Warmth

It was five o'clock in the morning.

Natsuki pulled open the lounge door and walked down a corridor lined with steel pipes.

In a floral shirt and baggy shorts, he looked as though he were on vacation, but his tall, lean figure seemed exhausted, and he shuffled along like the walking dead.

"Hey, Xia!" A familiar voice came from behind him. It was Raleigh.

Raleigh jogged over to Natsuki, glanced at his pale face, and froze.

"Did you have a nightmare last night?"

"Having trouble adjusting to the environment?"

He already thought of Natsuki as a friend, so naturally, he was concerned when his friend looked unwell.

"It's not the environment. Earth is actually pretty comfortable."

"I just... had a nightmare straight out of hell."

Natsuki spoke weakly, his mind still in a daze.

Even now, he could still hear phantom Jeep horns in his head.

Damn Ultraseven... he actually became Hikari's accomplice!

Once this mission is over and I get back to the Land of Light, I'm going to spread all the dirt I have on him.

Natsuki had already decided how he would get back at Ultraseven when he returned.

"So aliens have nightmares too..." Raleigh nodded thoughtfully.

As he spoke, he thought of a way to take Natsuki's mind off the nightmare.

"My partner selection test is right after breakfast."

"Want to come watch?"

Raleigh invited him with a smile, even flexing his biceps.

"I might have been a construction worker before this, but I've got a few skills."

That really did take Natsuki's mind off things quite a bit.

"Really?"

"Then I'll have to come join the fun."

Joining in the excitement was one of Natsuki's favorite pastimes.

"Just wait and see." Raleigh patted his shoulder, then led him toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was just beyond another corridor.

The base's cafeteria was enormous. With supplies scarce, Jaeger pilots and technicians alike ate in this vast dining hall.

Unlike people outside, however, those dedicated to fighting the monsters didn't need ration cards to get food. They could eat their fill, a perk of risking their lives in battle.

It was only a little after five in the morning, but quite a few people were already in the cafeteria. They were all used to getting up early.

"This 'tray meal' looks pretty good too." Standing at the serving counter, Natsuki's eyes lit up as he surveyed the assortment of steaming dishes behind it.

"Pick whatever you want. They'll serve the dishes and rice onto your tray," Raleigh explained patiently beside him. "Here in China, more people like to call it a 'boxed meal.'"

"Then I'll have this, this, and this... and..." Natsuki didn't hold back. He pulled over several trays and ordered every dish on offer.

"Wait... can you eat all that?" Raleigh asked doubtfully, looking at the six loaded trays.

That was enough food for six people.

Natsuki was tall and skinny, and didn't look like much of a big eater.

"You'd have to ask your marshal about that."

"Or your cooks." Natsuki answered casually, his gaze still fixed on the dishes as he imagined how they would taste.

"This gentleman has quite an appetite." Having overheard their conversation, the base's head chef came over from behind the counter, wiping his hands with a hot towel as he smiled at Raleigh.

"We barely stopped cooking last night."

"And this gentleman finished every bit of it. Nothing went to waste." Although the head chef had been exhausted the night before, he had a good impression of Natsuki.

For a chef, the highest praise was a guest polishing off a carefully prepared meal. Mr. Natsuki hadn't even left scraps on his plates, which made them feel exceptionally respected.

"That's because your cooking is fantastic."

"I haven't had food this good in a long time." Natsuki smiled back.

"Hahahaha!" The young man's praise went straight to the chef's heart. After a hearty laugh, he declared, "Young man, come find me whenever you're hungry. My kitchen will always have something special for you."

He knew just how scarce resources were outside the base and assumed Natsuki must have suffered plenty out there. That sympathy made him like Natsuki even more.

"Thank you." Natsuki thanked him with a smile.

By then, Raleigh had caught on too.

This guy might look just like a human, but he was actually an alien. No matter how much he ate, it probably wasn't all that surprising.

"Come on, the seating area's over there." Raleigh gestured to one side, then picked up his own tray and one of Natsuki's, ready to lead the way.

There was so much food that they certainly couldn't carry it all in one trip.

Natsuki was about to carry the remaining five trays with telekinesis.

After two hours of hellish training, his telekinesis had advanced from beginner to intermediate, allowing him to wield considerable power even in human form.

But an American man in a brown vest approached them. He looked to be in his forties, with short golden-brown hair, rugged features, and fine stubble.

Chuck Hansen (left), Herc Hansen (right)

"Hey, Raleigh." He greeted Raleigh from a distance, seemingly an old acquaintance.

"Herc?" Raleigh turned at the sound of his voice and felt a flicker of recognition at the sight of the approaching man.

The man was Herc Hansen, one of the pilots of the Mark-5 Jaeger, the Eureka Striker.

Raleigh had fought alongside Herc five years earlier.

"Long time no see." Herc greeted him with a smile, then looked at Natsuki. "You must be the honored guest the marshal mentioned?"

"Hello." He introduced himself warmly. "Herc Hansen."

"I heard you saved the marshal's life. Whatever else, I have to thank you for that."

"This base can't do without him."

Natsuki usually responded kindly to people who treated him warmly.

He reached out and shook Herc's hand. "You're welcome. Your warm hospitality has already shown me that I made the right choice."

Herc knew Natsuki was an alien, but in a time that could only be called apocalyptic, that hardly mattered anymore. Saving Marshal Stacker's life was enough to earn his sincere respect, and most people in the base felt the same way.

"Come eat with us."

"I'll help you carry those." Herc invited Natsuki and Raleigh to the Eureka Striker team's dining area, picking up some of Natsuki's trays as he spoke.

He took the initiative and walked ahead to lead the way.