The rush of adrenaline filled Analia's veins as she settled into the Conn-Pod of Gypsy Avenger, the massive Jaeger towering over Sydney's skyline. Her hands gripped the controls, her mind syncing with Jake's through the drift as they prepared to drop into the city. Despite the banter in her ear from Raleigh, her focus was already on the mission ahead.
"Gypsy Avenger, this is Marshal Beckett," Raleigh's voice crackled through the comms. "All you have to do is stand there and look pretty. Shouldn't be too hard. Stay focused, try not to fall over."
Analia couldn't help but let out a nervous laugh, the familiar flirtation easing some of the tension that had been building in her shoulders. "Roger that, sir," she replied with a sly smile, shooting a quick glance at Jake beside her, who rolled his eyes playfully.
As the countdown began, Analia's grip tightened on the is it, she thought, trying to calm her racing sharp.
"Go for drop," Raleigh's voice cut through the air, his tone steady and commanding. "In three, two, one. Drop!"
The jolt of the drop was immediate, and Analia felt her heart leap into her throat as they hurtled towards the sprawling city below. The world outside the Conn-Pod spun wildly as they descended towards their target.
Her breath caught as the drift began to wobble, threatening to throw them off course. "Jake!" she barked urgently, her voice laced with fear.
The AI's monotone voice droned back at her, "Drift alignment unstable."
"Relax," Jake's voice was surprisingly calm despite the turbulence. "It's coming back to me."
Analia shot him a wary glance, feeling the unsteady pulse of their neural connection. "You sure?" She couldn't afford any mistakes in this crucial moment.
The AI chimed again, its metallic voice ringing through the cockpit. "Ion cells activated," it announced.
Analia felt a sense of relief flood through her as they regained control of their Jaeger, but the awkward drift that had occurred left her feeling uneasy. They were connected on a deeper level now, and there were memories she wished would stay buried.
"We're in each other's heads, remember?" she reminded Jake sharply. "So I'd appreciate if you could refrain from thinking about Jules."
Jake's smirk was barely contained as he shot her a sidelong glance. "How about you stop thinking about last night and focus on the mission? I might need to be brainwashed after this."
Analia's face flushed with heat, her stomach twisting at the thought of Jake seeing her memories of her and Raleigh entwined together from the previous night. She couldn't believe she had let herself be so vulnerable in front of him. Damn drift.
"Thank you, Ranger, for that unnecessary reminder," she snapped, trying to push away the distraction and focus on the task at hand.
"Incoming transport," the AI warned them.
"Gypsy to Command. Are you reading this?" Jake's voice came over the comm system, tinged with concern.
Analia waited anxiously for Raleigh's response. "Your estimated time of arrival is two minutes."
With a deep breath, Analia focused on the city below as their Jaeger readjusted itself according to their commands. But a nagging feeling in her gut told her something wasn't right. And then it happened—movement in the water caught her eye.
A massive form began to rise from the harbor, its sleek silhouette casting an ominous shadow. A rogue Jaeger was emerging, heading straight for Sydney Opera House and beyond that, the summit at headquarters.
"Gypsy, this is Command," Raleigh's urgent voice crackled through the comm system. "Be advised, we have a rogue Jaeger."
Analia immediately took charge. "Pilots of unregistered Jaeger, power down and exit your Conn-Pod immediately. I repeat, power down and exit your Conn-Pods now."
The rogue Jaeger didn't respond. Instead, its shoulder ports flared open, launching a barrage of missiles that streaked toward headquarters.
"Missiles fired!" Raleigh warned.
Analia yanked the controls, and Gypsy Avenger twisted sharply to the side. The missile whizzed past, its roar deafening as it smashed into the HQ building. An explosion bloomed in the distance, and Analia's stomach lurched as she watched the rooftop helicopter pad buckle and fall. In sync they reached for the helicopter pad and caught it before it hit anyone on the ground,
"Jake, we're losing power!" Analia shouted as warning lights flickered across the control panel. The AI's monotone voice was a dull hum in her ear.
"Low power warning," the AI droned.
Mako's voice cut in briefly. "Jake! That Jaeger's power reading is—" Then the comms went dead, jammed by the rogue Jaeger.
Before they could react, another missile slammed into Gypsy Avenger's shoulder, sending them reeling backward. Analia gritted her teeth, her muscles straining against the sudden force. The Jaeger's back smashed into the building behind them, the glass and concrete crumbling in their wake. The comms crackled briefly before Raleigh's voice came through again.
"Gypsy, do you copy?"
"Analia!" Jake called, his hands tight on the controls.
"I've got power back!" she shouted, her hands moving swiftly over the console.
They steadied themselves just in time to see the rogue Jaeger charging forward. It raised a massive arm, the dark metal gleaming in the sun as it swung toward them. Analia instinctively pulled back on the controls, maneuvering Gypsy Avenger into a defensive stance.
"Throw the helicopter pad!" she shouted.
With the debris from the HQ rooftop in hand, they hurled it at the rogue Jaeger. The impact sent the Jaeger staggering back, but it recovered quickly, throwing a right hook that slammed into Gypsy Avenger's chest. The force sent them stumbling, and they crashed into another building, the front of it collapsing from the blow. The sound of shattering glass and steel screeched in their ears, but there was no time to assess the damage. They stood quickly unsheathing the blade on their left arm.
"Shit!" Jake cursed, as the rogue Jaeger came at them again, its arms igniting with plasma-edged blades.
"Oh, fuck," Analia muttered, feeling the weight of the moment press down on her. They barely dodged the first swing, parrying the blade with a quick twist of Gypsy Avenger's arm. The rogue Jaeger came in hard, its elbow crashing into their faceplate, sending them stumbling backward. Pain shot through Analia's side as the drift synced the blow to her body.
She winced, shaking her head to reorient .The rogue Jaeger slashed again, its blade cutting across Gypsy Avenger's midsection. Analia felt the sharp sting of the drift translation in her own body, her side throbbing.
"What do we do?" Jake's voice was laced with urgency.
"Follow my lead!" Analia barked.
As the rogue Jaeger's blade lodged into the side of a building, Analia seized the moment. She activated the elbow thrusters, preparing a heavy punch. Gypsy Avenger's fist smashed into the rogue Jaeger's chest, sending it hurtling backward. But it steadied itself quickly, using its own blades to cut through the buildings on either side, anchoring itself against the fall.
Missiles flared again from the rogue Jaeger, and Analia's heart dropped as one streaked past them, heading straight for Mako's helicopter.
"Mako's hit!" Jake shouted, panic rising in his voice. "She's going down!"
Analia's hands flew across the controls. "We've gotta move! Activating gravity sling!" The system whirred to life, and they pulled debris—cars, rubble, anything they could—into the air, slamming it into the rogue Jaeger's face to slow its pursuit.
But it wasn't enough. Jake was already unhooking himself from the Conn-Pod, ignoring Analia's shouts.
"Jake! Wait!" she yelled, her voice filled with panic as he tore off his helmet and sprinted toward Mako. "The other Jaeger!"
"Goddammit!" Analia cursed, feeling her blood boil as she fumbled for the comms. "Gypsy to Control, I'm without a co-pilot! I'm a sitting duck!"
Raleigh's voice cut through the chaos. "You're in the clear. Rogue Jaeger is retreating. Ana, are you alright?"
Analia slumped back in the pilot seat, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. "I'm a little banged up but otherwise unharmed," she replied, though the sting in her side told a different story. The Jaeger was retreating, but the damage had been done.
As the sounds of sirens and distant explosions echoed through the city, Analia closed her eyes for a moment, the weight of the battle settling into her is only the beginning.