"Quit it, Rawley."
Raleigh shook his head, snapping himself out of an admittedly-hazy train of thought. "Quit what?"
"Quit starin' at me like that. Seriously, it's creepin' me out."
"I wasn't staring at you."
"Whatever, Rawley."
He sighed. "After all the two of us have been through, you're still going to insist on mispronouncing my name?"
Chuck smirked. "Well, yeah, 'cause I know it bugs you. Why else would I do it?"
Mako snorted. "You two behave. You're mature Rangers, not children."
The Rangers had all taken to sharing a table in the mess hall at mealtimes – well, all save the Rossis, who preferred to eat by themselves. This usually amounted to little more than friendly chatter, but ever since Chuck had returned from his supposed death meals had become a little livelier. Surviving a nuclear explosion and being stranded on an island for several months had tempered his ego a little, but the younger Ranger still seemed to take too much pleasure in needling Raleigh.
Raleigh, for his part, just did his best to let it slide. There were some things about Chuck that would never change, and fighting back wouldn't accomplish anything. Besides, upsetting the younger Hansen would just get Striker mad.
He twirled his fork in a pile of noodles, whistling absent-mindedly, letting his mind wander. Lately he just hadn't been able to find it in him to get mad at Chuck. It wasn't that he liked the younger Hansen any better than before – sure, they respected one another's accomplishments, whether it was Raleigh's closing of the Breach or Chuck's return from supposed death, but their personalities still grated against each other. But somehow he couldn't stay angry with him – any irritation he felt toward the younger Ranger just seemed to slide off like water from an oiled surface.
And though he'd never admit it to anyone, there had been a time or two over the past week when he'd looked at Chuck and felt himself blush uncontrollably. He had NO idea where that had come from, as he'd never felt attracted to guys before and had always assumed he was firmly and comfortably heterosexual. He thought he'd done a remarkable job of covering it up, at least, but it was still embarrassing to admit you were suddenly and inexplicably crushing on your worst rival…
A stale roll bounced off his head.
"Hey!" He jolted out of his reverie and leveled a glare at Chuck.
"You're doin' it again!" he snapped. "Quit it!"
"It's not like I'm trying to do it," Raleigh protested. "Just spacing out, I guess. Is it my fault you're in the way when I'm staring off into space?"
"Space out in THAT direction, then!" Chuck ordered, jabbing to one side with his fork. "Seriously, you're creepin' me out. You look like you're gonna corner me an' try to kiss me or somethin'."
Mako had been in the middle of drinking at that moment, and she hurriedly clapped a napkin to her mouth to keep from spitting a mouthful of juice across the table.
"What's so funny?" Raleigh demanded, more sharply than he'd intended.
"Oh my god," she giggled, doing her best to muffle her laughter with the sodden napkin. "This is adorable! It's like something out of a fan fiction!"
"What is, the fact that Rawley's actin' like a schoolgirl?" Chuck demanded.
Raleigh, however, had spent enough time on the Internet to know what Mako was talking about, and felt the blood rushing to his face. "Mako, it's not like that! This isn't a yaoi!"
"A what?" demanded Chuck. "What's a stupid Bigfoot myth got to do with all this?"
"Not Yowie, yaoi," Raleigh replied. "It's… never mind. And Mako, I am NOT crushing on him. I don't swing that way."
Chuck's eyes almost bulged out of his head at that. "Oh hell no! You stay away from me, Rawley!"
"What the devil's goin' on here?" demanded Herc, storming up at that moment. "What's all the hollerin' about?"
"Those two say Rawley's got a crush on me," Chuck grumbled. "Tell 'em to back the hell off!"
"I never said that!" Raleigh retorted. "Why's everyone assuming that?"
"Well, if you must be attracted to another man, you could do a lot worse than Chuck," Mako pointed out, still giggling. "He IS pretty handsome, and even if he is full of himself he can be very sweet…" She blushed and turned away, as if realizing she'd said too much.
Chuck threw up his hands. "Un-freakin'-believable. Team Gipsy's got the hots for me, both of 'em!"
Herc barked in laughter. "Could be a lot worse, Chuck. Least it's an attractive young lady that's got her eye on ya. Hell, if I were a young man…" He coughed and turned away. "That's b'side the point. I don't care who's crushin' on who, just keep your lovers' spats private."
"It's not a… never mind." Raleigh picked up his tray. "I'm getting out of here before I embarrass myself any further."
"Me too," Mako replied, still pink in the face as she scooped up her cup and music player.
Chuck just growled and stalked out, making a beeline for the Jaeger bay… the same direction Raleigh was heading. He grimaced and tried to let Chuck go on ahead a few paces, not wanting the other Ranger to think he was following him.
"Bloody ridiculous, all of this," Chuck grumbled. "Mako fallin' for me I'd be fine with, but Rawley…"
"Stuff it, pup," Herc retorted. "So long as he ain't harassin' you, stop worryin' 'bout it. B'sides, he's more embarrassed 'bout it than you."
"It's stupid is what it is!" Chuck huffed. "I come back from the ass-end of nowhere to have Team Gipsy makin' goo-goo eyes at me! Almost makes me wish I'd stayed on the island."
"Stop your whinin' already! God, from the way you carry on I'd think you crushed back on 'em an' didn't want to admit it!"
Chuck clamped his mouth shut, but his ears flamed a bright red that gave him away.
"God almighty!" Herc crowed, slapping his back. "I thought it was like that!"
"Oh shut up!" Chuck protested. "Not like YOU weren't turning into a schoolgirl around Mako just now…"
Raleigh was pondering whether it would be worth it to dump the rest of his juice over Chuck's head to shut him up when the four of them entered the bay… and stopped short, gawking over what they saw.
The scene wouldn't have looked out of place in a romantic chick-flick had it been acted out by humans… but the fact that the participants were enormous mecha made it mind-breakingly bizarre. Gipsy Danger lay sprawled out on the floor in front of projection screen, her attention fixed on one of her favorite anime shows, her Conn Pod nestled in Striker Eureka's lap. Striker held her hand in his as they watched the screen, thumb running gently over the gray-blue digits, occasionally looking down at her and giving her a fond pat on the shoulder or Conn Pod with his free hand. She squeezed his hand in return, crooning softly before turning her attention back to the show.
Raleigh heard a faint splat, and belatedly realized that he'd let his breakfast slide off the tray and onto the floor. At the moment that didn't seem terribly important – not when he was faced with the fact that his Jaeger was in love.
A Jaeger… in love… somehow, despite everything that had happened over the past several months, that seemed the most difficult thing to process.
Chuck exploded on the spot. "You've got to be bloody KIDDING me!"
Striker spared his Ranger a glance, and though Raleigh couldn't hear his retort, the annoyed rumble spoke volumes.
"Goddammit, Striker, you're a two-thousand-ton monster-killin' machine! Why'd you have to go and get romantic all of a sudden?!"
Another rumble.
"Oh, shut up about that! That was one night, an' I was drunk!"
Raleigh spared a glance at Mako. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised to see she was grinning like a fool at this.
"What's so funny?"
"Nothing," she replied, still grinning. "I'm happy for Gipsy is all… and happy for all the Jaegers' sakes. This is more proof that they're not just machines, but emotional creatures. If only the PPDC could see this."
Despite himself, Raleigh couldn't help but smile in return. "That's true, isn't it? Though… Gipsy, you think you could at least try to not have your crush on Striker leak over into our minds? It's kind of causing issues with Chuck."
Gipsy pulsed back her confusion, coupled with amusement. I don't think I can turn it off. It just kinda happens… but it's not bad, is it? I don't have to stop liking Striker, do I?
Raleigh sighed. As weird as this entire situation was turning out to be, he didn't have the heart to break Gipsy's core, not when she was happier than he'd seen her in a long time. "No, you don't. Mako and I'll find a way to deal with this. You do what makes you happy, all right, girl?"
She purred in content and raised her Conn Pod, bumping it lightly against Striker's in an almost-kiss. Raleigh couldn't stop smiling even if he wanted to. That sight almost made this whole debacle with Chuck and Herc worth it.
Speaking of the Marshal, he had gone remarkably quiet at the sight. Raleigh spared him a glance… and had to fight down a chuckle. He was shaking his head and rubbing the bridge of his nose, as if he felt a headache coming along.
"Every time I think things can't get weirder here, someone raises the bar," he grumbled. "What's next anyhow?"
A high-pitched yowl was his answer, and one of the Shatterdome cats, a large orange tabby, bolted in front of the Rangers. Hot on its heels came Max, barking and flinging flecks of drool in every direction as he pumped his short legs as fast as they would go. Bruno scurried alongside the larger bulldog, mouth open in a wide grin of excitement, and bringing up the rear was Spike, legs clattering like shells on the concrete floor, uttering a sharp, gurgling screech that was as close as the louse could get to an actual bark of his own.
The four of them watched the unlikely pursuit as it carried all the way to Coyote's hangar, making the gray Jaeger jerk and whine in surprise. The cat finally found refuge by scrambling up the Mark I's leg and – much to her consternation – lodging itself firmly in her ankle joint. Max, Bruno, and Spike stationed themselves at the Jaeger's heel, barking and screeching up a storm, while Coyote growled her disapproval of the whole situation and made shooing motions with her hands, motions that all four animals studiously ignored.
Herc gave the entire tableau one last look before turning on his heel and walking off. "I'll be in my office. Don't let her squish my dogs."
"Yes, sir," Raleigh replied. Somehow he and Mako managed to keep their amusement under control until Herc was out of earshot, though their subsequent fit of laughter them venomous glowers from both Chuck and Coyote.
"…taking you to our breaking news story in Vancouver, British Columbia, as one of the most bizarre escapes in history takes place! Our correspondent, Levi Strauss, is on the scene. Levi?"
"Thanks, Kathleen. As you can see behind me, the Canadian Pan-Pacific Defense Corps Museum was established in 2019 in a refitted grain silo. For years its prize exhibit was Brawler Yukon, a prototype Jaeger commonly called 'the grandfather of all Jaegers,' retired from service in late 2018 due to excessive damages. But if this morning's events are any indication, Brawler's calling Vancouver his home no longer!"
Ilya snorted. "They sure know how to draw out suspense, don't they? Get to the good stuff already."
Aleksis nodded and motioned for his uncle to quiet down. Team Cherno and their visitor were crowded around a portable television, watching the news for any report on Dr. Lightcap's mission… for whether it ended in a successful rescue or the arrest of a prominent scientist, it was sure to make the news. From the sound of the report so far, it was good news for the Jaeger program, but they wanted to be sure.
The image onscreen switched from the breathless news correspondent to footage of the silo that had been Brawler's home… now with a gaping hole in one side. A thin strip of police tape cordoned the wrecked area off, and a swarm of police and military vehicles crowded around the museum, lights flashing, uniformed officials scurrying about in a frenzy, unsure of what to do next but knowing something needed to be done right now. Shots of the museum and its damage, shown from various angles, continued to show onscreen as the reporter went on.
"According to museum officials, the escape happened early this morning, when Dr. Caitlyn Lightcap, the scientist renowned for her work on the first Jaegers, arrived at the museum to conduct basic maintenance and inspection on Brawler Yukon. According to eyewitnesses, she proceeded to enter Brawler's Conn Pod – the cockpit where Rangers pilot the Jaeger – and called for tests to be run. Sometime during said tests, the unthinkable happened."
Now the screen displayed what appeared to be footage from a security camera, showing the squat, hulking, gunmetal-gray form of Brawler Yukon. A rope of red velvet formed a flimsy barrier about his feet, and if one looked closely they could just make out the forms of two men – one in a worn brown jacket and leaning on a cane, the other in a white shirt and with wild rumpled hair – adjusting something on a piece of equipment in front of them. A few people hung back, watching the proceedings – museum workers, or perhaps security guards.
Aleksis guessed what was coming… but he couldn't suppress a huge grin as Brawler shuddered, then lurched forward a step, slamming one armblade into the floor in an effort to keep his balance. The museum personnel screamed in terror and scattered, but the Jaeger seemed oblivious to their presence. He gave a long, hooting cry, shuddering, swaying back and forth… then, without further preamble, turned to the wall and plowed straight through. Brick and mortar crumbled like a stale cracker as he impacted against it, and the grandfather of all Jaegers vanished from sight. There was a brief glimpse of Newt pumping both fists and bellowing in victory, Hermann snapping something at him…
Hah! Cherno clapped his hands with a sound like metallic thunder. It worked! Brawler Yukon is mobile and free! We have another Jaeger!
"Don't celebrate too soon," Sasha warned him. "We do not know what kind of shape he's in, and he still has to make it to the Shatterdome. He could be intercepted before he gets here."
Ilya snorted. "He's a giant mecha, how are they going to stop him?"
The newscaster had resumed speaking by this point. "Brawler Yukon's progress down the Pacific Coast is being tracked by the US and Canadian militaries, but no aggressive action will be taken at this time. Dr. Lightcap is unavailable for comment at this time…"
"Shut it off."
Aleksis glanced up at Marshal Hansen, who stood just outside Cherno's hangar. "The newscast is not over."
"Shut it off," Herc repeated. "Just got a call from Tendo. He filled me in on the whole story, not just what the news sees fit to report."
He nodded and switched off the television, then stood with a wince as his bad leg complained. "I trust you will tell us the full story as well?"
"Gonna tell everyone as soon as they get assembled," Herc replied. "Cherno too. Not you, Ilya, sorry – no offense but you're a civilian. This is Ranger business."
"Bah," Ilya said dismissively, waving his hand. "Never you mind. My nephews will tell me later."
"They better not," Herc retorted, but Aleksis guessed that the Marshal wasn't exactly going to enforce silence at this point.
The Rangers had assembled in a loose knot in the center of the Jaeger bay, and all five of the sentient Jaegers gathered in a ring around them. Aleksis noted with amusement that Gipsy and Striker were holding hands, looking less like a pair of Kaiju-slaughtering warriors and more like school sweethearts. He wondered how their Rangers were taking their relationship.
As soon as Aleksis and Sasha joined the group, Herc clapped his hands for attention. "All right, listen up, everyone! I just got off the phone with Marshal Choi. You might have guessed from the news already, but Brawler Yukon is movin' on his own… an' he's on his way here!"
A wild cheer erupted from nearly everyone within earshot. Even Lance whooped, pumping his fist, though he shut up quickly when Lexie elbowed him in the ribs.
"Lightcap reports that gettin' his optical sensors fixed was a success, an' that he should be able to make it to the Ao Kuang in Seattle without much trouble. From there it'll be a week or so before he gets to Hong Kong. Lightcap's comin' with him, an' Tendo, Geizler, an' Gottlieb'll catch a plane and should be here tomorrow."
"How many Jaegers do you expect us to cram in here?" demanded Lexie. "This place is already a zoo with five of them."
"This place was built to hold up to twenty Jaegers at a time," Jin reminded her. It's not like we're hurting for space."
"She's kinda got a point," said Lance. "I mean… are we expecting the Jaegers to stay here forever? Or are they going to want their own place at some point? I can't imagine keeping them cooped up here is going to make them happy."
Herc opened his mouth as if to tell the Rossis off, then slowly shut it. "Dammit… I hate to admit it, but you're right."
"We have thought of that," Gipsy said at last, the voice issuing from her synthesizer smooth and calm. "Of someday having a home of our own outside the Shatterdome. But we accept this place as our home for now. There's still a war to fight, and we'll stay and fight it. After the war… we'll decide what to do from there. But wherever I go after the war, I expect to take Raleigh and Mako with me. We're family, and I won't be separated from my family again."
"Gipsy's right," Striker added, nodding sharply. "We got a war to fight, and we ain't abandoning it now."
"Seconded," Crimson chimed in.
Herc nodded sharply. "That settles it, then. Our first priority is the war, an' sealin' off the Breach once an' for all. But we ain't gonna forget about you Jaegers either – once this war's over, we're gonna make sure you get the credit you deserve. In the meantime… let's get another hangar cleared out for Brawler. An' remember, he's the first Jaeger – I expect you all to treat 'im with respect!"
Crimson bobbed his head eagerly, and Aleksis guessed it was only his fear of accidentally stepping on someone that kept him from bouncing from foot to foot. He couldn't help a smile at the sight. Who would have pegged the Mark IV as such a fanboy of the elder Jaegers?
Still, he couldn't help but wonder a little at Lexie's words as the meeting dispersed. They had never thought much past the Kaiju War, never let themselves think much further ahead than the next battle… but once the Precursor menace was destroyed at last, what would come next? And while the world had accepted the Jaegers with open arms, was there room in said world for a race of metal giants?
There will be, Papa. Don't worry about it.
He looked up at Cherno. "How can you be sure?"
The Jaegers have been talking to Dr. Lightcap. She says she may have a solution. A way to ensure we have a home among humans after the war.
"What solution?"
Cherno trilled smugly. It's a secret. She wants to save it for the end of the war.
Aleksis had never imagined that his own Jaeger would keep a secret from him, but no matter how he and Sasha pleaded, he refused to speak about it any further. It seemed they had further incentive to win the war once and for all now.
"Ow! Dammit, that hurts!"
"Oh, it's not that bad," the medic assured him in a meant-to-be-soothing-but-instead-irritating tone, not looking up from extracting the needle from Chuck's arm. "It's a tetanus shot, not an amputation."
"I think an amputation might actually be better!"
"Don't tempt me to test that out," she replied dryly, pressing an adhesive bandage to the injection site. "That's it, then. Don't get your stitches wet or take the bandage off for at least twenty-four hours. Come back here the instant it starts looking like it might be getting infected."
"How long do they gotta stay in?"
"Five to ten days. Try not to rip them out, will you? It's never pretty when that happens."
Chuck grumbled a general agreement and glanced down at the white bandage wrapped around his left forearm. Damnit, of all the stupid ways to hurt himself. He'd gone to burn off some energy by throwing scrap around in the Jaeger bay – there was still plenty of scrap metal and damaged mechanical parts left over from various repairs. It was a good way to let out some pent-up irritation and clear his mind, especially after dealing with the mental bleed-over from Striker's sudden infatuation with Gipsy.
A good way provided you didn't grab and throw a particularly jagged chunk of rusty metal and gash your arm open in the process, at least. Which was what he had just brainlessly done.
It could have been a lot worse, he figured. At least he hadn't bled out – Sasha had been close by and had grabbed his arm to pinch off the big vein he'd nicked. And Striker had somehow managed to keep his head – though he was going to tell him off for telling Herc about the accident first thing. Dammit, he wasn't a boy anymore, he didn't need it reported to his father every time he hurt himself. And it wasn't like he was just going to tape the wound shut and go about his business instead of going to the medical center about it.
Sure you would.
"Shut it, Striker," he muttered. "I only did that the one time."
Once is enough. An' that was just a finger. This coulda killed you.
"Takes more than a cut arm to kill me, remember?"
Don't joke about this! Chuck, you scared me… never seen you bleed that much before. An' the doctor said that rusted metal coulda given you some kind of awful disease if you didn't get the shot. I almost lost you once. I ain't gonna lose you again, you hear?
Chuck rubbed the skin immediately around the bandage. "So you do still worry about me, eh?"
Even from here he fancied that he could hear Striker's snort. Come on, Chuck. Don't be like this. Sure, I like Gipsy. She's funny an' brave an' sweet, how can a mecha not like her? But you're my Ranger… my brother. Nothin' changes that. An' I protect my family, whether it's from a Kaiju or from their own stubborn pride.
Despite his irritation, Chuck couldn't help a bit of a smile. "Aw… you do care."
Don't tell Raleigh about it. Still got a reputation to protect an' all. You comin' back or what?
"I'm on my way," he replied, standing. "Can't stand one more minute of this place."
So how is it that you can look a Kaiju in the eye without flinching but a nice lady with a medical degree an' a needle scares the piss outta you?
"Oh, shut up."
As he turned to go his gaze fell on the bed close by. Under normal circumstances the curtains surrounding the bed were drawn, but a nurse had pulled them open in order to check the patient's vital signs. Its occupant looked to be asleep at the moment, or something close to it – her eyelids were shut, though vivid scratches still marred the skin around them as if she'd tried to claw her own eyes out, and her face, though troubled, had relaxed some from its usual state of perpetual terror.
Chuck gave a shudder. No, the poking and prodding and needles were not the worst parts of the medical center, even given his needle-phobia. The worst part was knowing the cult's priestess was still here, trapped in a nightmarish drift with one or more of the Precursors. Never mind that she'd done it to herself – it was still horrifying to think about, and creepy to look at.
The nurse looked up and offered a bit of a smile. "Her vital signs are still good. That's a good sign."
"I dunno how anything 'bout her condition can be a good sign," Chuck admitted.
"I suppose that's true. But we're doing the best we can-"
Mikhail's eyes shot open, and she sat bolt upright in her bed, a nerve-rending scream ripping from her throat. The nurse shrieked and took off running, and even Chuck backpedaled a step or two. Those eyes… they were no longer human, but wild and animal with a terror he couldn't begin to fathom.
"Bloody hell-" he began, but a hand clamping onto his wrist cut him off. Mikhail's fingers dug into his arm like claws, yanking him closer.
"Leggo! Crazy bitch! Someone call a doctor!"
Mikhail's other hand shot up to grab his shirt, pulling him closer. Before he could gather his wits enough to fight back, she had thrust her mouth to his ear and was speaking in a frenzied whisper.
"They're coming," she rasped. "The Messengers… they're coming…"
"What are you blatherin' about?" Chuck demanded.
"The Deep Ones… sending a final message…" A hysterical laugh. "This world is theirs… and none can take it from them… except the Destroyers, the metal titans of this world… and they'll be the first to go…"
Chuck's jaw dropped. "The Jaegers?"
Her fingers tightened on his wrist until he grimaced. "Beware, Ranger… blood will spill… the Messengers… are coming… an army… there… there will… be… war…"
Whatever else she had to say caught in her throat, and she released him, falling back onto the bed. She jerked and writhed as if hit with a taser, eyes rolling back, spit foaming at her lips. Even before doctors and nurses converged on the bed, hiding her from view, Chuck got the feeling that she wasn't going to be in any shape to talk again.
Ya think whatever Precursor she's linked to decided to shut her up for good?
"I ain't a Precursor expert, but yeah," Chuck replied. "The hell was she blatherin' anyhow?"
Are you daft, Chuck? That wasn't gibberish, that was a warning! More Kaiju are on their way! An' from the sound of it not just a double event… maybe a triple, or quadruple, or even worse! This is an all-out strike against the Shatterdome!
Chuck turned and bolted from the medical center. "Tell Dad, quick!"
Already done! He's swearin' up a storm right now, but once he's done-
The blare of alarms drowned out the rest of his sentence. Kaiju had been spotted. The assault on the Shatterdome had begun.