1530 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Residential Area, NERV Headquarters
Lampright walks up the hallway beating on doors dressed in full combat gear.
"Field op! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!"
The troops gear up and in minutes a group of thirteen men in BDUs and body armour are walking down the halls of NERV HQ to the armoury.
"Hello, Michaels." Lampright said to the armoury officer with a smile.
Michaels sighs.
"Standard weapons check-out captain?"
"Yep. I also need 1800 rounds of .50 cal."
The armoury officer starts handing the first of the thirteen body bags, each one containing one of the troop's weapons, ammunition, and grenades. The weapons are distributed and the troops gear-up as Lampright and Denisovich pile .50 cal ammunition boxes onto a push cart.
"So what's the deal, cap?" Jackson asked.
"'The deal', Jackson, is that we're acting as a convoy escort."
"What?" Maloy asked.
"You heard me. We're an escort, for a pick-up of one person."
"That's bullshit!" Larson said.
"You guys remember the first op we did?"
"Yeah, takin' down those guys that hi-jacked a van full of NERV techies."
"Exactly. NERV wants to avoid another incident like that. So we're going with the convoy. My team'll be in the point humvee, Sonoda's in the rear, and Carey's team'll be in the sweep humvee. All three vehicles will be equipped with .50's. We move out at 1700, arrive at 1745, pickup WILL take no longer than 15 mikes. We will arrive back here at 1845. Any questions?"
"Are we expecting any trouble?" Jackson asked.
"Not really. Intel doesn't have any threats in sight, but that doesn't mean they're not there."
1633 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Motor Pool, NERV Headquarters
The troops are running checks on the humvees when Lampright notices someone else enters the motor pool.
"Can I help you, commander Ikari?"
"Be careful, captain. The pilot is very important for the Evangelion project."
"Will do sir, we'll bring'er back. Don't worry."
"Oh, and captain....."
"Yes, sir?"
"When you pick her up, don't use the 'precautions' you used on the other NERV personnel you helped."
"Sorry about that sir, it was SOP."
"I'm sure it was." the commander says as he turns around and walks out.
Lampright turns back to his troops.
"Cooper, Herford and Smith, you're drivers. Denisovich, Maloy, and Larson, you're gunners. Grab your ammo and stow it. 600 rds. each. Also, Commander Ikari says we can't cuff the mark."
A chorus of various noises of disappointment follow.
"But what if she LIKES being cuffed, captain?" Maloy asked from the back, receiving a few hoots of laughter.
Lampright shakes his head. "I swear, every time I talk to you, I can literally FEEL the intelligence being SUCKED from my brain Maloy."
"It's a talent." Maloy said as he shrugged his shoulders.
As Lampright walks up to his humvee, he notices something.
"Alright! Who's been writing up false gigs on the PMCS?"
"What's it say, sir?" someone yells from out of view.
"Says, 'flux capacitor emits loud whine when engaged."
The other dozen troops found this to be very amusing.
"Yeah. What did I tell you guys about doin' that?"
"Only do it to vehicles we won't be using?" Maloy piped up.
"I-The-Do you-Damnit Maloy! Don't talk anymore!" Lampright said with a half grin.
"Alright, remember what we discussed. Everyone watch the buildings around you, but still keep an eye on the vehicle in front and behind you. Stay in radio contact. When we reach pick-up point, Cooper, pull left, Herford, pull right, and Smith, put the lead humvee the long way across the road. M-2 operators, stay on station. The rest of the teams will move out and secure a perimeter. Smith and Howard come with me. Jaeger stay and provide anti-sniper cover. Everyone clear on their duty?"
Everyone remarks to the affirmative.
"Alright. Let's finish our preps."
1746 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Tokyo-3
"Perimeter secure." the voice came over Lampright's headset.
"Roger." Lampright responded.
"Howard, Smith, let's go." Lampright said, motioning for the two soldiers to follow him.
"So, this chick's pretty hot, huh?" Smith said as they walked down the dock to the waiting U.S. frigate.
"She's 14, Smith." Lampright responded.
"Oh my god! AHH! Why?!" Smith yells as he beats himself on the helmet repeatedly.
"Hey cut it out, Smith. We don't want the pilot to think we're ALL assholes, do we?" Howard said.
Two marines stand at the top of the gang plank.
"I'm Captain Lampright, here to pick-up the pilot. Here's my papers." Lampright said as he pulls a set of folded papers from his pocket.
Both of the marines grinned happily.
"Oh, thank god. We're finally getting rid of her. Find the captain, he knows where she is." one of the marines said.
"Roger." Lampright said, as they walked to the bridge.
"Whaddaya think he mean by that?" Howard asked.
"Who knows? Their marines, their all a little....." Smith whistled and pointed at his head, making a circular motion with his finger.
Lampright smirks and shakes his head.
"Watch it Smith, there's more of them here than there are of us." Lampright said.
Through their talking they arrive on the bridge.
"Can I help you gentlemen?" the captain asked.
"Yes sir. I'm here for the pilot." Lampright said.
The captain breathes a sigh of relief. "Finally. I had her wait nearby. ASUKA!"
A good-looking red-head appears from around a corner.
"Ack?" she said.
"These men are here to take you to your permanent home."
"Fine! Come get my luggage."
Howard and Smith look at Lampright, who shrugs.
"Sure. How much luggage can she have?"
1755 hrs. Undisclosed Date
The three men struggle down the gang plank, each carrying three or four suit cases.
"Sure, how much luggage can she have?" Howard says in a mocking tone.
"Shut-up. Just shut-up." Lampright says.
The three men load the luggage into the lead humvee.
"What the hell is all that?" Jaeger asked.
"Shut-up." Howard, Lampright and Smith all say at once.
"'Excuse me uhhh, Captain." says a man with a heavy five o-clock shadow.
"What?" Lampright says, securing the luggage.
"If I'm now mistaken, you're going to NERV headquarters, right?" he said.
Lampright makes a hand motion and troops appear at his sides and behind him.
"What do you know and how do you know it? Talk fast." Lampright said, flicking the safety off his rifle.
"Hey-hey-hey! Simmer down. I work for'em. I'm just lookin' for a ride." he said, reaching into his pocket. He heard a rustle of movement and suddenly realized that he had three muzzles pointed at him.
"Pull your hand out of your pocket slowly." Lampright said, his weapon shouldered and aimed at Kaji. "Our briefing didn't say anything about anyone else from NERV being here."
The man slowly pulled an ID out of his pocket.
"Smith, check it." Lampright said.
Smith took the ID, looked it over intently.
"Looks legit. Says he his name is Kaji."
"Howard, call it in." Lampright said.
"Roger sir." Howard said as he grabbed the handset, put it to his ear and began talking to NERV.
"What are you doing to mister Kaji?!" Asuka yelled from behind Howard.
"Ma'am, this is between us, and him. Stay out of it." Lampright said without moving his aim.
Asuka tried to run to Kaji, but was grabbed and held by Jaeger.
"The cap said stay out of it."
"Hey, Lampright! HQ says he's good!" Howard yells.
Lampright lowers his weapon.
"Alright. You can ride with Sonoda's team in the rear humvee over there. Get in."
The man started to walk to the humvee on the right.
"NOOOO! Kaji! Don't leave me with them! Look at them! They're animals! They'll probably try to take advantage of me!" she yelled.
"You're frickin' 14! What the hell could we possibly WANT to do to you?!" Smith yelled.
"That wasn't what you said earlier." Howard whispered into the mic.
"Fold back to the vehicles." Lampright said into his mic.
"Uh, I'm not military, but shouldn't she ride in the MIDDLE vehicle where she'll be better protected?" Kaji asked.
"Not really. That's where any attackers'll expect her to be. Now, are there anymore 'questions', or can we get on with our job?"
1820 hrs. Undisclosed Date
"I can't believe they expect me to ride in such an undignified vehicle! It's unbelievable!" pilot Soryu yelled.
"I can't believe she's still talking." Jaeger whispered into his mic.
"Blah, blah, blah. She likes to talk, da?" Denisovich asked through the radio.
"Now I know why the Marines were so happy to get rid of her. She hasn't shut-up since we met her." Smith responded.
Howard waits until the pilot is facing the other way, then picked-up the roll of duct tape from the floor, holds it up, and gives Lampright a pleading look. Lampright thinks for a second, then shakes his head no.
"Why am I, Asuka Langley-Soryu, riding in a truck like a common peasant? I am the best Eva pilot in the world!" she yelled, continuing her ranting.
"If her fighting's half as good as her rants, we're in good shape." Jaeger said.
"Just 25 more minutes." Lampright muttered.
1843 hrs. Undisclosed Date
"Thank god we're here! Could you have driven any slower?" Asuka yelled.
"Seriously Smith, could you have?" Jaeger asked.
"Smith, you're a medical-type guy. Are you sure it's not possible to be nagged to death? Asuka might be considered a hostile." Howard said over his headset.
"I haven't read anything about it, but with her it's certainly a possibility." Smith responded as the men unloaded from the trucks.
"Alright, Denisovich, grab the cart and load up the .50 ammo. Howard, find another one and we'll load up princess' stuff and haul it to her room." Lampright said.
Lampright helped unload the .50 ammo, making sure it was all accounted for before telling Denisovich to take it to the armoury. Then Smith and Lampright began 'unloading' Asuka's luggage. Unloading consisting of Smith standing in the open trunk, picking-up the luggage and throwing it to Lampright, who caught it and loaded it onto a cart.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Asuka yelled from where she was hanging off of Kaji's arm.
"We're unloading your luggage, your majesty." Howard said from where he was holding the handle of the cart.
"Stop it! Kaji will unload it for me, right Kaji."
"Sure." Kaji said.
"Well in that case........" Lampright said and whistled, then made a motion to the door, causing everyone to leave the motor pool, leaving Asuka and Kaji alone, before someone turned off the lights.