Chapter 7
Yeah, I'm 8 days late. XD
Sorry for that, guys. But the scope of this chapter was so big that I couldn't post this at the date I had promised.
Still, this is set on Valentine's Day. So I hope you will enjoy this.
Oh yes. You definitely will. *cackles madly*
February 14, 2029...
Valentine's Day.
A day where millions of couples, married or otherwise, celebrate love. Where they show their devotions to their other half by taking them on romantic dinner dates, buying gifts for them, or in most cases, by simply taking a stroll together on a park or watching the sunset on a beach.
In other cases, it is also the day where people find someone to love for the first time. Either by chance or by confessing to a long time crush.
Of course, Cassey Anderson was not having any of that. What she has in mind for her "date" with Joe was unique and different. And she was very certain that they will both love it.
"So, like, I hope you picked a nice place for us." Joe grinned as he walked alongside her. They were currently exiting a corridor from the third floor of the Academy, heading towards an elevator that will take them to the ground floor. Even though the cadets were all given free time to celebrate Valentine's Day, many had still stayed behind on the Academy. No doubt, they were the ones who still have assignments that needs to be finish. Fortunately for Cassey, someone else had already did that for her. And that someone was currently grinning like an idiot beside her.
"Don't worry," She smiled at Joe oh so sweetly, "I'm pretty sure you will enjoy it." She winked at him for good measure before quickening her pace and walking ahead of him. As she does so, her smile transformed into a wide grin.
The poor guy has no clue what she has in store for him. She made sure that the place where they were heading, Joe would fall head over heels for her. Literally.
Oh yes. She will definitely enjoy this day.
Soon, they reached the main floor. As they exited the elevator, Cassey led him through another long corridor. To their right, glass windows granted a full view of the courtyard, with hundreds of students milling about. Trees dotted the open field. Flowers grew on several areas. In the center was a fountain, with a large statue of Romeo Blue spewing water from its front fin while benches surrounded it.
"Uh, Cassey?" Joe frowned as they rounded a corner. "I don't think this leads to the entrance."
Cassey didn't answer him. Instead, she continued to lead him through several corridors. At last, after taking one last left turn, they came upon a large glass door. Inside, she could see various workout equipments arrayed on the walls and around the room, with most of them being occupied. On one corner were a row of benches and a large TV screen while in the center of the room, several matresses were laid out on the floor. Most of these were being used by several pairs of cadets, bo staves in hand as they duel each other.
Cassey entered the room, glancing around before looking back at Joe with a smile.
"Ready for our date?" She smirked.
"Uh, yeah, but..." Joe scratched his head in confusion. "Why are we here on the Training Area?"
...
Marshall's Office, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 11:39am
Even though he was all alone in his office, Herc could still feel the tension and pressure inside the Shatterdome. Why wouldn't they be? It's Valentine's Day. Millions of people were outside their homes. Most of them going to the beaches. Any moment today, the Kaijus could attack and endanger so many lives.
They weren't fearing for those in Europe though. They were too far away for the creatures to attack. No. What they were concerned about were the nations around the Pacific Ocean. Especially those in Asia. Philippines specifically.
Ever since the twin Kaijus attacked, they have never been able to locate them anymore. It seems as if they have vanished without a trace, and it worries them greatly. For all they know, the two could already be hiding somewhere in the mainland.
Herc sighed. With the help of Dr. Gotlieb and Dr. Geiszler, they have narrowed down the places where the Twins could be hiding in. Australia was immediately removed from that list. His home country was still protect by The Wall. The Twins would have to bypass that and swim around to get to the other side, given that they were still small to even breach it. New Zealand was unlikely. The country was too far south. The monsters would already be detected before they could even reach that. Japan and Korea were highly improbable either. The Shatterdome located in Tokyo would have prevented them from reaching mainland.
That only left them with two possibilities. The Kaijus turned around to head in the opposite direction to attack the entire west coasts of America or they attack Philippines. Again.
Both Dr. Gotlieb and Dr. Geiszler had placed their bets on the latter one.
Hence, the reason for the tensed atmosphere inside the Shatterdome. In fact, Herc was very certain that those in Tokyo could feel the same. Just this morning, he had advised all personnel to be on high alert status. The Sentinels were all prepared and readied for battle, the Rangers being issued a memo to be on standby for any possible deployments. Meanwhile, the respective armed forces and coast guards of each Pan Pacific nations were also told to remain vigilant and report any signs of the Kaijus. However, Herc has one big problem.
Hong Kong Shatterdome was short on two Sentinel units.
The former Jaeger pilot leaned back in his seat and racked his brain for any solution to this dillemma. With 02 partially destroyed and 03 undergoing repairs, which would take another week to finish, only Jason and Vanessa's unit is available. If the Kaijus makes an attack, the two will be outnumbered. Of course, Tokyo is there to help them. But their Strike Group will still take at least four hours to mobilize and arrive. A lot of damages and lives would have already been inflicted and lost by then. But he can't send out 01 alone. The Smiths were two of the best Rangers the PPDC have right now. Losing them would be a serious blow to their capabilities and most of all, morale. Herc couldn't let that happen.
And so, he fervently hopes that the Kaijus won't attack today. But of course, he knew his hopes were in vain when he received a call from Tendo.
"Marshall? We got a problem."
"Cassey? Cassey! I think this is all a mistake!" Joe whimpered as his brother Gary pushed him in the middle of a mattress on the floor. In front of him, holding a wooden bo staff, Cassey grinned.
"I did told you that I get to pick where we will 'date', right?" She smirked. She was just wearing a simple sleeveless tank top and tight gym pants, her usual attire whenever she was training. Her hair was also tied in a pony tail, preventing it from distracting her during her practice.
Or from kicking Joe's sorry ass.
Right now, the poor guy was slightly trembling as his brother handed him another bo staff just like the one she was holding to her side.
"Good luck." Cassey heard Gary say, the younger Mason giving his older brother an expression fit for a funeral wake, before patting Joe sympathetically on the shoulder and making his way towards Cass, who was sitting at a bench on the wall trying her best not to laugh while holding a camcorder at the same time.
"Don't leave me here." Joe squeaked. Then he glanced at Cassey. "Sweetie, wh-what's this?" He held up the wooden weapon. "Why are we having a duel?" He asked nervously.
Cassey grinned again. "We are on a date, remember?" She replied. "Besides, since you are my first, I want this day to be... memorable." She finished her sentence with another smirk.
By now, Joe was starting to sweat. He looked at his brother desperately for help, but to no avail. Gary was already busy chatting with Cass. Meanwhile, some of the cadets around them stopped their own training to watch the unfolding scene.
"Look, I, uh, can we just do something else?" He tried to plead.
"And why would that be?" Cassey raised an eyebrow. "Scared of a girl kicking your ass?" She teased. A lot of snickers was immediately heard among the crowd.
"Of course not!" Joe's face suddenly became as red as Crimson Typhoon's armor. "It's just that..." His voiced trailed off, his expression hesitant.
"What?" Cassey cocked an eyebrow. She could see that Joe was having an internal debate with himself, and briefly, she wondered if she have gotten a bit too far with her torture. However, she soon dismissed the thought when she saw Joe's expression slowly morphing into a grin.
"Alright, how about this?" His usual cocky attitude returning. "First to land ten strikes. If I win, I get to kiss you. In the lips." A loud chorus of whoops and whistles came from the others.
Instead of being offended by his challenge, however, Cassey merely smiled.
"Deal." She agreed without hesitation. "But if I win, you will do all of mine and Cass' assignments. For a month." She added with a triumphant smirk. Cassey wasn't new to these kind of situations. All the boys she had encountered during her high school days together with her sister had use the same method. Challenge them into doing something relatively hard with the boys always asking for a date or even a kiss, while they always ask for them to do something extremely hard and embarassing at the same time.
So far, she and Cass had won all of these challenges. And she was determined to win this one with Joe as well.
As soon as she shad agreed, Cassey saw a great deal of panic and fear in his eyes. And even hesitation. No doubt, the poor idiot was simply bluffing to escape whatever she's planning to do with him. Unfortunately, Cassey was already experienced in this. She knew when a bluff is serious or not.
"F-Fine." Joe tried to regain his previous cockiness, but the slight quiver of his lips was a dead giveaway of just how nervous he was. He then bowed slightly to Cassey, with her doing the same, before the two entered a fighting stance.
Cassey smiled dangerously. Oh yes. She will definitely enjoy her first "date".
...
LOCCENT Mission Control, Hong Kong Shatterdome, 12:10pm
"What's their location?" Herc demanded as he strode inside LOCCENT and immediately headed straight towards a holographic map of the entire Pacific Ocean.
"Tablas Strait, Philippines." Tendo replied. At this, Herc nearly choked.
"In the middle of the country?" He asked in disbelief. How the bloody hell did they got there without anybody noticing?
"Afraid so, sir." Tendo answered with a serious expression. "They are fast heading north. 150 miles per hour."
Too fast, Herc thought. The two will definitely reach mainland before they could even mobilize the Sentinels. They have to do something now.
"Alert the Philippine government." He ordered. "Tell them to delay the Twins until we arrive and to evacuate the civilians situated near the coasts. Send word to Commander Takara too. Tell him we need his entire Strike Group for this. We-"
"Sir!" A personnel suddenly interrupted. "K-Watch has just sent us the complete information for the Kaijus!" Immediately, he pressed a keyboard key and the information was shown on the large main screen.
...
Names: Geras(red) and Frekas(yellow)
Weight: approx. 2,350-2,470 tons
Height: approx. 55 feet(shoulder to foot)
Length: approx. 73 feet(snout to tail)
Toxicity: Low
Category: I
Additional Info: Both Kaijus seems to display good coordination, tactics and unusual intelligence. Will attack the same target together. Extreme caution is highly advised. Do not engage on terrain with lots of cover.
...
Herc reads the report grimly. "Have the Kaijus resurfaced yet?"
"No, sir." Tendo shook his head. "They are still submerged."
"Track forecast?" He asked. Tendo immediately punched a series of commands in his keyboard. On the holographic display, two sets of red lines appeared.
"Based on predictions sent by K-Watch, the two may skip Marinduque island and head straight for Batangas." The man said.
"Just like Hundun." Herc muttered, remembering the second Kaiju that attacked humanity which resulted to the deaths of thousands of civilians as well as the contamination of an entire city.
"Send the information to the Smiths." He said at last. "Tell them to suit up. We are deploying Unit 01."
Training Area, Los Angeles Ranger Academy, 12:35pm
"6-1." Cassey stood over Joe's knocked down form, the end of her staff just a few inches away from his neck. All around them, the cadets were either cheering at another one of her takedowns or groaning at how badly Joe was getting his ass kicked by a girl.
"Giving up now?" Cassey smirked as she gloated. Honestly, she was not feeling sorry for him. He deserves it anyway. Besides, this should teach him not to mess with her. Ever again. Unless he wants another kiss.
With the matress.
"No." Joe groaned as he started to get up.
Cassey was about to attack him during this moment. Call it highly unorthodox, but she doesn't care. The Kaijus wouldn't care too, after all. However, she was pretty much shocked when Joe suddenly twisted around and swept his legs over hers, making her fall on the matress with a shriek.
"6-2!" Joe crowed as he swiftly stood up, his previous cockiness returning once again. Then he suddenly whistled. "Nice ass." He grinned. At this, a lot of whoops soon followed.
Cassey immediately sat up, her face red in both fury and embarassment. When she fell on the floor, the sudden movement caused her to lift her legs involuntarily, giving Joe a nice look at her behind.
She growled as she slowly got up, sending him a glare strong enough to make even Slattern run.
"Look," Joe began, unperturbed by her heated expression. "I-OH SHIT!"
Cassey suddenly charged even as he was speaking, preventing Joe from properly defending himself. In just three blows, Cassey has the end of her staff resting a few inches away from his neck. Again.
"7-2." She stated simply.
Beads of sweat rolled down Joe's forehead. He glanced back and forth between her and the staff, and Cassey knew he was formulating a plan to escape this. But she was not every bit worried. Only 3 more hits, and victory will be hers.
Joe suddenly swung his staff in front of him and tried to knock away hers. Fortunately, she was already expecting this. Gripping her weapon tightly so as not to lose it, she used the force of the blow as momentum and spun around, crouching down unexpectedly midway through, before sweeping it under Joe's legs.
The resulting thud was satisfying enough to make her grin.
"8-2." Cassey said with a smile before immediately taking several steps away from him. She has already learned her lesson. She won't make the same mistake again.
Groaning aloud in pain, Joe got up and took another fighting stance.
"You know," He panted, "I think we should stop. I, er, was just joking about that challenge." He chuckled nervously.
"Really?" Cassey raised an eyebrow and gave him a smile. "Well, I'm not joking when I said that you will do our assignments if you lose." She smirked before charging once again. However, before she could even reach him, someone barged inside the room with a shout.
"THERE IS A KAIJU ATTACK IN THE PHILIPPINES!" The cadet, a man in his early 30s, said with a terrified expression. Immediately, everyone dropped whatever they were doing and head straight for the large TV screen in one corner. As someone turned it on, they saw a live footage from a news helicopter showing a huge expanse of water. To the left was a coastline with a long highway filled with hundreds of vehicles hugging its edges. As the camera zoomed in, they saw thousands of people running away from the ocean in utter fear even as a loud warning siren blared throughout the city. Suddenly, they heard a news reporter speaking.
"As you can see, the civilians are stampeding away from the water as fast as they could to escape the impending danger!" The view swiftly panned to the right where it zoomed on a spot near the horizon. Two sets of sharp spikes a hundred feet apart from each other protrude from the ocean, spraying water on either sides and rapidly approaching at a fast speed.
Suddenly, a muffled roar of engines was heard. The camera quickly switched its view to the skies, where a dozen FA-50s were making their way towards the monsters.
"We can see once again that a squadron of jet fighters from the Philippine Air Force are doing another attack against the beasts. Just an hour ago, three Navy ships have already sunk as they tried to-OH MY GOD!" The reporter suddenly screamed. Just as the squadron flew low to engage the Kaijus, two long whip-like tails shot out from the water and with a casual swipe, destroyed the entire group in less than three seconds.
Several cries of shock and horror came from the cadets. It happened so fast. Too fast. As Cassey glanced around grimly, she could see that many of those in their group have paled at the sight of how easily the Kaijus had destroyed twelve aircrafts. Meanwhile, on the TV, the reporter took several tries before she could speak again.
"W-We just saw h-h-how a squadron of FA-50s was o-o-obliterated by the Kaijus in a m-m-matter of seconds." She said in a terrified voice. "As you c-c-can see, the m-m-monsters are now approaching m-m-m-mainland without anything to s-s-s-stop them as the Sentinels are still on the way."
Even as she said it, they all saw the Kaijus nearing. The view panned to the right, showing the civilians running as far inland as possible. No doubt, they were all going to hide on a nearby Anti-Kaiju Underground Bunker.
Suddenly, they heard two sets of muffled roars.
"OH MY GOD!" The report screamed again. As the camera returned its focus back on the monsters, they saw that the two were no longer in the ocean. Instead, the Twins were now rampaging across the highway, throwing cars like they were merely made of cardboard boxes and destroying all buildings within their reach.
"Oh my god! Th-The Kaijus! T-T-They just jumped out of the water! A-A-At a distance of two hundred feet!" She stuttered. "And... And... And th-they are n-n-now rampaging across the c-c-city and... and... there-OH GOD! Is that a boy?!" She shrieked in fear and pointed at a spot near a fast food restaurant. The camera zoomed in, confirming what the reporter had just said.
A boy no older than thirteen was frantically running away in terror. Of course, the Kaijus immediately noticed this and started to chase after him. As he was about to cross the road, he suddenly tripped on something and fell on the ground, his mouth open in a soundless scream.
Cassey knew that she was not the only one who felt a chill crawl down her spine.
They all watched in a mixture of horror, dread and morbid fascination as one of the Kaijus towered above the unfortunate boy and blocked their view of him. For several seconds, it stayed there while its twin followed behind. They all held their breaths, praying that some sort of miracle will happen. A Sentinel being dropped in time. Another squadron of fighter jets arriving. A battalion of tanks unleashing a barrage of armor-piercing shells.
Anything. Anything at all.
Suddenly, there was a quick movement. They all saw the Kaiju darted its head forward. This only happened in less than five seconds, before the monster proceed to resume its rampage, its twin following not too far.
The scream of the reporter confirmed their worst fear.
"OH MY GOD! IT ATE HIM! IT ATE HIM! GOD HELP US! IT ATE HIM!" She screamed over and over.
Several thuds followed after that, mostly from girls and women among their group. Meanwhile, at least half of the opposite gender fled towards the bathroom or in some cases, outright vomitted on the floor. Joe and his brother included.
As for Cassey and the rest, they were so rooted on the spot they could be mistaken for statues.
By now, the reporter on the TV was reduced to a blabbering mess. Her words were no longer comprehensible, and she was starting to sob even as she spoke. Even the camera itself was shaking. No doubt, the guy holding it was trembling.
On the ground, the Twins continued their path of destruction across the city. By now, more than a quarter of a mile lay in ruins. Buildings and infrastructures were toppled. Large piles of debris and crumpled vehicles were scattered all over the roads. Fires were burning out of control and spreading throughout the city. In the distance, a large crowd of people was still running away even as the Kaijus neared them.
But it was futile. Cassey and the rest knows this. The Twins, now focusing their attention on the hapless humans, started to give chase. They split in two directions, flanking the fleeing group and running parallel to them.
To Cassey, it looked very much like two wolves hunting a large flock of defenseless sheep.
One of the Twins suddenly leaped and closed the gap between it and the civilians, landing near the center and crushing at least a hundred under its foot. It lashed out with its long tail and threw a hundred more high in the air, with the rest scattering in the opposite direction in fright, only to be met by the other Twin.
The group cowered against them. They were trapped now. They have nowhere else to go beside the waiting jaws of two very hungry Kaijus. They were all going to die.
The reporter was now sobbing loudly on the background.
Even though the view was several thousand feet high in the air, they could clearly see the eyes of the Kaijus. It was filled with hunger. Unsatiable primal hunger. And the humans was the focus of that hunger.
The Kaijus stalked them slowly, sensing their fear and inability to escape. Their eyes scanned them greedily and ravenously, just like how wolves looked at their prey once they were within reach. They were like a feast to them. Ready to be devoured and eaten. And nothing can stop them.
Except for two large houses flying in the air and smashing at their heads.
Batangas City, Philippines, 1:30pm
Sentinel 01 stood near a fallen building, staring in defiance at the twin Kaijus, Geras and Frekas. Its bright blue armor was sleek and light, yet only covering the vital parts of its frame like the torso, shoulders, forearms and lower legs. Two fins grafted into the armor extended from its back, with a pair of thrusters located underneath. Another set of thrusters were located at the back near the hips, while both legs have two smaller ones on each sides of a foot. Under each forearm was a sharp curved blade, gleaming bright in the sun. Meanwhile, the visor of its Conn-Pod glowed bright red.
Vanessa and Jason Smith stared ahead with a grim expression. The Kaijus seemed to have grown bigger and taller since their last encounter with them. The spikes on their backs were now long and pointed, the claws on their limbs sharp and curved. Their tails were as long as their torso now, swishing back and forth in agitation. They have somewhat became leaner too, though their jaws were as strong as ever. Long teeth filled their maws, and the veins running all over their body have become much brighter than before. Only the look of their eyes had remained unchanged.
It was still filled with hate... and cunning.
"Unit 01, this is Marshall Herc Hansen." A voice crackled on the communicators. "Remember; do not let yourselves get too close to the Kaijus until reinforcements arrive. Maintain a safe distance while distracting them away from the population. We still have an hour before Strike Group Japan arrives. Hold on until then." With that, the radio link fell silent.
Vanessa and Jason didn't bother to answer that. They were too busy watching the Twins carefully. The civilians were still huddled in a tight group right in the middle. They were too afraid to move out of the way, given that they were caught between two Kaijus. One wrong move from the couple and 1,000 lives would be lost in a matter of seconds.
They took a single step forward, testing if the monsters will react. The Kaijus were now giving them baleful expression, raising their tails threateningly over the humans.
Vanessa and Jason tensed, glancing at each other with a worried expression. They knew they couldn't risk another step. The message was clear enough for them to understood.
Move, and they will die.
"Cunning bastards." Jason growled. Even though they were connected via Drift, Vanessa knew that her husband was so frustrated by their current situation that he can't help but say his thoughts out loud. The people were at the mercy of the Kaijus, and they were powerless to save them. The Twins knows this. In fact, it seems as if they were just toying with them. Taunting them. Daring them to do something which they will regret in the end.
Cunning bastards indeed.
Any ideas? Vanessa felt her husband asked in the Driftspace.
She shook her head, unable to come up with one. Any actions they take will just endanger the people. And she is sure as hell they can't let that happen. Otherwise, the purpose of being a Ranger is pretty much useless.
She racked her brain for anything they could do. They can't attack, that much was certain. Besides, the Striker Armor they were equipped with was designed for maneuverability and evasion. For fast melee attacks and quick dodging. They do not possess any sort of range weapons at all. They need something that they can use as projectiles. Something like those two broken houses they had thrown just a few moments ago...
"You're kidding, right?" Jason raised an eyebrow in her direction, immediately catching up to what she was thinking.
"No choice." Vanessa muttered. "We need to divert them away from the civilians." She said even as she searched for a sizable chunk of debris that they could use.
She soon settled on a nearby one roughly 30 feet away. It was not much, really. Barely large enough to be carried on both hands. But that should be enough. Now, if she could just find another one, they could distract both Kaijus in one throw and-
A flood of emotions inside the Drift nearly overwhelmed her. Fear, panic, rage, and then, despair and fury. It was coming from her husband, and she didn't have to look ahead in order to know why.
While they were preoccupied with how they should distract the Kaijus, the twins used this as an opportunity to attack. Only, they were not the target.
But the humans.
With triumphant snarls, Geras and Frekas simultaneously whipped their tails at the civilians and went on a killing spree. Several hundreds were thrown high in the air, screaming in shock and terror, before falling on the ground and immediately dying upon impact. Meanwhile, those who survived started to run, only to be swept and flattened by the tails. Those who didn't ran but was fortunate to have remained alive were soon cut down by the Kaiju's claws.
In just under a minute, the ground was painted red.
With howls of fury, Vanessa and Jason charged. Rear thrusters at their back firing at full power, they barreled straight for the Kaijus. Only one thing was on their minds at the moment. And that was to kill these two bastards currently sprinting in their direction. Rage powered their every movement. Their every action. Their sole goal of destroying these monsters that took more than a thousand lives in just two hours.
They were just within a hundred feet away from Geras when the Kaiju leaped. Having already anticipated this, they changed the direction 01's back thrusters were firing at and pointed it downwards, enabling them to leap as well and intercept the creature. As they got closer to each other in mid-air, 01 immediately extended its arms and grabbed the beast at the neck before coming back down and slamming the monster at the ground.
The monster roared in pain. The force of the impact was so strong it shattered some of its back spikes as well as creating a crater on the cement, preventing it from moving freely. Its neck still on 01's hold, it tried to use its tail to dislodge itself from the Sentinel's tightening grip. However, the mech simply released its neck, grabbed the tail with both hands, and as Frekas leaped too to aid its twin, pulled and swung the Kaiju at the front and smacked its brother out of the way before smashing Geras again back on the ground.
The monster howled in pain even as its twin shrieked and sailed in the air for several seconds until it crashed on a building several hundreds yards to the left.
Dazed, Frekas slowly got up, wobbling a bit. It shook its head several times, trying to regain its focus. But before it could attack again, its brother suddenly slammed into it, thrown by 01 from afar.
Vanessa and Jason growled as one, murder intent in their eyes. On the radio, Marshall Hansen was already yelling for them to stand down and retreat. After all, they were outnumbered. They may be winning now, or at least, that's what they were hoping. But eventually, their luck will run out.
Which means, they need to finish this soon.
Firing their rear thrusters once more, Vanessa and Jason charged forward. Noticing this, the Twins snarled and began to head straight for them, running at a surprising speed. 500 meters. 300 meters. 200 meters. As they neared, the Kaijus suddenly slid to a stop. With a fierce roar, both monsters swung their tails in the direction of 01 and slammed it in the torso.
"SHIT!" Both Rangers said. The force of the blow knocked the Sentinel dozens of meters away and several feet high in the air before landing on its back, crushing several small buildings in the process. With a groan of metal, the mech slowly got up in a half-kneel position, supporting itself with one hand. The Conn-Pod swiveled to each sides, watching the Kaijus closely. They were now circling around, growling dangerously. Their eyes were glowing with hatred. With fury. And their claws clicked on the ground as they move.
Vanessa and Jason thought as fast as they could. Sparks were already emitting inside the cockpit. Red warning lights were starting to flash. Some of their systems were damaged, including three of the rear thrusters. This greatly reduces their movement speed, but thankfully, not their reaction time. Still, with the Kaijus at just 500 feet away, they only have a small chance of winning against them. Especially at their current condition. If they charge at the same time, and they definitely will, it would prove disastrous for them.
An idea popped into their head. A plan began to form, and they smirked at each other. It was simple, really. But it requires perfect timing. Fortunately, years of being a Ranger has tempered their skills. They were confident enough that they could pull it off. Plus, their burning desire to destroy the monsters surely helps.
The Kaijus suddenly charged.
Closing their eyes in concentration, they waited. The rapid beating of their hearts. Their ragged breathing inside their helmets. The snarls of the approaching monsters. They both heard this. They were both aware of these. However, their sole focus was on the voice of the A.I. announcing the distance of their targets.
"300 feet... 250 feet... 200 feet... 100 feet..."
"NOW!" Vanessa shouted together. With the hum of hydraulics and the whirr of engines, Unit 01 quickly rolled out of the way. Several seconds later, they heard the satisfying sound of two monsters slamming to each other at the spot they had just occupied.
Wasting no more time, they spun around as they stood up and saw the Twins lying on the ground, apparently dazed. They walked closer, standing above them. They were about to picked them up by their necks, when the two suddenly whipped around and clamped their jaws shut on the Sentinel's hands.
Vanessa and Jason screamed, electricity travelling along their arms. On the display, the armor integrity by the servos were starting to flash red. The pressure made the metal cracked, increasing the feedback the Rangers were receiving.
Groaning in pain, the couple didn't gave in even as the Twins tried to tug and pull similar to what they did with 02. Instead, Vanessa and Jason poured all the strength and rage they could manage and use it to lift both Kaijus in the air. Roaring in sheer fury, the duo slammed both flailing monsters to each other at full force.
Once. Twice. Thrice.
By the time they were going for the fourth time, the Twins were already whimpering in pain. However, the fact that they still have their jaws on the mech's hands confirms that they still have some strength left. Their tails were still flailing too, and their claws were scratching the armor.
"Time to finish this." Vanessa said to her husband.
With the Kaijus still in the air, 01's arm blades slid out and pierced each monster's throats. The Twins immediately spasmed and flailed, spilling azure blood on the ground below. Their jaws started to loosen its hold, and their claws raked weakly across the armor for several seconds before falling limply on their side.
For good measure, Vanessa and Jason slammed them back to the ground and twisted their blades, spilling more Kaiju Blue.
...
They stayed there for a couple of minutes, unmoving. In the distance, several dozens of helicopters were fast approaching, carrying three Sentinels between them. It was Strike Group Japan, having just arrived.
"Hmph. Looks like we're late." A gruff voice spoke through the radio.
Vanessa shook her head, not bothering to answer that. Right now, a dozen emotions were clouding her mind and that of her husband. Usually, they feel proud and victorious once they have killed a Kaiju. They feel giddy. Fulfilled.
But now... it's different. They were not feeling any of that as they stood up to survey the battlefield. There was destruction everywhere. Fires billowed from different parts of the city. Damaged buildings and debris lay in piles all over the place. Crumpled vehichles were scattered. A thousand corpses littered the ground.
It shouldn't be like this. It's Valentine's Day. The city should be full of love. It should be filled with people spreading love. But instead, they got... this.
A city filled with death.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Ever heard of the Bloody Valentine's War from the anime Gundam SEED? :D
Well, this chapter was inspired by that. In fact, the Sentinel Armors, especially the Striker, are loosely based on those Striker Packs used by Strike Gundam itself. Didn't see that one coming, did ya? XD
And yes, the story had just became dark. Actually, that was the plan all along. Hahahaha!
But don't worry, I'm not going to make them too dark. I'm a fan of both DC and Marvel, you know. :p
I just hope I didn't made all of you freaked out by those, er, gory scenes. XD
The names of the Twins were taken from the mythical Norse wolves, Geri and Freki. They are said to be companions to Odin, the All-Father, and their names are based on two Proto-Germanaic adjectives. Geraz for "greedy". Frekaz for "ravenous".
Supposedly, since my love for the Japanese anime Shaman King has been suddenly rekindled, I was to name them Zenki and Kouki, another twins(fictional; based on Japanese spirits and such).
I decided to go for Norse ones instead. :)
Now, time to answer your reviews.
SigmaBlack: 1) Well, I did told you it will be special. XD 2) I might be able to actually insert a namedrop or even a cameo of them in the next chapter. No promises though.
kseitshiro from SA: 1) *poke* Dude... you okay? XD 2) I think not. XD 3) #1: As revealed in this chapter, yes they still are. #2: Not yet. But he will appear soon. #3: Calling it a WILD date was an understatement. 4) No sh*t, Sherlock. XD
My Wunderwaffle iz missin: Here it is! Sorry for the delay!
And that's it! Either you start hating me for making this story dark or you start loving me more for pulling an unexpected twist like this one.
I'm fine with both. XD
Given that this was a big chapter, I will take a one-week break to focus on my Transformers fic. Plus, I got two chapters from another author to beta-read. In other words, I got my hands full. :D
Expect the next update sometime within the first week of March. Also, this won't be the first time that I'll use a Nordic name for a Kaiju nor it won't be the only time where I'll take inspiration from an anime. Don't worry though. I still got plenty of original ideas. ;)
Anyway, please Read & Review!
Until next time!