Back to our base, we move our Aias to step on a platform that moves us to our dock in the hangar.

I pressed some buttons on a virtual screen to stop the synchronization with our Aias, power down the core, and activate the internal breaks to prevent our Aias from making sudden movements as we were docking.

After being completely secured to our dock, the hatch door in the cockpit opened.

We took the elevator down as the maintenance workers immediately began repairs.

“I’m beat; why did this have to happen this early in the morning?”

Norn was complaining, and I was too because we were running on 3 hours of sleep, and we spent close to 11 hours guarding the breached wall till it could be patched up, then another 7 to intercept other kaiju.

“I can’t believe it's happening, Alina.”

“Ya”

There was a short silence as Norn said it. Like in previous wars, a lot of people are going to die. We prepared as much as we could, but the casualty report had already gone up to the 10s of millions and five cities had already been lost with more on their way to being completely overrun.

We both took a deep sigh as the door of the elevator opened to ground level, knowing that there was no use complaining about it.

We walk to the armoring area that is in our dock to get the heavy external circuitry plates off of us. Once that was done, we put back on our jackets and walked back to our room.

As we were walking back, I saw heavily injured people being carried on stretchers and civilians being directed out of a couple of transport aircrafts.

I asked one of the MPs who was directing the civilians on what was going on.

“Hey, why are there civilians here?”

Normally civilians aren’t even allowed near the hangar, let alone be inside.

The guy saluted me, following military procedure and as a sign of respect, and said what he was informed. City 57 had been overrun, and nearly all the railways and bunkers had been destroyed by a kaiju. They tried airlifting as many as possible but it wasn’t enough because people were still stranded in City 57.

“I see…”

Things are worse than we thought. Every city has underground bunkers to protect civilians from kaijus, and railways to connect to other cities for transporting supplies and people. It’s shocking that City 57’s bunkers and railways were destroyed because they were hidden deep underground. The kaijus, after learning about it, are likely going to target them.

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The MP went back to directing the civilians and we continued walking back to our room.

To lighten the mood and mind off what we just were told, Norn said.

“You know, Alina, you have to make a report after this.”

Hearing that, I sulked thinking about it because it was my turn to be the responsible one this week.

I didn’t really show it since I and Norn don't show a lot of emotion, but we do have emotions despite what people think. And right now, Norn was laughing to herself inside.

Back in our room, I began writing up our report until I heard someone knocking on our door.

I told them to come in and Scott came in carrying a thermos, an energy drink, and a medium-sized box.

“I brought you an energy drink. I know you hate coffee, so here. Also, I got you some donuts.”

Scott strolled into my room and sat on my bed, which was next to my desk, where I was halfway done doing my report.

He placed the energy drink and box of donuts on my desk.

He gave one to me as I popped open the energy drink and chugged it all down. Then he took another donut and ate it while drinking his coffee.

Norn, hearing all the noise, woke up. Rubbing her eyes and yawning, she saw Scott and said hi.

“Want a donut?”

Scott asked if she wanted any, in which she eagerly took one and sat next to him.

“You look happy."

“Yep, I'm not the responsible one this week.”

Scott is one of the few people we know who could figure out what we are feeling, probably because of the number of times the three of us hang out together.

And right now he could tell that I am really pissed off right now seeing Norn’s all smug, taking a small bite of the donut, enjoying it, and looking happy while I was scarfing them down. I was too tired to care because I just wanted the sugar to kick in fast so I could finish this report and go to bed.

Taking another donut, Norn asked where he got it.

“You got this from Sunny, right?”

“Yep, surprise?”

Sunny is the name of a pastry store and the name of the person who owns it in the civilian section of the base.

“Ya, how did you? Aren’t most of the stores in the shopping center closed?”

The base we were stationed at and others stored valuable military equipment but also had experimental research and prototypes since it would make the most sense to protect the researchers here when the Kaiju invaded our world.

Due to this, we have sections of the base for the researchers and their families.

“Yep, I actually became friends with Sunny a couple of weeks ago.”

Norn was surprised when Scott said he had become friends with Sunny. I would be surprised too but I was too tired to care.

“What? You know I have friends other than you.”

“In fairness, I thought you never had any friends to begin with.”

Norn said it in jest, but if it were looked at from an outsider's perspective, they would have thought she meant it literally, with her always having a blank face.

Those two continue their chit-chat until I finally finish my report and kick Scott out so I can go to bed.