Episode 3: A Fresh Start

"You can't run away!" exclaimed Erika's mother jokingly as she chased her down the meadows. "I'm gonna catch you!"

"Then chase me momma!" Ericka shouted back. "Catch me if you can!'.

She was about 6 years old as she ran down the flower meadows. She was playing with her mother. All the sudden, unit-02 appeared right in front of her. It's neon yellow eyes turned into organic red pupils.

"YOU CAN'T RUN AWAY"

*****

Erika then woke up on a white bed in a white room.

"I must be in the hospital" she thought. "It was all just a dream".

She got up and started walking towards the corridors, where the windows were located. She looked outside and saw the damage from last night. The memories started coming back. The pain, the rage, and the explosions came back into her mind.

"I can't believe I did all of that damage" she said to herself as looked at the city.

She turned and saw the television showing the news of what happened yesterday.

"The massive explosions scene from yesterday has gotten many citizens questioning the U.S government over what has happened during last night's incident. Many report seeing 2 giants fighting over the area, but it has been yet to be confirmed over what really happened last night".

"Not a single mention of the Eva or the monster" she thought as she walked down the aisle.

"You survived, third child" said a voice from behind.

Erika turned around and saw a silver haired boy, covered in bandages around his head and his arm.

"Is he the first child?".

"Are you the other pilot?" Erika asked him.

He just stood there and nodded.

"Kenji!" Shouted a lady from behind.

It was one of the doctor's from the hangar, Dr. Murasame.

"I've been looking all over for you, where have you been?" She asked him.

The doctor then turned to look at Langford.

"You're one of the doctors from NERV" Erika pointed out.

"I'm glad to see that you're alright" she told her. "The captain's going to pick you up".

"My father's not coming?" Erika asked the doctor.

"I'm sorry, but none of us have seen him outside of NERV". She responded. "Come on Kenji, let's go home".

He's not coming" She thought. "He doesn't care about me, like always".

"Thanks for piloting the robot, by the way" Murasame commented as she left with the first child. "You saved Kenji from a large amount of pain".

The doctor and first child then left the hospital.

"I'm glad to see you're alright".

Erika turned around and saw Captain Whitehall right behind her.

"I came to escort you to your private quarters" Susan explained. "HQ had it all set for you".

"Cool" Erika responded coldly.

Susan then noticed her looking a bit depressed.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay living on your own?" Whitehall asked again.

"Its alright" Erika explained. "I'm used to living alone".

"At the boarding school-"

"I never had a roommate" she stated. "Plus, I don't think my father wants me around".

"If you want to, we can get-

"Just leave me alone! Alright?" Erika yelled at Susan. "It's none of your business!".

"Hey, what's with the attitude?" Susan questioned.

"Don't you have enough to worry about?" She questioned back. "I said I'll be fine".

Susan's joyful mood switched to a stern look.

"Alright then, I'll fix that personality of yours" she told her.

Susan pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"What is she doing?" Erika asked herself.

"Hello? Hilda? It's me, Susan" she said. "It's about Erika, she's going to live with me in my condo".

"Living with her?!" Erika's thoughts ran through.

"Sure! she's alright with it anyways, so just get approval from HQ and it will be ok!" She finished off.

"Why do I have to live with you?!" Erika questioned. "Who are you to to decide over me?!".

"Who am I?" Susan pointed out. "I'm your commanding officer and your current guardian, so you do what I tell and you follow it, GOT IT?!".

Erika looked her dead in the eyes, the girl was paralyzed once she looked her serious expression.

After that, they went full speed ahead as Susan drove away from the hospital.

"Ha! It looks like today were going to have a party!" Susan exclaimed.

"What's there to party about?" Erika asked in a grumpy mood.

"My new housemate, of course" the captain responded with joy.

"Not in the mood" she simply responded.

"Well, what's got you all sulky now?"

Erika just simply starred out the car door and into the highway. Susan the came up with an idea.

"Hey, how about a small detour on the way, ok?" She asked the moody 14-year old girl.

"Alright" said Erika.

They stopped near one of the mountains of Mt. Cheyenne.

"What are we doing here?" She asked the captain.

"You'll see" the captain responded as she looked at her clock.

All the sudden, buildings started rising from the city grounds. Huge skyscrapers rose up and started appearing in the view.

"This is Spring City. Most of its buildings were lowered down for protection during the angel attack" Whitehall explained to Erika. "The city you defended".

Erika looked at the beauty of the city. She then felt anger over what happened earlier yesterday.

"But I wasn't as heroically as you make it sound" she coldly stated. "I didn't do it to save the city, I did t because of the other pilot."

"But no matter what your motives were, you did well" Susan told her. "You just need to have more confidence in yourself."

"More confidence" she thought.

Erika started to tear up as she heard those words.

"Hey, what's the matter?" The captain asked her as she tried comforting her. "Did I say something wrong?".

"I just wish I heard those words...from my father" she wanted to say while trying to hold back her tears.

Moments later, they then drove down into the city, and parked near an apartment complex. They then got to up to the 12 floor, were Susan's apartment was located.

"Susan?" Erika asked as she stepped into her new home.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks...for letting me live with you".

"No problem!" She responded. "Just set up your stuff in one of the empty rooms down the hallway".

While looking for her room, Erika found the captain's apartment to be quite a mess. There where a bunch of boxes in the living room with who knows what inside. Most of the living room was unorganized.

The 14 year old looked back a the captain with a unsure look.

"I know, it's a mess" she said with an annoyed mood. "But I'm sure the both of us will have this clean in no time".

After unpacking, they went to eat dinner at the kitchen. Her fridge was filled with fruits and vegetables, as well as a package of corona bottles and a bunch of frozen food in the fridge. The only options left to eat were a microwaved pizza with some broccoli on the side.

"Ahh, nothing better than a drink to end the day!" Susan exclaimed as she drank from a bottle.

The third child just sat on the table, eating the meal.

"Well, what do you think?" The captain asked Erika, referring to the food.

"Well...the taste is a bit different than I imagined" she responded with a confused look.

"What? haven't you eaten pizza before in your life?" Whitehall jokingly said back.

"The private school had regular meals, and I'm pretty sure they were cooked" Erika pointed out.

"Hey, I may not know how to cook, but at least be grateful that you're being fed" Susan told her.

After the meal, they went on to decide who would do the chores through a good old game of rock, paper, scissors.

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" They shouted.

Susan won since as rock beats scissors.

"Alright, it's settled then" the captain stated. "You'll do most of the chores from Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday while I'll do the rest the other days".

"But....why do I have to clean the toilets?" Questioned the child .

"Because I said so, I'm your commanding officer after all" she explained. "Now go take a bath, it's getting late".

"B-but I'm 14!" She whined. "Shouldn't I take a bath whenever I want!?".

"Don't care" Susan stated clearly with a smirk. "As your commanding officer and guardian, I will have to show discipline towards you".

"B-but-"

"No buts, take a bath"she ordered.

"Well...at least she cares for me" Erika thought as she headed towards the bathroom.

As she opened the door, a big lizard appeared with a towel on its neck. It looked like a cross between an iguana and a Komodo dragon, with a collar reading MO-2. Erika yelped as she saw him coming out.

"S-Susan! Your not gonna believe this but there's a-"

The lizard then walked past her and into the kitchen, where it then entered through a small fridge.

"That's Mo-Mo, she's a red flare dragon" the captain explained. "Another addition to our little family".

"Little family?"

"We're all living here together, don't we?" Susan asked her sarcastically.

Erika couldn't tell if she was drunk or not, but the sense of being part of a family, hasn't come to her mine since her mother's death.

"Well....yeah, I guess we are a family " she responded quietly.

After taking a shower. The third child then went to sleep at her new room. She pulled out the old digital audio recorder and started playing tracks. The tunes in there were mostly from the late 80s and the 90s, but some where also from the 70s and late 60s. The song being played right now was Fly Me to the Moon by Frank Sinatra. Erika then started falling asleep, only to deal with the same nightmare she experienced in the hospital. The only difference was that the Eva just stood right in front of her.

"You mustn't run away" she heard it say. "Never again".

The third child could only worry of what's yet to come from this starting point in her new life as the pilot of the destructive Evangelion.