Shingeki no Pacific Rim
SUMMARY: When humanity is threatened by the Kaiju—nightmarish beasts that arose from the sea—only the Yeager pilots stand a chance. One of these pilots, a prodigy named Mikasa Ackerman, finds her skills put to the test as she must re-join the program to fight for humankind. Levi x Mikasa, Christa x Ymir.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I haven't updated in forever. Sorry about that. Anyways, here we go.
"What seems to be the problem?" Erwin asked with the sort of tone that one would use to describe something banal, like the weather or the state of their garden.
"We have another double event." Armin looked grave. "Only five days after the last one. However, the Kaiju this time around seem to be acting oddly." The holographic display depicting the breach beeped softly, red icons hovering around the area.
"Oddly?"
"They're not going anywhere." Hanji stepped in. "They're just hanging around the breach, like they're waiting for something."
"Classifications?"
"Category IV's," supplied Armin. "Helmer and Leviathan." He pressed a few keys and the names appeared above the blinking red dots.
"This isn't right!" Hanji yelled out. "It's supposed to be a triple event! There are supposed to be three of them!"
"Let's just be thankful it's not," said Armin.
"Get the pilots of Midnight Blaze and Genesis Titan suited up. Armoured Omen is in no shape to battle and will have to sit this one out," said Erwin. "Inform the pilots to say their goodbyes now." His voice grew softer at the end.
"But sir," protested Armin. "Jean broke his arm. He can't pilot Midnight Blaze."
Erwin was immovable. "Get the pilots suited up. You have your orders, Arlert."
Mikasa pulled on her tight-fitting shirt, a necessity for the drivesuit she would later don. Taking one last look around the small room that had somehow become her home in the past few weeks, she brushed her fingers over one of the more recent pictures that'd graced her wall. It was taken a few days before the double event. All of the Yeager pilots had gathered at one table in the cafeteria to celebrate Bertholdt's twenty-seventh birthday. Reiner's smile was the biggest as he had one arm slung around his boyfriend's shoulders. Even Annie, normally so sullen, wore a tiny little grin that upon first glance, may have been mistaken for a scowl.
"I'm ready," she whispered to no one in particular. "I can do this." Stepping out of her room, she walked over to Levi's and knocked on the door.
He looked uncharacteristically frazzled when he opened. "Mikasa."
"Hi," she said, shifting from foot to foot. "I'm going to be deployed pretty soon and…I just thought I should get my goodbyes over with now."
Levi nodded and opened the door further to let her in. Mikasa didn't sit anywhere, not trusting herself to leave if she got too comfortable. "Well?" He asked. "Aren't you going to say anything?"
"I'm not really sure. Whenever we had missions together, we never had to say goodbye because if anything did happen, it'd happen to us together."
Reaching out, Levi brought his hand up to her cheek. "You're gonna kick some ass today, Ackerman. You're gonna protect us all."
"And if I don't?"
"You will." With his other hand, Levi drew her close and hugged her tightly. "I love you," he whispered into her neck. "So, don't die on me."
"I love you, too." Mikasa brushed her cheek against Levi's hair. "I'll try not to die." She laughed humourlessly, knowing that the chances of that were incredibly slim.
Eventually, they had to part. "I'm glad we got to work together," said Mikasa. "You were my first co-pilot and I'll never forget you."
"Shut up with the goddamn flattery," said Levi brusquely. "You're gonna make me cry, brat."
When she'd finally left Levi's room, Mikasa headed for the sick bay, knowing that in the midst of the chaos, Annie might be alone. At first, she hovered around the entrance to her room, weighing the pros and cons of her decision. Realizing that she didn't want to have any last regrets, Mikasa walked in.
The room was a stark white, a clear contrast to the grey rooms in which the pilots were assigned. A single bed was pushed up against the wall, surrounded by several machines monitoring heartbeat. Annie lay upright, flipping through a few magazines that Reiner had probably brought for her.
"Hey," whispered Mikasa.
"Ackerman. Good luck today." Annie put the magazine down and gestured for Mikasa to sit in one of the chairs near her bed.
"Thanks." Mikasa nodded. "Um, I know we don't really get along…"
"Partially my fault," admitted Annie, "but yeah, you didn't really help, either."
"Sorry about that," said Mikasa. "But, if it's not too much, can I ask you for a favour?"
Annie regarded Mikasa curiously, as if seeing the girl for the first time. "What is it?"
"It's about Armin."
Annie nodded slowly.
"We've been friends since we were kids," explained Mikasa. "And if I don't make it back—"
"I'll take care of him for you," finished Annie. With a calm look at the girl sitting across from her, she said, "you don't have to worry. I'll make sure he's okay."
Mikasa felt a stinging sensation behind her eyes, and before she knew it, she was crying. "I'm sorry," she hiccoughed. "I don't usually cry." She nodded gratefully as Annie offered her a tissue box.
"It's okay," said Annie. "You can cry all you want here. I won't tell anyone."
"Thank you," said Mikasa, the words feeling lighter than air. As she smiled at the other girl, she wondered if maybe they could've been friends in another lifetime.
"Armin, what the hell is going on here?" Jean asked, charging toward the blonde who was directing a tech crew in the hangar. His right arm was in a sling and there was a bandage over his left eyebrow. "I can't pilot Midnight Blaze with this arm." Marco followed closely behind his co-pilot.
"I know," said Armin. "Erwin just said to get the pilots ready. Those were the only orders I received."
"Do you know anything about this?" Jean asked Marco, who fidgeted slightly.
"Erwin didn't tell me anything," said Marco. "But, I think I have a good idea of what's going on."
The huge doors to the hangar opened. Standing in the entrance was Levi, Hanji, and Erwin; the latter was clad in a black drivesuit. As they strode over to the group of pilots standing by Armin, everyone's eyes were on them.
"Bodt," said Erwin sternly. "You aren't suited up."
"You're piloting?" Interrupted Jean. "No offense or anything, sir, but when's the last time you piloted a Yeager?" Mikasa elbowed him in the gut. Jean responded with a sheepish look.
"Once upon a time, I was a pilot," said Erwin. "Mike and I piloted an old Mark I named Delta Melee. I'm sure you've heard of it."
"One of the only Yeagers to stop a Kaiju within the Miracle Mile," supplied Eren. He was unusually still, the combination of excitement and fear rendering him so.
Erwin nodded in Eren's direction. "I think you'll find me more than suited to pilot with you," he said to Marco. Looking at the crowd that was watching the group with vigilant eyes, he climbed on top of Armoured Omen's foot and addressed them. "Today, we stand on the dividing line separating us from our apocalypse. Today, through the ability to trust and believe in one another, we have gained the ability to combat the monsters that threaten our livelihood."
Taking a deep breath to enjoy the last bit of silence that Erwin knew he could experience, he continued. "Today is the day that we show those monsters just what humanity is capable of."
In spite of the shortness of his speech, the audience responded with a rousing cheer. Erwin silenced them with a motion of his hand and everyone immediately went back to work.
"Come," he gestured to the Marco, "let's get you suited up." As the two left the hangar, Jean followed them into the hall.
"Oi!" Jean called out before Marco could step into the elevator with Erwin. "Marco…"
Marco—after a supporting gesture from Erwin—took a few steps toward his best friend. "Hey buddy."
Jean enveloped him in a hug, paying no attention to his injured arm. Stepping back, he still held on to Marco with one hand. "There are a lot of things I still need to thank you for and I don't think I'll have enough time to say them all."
Marco smiled and shook his head. "I already know them all." He tapped his head, his smile growing sadder. "The Drift."
As Marco turned around and joined Erwin in the elevator, Jean gulped down the rising tears and spoke up. "Oi, Erwin! You treat Marco well! He's a great guy. One of a kind."
"I will," promised Erwin and with a whoosh, the two were whisked out of sight.
"I'll miss you," Jean whispered to the empty elevator shaft.
"Mikasa?" Eren asked after the two had been strapped into their rigs. "Are you scared?"
Mikasa nodded, knowing that Eren would see through a lie anyways. "You always feel this way right before a mission, but knowing someone else is there to help you share the load makes it better."
Midnight Blaze and Genesis Titan swung over the surface of the ocean as helicopters were bringing them to the spot right above the breach. From Midnight Blaze's back hung the nuclear payload, a square device with the universal nuclear symbol painted on it in yellow and black. The charge looked almost comical on the Yeager, like a backpack worn by an elementary school student.
With a snap, the helicopters dropped the Yeagers into the sea. The open ports on the mechs were already sealed, preventing any water from leaking in, but the liquid also made it harder for them to move. As they approached the breach, Mikasa felt a pit of dread growing in her stomach.
"Pilots, we have two category IV's guarding the breach," said Armin. "We're calling them Leviathan and Helmer. Be on the lookout. We have a little bit of a disadvantage underwater."
"Copy that," said Eren.
"I can't see anything," said Mikasa. "It's too dark out here."
"Helmer is on your left!" Armin called out. "To your left, Genesis Titan!"
"We can't see," said Eren. "Where are they?"
"It's approaching you now! Brace for impact."
Leviathan was a Kaiju built for the water with the shape and appearance of a crocodile. Its bent feet allowed for it to swim at high speeds through the water, making it a formidable enemy. Leviathan slammed into the side of Genesis Titan and the Yeager swayed. It grabbed at a rock formation for balance, but a lower hanging rock that jutted out pierced its leg.
"Now we see it!" Said Eren. "That bastard."
"Another Kaiju approaching you, Midnight Blaze," said Armin.
Midnight Blaze turned to face the direction of Helmer, who reached for the Yeager with its three-digit claws. The rest of the Kaiju had a structure similar to a bull. Two horns curved on the side of its head and its body was stout and strong. However, unlike a bull, Helmer possessed four arms.
Midnight Blaze grappled with the Kaiju briefly before it managed to scratch at the mech. Midnight Blaze retreated, drawing closer to the glowing breach whose interior resembled lava. Suddenly, a low rumbling echoed throughout the area.
"Yeagers!" Armin's voice grew urgent. "We have another signature rising from the breach!"
"I was right," whispered Hanji. They sounded horrified. "This is a triple event."
"What category?" Asked Jean.
A moment of silence. "Mark V. Belphegor."
The biggest Kaiju to date rose from the portal like some demon out of hell. The glowing blue eyes on either side of its hammerhead shark-like cranium were slitted. The rest of the Kaiju was leathery and tough; its limbs were thick and presumably impervious to any missiles the Yeagers could throw at it. As the end of the Kaiju emerged from the breach, the pilots were horrified to see that it had three tails, each ending in a spiked tip.
"Holy shit," breathed Jean. Nobody reprimanded him for his language.
"Mikasa!" Eren called out. "Leviathan's coming back again!"
True to his word, the crocodile-like Kaiju had circled the premises and was now swimming in closer to the Yeager, hoping to have another strike at it. Its cranium was actually a tripartite jaw that opened like the petals of some morbid flower, protecting the smaller head within. As it neared Genesis Titan, the jaws parted and the creature screeched horribly.
Mikasa, not willing to go down without a fight, selected an option on the heads-up display in front of her. The retractable box-cutter blade slid down Genesis Titan's right arm, forming a limp chain. As it withdrew far enough, the blade shuddered and soon solidified into the weapon Mikasa was so fond of. "Steady yourself!" The Yeager kneeled as Leviathan swam over it and its speed, combined with the upwards-pointing weapon, caused the Kaiju to become bisected. "Hold steady!" Mikasa repeated, heaving with effort. The body of the Kaiju kept moving and soon, all three thousand, five hundred tons of it was split cleanly in half. The blood of the Kaiju formed a murky cloud over the Yeager while its entrails floated away.
"Leviathan down!" Eren yelled.
Meanwhile, Midnight Blaze was being targeted by both Helmer and Belphegor. Helmer had managed to drive one of its horns through the chest of the Yeager, causing the mech to sustain heavy damages. Midnight Blaze reacted, plowing its curled fist into the head of Helmer. The Yeager's blow glanced off the Kaiju's horns, but still managed to provoke it.
"Genesis Titan, we're requesting assistance," said Erwin, his voice strangely calm in the midst of the chaos.
"We're on our way. Eren!"
Genesis Titan made its way over to Midnight Blaze, the dent in its leg slowing it marginally. As it neared the other Yeager, Helmer took notice of it and charged. The Yeager tried to hold it back, but the damage from Leviathan was finally taking its toll. Helmer crashed its head into the mech, forcing its pilots to jerk backwards.
On the other side of the battlefield, Midnight Blaze wasn't faring much better. Despite Erwin and Marco's Drift being remarkably strong for two pilots who'd never worked together before, they were up against a powerful foe. Belphegor was unlike any Kaiju humanity had ever encountered; its intelligence far outstripped that of its companions and it seemed to understand the Yeager's weaknesses.
Midnight Blaze fruitlessly shot punches at Belphegor. The Kaiju responded with its tails, shooting them at the Yeager and wrapping its wrists in its grip. With its other tails, it stabbed the mech, creating deep cavities in the hull. Water began to seep through these gaps, dripping onto the floor of the Conn-Pod.
Utilizing its nanotube-charged brass knuckles, Midnight Blaze punched a burning hole through one of its colossal tails. The shock of the blow caused the beast to drop the Yeager and Midnight Blaze retreated back. With a screech, Belphegor leapt across the space dividing the two. As it made contact with Midnight Blaze, Kaiju blue clouding the water around it, it picked up the Yeager and shook it roughly. Midnight Blaze countered with a stout blade to the shoulder. The Kaiju twisted away, snapping the blade off the Yeager.
"Good thinking, sir!" Marco called out to Erwin, panting with exhaustion. He could feel his head throbbing horribly, the result of the force from Belphegor's shaking.
Then, Belphegor did an odd thing. Lifting its knobbed head, it let out a harsh roar akin to a whale call. Helmer, who'd previously been engaged with Genesis Titan, perked up and began swimming off to assist.
"Did it just…call it?" Asked Eren.
"Midnight Blaze, we're coming to meet you!" Mikasa said, prompting Eren to make the Yeager stand. Unfortunately, its tangle with Helmer had caused the mech to lose most of the functioning in its left leg. They moved even slower than before, their gait hobbled and stuttering.
"No!" Shouted Erwin. "Genesis Titan, stay where you are!"
"Sir, we're coming!" Echoed Eren. "We're on our way, we promise!"
"No," repeated Erwin. "If we keep fighting, we're both going to die. Mikasa, you know what we have to do."
Mikasa's face contorted into an expression of horror. "Sir, you can't. The mission—"
"Will be completed by you," finished Erwin. "You have the means to do so, Mikasa. Genesis Titan is nuclear. You said so yourself."
"Sir, you can't do this!" Eren sounded just as dismayed as Mikasa felt.
From up in Mission Control, Hanji put their head into their hands. "That idiot," they said in a rough voice uncharacteristic of their usually upbeat nature. "We have to do something!"
Levi leaned over to Hanji. "The only we can do is believe in Erwin and Marco. They're the ones who are making this choice and we have to put our faith in them and hope they won't regret it."
"What's he doing?" Jean grabbed the microphone away from Armin. "Sir, what are you doing?"
"He's going to detonate the payload," said Armin. From the moment that Belphegor had arisen from the breach, Armin knew someone would have to make that sacrifice. "He's going to sacrifice himself so that Genesis Titan can carry out the mission."
Jean's eyes widened and his grip around the stem of the microphone tightened.
"Sir," said Marco from within the Conn-Pod of Midnight Blaze. "Commander Erwin, it's been a pleasure serving with you."
"Likewise," replied Erwin.
"Erwin!" Mikasa called out, hoping her words would reach him in time. "Thank you! For not giving up on me!"
"And for giving me a chance!" Added Eren.
"You two have done a great deal for humanity," said Levi. "Your courage will give us the strength to collapse the breach and finish the Kaiju off!"
Helmer drew in closer to Belphegor.
"Marco," gulped Jean. "You did well, buddy."
"Thank you, Jean." Marco watched Erwin, whose hand was poised above the override switch that would trigger the nuclear payload attached to their back.
Helmer grew even closer. Close enough for Midnight Blaze to reach it, if it willed.
"Goodbye...brother."
Erwin flicked the switch. In his last moments of clarity, he remembered Delta Melee and the Mark I's and piloting with his best friend, Mike. He remembered their days at the Academy and the joking attitude they had toward the program. He remembered them making the cut and realizing that they were Drift compatible. He remembered Mike's marriage. And he remembered their last mission together, culminating in Mike's collapse and later, his diagnosis of cancer, a result of the poor nuclear shielding in the nuclear-powered Mark I Yeagers. Erwin's career as a Yeager pilot flashed by him in what felt like years.
And then, everything turned white and the last thing Erwin saw was Mike's smile.
Reviews are appreciated! Also, I may or may not ship Erwin/Mike. Hehuehueheuehe. Also, Marco and Jean aren't actually brothers. It's just that Jean considers him one, due to the close nature of their relationship.
