[Author's Note: Sorry this one took so long. I've got some other stuff in the pipeline trying to work out. And I'm not to happy with this chapter, it is too short... Ah well...]
The helicopters deposited all three Jaegers at farthest point. Striker Eureka immediately started walking forward as soon as it touched the water, with Gipsy Danger following at its heels.
Pentecost was having a difficult time piloting his old Jaeger solo. It had been… years. He remembered how everything worked, where it was, and how to do it. But it seemed that time had not been kind to him, or Coyote Tango.
It felt like his left side was numb. And then there was the resistance from the water.
"I know we're in the fastest Jaeger ever built, but that Mark 1 sure is slow. How did you ever beat any Kaiju in that hunk of junk, sir?" Chuck Hansen asked over the intercom.
Pentecost didn't bother wasting the energy to hell at him, besides Herc was probably already scolding his son. Coyote required his full attention. I could feel the blood starting to drip out of his nose. The strain was going to kill him.
But he refused to give in before the Breach was closed.
"Gipsy Danger's hatches and seals closed," Mako chimed in over radio.
Pentecost almost forgot. Simply walking took all of his effort. The fight that was sure to happen was going to be bad.
"Seal all hatches," Pentecost croaked to the computer.
"Already done," the AI informed him.
Thank god for small favors.
Like an AI that knew what it was it need to do.
Was it just him, or did the piloting of Coyote Tango seem to get easier? Was the AI helping him out more than usual? Or maybe his mind was just readjusting to life inside a Jaeger.
"We have activity at the Breach," Tendo said suddenly. "Another double event. Two Cat IV Kaiju, Scunner and Raiju."
"Only two?" Raleigh asked.
Pentecost silently agreed. Two Kaiju, even Category IV, seemed easy enough for three Jaegers to take out.
"We've approached the drop off!" Herc said over the coms as Striker Eureka jumped down towards the Breach.
"Gipsy Danger, right behind you," Raleigh said.
Pentecost was the last one. He didn't follow them.
He marveled at the Breach.
It had been described as a throat, but to him it looked more like a wound. A rip in the flesh of his world, ready to spill its guts out into the deep.
It was horrifying. And strangely beautiful at the same time.
"I can't see any Kaiju," Raleigh said. "Nothing on radar either."
"They are moving too fast," Tendo replied.
Pentecost parked Coyote Tango on the high ground, and the AI automatically prepped his twin mortar cannons.
"I'll cover you two," he said while he waited for the Kaiju to appear.
"We are heading for the Breach," Chuck said. "We can end this now!"
"No! No no no! Don't do that!" a new voice screamed over the radio.
"Geiszler, what do you mean?" Herc said.
"The Breach will only let Kaiju through!" he yelled. "It scans Kaiju DNA and lets them pass. Anything not a Kaiju will be shunted off like before!"
"It is like a grocery store scanner," Gottlieb said. "You have to fool it into thinking you're a Kaiju in order to pass.
"Shit!" Chuck said. "How are we supposed-"
He was interrupted by a charging Scunner. The Kaiju rammed into Striker Eureka, hitting the Jaeger in the arm severely damaging it.
Pentecost took aim from atop the cliff and fired a single round at the Kaiju. Unfortunately it had plenty of time to move and dodge the round before swimming away.
"Distance and time lag adjusted for firing," Coyote Tango responded to the question Pentecost hadn't asked yet.
"Striker! Behind you!" Mako called as Scunner came up behind it.
Coyote Tango saw the Kaiju moving in for the attack and fired. The massive round exploded near the Kaiju's head causing it to divert off its path. Which took it straight towards Gipsy Danger.
Coyote Tango continued to try and shoot the large category IV but it moved too quickly.
Mako activated one of Gipsy's swords and the Jaeger made a swipe at the passing Kaiju. With a blow that seemed more luck than anything, Gipsy Danger ripped off Scunner's head in one go.
"Well that was easy," Raleigh said.
"Where's the other one?" Herc said nervously.
A loud howl erupted from the depths of the ocean. One that could even be heard underwater and through the Jaeger's protective hulls.
"It looks like there is something else coming through the Breach," Tendo said.
"How big?" Raleigh asked.
His question was met with silence.
"How big?" he asked again.
"If we are still using the category system this would be a Cat V," Tendo replied. "But only because we haven't seen another Category V…'
"What are you saying?" Herc yelled.
"The second stage…" Newton breathed. "This isn't your garden variety Kaiju. This is the exterminator. Made for one reason: killing Jaegers."
"Son of a bitch," Pentecost muttered.
The Breach convulsed, and widened.
The horrible wound at the bottom of the ocean opened up. The energy poured out of it, like blood and fluids out of an eviscerated body.
Water around it started to boil. It brightened and out of the Breach appeared a Kaiju arm. Another three armed hand followed it. As the massive monster pulled itself into our universe.
"Codename: Slattern," Tendo announced as the four armed Kaiju emerged, and its tentacle tail propelled it through the water.
"Three on two?" Chuck said. "I think we can take 'em."
