THE BREACH IS DESTROYED.
Coyote Tango's words sent the LOCCENT in a frenzy of activity. Technicians whooped and cheered, throwing their arms in the air or around each other's shoulders, delirious with relief and excitement. Bishop covered her face with her hands and promptly broke down sobbing, while a younger tech pulled a bottle of cheap champagne out of a console – doubtless stowed away for just such an occasion – and broke it open in a fountain of foam. Even Hannibal smiled, though Tendo thought it looked more like a smug smirk than anything truly happy.
Tendo, for his part, let the stern face of leadership drop for a moment, laughing and exchanging high-fives and hugs with his fellow tech monkeys. It was over… and they'd won. Humanity was safe again, at least for the time being.
His jubilation was tempered by a pang of loss, however. For their victory had not come without cost – Crimson Typhoon was still unresponsive after Staghead's attack, and both Brawler Yukon and Cherno Alpha had fallen to the Precursor Jaeger and Armada. Losing a Jaeger in battle had never been easy before, not just because a wrecked Jaeger also usually meant dead Rangers… but now, knowing the Jaegers were sentient beings, it was an even worse blow.
BRINGING CRIMSON HOME, Coyote continued. ALSO WHAT IS LEFT OF CHERNO. THERE… THERE IS NOT MUCH TO RECOVER OF BRAWLER.
"Do what you can," Tendo replied, voice soft. "Just come home. Thank you – all of you – for what you have done. Your sacrifice means more than you can know."
Gipsy responded in Coyote's place – WE WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO PROTECT HUMANITY. WE'RE JUST DOING OUR JOBS.
But who protects the Jaegers? Tendo wanted to ask, but he held his tongue.
ON OUR WAY, Striker added. SEE YOU SOON. And the readout went blank.
"Sir." Bishop wiped her face and turned to face the Marshal. "We just got a report from the Jumphawks. They've recovered Lightcap and the Weis and are on their way back."
He nodded acknowledgement. Knowing they hadn't lost any Rangers was at least some comfort, even if it didn't soften the blow of losing two of the Mark Is. Cherno had become a mascot of sorts for the Jaeger program, and Brawler, as the oldest Jaeger, was seen as a grandfather figure by the living mecha. The loss of both of them would be keenly felt by everyone in the Shatterdome, and perhaps around the world.
"So what happens now?"
Tendo turned to face Hannibal. "I assume you mean what happens to the Jaegers now."
Hannibal's smirk widened. "There's so many ways I could be a smartass with that statement, but I won't. You know what I mean, Choi."
Tendo shrugged. "It's not as if our original mission has changed. One Breach is a freak circumstance, but two… two means there could be more. And in the event that another Breach ever opens, we'll be ready for it." He absently accepted the paper cup of champagne a tech passed him. "Until then, our next mission is going to be harder."
"What to do with giant autonomous robots in the meantime, huh?" Hannibal took Tendo's cup and sipped out of it, then made a face and handed it back. "Not many places you can stash 'em. Not without flattening a few cities in the process."
"Dr. Lightcap had a plan… and when she comes back, the Shatterdome will help her implement it. I'm still in the dark about what she had in mind, but I trust her judgment." Tendo arched an eyebrow. "Though I guess I could ask you the same thing. Your main source of income has dried up for the time being. What happens to your empire now?"
Hannibal snorted. "Adapt or die, Choi. My empire takes after the kaiju in one respect – we evolve. So long as governments are banning or restricting things, whether it's drugs or guns or kaiju parts, there's a way to keep the cash flowing. Besides… you guys are really lousy at keeping kaiju off our shores. There'll be another Breach… and my crews'll be ready."
Tendo didn't doubt that for a second. But it was hard to be upset with Hannibal when he and his minions did the messy but invaluable job of cleaning up after the kaiju. One couldn't exactly hate a vulture for just doing what came naturally, even if it was disgusting.
"Hannibal… thank you." Saying the words was about as pleasant as having a tooth pulled, but he owed it to the man anyhow. "You had a hand in today's victory too."
Hannibal shrugged. "Just looking out for my own interests. Can't exactly kill my own kaiju. We need the Shatterdome for that, just like you need us to clean up after your Jaegers. We need each other to survive, it looks like… which means so long as there's a war going on, you're not gonna be rid of me."
"There are worse people we could call allies," Tendo admitted.
"Stop by a little more often," Hannibal told him, slapping his shoulder. "We miss you. You're actually interesting, unlike most of the people here." He stepped back. "I'm outta here for some halfway decent booze. Join me?"
"I'll take a rain check for now." He set the cup aside. "Take care of yourself, Mr. Chau."
"Until next time, Choi." Hannibal chuckled and turned to go, his shoes clinking with every step. "Until next time."
Before the battle at Koko Guyot, Cherno Alpha had been the largest of the Jaegers, tall and broad-shouldered and heavy enough to knock just about anything save the largest kaiju out of his path with ease. Now all that remained of him was a battered Conn Pod lying forlornly on the floor of his hangar, glass riddled with cracks and metal pitted with deep dents. There had been no time to salvage anything else before the bomb had detonated… and the rest of him had been vaporized in the explosion. His physical body was almost completely destroyed.
And yet… Sasha knew he wasn't entirely gone. Not yet. Just as she had felt some fragment of his presence after the ill-fated battle at Victoria Harbor, now she could feel that there was a part of him still valiantly clinging to life with all his strength.
She and Aleksis sat with the ruined Pod day and night, whispering quiet encouragement to their Jaeger, urging him to not give up. From time to time someone would stop by to bring a meal, or to pay their respects to Cherno – and at this rate, if flowers and mementos kept pouring in, Cherno's hangar was going to look like Striker's shrine back on the island – but for the most part they were left alone. Most seemed to believe they were simply sitting at vigil for their fallen Jaeger… but a precious few, mostly Rangers, knew otherwise.
Aleksis finally spoke. "They have to rebuild him."
Sasha sighed softly and leaned back in his arms. "I only hope they will…"
"It is not a matter of hope," he said firmly, eyes flashing. "They have to rebuild him. He is alive still, and it is not fair to leave him immobile and helpless. Striker was like this, and they rebuilt him. Why not Cherno?"
"Striker had spare parts in reserve," Sasha reminded him. "Cherno has none. And while the world has been generous to the Shatterdome, I am not sure they have been generous enough to fund the building of a new Jaeger body."
His knuckles cracked as he clenched his fist. "You will give up on our son?"
"No," she replied sternly. "I want him rebuilt, even if it means forging every scrap of his body myself. I… I only hope others see it the same way. That they won't decide it is more merciful to…" She couldn't finish the sentence, even though its meaning hung heavily between them.
A soft flutter in the back of her mind finally broke the silence, and she welcomed it. Cherno was weak, cut off from his power source and bereft of a body, but he remained with them in the drift just as he'd promised. He hadn't abandoned them… and she swore she wouldn't abandon him either. Whatever it took, they would bring back their son.
Movement caught her eye, and a black-and-white Shatterdome cat padded out from behind the Conn Pod. It peered curiously up at the remains of the Mark I, then rubbed up against the bronze metal, purring loudly enough that Sasha could hear it from where she sat. At least they weren't the only ones trying to comfort their Jaeger…
"Mr. and Mrs. Kaidonovsky?"
She glanced up. "Dr. Lightcap."
Caitlin hovered just outside the hangar, and she gave a wan smile before entering. Despite her pain and worry for Cherno consuming so much of her, Sasha couldn't help but feel a burst of sadness for the scientist. Brawler had been utterly destroyed, and Caitlin didn't even have a fellow Ranger to support her in her loss.
"How is he?" she asked, gazing at the battered Conn Pod.
"Very weak," Sasha replied softly. "But still with us."
Caitlin nodded, and she jerked her head toward a nearby crate in a silent request. Sasha nodded her consent, and she sat down. It was then that she noted the bundle the scientist cradled in her arms, an object swathed in blankets and held as gently as if it were an infant.
"I am sorry about Brawler," Sasha murmured. "He did not deserve his fate."
Caitlin shook her head, blinking back tears. "He would have wanted to go that way. As a warrior. Not rusting away in a museum." She shifted her burden to one arm in order to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry about Cherno. He didn't deserve this fate again."
Another woman might have gone to hug Caitlin in response, possibly bursting into messy tears in the process. But Sasha was not most women, and she simply nodded her thanks before looking away. There had been tears before, and would be tears later, but not now. Not in front of a fellow Ranger.
"There may be a way to save him."
Aleksis had been ignoring her, his gaze locked on what remained of Cherno, but his gaze jerked toward Dr. Lightcap. "How? What will it take? What can we do to help?"
Caitlin's gaze moved to the bundle in her lap, and she gently unwrapped the blankets to reveal a block of matte-black plastic the size of a shoebox. It looked entirely unassuming, like some sort of electronic component… yet she handled it with surprising care, as if it were something infinitely precious.
Could it be…? Sasha thought. "Is that Brawler?"
She nodded. "What remains of him. I had time to salvage one component before I had to evacuate his Conn Pod, but luckily it was the most important component of all. This is Brawler's computer core."
Her heart jumped in her chest. "He is alive?"
"Barely. He doesn't respond to me, but he's alive. He seems… comatose. As if losing his body put him into some kind of suspended animation. Does that sound like what's happened to Cherno?"
Sasha nodded, her gaze never leaving the core. To think that all of a Jaeger's soul and personality could be contained in one block of computer data… it was unsettling. Yet if it meant a Jaeger could be almost totally destroyed in body but still live on in some form…
"I can help Cherno," Caitlin told her. "Actually, this will help all the Jaegers in the long run, but at the moment Cherno and Brawler need it the most. It's part of a long-term plan I had to help the Jaegers find a home after the war, and while I doubt the fighting is over for good… well, this seems like as good a time as any to put the plan into motion. But before I can do that, I need something from you."
"You want Cherno's computer core," Aleksis answered for her.
Caitlin nodded. "I want what's best for him… I swear it. I know he's precious to you – I probably know that better than anyone else here. I only ask that you trust me."
If anyone besides Caitlin had asked that of them, the answer would have been no… perhaps even a violent no. The thought of the seat of Cherno's very soul resting in the hands of another made her blood boil. But this woman had not only built the first Jaeger, but partnered with it in mind and spirit, and understood how the metallic titans worked more intimately than anyone else alive. And she, too, regarded her Jaeger as a son, and knew the pain that came from nearly losing said son. She, more than any other being in the Shatterdome, knew the agony the Kaidonovskies were going through.
And if anyone could help Cherno, and would be gentle with him in the process… it would be Dr. Caitlin Lightcap.
Sasha turned to Aleksis, who nodded once in approval. Then she turned back to Caitlin. "We will let you have his core… but please… be careful."
She nodded in return. "I'll treat him like I would treat Brawler. I'll need your help getting inside his Conn Pod and disconnecting his core, though. The Russian Jaegers were built very differently from the North American ones."
In the end, it took twenty minutes to find Cherno's core and unplug it from his Pod. Unlike Brawler's core, it was a metallic pewter color, and far smaller in comparison – small enough that Aleksis could hold it in one hand. After years of their Jaeger towering over them, it was a strange yet wondrous feeling for their situations to be reversed, for the two of them to be able to hold the source of Cherno's life in their hands. And for a long moment they did just that, cupping the core in their palms and holding him close as they never could before.
Caitlin was in no hurry, and she stood back and gave them all the time they needed. It was nearly an hour later when they finally relented, and Sasha bundled the core in a soft scrap of cloth before turning it over to Dr. Lightcap.
"Cherno told us some time ago that your plan was a secret," she said. "Is that still so? We trust you, but this is our son…"
"I'm very sorry, but the Jaegers were adamant about that," Caitlin replied. "They wanted it to be a surprise. And while I know you're worried about him… I don't want to break their trust."
That rankled deeply, that their own Jaeger would keep secrets from them. But in the end, Sasha decided not to press it. She simply wished Dr. Lightcap the best of luck, and watched as she walked out of the bay, holding two precious bundles to her chest.
"He is in good hands," she murmured, more to convince herself than Aleksis.
A strong but gentle hand closed around her shoulder. "Cherno trusted her. We will have faith in him."
She nodded, and turned to bury her face in his chest. His arms wrapped around her protectively, and they stood together in the shadow of Cherno's lifeless Conn Pod, taking comfort in one another's presences.
"How's it feel, Mustang?"
The black Jaeger hummed thoughtfully in response. Had he possessed mobility of his own, he might have shrugged his shoulders, but as it was he simply rumbled and thrummed as he pondered the question. He had come a long way in the three weeks since the Battle of Koko Guyot, but he still had a ways to go before he reached the same level of sentience as the other Jaegers.
But at least he had Rangers that would give him the opportunity, Sasha thought as she watched Hermann and Newt talking to the Mark VI. In their hands, Mustang Omega would flourish, and be given a new lease on life.
"Yes, we know it tickles," Hermann told the Jaeger. "But tell us how the Conn Pod feels."
Another thrum.
"Yeah, I imagine it'd be weird to wake up and suddenly have a new body part," Newt laughed. "But hey, this'll be good for you! You'll have a head just like the other Jaegers! And it even has visual and audial sensors built in already for you. That way you're ready to go once you're moving on your own."
A burbling growl of engines.
"Not yet, dear-heart," Hermann replied. "But any day now…"
Beside her, Raleigh chuckled. "I've never heard Hermann talk that nicely to anyone before. He's softened, hasn't he?"
"He has discovered the bond between Ranger and Jaeger," Mako replied with a soft smile. "They will both make fine Rangers. And they will be very good for Mustang."
Sasha nodded. "But we did not come here to stare at them."
"True." Raleigh raised his voice. "Hey Newt, Dr. Gottlieb, did you guys get the memo? All Rangers need to meet at Brawler's old hangar!"
"But we're not- oh wait." Newt blushed and gave a sheepish smile. "It's still kinda hard to believe we're Rangers, huh? Even if we've only fought once."
"We are scientists, not warriors." Hermann's voice lost some of its warmth and became its usual clipped, efficient tone as he limped toward the three Rangers. "It takes years of training to make a Ranger, not just one desperate joyride in a Conn Pod."
Raleigh just grinned. "Mustang accepted you as Rangers. I'd say that makes you fit the bill. And if it's any consolation… I'd fight alongside you two any day. That's more than I'd say of the Rossis."
"God rest their souls," Hermann replied. "Though Mustang prefers not to talk about them… and I can't say I blame him."
"So what's this meeting about anyhow?" asked Newt, picking up Spike from a nearby table and carrying him over one shoulder as the five of them made their way to the hangar. "Any idea?"
"Not a clue," Raleigh admitted. "Apparently it's something the Jaegers want to talk about. Even Gipsy's being quiet about it – and all smug, too. Not used to that from my own Jaeger."
"Let a lady have her secrets, Raleigh," Mako told him.
Sasha said nothing as they joined the Weis at the abandoned hangar. She suspected that this meeting had something to do with Caitlin's mysterious plan… and she wouldn't lie, she was both excited and terrified to see what Caitlin would unveil. Whatever happened had not hurt Cherno, she could sense that much… but the fact that no one would tell her what was happening to her own son was maddening.
It wasn't just the Rangers who were present for this meeting. Gipsy and Striker stood close by, the Mark V's arms looped loosely around the Mark III in a casually affectionate gesture. Coyote gave the pair of them what could only be described as a stink-eye, as if she found Gipsy's choice in whom to share her affections with wanting. Crimson sat cross-legged right next to the hangar, hands nested in his lap and Conn Pod lowered as if in respect. Of all the Jaegers, he had taken the destruction of Brawler and Cherno the hardest… especially Cherno, his closest friend aside from his Rangers.
Sasha gazed briefly at the Weis. At Hu's nod of consent, she went to Crimson's side and rested a hand on his leg, rubbing the warm metal comfortingly. Crimson's gaze moved to her, and he gave a soft whimper of his engines.
"I should have been able to help him," he said in as quiet a tone as his voice synthesizer could manage. "Cherno always helped me without a second thought, especially when I first awakened… I should have been there to help him. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…"
"Sshh," Sasha urged in a soothing tone. "Do not talk like that, Crimson. It is not your fault."
Crimson shuddered. "I thought I could take Staghead… I was wrong. I should have expected a brand-new kaiju to have dangerous new abilities, but I went ahead anyway. If I had been more careful, I could have saved Cherno… I'm so sorry."
"No, Crimson. Do not blame yourself for this." She rested her forehead against his leg, fighting back tears. "Cherno… Cherno would not want that. He would not blame you for what happened."
Crimson didn't respond, but his shuddering eased. Sasha remained against him a moment longer to regain her composure, then turned back to face the others. Aleksis had just arrived in the company of the Hansens, and he wordlessly drew her into a tight embrace before returning his attention to the crowd.
"What's all this about?" demanded Chuck. "An' why're you so damn smug about it, Striker?"
Striker just rumbled and rested his Conn Pod against Gipsy's.
"Oy…" Chuck pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm never gonna get used to you bein' sweet on Gipsy."
"You better try," Herc told him. "But I get the feelin' we ain't here for Striker to propose to Gipsy or anything."
"How do you have a wedding for giant robots anyhow?" asked Newt, grinning at the thought. "That'd be one hell of an expensive wedding dress… and what would you use for the bouquet? Are there even any flowering trees that big?"
"I swear, Newton, you get more ridiculous by the day," Hermann groaned.
Three more people walked into the hangar before Newt could retort – Tendo, Dr. Lightcap, and a dark-skinned woman in baggy khakis and a vest embroidered with images of famous Jaegers. Sasha raised an eyebrow, and Tendo wasted no time in getting to the point.
"You all know Dr. Caitlin Lightcap," he said, gesturing toward the scientist. "And for those who don't know, this is Rain Morris, a representative from the Kaiju-War Memorial Museum in Sydney, Australia."
"Charmed," Rain told them, smiling brightly. "And it's nice to finally meet you, Hercules and Chuck. You two are particularly famous at our museum."
Chuck puffed up his chest at the attention.
"Though I must say a few were put off by you charging for autographs the last time you visited," Rain added with a smirk.
"Hey!" Chuck snapped.
"Oh, shut it, pup," Herc ordered. "Let 'em finish before you get indignant."
"The Syndey museum has generously donated funds to the Shatterdome in exchange for exclusive artifacts, photos, and video footage for their exhibits," Tendo went on. "We can't thank them enough for that. But now they're not just making a cash donation – they've collaborated with Dr. Lightcap on a project that could give the Jaegers a future beyond the war."
Sasha drew in a sharp breath. This was it… Lightcap's mysterious project. It had been two-and-a-half weeks since they had entrusted Cherno's core to her, and though she had regularly assured them that he was well, they hadn't heard any details. And while she respected the Jaegers' wish to keep it a secret, it was still enough to drive her mad. This was their son, even if she hadn't borne him… they deserved to know…
She shook her head and returned her focus to Caitlin. No matter. They'd learn soon enough about this project.
"Don't leave us in suspense," Raleigh told them. "Gipsy's been gushing about this for days."
"I don't think endlessly repeating 'I know something you don't' for days on end counts as gushing," Mako pointed out.
"It's a little tricky to explain," Caitlin told them. "So perhaps it's best if I showed you." And she turned to speak to someone just outside the hangar. "Come on in!"
Metallic footsteps announced the presence of another… footsteps that, while heavy, were not nearly loud and earth-shaking enough to belong to a Jaeger. Before anyone could ask what was going on, Lightcap stepped to one side and Tendo to another, allowing the newcomer to walk in unimpeded.
Jaws dropped. Gasps echoed through the hangar. Sasha felt her heart leap in her chest.
Brawler Yukon stood before them, perfectly intact… and in perfect miniature. The Mark I now stood no taller than the average human – in fact, he was actually a little short by human standards, no taller than Dr. Lightcap herself. His armor gleamed with polish and a fresh coat of paint, and his internal workings still hummed and rumbled, albeit much softer now.
"Holy shit," breathed Chuck.
"How?" Newt demanded. "How's he still alive? I thought he… he rusted apart! I saw what was left of him!"
"His core," Aleksis rumbled, and his grip on Sasha tightened with excitement. "You transplanted his core to a smaller body."
Caitlin nodded, grinning brightly. "I was able to save his computer core before evacuating. And yes… this was our plan all along. The Jaegers all decided that their size was the main obstacle to them finding new lives among humankind, and so we sought to remedy that. This was the best solution we could see – building them new, smaller bodies, and transferring their cores to them."
"Amazing!" Hermann hobbled forward, eyes bright with curiosity, and Brawler obliged him by turning a slow circle to allow him a good look from all angles. "Accurate down to the smallest detail! And still completely autonomous… how does it feel, Brawler?"
"Kinda weird, to be honest," Brawler replied. "It's bizarre actually having to look up at things. Especially people. My processor's having fits, telling me humans shouldn't be taller than I am."
Raleigh finally managed to close his mouth, and he shook his head in wonder. "Are all the Jaegers going to undergo this?"
Rain nodded. "We've been in the process of building their bodies for a few months now. After the battle, though, we sped up work on Brawler and Cherno's. We'll finish up the others within another month or so, and then we'll begin transferring cores to bodies."
"Unfortunately, we haven't even started on Mustang's new body," Caitlin said, offering Newt and Hermann a look of apology. "We weren't sure when he'd be gaining sentience."
"I'm sure he can be patient," Hermann assured her, still intently examining Brawler from head to toe.
"Don't this make 'em useless against the kaiju?" asked Chuck. "I mean… this is awesome an' all, but they ain't gonna be much good in another event."
"That's been taken into consideration," Caitlin replied. "We're not discarding their old bodies by any means. Instead we're going to outfit them so that the Jaegers can transfer from their smaller bodies to their larger ones as needed. That way they're still able to fight… but can also lead ordinary, 'civilian' lives when they're not in battle."
"Brilliant," Tendo noted. "Thank you, Dr. Lightcap and Ms. Morris. This means a great deal to us – the Shatterdome, the Rangers, the Jaegers, everyone."
Gipsy crooned happily. "I'll finally be able to hug you and Mako, Raleigh! We can be a real family!"
Raleigh laughed. "Aw, Gip… we always were a real family. But this'll be amazing."
Sasha tore her eyes away from Brawler to face Caitlin. "What about Cherno?" This was all well and good for everyone else, and some part of her was happy for Brawler and Dr. Lightcap, but her patience was reaching its breaking point. Brawler was here… what about Cherno?
Caitlin's smile softened, her expression shifting to a peculiar amusement. "He just hopes you'll be happy with the body he's chosen."
"What do you mean?"
She motioned to someone just out of Sasha's line of sight. There was a soft trill of sound… and Cherno Alpha crept into view.
Sasha gasped. Her heart had been thudding like a jackhammer in her chest, but now it seemed to melt entirely. Cherno was whole again, his body shining like new and completely unmarked by the many kaiju he had faced over the years… but unlike Brawler, who could still look most humans in the eye, Cherno had shrunk even further. The top of his reactor tower came to her waist, but eliminating that, he was the size of a small child.
"Cherno?" Aleksis' voice hit an octave she'd never heard it reach before. "Is… is that you?"
Cherno seemed to shrink into himself, fidgeting his tiny fingers together. "It's… it's me… do you like it, Mama and Papa? Is this okay?"
Sasha prided herself in keeping a firm grip on her emotions, not succumbing to sentimentalism or hysteria… but she could no longer control herself. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing.
"Mama!" He ran and wrapped his arms around her legs, clinging to her like a burr. "Mama, if you don't like it, I can have them make me a different body! I just wanted to be little… to be a child for you. I thought you would like that…"
Aleksis stooped down and scooped Cherno up in his arms, earning a squeal of surprise from the little Jaeger. He gave a thunderous laugh as he hugged him close, despite the tears streaking his face. Sasha, too, burst out laughing through her sobs and joined in the embrace, sandwiching Cherno between them and earning a confused chirp from him.
"We love it, little one!" Aleksis assured him. "We love it. Do not change it! Oh Cherno… we were so worried…"
He hugged Aleksis tightly around the neck, then wriggled around and embraced Sasha in the same way. I promised you I'd never leave you, he told them through the drift. You're my Mama and Papa… we're a family. Nothing changes that.
Sasha squeezed him tightly, kissing his reactor tower, marveling at his new form. All the times she had dreamed of being able to embrace her Jaeger, of truly treating him like the son they had never been able to have biologically, she had dismissed as idle fantasy. To have Cherno like this was a miracle, an answer to a prayer she had never dared give voice to.
"Little one," Sasha murmured, and took him into her arms. He was heavier than a human child his size would be, but not unbearably heavy.
"I would say both Jaegers' transfers to their new bodies has been a success," Tendo chuckled. "Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky, Cherno Alpha, you're excused for the rest of the day. I'd say the three of you need some family time."
"Thank you," Sasha told him. "And Dr. Lightcap… thank you. We are forever in your debt."
Caitlin nodded and reached over to rest a hand on Brawler's shoulder. "You don't owe me a thing. Call it a little kindness from one parent to another."
As Sasha turned to carry Cherno to their quarters, she heard a lilting croon from Crimson. Cherno raised a hand to wave at him over Sasha's shoulder, and she turned her head to see Crimson waving back. His face didn't allow for much expression, but as far as Sasha could see he looked far happier than before.
He wants to visit with me once he gets his smaller body, Cherno told her. He didn't ask for a small one – he wants to be the right size to play basketball with his brothers – but he still wants to be friends.
"I see no reason why you can't still be friends," Sasha assured him, patting his back. "But for now…"
I know, Cherno replied. For now, family time.
"Yes," Aleksis added with a chuckle. "We have many years' worth of spoiling to catch up on…"