Phase 04 – Respect
"Category 3 kaiju. Code name: Viper. Weight: 1,700 tons. Length: 350 feet. Very venomous." One of the technicians gave them the stats about the kaiju.
Raleigh and Chuck saw a spiked back rise from the water less than one hundred feet in front of the jaeger. Then a long tail jolted towards the dark sky and came crashing against Puma Real's left side. The rangers prepared for the impact. A sharp pain shot through their sides but they did not fall. Puma Real tried to grab the tail but it was too quick.
Then Viper's head emerged from the ocean. It resembled a huge snake head, but with six eyes that glowed bright blue. Two rows of long spikes ran along the back of the kaiju's head, down the spine. Despite its snake-like appearance, the kaiju also seemed to have two arms and two legs which ended in three claws.
The kaiju opened its mouth and a long blue tongue darted towards the Conn-Pod. Puma Real dodged the attack and charged towards the kaiju's torso. The jaegers huge fists grabbed the kaiju's long neck and one of its arms. Viper let out an angry hissing scream and squirmed, trying to escape the steel claws.
The long tongue wrapped itself around the jaegers right arm, and Raleigh screamed as he felt the burning sensation. The tongue must be covered in acid, he thought but his held on tight to the kaiju's throat. He felt Chuck lift the heavy left arm and watched as the long steel claws of Puma Real's hand severed the kaiju's head from its torso.
Raleigh and Chuck breathed heavily as they stood and watched the kaiju's body and head disappear in the sea. Then a weird mix of relief and joy washed over them as their emotions mixed.
"We did it! That little wanker won't come back!" Chuck shouted out loud. He could feel Raleigh's amusement at that.
"Well done, boys. We will get you out of there now. Time for a beer!" Tendo sounded as relieved as the felt. In the background they could hear Mako's excited congratulations. She usually doesn't get that excited, Raleigh thought. "Maybe even she didn't expect us to be drift compatible," his co-pilot answered and laughed.
Now, after the heat of the battle and with both of them still in the drift, the effects of their connection hit Raleigh. With the adrenaline gone and their heartbeats slowing, he could begin to appreciate that he had just found a new drift partner.
Chuck had so much energy, it was like part of Raleigh's body was trying to tame a bear with every movement. He could feel the grief about losing Herc. He could feel the loneliness that was so typical for someone who had been raised at the jaeger academy from a very young age. And somewhere he could still feel a trace of disappointment. Disappointment in him, because he had once been a hero to the teenage Chuck, and then had gone into hiding like a little coward once he lost his brother. That's why you hated me so much, Chuck…? He bit back a comment because he was uncomfortably aware that Chuck knew exactly what he was thinking right that second. But the other man didn't say a word; Raleigh could feel that he was busy sorting out the memories as well.
The door to the Conn-Pod opened, and a group of technicians swarmed into the cockpit, helping the pilots to disconnect from the jaeger equipment. Raleigh felt a little dizzy after they had ended the drift. All that extra energy was gone, leaving his legs feeling a bit too weak. He stumbled and held onto a young woman who was busy disconnecting Chuck's spinal cord from his suit.
"Hey, are you alright, Raleigh?" She turned around and gave him a worried look.
"Just a little dizzy," Raleigh mumbled and took the hand of her shoulder.
"Was this too much for you, Becket?" Chuck grinned and flexed his arm muscles mockingly. "I thought you could take a bit more than that. Even my old man could." He was laughing but Raleigh could have sworn Chuck looked more upset than amused when he said that. He hopped off the foot clasps and slapped Raleigh on the back. "I didn't want to drain you like that."
"Would you just shut up now," Raleigh groaned and followed Chuck out of the Conn-Pod rather inelegantly. He had just stepped outside when Mako rushed towards them.
"You did a great job, you two!" she gave Raleigh a quick hug and Chuck a pat on the shoulder. "I knew you would be a great team!" Raleigh thanked her but couldn't help but feel that Mako must have been quite disappointed that she had not been allowed to pilot the jaeger. She didn't say anything out of respect but being the only pilot to stay behind and watch her friends fight must have been hard.
Half an hour later, they were sitting in the canteen and enjoying the beers Tendo had promised. Even Chuck had agreed to stay for a drink with Tendo, Raleigh, Mako, Newton, Hermann and a few of Tendo's technicians.
Newton, Tendo and two of the LOCCENT girls were chatting about the fight and the new jaeger. Congratulating Raleigh and Chuck and making plans how to get a second jaeger and even more importantly, who to get as a fourth ranger.
"I am sure we can get another retired jaeger from Russia. I heard they kept Nova Hyperion in a museum after a kaiju bit off its arm and the repairs would have been too expensive," Newton told them. He was really getting into this. "It's a mark-4 jaeger, very powerful. It's the last one that is left of those. We should get it here and try to repair it."
"The only problem is that neither China, nor Australia, nor the USA have agreed to future funding yet," Tendo interrupted. "Without the financial help, there is nothing we can do. I am still waiting for their decision."
"How long will that take?" Raleigh asked. "The kaiju today was only a relatively small category 3, but what if the next one is a category 4 or even 5? With one mark-2 jaeger, we won't stay alive very long."
"I expect a decision by tomorrow night." Tendo shrugged. "In case they decide to bring back the jaeger program, we should start looking for a few new rangers as well. Mako, would you like to do that? I trust your judgement."
"Of course!" Mako seemed happy to hear that she might get the chance to find capable rangers who could pilot another jaeger. She had done that many times before. And this time she was probably hoping to not just find a ranger, but find another co-pilot for herself.
"Hey, I guess now we can stop playing mind games, right?" Raleigh looked at Chuck, not really knowing what kind of reply to expect.
The others had left to go to bed or to return in front of the computers. Only Raleigh and Chuck had stayed behind in the canteen. The truth was, Raleigh had been waiting for them to leave so he had the chance to talk to Chuck alone.
Drifting was this intimate connection that would only result in awkward silence if you couldn't manage to open up to each other outside of the Conn-Pod. Raleigh remembered just too good how awkward it had been after he and Yancy had drifted for the first time. Knowing the deepest secrets of your brother does that to you. But after a few times in the drift, they had learned to see it as some kind of game. Truth or dare; whoever wanted to hide something lost the game, and the loser had to pay for pizza.
But his and Chuck's relationship had been rocky from the first day, so he didn't want to pass on a chance to make things a bit more pleasant for everyone. He knew how much depended on it now.
Chuck turned his head and looked at Raleigh for a long moment without saying anything. He seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Just when Raleigh wanted to give up the staring contest, Chuck said, "It was the first time I ever drifted with someone else than Herc, you know? It is something I have to get used to." He took a sip out of his beer bottle. "But now that you have been in my head and seen everything, I don't know what to say."
Chuck doesn't know what to say? When has that ever happened? Raleigh just nodded and waited for Chuck to go on.
"You saw why I treated you the way I did. And… I am sorry."
Raleigh was taken aback. He certainly didn't expect an apology.
Chuck went on, "I thought you were a coward for running away like that. But I had no idea what it felt like to feel someone's death. I could feel it in your memories. And now that I have seen that, I can't really say I wouldn't have run."
Raleigh put his beer down and stared at the table top for a few seconds before answering. "And I am sorry for assuming you were a self-centered brat with daddy issues. I could feel how much Herc meant to you. You were a great team. And somehow I feel lucky that I got to fight alongside you today."
He saw a small smile play around Chuck's lips. "Hey, we are a team now," he said and raised his bottle against Raleigh's with a 'cling' before emptying it.
Oooooh, are Chuck and Raleigh becoming friends here or what?
I am still so bummed that they never got to drift in the movie, that would have been awesome.
I like Mako, but I really expected Raleigh and Chuck to make up and fight together at the end of the movie.
Please let me know if you enjoyed it! Thank you very much! c: