"Let's review the lesson again" Doctor Ackerman stated from the command center.
Erika lays inside a capsule similar to that of the one in Unit-02. This one, however, is what is known as a Dummy Test capsule, the type used for practice rounds.
It's been weeks since the fight between Unit-02 and the Angel. Erika has been training at NERV to improve her skills as a pilot.
Dr. Ackerman and Captain Whitehall supervise every single one of her tests to ensure she does not fail nor suffer from combat with the Angels.
"The Evangelion runs on electric power, supplied from the power cable that charges it at the hangar," Ackerman kept reviewing with her. "When in combat, Evangelion uses batteries that are located inside its pylons. If they get damaged or run out of power, their internal battery will provide power for only 5 minutes. With that said, you better use your time wisely when combating the Angels, got it?"
"Yes, ma'am".
The screen changed to the appearance of a city. a virtual render of Spring City.
In front of her was a virtual copy of the Angel she fought. It was sitting in place.
"The MAGI system just created a simulation with the previous angel as practice" Ackerman explains."You'll be using an assault rifle to shoot down the target".
A rack suddenly springs out from under the city, revealing a collection of assault rifles at Erika's disposal.
Erika pulls out one of them from the rack.
"Now, shoot at the target" The doctor orders her.
Erika begins firing shots; shots that miss the target terribly.
The third child glares in frustration at her target.
"It's okay, take your time," Ackerman reassures the pilot. "Just focus on the target the center and pull the switch ".
"Target the center, pull the switch"
She fires the second time and the Angel is taken down.
"Target the center, pull the switch" She repeats in her head.
Over and over, her aim kept improving through constant repetition. Meanwhile, Ackerman and Whitehall discuss Third Child's stats.
"Amazing" The Doctor comments. "Her synchronization rate is at 71.3%. Lower than the last in battle but decent enough for control".
"How high was it during the actual fight?" Whitehall inquires.
"That night it went from 50 to 90%, all in a matter of minutes" Dr. Ackerman recollects as she compares the stats on her computer.
"90?" Susan acknowledges as she looks over Unit-02's aim.
After practice, Erika, Ackerman, and Whitehall discuss her lessons on Second Impact, the Angels, and the Evangelion as a whole, as they head to the simulation room.
"There are 27 Angels in total?" The Third Child tries to recollect.
"25" Ackerman clarifies. "The First Child killed 2 before you came here. One in Siberia and the other down in Hakone".
"When did that happen?" Erika asks.
"A month ago" Whitehall explains. "I can show you the footage if you like".
On their way out of the Complex, Erika watches over the footage of the first child's battles through Whitehall's tablet. The one in Hakone had an appearance of a white crow while the one in Vladivostok acted like a giant ape.
The first child's Evangelion, Unit-01, was distinct from Erika's Unit-02. This one was metallic grey, with a sharp fin on top of its head, like a shark.
Erika notices that Evangelion fought both angels with swords.
"Hey Susan," she asks while watching the battle. "What's the relationship between Dr. Sumire and the other pilot?".
"From what I know, Dr. Sumire is Murasame's godmother" Whitehall explained. " He goes to your school, by the way".
Erika continues watching the screen, looking at how much damage the Eva sustained against the angel's attacks.
As they stop by the lights, the captain pulls out a small box from her glove compartment.
"By the way, I just bought you a phone," the captain mentions as she hands over the box to Erika. "In case of any future angel attacks, you'll be contacted right away".
"Okay," The Third Child says back without making eye contact.
An awkward silence falls between the two of them as they head home.
"So...how's school, Erika?" Susan asks trying to break the ice.
"School's...fine" Erika simply answers back.
"Just fine?"
"Yeah...I guess" She adds with uncertainty.
"Have you made any new friends?" Whitehall curiously inquires as she parks the car. "Anyone interesting?".
"Susan, I'm trying to analyze these battles" Erika insists out of annoyance.
"I'm just curious. You never seem to talk about school when I bring it up" Whitehall explains.
"School is just...school, Susan" Erika annoyingly talks back. "Nothing interesting happens there".
She gets out of the car and goes straight up to the apartments.
"What exactly is she hiding" Susan starts to wonder as she closes her door. "What is she this closed off?".
The following day was a school day. Erika has been attending the Claremont Academy since last week. A private institution that ranged from grades 7-12, refined as the best school in the whole city.
Students had to wear uniforms, which consisted of dark grey pants or skirts with white undershirts and a black vest. Aside from that, each student is also entrusted with a laptop as part of the curriculum.
Ever since she started attending here, Erika Langford has not made a single contact with anyone.
Sitting at her desk, in a row between two empty ones. staring at the board thinking about NERV, the angels, and the Evangelion.
Looking behind her, she spots the First Child, Kenji Murasame, sitting in a corner far from everyone in the class. He still had the bandages since the last time Erika saw him. but no cast.
His eyes turn from the board to her, making cold eye contact.
"He took down two angels in one month," she tells herself as looks back to the front.
She then recalls the first time she found out he was in her class. It was cold, alien, and unnatural. Everything about the First Child felt out of place.
The whole classroom held the same feeling around him. He rarely talked with anyone. The boys labeled him a "freak" while the girls found in "terrifying" for how quiet and emotionless he was.
In the row behind Erika, a student with short black hair plays around with an action figure and a camera.
The constant sound of his camera flickering for photos gets the attention of a female student with pink highlights and dark brown hair.
"Wesley, don't you have anything useful to do?" She asks the student.
"What? I'm just playing around Zoe" Wesley attempts to clarify.
"Well, as far as I know, photography isn't allowed in normal classrooms unless permitted" She shoots back. "And what happened to Ramon?".
"I don't know, I haven't seen him since the battle that happened 3 weeks ago" he responded as he took a glimpse at his photos. "By the way, I heard the military authorized the usage of that secret giant combat robot".
Upon hearing those words, Erika begins to listen to the two students behind her, all while pretending to be asleep.
"Let me guess, you heard this from your uncle who was in the army?" Zoe remarks.
"Yes, and I found more about that secret agency called NERV" Wesley adds. "I tell you, the government is hiding something".
Then came another student: a tanned boy with brown hair, only wearing the white shirt of his uniform and not the vest.
Wesley and Zoe then turn to greet him
"Ramon! Where have you been, dude?" Wes asks. "You've been missing these past days".
"I was in the hospital, taking care of my little brother" he explains sternly as he glances over the classroom.
He notices that about half of the seats are empty.
"What happened to the other students?" He inquires.
"They left after the battle, I guess their parents didn't want them living in a city that could become a battlefield at any moment" Zoe clarifies. "Is your brother alright?".
"He was buried under a heap of rubble" Ramon explains with dread. "He's alive, but got hospitalized ever since".
Upon hearing this, Erika thinks back to the amount of damage that occurred between her and the Angel.
"Man, that battle between the robot and the monster was insane" Wes comments. "A huge explosion occurred as the monster got destroyed!".
"One of the building's debris nearly crushed him" Ramon sternly continues. "The doctors say he'll be alright, but whoever was piloting that robot is an idiot! He nearly killed people out there!".
Zoe and Wesley stopped talking upon hearing Ramon vent his frustrations. Erika, on the other hand, felt angry and ashamed after hearing him talk about what happened to his brother.
"Stupid," she tells herself "I didn't think of the civilians. How can I consider myself a hero, let alone a pilot?".
Wesley then looks to notice Erika.
"Hey...have you heard the rumor?" He brings up.
"What rumor?" Zoe asks.
"That the new transfer student at school is the pilot of the robot" Wes explains.
"Don't be ridiculous" Zoe nags him.
"Then where's he at?" Asked Ramon.
Wesley then points at Erika.
"A girl?" Ramon looks in confusion.
"You got to be kidding me" Zoe sighs in annoyance. "How is the military going to let a 15-year-old pilot a giant robot? That stuff only happens in cartoons, smart ass!".
Suddenly, the teacher came in as the bell rang, he was a man who looked to be in his 40s. After rising to do the pledge of allegiance, the teacher began his history lesson, going over the topic of Western civilizations.
"The first civilizations of the world began off as stepping stones for humanity" He goes off. "Going through progress and achievements along the way, but also encountering hardships and setbacks that would eventually decay and destroy their civilizations altogether".
Erika, like many of the students, was taking notes in class through their laptops.
"Yet, The hardest trials for humanity began then in the last year of the 20th century," He keeps on monologuing. "The massive meteorite, which came from outer space, fell into the Antarctic Continent. It caused the ice of the continent to melt in a moment. As a result, the water level of the oceans went up, the earth's axis fluctuated and abnormal weather which threatened the existence of living things occurred all over the world".
As she takes notes, an email notification pops on her screen.
She checks it who's it from only to find its subject blank with a school address she does not know.
The email read: "Is it true that you are a pilot of that robot?"
Erika looked around the class to find the sender of that message, her eyes skimming through the entire class while the professor went on about the Second Impact.
"Economic collapse, racial disputes, and civil wars. The people who survived them suffered a hell of all kinds" The teacher kept going.
A second email followed it.
It read: "It's true, isn't it?"
Erika looked at her screen with uncertainty. Her fingers start to type a response to the email. typing Y, E, and S. But then, she clicks the backspace when-
"Ms. Langford?" the teacher asks. "Ms. Langford".
Erika jolts to face her teacher, taking her focus away from the keyboard.
"Yes?" She answers.
"Would you happen to know when did the world recover from the effects of the Second Impact?" He asked her.
"Well..." Erika starts as she clears her throat. "The Valentine Treaty of February 14th, 2002, ended all hostilities across all nations, but we didn't recover as a whole until reconstruction began in 2003, which lasted 4 years".
The whole class had a moment of silence. Erika had never talked much in class; this was the first time they heard her talk.
"Well...That is correct, Ms. Langford" the Teacher responds as he continues with the class.
Suddenly, the class is interrupted when one of the secretaries from the main office comes to get the teacher.
Once he left the room, the whole class turns their attention towards Erika. They all start to get closer to her.
"Why is everyone looking at me?" She asks herself.
She opens the email tab on her screen and finds out that she responded to the email with a Y, meaning that she wrote "yes".
"Crap".
The students started to ask all sorts of questions.
"How were you selected?!".
"Were you scared!?"
'How's the cockpit like?"
"What the monster an alien?!"
"Hey, I can't-It's all classified I-I don't know how-" Erika tries to explain as she's overflown with questions.
"What weapons does the robot have!?"
"Does it have a name?" Asks another.
"Are there more pilots?" One boy asks.
"Huh?".
"Another pilot, are you the only one?".
"Well...
"Alright! Enough with the questions!" Zoe goes off as she tries to get the rest of the students away from Erika. "Get back to your seats at once!".
"Geez Zoe, you're such a buzzkill!" one of the students complains.
"Don't care! You guys are overwhelming her" she orders. "Let her breathe!".
Everyone then went back to their seats, murmuring and whispering about the new student.
"Thanks, "Erika tells Zoe.
"No problem" Zoe assures her. "You probably shouldn't have responded to that email".
"It was an accident" She explains.
"Don't worry about it, it will die off eventually," Zoe assures her once more. "Zoe Harwood, by the way."
"Nice to meet you" she greets. "I'm Erika Langford".
The entire day, students kept asking Erika questions about her and the Evangelion nonstop. The news had spread across the entire school and most if not all the students were after her with questions, comments, and remarks. She was feeling like a celebrity, it was all too overwhelming for her to handle.
As school came to an end, Erika tried her best to hide from the rest of the students. running out of her class as fast as possible, exiting from behind the school.
"Finally, I'm all alone" She gasps while catching her breath.
"Getting tired of playing celebrity?" Questions a voice.
Erika turns around to find Ramon and Wesley approaching her.
"So you're the robot pilot? the one who fought that monster three weeks ago?" He asks with a bit of sarcasm.
"Yeah...that's me" She quips.
"It must be nice being able to play the hero without a care in the world" He talks while approaching her slowly. "Knowing that you got nothing to lose".
"What are you-
Ramon then pushes her against a wall at full force.
"You can fool the whole school, but we both know you're nothing but a spineless coward" He threatens while grabbing her by the collar.
Erika shoots a glare back at Ramon, their eyes locked glaring at each other.
"I'm sorry about your brother, but I had no choice!" Yells Erika. "The angel was going to destroy the city, and I was the only one to pilot the robot".
"You sent my brother to the hospital!" he scoffs at her while clenching onto her. " You don't deserve to be a pilot".
Wesley looks worried as his best friend is about to fight a girl he barely knows.
"Then why don't you become then?" She fires back. "Why don't you try lifting a giant arm, or moving a leg, or hell, even try fighting against an Angel? If I don't deserve it then you can bet your ass that I neither do you, ignorant jerk".
Furious upon hearing her talk back, Ramon slams her again to the wall.
"You arrogant little-"
As he's about to punch her, he's suddenly kicked to the ground.
In front of him now stood the First Child, Kenji Murasame.
"Stay out of this, freak!" Barked Ramon as he stood up.
"Or what?" Murasame coldly asks.
His mere presence freezes the room. Ramon, Erika, and Wesley could sense danger coming from him.
"Ramon. I think we should go" Wes warns him. "Remember what he did to Blake".
Wesley helps Ramon stand up, he glares at Erika and then at Kenji.
"Fine!" Ramon grudgingly mutters as he and Wesley runoff.
Murasame then helps Erika get up.
"I was handling it on my own" Erika tries to assure him.
"You shouldn't have told them" He boldly tells her.
"It was a mistake" She explains. "I didn't know-
"It was a stupid mistake" He interrupts. "Are you-
"I'm good" She interrupts back. "We should get going".
All of a sudden, two ringtones start to ring. First Child pulls out his phone while Erika goes to her backpack to find hers.
"An Angel around the outskirts of the city" He informs her. "You better get going"
"Another one," Erika thought as she looked at her phone as well.