APRIL 13th, 2015
11:12am:
Their spinners were not too far from the landing site, being only minutes away. They were landing on a muddied rice paddy near the Shigenobu River, which ran between Expressway 11 and Route 23, East of Matsuyama.
Misato felt crammed against everyone's gear, being the only one wearing a standard combat uniform in the flight. Misato in anything but her red jacket and NERV uniform was such a strange sight for Unit-01.
As usual, she was seated by Shinji since the two of them knew each other the most. "Your hands shaking again?" Asked Misato, having noticed his trembling hands as the trip went on.
"Yeah, it'll stop once we land." He responded while looking out his window. Misato picked up on how dismissive he was being, as he had been blankly staring out the window for the whole ride.
As they came in to land, Unit-01 got a good sight of the Expressway 11. The roads were completely empty, devoid of life and personality other than a few pieces of trash here and there.
The doors opened as soon as they came to a complete stop, and the unit quickly left their vehicles in an orderly fashion. Though they would face battle soon, everyone in Unit-01 was relieved to see the sun again.
Their shared sentiment wouldn't last long, as they were quickly subjected to the awful heat and humidity. On top of that, they carried heavy state-of-the-art weapons and technology.
Misato made her way to the tent the commanding officers of the camp had set up, needing to plan out their invasion of greater Matsuyama. In the mean time, all units got to just wait around for a while and rest up for a bit.
All shaded areas were taken up by the other two units that were stationed at the camp, so Unit-01 did their best to withstand the heat. Shinji, still tired from the previous night of partying, laid on his back looking up at the blue sky.
'This is the worst place in the world.' He thought. After sitting back up, he grabbed his canteen and gulped down some of his water. Putting the canteen away made him observe his hand.
The scratches and scabs were almost fully healed up, nothing but dark and dry flakes ready to be peeled away. His last battle really changed him, and he wondered if it would even do him any good.
'I feel like killing them shouldn't bother me anymore, I mean I've already killed two... Why am I still hesitant?' He pondered, still looking at his hand. "What's up with yer palm?" Asked Toji, wondering why Shinji was staring so intensely at his own hand.
"Oh, uh... it's nothing. Just thinking about some stuff I guess..." He answered. Toji rolled his eyes. "Weirdo." He said. Shinji had a look around, wondering what the other two units were like.
They were sent there to join units 08 and 19 to form Eagle Company, so he thought he'd get a little preview of the new faces he'd have to deal with in their time there.
Eagle Company was made up of units who had built a really good reputation. So far, Unit-01 was the Commander's most trusted unit, with 08 and 19 not too far behind.
Asuka wasn't happy about the units joining to form a company, as Unit-01 was often given missions like that of Special Forces. Though, there was no way a single platoon could be sent to patrol Matsuyama and make it out alive.
She had no choice though, Misato was her higher-up and despite Asuka's rank, she was still a soldier. Asuka was the only one to actually be mad about Eagle Company, though. Everyone else just felt more safe.
"'Ey Lieutenant how long are we gonna wait around for?" Asked Toji, already tired of holding his undershirt up to provide himself cover from the hot rays of the sun.
"I don't know, Suzuhara! The Major didn't tell me anything. I already don't wanna be here but this just irritates me even more!" She complained. "So? No one wants to be here, Lieutenant." Said Shinji.
"I know that, dumbass! I just think Unit-01 is above being a patrol squad. We don't need any help from some other two lesser units!" Said Asuka. "Fuck it man! We're here to kill, so let's kill!" Voiced Toji, trying to keep up the 'Angel Killer' image as always.
"Yeah, I don't see what the big deal is. We're clearly more equipped for bigger battles now." Added Kensuke. "Hmph! You guys just don't get it." She said before turning around to end the conversation.
"What's her deal now?" Asked Shinji, irritated by the fact that her behavior had not changed one bit. "She's pissed off 'cuz she gets insecure at the idea of needin' help. Bein' in Eagle Company is really scrapin' her nerves." Explained Toji.
"Yeah, I wish she'd just put the facade down for a bit. It'll only stress her out." Said Kensuke. Shinji simply nodded, having agreed that she needed to settle down more often. But he figured she had her reasons.
The sound of flowing water was barely audible in the distance. It was the infamous Shigenobu River that produced the sound. The river was known for being the largest channelized river in Japan, not to mention one of the most polluted too.
Shinji found it to be an interesting juxtaposition; that such an ugly river that resembled an open-air sewer could produce the same calming sound of running water found in an untouched stream.
This was no new sight, though. Most of Japan's smaller rivers had been channelized after Second Impact. As the ocean level increased, riverflows reversed and flooded miles into the mainland, destroying property and killing hundreds.
All channelized rivers lead to their designated spillways located at the sea wall each city had been provided over the years. The Matsuyama Sea Wall was the second largest in all of Japan, the largest one being the Tokyo Sea Wall.
The units anxiously waited their orders, wondering how the plan would turn out. They all knew what direction greater Matsuyama was from their location, but as usual they sat waiting for the higher ranking officials to conjure a battle plan.
Misato had been working closely with the other units' C.O.'s. Her job was made easier once she found out the other officers basically had the same plan to head down the Shigenobu River.
This would be no beautiful nature walk, though. The way the river was dug up to fill in the concrete layers was to keep people out, the borders being fenced off to prevent anyone from drowning. The waterway itself was actually pretty deep.
The flowing water was tainted into a dark green soup of dirt particles, human and animal waste, and a lot of trash. A childish rumor was spread at one point, detailing the side effects of entering the river, like growing an extra limb or two.
Shinji wondered if Toji was the one who made that up, and the more he thought about it the more sense it made. "Attention! Units 01, 08 and 19, line up!" Yelled one of the commanding officers.
Within a matter of seconds, all troops from the three units stood and ran over to line up in front of the commanding officer. Just like they had been trained; in numerical order, left to right from the C.O.'s point of view.
"Unit-19 you all already know me, no need for an introduction. Units 01 and 08, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Sargent Taira, and as you may have already guessed, I'm Unit-19's C.O. We hear you guys are pretty good in the field, especially you, 01." He said.
"Eagle Company, you'll be trekking your way alongside the Shigenobu River, going downstream. If you're unsure of which way to go, simply follow the river flow. We're not too far from the imaginary line that separates the Toon territory from the Matsuyama territory." The Sargent added.
"You will continue going down the Shigenobu for about 8 klicks. You should reach the Route 16 bridge at that point, which Alpha Company are stationed at. Proceed northbound on Route 16." He said.
"NERV's surveillance drones have reported Angel activity around the heart of Matsuyama, which is where you'll all be doing most of your work. Continue up Route 16 until you reach the 3rd District, we will further instruct you then."
"Mission starts at 2000 hours, understood?" Yelled the Sargent. "Sir, yes sir!" Replied the entirety of Eagle Company. "At ease, soldiers." Said the Sargent once more as he made his way back to his tent. Unit-08's C.O. followed suit.
Misato decided she'd have a look around Unit-01 before her spinner's departure, which was in about half an hour. This was Misato's first time in the field, though she would face no combat at all.
The only reason she was sent there was to communicate her battle plans to the other ranks, as their means of communication had been strangely jammed out of nowhere.
NERV was quick to assume it was the Angels' doing as the actual technology that had malfunctioned seemed to still work perfectly, just no calls actually went through.
For about 10 minutes Misato walked around saying hi to each passing troop she knew. After a while, her feet began hurting a lot. She was not used to wearing combat boots at all, and the pain made her want to rest up a bit.
She figured she'd go sit by Shinji and his friends, as they had all interacted the night before. As she walked over, she saw Shinji laying next to his friends, gazing at the blueness of the sky.
"Hello again Aida and Suzuhara! Mind if I sit here for a little?" She asked, knowing full-well neither would decline. "Yes, of course Major!" the two answered unanimously. She sat next to Shinji again as he continued to lay on the grass.
"Y'know the stars come out at night, right? You're not gonna find anything up there at this hour." She humored. Shinji didn't look too amused, but forced a chuckle. "Just taking a little time to think about things, Major." He answered dully.
Misato felt the pain in his voice. She had a feeling he was going to be down, but she didn't think it was going to be this bad. She thought maybe he would've been better prepared, or at least have a better attitude about it.
"Are you going to be okay Shinji?" She asked, looking genuinely concerned. Shinji's stare stayed on the blue sky as he remained laying down, almost as if Misato being there didn't faze him one bit.
"I'll be okay Misato, don't worry about me." He replied with a flat delivery. 'He's pushing me away again.' She thought. "Shinji, a word please." She said in a sudden serious tone.
He reluctantly stood up and followed Misato to wherever it was that she was leading him. Toji and Kensuke were left flabbergasted by the fact that the two were still referring to one another by first name in the field.
Shinji continued to follow his C.O. until they came to a stop not too far from the company, but far enough that the two would be able to have a private conversation.
"Shinji, you're all gloomy again. And look, it's okay to feel that right now. But this defeatist attitude is only going to get you killed." She said, spilling all her concerns out at once.
He kept avoiding her eye contact but kept his head up high enough so that she could see he was listening. "Don't worry Misato, I'm fit for battle. I'm ready for anything the Angels fire my way." He said in an obvious unenthusiastic manner.
"This isn't just about that... C'mon we had so much fun last night! It's so sad to see you like this all over again. Surely you'd fight for another day on this earth to experience that feeling again, wouldn't you?" She asked.
He was quiet for a few seconds, as he had to really think about his answer. In the end, he thought about how all of his friends at last night's party had given him his first taste of acceptance.
"Your friends, they made you happy, didn't they? That was the happiest I've ever seen you..." She added, trying her hardest to give him something to hold on to.
"My friends..." He said, thinking of all the smiles that were shared at the party, all the jokes and laughs, the ridiculous conversations they all had under the influence of Misato's beer; images flashed through his mind.
Though he was still very scared, the thought of protecting those he loved brought him a sense of ease. He looked back up at her, feeling sorry that he made her so worried.
"I'm so sorry about this, Misato... I didn't want you to-" "Shinji, it's okay! It's nothing to be sorry about. Just... look out for yourself, okay? We wouldn't want you getting hurt or killed."
Shinji nodded with a faint smile, feeling just a tad relieved. "Thank you Misato." He said. "I should probably head over to the spinner, last time I missed my flight back I got twice the paperwork as a way to make me punctual."
"Okay, have a good flight Misato. I'll see you whenever we return." He said as he waved goodbye. She waved back, and added one more thing before leaving. "Bye Shinji. Stay safe, okay?" He smiled in response.
He watched as she made her way to the aircraft, then headed back to his unit shortly after. On his way back, he spotted Rei in the distance, staying almost absolutely still as she usually did.
Rei sat alone, a common sight to whoever was around her so often. No matter where they were or what they were doing, she always sat alone, quiet as a mouse.
He considered going over to chat with her a bit, but chose not to as he remembered their last in-person interaction. He had basically done all the talking, which surprised Shinji the most, being that he found someone more anti-social than himself.
She didn't seem to mind his attempts at talking to her, but she rarely did anything other than nod in response to him. Looking back, he felt a little insecure. He chose not to think about it anymore.
He sat back down with his friends, awaiting the dreaded hour.
7:49pm:
Eagle Company waited by the exit of the camp site, everyone loading up their guns and packing their gear properly. All troops in the company stuck by their groups of friends, all chatting casually as they readied their equipment.
At the moment, Shinji was busy passing insect repellent over the exposed parts of his skin. After applying a good amount, he clicked the button on his Chameleon Suit and another tropical green camo was given to him.
Sargent Taira and Unit-08's C.O. began to worry the Angels had jammed their signals to launch a surprise attack on Alpha Company so they could push them out easier, as they would have no way to call for backup.
With how aggressive the Angels had been recently, it was a very likely scenario. "Eagle Company, listen up! There's a chance Alpha Company may currently be under attack! We've no way to contact them, so be prepared for anything." Said Taira.
Everyone gave a weak "Sir, yes sir." and continued preparing until they were all ready to go. The Sargent realized he had forgotten to do something, and quickly rushed over to get it done.
He walked over to Asuka, who was facing the other way talking to her friends. "Lieutenant Soryu!" Yelled Taira. Asuka immediately faced him and stood tall. "Yes sir!"
"Come with me." He said as he walked forward. She did was she was ordered to and followed the Sargent. The two walked through the crowd that was Unit-19, coming to a stop once Taira found who he was looking for.
"Captain Shiro!" Yelled Taira, the exact same way he did to Asuka. Shiro turned around and quickly saluted the Sargent. The boy's face carried a scar that ran across his left cheek, slightly impeding the left said of his mouth when it came to speech. "Yes sir!"
"This here is Unit-01's Lieutenant Soryu. I thought I'd introduce you all as you'll be working together now." Said Taira. "Soryu, this is Captain Shiro of Unit-19- hey, can someone get me the 2nd Lieutenant?" He asked.
Shiro stuck his hand out for a handshake, to which Asuka reluctantly returned the favor. "Pleased to finally meet you, Lieutenant Soryu. Unit-01's work is the talk of our unit here... let's just say we all deeply admire your combat skills." He said.
Asuka was still not happy about the company, but she certainly took those compliments. "Well y'know, you gotta be at the top of your game to be in a unit like mine!" She replied with a cocky smirk.
Shiro chuckled, not yet realizing how serious she was. She hated the fact that she wouldn't have command of everyone, that duty went on to Shiro because of his higher rank. She was just trying to establish her dominance.
Finally, Unit-08's 2nd Lieutenant was brought up. "Soryu, this is 2nd Lieutenant Takeda of Unit-08." Said Taira. They also shook hands, with Asuka still playing it cool around the Sargent.
"Okay, Eagle Company should be set to move out shortly. "Best of luck to you all." He said as he made his way back to the tent. "Well we should get back to our units. We'll be on our way in just a bit." Said Shiro.
"I know." She said, a hint of passive aggression in her voice. Shiro looked at her, wondering what made her so grumpy. He didn't give it much thought and left for his unit, as did Takeda.
Asuka turned to go back to her unit, but jumped at the sight of the pale Ayanami standing in her way. "Jesus, wondergirl! Don't sneak up on me like that, I'll have a heart attack!" Complained the Lieutenant.
Rei stood still, waiting for the Lieutenant to regain her composure. "Major Katsuragi has called through the emergency radio unit. She asked for you." Said the blue haired girl.
"Is following orders all you can do?" Asked Asuka, still irritated over being scared. Rei didn't respond, looking at Asuka with her hollow eyes. "Go find some friends, you loner." Said Asuka as she made her way to the radio phone.
'Friends...' Thought Rei. The only person that had directly told her he considered her a friend, was Shinji. And since Asuka was Unit-01's leading member, Rei mistook her insult for an order.
"Yes ma'am." Said Rei and she walked over to Unit-01 herself. Asuka watched her go, not sure what it was that Rei misheard for an order. 'Might as well be talking to a damn robot.' She thought to herself.
Toji stared at the night sky as his cigarette burnt away. He appeared to be deep in his thoughts. "You guys believe in guardian angels?" He asked, out of the blue.
Shinji and Kensuke looked surprised, not ever believing he could think that deeply. "Gee, I dunno Toji... Why? What's the matter?" Asked Kensuke. "Aaahh, I was just thinkin' here... if guardian angels exists, why're we losin' troops everyday?"
Neither of his friends knew how to answer. "What are you even getting at?" Asked Shinji, unsure of why he was questioning such a thing. "I hear a lotta people pray before goin' to battle and all... guess I just wondered if it was even worth it."
"Man, if only guardian angels were a thing. Imagine having a hottie for a guardian angel! Oh man, how fun that would be..." Stated Kensuke, drooling over the image of a woman that didn't (and would never) exist.
Shinji scoffed. "Keep dreaming, man. No one's willing to watch over another person's back out of concern... we have our own lives to worry about." He said. Shinji was acting very cynical lately, it was something that didn't go unnoticed by his friends.
"Geez man, lighten up! I get what ya mean and all, but we're friends, aren't we? We watch over each other's backs, don't we?" Asked Toji. "I mean yeah, that's a given. But I mean..." He said, thinking about his dad as he formed his next sentence.
"...I know for a fact that no one is going to prioritize my safety over their own." He finished, looking down. "I'll protect you, Ikari." Said Rei from behind the trio. No one had seen her arrive, giving Toji and Kensuke the creeps.
"Don't worry about dying, I will be there to protect you." She added. Shinji watched in total awe, mind-blown that the exact opposite of what he had just described was happening.
"Um... I- thank you..." He sheepishly said, his cheeks turning red. Rei didn't understand what it was that might've embarrassed him, but she felt an unfamiliar warmth as he said this. This was very new to her.
Toji looked over at Kensuke, as if the two were telepathically saying to each other; "Are you seeing this?" Finally, a voice was heard calling out to all of Eagle Company.
"Alright listen up! We're moving out! Check your gear! We're lock 'n loaded!" Said Shiro as he cocked his automatic rifle. The rest of the company did the same, the sound of metallic springs filling the air.
Shinji placed his helmet on his head, not bothering to strap it on. He realized most people in his unit didn't bother strapping it on anyway, so he decided he didn't care much about it either.
And with that, Eagle Company was off. They made their way out of the camp, and into the dark mini-jungles of the Matsuyama region. Insect chirps could be heard everywhere, creeping the hell out of Shinji.
Without any reason, he looked over at Rei as they walked with the rest of the company. She looked back, making him extremely nervous. He gave her a shy smile, as he didn't know what else to do.
Rei felt that warm sensation again. She wasn't sure what to do for a few seconds. Then, she remembered something he had said to her a little while ago. It was as if the scene had perfectly replayed in her head;
'Well, if you're happy... you should smile.'
Yet again, Rei smiled at him. This time, the rare sight was visible to a few of Unit-01's troops, Toji and Kensuke in particular. They said nothing, but they were amazed by Shinji's apparent affect on Rei.
It didn't take long for their minds to be quickly taken off of that. Everyone in Eagle Company remained quiet now. The darkness of the night surrounded them, as they began their trek towards the city.
They simply followed the river flow.