The last thing Simon could remember before he blacked out was Lagann. Slowly, he could feel himself wake up, and then the ache in his body. The cold ground, the drops of water hitting his face. Despite the pain in his bones, he managed to stand and look at the deactivated Lagann.

“Why…did the controls stop responding?”

It didn’t stop him from getting up and trying again. Sitting in the cockpit seat and fastening the Core drill in place, turning the knob to luckily power the mech.

“It started…!” He surprised himself even with his own voice and with the relief that came.

The walk to find a way out of the canyon was longer than he expected. He didn’t expect to see anything along the way until, he came across a pit. A pit with dozens of crates, and as he looked up, he could see a Gunmen tossing another one down. It slid, carried by the mud, until it stopped before him.

A quick look upwards confirmed the Gunmen wasn’t going to come after him. Slowly, he walked up to the crate, and found a lock similar to the switch for Lagann. A walk back to the mecha and he was back to the crate.

For a moment, he hesitated as both lock and Core Drill glowed a faint green. What if there was a Beastmen in there? Some type of failed…prototype weapon? Maybe it was a bomb. Then again…he deserved it anyways. For not being able to save Kamina.

The lock gave way without any effort, the crate opening with a hiss. For a moment, he was blinded by the smoke that came out. But his expression was soon overtaken by shock. It was…another human, sleeping.