Nick shifted his weight as he looked around the small room in the NERV headquarters.
As soon as he’d completed his training for the day, he’d expected that he’d be sent back to his hotel room. That much was true - but it was only for a brief moment. Instead of being left to his own devices for the evening, he’d been told to pack his things.
It seemed that NERV didn’t feel staying in a hotel was a suitable accommodation for him. So, they were moving him to his own room in their building. Nick still couldn’t really believe it. At one time, he’d thought that he was kept under high watch at JIVE - but even the tight grip of the record company hadn’t gone this far.
Though Nick suspected if they had the power like NERV did, they likely would have. His mind wandering like that was the only thing that kept him mildly entertained in the boring room. He didn’t have a TV - only a desk and a dresser (which would apparently be filled with more of his clothing when it was shipped over.) a small CD player with a radio was sitting on top of the desk, which Nick appreciated. If he wasn’t going to be able to watch The X Files, at least he’d be able to listen to Journey.
He frowned at the thought of his favourite TV show. So many times he had watched it, and other movies like it, and imagined himself in the title role. As it turned out, being an action hero was a lot more work a lot more terrifying, and a lot more confusing than he’d believed.
All of the information he’d received in the last couple of days had yet to absorb. Nick had never been someone to take things at face value - he always liked to think and over analyze things to the point of frustration.
He’d always counted himself lucky. Lucky to have been put in a group with four guys he (for the most part) got along with really well. Lucky to have been given such talents and opportunities, and most of all lucky to have had success at such a young age.
Despite all of that, his luck looked like it was beginning to run out. Being internationally successful and world famous definitely had its perks, but never in a million years had Nick dreamed one of those perks would be getting selected as a backup on an apocalyptic mission.
As much as he went over the facts in his head, they still didn’t sit right with him. Surely an organization as powerful and intellectual as NERV would have been able to figure out he was just a teen idol, and found someone more competent to do the job.
Simply put, it didn’t make sense.
The dark painted walls of the room did little to comfort Nick. He sighed, opting to find something to take his mind off of its thoughts and worries.
Risa had shown him a couple other things he could do around the building. There was a gym and a swimming pool - evidently NERV liked to keep their staff (or hostages, Nick thought bitterly) contained within the building for as long as they could.
However, the one thing Nick felt he could use the most was some fresh air. The only place to get that was a balcony close to the top floor of the building. Risa had only taken him up there briefly, so it took him a second to remember the way. But eventually he found it, sliding open the large glass doors and stepping outside.
As he stood with his arms draped over the railing, his hair blew around in the wind. He was still alone with his thoughts, but at least he could look down on the society that he used to be a part of.
The society that he was supposed to be protecting, apparently.
“Hi.”
Nick turned around. He’d half expected to see Risa standing there, given she was the only person he’d interacted with during this whole ordeal who had been remotely friendly to him.
But it wasn’t Risa. Standing in the doorway was a girl he’d never seen before. She looked to be around his age - maybe a little younger. She was watching him intently - her blue eyes were fixated on him and her long red hair was becoming slightly messy on account of the wind.
Nick smirked. At least there was one thing he still had going for him. “Hey, baby,” he grinned, flashing that signature smile that made all girls melt.
Except she didn’t. She just rolled her eyes and walked closer to him, joining him beside the railing and leaning against it.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” she said, mostly to herself. Her high voice had a hint of sarcasm in it, and she only glanced at Nick for a brief second before looking back at the building.
Nick raised his eyebrow, left sort of speechless by her attitude. He was used to girls acting strange around him, but this was something new. She seemed to be shocked and almost annoyed by his presence.
“What?” he asked dumbly.
She rolled her eyes again. “I said, I can’t believe you’re actually here. But I guess it makes sense - you’d want to protect something you think you own,” she said, looking up at him with her lips tightly pressed together.
Nick furrowed his eyebrows and studied her. The smug look on her face, her arms crossed over her chest. Even the stupid yellow sundress she was wearing annoyed him. Where did a girl like this get off giving him such attitude?
“Who are you anyway?” Nick asked, giving her back the same snark he’d received only moments ago.
She rolled her eyes again and Nick briefly wondered if she had some sort of condition that caused her to have to do that every ten seconds.
“You mean they didn’t tell you?” she asked, looking up at him again. She was almost a foot shorter than him, but twice as irritating.
Nick just waited for her to continue, because obviously they didn’t tell him. He had to pry all the information he’d already received from NERV’s death grip as it was. Of course he hadn’t thought to ask about some bitchy redhead!
She sighed, a scowl still present on her face. “Of course they didn’t tell you, why would they?” she muttered.. “I’m Angie, the pilot of Evangelion Unit Two,” she said, nodding her head as though it was obvious.
Which it wasn’t, but as soon as Nick heard her say those words, things began to make sense. Well, as much sense as he could make out of this situation. Of course there was another pilot - there was no way this was a one-man world saving operation!
“Oh, so you’ve been in one of those Ev...” Nick trailed off, not remembering what the unit was actually called.
“Evangelion,” Angie said sharply. “Obviously.”
“Obviously,” Nick repeated, mocking her sass.
She shrugged, clearly unaffected.
Normally he would have just walked away from a girl like this, but she was the only person he’d talked to since arriving at NERV who seemed keen on sharing her knowledge. Plus, she was really the only person he’d been able to talk to about all of this, given the stupid non-disclosure agreement.
“So... uh...” Nick cleared his throat as he thought of a way to phrase the question that had been on his mind for the past day. “Did you know the girl that used to pilot Unit One?”
Angie glared at him, but Nick didn’t miss her expression softening just a little. “Rachel? Yeah. Dumb as a brick.”
Nick just waited for her to continue.
“She was stupid, going and getting herself killed like that. You’d have thought they’d get someone more competent to replace her.”
“Uh huh,” Nick laughed, annoyed by her. “And what gives you the idea that I’m not competent?”
Angie gave him a look, raising her eyebrow. “I didn’t say you weren’t competent, I said she should have put someone more competent as her understudy and not just someone she wanted to fuck because she liked the way he sings ‘Am I sexual?’ The answer is no, by the way.”
Nick opened his mouth to last out at her, but was distracted by a sudden commotion. Through the glass doors he could see flashing red lights and the piercing sound of a siren could clearly be heard.
“What the fuck?!” Nick exclaimed looking down at Angie for an explanation.
Angie balled her fists together and grinned with what could only be explained as excitement. “That’s the warning sign for an angel attack. Now would be a good time to start proving your competence,” she said, before walking briskly back into the building.
