WEEKLY POWER GOALS đ
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â° Resets Monday!
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Five in the morning, sharp.
Natsuki shoved open the door to his quarters and stepped into the corridor lined with steel pipes.
Dressed in a floral shirt and oversized shortsâlike he was on vacationâhis tall, lean frame looked exhausted. His steps dragged like a zombie's.
"Hey, Xia!" A familiar voice called from behind. Raleigh.
Raleigh jogged up beside him and caught sight of his pale face. He blinked.
"Bad dream last night?"
"Not adjusting well?"
He'd come to think of Natsuki as a friend. Seeing his friend looking off, concern came naturally.
"Not the adjustment. Earth's environment is actually pretty comfortable."
"It's just... I had a nightmare straight out of hell."
Natsuki's voice came out weak, his mind still foggy.
He could still hear phantom jeep horns blaring in his skull.
Damn Seven... turned into Hikari's accomplice!
Once this mission wrapped up and he got back to the Land of Light, he was going to spread every embarrassing story he had on that guy.
Natsuki had already mapped out his revenge.
"So aliens have nightmares too..." Raleigh nodded thoughtfully.
Then an idea struck himâa way to pull Natsuki's attention away from whatever had rattled him.
"After breakfast, they're running my partner compatibility tests."
"Want to come watch?"
Raleigh grinned and flexed his bicep. "I might've been a construction worker, but I've still got some moves."
That actually worked. Natsuki's focus shifted.
"Really?"
"Then I'll definitely come check it out."
Spectating was one of Natsuki's favorite pastimes.
"Stay tuned." Raleigh clapped him on the shoulder, then led the way toward the mess hall.
Past another corridor, the cafeteria came into view.
The base's dining area was massive. With resources stretched thin, everyoneâJaeger pilots and support staff alikeâate in the same sprawling hall.
But unlike the outside world, the people dedicated to fighting Kaiju didn't need ration cards here. They could eat their fill. A small perk for risking their lives on the front lines.
It was barely past five, but the hall was already buzzing. Early risers were the norm.
"This 'plate meal' setup looks pretty good." Natsuki stood at the serving window, eyes lighting up at the rows of steaming dishes.
"Pick what you want. They'll load it onto your tray for you." Raleigh stood beside him, patiently explaining. "Around here, most people just call it a 'box lunch.'"
"Then I'll take this one, this one, and this one... oh, and that one..." Natsuki didn't hold back. He grabbed several trays and pointed out every dish in sight.
"Waitâcan you actually eat all that?" Raleigh stared at the six fully loaded trays. Six servings' worth of food.
Natsuki was tall but lean. He didn't exactly look like a big eater.
"You'd have to ask your Marshal about that."
"Or ask your cooks." Natsuki answered casually, his gaze still locked on the food. He was already imagining how it would taste.
"This gentleman's got quite the appetite." The head chef leaned out from the window, wiping his hands with a towel as he chimed in with a laugh.
"Last night, our woks didn't stop moving. And this gentleman polished off every last bite. Not a scrap wasted."
The chef had been run ragged the night before, but his impression of Natsuki was solid.
For a cook, the highest compliment was a clean plate. This guy hadn't even left crumbs. That kind of respect hit different.
"That's because your cooking is exceptional."
"I haven't had a meal this good in a long time." Natsuki smiled back.
"Ha ha ha!" The chef beamed, the praise landing right where it counted. "Young man, anytime you're hungry, come find me. My kitchen always has a burner on for you."
He knew how scarce resources were outside the base. He figured Natsuki must've gone through some rough times out there. That sympathy only deepened his goodwill.
"Thanks." Natsuki nodded his appreciation.
Raleigh finally caught up.
Rightâthis guy who looked human was actually an alien. A massive appetite probably wasn't that strange.
"Come on, seating's over there." Raleigh gestured toward the dining area, picking up his own tray and one of Natsuki's. Too much to carry in one trip.
Natsuki was about to levitate the remaining five trays with telekinesis.
After two hours of hellish training, his psychic control had jumped from beginner to intermediate. Even in human form, he could wield a decent amount of power now.
But before he could, a man approachedâAmerican, mid-forties, wearing a brown vest over a fitted shirt. His sandy-blond hair was cropped short, his face rugged and lined with stubble.
"Hey, Raleigh." The man called out from a distance, like they were old friends.
"Herc?" Raleigh turned at the sound, recognition flickering across his face.
Herc Hansen. One of the pilots of the Mark-5 Jaeger Striker Eureka.
Five years ago, Raleigh had fought alongside him.
"Long time." Herc smiled, then turned his attention to Natsuki. "This the VIP the Marshal mentioned?"
"Hey there." He extended a hand, his tone warm. "Herc Hansen."
"Heard you saved the Marshal's life. However it went down, I owe you thanks. This base doesn't run without him."
Natsuki tended to mirror warmth when it was genuine.
He shook Herc's hand. "Don't mention it. The hospitality I've received here proves I made the right call."
Herc knew Natsuki was an alien, but in an era that felt like the end of the world, that detail didn't matter much. The guy had saved Pentecost's life. That earned sincerity. Most people on the base felt the same.
"Come eat with us."
"I'll carry these." Herc invited Natsuki and Raleigh to join the Striker Eureka crew's dining section. Without waiting for an answer, he picked up a few of Natsuki's trays and started walking.
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