies a partially intact apartment complex. There is very little left after the destruction wrought by SEELE during their attack on NERV. Everyone has abandoned this particular section of the city. Even squatters find nothing of importance here.
This is why the movement within one of the old apartments is so unexpected.
The place itself is a charred husk of what it once was. There is little left to identify who the previous tenant was, before the attack. Scattered pieces of clothing, a melted phone, some burned pictures. This is all that remains of the life of Misato Katsuragi.
There is even less to commemorate the lives of Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu. Of them, nothing remains but a tattered old doll and a pair of headphones.
In the area that used to serve as a kitchen and dining area, there lies an overturned mini-fridge. The contents, a number of cans of beer and instant curries, lie spilled over the floor. Among the sealed containers, and not-so-sealed containers, are the rotting remains of a large number of fish.
It is here that the movement originates. Rooting through the fetid mess of fish is a small black and white shape. It digs around until a relatively intact fish is found in the pile. The small penguin gulps the fish down hungrily. This ritual of digging for semi-intact fish and eating them continues for a few more minutes before the bird stands and steps away from the pile.
It lets out a soft noise, almost sounding like a cough, before waddling to the twisted remains of another mini-fridge. Wriggling through the opening where the door has become bent out, preventing it from opening or closing but allowing a small opening nonetheless. Under normal circumstances, this feat would not have been possible. However, given his recent diet, Pen-Pen is able to fit his malnourished body inside with little effort.
He looks at the picture of Misato on his floor, the only picture of her to survive the apartment's destruction, and croaks out a sad squawk before lying down to sleep.
*****
Lance is wandering the halls of NERV with no real destination in mind. His mind has once again begun to wander toward thoughts about recent events. The test of Unit-04. His first fight with an Angel. The death of Angela. The transition to life in Japan these past few days.
It is enough to give him a headache.
The arrival of the always boisterous Nicholas does very little to remedy this. Lance smiles at the younger boy, while internally cursing his luck. he keeps walking, allowing Nicholas to fall into step beside him.
"Lance! Did you get the message yet?"
"Message? What the hell are you talkin' about?"
"The commanders have been looking for you. They are going to be moving you to off base housing."
Lance stops short, looking over toward the young pilot. "They're movin' me? Why?"
"Well, since your Japanese is still weak, and you haven't been fully trained in the operations of an Evangelion, the command staff has decided to place you with someone to bring you up to speed."
"What're you sayin'?"
"Think about it man. You need to live with someone who knows how to pilot. Who better than the only American to pilot an Eva?"
Understanding dawns on Lance's face as the words sink in. "So, they're gonna be stickin' me with you?"
Nicholas nods.
"That would be great. Yer becomin' a good friend, even if you are still just a kid." Lance playfully punches Nicolas in the arm with a laugh. Nicholas grins and hits back as they continue down the hall. "You really think they'd let us do that though? I mean, it ain't like you would be very good for teachin' me about Japan or nothin'."
"Hey, just telling you what I heard. nobody said you needed to learn about Japan. At least, not while I was listening. It's as good as..."
His response is cut short as the entire building shakes. The lights flicker, then everything goes red and an alarm starts to blare.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL PERSONEL ARE TO REPORT TO THIER STATIONS IMMEDIATELY. POSSIBLE ANGEL ATTACK. REPEAT, ALL PERSONEL TO THIER STATIONS, WE HAVE ANGEL ATTACK."
The two young men stand dumbfounded as the people around them spring into action. Nicholas looks over at lance. "Did they just say Angel attack?"
"Sounds like it. We better head off to our Evas or somethin'."
The boy nods and they break into a sprint toward the hangar bay housing their Evangelion Units.
*****
The black and white tripod of a creature rears up on two of its legs, bringing the third down hard on the Central Headquarters of NERV. There is a thunderous crash with the impact. The ground surrounding the building shakes, causing the transports parked nearby to bounce off the ground from he force of the shockwave.
Again and again the Angel pummels the building before it. With each successive hit, more of the outer facade of the structure is demolished, crumbling away in clouds of fine dust. The armored superstructure beneath the surface likewise begins to give, denting and buckling in with each impact. Cracks begin to form along areas of the building, and the Angel continues to attack.
It is relentless. Somewhere inside this building, it knows there lies the thing that it seeks. It must achieve its goal at any cost. There will be success, or there will be death. It knows this, accepts it.
It does not plan on failing. Failure is not an option for Anthriel, the Angel of Balance. Not like its brother Angel. Not like Ambriel, Angel of Communication.
It pauses in its attack. Something approaches...
*****
The levels of NERV's underground facilities fly past as the Eva Unit-15 launches. The last hatch opens, allowing the cat-like Eva to step out of the cage and face the three legged Angel. Inside, Yumiko Aiharu sits at the controls. She is most definitely not happy.
~Where the hell are those two? I can't take this thing by myself. My Unit isn't made to fight like this.~
She doesn't have enough time to think on the subject further as the Angel ceases its attack on NERV to face her. There is a moment of stillness while the two foes evaluate each other. The Angel is the first to make a move, stomping on the ground with such force, the earth literally rolls in a wave out from the impact. The Eva Unit is caught off balance by this, falling over.
Yumiko frantically wills her Eva to get up. It struggles to regain its footing, reaching behind its back and drawing a long cylinder. With a flick of the wrist, the cylinder has extended out to a full length staff, sized for an Evangelion. Another hand movement and prog knife blade flips out of one end of the staff. Yumiko directs it to spin the staff in one hand and crouch into a fighting stance.
The Angel advances on the Unit. Each step makes a thunderous noise and causes the ground to shake. Yumiko swears to herself as Unit-15 stumbles with each step taken by the Angel. She has to concentrate her full attention on just staying on her feet, let alone thinking of attacking the behemoth. The closer the Angel gets, the harder this is to maintain.
~If I can just stay standing long enough to get it within reach of my weapon...~
Her hopes fall short when the Angel stops just out of her reach. Almost as soon as it has stopped, the gigantic tripod seems to crouch down. Then it jumps high into the air, landing with a deafening crash.
The earth shakes and shudders. A nearby building, one of the new high-rise buildings built in the reconstruction of Tokyo-3, topples on top of the unsteady Unit-15. The prog spear is knocked from its hands and clatters to the ground 20 feet away.
The Angel looms over the fallen Eva. It lifts one foot, pausing to redistribute weight to increase the power of the attack. Yumiko struggles and fights to free herself from the rubble, or to eject her entry plug. It is all to no avail. There is a slight ripple through the Angel's skin, and it's foot drops toward the head of the tan Evangelion.
Only, it never connects. Yumiko opens her eyes, not having even realized that she had closed them in the first place. The angel is still looming over her, but it is now missing a leg.
Standing just next to Unit-15's head, and aiming its gun at the Angel, is the silver form of Unit-04.
*****
NERV, Central Dogma.
The three techs are at their stations monitoring the battle. In the shadowy recesses of the room, Commander Fuyutski and NERV-02 Sub-commander Oliver are likewise watching the battle with great interest.
"Commander, are you sure it is wise to send Unit-04 out? Lance is not even an actual pilot. He is just fulfilling a temporary role until a suitable candidate can be found."
"Ms. Oliver, I assure you that I know what I am doing. While your Mr. Murphy may not be a pilot, he is the only one with the proper skills to man an Eva who has also faced an Angel before. Remember, the other two have been trained to face human foes."
*****
Inside Unit-04, Lance is trying desperately to stop shaking. He is not very successful with this.
~This isn't right. I shouldn't be out here. Every time I get inside this thing, something goes wrong. First the accident at NERV-02, then Angela's death. What am I going to foul up this time?~
He stands over the prone form of Unit-15, keeping his rifle trained on the black and white tripod (minus one leg) before him. Neither Eva unit, nor the Angel itself, moves. Each gauges the potential strength of its foe. The radio inside the cockpit crackles to life.
Yumiko's voice is heard over the line. "What are you doing out here, and where is Nicholas?"
"Hell if I know. On both counts. I don't think I should even be out here. Like you have pointed out to me, I ain't a pilot. I don't belong here."
"Well, just try not to get in the way, all right? Nicholas and I are trained for this, you aren't."
"Fine by me. I got no problem bein' back-up to y'all."
"Good. Now, help me get out of this rubble. I have an Angel to kill."
*****
Nicholas, at the controls of Unit-14, covers behind a building and watches the stand-off between the other Evas and the Angel. His trembling inside the entry plug causes the LCL to ripple and distort his vision. He scolds himself for being such a coward when his friends, old and new, need him to aid them. He just can't seem to will himself to move from his hiding spot. Try as he might, his legs will not move.
He watches at Unit-04 cautiously kneels at the side of the partially buried Unit-15. It sets the rifle it was aiming at the Angel down and begins to remove the rubble from Unit-15. The Angel does not move, for reasons only it can fathom. The silver Eva has little trouble removing the ruined building from the tan Eva.
Nicholas watches the proceedings in awe. His gaze shifts between the prone form of the Angel and the two other Evangelions at work. He gasps as the Angel's skin begins to twitch and the black and white pattern on it begins to swirl. The body of the creature begins to bubble up. The Sixth Child is struck numb at the sight.
~The Angel is reforming its missing leg. Lance and Yumi don't see it. I have to warn them...~
He charges from his hiding place, gun blazing, as he flips on his radio. "LOOK OUT!"
*****
"What is going on?" asks Makoto Akiyama.
"The Angel...it's regrouping, and the pilots are not prepared. They're going to be destroyed!" says Aoba.
"No. Look. The Sixth Child. He's flanking it." says Hyuga.
*****
"LOOK OUT!" comes the voice of Nicholas over the radio, causing both Lance and Yumiko to look up with a start. The sight before them is unsettling, to say the least. The Angel has begun to reform, a new leg growing from the stump that remains from it's severed leg. The new leg is almost completely reformed, when the Angel is knocked off of its feet by a streak of yellow as Unit-14 slams into it.
"Hurry up! Get her out of there and help me!" comes Nicholas's voice over the radio.
This pulls to other two back to their task at hand. Eva Unit-04 is literally throwing the rubble off of the trapped Skirmisher Unit. The catlike Eva is likewise struggling against the fallen blocks entrapping it, causing dust to rise as they begin to give way.
With one last push, the mortar and brick trapping the Eva fly off and Unit-15 is once again on its feet. It dives to the side, landing in a roll that ends with it on its feet, holding its prog spear and ready to attack. Rising to its feet, the skirmisher twirls its spear in one hand. It advances on the Angel, which is still struggling with Unit-14.
"Lay down covering fire. I'm going in for the core." Yumiko radios to Lance.
He commands Unit-04 to pick up the rifle and opens fire. The bullets bounce harmlessly off of the Angel's AT Field. He is forced to start and stop firing the gun as the struggling mass that is Unit-14 and the Angel, locked in a deadly grapple, shifts position.
"Dammit, Nick. Get yer ass outta there. You're makin' this more difficult than it has to be." yells Lance.
The following minutes are made up of a chaotic scene. Through the gunfire and thunderous noise of physical impacts, through the horrific screaming produced by the Eva series and the sound of metal on metal produced by hitting an AT Field with a weapon, through all of the blood and dust and bullets, the battle reaches its conclusion.
When the dust settles, the final victor can be seen. Lying on the ground are the remains of the Angel, shredded to ribbons of tattered flesh. Standing victorious over it is Unit-15, minus about 50% of its armor plating, yet still defiantly holding the prog spear. Behind this are what is left of Unit-14 and Unit-04. Both have taken many hits, some obviously from the Angel but an equal number from bullet or prog knife or spear. Inside the Eva Units, the pilots are all breathing heavy and tending to their own wounds.
"Well, that didn't go too bad." says Nicholas as they head back to NERV.
*****
"That was the worst display of teamwork I have seen in ages. The three of you fought as if you were the only one in the battle, with little regard for your fellow teammates. Starting next week, we will be adding additional training exercises to your workload. You will learn to fight together, effectively."
The three pilots are sitting in front of the view screen as the video footage of the fight replays in front of them. They all look tired, and ashamed. None of them will look Commander Fuyutski in the eyes as he continues to berate them.
"We will go over this footage again tomorrow, and determine how you could have fought better. Now, go get cleaned up and out of my sight."
As they stand and file out, Fuyutski stops Lance. "Mr. Murphy, I take it you have heard you will be moved to more permanent quarters in Tokyo-3, correct?"
"Yes, sir" replies the diminutive Texan.
"Good. I want you to meet with Private Soseki when you have finished dressing. He will take you to your new apartment and help you move your belongings."
"Yes, sir"
*****
Much later that night, Lance find himself standing at the door to an apartment, surrounded by a pile of his possessions. He has a couple bags full of clothes, his guitar, and a suitcase full of music and books. Rubbing his eyes and yawning slightly, he steps up to the door and knocks. As the door opens, he smiles wide in preparation of seeing Nicholas again.
He is not prepared to see Yumiko instead.
"What the hell are you doin' here? Where's Nicholas?"
Her expression shows she is about as happy to see him as he is to see her. "He's not here, and isn't going to be here any time soon. I'm here because I live here. Why are YOU here?"
"I guess I live here now too."
"The hell you do. I live alone, and plan on keeping it that way for as long as I can."
"Well, the Commander told me this was where I was bein' moved to. I got these papers here that say so." He hands her a sheaf of papers, which she immediately takes into her hands and scans over. As she reads, her expression goes from one of mild annoyance to horror.
"You...you really are living here? I have to live with...with YOU? Why?"
Lance shrugs as he shoulders past her and into the apartment with his belongings. "I dunno, runt. But, whatever the reason, I guess we're stuck together for a while. So...which room is mine?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: I know that this one took a bit longer to get out. I will also admit that it is probably not quite as good as the previous chapters. Unfortunately, the story is sort of at the point where there are a lot of little nothings, with the occasional hint at something bigger down the line. I also find that there are a lot of characters that need to be covered. I may have to start throwing in random deaths to take care of this problem. *g* Anyhow, it all boils down to a lot that has to be covered in a short space. I'll try to keep things fresh, though. I promise that, by the end of the story, this will all have been worth it.
Episode Five: A Perfect Roommate
By Jonathan Jordan
DISCLAIMER: Neon Genesis Evangelion, most Eva Units, and many characters that may or may not appear in this series are copyright Gainax. Lance Murphy, some of the Eva Units, and a bunch of potential characters are my friend's or mine. Just in case you care.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NERV CENTRAL; TOKYO-3
"Pilots have all reached the cockpit of their entry plugs."
"Good. Initiate test sequence Echo-Bravo-Alpha." orders the Senior Technician.
"Yes ma'am." replies the long haired man at the terminal.
He deftly types the command sequence into the computer and the lights in the adjoining room dim. Within the now darkened room is nothing more than three entry plugs, removed from any Evangelion units. They are each individually numbered, and each contains the diminutive body of one of the Eva pilots.
The lab which houses the machinery used for these tests is in many ways a contrast of the other room. Where the other room is dark, this room is flooded with light. The other room is nearly empty, while this is crowded with various pieces of machinery. Pacing at the back of the room is Maya Ibuki, Senior Technician of NERV since the untimely death of Dr. Ritsuko Akagi a few months back.
Her second in command, Shigeru Aoba, is monitoring the progress of the tests. "Test sequence running. All pilot vitals are optimal. Synch ratios at 90%"
"Introduce a variable. We want to see how well these ratios stand up against stressful situations. Increase variance by 2 degrees."
"Yes ma'am."
*****
Inside the entry plug numbered 14, Nicholas sits and flips the switch on his radio. He cycles through all of the different frequencies and channels on the radio with a look of frustration on his face. The color from his spiked hair, blue today, is beginning to permeate the LCL surrounding him, changing it from the normal yellow to some sickening green. ~Come on. This thing has to be able to pick up radio stations just as easily as communications. These tests are boring. I need some good techno beats to keep me awake.~
Inside the plug labeled 15, Yumiko is sitting and patiently waiting for further orders. Occasionally Nicholas can be herd muttering something about music over the radio as he flips through the communications channels. She does not bother responding, or even telling him off for his behavior. She just rolls her eyes.
The final plug, labeled 04, holds Lance. Of the three of them, he is the most noticeably nervous. He fidgets and squirms in his seat, idly flipping switches and pushing buttons. He sighs to himself, his thoughts drifting toward Angela again (as they have been ever since she died).
The radios in all three plugs crackle to life. "The testing has begun. Nick, Yumi, you both know what to do. Lance, you just need to concentrate on connection. Like if you were really piloting your unit. We will be introducing some stimuli to the procedure to simulate combat situations. Just attempt to adapt as best you can. Nobody is expecting you to have great results this time around, so don't worry if you find it difficult. And Nick, stop playing with the radio."
Everything falls silent, and the tow children and a young man begin their tests.
*****
"Variance implemented. Synch ratings are now as follows: #14: 75%. #15: 88%. #04: ...that can't be right."
"What is it Aoba?" asks Dr. Ibuki.
"His synch ratio. It's remained at 90%. There wasn't even a moment of fluctuation. He has maintained his ratio."
"How? Even Shin...the Third Child did not have ratings like that. Could this be a computer glitch?"
"It's possible, but everything seems to be in order."
"I will want a copy of the results of this session to examine later."
"Yes ma'am."
*****
It is nearly an hour later that the tests end. While the technicians perform their last second calculations and general wrap-up of the tests, the pilots head off to the NERV showers to clean up.
Lance and Nicholas are sitting on the bench in front of their lockers, pulling out their street clothes. They are both still steaming from the shower and are wrapped in towels. Lance has already taken the time to put his trademark cowboy hat on, even before pulling his pants out to get dressed. Nicholas similarly has postponed dressing to don some brightly colored strings of beads and to reapply the color to his hair.
"So, what did you think of your first synch test?"
"Wasn't my first. I've been doin' these for a while. Preparation for the actual pilotin' of Unit-04. This was just the first that had other people testin' at the same time."
The Sixth Child turns to look at his Texan companion. "Still, it must have been different enough to be like a first time..."
Lance shrugs. "I suppose. Wasn't much of anything special for me."
Nicholas opens his mouth to say something else, when a small Japanese girl rounds the corner. She has her mouth open, as if she too was about to speak, when she suddenly blushes a deep crimson and turns to face away from the two young men.
"Gawd, you two, get dressed already."
Nicholas smirks. "What's wrong Yumiko? Afraid you might like what you see?" He proceeds to remove his towel and toss it over her head. She rips the towel off of her head with a sound indicating her displeasure. Lance can't help but laugh at this.
The seventh Child whirls on her heels, towel in hand, and storms over to stand face to face with Lance. She glares down at him, her short stature doing little to aid in her attempt at intimidation.
"What are you laughing at?"
Trying hard to stifle his laughter, he responds. "Just that...well...it's funny to see you get all worked up over nothin'."
"Nothing? You think this is nothing?"
He nods. "That's the short of it, yeah."
Before she can retort, Nicholas clears his throat. "Um, a little privacy Yumi. Some of us still need to get dressed." She looks up to see him standing in front of her, wearing nothing more than a smile and a strategically placed washcloth. "And, can I have my towel back now?"
The young girl gives another angry noise as she throws the towel back at him and leaves to the sound of the two boys laughing.
*****
The view screen on the tiny machine in front of Annabelle Oliver flickers to life with the press of a button. She silently stares at the static on the monitor. Watching a single line form at the bottom of the screen, then creep its way up until disappearing at the top, only to return her eyes to the bottom to find another line forming. She finds it soothing, relaxing even, to just allow the screen to remain unfilled. It is peaceful to hear the snowy hiss of an unopened communications line.
But, she has work to do. She doesn't allow herself more than a moment of this bliss before she dials in the code for a secure line, then the number to connect her with the base in Nevada.
There is another minute of silence and static as the call is routed and the other side of the connection is answered. The black and white chaos of the static fades into a technicolor jumble, which congeals into the image of Commander Young at NERV-02.
"Sub-commander Oliver, what do you have to report?"
"I have the final analysis of the battle during our flight to Japan. Our first suspicion was that it was an Angel attack. However, after speaking with Commander Fuyutski and receiving a briefing on events that have transpired during our period of missing time, we cannot be sure. All readings indicated Angel, but the prophecies have all been fulfilled. The last Angel was defeated months ago."
"Any speculation on what this new threat could be?"
"I have rechecked the data from the battle. There is one slight discrepancy between the AT Field produced by this beast and the AT Fields of the original Angels. All readings matched, save for the slight variance in the spectrographic particle wave. We are still going over the data to see if we can determine what the hell that thing was. If you will pardon my language, Sir."
The commander smiles. "No apology necessary. How are other things going?"
"Most of the team have acclimated well. There are a couple techs that have had some difficulty with the systems here. Mr. Murphy has likewise had a good deal of difficulty fitting in. We are working on solving these problems. Everyone is still having a difficult time dealing with the loss of Lt. Evans."
The screen shows the commander nodding. "What about you? How are you doing?"
"I am doing fine, Commander. Commander Fuyutski is very accommodating of my needs. My work is going along as scheduled."
"That isn't what I mean, Anna. How are you holding up?"
She doesn't answer for a moment, her face a mask of emotions. When she does speak, her voice is soft. "It...has been hard. Lt. Evans and I were not what I would call friends, but I did like her. She was a good person. Her death...it was so sudden and pointless. It is hard to hold it all together, but I have to stay strong to keep the rest of the team from falling apart."
Commander Young responds with a sigh. "The curse of leadership. You know that if you need someone, I am here for you."
"I do. Thank you, Charles." She composes herself, wiping the tears that have begun to form in her eyes away and sitting up straight. "End of Report. If there is nothing further, I have a meeting with the commander in 15 minutes."
"No, that will be all. I will check in with you in 3 days for an update. Commander Young out."
The screen goes blank, returning to the static from earlier. Annabelle leans back in he chair, closing her eyes. She begins to cry, her body trembling as the soft crackle of static fills the room.
*****
Lance is sitting alone in an open area of the NERV complex. He is relaxing beneath a tree, enjoying the early spring air as he fiddles with a guitar. He plays bits and pieces of a variety of songs, never completing one before jumping to the next. With no one else around, he has lowered his facade of happiness to let his true feelings show. There is a mixture of sadness and anxiety beneath the surface he portrays, and it is starting the leak through.
"That's not too bad." says a voice from slightly behind him. With a start, he strikes a sour note and stops playing. Turning to see who it was that spoke to him, Lance sees Yumiko standing a few feet off.
She speaks again. "I'm surprised. You are actually good at something."
He give a very fake and sarcastic smile. "Well, thank you so much. I will take that as a compliment, even though I am more skilled than you probably realize."
"You can't pilot an Eva."
"What are you talkin' about? I have, can, and still will pilot and Eva. Unless you forgot about the reason I'm here to begin with. I'm pretty good at it too, if today's tests mean anything"
"You may be good in the tests, and you may be allowed to control Unit-04. But, you are not a true Eva pilot. You never will be. Nicholas and I were chosen for this because it is our destiny to be Eva pilots. You, on the other hand, are only using your Eva until a suitable child can be found."
Lance is stunned into silence momentarily. "You come all the way out here to tell me this? That I'm not good enough to be one of you?"
"Actually, no. I came here because this is one of my favorite areas to just sit and think. It was just luck that you were here."
"I'll let you have it then. No reason to stay here and be insulted further."
He packs away his guitar and walks back toward the main building. Yumiko sits down under the tree, in the spot Lance just vacated, and stares at him as he leaves. Then she turns toward the horizon and watches the sun creep along the edge of the geofront.
"It's going to be a nice day" she mutters to herself as she leans back to enjoy the scenery.
*****
"That new guy is amazing, isn't he?"
The two men sitting with Makoto Akiyama grin. "You would say that, Akiyama." says the one with longer hair.
"What's that supposed to mean Aoba?"
The other man responds. "Isn't it obvious? We can all tell you have an interest in him."
"Yeah," says Aoba "I've seen the way you look at him."
The young woman glares at the two me. "You're one to talk Hyuga. What about you and Major Katsuragi?" Almost as soon as she says this, she realizes her mistake. Ever since Misato was killed in the attack on NERV, the mention of her name has been a definite taboo. She was well liked by everyone who worked with her, and even more so by Hyuga. "Look...I'm sorry about that I shouldn't have brought her up."
The other man simply shakes his head. "No, it's ok. We lost a lot of people that day. It has been a few months since the attack. The city has begun to rebuild. It's time we all got over our losses and moved on."
They all fall silent at this. Each is lost in their thoughts. Around them, the regular business of NERV continues on as if the three of them are not even there. In the background, the sounds of computers processing and people typing at keyboards can be heard.
Hyuga breaks their silence. "He is impressive, though."
Aoba nods in agreement. "Yeah. Better than the other two are. If he wasn't too old, I'd be sure he was supposed to be one of the actual Evangelion pilots."
"Even with his age, he would make a much better Sixth Child than the one we have. That Nicholas kid is lucky to get his Eva moving at all, let alone be useful in a fight. At least Yumiko, the Seventh Child, is competent." responds Hyuga.
"That's really unfair, and you know it. Nicholas may not be as good at Ikari, or Ayanami, or Soryu. But, neither is Yumiko. You don't do them justice by comparing them to the original three." scolds Akiyama.
"The new guy stands up to comparison with the first three." Says Hyuga.
"He's special, though." responds Akiyama.
The other two men laugh. "You should just ask him out and get it over with, Makoto. Save all of us the trouble of hearing you go on about him."
She blushes. "I couldn't do that. Didn't you hear? The woman who died in the Angel attack on their flight here. He was dating her. It is just in bad taste to ask him out so soon after that."
"Why don't you three get back to work, and save your personal lives for after we are done here?"
All three technicians slink down in their seats and turn to look at Dr. Ibuki. She has a half grin on her face as she continues. "Come on guys. We have a lot of work to get done with the contingent from NERV-02 here. Let's just try to get finished with today's tasks, and we can all talk about the new arrivals afterwards."
*****
Above ground, and outside of the area once covered by the geofront, in what was once a residential section of Tokyo-3, lies a partially intact apartment complex. There is very little left after the destruction wrought by SEELE during their attack on NERV. Everyone has abandoned this particular section of the city. Even squatters find nothing of importance here.
This is why the movement within one of the old apartments is so unexpected.
The place itself is a charred husk of what it once was. There is little left to identify who the previous tenant was, before the attack. Scattered pieces of clothing, a melted phone, some burned pictures. This is all that remains of the life of Misato Katsuragi.
There is even less to commemorate the lives of Shinji Ikari and Asuka Langley Soryu. Of them, nothing remains but a tattered old doll and a pair of headphones.
In the area that used to serve as a kitchen and dining area, there lies an overturned mini-fridge. The contents, a number of cans of beer and instant curries, lie spilled over the floor. Among the sealed containers, and not-so-sealed containers, are the rotting remains of a large number of fish.
It is here that the movement originates. Rooting through the fetid mess of fish is a small black and white shape. It digs around until a relatively intact fish is found in the pile. The small penguin gulps the fish down hungrily. This ritual of digging for semi-intact fish and eating them continues for a few more minutes before the bird stands and steps away from the pile.
It lets out a soft noise, almost sounding like a cough, before waddling to the twisted remains of another mini-fridge. Wriggling through the opening where the door has become bent out, preventing it from opening or closing but allowing a small opening nonetheless. Under normal circumstances, this feat would not have been possible. However, given his recent diet, Pen-Pen is able to fit his malnourished body inside with little effort.
He looks at the picture of Misato on his floor, the only picture of her to survive the apartment's destruction, and croaks out a sad squawk before lying down to sleep.
*****
Lance is wandering the halls of NERV with no real destination in mind. His mind has once again begun to wander toward thoughts about recent events. The test of Unit-04. His first fight with an Angel. The death of Angela. The transition to life in Japan these past few days.
It is enough to give him a headache.
The arrival of the always boisterous Nicholas does very little to remedy this. Lance smiles at the younger boy, while internally cursing his luck. he keeps walking, allowing Nicholas to fall into step beside him.
"Lance! Did you get the message yet?"
"Message? What the hell are you talkin' about?"
"The commanders have been looking for you. They are going to be moving you to off base housing."
Lance stops short, looking over toward the young pilot. "They're movin' me? Why?"
"Well, since your Japanese is still weak, and you haven't been fully trained in the operations of an Evangelion, the command staff has decided to place you with someone to bring you up to speed."
"What're you sayin'?"
"Think about it man. You need to live with someone who knows how to pilot. Who better than the only American to pilot an Eva?"
Understanding dawns on Lance's face as the words sink in. "So, they're gonna be stickin' me with you?"
Nicholas nods.
"That would be great. Yer becomin' a good friend, even if you are still just a kid." Lance playfully punches Nicolas in the arm with a laugh. Nicholas grins and hits back as they continue down the hall. "You really think they'd let us do that though? I mean, it ain't like you would be very good for teachin' me about Japan or nothin'."
"Hey, just telling you what I heard. nobody said you needed to learn about Japan. At least, not while I was listening. It's as good as..."
His response is cut short as the entire building shakes. The lights flicker, then everything goes red and an alarm starts to blare.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ALL PERSONEL ARE TO REPORT TO THIER STATIONS IMMEDIATELY. POSSIBLE ANGEL ATTACK. REPEAT, ALL PERSONEL TO THIER STATIONS, WE HAVE ANGEL ATTACK."
The two young men stand dumbfounded as the people around them spring into action. Nicholas looks over at lance. "Did they just say Angel attack?"
"Sounds like it. We better head off to our Evas or somethin'."
The boy nods and they break into a sprint toward the hangar bay housing their Evangelion Units.
*****
The black and white tripod of a creature rears up on two of its legs, bringing the third down hard on the Central Headquarters of NERV. There is a thunderous crash with the impact. The ground surrounding the building shakes, causing the transports parked nearby to bounce off the ground from he force of the shockwave.
Again and again the Angel pummels the building before it. With each successive hit, more of the outer facade of the structure is demolished, crumbling away in clouds of fine dust. The armored superstructure beneath the surface likewise begins to give, denting and buckling in with each impact. Cracks begin to form along areas of the building, and the Angel continues to attack.
It is relentless. Somewhere inside this building, it knows there lies the thing that it seeks. It must achieve its goal at any cost. There will be success, or there will be death. It knows this, accepts it.
It does not plan on failing. Failure is not an option for Anthriel, the Angel of Balance. Not like its brother Angel. Not like Ambriel, Angel of Communication.
It pauses in its attack. Something approaches...
*****
The levels of NERV's underground facilities fly past as the Eva Unit-15 launches. The last hatch opens, allowing the cat-like Eva to step out of the cage and face the three legged Angel. Inside, Yumiko Aiharu sits at the controls. She is most definitely not happy.
~Where the hell are those two? I can't take this thing by myself. My Unit isn't made to fight like this.~
She doesn't have enough time to think on the subject further as the Angel ceases its attack on NERV to face her. There is a moment of stillness while the two foes evaluate each other. The Angel is the first to make a move, stomping on the ground with such force, the earth literally rolls in a wave out from the impact. The Eva Unit is caught off balance by this, falling over.
Yumiko frantically wills her Eva to get up. It struggles to regain its footing, reaching behind its back and drawing a long cylinder. With a flick of the wrist, the cylinder has extended out to a full length staff, sized for an Evangelion. Another hand movement and prog knife blade flips out of one end of the staff. Yumiko directs it to spin the staff in one hand and crouch into a fighting stance.
The Angel advances on the Unit. Each step makes a thunderous noise and causes the ground to shake. Yumiko swears to herself as Unit-15 stumbles with each step taken by the Angel. She has to concentrate her full attention on just staying on her feet, let alone thinking of attacking the behemoth. The closer the Angel gets, the harder this is to maintain.
~If I can just stay standing long enough to get it within reach of my weapon...~
Her hopes fall short when the Angel stops just out of her reach. Almost as soon as it has stopped, the gigantic tripod seems to crouch down. Then it jumps high into the air, landing with a deafening crash.
The earth shakes and shudders. A nearby building, one of the new high-rise buildings built in the reconstruction of Tokyo-3, topples on top of the unsteady Unit-15. The prog spear is knocked from its hands and clatters to the ground 20 feet away.
The Angel looms over the fallen Eva. It lifts one foot, pausing to redistribute weight to increase the power of the attack. Yumiko struggles and fights to free herself from the rubble, or to eject her entry plug. It is all to no avail. There is a slight ripple through the Angel's skin, and it's foot drops toward the head of the tan Evangelion.
Only, it never connects. Yumiko opens her eyes, not having even realized that she had closed them in the first place. The angel is still looming over her, but it is now missing a leg.
Standing just next to Unit-15's head, and aiming its gun at the Angel, is the silver form of Unit-04.
*****
NERV, Central Dogma.
The three techs are at their stations monitoring the battle. In the shadowy recesses of the room, Commander Fuyutski and NERV-02 Sub-commander Oliver are likewise watching the battle with great interest.
"Commander, are you sure it is wise to send Unit-04 out? Lance is not even an actual pilot. He is just fulfilling a temporary role until a suitable candidate can be found."
"Ms. Oliver, I assure you that I know what I am doing. While your Mr. Murphy may not be a pilot, he is the only one with the proper skills to man an Eva who has also faced an Angel before. Remember, the other two have been trained to face human foes."
*****
Inside Unit-04, Lance is trying desperately to stop shaking. He is not very successful with this.
~This isn't right. I shouldn't be out here. Every time I get inside this thing, something goes wrong. First the accident at NERV-02, then Angela's death. What am I going to foul up this time?~
He stands over the prone form of Unit-15, keeping his rifle trained on the black and white tripod (minus one leg) before him. Neither Eva unit, nor the Angel itself, moves. Each gauges the potential strength of its foe. The radio inside the cockpit crackles to life.
Yumiko's voice is heard over the line. "What are you doing out here, and where is Nicholas?"
"Hell if I know. On both counts. I don't think I should even be out here. Like you have pointed out to me, I ain't a pilot. I don't belong here."
"Well, just try not to get in the way, all right? Nicholas and I are trained for this, you aren't."
"Fine by me. I got no problem bein' back-up to y'all."
"Good. Now, help me get out of this rubble. I have an Angel to kill."
*****
Nicholas, at the controls of Unit-14, covers behind a building and watches the stand-off between the other Evas and the Angel. His trembling inside the entry plug causes the LCL to ripple and distort his vision. He scolds himself for being such a coward when his friends, old and new, need him to aid them. He just can't seem to will himself to move from his hiding spot. Try as he might, his legs will not move.
He watches at Unit-04 cautiously kneels at the side of the partially buried Unit-15. It sets the rifle it was aiming at the Angel down and begins to remove the rubble from Unit-15. The Angel does not move, for reasons only it can fathom. The silver Eva has little trouble removing the ruined building from the tan Eva.
Nicholas watches the proceedings in awe. His gaze shifts between the prone form of the Angel and the two other Evangelions at work. He gasps as the Angel's skin begins to twitch and the black and white pattern on it begins to swirl. The body of the creature begins to bubble up. The Sixth Child is struck numb at the sight.
~The Angel is reforming its missing leg. Lance and Yumi don't see it. I have to warn them...~
He charges from his hiding place, gun blazing, as he flips on his radio. "LOOK OUT!"
*****
"What is going on?" asks Makoto Akiyama.
"The Angel...it's regrouping, and the pilots are not prepared. They're going to be destroyed!" says Aoba.
"No. Look. The Sixth Child. He's flanking it." says Hyuga.
*****
"LOOK OUT!" comes the voice of Nicholas over the radio, causing both Lance and Yumiko to look up with a start. The sight before them is unsettling, to say the least. The Angel has begun to reform, a new leg growing from the stump that remains from it's severed leg. The new leg is almost completely reformed, when the Angel is knocked off of its feet by a streak of yellow as Unit-14 slams into it.
"Hurry up! Get her out of there and help me!" comes Nicholas's voice over the radio.
This pulls to other two back to their task at hand. Eva Unit-04 is literally throwing the rubble off of the trapped Skirmisher Unit. The catlike Eva is likewise struggling against the fallen blocks entrapping it, causing dust to rise as they begin to give way.
With one last push, the mortar and brick trapping the Eva fly off and Unit-15 is once again on its feet. It dives to the side, landing in a roll that ends with it on its feet, holding its prog spear and ready to attack. Rising to its feet, the skirmisher twirls its spear in one hand. It advances on the Angel, which is still struggling with Unit-14.
"Lay down covering fire. I'm going in for the core." Yumiko radios to Lance.
He commands Unit-04 to pick up the rifle and opens fire. The bullets bounce harmlessly off of the Angel's AT Field. He is forced to start and stop firing the gun as the struggling mass that is Unit-14 and the Angel, locked in a deadly grapple, shifts position.
"Dammit, Nick. Get yer ass outta there. You're makin' this more difficult than it has to be." yells Lance.
The following minutes are made up of a chaotic scene. Through the gunfire and thunderous noise of physical impacts, through the horrific screaming produced by the Eva series and the sound of metal on metal produced by hitting an AT Field with a weapon, through all of the blood and dust and bullets, the battle reaches its conclusion.
When the dust settles, the final victor can be seen. Lying on the ground are the remains of the Angel, shredded to ribbons of tattered flesh. Standing victorious over it is Unit-15, minus about 50% of its armor plating, yet still defiantly holding the prog spear. Behind this are what is left of Unit-14 and Unit-04. Both have taken many hits, some obviously from the Angel but an equal number from bullet or prog knife or spear. Inside the Eva Units, the pilots are all breathing heavy and tending to their own wounds.
"Well, that didn't go too bad." says Nicholas as they head back to NERV.
*****
"That was the worst display of teamwork I have seen in ages. The three of you fought as if you were the only one in the battle, with little regard for your fellow teammates. Starting next week, we will be adding additional training exercises to your workload. You will learn to fight together, effectively."
The three pilots are sitting in front of the view screen as the video footage of the fight replays in front of them. They all look tired, and ashamed. None of them will look Commander Fuyutski in the eyes as he continues to berate them.
"We will go over this footage again tomorrow, and determine how you could have fought better. Now, go get cleaned up and out of my sight."
As they stand and file out, Fuyutski stops Lance. "Mr. Murphy, I take it you have heard you will be moved to more permanent quarters in Tokyo-3, correct?"
"Yes, sir" replies the diminutive Texan.
"Good. I want you to meet with Private Soseki when you have finished dressing. He will take you to your new apartment and help you move your belongings."
"Yes, sir"
*****
Much later that night, Lance find himself standing at the door to an apartment, surrounded by a pile of his possessions. He has a couple bags full of clothes, his guitar, and a suitcase full of music and books. Rubbing his eyes and yawning slightly, he steps up to the door and knocks. As the door opens, he smiles wide in preparation of seeing Nicholas again.
He is not prepared to see Yumiko instead.
"What the hell are you doin' here? Where's Nicholas?"
Her expression shows she is about as happy to see him as he is to see her. "He's not here, and isn't going to be here any time soon. I'm here because I live here. Why are YOU here?"
"I guess I live here now too."
"The hell you do. I live alone, and plan on keeping it that way for as long as I can."
"Well, the Commander told me this was where I was bein' moved to. I got these papers here that say so." He hands her a sheaf of papers, which she immediately takes into her hands and scans over. As she reads, her expression goes from one of mild annoyance to horror.
"You...you really are living here? I have to live with...with YOU? Why?"
Lance shrugs as he shoulders past her and into the apartment with his belongings. "I dunno, runt. But, whatever the reason, I guess we're stuck together for a while. So...which room is mine?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
A/N: I know that this one took a bit longer to get out. I will also admit that it is probably not quite as good as the previous chapters. Unfortunately, the story is sort of at the point where there are a lot of little nothings, with the occasional hint at something bigger down the line. I also find that there are a lot of characters that need to be covered. I may have to start throwing in random deaths to take care of this problem. *g* Anyhow, it all boils down to a lot that has to be covered in a short space. I'll try to keep things fresh, though. I promise that, by the end of the story, this will all have been worth it.