The day went by slowly for Jack, every session had been in Japanese and it was hard to keep up even with the scribbles on the drawing board. He didn't know how they expected him to learn much.
The entire day the only thing he learned to do was ask for water. At least that was better than nothing.
After the school day ended Asuka grabbed his wrist and took him to Nerv HQ. Jack glanced around the room he was in now. It was small and all the other pilots were there as well.
Jack had tried introducing himself to the girl called Rei but she had barely even reacted to him being there, she had just stared at him with her strange voidless eyes.
"So…what exactly are we doing here?" Jack asked. He rubbed his left arm with the right leaning against the wall awkwardly.
"Me, Mari, and Shinji are testing out the new dummy system," Asuka said, rolling her eyes when she said dummy system. "On the other hand you and Rei will see if your units even work."
"All at the same time?" Jack said. "What if something goes wrong?"
Asuka snorted. "Nothing will go wrong, idiot. Now look away, I'm gonna get my suit on."
Jack and Shinji both quickly positioned their bodies to look the opposite way of where the girls were undressing.
"I know you two are dying to look," Mari said giggling. "I wouldn't mind."
"They are not gonna look! Especially not at you!" Asuka growled from behind the two boys and Jack shifted uncomfortably wondering if he looked like he wanted to look.
He glanced at Shinji beside him who seemed to be just as nervous and was focused on keeping his eyes away from the three girls.
"See, look, princess, my boobs are bigger than yours," Mari said and Jack heard Asuka stomp her foot.
"Yeah, I get it already! Stop reminding me all the time."
Jack cocked his head with a question spawning in his mind and he turned to Shinji. "Why do they talk in English to each other?"
"Mari is Australian and Asuka is half American, they find it easier, and Asuka's bias against Japan doesn't help." Shinji responded, still not looking back.
"Ok we're done, you guys can look now!" Mari said behind them and the two boys turned to look and Jack immediately blushed seeing the three girls in the tight clothes.
"You…look good," Jack said immediately regretting the words as soon as they left his mouth. He blushed furiously.
"Of Course I do!" Mari replied, pressing her body against the wall showing off her chest. "Quite the sight, huh?"
"He wasn't talking to you, baka!" Asuka yelled, crossing her arms.
"Well, he wasn't talking to you that's for sure." Mari giggled.
"I think he was talking to all three of us," Rei said calmly her eyes locked with Jack making him want to look anywhere else to avoid eye contact.
Asuka walked over in front of Jack and poked him in the chest. "Which of us were you talking to?"
"All three of you," Jack said quietly looking down at the floor as his fingers slipped into his pockets nervously.
"Aw, come on, you don't have a favorite?" Mari asked leaning against the wall with only one hand making it very hard not to look.
"No, I don't, you're all pretty." Jack said softly not wanting any of them to feel bad about their body.
"Correct answer!" A voice boomed behind Jack making him jump and turn around. "Hey, I'm Kaji, I came here to meet the new pilot."
The man had jet black hair that reached his shoulders and a smile that would make anyone collapse under it. Jack forced a smile.
"Hey, I'm…Jack." He stuck out his hand and Kaji took it with a smile playing on his lips. Kaji kept his eyes on Jack's shake firm and gentle at the same time. His stance was confident.
Just like Blaze.
Jack shakes the thought of his brother away. It was hard to think about him, not when he was this much of a wreck.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." Jack removed his hand from the handshake.
"You don't need to call me sir," Kaji replied with the smile never leaving his face.
"Aren't you gonna say hi to me too!?" Asuka yelled, her voice filled with need. She crossed her arms looking slightly annoyed. Her frown furrowed when Kaji laughed.
"Well I don't need to say hi to you anymore, do I? You're no longer the best pilot." Kaji teased pulling her strings purposefully.
"What?! Of course, I'm the best pilot! The sync rate doesn't prove anything, that idiot doesn't even compare to me!" Asuka stomped her foot. "I'll prove it if I need to, Jack will never be better than me!"
"You're right," Mari cut in grinning. "He already is better."
"Hey, Asuka is probably right, I doubt I'm even that good at piloting," Jack said, making sure to smile and not look down. He had to act confident even if he wasn't.
Kaji laughed. "If you say so, newbie. Good luck testing out the unit." Kaji walked away, his stance tall and straight.
"I guess, I'm gonna do this then." Jack sighed and whispered to himself. "This is for you, Blaze."
Misato was in the Eva Room, which is what they called the area in front of the spouters, which shot out the evas. Misato sighed leaning against a table waiting for the pilots to enter their eva.
She stared at Gendo wondering why he was sending the units outside when there was no real threat. Usually fr practice they would practice down at the HQ, it's as though Gendo was expecting something bad to happen. She quickly shrugged the thought off, it was best not to think about it.
Suddenly, she felt two very strong arms wrap around her and start rocking her gently.
"Hey," Kaji said into her ear, his soft breath starting a flutter all over her body and she shivered slightly. "The new pilot is a lot like Shinji, isn't he."
"Yeah, he is," Misato said, taking in a shaky breath. "I think those two are getting along. It's about time Shinji found someone like him who treats him with respect"
"I completely agree," Kaji replied, his lips brushing her ear which made Misato's eyes widen slightly. "I can't wait to see him in action, finally showing Asuka she isn't the greatest. Oh, I'd love to have seen her face when she first found out about the sync rate."
"Oh, it was pretty funny," Misato said with a grin spreading around her face. "She hasn't stopped mumbling about still being the best since."
Misato watched as finally, the five pilots slipped into their separate Eva units. Misato immediately heard Jack's voice in the comm.
"I am never gonna get used to this." He said in English.
"Don't be a baby," Asuka replied, rolling her eyes as she settled in her eva. "Piloting an Eva is easier than breathing."
"How about we all just stay quiet and listen to my orders, huh?" Misato spoke into the comm. "You will all be sent out and stay connected to Eva please."
"Why are we gonna be sent out?" Rei asked, speaking in a robotic voice. Her lack of emotion still managed to creep Misato out a bit.
"I'm not sure, Gendo wants you all out there, he said, in case something goes wrong," Misato repeated the leader's words wishing she could know what was going on in Gendo's head.
Misato watched as Ritsuko sent the evas outside through the Tubers (A name created by Kaji when no one knew what to call them.) Quickly, Misato connected the Eva Cams to her computer making sure she could watch and move.
"This is wild," Jack said through the comm. "It practically moves along with me"
"Get over it, baka," Asuka replied, clenching and unclenching her eva's hands.
"I think something's wrong." Rei cut in suddenly her voice still as emotionless as always.
"What?" Misato asked, her hands shaking slightly as she waited for the girl's response.
"I think it's an angel."
