A/N: Here's a super lengthy chapter with some kaiju-kicking action! I would sincerely appreciate it if you guys could leave a quick review; any comments, questions, maybe predictions? :D
2025, January 8 – 05:12 – Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China
At this point, with two Jaegers down and one stuck in the waters, Gipsy Danger was their only viable option, their only hope. The realization had hit Greyson and Raleigh simultaneously; while he seemed hopeful, she was worried. The Jaeger had to go out there, but she couldn't function with only one—
"Who's going to pilot Gipsy?" Tendo asked, turning his attention away from the console. Everyone in the room looked at him as he explained, "Sir, who will be Raleigh's co-pilot if Mako's still grounded?"
The room just… stopped. Leave it to the tech chief to say just the right thing to cut through the tense atmosphere.
Greyson gauged the expressions on everyone's faces, and then realized that all eyes were on her. Raleigh and Mako looked expectant while the Marshal looked determined. It was at that moment she understood why.
She was their hope.
"No," Greyson said firmly. "There's no — I've never — I'm sure that—"
There were two kaiju still alive; Greyson knew that, damn well. But Raleigh still needed a co-pilot, and Mako was still on the mend. She sighed, scanning their faces once again. Her eyes landed on those of Stacker Pentecost, whose own were warm. "Sir?"
Marshal Pentecost squared his shoulders, looking at her. "Lieutenant, this is not a request."
That's an order. Why hesitate? Get a grip on yourself. Yancy wouldn't have hesitated.
Greyson steeled herself. Jaw locked, head straightened, shoulders went back. "Yes, sir," she said. Suffice to say, the staffers had thinned out and let her and Raleigh through.
They ran.
Putting on the DriveSuit was like trying to ride a bicycle after twenty years. Did it by memory, even after all the time had passed. The last time Greyson was in a suit was before being transferred into the Icebox, when she and the Beckets had a shot at co-piloting together.
The back of Raleigh's hand grazed Greyson's when they adjusted their helmets. Reassurance.
She was in darkness before the liquid circuitry neural pathways took, and it was a breath of fresh air when she stepped foot inside of Gipsy Danger's ConnPod. The Jaeger was theirs by bond.
Or, maybe, it had always been the other way around.
Greyson was anxious when the two of them connected to the Motion Rigs. Her only advantage was being aware of the Drift and understanding her Compatibility with Raleigh. She was familiar with it; a reflex, a silence.
But fighting a simulator of a kaiju is different from the real thing. Pilots know it hurts more because it's the real thing. Pilots may not come back because it's the real thing — and if they didn't come back alive, the same fate would be to the rest of the world.
The heads-up displays booted up. Greyson's eyes quickly roved over the command console. Tendo's voice echoed within the ConnPod as he patches through. "You okay there, G?"
She hit the commlink. "It's like riding a bike, Ten. You never really forget." Then after a moment's hesitance: "But you know, I'm screaming inside."
Tendo laughed a bit. "You'll do fine."
"You always do." It was Raleigh.
Greyson turned her head in his direction, but he seemed to be preoccupied with not looking at her.
Soon, the tech chief officer's voice was heard again. "Engaging drop."
The two of them positioned their hands over the release buttons that were on the console. Raleigh and Greyson both shared a glance. "There's four of us now." And Raleigh wasn't kidding.
Mako was part of their super-secret boy band now, and Yancy never really did go away. Not for them. Not ever.
Greyson's lip pulled up with a quirk, echoing his own words back at him: "Age before beauty."
Raleigh scoffed before shaking his head. He said nothing about it, however, but she knew that he remembered. "Release for drop" was what he uttered instead.
It was like Greyson's heart had skipped a beat the moment she heard the gantry let them drop. Oh, she knew that feeling too well. Her stomach lurched and Greyson tensed up for a moment. I regret everything.
It was like the feeling when an airplane falls a few feet, or when someone jumps in an elevator. Except, of course, multiplied by a few G's.
When the ConnPod started to slow down and ease into their rightful place on the assembly, Greyson could feel her head spinning. No, no. They were actually spinning; it wasn't just her imagination. She could hear the bolts and hooks, the automatic gears.
"Prepare for neural handshake." Pentecost.
Tendo's countdown became distant. And for the first time in years, Greyson allowed herself to let go of everything, closed her eyes, and welcomed the Drift Space like an old friend.
Jazmine and Yancy and them, playing monkey-in-the middle
Yancy's fingers are on her face, he's frowning at the bruises
Dominique Becket cursed in French while patching up the two battered and bruised and gone for hours – What the hell did you think you were doing, young men
Mommy doesn't love me, she's sorry
The tire screeches from the cab. Tears blurring vision I can't
Raleigh breaking his arm when he fell from the backyard tree, what a noob Dad their car isn't working
Yancy taping up her Avengers poster, Raleigh and their dads were in the hospital. The rug slipped he fell, she kissed him and he didn't pull back until
No Tito Jasper he's gone. He's gone, what do I do, I'm so alone I just
Their windows were in front of each other's. Her room was still empty the day they moved in; it was his memory, that's how they met when they were four. A single wave from Greyson sent Raleigh smiling
They had to get back to Jaeger training
Memories shared between Greyson and Raleigh overlapped and sounds were too loud and too quiet, and it was a push-and-pull, a give-and-take, a seesaw: Manila, and Munich, twelve didn't seem so long ago she kissed him
Dad you don't have to go
You and Naomi! Stay away from me Yance, I don't even wanna look at you right now
It was sloppy and hasty, but his lips were soft arms snaked around and – Yancy, you're eighteen – clothes littered the floor
Raleigh yelling at Yancy in the diner. Greyson followed them without thinking, she always did somehow, not think
Kissing Chuck for the first time on the gantry overlooking Striker Eureka, his eyes were blue
Stacker made the arm move, Tito. More money rolling in to fund the program, babysitting little cousin Robbie and mud-pies, passing notes during middle school when the teachers aren't looking
Greyson, you got a letter from your mom
Mommy guess what Raleigh brought to show-and-tell today it was his daddy's dog tags
There's nothing I like that you can't wait to get your hands on
Yancy's blue eyes were cold cold cold, Greyson froze – he's been acting different
Chuck looked at her like she was the moon and he was the ocean
Trickle of blood coming from his nose, but the guy deserved it, you can't just pick on people
Can't pick every fight either
No, we're not going to college, we're joining the Rangers
Then came the last rush of the Drift sequencing and Gipsy Danger seemed to groan, and the stray thoughts came to and the fringes caught up with the both of them: Strike three you're out! I told you I hate baseball Ice cream hockey the sweep of the light beam at Pemaquid the last time they visited Arizona and the dry heat I don't like spiders
Are you sure you and Jazzy aren't sisters
Mommy doesn't love me
Dad you don't have to go
He leaned in and she let him. His lips were soft, almost like
Yancy… Yancy, don't leave
We'll go to Paris love I promise. I'll get down on one knee and
I love you
Hong Kong. 2025. It's Wednesday, right? Raleigh and Greyson were back in the present and she knew that he had questions. No time for questions now, it's time to save the world
Again
There was something nagging in Raleigh's thoughts. Something he couldn't quite wrap his head around. Greyson could feel it – she felt everything he did, and in turn, so did Gipsy Danger.
So it was really true
Oh, he was broken. Betrayed. But Greyson felt that he had always known and just didn't want to believe. Maybe Yancy was better at hiding their relationship in the Drift than she realized.
You and Yancy?
No time. Just move
Would anyone expect them to save Hong Kong by chitchatting their way around the kaiju? No, absolutely not.
Greyson felt the rush of adrenaline course through her. She announced, "Neural handshake strong and holding."
In response to Tendo's quiet G, you took my line; she huffed out, "Sorry, force of habit."
As Raleigh and Greyson continued on with the general protocol, the latter was finding it increasingly harder and harder to not linger around Raleigh's head, filled with more of Yancy's memories. Of course, all of their memories were so alike that, once upon a time, it had been hard to tell one from the other.
Thoughts passed between their minds quickly; lengthy conversations came within seconds. Feelings were universal; emotions increased four-fold. She could feel the heavy force of his, the guilt and acceptance and love.
Distantly, they heard Tendo's voice from the comm speakers. "Sonny's… waving. Her connection's holding, but they could still go out of alignment…"
A glob of images bombarded her mind, of the best friend from childhood who was always there until he wasn't, of the boy who loved her and picked up the pieces after. One smelt of fresh sea and motor oil; the other, pine and hard candy.
Yancy was her first love, Chuck was the love her life, Raleigh… It was in that moment where they both knew. They just knew it. Connections pulled at them, but Greyson was being pulled in so many directions.
Greyson mentally shook herself in order to keep her mind in check, to not reel them in – Can't go out of alignment there are no do-overs only thing between the world's annihilation – Sonny, don't chase the R.A.B.I.T. – "Right, sorry," she muttered aloud, brushing off the quick moment of fluster. "Left hemisphere linked and ready."
Raleigh confirmed, "Right hemisphere linked and ready."
Adrenaline and giddiness surged through her – through them both – and they reached an arm to follow-through with the Handshake. Soon, Gipsy Danger was rolled down Scramble Alley. The Super Sikorskys lifted them out to the bay, where Leatherback seemed to be putting its weight on its hindquarters, raising its arms up to smash down onto Striker Eureka's hull.
"Choppers," Greyson called over the comms, "put your lights on Leatherback. Get that bastard's attention."
It worked. When they were close enough, the aircrafts' rigs opened, and Gipsy Danger fell into the surf waters. They were situated about one hundred meters from the kaiju and Jaeger.
"Alright, Sonny," Raleigh muttered. "Get ready, this is for real!"
While both pilots pulled a stance, waiting to be charged at, a single thought swept cleanly between them: No shit, Sherlock
Greyson steeled herself. Their actions mirrored one another fluidly. They pivoted out of Leatherback's way and got a hold of the charge emitter on its back. Gipsy Danger ripped it off and threw it to Merlin knows where.
With a roar, the monster came at them again, clamping its arms around the Jaeger's torso, sweeping them from their feet. But not before they got in a few punches.
They felt like they were spinning for eternity, and then… nothing.
"Shit!"
The force of their flight sent Gipsy Danger soaring far. The Jaeger went smack onto the crossover bridge and into a shipyard full of containers. Reorienting themselves, Raleigh and Greyson crouched in their rigs to stunt their landing, skidding to a halt. In their wake were demolished rows upon rows of cartons and vehicles.
Leatherback waded after them, and then began to charge. The Super Sikorskys' search lights made sure to illuminate their surroundings. Thanks to the heads-up displays, the co-pilots were able to see.
Greyson felt a fire burning in her. Adrenaline continued to pump through her veins. So many things ran through her mind and back around; Raleigh held on to a strength that he never had before.
"Come on," the blond yelled. "Let's do this!"
"Together," they said in synchronization.
The two of them pushed up at the same time, one foot in front of the other. They moved together, matched each other's movements. It wasn't difficult when they functioned singularly. There was a leap, and Gipsy Danger's fist connected with the kaiju's face. Grabbed Leatherback and did it again. The surging fight pushed them past more shipping containers, which were thrown around like Lincoln Logs, without a care.
"Elbow Rocket!" Raleigh called out for more the benefit of the LOCCENT than their own. Greyson was already in his head, after all.
The Filipina lieutenant felt the full force of the mechanisms. She felt it when they landed a good one on Leatherback's bridge. It in turn rammed into small buildings and porting cranes, effectively knocking them down. The kaiju grabbed what it could and met Gipsy Danger with a crane to the side. Here she lost her balance, but instead, Gipsy fisted containers into both of her hands, enough to make each strike definitely effective.
A right, a left. They bashed the kaiju's head in from both sides.
Teaches you to mess with my planet!
Leatherback caught itself. But they were still able to grab it from behind, under the arms, momentarily holding the kaiju. It fought, and fought hard, but neither pilot allowed for it to get a chance to wriggle loose.
"Rals!" Greyson said through clenched teeth, the feeling of strain come through her bones.
Raleigh shouted out a word of encouragement. "Hold on, Sonny!"
All they could see was darkness of the night, the faint lights from the city beyond. What little light there was mainly came from the choppers. The storm wasn't settling any time soon.
Gipsy Danger tossed Leatherback away from her, taking a step back to brace. The kaiju surged forward, pushing the Jaeger back. Momentum threw the pilots back into the rigging, hard. Leatherback continued to surge forward, not letting up.
Raleigh and Greyson loaded up the plasma cannon, emptying the clip into it side. The latter felt pressure on her back as it drove them through another freeway bridge. Somewhere along the way, the kaiju's entire arm broke off, dislodged from its socket. It started to slow down as they neared the end of the port, where it met the bay waters.
When they finally stopped, Greyson felt as if they had hit something small with the heel of Gipsy Danger's boot.
Gipsy pushed off the kaiju, letting it fall dead onto its back. They stowed the cannon. Both of their hearts were beating a thousand miles an hour, which only intensified between the two. There was strained, heavy panting, but also breaths slowly being caught.
Raleigh's train of thought cut off from the city of Hong Kong and back to Leatherback. Yancy. It was enough to stop them in their tracks. Not this time. "Wait," he panted. "I think this guy's dead. But let's check for a pulse."
Greyson could only nod. There was no need for words.
In unison, the two of them shifted their torsos to turn. The rigs on their feet and backs prevented them from fully making a 180, but it helped signal Gipsy Danger to do it for them. Raleigh loaded the cannon. Emptied out four more rounds. The blasts tore into the fallen kaiju, and the hand-cannon glowed to the point of overheating. Leatherback – or what was left of it, mind – was close to doing the same.
"No pulse." Raleigh faced her with a cheeky grin on his face.
Their eyes looked past their HUDs and to the surrounding area, where a couple of helicopters were hovering over the stormy city of Hong Kong in survey of that other kaiju, Otachi. God knew what damage it had already caused.
"One down, one to go," Raleigh sighed.
"Shall we get the little shit a present?" Greyson asked in jest, motioning to the large, black oil tanker that was docked not too far from where they stood.
They dragged the tanker into the city. What a sight that must have been: A giant Jaeger with a little tug-boat.
With every step they took, Gipsy Danger caused over thousands in damage per city block, just by walking and hauling the boat along the city streets.
It ain't my money
Even though she couldn't see, she knew Raleigh rolled his eyes at her.
Eventually, the Jaeger's presence caught Otachi's attention. The little bugger was directly down the street; looked worse than the last one. His movements were—
"Are you humming Metallica?" There was a hint of mockery in Raleigh's voice.
Greyson felt a blush rise into her cheeks. "Shut up. You were singing Skillet; you can't judge."
He shrugged slightly. "Point well made."
The Jaeger AI spoke in response to their thoughts and adjustments: "Torque engaged." Raleigh and Greyson both pulled the tanker around, and the momentum flung it into Gipsy'd hands; they kept it there in a batter's hold.
Hey, batt'a, batt'a. Hey, batt'a, batt'a—
I hate baseball
—Swing!
Gipsy Danger hit Otachi square in the face; once from the side, and the other. With a swipe downwards, she clocked it on the crown. Out of nowhere, its scorpion-like tail took hold of the big rig and threw it.
To their surprise, the tanker bounced once before getting lodged between two nearby buildings.
When they looked back, Otachi's tail barreled into them. Gipsy Danger went soaring and landed flat on her back. By the time she got to her feet, the kaiju had made it down twelve blocks, out of sight.
Gipsy got to where it turned, but all they saw was the crumbling parts of a commercial building. Greyson grew irritated at their interior instruments. "I can't pinpoint it," she announced, though Raleigh already knew that. "It's moving quickly. Keep your eyes peeled."
"Choppers, do you have a visual?" called Raleigh.
Raleigh and Greyson stopped for a second. Just a second. From their blind-spot, Otachi emerged through a glass building. It threw them into the one adjacent, blowing more debris every which way. They didn't let it falter them. Gipsy Danger met its every offense with counter-punches, hooks, jabs, uppercuts.
While they fought, in the back of Greyson's mind, a thought lingered from what Newt Geiszler has said before. The kaiju were pretty much Dino 2.0. Otachi even reminded her of a stegosaurus. Also the one from Manila, 2019.
Jesus Christ, Sonny, focus, she chastised herself.
Gipsy Danger pulled a failed swing, which it dodged. The whole of their arm disappeared within the building, shattering glass and breaking down office cubicles. Otachi shoved them into another building, and then through it.
Going head-first into three separate buildings wasn't a cake walk. When the kaiju let off of them, they rolled on Gipsy Danger's shoulder and got the mecha to her feet. Otachi spit out a jet stream of Kaiju Blue. Jumping to the side, they avoided the vile acid. They looked back and saw the affected areas of the building behind them begin to disintegrate before their eyes.
That could've been us
Raleigh immediately thought of pulling the venom sac from Otachi. She followed Raleigh's lead, but its barbed tail wrapped around their left side, trying still to grab Gipsy Danger.
"I'll hold it!" Raleigh said with a grunt. "Vent the coolant on the left flank!"
In a millisecond after his instructions, Greyson broke from her position and reached for the control panel. Raleigh kept Otachi's head and tail at arm's length. She released the carbon dioxide, and the kaiju's tail soon froze solid, which allowed them to break through.
Greyson moved, and Raleigh moved with her, and Gipsy grabbed tight on one of its horns in order to keep it still. It allowed them to rip out the sac, which only angered it more.
Otachi knocked down Gipsy and stood on her chest. Its talons dug into her sides, and both pilots felt every little thing breaking inside their Jaeger's interior with harshly sharp pains. The feeling was unlike something either had ever experienced. As if they were lying down on an uneven nail bed.
A cloud of dust disturbed their vison outside of the ConnPod. When they were pulled up, they saw why. The ghastly monsters had fucking wings. With every flap of said wings, Gipsy Danger was jerked violently upwards. Greyson felt it throughout her body and knew Raleigh did as well.
There was a rush of feeling to her abdominal muscles, and the warmth made the hairs on their arms stand on end. Greyson's legs suddenly felt heavy, as if a shot of morphine had gone through her system.
But the pain was the worst part. Otachi was bashing them against the roofs of buildings as it flew higher up. Greyson was convinced the pain was caused by the damages to Gipsy's exterior until she… remembered.
It's been three days since she found out. Her mind was racing from struggling against the kaiju, but thoughts flitted past: Protect it don't let it happen Jesus fuck please I can't
"Sonny!" Raleigh's cries convinced her that her worst fear was coming true. "Sonny, what the hell's wrong? Talk to me!"
Greyson shoved the thought away before it even fully formed, before he could focus and realize.
There was no more rain. No nothing. A silence. It took a few moments for it to sink into either of them that they were actually leaving Earth's lower atmosphere. The Jaeger AI supported their worried assumptions.
Gipsy Danger was jerked upright once more, and a cold shiver rolled down their spines at once.
"Temperature's dropping. We're losing oxygen!" Raleigh's voice brought her back to reality. She stared at the control monitors; he continued. "Both plasma cannons are shot. We're out of options, Sonny."
No. The same fire burned through her again. There was quick flash of memory between them – molten metals, chain sword — and Greyson growled out, "No, there's something left!" The moment those words left her lips, the idea settled into Raleigh.
He was curious, confused, relieved. But Raleigh didn't question her. When the chain sword was deployed, it whipped about for the amount of time it took for them to shift an arm. It set itself the moment they were in position.
Now, it was Raleigh's turn to follow her lead.
Greyson felt his eyes train on her every move, vowing to keep precise, mimicking hers. The sword ripped through flesh under Otachi's wing. With out hard swipe, the kaiju came cleanly in two.
That was when Gipsy Danger went into free-fall. The rigs were jerking them around because the Jaeger continued the tumble and roll mid-fall. Dropping felt the worst. Greyson's back ached terribly, and the shooting pain was still there.
They flipped to their front, spread-eagle. Outside the ConnPod, they could sense the heat building up, and what little heat barrier they had breaking down.
"Fifty thousand feet to ground contact."
Shit
"Altitude loss: critical."
Oh god, we're going to die
The Jaeger AI kept counting down to their death blow. It was then that Marshal Pentecost's voice came through the communications speaker. "Gipsy, listen to me!" The Marshal instructed, "Loosen all shock absorbers, use your gyroscope as balance and ball up! It's your only chance."
Greyson's heart was in her throat. Their eyes met, brown to blue. We're not going to die. Not today
"Fuel purge! NOW!"
A surge of power erupted out of Gipsy Danger's reactor. They were thrown upwards a few hundred feet. Greyson's stomach did flips, and cartwheels, and she felt like she was at Coney Island.
"Impact alert," the AI announced.
Both Raleigh and Greyson held their breath; they already knew what the other was thinking, but he said it anyway: "Brace for it, Sonny!"
Darkness.
Being inside Gipsy Danger stunted most of the fall, but Greyson could still feel the impact shock reverberating in her bones.
The power had gone out. Or did it? Were they still alive? Lights flickered on and off. And then, stayed on. The dust cloud cleared away after a few seconds.
"Sonny… Talk to me." Raleigh was worried. Not because Greyson was in shock – which, quite frankly, she was – but because of her little episode not too long ago. It had passed, but the thought haunted her. The thought of losing… losing…
Trauma. All it was, was trauma.
"Greyson," Raleigh prompted once more, "you okay?"
She took in a much-needed breath. "Yeah," she sighed, voice wavering. "You?"
Sharing a look, they managed to laugh. Greyson pushed her worries away, into the deepest recesses of her mind, trying. She'd just finished her first drop. She just killed two kaiju. They had survived. Raleigh smiled at her, pride and relief in his eyes. Their thoughts mingled, and in that moment…
In that moment, all she could focus on was Raleigh Becket.