0743 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Capt. Lampright's Quarters, NERV Headquarters

Captain Katsuragi was awakened by noise outside the room. As she awakened, she was surprised by the unfamiliar room she was sleeping in. She was also curious as to why had slept in her clothes. She got up, causing the pounding in her head to intensify. As she straightened her clothes, the events of the previous night flooded back to her. Or at least what happened before the drinking started. She stuck head out the door as she tried to remember exactly how she had got here, where ever 'here' was.

"Hello?"

"So your awake, captain." Lampright said.

"Wh-what happened?"

"You got wasted last night. I mean damn! I've never seen ANYone out drink Cooper. You must've had like, four bottles of sake. You were frickin' DRUNK." Lampright said from where he was sitting on the couch where he had slept.

Katsuragi looked around and blushed.

"Did we ummm...you know...?"

"No. You passed out cold. I had to carry you. I would have left you at your place, but nobody would open the door. Why do you ask?"

Realizing what she said, Katsuragi blushed even more.

"N-no reason."

Lampright opens his fridge.

"Want somethin' to drink?"

"Uh, sure."

"Root beer, beer, juice or water?" Lampright says with his head hidden behind the fridge door.

"Beer."

"Alright. Yebisu, right?" Lampright says coming back from the fridge with bottle of water and a can of beer.

"Uh, yeah, how did you-"

"I noticed the high number of them in your trash. I stay alive by being observant." he said as he handed her the can and opened his bottle of water.

The two sat drinking in silence for a several minutes before Lampright stood up.

"Well, I've gotta meet with my troops for breakfast, so I'm gonna have to see you out."

"Uhmmm, ok. Thanks."

"Yeah. Let's do it again sometime."

0800 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Cafeteria, NERV Headquarters

The thirteen members of N-FOG arrive, all wearing civvies. As they entered the room, they noticed Shinji eating alone. The troops filed through the line, and took seats surrounding Shinji. As they sit down, they notice he's looking kind of freaked out.

"You ok, man?" Cooper asked.

"I-I'm fine." he said without looking up.

"You a little freaked out about yesterday, right?" Lampright said.

Shinji was silent.

"It's cool dude. I threw up after my first time in combat."

"Really?" Shinji said.

"Yeah, my lieutenant colonel came by and asked me if I was alright, because he knew it was my first time under fire. And I barfed all over his boots."

There were several snickers and Cooper struggled to stay in his chair. Lampright ignored them.

"Hey man, I know you're freaked out. It's natural, you'll be cool in a few days." Lampright told him.

"Yeah. It'll be cool, man, don't worry." Jackson said.

"Tell you what. Since the guards here are incompetent, we're gonna provide security. I'm gonna walk you to school today. Well, you and Ayanami and...sigh Soryu too."

Lampright turns his troops.

"Carey, Sonoda, your teams'll pull site security with me once we arrive. Command element, stay with in the chase vehicle to provide mobile support. Pack some SMGs."

Suddenly Katsuragi's voice came over the radio.

"Captain Lampright, report to my office, NOW."

"Oh shit." Lampright said.

"Wow. She sounds pissed." Cooper said.

"Thank you, COOPER." Lampright said as he got up.

0745 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Captain Katsuragi's Office, NERV Headquarters

"Lampright, would you like to explain this!" she asked, loudly slamming down his AAR report.

"It's my debriefing report, ma'am." Lampright said innocently.

"You know Asuka wants you to replace the cloths she was wearing because you got that terrorist's blood all over them?"

"Yeah, I bet she does." Lampright responded.

"Why did you take that shot, captain?"

'Oh, jeez.' Lampright thought.

"Because I thought I could make it."

"You THOUGHT you could make it! There was someone's life at stake!"

"They were gonna kill her anyway." Lampright said.

"You don't know that!"

"These guys were pros, and the kids had seen their faces. They weren't gonna let them live. Look, MA'AM, I don't tell you how to fight Angels, so don't tell me how to conduct a raid! Is there anything else?"

"Why are you wearing civvies, Lampright? Don't you have WORK today?"

"Ma'am, we're doing pilot security." Lampright managed to say with a straight face.

Captain Katsuragi's face turned the color of a tomato.

"WHAT! AFTER WHAT YOU JUST DID! UNDER WHO'S AUTHORIZATION!"

Lampright savored the moment about to unfold.

"Ma'am, under the authority of Commander Gendo Ikari, N-FOG is to replace the normal pilot security detail until a full investigation can be made into the circumstances leading to the abduction of the pilots, ma'am. May I leave now?" Lampright said without a trace of a smirk.

Katsuragi sighed.

"Get out."

Lampright got exited the office and closed the door behind him. After he left, Dr. Ikagi enter Katsuragi's office from the adjoining space.

"It really is shameless." she said.

"Yeah, he really is reckless." Katsuragi said.

"Oh no. I completely agree with him. I was referring to the way you two flirt."

"RITSUKO!" Katsuragi yelled.

Hallway, NERV Headquarters

As he left, Lampright saw Cooper leaning against the wall.

"God, Lampright, the way you two fight, when was the marriage?"

"Have I told you how much I hate you lately, Cooper?"

0843 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Streets of Tokyo-3

'Carey's team should be in position around the school. Sonoda's should be following us at a distance, not like I could see tell them through these crowds.' Lampright thought as he casually scanned his surroundings, trying not to subconsciously reach for the pistol hidden under his long coat.

"What's it like?" Shinji suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Lampright asked, surprised by Shinji's sudden outburst.

"What's it like in combat?"

"Come on Shinji, HE'S a fearless soldier in the American army. He just kills for a living." Asuka said in an omniscient and scornful tone.

"And that's why I'm not replacing your cloths." Lampright said.

Asuka responded by sticking her tongue out at him. Lampright responded by using his middle finger to pull down his right eyelid and turned back to Shinji.

"It's kinda hard to describe. It's like a super adrenaline rush. I mean, theres fear, but there's also a feeling of exhilaration, too. It's incredible. It's like all you senses are sharpened, multiplied to a dozen times normal, every sound, every movement, every smell. And then there's the pride."

"Of what, killing?"

"No, of being a part of something bigger. But I guess you wouldn't understand that."

0934 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Streets of Tokyo-3

Lampright stepped into the van.

"So how long do you think we'll be pullin' guard duty?" Smith asked.

"Dunno. They said until NERV's done investigating security's foul-up." Howard replied.

"Yeah, it could be months, the way these Hardy Boys rip-offs work." Lampright said as he stepped inside the van.

1603 hrs.Undisclosed Date +3

Streets of Tokyo-3

Lampright follows at a distance of about twenty yards, making sure to maintain visual contact. The kids took a short cut down an alley, Lampright noticed several threatening hooligans.

"Possible altercation ahead. Moving to intercept." Lampright said into his mic as he accelerated his pace and caught up with the kids.

"Whaddaya mean you ain't got no money?" the biggest one asked and cracked his knuckles.

"Who the fucka you?" one of the other thugs asked as Lampright stumbled through the scene.

"Oh, uh, hey man, I don't want any trouble." Lampright said raising his hands.

"Forget these kids, dude. Let's wail on this bitch!" yelled a third punk.

"Run!" Lampright yells and points towards the street where the van.

Asuka, Rei, and Shinji flee towards it.

"So it's a fight you want, huh!" Lampright yells as he enters a loose fighting stance.

"Let's see how you like it when the prey fights back! Who's first?"

"Yo Tank, take this foo down!" the leader says, as a large man moves towards Lampright.

Lampright just smiles savagely, the kind of smile that freezes ponds. The punk, who's style was obviously force over finesse, threw a hard right jab at Lampright's face. But Lampright wasn't there. He had sidestepped to the left, and threw a knife-hand to Tank's throat, dropping him to his knees coughing.

" Yo, Shadow! Sideshow! Slice this punk! Show'im how we ROLL!"

Another two hooligans stepped forward, and pulled out long daggers.

The first ran at him, while the second circled around. As soon as the first was within range, Lampright trapped and broke his wrist before flipping him to the ground. The second hoodlum was almost on top of Lampright. He rushed the punk, hitting him on the shoulder opposite the arm with the knife and pinned him against a wall. Lampright grabbed his knife hand, pinned it to the wall with one arm, then repetitively hit his wrist with palm-heel strikes until he could no longer hold the knife. Lampright let the punk fall into a heap. Lampright turned around and saw that several more gangers had appeared, and everyone was holding some kind of weapon.

"We gonna fuck you up, asshole!" the leader yelled motioning at his assembled delinquents.

Lampright casually moves aside his coat and with a deliberate lack of speed, drew his pistol from it's armpit holster and flicked off the safety. He looked up at the gang, all of their confidence now gone in the face of firepower.

"Not so fun when the other guy has the unfair advantage, is it?" Lampright asked.

Rapid footsteps sounded at both ends of the alley. Lampright looked past the gang members and saw Sonoda's element moving up from behind them. He didn't have to look to know that the command element was behind him, he heard them cocking their UZIs. Lampright motioned to the soldiers that had surrounded them.

"Meet MY gang."

"Mimura! You fuckin' moron! They're fuckin' Yakuza! What the hell is wrong with you!" one of the gangers yelled as Sonoda's men started to hog-tie the gangers with riot cuffs.

"Hey Howard, they look hot. Help'em out." Lampright said as he watched the scene play itself out.

"Ok." Howard said as he went around and pulled down the pants of all the gangers who were unable to rectify their situation due to having their wrists and ankles cuffed together.

"You better HOPE I never see your sorry asses on the street again. You bitches go get a decent job, join the JSDF or something. And stop hustlin' little kids, you pussies." Sonoda yelled.

When they were finished, Lampright addressed the gangers lying on the ground.

"Now, y'all be good little boys and wait for the cops to arrive. I got a sniper on a rooftop here somewhere, and if you move before the cops get here, he'll put one in your fuckin' head." Lampright said as the troops moved back to their positions.

As he began walking again with the pilots, Denisovich came over the radio.

"Sir, you do realize that Jaeger's not going to stay and watch them, da?"

"Oh I know, but they don't." Lampright replied.

"Hahaha, da, I understand."

Sonoda and Carey's team loaded back up in their vehicles along with the command element, leaving Lampright to again walk with the kids.

"So," Lampright asked "did you three have a good day at school?"