I'm alive! Well only mostly but that doesn't matter. What matters is that all of you get a chapter! Sorry for the massive delay, college is crazy and time consuming.

As always, this hasn't been beta read. Sorry. And I know the editing is a little rough. Please let me know if there is a glaring mistake I missed.

Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed, and updated. Everyone one of those kept me focused on the story even when I couldn't write and as always, Please Review!

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He was home. It was different metal, different displays, different drivesuits, but beneath it all; it was Gipsy Danger. Raleigh was in his Jaeger with his co-pilot doing what he knew best. He was home.

The alarm had sounded sooner than anyone expected, only a few hours after Gipsy was declared ready for duty. The entire Shatterdome had appeared from their bunks to see the prodigal daughter redeploy again despite the extremely early hour. Raleigh was almost high on the excitement and anticipation generated by the deployment despite his lack of sleep. Gipsy and her pilots were currently being hauled towards Sydney, the closest city to where the most recent breach had opened and release a Kaiju.

"Are you still awake Raleigh?" Mako asked redundantly, knowing he was through their drift connection.

Raleigh looked over at his harnessed partner and laughed as she rolled her eyes at his exuberant expression. Raleigh was practically bouncing in his harness as Gipsy was hauled to her drop zone. "Who needs sleep?" Raleigh stated loudly. "Caffeine was invented for a reason."

"Caffeine wasn't…."

"Shush Mako. We have Kaiju to kill." Raleigh interrupted, his grin widened as Mako's annoyance and amusement filtered into his brain in smooth waves over the drift. He opened a radio channel with his free hand. It was strange to be back in Gipsy's conn-pod after the weeks in Green Beast. Every aspect down to each button and switch seemed to glisten, brand new to the point of seeming sterile. Despite this, Raleigh embraced what was beneath the metal: his Jaeger. Every recent setback seemed distant now that he was back where he belonged. "Got any details for us Tendo?"

"Nothing new. It's staying underwater so the satellites aren't getting any definite intel on its physical aspects. Someone around here classified it as Binatang. It's definitely a Category three though."

"Again?" Raleigh interrupted the tech, surprised that it was once again a category three. It seemed strange for the Kaiju to be the same category breach after breach, especially after years of Category Fours and the single Category Five. Not that Raleigh minded the weaker Kaiju.

"Just kill it and get back here so we can all take a break." Tendo's annoyance at being interrupted came through the speakers clearly as he disrupted Raleigh's thoughts.

Next to him, Mako made an amused sound that from a less dignified and unprofessional person could have been described as a snort.

Raleigh knew she was laughing internally at the strange, almost giddy emotions rolling off him through the rift and those evident in Tendo's voice to those who know him well. Both men had been struggling, Tendo for longer than Raleigh, to deal with the unraveling state of the Corps and the desperation of Pentecost's last stand. For them, being back in a position where Gipsy Danger was deployed against a standard Kaiju threat, was like the last five years had never happened. Raleigh knew the feelings wouldn't last as everything kept changing, but both men were comforted by the illusion for just a few hours.

"What's our game plan?" Raleigh asked after a moment of silence. They still had almost fifteen minutes until the drop.

"I believe keeping the sword in reserve is in our best interest. The Kaiju masters are unaware that Gipsy has been redesigned in some aspects. Keeping the details hidden for as long as possible gives us some assurance should they send the next Kaiju through with capabilities meant to directly counteract Gipsy Danger as they may have done in the Hong Kong Bay attack."

Raleigh nodded slightly, careful to keep the movement slight so that Gipsy didn't shift around in her harness. Flailing Jaegers weren't good for the helicopters that carried them.

No one had been able to confirm if the Kaiju that destroyed Cherno Alpha and Crimson Typhoon were specifically designed and sent through the drift to target those specific remaining Jaegers or if the Kaiju designers had just gotten lucky. Newton and Hermann both swore it was the first though and Raleigh was inclined to agree. There was a difference between luck and tactics in war. His gut and experience both told him the Kaiju masters were more than just lucky.

"We use it if we need it though. I'm not going to use boats as weapons again if I have the option of the sword. We need to keep this clean and quick. The less damage and contamination from each attack the better." He reminded his co-pilot.

"Of course." Mako agreed without hesitation.

The pair went through system checks and drop preparations in silence as they neared Sydney. The Category Three had followed Hermann's predictions and was still heading straight for the Australian city Now that the Corps had Gipsy Danger back, the next step was to truly hold the Miracle Mile.

"Clear for drop Becket Boy." Tendo announced as he confirmed the Kaiju's position.

"You ready ladies?" Raleigh asked Mako and Gipsy rhetorically, expecting an answer from neither as he flicked a switch above his head, shutting off auxiliary systems and channeling everything the reactor had into the combat systems.

Gipsy free fell for a moment before slowing as she hit the waves. Water rushed around the Jaeger's metal form in a muted roar as her feet made contact with the ocean floor and settled. Less than a third of the Jaeger was above the water which would make the fight more difficult, but they needed to reestablish the Mile and they couldn't exactly choose where the Kaiju targeted.

"How are we looking Choi?" Raleigh asked as Mako silently finished the system checks.

"Just under a mile away and closing."

"Copy that. See you soon." Raleigh glanced at Mako just as she looked at him. Their eyes met and a pair of matching, predatory smiles cut through the conn-pod.

Neither spoke as their legs began to move in tandem. The fluid motions of each pilot guided the Jaeger on its projected intercept course as they rushed to meet the incoming assault. While all Jaegers acted as an extension of their pilots, Gipsy and her pilots were unparalleled. For a few brief moments of sand pounding motion, the pair of pilots moved with their Jaeger in a near perfect drift, three physical forms almost impossible to differentiate among.

"Kaiju closing." Mako whispered. The words soft, but vicious words broke the silence. Raleigh and Mako moved together, stopping the head long rush towards the Kaiju in a heartbeat to shift Gipsy Danger back a step, stabilizing the Jaeger in the high water.

Massive waves crashed against Gipsy's chest and reactor as the Kaiju cut through the ocean with a speed that seemed impossible for a creature as large as the Kaiju. Watching it approach, Raleigh and Mako shifted Gipsy sideways at the last possible moment, allowing the Kaiju to hurtle past in its rush. Raleigh grabbed a hind leg from above and wrenched the creature back. Metal screeched as Gipsy fought the Kaiju's forward moment, pulling it backwards and halfway out of the water.

Mako' smashed a rocket powered fist into the creature's chest as it struggled against Gipsy Danger's hold. She pulled back and struck again, fingers first, breaking into the creature's flesh almost to the elbow before pulling out, bringing Kaiju muscle and bone with Gipsy's forearm.

As Mako flung the Kaiju pieces away, bone protrusions along the Kaiju's limbs struck against Gipsy, denting and breaking through her armor plating in several places on Mako's side. Rather than lose their grip on the Kaiju and their control of the combat in close quarters, Raleigh and Mako twisted, building up momentum before throwing the creature further away from the coastline.

As the Kaiju flew backwards, its tail seemed to unfold. What had appeared to be a blunt and short, nonthreatening appendage lengthened and a massive spike swung out to smash into Raleigh's side of Gipsy's head, cutting through the outer layer of armor. Raleigh could smell fresh air leaking into the conn-pod, confirming what the displays around him said. The damage was mostly to the first layer of armor, but the second layer had been breached and the conn-pod was no longer water tight. The veteran Ranger cursed but pushed the concern away to focus on the fight.

As Gipsy's head snapped sideways, and the Jaeger stumbled, the Kaiju spun through the air before crashing down into the ocean a few hundred yards away. Despite the damage to Gipsy, Mako and Raleigh silently agreed to press their advantage and rushed forward. They knew it was in their best interest to finish the fight as quickly as possible

In the brief second's between Binatang hitting the water and Gipsy Danger following, the Kaiju had submerged completely. Raleigh couldn't get a reading on its location and just as he switched on the comm system to ask the support helicopters if they had a visual, the Kaiju leapt out of the water, claws extended and crushing jaws wide in a challenging roar.

Raleigh through a punch in desperation as the Kaiju came in under the Jaeger's guard. The blow grazed the bony plates on Binatang's head and bounced off with no effect as the monster dove deeper.

Mako and Raleigh realized the Binatang's intentions at the same time, just as the massive body impacted Gipsy's submerged torso, driving the Jaeger down further into the waves. The Kaiju's tail snapped out, catching under Mako's leg and pulling it forward, collapsing the joint despite the Jaeger's attempts to stay upright. Both pilots were thrown forward and down in their harnesses as red lights flashed through the conn-pod, redundantly telling the Rangers of the direct impact on the Jaeger's body and the damage to the limb.

Both pilots scrambled to recover and keep the conn-pod above the water. They were forced to fight the Kaiju and the massive waves created by the fight as Mako's leg struggled to respond. Just as Gipsy regained her balance, the Kaiju came straight at them. Its claws slipped past their defensive block to cut into the metal plates that protected the main reactor.

At the sound of Kaiju claws cutting through the armor of his Jaeger towards the reactor and his shoulder, Raleigh froze. Sudden overwhelming fear cut through the drift for a brief heartbeat, overwhelming everything else. The past five years vanished and he was struggling to keep his Jaeger upright as a Kaiju cut through armor and water rushed into the Jaeger's systems. Unlike the last time he had been in this situation, he didn't have the desperate drive of needing to close the Breach. There was nothing but the Jaeger, the Kaiju, and the ocean.

Unhindered, questions ran through his head, scattering his thoughts further. Had he brought the Jaeger too far out? Had the satellite readings on the depth and ocean floor been wrong? Why had LOCCENT not gotten a better description of the Kaiju with sonar? What if Gipsy wasn't actually combat ready? They should have waited closer to the coastline and let the Kaiju come to them. They shouldn't have thrown Binatang. What if there was a second Kaiju had come through the drift, undetected? Each question fought for attention against the need to fight and the simple fact that if Gipsy Danger lost stability again and fell, Mako could die.

Raleigh's vision swam. A white drivesuit seemed to float in his periphery, stark against the blackness that encroached from all sides as his focus splintered further.

Even as his mind completed the panicked thoughts, Mako's calm presence in the drift began to overpower them, suppressing them beneath her unshakable certainty in their abilities. "Raleigh! Stay with me!" Her sharp voice cut through the sound of his own heart beat that thudded in his ears, pushing it away.

As Raleigh began to regain control, Mako slapped away the Kaiju's attacking claws with a backhanded blow, forcing the creature back and away from the struggling Jaeger. Gipsy shuddered once as the reactor surged to supply the energy needed for Mako to separate the two combatants further. Gipsy Danger pulled back with quick but unsteady step as Raleigh instinctively followed Mako's movements.

Even as the Jaeger managed to regain its footing under the water, Mako fired off the plasma cannon through the foaming waves. The shot was weaker on impact due to the water but the force cut through the Binatang's thick hide, driving it even farther back with a keening sound that filtered into the conn-pod.

Raleigh blinked once, keeping the sweat that ran down his forehead out of his eyes as the world seemed to realign. Every plate and switch in the conn-pod jumped into clear contrast as he strengthened his hold on the Drift and on Gipsy. He moved forward without hesitation, turning Mako's hemisphere away from the Kaiju. A barely audible sigh of relief as Raleigh focused cut through the conn-pod. The co-pilots repositioned Gipsy Danger as Binatang rushed forward again. Raleigh's hemisphere was angled to intercept the next attack, taking the weight away from Mako's weakened leg.

The veteran Jaeger lashing out with Gipsy's massive fist at the approaching Kaiju. His punch hit Binatang where the wide neck connected with the reptilian jaw, snapping it shut with crack that echoed through the air. The massive teeth shut on the spot Mako's arm had just occupied. The Kaiju reeled backwards and before it could react, Mako surged forward with an underhanded punch, turning Raleigh's attack into a classic boxing combo.

As soon as Gipsy's fist was clear of Binatang, Raleigh fired off multiple rounds from the plasma cannon. The attacks ripped through the air, all hitting the Kaiju's wide jaw, sending flesh and bone into the air as the Kaiju thrashed.

Binatang seemed to react slowly after the successful attacks. The Kaiju struggled to regain its bearings after the second shot from the plasma cannon. Trying to take advantage of the creature's pain filled distraction, Gipsy Danger and her pilots rushed forward together in water covered in a sheen of blue blood.

Raleigh caught the Kaiju as it tried to surge forward. Gipsy's fingers clamped down on the jagged edges of the wound in the Kaiju's jaw line. Acidic blue blood began to soak the metal and gears as Raleigh dug in. Binatang shrieked and thrashed and Raleigh had to fight to keep his grip. Just as the Kaiju caught purchase on his arm and managed to push away, Mako's sword slid out, arching under the base of the Kaiju's throat then up and into its skull. Binatang shook once, all its limbs shaking disjointedly before going still.

A thin rain of blue blood splashed against Gipsy's damaged armor as Mako withdrew the chain sword. The cauterizing edges of the blade stopped the rest from pouring into the sea though the gaping holes in the Kaiju's chest and jaw leaked a steady stream of the neon blood.

"Tendo?" Raleigh found his voice and called for mission control after several minutes of silence broken only by the two pilot's harsh rapid breaths as the waves created during the fight began to settle.

"Helicopters are en route. Stand by for pick up." The LOCCENT Officer told him woodenly after a moment. The comm system clicked off then back on. "And good job scratching the brand new Jaeger." Raleigh only managed a half-hearted laugh at Tendo's attempted joke. The Ranger and Officer both only going through the motions of the post-combat tradition of joking from years ago, each too distracted from the disjointed fight. The comm light went off after a moment and Mako and Raleigh were left alone once again.

The ride back to the Shatterdome was almost completely silent, the only communication between the Jaeger and LOCCENT what was absolutely necessary. Within the Jaeger, Mako seemed to have decided giving Raleigh space was the best course of action following his distraction and weakened drifting.

Raleigh knew they would have to be debriefed with the Marshall but as soon as the last bolt was removed from his drivesuit, his feet took him straight to his bunk. Every second of the fight replayed in his mind, every hesitation, every hitch in his movements. It wasn't until he went to close the heavy door that he realized Mako had followed him the entire way through the corridors.

His co-pilot closed the door behind them while Raleigh hesitated. "You are allowed to falter Raleigh. Our drift may have been disjointed today but we won. Binatang never made it within the Miracle Mile and Gipsy Danger only has superficial damage for the most part. Do not forget the victories while focusing on your mistakes." Mako's voice was even, as if trying calm a startled animal.

Raleigh's gaze unconsciously focused on the wall covered in old pictures. Images of Yancy and their old home seemed to jump out at him. "I can't afford to Mako. With Marshall Pentecost gone and Marshall Hansen busy dealing with the bureaucrats and internal emergencies, I'm the only veteran left in the Corps. The new Rangers, the crews, the public, they all need someone to focus on. I have to be the fixed point in the Shatterdome and I wasn't today. Binatang was nothing compared to other Kaiju I've fought. It should never have taken me so long to kill it."

Raleigh's words were cut off by Mako's hand gripping his arm, blunt nails digging through his shirt as she forced him to turn away from the wall and face her. "No." The simple word was snapped out as his co-pilot glared up at him, her face contorted into an angry snarl.

"You are not the fixed point in the Shatterdome Raleigh." Mako jabbed a finger in his chest as her grip on his arm tightened. "Yes you are the only veteran left in combat but that only means you are the most experienced. I am just as qualified as you but I never saw combat until it was the only option available to the Corps. You are the has-been and I am still a novice. Together we are the fixed point and nothing less than the combination is enough. I didn't win today and neither did you. We did."

Raleigh glanced down at Mako for a moment as she trailed off then slumped down on the corner of his bed. The frame creaked beneath him then again as Mako settled on the edge next to him.

"Our jobs are difficult. More so now than ever but we are good at them. Don't you trust me?"

Raleigh was surprised by the sudden question but nodded without hesitation.

Mako smiled from her spot next to him and scooted back on the bed to lean against the head board before patting the area next to her. "And I trust you. Just remember that and we can handle anything."

Raleigh moved to the spot next to her and nodded once before staring at a point in the worn ceiling above him. "I'm just tired." Raleigh found himself admitting. "I'm tired of how we aren't winning. We're just trying to hold our ground. I didn't sign up for this. I came back for Penecost's final stand not for constant desperate fighting."

"I know." Mako reminded him evenly. "We all are tired and will be for a long time but it will get better. Soon we will not be the only team on call and just because we can't see the end now doesn't mean it isn't there. And where would you rather be?"

The pair sat in silence as Raleigh thought about her words, letting go of the fear and frustration of the last few hours. He knew it would probably return, the uncertainty and nightmares always did, but Mako had reminded him once again that he had more important things to worry about and deal with than the past.

As Raleigh began to drift to sleep, he could feel Mako running her hand through his short hair, playing with it. "Herc's going to be pissed tomorrow that we skipped the debriefing." He mumbled, relaxing into the simple sensation of just being close to his co-pilot.

"He will be fine." Mako murmured softly. "He's an expert at dealing with surly Rangers."

…..

Bolded statement is lonely and unloved in college and really wants reviews to help it deal with its growing abandonment issues. Help?

Quick Author's Note:

On the subject of long range weapons to defeat the Kaiju: I don't see the major issue being that long range weapons, specifically lasers and missiles, are incapable of stopping or killing Kaiju. The main issue I see is targeting systems. Depsite the Kaijus massive size, they are fast, travelling hundreds of miles in a few hours and while the distances and times in the movies are a little ridiculous (And I'm guilty of the same thing I know) I don't see military targeting systems as capable of actively tracking and targeting the Kaiju well enough to deliver the massive payloads necessary to kill the creatures. Or I'm completely wrong and naive. Feel free to ignore my opinion.