0323 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Residential Area, NERV Headquarters
"Up-and-at'em boys! Contingency sierra-bravo! Let's go, let's go, let's go!" Lampright yelled jogging down the hall banging on the twelve doors making up his men's bunks. Within thirty seconds, all twelve men, half-dressed, but wearing all their body armour and packing their pistols flooded the hallway and were on to their positions. Meanwhile, Lampright just leaned against a wall and listened to his radio. As each 'in position' report came, he glanced at his stopwatch and took note of the time on his clipboard. Lampright let them stay on station for about ten minutes.
"Lampright here, all troops return to barracks."
As the troops arrived he told them to stay in the hallway. When they had all arrived he checked his clipboard.
"Alright, guys. Gettin' better each time we do it. First of you reported in at 1:27 and the last reported in at 2:46."
The guys grin at each other and there's a couple of high-fives.
"And Larson, what is up with your time? You cut almost twenty seconds off your time."
"I was practicing in my off time. I used to get lost it's damn big in here, eh?" he replied.
"You get off time? I think I need to speak to your commander about that." Lampright said.
"You know the REAL reason he cut time off? Check out his feet." Montgomery said with a smile.
"Man, why you gotta cock-block me like that?" Larson said with a grin.
Lampright looked at his feet, seeing that he's wearing a pair of running-shoes spray-painted black.
"Yeah Larson, are those issue?" Cooper asks from the back.
"Hey, lay-off'im. It's a smart idea. I got a set of those next to my bed too. I mean, let's face it. None of you are exactly in uniform, so why spend extra time lacing-up when you can just stick your foot in? As a matter-of-fact, I suggest you all get a pair of running shoes, spray'em black if necessary, and use'em for the same thing. Now then, any questions about the deployment?"
"Yeah, during the real thing, where'd you be?" Jackson asked.
"I'd be in the control center coordinating you guys with security. Any other questions?"
"Yeah, why does Jackson smell funny?" Herford asked with a grin.
"Oh, a funny man huh?" Jackson said.
Before anyone could do anything the two men were playfully wrestling on the ground much to loud amusement of everyone else.
Lampright hangs around in the hall as the men trickle back into their rooms. As the last are leaving the hall, a very angry Captain Katsuragi comes appears in the hall from the room next to Lampright's.
"Captain." Lampright says with a nod.
"What the hell's been going on out here captain?!"
"A drill ma'am."
At this point, the conversation has attracted and held the attentions of the three or four soldiers still remaining in the hall.
"A drill?! At 3:30 in the morning?!"
"Yes ma'am." Lampright says, trying to keep from smiling, and sees the other troops start to.
"Men, return to quarters." Lampright says
"What the hell is you problem, people are trying to sleep! What kind of drill could you possibly need to do at 3:30?!"
"A contingency drill."
"Contingency of what?!"
"Contingency of a large-scale infiltration of the NERV facility."
"And you're doing this at 3:30 in the morning why?"
"Because the enemy never attacks when it's convenient. He's very inconsiderate like that."
"Lampright-"
"Ma'am if you're so concerned about noise levels, why don't we continue this conversation somewhere else?"
"Well, not it my quarters, OTHER people are trying to sleep in there."
"Fine." Lampright opens the door to his room and motions inside.
"After you, ma'am."
As he steps inside, he sets his LBV and helmet on a chair next to the door. Lampright's room is spartan, almost bare. The standard-issue furniture is there, with not much else. About the only new items were a shadow box with six pictures in it, a shelf full of manuals and a stack of papers on the desk, along with a picture of Lampright with his family and a picture of him with a very attractive girl. The phone and the T.V. both seemed untouched, as did the bed. The only things in the apartment that looked used at all were the desk and the bathroom. Lampright pulls out a chair for her and takes a seat across the table from her.
"Ma'am, permission to speak freely."
"Don't you already?"
"Ma'am, permission to speak freely."
She sighs. "Granted."
"Ma'am, do you have a problem with me?"
"What?"
"You've been busting my ass ever since you arrived. What is it? Me? My methods? What?"
"Well-I-everything you do is way outside of normal parameters. Carrying a weapon twenty-four-seven, early morning surprises, your cocky attitudes..."
"Yes ma'am, but all these are a necessity of the job. Our job is to support NERV, and we can best do that armed. The drills teach them to be ready on a moment's notice, and the attitudes.....well, I think they've earned them. They ARE the best. Which reminds me....."
Lampright gets up and pulls a large, thick, brown envelope from the stack of papers on his desk.
"Here ma'am."
"What?" she says as she opens it and looks inside.
"Contingency letters, ma'am. Each of us has written a letter to someone back home in case they don't make it back. It's in a stamped, addressed envelope. All you need to do is drop it in the mail. No muss, no fuss."
"Uh, shouldn't one of you keep it?"
"Oh, don't worry. If it gets bad enough that some of us won't make it back, none of us'll probably make it back."
"There's only twelve in here."
"I know."
"But there's-"
"Thirteen of us, I know. I don't have one it there. No one to send it to."
"What about your family or girlfriend or fiancé?"
Family's all dead. My parents, my brothers, all killed in the invasions following the chaos of the second impact. My parents where shot dead in their house by a death squad. My brothers were killed in separate engagements fighting with me in the guerrilla war waged until we were liberated. My fiancé left me a three days ago. Like I said, no one to send it to. Now then, back on subject. At the very least, could avoid bustin' my ass in front of my men? It's bad for discipline."
"Uh...alright."
"Outstanding. Glad to have that settled."
Lampright gets up and walks her out.
"Good night ma'am."
"Good night captain."
0806 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Cafeteria, NERV Headquarters
Thirteen men in PT gear plastered with sweat walk into the cafeteria. The men walk through the line, and sit together, idly chatting and ribbing each other while they eat. Cooper says something, and the entire baker's dozen of men burst out laughing, and Herford almost fell out of his seat.
"Can you shiestkoffs keep it down?! Some of us are trying to study!" pilot Soryu yelled from the next table.
"And why is it our problem you waited until 0800 to study?" Smith yelled back.
Pilot Soryu started yelling at them in German and Jaeger responded by yelling back in German.
Lampright suppressed a grin as he nudged Jaeger.
"Cut it out, we're guests, remember?." Lampright said.
Jaeger says one last remark in German, sending pilot Soryu running from the room.
Cooper, on the verge of laughter, elbows Jaeger.
"What'd you say?"
"I told her her mother was a whore."
Cooper falls backward out of his seat into the aisle, rolling with laughter.
"Dude Jaeger, you are such a cockbite." Lampright says between laughs.
Jaeger just shrugs.
Lampright scans the room, making sure Captain Katsuragi didn't see any of the preceding actions. While doing so, he noticed one of pilot Ikari's friends eying his pistol.
"Check out pilot Ikari's friend." Lampright whispered to Cooper.
"The one trying to act cool? Or the one with the glasses who keeps looking over here?"
"Yeah, the second one. I think he likes my pistol."
"Really? Why would he like that piece of crap?" Cooper said, looking down at his identical pistol.
"Yeah, right. Seriously, he's taken an interest in it, I can tell. I used to be the same way, remember? Watch this."
"Lampright?"
"Chill, I'll find out about those places we were looking for after the last op."
Lampright stands up, takes his tray, walks over to the table and sits down, and takes a bite.
"So, you like my pistol?"
"Yeah! It's an H&K, right?"
"Yep. Heckler and Koch Mark 23 SOCOM pistol."
"Wow! This is so cool!"
"Don't piss yourself, Aida." the pilot's other friend said.
"Hey, you guys know a good arcade and burger joint or pizzeria? Preferably ones open 24 hrs."
The pilot's second friend speaks up. "Just who da hell are you anyways?"
"Oh, my bad."
Lampright sticks out his hand. "Captain Eric Lampright, formerly of the United States Army Rangers, currently on load to the U.N., who loaned me to NERV."
"Wow! I'm meeting a real ranger! This is SO cool!" Aida said.
"Yeah. Umm, can you help me out with the arcade and food thing?"
"Uh yeah, sure....."
1023 hrs. Undisclosed Date
Firing Range, NERV Headquarters
The N-FOG members are filling the range with the sound of gunfire as they keep their marksmanship skills sharp.
Maloy taps Lampright on the shoulder to get his attention, then points at the door Captain Katsuragi is walking in through.
"Jaeger, if this is because of what you did, something very bad will happen to you."
Jaeger shrugs.
Misato walks up to Lampright, very angry. Lampright motions to the range control office, and they step inside so as to be able to converse without screaming over the gunfire.
"Can I help you ma'am?"
"What the hell did you or your men say to Asuka?!"
"I don't know ma'am. I don't speak German."
"Lampright-"
"Really ma'am, all I know is that she started taking an attitude with my men, and the next thing I know, her and my sniper are goin' dozens in deutch, alright?"
"Lampright, you need to keep a tighter leash on YOUR men."
"And you should keep a tighter leash on YOUR pilots. They shouldn't dish it if they can't take it. Now excuse me ma'am, I have to SUPERVISE the people under MY command. Good day." Lampright about-faces and walks out of the room.
Lampright waits until Misato leaves, then gets everyone's attention.
"Hey everyone, tomorrow, no work. Me and Coop are probably gonna hit up an arcade and grab some pizza or burgers, if anyone else wants to join us, go ahead, just be at the office at 1100."
"'Bout time we got a day off!" Montgomery yells.
"And Jaeger, boy are you in trouble."
"Uh-oh." Maloy said.
"Busted!" Herford yells from the back.
"Yeah, Jaeger's buyin' everyone lunch in the mess hall today."
"Damn it! That gets expensive!" Jaeger yells.
"Then stop gettin' me in trouble!"
Jaeger mock pouts, "But it's fun."
1100 hrs. Undisclosed Date 1
N-FOG Office, NERV Headquarters
Lampright, Cooper, Howard, Herford, Smith, Larson, Sonoda, Carey, Jackson, and Maloy gather at the office, all in civvies.
"Everybody got their weapons permits? Good. Beepers? Good. Money? Good. Then let's ROCK!"
The ten men enter the elevator to the surface.
"Hey Sonoda." Lampright says.
"Yeah?"
"This is your country, so uh, just keep me fm doin' anything stupid, alright?"
"Sure, sir. It never crossed my mind to do otherwise." Sonoda replied with a smile.
""Oh, damn Sonoda. You got your work cut OUT for you today!" Cooper said.
"Shut-up, fucktard." Lampright said.
"Jarhead." Cooper replied.
"Hey!" Maloy yelled.
Cooper and Lampright just grinned at each other.
"Man, I've missed these kinda times." Lampright said.
"I know what you mean. I haven't REALLY relaxed in months." Cooper added.
"So what's our ROEs?" Cooper asked.
"Whatever you can do without being arrested."
"Sweet!" Smith yelled from the back.
"Sonoda, you're gonna help us with that one."
"Happy to, sir." he replied.
The doors to the elevator open and the step onto the surface.
"And for the love of God, stop calling me sir! There's no rank today. We've in civvies, alright?"
"COOL! That means I can do THIS!" Cooper yells and frogs Lampright on the shoulder.
"Hey what the fu-OW! Bastard." Lampright strikes out like lightning and frogs him on the shoulder blade.
1334 hrs. Undisclosed Date 1
Somewhere in Tokyo-3
The ten soldiers are playing various arcade games. Lampright and Cooper playing a shooting game, Sonoda and Larson are playing DDR, Carey and Jackson are beating the crap out of each other on some fighting game, while Smith and Howard play a puzzle-game against each other, occasionally tossing obscenities at each other, Herford's in a driving game, leaving Maloy free to harass little kids by waiting until they put money in the machine and then popping in his money, allowing him to whip the crap out of ten-year olds on fighting games, much to his amusement. Eventually, the other eight gather around and watch Lampright and Cooper finish beating the last shooting game in the building. Suddenly they finish, slap a high-five, and put in their scores.
"Numba one again, bitch!" Lampright yells.
"Screw you!" Cooper says grinning.
"There Lampright, are you happy? You set the highest score for every shooting game here. You wanna eat?" Larson asked.
"Sure. Hey guys! Pizza or burgers?!"
0007 hrs. Undisclosed Date 2
Somewhere in Tokyo-3
The ten men are sitting around the table, drinking and singing loudly (and somewhat off-key).
"Oh, what is the malted liquor,
What gets your drunker quicker,
What comes in bottles or in cans?
BEER!
Can't get enough of it,
BEER!
How we really love it,
BEER!
Makes me think I'm a man!
I could kiss and hug it,
BEER!
But I'd rather chug it,
BEER!
Fill my belly up to here!
BEER!
I can not refuse it!
BEER!
I could really use a
BEER! BEER! BEER!"