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The next week had been full of nothing but training and settling in for Stiles. His body was sore and bruised and his mind was wrecked from the on-going brutality of each simulation. Raleigh had been making him do at least three live simulation-sets a day on top of his normal training and that alone had exhausted every inch of him, but as he sat in the cafeteria nibbling on the end of a celery stick, Stiles found that he was adjusting quite well to his new surroundings.
Shatterdome was larger than he had expected and there was much more to the base than what he had first seen when he was dropped off. When Raleigh had given him a proper tour Stiles was able to see everything, from the tall hangars to the large multi-story office and apartment buildings that lingered behind them. They had walked from wing to wing and Stiles was given the chance to get up close and personal to each Jaeger. There was eight stationed in Hong Kong, the four he had seen when he first arrived included, Gipsy Danger, Striker Eureka, Chromebuster and Lionheart and in the other wings the German Jaeger, Titan Omega along with the Chinese, Canadian and Russian bots, Outlaw Archimedes, Yukon Echo and the new and improved Cherno Alpha. Each of them were extravagant and Stiles had given them no justice when he explained them to Danny over the phone a few days ago. He had tried to find words to express how completely surreal it was to be starring up at something so grand and when Danny had laughed and made a comment about what it would be like to actually be piloting one, Stiles felt his stomach drop into his feet. He gingerly forked at his salad and glanced around to the crowded room of people as they ate and laughed amongst one another. The most tolling test he had been struggling to master was the live play by play. It had never occurred to him that a simulation could be so realistic and more importantly he never thought he would be so good at keeping a hold of himself in the situations they had placed him in.
It was strange, when Raleigh locked the large metal arms over his own and Stiles had stepped into the mock locks that snapped around his shoes to keep him secure and in place. A device was wrapped around his chest and small steel claws dug almost painfully into his rib cage while a long thin bar with tiny hooked fingers clasped over his spine. It was a large dark room, nearly empty with nothing hanging from the walls or ceiling and the door that led to it had slid open after Raleigh in-putted a code allowing it to be completely invisible from the inside. Stiles hadn't put two and two together until his coach had exited the room and the first simulation started. It was as if he was in the middle of a battle and everything around him suddenly came to life, wires hung dangerously close to his face and the window of his Jaeger was streaked with large drops of rain. He had choked when the face of a leathery, multi-eyed beast crowded his vision and the all-too-real hologram of a Kaiju was snapping its jaws in his direction. Raleigh had walked in and placed a hand on his shoulder, assuring him that no one passed their first time and he shouldn't worry about it. Stiles had been shaking and shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans so Raleigh wouldn't think he was as terrified as he really had been.
"Stiles!" A friendly voice called from behind him and he smiled when he saw Allison Argent approaching the table. He had been introduced the morning after his medical screening and he swore he had never met anyone with a better smile. "Hey, sit down, eat with me so I don't feel completely and utterly alone," Stiles playfully whined and Allison scoffed, setting her plate down on the other side of him as she shook her head, "Don't worry! Everyone's going to warm up to you, especially since Raleigh likes you so much. And I like you! Even though you need to work on your Ryukyu." Allison winked and Stiles shrugged, nodding along with her, "Yeah well, that's what you're here for, right?" She flashed a crooked smile before taking a bite of the chicken sandwich on her plate. Allison had greeted him with a firm hand shake and a sweet smile the day that Becket walked Stiles down to the on-site gym. Brunette hair was pulled out of her face, while her knuckles were wrapped in tight black bandaging. She had seemed far too gentle to be his combat specialist but Stiles learned a few hours later not to judge a book by its cover.
"So, boyfriend gets back today, huh?" Stiles arched a brow and chuckled at the sheepish grin Allison now sported. She nodded and covered her mouth when she spoke, still trying to chew a piece of chicken, "Yep, apparently everything went well over in Moscow so he should be here sometime tonight. Raleigh doesn't have anything scheduled for you, right?" Stiles shook his head and her eyes brightened, "Come out with us! Please! Come out with us, Isaac will be there and so will the Eureka team, we're going into the city for drinks." Stiles bristled and plucked the glasses off his nose so he could nervously fiddle with them. He didn't quite know how to respond and somewhere in the back of his mind he felt as if she was doing this because she felt bad for his complete lack of social skills. He shoved another spoon full of kale and ginger dressing into his mouth, giving himself a chance to deliberate before answering. She watched him hopefully and when he finally sighed and said 'fine' her lips creased into a grin and she rambled about how much fun they would have and how Stiles and her boyfriend were going to get along great.
It felt so foreign to him, going out with people that trained him and going out with his... doctor? Some part of it didn't seem right but then again he was supposed to climb into a giant robot and fight aliens, so justifying anything as normal these days seemed to be a stretch. "Do you guys hang out like all the time or-"
"It's weird but we're all like family here," she shrugged and Stiles nodded along as she explained further, "We all talk and we get out as much as we can, we celebrate holidays together and a lot of us even know each others families. You'll get close to everyone in time, don't worry. Especially when you start doing public appearances with the other pilots. We just have to find you a partner first." Her eyebrows raised and Stiles looked away to try and hide the fear glazed across his eyes. Raleigh had said something about that when they were training the other day, how his partner would have to compliment him mentally and physically without complicating him to the point of disruption in drift. The statement physically made his head ache and when Stiles asked him to explain all Becket said was 'you'll see.'
They finished their lunch and traded stories about the school they'd gone to and what they had majored in, how it played out in their lives now. Allison had attended CalTech and received her degree in Engineering and a minor in Bioengineering, which was extremely impressive and made Stiles look at the young woman in a completely different light. Not only was she an amazing field specialist and a bad-ass when it came to hand-to-hand combat, but she was also extremely intelligent. "Mako's the one who trained me, actually," the words rolled off of Allison's tongue like they were nothing more than a passing phrase and Stiles choked on his water, eyes narrowing at her, "Mako? Mako Mori? Like, Gipsy Danger Mako?" Allison nodded and wiped her mouth leisurely with a napkin, "Yeah, she's known my Dad for a really long time and she started training me when I was fifteen, I think? Fifteen or sixteen... No, it was fifteen. So, yeah, her training was definitely a determining factor on me being here right now, besides my father wanted to keep an eye on me."
It took a moment for Stiles to fully register what she had said before his lips parted and he cocked his head to the side, eyeing her up and down, "Argent? Oh my god, you're Chris Argent's daughter. Marshall Argent's daughter!" Allison pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, nodding and mumbling 'yeah yeah' and 'I know, okay.' Stiles hadn't had the chance to meet the Marshall or his partner, Herc Hansen. Apparently the Marshall title was being shared between the two due to the huge growth in the program. Chris was Raleigh and Mako's mentor and seeing as Raleigh was Stiles' coach, it would only make sense that he would meet Mr. Argent at some point. Stiles chewed nervously on his nails at the thought. Allison opened her mouth to continue but a hand fell over her shoulder and she looked up at Isaac who took a seat next to her and smiled over at Stiles. "Ah, the new recruit," the doctor arched a brow at Stiles who rolled his eyes and nodded along, "How are you doing these days? I haven't seen you in the infirmiry so you must be doing alright."
Stiles shrugged and tilted a cup of now luke-warm tea to his lips, "Yeah, I'm alright. Just kind of going through the motions, I guess. Allison keeps kicking my ass and Raleigh keeps getting irritated because my simulation results aren't getting matched with any of the candidates here." Raleigh had been trying to pair Stiles up with someone since his second day on site so that he could begin dual-training but something about his test results were proving difficult. Raleigh kept saying he was too smart for his own good which made Stiles snort and shake his head again and again. Isaac looked across the table and eyed the pilot carefully, "I have an odd feeling I just figured out who Raleigh was on the phone with this morning..." Stiles bristled and he pushed his plate away from him as curiosity beamed through the lenses of his glasses, "Okay? Well, I don't really know if you're trying to tell me something without telling me something but if you know-"
A sharp beep came from Isaac's phone and he reached into his pocket, sighing loudly when he read the words flashing across the screen. "Engineer burned themselves working on Lionheart's chest piece, but I'll see you tonight?" He glanced at Allison who nodded and then he looked to Stiles with an inviting smile, "And you too?" Stiles nodded and tried to choke out a 'wait' but realized Dr. Lahey probably had something much more important to address than his curiosity.
Allison tilted her head to the side and grinned at Stiles, "Well, we should probably head down to the gym. You've already gone through one simulation today so let's get you into some hand-to-hand." Stiles eyes rolled towards the ceiling and he chuckled when Allison laughed and tugged at his arm, urging him forward, "C'mon beta! Get off your ass, let's go hit some shit!" He was up and stumbling to follow her as she pulled him through the cafeteria and towards the elevator. He stopped dead in his tracks when she reached to press the button and she jerked, looking over her shoulder, "Stiles?"
He swallowed dryly and nudged his shoulder towards the staircase, "C'mon, you're the fitness freak here, it's only on the third floor." He shook her hand from its grasp on his arm and she eyed him carefully before following his lead and listening to their shoes clank against the stairs.
They were laughing when they walked through the doors of the large gymnasium, the floor was padded and intricate machines lined the walls. Free weights were stacked on shelves to the right and in the center of the room was a large square platform where sparring matches were held between potential pilot partners. A couple people were lifting weights around the room, but what captured Stiles' attention was the sound of fists slamming against a punching bag to the left of them. He hadn't had the chance to properly meet Mako Mori and when she took in a breath and looked up to lock eyes with him, it became prevalent that she was the anchor in the relationship between herself and Raleigh. While Becket had a sense of warmth and comfort, Mako made chills run down his spine and he immediately stood up straight when she walked forward.
Mako wrapped an arm around Allison and rubbed her back gently, "Hello, my flower, how are you doing? Who is this?" Stiles smiled at how soft-spoken the woman was and when she extended her hand he took it without hesitation, "Stiles," he said it clearly and nodded. Mako's eyes narrowed and a her thin lips twisted into a smile, "Ah, Raleigh's new prodigy, we don't quite see eye to eye on your future, I must say." Stiles felt blood rush to his cheeks and Allison's bright grin immediately fell. Embarrassment flooded through him and he bit down on his lip, reached up to run his hand through his hair and laughed nervously, "Uh, well, you know I don't even think I see eye to eye with Raleigh on my future," he frowned and wrinkled his nose. Allison cleared her throat and tried to feign a smile, "So! Well, I'm training him so we can try and get him-"
"A co-pilot. Yes, I'm well aware," Mako hadn't taken her eyes off of Stiles and her unwavering gaze was causing him to feel more uncomfortable than he had since the shot Isaac had insisted on giving him the first day he had arrived. It seemed as if both Allison and Stiles were caught off guard and when his combat specialist's eyes narrowed, he felt as if he should probably busy himself else where. "Mako, can we- Can I speak to you? Stiles, go ahead and warm up. Stretch and treadmill," Allison didn't look at him when she spoke but he nodded, mumbling a 'nice to meet you' to Mako. It was strange to receive a sincere and sweet, 'you too, Stiles' as he walked towards the other end of the gym.
He watched them as he grabbed his foot, pulled it behind him and stretched. He had been overwhelmed with curiosity since Isaac had rambled about something obviously having to do with his co-pilot this morning and now Mako seemed to already disapprove of him without a second thought. Allison reached forward and tentatively touched Mako's hands who shook her head and leaned forward, nodding when Allison suddenly looked completely taken aback. Her head jerked and the pretty brown curls around her shoulders swayed when she shook her head. All Stiles could make out was hand motions and both of them nodding and shaking their heads at each other.
The technicalities in finding a co-pilot were obscure and he completely understood that, but what worried him was the underlying detail he was missing that everyone else around him seemed to grasp. Stiles assumed they were going to line up some guys and gals and they'd take a few swings at each other, simulate together, and then ultimately drift together. It was a lengthy process but with as many candidates waiting to be partnered as there were, it only seemed plausible that he would find a co-pilot reasonably fast. Apparently he was wrong about that and as Mako placed her hand on Allison's shoulder and they said their goodbyes, he turned quickly to walk towards the treadmills behind him.
Allison flashed a smile when she approached and hopped up onto the machine next to Stiles as he jogged. He tried to keep himself from sounding desperate but the words came out rushed and breathy, "What was that?" He saw her shake her head and purse her lips into a thin line before she offered another warm smile, "It's nothing, really. Nothing that you need to worry about. We're going to have you go hand-to-hand with a few other pilots today and hopefully find someone for you to share the deck with." Allison ignored him when Stiles heaved a sigh and narrowed his eyes at her.
They warmed up and trained lightly, Stiles aimed punches at the pads in Allison's hand and struck at them with his foot. He had taken some martial arts briefly through out high school, it was something his father had him do to occupy his time between lacrosse seasons, so he seemed to catch on quickly. It also helped that Allison was understanding and playful when it came to training him. They laughed a lot and she didn't push him too hard which kept Stiles comfortable and loose throughout their sessions together.
Stiles and Allison had been sparring for close to an hour before Raleigh interrupted them and walked in with a line of men and women behind him. Allison waved a hand to follow as they walked up to the large platform in the middle of the room. The black padded floors squished slightly on his bare feet and Stiles could suddenly feel anxiety tickling at the back of his throat. They looked well-trained and most of them looked dangerous, much more dangerous than Stiles had ever hoped to look. A small whine vibrated in his throat and Allison reassuringly tapped him with her elbow, "You'll be fine." He stayed quiet and bit down on his bottom lip, starring at Raleigh as his coach flipped through a spiral notebook, "Stiles," he called his name and Stiles walked over to stand at his side. "So, these are the people that relatively matched up to your test scores when it came to tactical and streamline decision making. Now, you're going to spar with them and see if your fighting style compliments or inhibits each other," opaque blue eyes flicked over to Stiles who pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose and nodded as if he understood. "Ah, well, this should be fun. That guy looks like he's fought a bear, that guy looks like he is a bear and she just, she doesn't even look like she wants to be here. I mean, really man-"
Raleigh placed his hand flat on Stiles' back and pushed him forward towards the platform. Stiles stumbled and was grumbling something about how embarrassing this was going to be and how completely ridiculous it was that he ever signed up for this in the first place. Before he took the first step onto the platform he snatched the glasses off his face and walked back to hand them to Allison. She was standing next to Raleigh and her lips were curved into a small smile, "Go on, just be as relaxed as possible. If you force it then the bond created will be warped, we need you to be completely yourself." Stiles nodded and sighed as he walked back towards the raised area where a girl much shorter than him waited to begin. Stiles didn't quite know what had happened except for that his legs were knocked out from underneath him and his back hit the floor with a loud smack. He winced and took in a deep breath before he rose to his feet and tilted his head to the side to crack his neck. The small girl didn't smile or move much at all, she just stared at him like he was a job she had to execute and that alone made him not interested in potentially meeting his death with her in a Jaeger.
They cycled through five candidates and Allison and Raleigh winced the whole time. Either Stiles ended up on his back or his opponent ended up on theirs, but in the long run none of them had the finesse that he did. Stiles was quick and agile, he dodged more than anything else, but in the instances when he did fight it was nothing less than impressive. Stiles possessed valuable qualities: He fought using his mind, his body movements were fluid and he didn't give up. Raleigh noticed that every time Stiles got knocked down it wasn't anger or defeat that flashed across his face, but he was pensive and each time came back with a completely different strategy than before. "He's innovative," Raleigh looked at Allison who nodded in agreement, "And he's witty and stubborn and we aren't going to be able to pair him with just anyone." Allison could hear something spark in Raleigh's voice and she arched a brow as soft brown eyes turned back to Stiles. "That's enough!" Raleigh sighed, folding his arms across his chest, "We're done for the day."
Stiles swallowed hard and took in breath after breath as sweat dripped off the tip of his nose and slid down his temple. His stomach was knotted and his breathing was shaky as he stepped off the platform to walk towards Becket and his trainer. His body was sore and his eyes were tired but he thanked Allison anyways when she handed him his glasses and turned his attention to Raleigh as he put them back on. "You remind me a lot of Mako," Becket smiled and Stiles tried to contain a small laugh and nervously looked at the ground, "And you're extremely different when it comes to combat. You strategize and you only engage if you have a set plan. It's interesting." Raleigh had his head tilted to the side and his eyes drifted from Stiles' feet to the top of his head and back again. The intrusion of his coaches eyes made Stiles desperately want to find his shirt but he smirked and picked at his nail beds, "Well, I don't wanna brag or anything..." His words were laced with sarcasm and Stiles laughed through them when Raleigh rolled his eyes and cut him off, "Yeah, yeah, well you're done for today. I have someone coming in tomorrow to go hand-to-hand with you. I'm kind of kicking myself in the ass that I didn't call him earlier 'cause honestly, I should have known when I met you at Brown that you'd work well together." Stiles' eyes lit up as he stammered and stumbled over his words, "W-who? I mean, no offense but Mako doesn't seem to think I'm really meant for this whole shin-dig and I'd like to at least know who-"
"It's not you, Stiles," Raleigh started walking, Allison was quick to follow and Stiles almost tripped as he hurriedly kept pace next to him, "It's the guy I'm almost one hundred percent positive is going to be your co-pilot. She thinks you guys are completely incompatible."
"Who, though? Can I get a name, a description, can you like draw me a sketch? I don't know, something?"
Allison pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and stared at the ground as Raleigh turned and smiled, "Nope. You just have to trust me." Stiles didn't know if it was appropriate to shove his middle finger in the air and shake his head at the man who saved the planet, but he did it anyways and Becket simply let a throaty laugh fill the hallway before he turned and walked away, the logo of his bomber jacket disappearing behind two large metal doors.
Stiles had bothered Allison about who it was that Raleigh, Isaac and Mako were all so up in arms about and she politely told him not to worry about it over and over again. He was persistent and finally she had turned towards him and sighed, "He's an alpha, and that's all you need to know." Her voice was gentle but firm and Stiles inhaled through his nose, head lolling up so he could focus his blank stare at the ceiling. "Okay, well, that would make sense if I knew what being an alpha meant. I mean I know you called me a beta or whatever but I just thought that was some weird joke I would figure out later," amber eyes turned back down to look at her and Allison busied herself with tying her hair back into a pony tail. "They're terms we use for ranking. It happened during Breach One, Stacker started calling his all-stars 'Alphas' and it stuck," she eyed Stiles carefully and he blinked back at her, "A beta is your typical Jaeger pilot, not that being a Jaeger pilot is typical by any means but..." Allison paused and took in a small breath, "An Alpha has more than ten kills. Mako and Raleigh are an Alpha team. Now, go to your room and put something nice on! We're going out tonight!"
Stiles nodded and looked to the side as he tried to process what she had just said. An Alpha. His stomach clenched and he bit down on his cheek, eyes flashing to Allison as she placed a hand on his arm. "Don't over think this," she gripped gently and Stiles tried his best to relax, "It will be fine and a part of me agrees with Raleigh, I think you two will be great. Just... go get ready. I'll meet you outside the building at seven, okay?" She looked at him from under her lashes and her eyes urged him to let go of the subject. He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth and nodded, a smile pulling at the sides of his mouth.
Allison dropped his arm and walked towards the large metal elevator while Stiles made his way down the hall and to the right where the long stretch of rooms were. He opened the door, tossed his shirt on the bed and took a couple steps towards the dresser. He breathed evenly as his reflection stared back at him in the mirror and Stiles placed his hands on his arms, slid them down his bare chest and poked at a few moles that lingered on his hips. He wasn't in bad shape, he had proven that today, but he was still lean and tall and as much as he liked his body, he wasn't quite sure that it was Jaeger material. His nose wiggled before he walked over and picked up his phone. Three text messages from Danny, one from Laurie, and one from his Dad. He read through them and chuckled at a few, a small smile twitched across his mouth and he pulled his glasses off so he could paw at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Okay..." he murmured under his breath before he placed the phone back down and grabbed a towel from inside one of the shelves and walked into the bathroom to shower.
Allison and Isaac were waiting outside when Stiles walked out and they both smiled his direction as he approached. "Look at you," Allison reached out and poked his chest, "you're hot." Stiles arched a brow, reaching out to poke Allison in the forehead, "So are you." He didn't know if he should be as comfortable with her as he was, but it came naturally and after the passed week of getting to know her she seemed more like a friend to him than his trainer. Stiles was relieved when she laughed and swatted at his hand, "C'mon, we have a car waiting."
Allison's dress was simple, a form-fitted black cocktail dress with a small sequin design sewn across the bust. Her heels made tiny clicks across the asphalt and Stiles thanked Isaac when he opened the door of the town car as they slid in. Isaac rolled up the sleeves of the baggy cream shirt he was wearing and sighed when Allison leaned up to jabber to the driver about where to take them. Stiles was nervous, the kind of nervous children get when their parents drop them off at school for the first time. He played with his glasses as Isaac took out his phone and began typing out a message, "So, Lan Kwai Fong right Allison?" She turned back to Isaac and nodded, "Yeah, Scott and the Striker's are meeting us down there at that little pub, remember the one with that really spicy martini?" The doctor nodded and laughed, tilting his head back and squeezing his eyes shut, "Oh my god, the one where Erica did like, eight shots of Patron and-" his voice broke off as he continued to laugh and Allison flopped back into the seat to laugh along with him. Stiles fiddled with his fingertips and couldn't help but feel out of place. It was as if he was intruding on a group of people who had been friends for a long time, knew each others in and outs, and it made him withdrawn and uncomfortable.
Stiles reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to try and look like he was doing something besides being awkward and anti-social. A small smile pulled at his lips when he re-read Danny's texts but he was interrupted when Isaac's shoulder bumped casually into his, "So, I don't really know much about you, Stiles. What do you like to do?" Allison peaked around Isaac's shoulder and Stiles blinked up through his glasses and his brows furrowed, "Well, you know, honestly I'm kind of boring. I played lacrosse in high school, I'm pretty outdoorsy, I like hiking and..." he paused and tried to think of something more to say but ended up letting his hands fall into his lap, "Yeah, I don't know. Like I said, I'm boring." He hated when people asked him such open-ended questions because he could never seem to swim through his mind and find something even slightly interesting to say. Isaac tilted his head to the side, "Ah, well, fair enough. We'll all get to know you in time I'm sure," the doctor winked and Stiles rolled his eyes and shook his head before he turned to look out the window. The city was amazing, full of people with lights flashing in every direction. The buildings towered above of them and as they drove into the Fong district, he noticed that everything brightened up even more. Bars, clubs and restaurants lined the sidewalk. Their driver had to drop them off across the street due to the amount of people crowding the roads and when Stiles stepped out of the car he could feel his heart beat in his fingertips.
Sky-scrapers lined the dark horizon and bright bulbs of fluorescent colored light illuminated the strip. Every few feet there was a new shop, club or eatery to explore and they all had their own decor and personality, lit signs beckoned and pulled at customers to get them inside and even the trees and shrubs had strings of lights twined through their branches. It was beautiful and Stiles felt exponentially smaller as he walked through the sea of people in the well-known party district of Hong Kong. Allison took his hand and had her other arm looped through Issac's as he led them through the 'L' shaped corridor of the street. Amber eyes tried their best to take in anything and everything as he stumbled along, laughing with Allison as they made their way into a small pub underneath a sign beaming '1997' in fluorescent purple numbers. They all took in a deep breath when they escaped the swarm of people and Isaac swatted Stiles gently on the back when they sat down at a large round table across from the bar. It was a petite establishment, with a dark wood bar and a few tables set sparely around the room. Pictures hung on the walls of famous moments in history and the skull of some kind of infant Kaiju was mounted proudly above the shelves of alcohol behind the bar. It was quaint, quiet and was moderately busy.
"Hey!" Isaac raised his arm, waving two fingers towards the door, "Scott!" He shouted again and leaned back in his chair to try and get the attention of the three people walking through the door. Stiles pulled nervously at the thin black tie wrapped around the collar of his white button up shirt and tapped his boots together underneath the table. He hadn't been in a situation like this in a very long time and it was causing him to itch and chew on his lip. It didn't take long before Allison was up and out of her chair and Stiles watched with a coy smile as she weaved through the small crowd next to the bar to throw her arms around a dark haired young man wearing a blue v-neck and khaki pants. The two following him were laughing and nodded to Isaac when they approached. Erica Reyes was like a rebellious barbie doll, her untamed blonde curls bounced when she walked and the devious expression she wore never failed to turn heads. Her lips were painted a deep red and they parted when she set her eyes on Stiles, "And who might this be?" She sounded like a sex-phone-operator, mewling through the question as she set her elbows on the table and leaned forward to drag a pointed nail across a coaster. "Well, Erica Reyes, this is Stiles Stilinski, Raleigh's new recruit. Stiles, Erica, and," Isaac paused and gestured to the man next to them, "this is Boyd. Stiles, meet the Striker Eureka team."
Stiles raised a glass full of dark liquid and arched a brow, "Nice to meet you both."
Erica was the kind of beautiful that caused car accidents and Boyd was warm with deep skin and even deeper eyes. They looked terrifying and gorgeous and Stiles had no idea whether he wanted their autograph or to ask as many prying questions as he possibly could about the Jaeger program. He promptly decided against both ideas and settled with smiling and nodding along with their stories of the horrible time they had at the last PR meeting.
"Oh my fucking god," Erica's voice was sultry and the spice underneath each word made Stiles want to know what it would be like to listen to her sing, "Peter is just, god, that man. That beautiful, disgusting, sassy man, if I could tear his throat out I would." Isaac and Boyd were laughing and Stiles sipped on his drink before he looked across to the couple now leaning against the bar. Allison had her lips pressed firmly to Scott's and her thumb gently stroked along his cheek. They had their mouths pressed against each others ears, nodding and laughing along with whatever it was they were talking about. All Stiles could make out was the relief and happiness that was prevalent between the two.
"Hey," Boyd's voice interrupted him as Stiles raked his gaze around the room and he snapped his attention back to the table, "So, new beta, huh? You got a co-pilot yet?" Stiles blinked and it took a moment for him to shake his head and let a 'no' fall from his lips. "I guess I'm too fucking complicated for anyone to handle," Stiles said sarcastically. Isaac reached over and gripped his shoulder, shaking Stiles playfully, "Raleigh's got something in the works, I'm sure. You just have to be patient."
Erica smiled and lifted a martini glass full of lime green liquid to her lips taking a drink before she set it back down, "Boyd and I only had one hand-to-hand and it was with each other. We literally were paired from the beginning, one test, one combat, one simulation and then we were recruited. The Australian's needed a good team after..." Erica looked down and Stiles swore he saw her lips quiver. Boyd reached over and laced his fingertips with hers, "Well, you know, but we decided we'd take it. It was an honor to pilot Striker, especially after all her new modifications and improvements the PPDC put in place." Stiles didn't have to ask, no one did. Stacker Pentecost and Chuck Hansen had fallen in battle when piloting the Australian Jaeger nearly six years ago and were considered international heroes for their bravery and sacrifice. It didn't surprise Stiles that Erica would be sensitive when it came to a subject like that, for most people the Jaeger program had been a dream and both her and Boyd had been given the chance to honor two extremely well-known and well-respected pilots.
"I didn't think you were ever coming back, man!" Isaac's voice shattered the heavy conversation and he stood to pull Allison's boyfriend into a tight hug. "Ah, yeah, well Russia is fine and their Jaeger's are in great condition. Didn't take me long to whip 'em into shape," his voice was airy and it only made sense that someone as friendly as Scott would be dating Allison. When he smiled his cheeks pushed up against his eyes and his dimples rolled against his cheeks, he looked like someone who surfed on a regular basis and didn't take life as seriously as he probably should but Stiles smiled when deep chocolate eyes beamed across the table. "You must be Stiles!" Scott was much more excited than Stiles had expected him to be and awkwardly looked around before nodding his head as he answered, "Yes?"
Stiles laughed when Scott made him get up and pulled him into his chest. The hug was warm and it was shocking that he felt as comfortable as he did with the group of people. They were more accepting than he ever expected them to be. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the lack of worry or care for Jaeger's or Kaiju or anything else that had to do with the on-going war, but as the group sat around the table and went on and on about random subjects, Stiles found his guard begin to melt.
Scott was brilliant and when he explained to Stiles that he was a high school drop out from San Francisco, it made Stiles even more interested. He told the story of how he met Allison when her car over-heated on her way to visit her mother and she interjected to add in, 'estranged mother,' Scott rolled his eyes and continued, explaining that they started dating and when she learned that he wanted to be an engineer she pushed him to go back to school. Erica, Boyd and Isaac had all listened as well, chuckling when Scott's voice broke into loud, animated excitement over the re-launch of the program. He looked at Allison when he spoke of her bravery when she went to her father and convinced him to take Scott on as an engineer at Shatterdome. Allison blushed and looked down at her hands as they curled around the glass settled between them, "and then I proved myself and Pan Pacific offered to pay for off-site schooling. Now I'm the Chief Design Technician and I specialize in nuclear fusion. That's why I was over in Moscow, I was helping them perfect some of the core receptors on their designs."
Stiles' lips were parted as he listened and he huffed a small sigh when Scott finished, shaking his head back and forth. "Man, you guys are amazing. All I can do is ramble in different languages," he laughed and so did Allison who slapped his arm playfully. As much as he wanted to joke around and act like it didn't affect him, it did. Every single person surrounding him was someone of worth and the ut-most respect but Stiles, he was just a college student who stupidly through himself into something due to his lack of self-control. He picked at his nails under the table and finished his second drink with ease, smiling over to Isaac when he leaned against Stiles' shoulder, "You'll be great. You don't give yourself enough credit, nor do you give yourself enough time." Isaac's words were kind and Erica nodded, eyes closing when Boyd gingerly pressed his lips against her temple, "Trust me, Stiles," caramel eyes gazed at him and she tugged at the leather jacket wrapped snug around her shoulders, "Raleigh wouldn't just choose anyone."
Stiles blushed and smiled down at his hands which he folded on the table to try and keep from fidgeting. His stomach was doing flips and he tried his best to keep listening as his new friends continued to talk about this or that. The conversations were going everywhere, from dates to old-girlfriends and boyfriends all the way to stories about bar hopping and dancing. His mind buzzed and his body was warm but Stiles still couldn't comprehend the acceptance that was so quickly extended from the people surrounding him. As much as he wanted to keep his distance, he found himself opening up more and more as the night went on. One drink later and they were all clapping, throwing their heads back in laughter and reaching out to tap each others hands when they spoke. Stiles hadn't laughed that hard since his third year in college, and he hadn't felt himself really fall head first into something like this since sophomore year in high school. It was a whole new group of people and as Stiles watched and listened he quickly realized that they weren't only their titles. Allison and Scott weren't only field specialists, Isaac wasn't just his doctor and Erica and Boyd weren't only defined by Striker Eureka. They had issues and kinks and pet peeves just like anyone else and Stiles understood that although they were part of something extraordinary, they were just like him. Young people who threw themselves into something much bigger than themselves and grasped desperately to the normalcy of a night at a bar together, drinking and stumbling and sharing experiences that they could all relate to. It was a nice step outside of Shatterdome and a escape from the fear and worry of battle.
The night went on until the early morning and they were still laughing as they all stumbled onto the grounds. Scott had been talking to Stiles all night about school, and had made Stiles speak in French and German multiple times. "Say it again, say it again," Scott fell into Stiles' shoulder and they laughed as they walked into the building through the large metal doors next to the hangar. "J'aime les crêpes," Stiles hummed and Scott laughed again. Allison was next to them, her heels dangling from her fingertips as they hurriedly walked passed the large glass windows looking onto the control deck. Scott stopped abruptly in his tracks, eyes locked on two men that stood in front of the array of key boards and computer screens. Allison narrowed her eyes, "Scott what..." her voice faded when she looked through the glass and Stiles turned, the smile on his face fading as he saw the expression both of them wore.
"What's... going on," Stiles turned and looked to the right, amber eyes locking on to Raleigh who was talking with his hands to someone across from him. Stiles was taken a back when the smoldering gaze of the man in front of Raleigh ran right into his own and he choked on a sharp breath. He was beautiful, tall with broad shoulders and distinct features. The strangers eyes trailed across him and Stiles finally looked away, lashes covering his eyes as he stared at the ground. Allison swallowed and looked over to Scott whose breath was coming out in short exasperated words that Stiles couldn't make out. When he had the courage to look back up the man's eyes were still glued to him, mouth moving as if he was speaking to Raleigh as well.
"Derek... Derek's back," Scott's words were soft and saturated in disbelief but Stiles didn't have time to react because Allison had them both by the arms and pulled them firmly towards the stairs.