"Weapon System disengaged." Gipsy AI reported to Raleigh and he realized what happened. They almost shot up the Shatterdome. Eden Viper must have forced the arm down to minimize the damage.
"Mako." Raleigh remarked as he was unattached. He threw off the helmet and rushed to Mako. He caught her as she fell from the machine. He tried to comfort her as she snapped back into reality. "It's okay. It's okay."
"Neural bridge exercise invalid." AI reported. "Drift sequence terminated."
"I went out of phase first. It was my mistake." Raleigh reported to Stacker in his office. It has only been an hour since the incident. When the Plasmacannon turned on, safety systems failed and before anyone could do anything, Eden Viper rushed over to save lives before going out to stop a Cat Four Kaiju. Raleigh felt all of it was his fault.
"No." Stacker replied. "It was my mistake to put you two in the same machine."
"So you're grounding us?" Raleigh asked sharply.
"Not you." Stacker replied turning to Mako.
"Permission to be dismissed." Mako asked.
"Permission granted." Stacker answered and Mako left without a word.
"Sir what do you think you're doing?" Raleigh asked as Mako left. "She's the best candidate we have. What other options do we have?"
"Do not let my calm demeanor fool you Ranger." Stacker replied raising his voice. "This is not a good moment for insubordination. Mako is too inexperienced to rein in her memories during combat." he added before walking off. Raleigh turned following the Marshal.
"That's not why you grounded her." Raleigh remarked and Stacker stopped in his tracks. "I was in her memories. I saw everything."
"I don't care what you think you saw." Stacker said as Raleigh replayed the memories. A young Mako walked onto the street after a large fight between Kaiju and Jaeger. Mako looked to see the corpse of Onibaba and Coyote Tango standing above it. On the Jaeger's head, a hatch opened up and Stacker rose up to see the young girl. Back to reality Raleigh turned to his CO.
"I know what she means to you. I saw it." Raleigh remarked understanding how Stacker cares for Mako. But the Marshal just left. "Hey. Hey!"
"This conversation is over." Stacker ordered as they entered the hallway. Raleigh grabbed the Marshal's arm stopping him and Stacker turned annoyed at the Ranger.
"You rescued her. You raised her. You're not protecting her now. You're holding her back." Raleigh remarked and Stacker raised his finger in the Ranger's face.
"One. Don't you ever touch me again. Two. Don't you ever touch me again." Stacker ordered. "Now you have no idea who the hell I am or where I've come from. I'm not about to tell you my whole life story. All I need from you and everyone in this dome is to be at a fixed point. Last man standing. I don't want sympathy or admiration. All I need is compliance and fighting skills. If I can't get that then I'll drop you off at a factory. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir." Raleigh replied as Stacker entered an elevator.
"Good." he replied as the doors closed.
PPDC Kaiju Site Kong, Hong Kong - December 20, 2024
"Holy shit. Why haven't I been here before?" Newt asked as he and a Monarch officer rode in a Humvee past the remains of Kaijus in a massive warehouse. Many of which were missing body parts and interior organs.
"Because Kaiju remains are profitable on the Black Market. Monarch and the PPDC use these warehouses to study them further." Captain Okabe Ino replied. "But Monarch studies the large samples to give our Jaegers an advantage against the Titans for after the war. When there is no reason for them to fight together."
"Wow, that is both terrifying and awesome at the same time." Newt remarked as they reached a dock where a large transport ship was getting a new dead Kaiju in.
"Meet Scourge. Eden Viper just finished this Cat Four a bit ago." Ino said as Newt go out of the Humvee. "I hope this could work for your experiment."
"Depends on its head. If the skull is intact and if the brain wasn't damaged in the fight." Newt answered as cranes dropped cables down for the ship crews to attach to the Kaiju. Stacker was able to get Newt in this warehouse with assistance from Doctor Serizawa. A PPDC JLTV Utility drove up.
"Where to?" the driver asked and Newt pointed to the loading zone.
"Next to there and make sure not to break the equipment!" Newt yelled and as the JLTV rolled past him, alarms went off. "What's going on?"
"Breach." the Captain answered as he grabbed his radio. "Give me a sitrep."
"Breach at 2332 hours. Three signatures. Cat Fives." a Monarch personal reported on the radio shocking both Newt and Ino. "Code names, Spinejaw, Peril, and Curse."
"Shit." Ino whispered.
"All Jaeger reporting for duty."
Hong Kong - December 20, 2024
PPDC Ranger Arturo Sanz was with his copilot and friend Carla Pousa in Eden Viper. The Shatterdome had eight Jaegers but only seven active. The three for the Operation was to guard the coast, while Eden Viper, Titan Omega, Horizon Wild, and Frozen Danger engaged the Kaijus. Three Cat Fives. The biggest fight of their lives. The four Jaegers moved into a fighting stance as Spinejaw sped ahead of its Kaijus. Arturo armed the right shoulder missile launcher in preparation. Moments later, large spines appeared in the water. Then Spinejaw rose from the depths. It towered over them as the onboard AI measured it. Six hundred feet tall. The Kaiju was twice as tall as Godzilla. Four arms could be seen and it dropped. Eden Viper was scratched by the claws same as Titan Omega and Frozen Danger. Horizon Wild was crushed under the weight of the arm. The Kaiju was standing on all six. Missiles, plasma blasts, and any ranged weapon were fired on the Kaiju. Spinejaw turned to face Titan Omega. The Jaeger left arm opened up for a large plasma cannon. It aimed and fired in vain. The Kaiju opened its mouth and chomped down on the Jaeger. Eden Viper went from behind and climbed onto the tail. They raced on the back while an explosion erupted from the Kaiju's mouth. Eden Viper extended the sword and punctured Spinejaw's back. They raced up to the head while the Kaiju turned rapidly. Spinejaw stood on the two hind legs and Eden Jaw fell to the waters. When the Jaeger was submerged, the two pilots saw Frozen Danger ripped in two. When Eden Viper surfaced, they raced down the belly slicing the beast open. Kaiju blood and organs fell into the ocean and soon it collapsed on the Jaeger crushing the crew.
"Where is a Titan?" Stacker asked as Peril closed in on the three remaining Jaegers.
"Godzilla will be in Hong Kong. ETA eight minutes." a tech reported as Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon charged.
"Striker Eureka, hold position." Stacker ordered knowing the Mark Five is to hold the Nuclear Bomb for the Operation. He spotted Raleigh and Mako waiting for the order to go into combat. The Marshal listened at the two Jaegers struggled against the Cat Five.
"Incoming projectile!" PPDC Ranger Sasha Kaidonovsky yelled and Crimson Typhoon moved. The projectile struck a container ship in port.
"Acid fire." PPDC Ranger Herc Hansen reported as the ship melted away. Peril charged the Russian Jaeger and the pilots grabbed both sets of teeth holding it open. Crimson Typhoon charged activating its plasma cutter. They dove in slicing the jaw off. At that moment, Curse came up behind them slicing Cherno Alpha back with a spike on the Kaiju's side.
"Tentacles!" PPDC Chuck Hensen yelled as Crimson Typhoon was taken below the surface.
"Hull breach! Taking on water!" PPDC Cheung Wei Tang reported before their destruction. Curse sped towards the city while Cherno Alpha punched a bloody Peril.
"Cherno Alpha's hull breached." a tech reported as Stacker saw that Peril was leaking acid on the Jaeger.
"Cherno Alpha get to safety." Stacker ordered but the Kaiju dropped its upper jaw down. The Jaeger held its hands up to block the blow and they sunk down through the seafloor with only their waist above the surface.
"Firing missiles!" Herc Hensen yelled and a volley of missiles hit Peril.
"Striker Eureka, Curse is heading northwest to the city. Stop it now." Stacker ordered and the Jaeger moved to intercept. "Where is Godzilla?"
"ETA one minute." a tech reported and the Marshal turned to Raleigh and Mako.
"Get in uniform." he ordered knowing that the Cat Fives are going to destroy Hong Kong and everyone in it. Stacker turned back to the battle as the two raced out. Peril raised an arm and sliced across Cherno Alpha's chest. The Jaeger started to lose power and the Kaiju fired an acid ball. Melting the Jaeger killing the pilots. Monarch fighter jets reached the battle firing their payload at the monster. Stacker watched as Strike Eureka caught up to Curse. But a blast cut off all systems.
"EMP Pulse." a tech reported and Stracker knew that Striker Eureka was down. When the backup systems kicked in, he saw the Monarch fighters were down and the last Jaeger was stranded. Peril turned to the city as Curse made a B Line to the Monarch Facility. At that moment he knew what was going on and that Newt was correct. Sadly for them, the Kaiju knew it too.
When the power went down, Newt and Ino raced out of the facility to see the Monarch defenses activating. Nonelectrical defenses were the only tools. To his surprise, Monarch had M1A2 Abrams, M113A3s, IFAVs, and eight 16-inch cannons in three different turrets. The turrets opened fire in eight blasts. Newt turned to see a massive Kaiju smash through buildings. It had armor plating, spikes running along it's sides and spine, two legs dragging the body and tentacles behind. All of the defenses opened fire as Ino lead the scientists to a bunker. He saw one of the tentacles swing sending nearly three dozen giant thorns at the facility. One of the turrets was sliced in half sending the cannons crashing down. Newt was scared to death. More thorns were thrown killing hundreds. As the two reached the bunker, a thorn hit the entrance killing Ino. Newt was terrified for a moment before he realized her cut off hand was still gripping his arm. Freaked, he toss the arm off and tried to take deep breaths. He didn't realize the guns fell silent until a chill wind blew against him. Newt turned to see the Kaiju. He screamed as it opened his mouth. Before the killing blow could be dealt, a blue blast hit the Kaiju sending it away. Newt turned to see Godzilla firing a stream of atomic energy at the Kaiju. The Titan ceased the attack to see if the Kaiju was alive. Newt turned to see several spikes on the ground next to the living Kaiju.
It gave a low pitched growl and Godzilla responded with a mighty roar sending chills down Newt's back. As the two charged, the human ran the other way for his safety. He decided to hide behind a M1 with one of the thorns in it. He took out his phone to find it was dead. Instead he peeked around the tank to watch the fight. The Kaiju had its tentacles wrapped around Godzilla. The Titan used its hands to keep the Kaiju's mouth from biting him. Godzilla's back glowed before another blast of energy hit the Kaiju, but the armor absorbed the strike. The Kaiju's hands clawed at the Titan's face and Godzilla grabbed his opponent's jaws and pulled back on them. In response the Kaiju moved the tentacles around Godzilla's neck trying to strangle him. Newt felt chills when he heard a loud crack, followed by the Kaiju's limbs going limp. The Titan dropped the Kaiju before turning towards the city. But the Kaiju send three dozen thorns into Godzilla's back causing the Titan to yell. As he turned back, the Kaiju jumped towards Godzilla. The Titan received claws and thorns from the Kaiju forcing him down. Newt listened to buildings collapse from the distance. A second Kaiju was on its way and Newt knew Godzilla was done for.
The Drift was easier this time. Gipsy Danger was dropped in Hong Kong to see Peril smashing buildings and dropping acid everywhere. In unison, Raleigh and Mako charged forward. They raised their right arm and fired the Plasmacannon gaining the Kaiju's attention. Peril turned and fired an acid ball. Gipsy Danger rolled avoiding the strike. They fired at the bloody mouth and the Kaiju yelled. The Jaeger charged forward and jumped on top of the Kaiju. As it started to rise up, Gispy Danger opened the sword and plunged the blade into the skull. They retracted the blade as the Kaiju fell to the ground. It was still alive, but down. The pilots send the left arm through the head wound and ripped several parts of the skull out. Moments later, the Plasmacannon opened fire on the brain cooking it. They kept firing making sure the Kaiju was dead.
"Gipsy Danger, Godzilla is in need of assistance." Stacker reported and the Jaeger ran through the city to help the Titan. Once there, they saw Curse on top of Godzilla. The Titan was struggling against the Kaiju and the Jaeger fired several plasma blasts. Curse looked up and several spikes were fired from its snout striking Gipsy Danger's hull. The two pilots looked down to see eleven spikes in the torso. But they charged and jumped ontop of the Kaiju. They extended the blade and swung it at a rising tentacle. Curse yelled in pain before pushing against Godzilla to land its back. Gipsy Danger rolled away and fired the plasma cannon only for the Kaiju's armor to survive the attack. Curse swung its tail and the Jaeger rolled before getting hit. The Kaiju charged and hit Gipsy Danger. They were sent back landing on a warehouse. Raleigh saw a Kaiju body and both pilots smiled. When they stood up, Curse fired more spikes from its snout. But the Jaeger grabbed a Cat Four body and used it as a shield. Curse charged sending his claws into the dead Kaiju. It ripped the body apart before forcing Gipsy Danger down. The pilots sliced and blast the tentacles seeing them as the only weak spot in the armor. Kaiju blood dripped on the Jaeger from the broken mouth and the pilots tried to think of a plan. Before they could, something grabbed the Kaiju and ripped it off the Jaeger. Raleigh and Mako were amazed to see Godzilla tossing the bigger Kaiju away. But they saw blood, thorns, and patches of skin missing from the Titan. The Jaeger stood up next to the Titan while the Kaiju eyed both opponents. All three charged and Godzilla grabbed Curse, while Gipsy Danger sliced the remaining tentacles. Spikes from the Kaiju's snout struck Godzilla's chest. In response the Titan's back glowed and a blast of energy hit the Kaijus face melting the exposed eyes. Gipsy Danger retracted the sword and grabbed an armor plate, trying to rip it off ignoring the spine spikes slicing the metal chest. When the plate came off, Curse swung its right arm at Godzilla's face. The Titan dropped the Kaiju and it tried to flee. Gipsy Danger fired the plasma cannon at the exposed skin making the Kaiju scream in pain. They charged as it slowed, firing the cannon. They climbed on its back extending the sword and plunged it into Curse's back. They cut open the back and ripped out several organs at random. The Kaiju dropped down limp. Godzilla walked to the side and fired a stream of atomic energy at the exposed section making sure it was dead. Gipsy Danger turned to the Titan and watched as he retreated to the sea.