The wreckage ofObsidian Furyloomed over them, the once imposing Jaeger now reduced to a pile of twisted metal and eerie silence. Smoke still hissed from its broken seams, and the sight of the thing made Ezra's skin crawl. He exchanged a glance with Amara, who, as usual, had that glint in her eye—the one that meant she was up to something.
Suresh was the first to voice what they were all thinking. "Oh my God. That hunk of slimy crap was piloting Obsidian Fury?"
Amara's gaze never left the Jaeger. "We've got to get a look inside."
Suresh blinked in disbelief. "Inside?"
"That thing's part Kaiju," Amara insisted, already stepping forward. "Come on, guys. When are we ever gonna get a chance to see something like this again?"
Ezra felt a mix of excitement and hesitation swirling in his 's not wrong, he thought. Seeing a Jaeger fused with Kaiju flesh was unheard of—and dangerous. But the curiosity in him outweighed the caution.
Suresh, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to bolt. "Never," he said, shaking his head. "Never would be good."
Amara rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You guys can stay here. I'm going."
"No, Amar... Amara," Suresh stammered, nervously glancing between her and the wreckage. His reluctance was palpable.
Ezra clapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "Come on, Suresh. How bad could it be?"
Suresh looked like he wanted to argue, but instead, he sighed dramatically. "I hate that I'm following you guys into this."
Without another word, Amara led the way, and the group followed. The inside of Obsidian Fury was dark, the shadows swallowing them as they entered the Conn-Pod. The air was thick with a musty, almost organic smell that made Ezra's nose wrinkle in disgust. They flicked on their flashlights, the narrow beams of light cutting through the blackness.
The interior was like nothing they'd ever seen. Kaiju tissue was intertwined with every piece of machinery—thick, slimy strands of muscle and sinew that pulsed faintly, as if still alive. Ezra's breath hitched as he took in the sight, his stomach twisting at the grotesque fusion of flesh and metal.
"Guys, guys, we shouldnotbe in here," Suresh whispered, his voice tinged with panic.
Amara ignored him, shining her flashlight along the walls of the Conn-Pod. "It's fused all the way through the system. Like... muscle tissue," she muttered, her voice filled with awe.
Ezra stepped closer, his flashlight catching more of the gruesome details. The Kaiju tissue stretched and connected to the mechanical joints like tendons, giving the Jaeger its unnatural fluidity in battle.
"That's how it was able to move like it did," Ezra said, the pieces clicking together in his mind. The fusion wasn't just a grotesque experiment—it was functional.
"Cool," Jinhai muttered, his eyes wide with amazement.
Suresh, on the other hand, wasn't impressed. "Yeah, cool. Working with boobs is sounding better and better," he grumbled, hugging his arms close to his body as if the tissue might suddenly reach out and grab him.
"Shine your light over here," Amara called out from deeper within the wreckage, her flashlight illuminating a strange mass near the controls.
Suresh muttered something under his breath but complied, reluctantly shining his light in Amara's direction. "Yeah, let's just go yank on the guts of the weird-ass Kaiju killbot," he groaned.
Ezra crouched down beside Amara, watching as she carefully reached for the tangled mess of tissue. "What is it?" he asked, his voice low.
Amara didn't answer right away. Instead, she pulled a small tool from her belt and sliced off a piece of the Kaiju flesh. It came away with a sickening squelch, oozing a strange, viscous liquid. She held it up, inspecting it closely. "I think it's some sort of—"
Suddenly, something wet and burning dripped onto Ezra's arm. His eyes widened in shock as he saw the liquid eating through his sleeve, the fabric bubbling and dissolving like acid. Pain shot through his arm as it made contact with his skin, the burn searing deep.
"Ezra!" Amara's voice cut through the air, filled with panic.
Ezra gritted his teeth, trying to keep calm, but the pain was intense. He could feel the acidic burn spreading, biting into his flesh like fire. "Ah, shit!" he hissed, clutching his arm.
Suresh's face turned pale as he took a step back, his voice high with panic. "I told you not to yank on those!"
Amara didn't waste a second. "Go get help! Go!"
Suresh didn't need to be told twice. He bolted out of the wreckage, his footsteps pounding against the metal as he disappeared down the corridor.
"Man, we are so screwed!" Suresh's voice echoed behind him as he ran.
Ezra's vision swam from the pain, but he stayed focused on the task at hand. "It's... burning through," he managed to get out, clutching his arm as Amara knelt beside him.
"Hold still," she ordered, her voice sharp and commanding. She grabbed a piece of cloth from her belt and pressed it against the burn, trying to stop the acidic liquid from doing more damage.
Ezra winced but forced himself to stay still. "Just... don't touch the damn walls."
Amara gave him a tight-lipped smile. "No kidding."
The rest of the group huddled nearby, watching with a mixture of horror and helplessness. The Kaiju-infused Jaeger was a nightmare come to life, and they were right in the middle of it.
Ezra's breath came in ragged gasps, the pain still radiating through his arm, but the immediate danger had .He glanced at Amara, who was still focused, her hands steady as she worked.
"Next time," he muttered, his voice weak but laced with a hint of sarcasm, "I'm not listening to you."
Amara smirked, her eyes glinting with a mixture of worry and amusement. "Yeah, well... thanks for not letting me go in alone."
Ezra sat on the edge of the medical cot, wincing as the nurse finished bandaging his arm. The burn from the Kaiju acid still throbbed under the layers of gauze, but it wasn't the pain in his arm that had his attention—it was the muffled argument coming from outside the medical bay. He could hear his parents, their voices tense, carrying through the thin walls.
His mom and dad didn't fight often, but when they did, it was like the air around them crackled with electricity. Ezra tried not to listen, but it was impossible to ignore.
"This goes way past what she did," his dad's voice cut through the muffled sounds of the hallway. Raleigh sounded angry, angrier than Ezra had heard him in a long time. "She put my son's life at risk, and I cannot have someone so reckless on our team. I'm sorry, but the decision has been made."
Ezra flinched at his dad's words. He wasn't used to hearing his father so upset, especially about something that involved him. He shifted on the cot, the bandage on his arm pulling uncomfortably as he glanced at Amara, who was sitting nearby. She wasn't saying anything, but the way her shoulders were hunched, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her shirt, he could tell she was just as tense as he was.
Ezra felt a mix of emotions churning in his gut—guilt, worry, and is my fault too,he thought, staring down at the fresh bandages. He had followed Amara into the Jaeger wreck, just as curious and reckless as she had been. But now, it felt like she was going to take the fall for it.
He could hear his mom's voice next, quieter but firm. Analia was always the one to keep her cool, even when things were tense. "Raleigh, I understand you're upset, but—"
"I'm not just upset!" Raleigh snapped, cutting her off. His voice was louder now, and Ezra felt his stomach tighten. "She almost got Ezra killed! You saw his arm, Analia. That acid was eating through him. What if it had been worse? What if it wasn't just his arm?"
Ezra swallowed hard, guilt gnawing at 's right,he thought, staring at his bandaged could've been worse. A lot it wasn't just Amara's fault. He had gone in there too, knowing the risks. He had been the one encouraging Suresh and the others to follow.
He glanced over at Amara again. She hadn't said a word since the argument started, but he could see the tension in her body. Her fists were clenched in her lap, her face pale as she listened to what was happening just outside the door. She looked like she was bracing herself for the worst.
Ezra wanted to say something, anything, to make it better, but his throat felt tight. His parents were the ones deciding her fate, and right now, it didn't sound good.
"She's a kid, Raleigh," his mom's voice softened, but there was a determined edge to it. "They both are. They made a bad decision, but it doesn't mean she's reckless or doesn't belong here. She's just learning, like all of them."
Ezra's heart swelled with a mix of relief and 's sticking up for her,he thought. But at the same time, his dad's frustration was still simmering just beneath the surface. He wasn't going to let this go easily.
Raleigh's voice was sharp again, cutting through the quiet. "I can't risk it. Not with Ezra's life on the line. She's gone, Analia. I'm sorry."
Ezra's breath caught in his ?His dad was serious—he was really going to kick Amara out of the program. He didn't know what to feel—anger, frustration, guilt?This isn't right.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the door to the medical bay slid open, and his dad stepped inside. Raleigh's face was drawn tight, his frustration clear, but when his eyes landed on Ezra, they softened slightly.
He walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling, kid?" he asked, his voice lower now, calmer.
Ezra forced a small smile. "I'm alright, Dad. It hurts, but I'll survive."
Raleigh nodded, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "Good. Just... rest up, okay? Don't do anything else stupid."
Ezra let out a weak chuckle, but the guilt in his chest hadn't lessened. "No promises," he muttered.
His dad smiled faintly, but when he glanced at Amara, the warmth disappeared. His expression hardened, his jaw set in that way that meant he wasn't going to change his mind. He didn't say anything to her, just gave her that look before turning on his heel and leaving the room.
The door clicked shut behind him, and the tension in the room was suffocating. Ezra felt like he couldn't breathe for a moment, the weight of everything pressing down on him.
His mom walked over, her expression soft but tired. She crouched beside him, gently checking the bandage on his arm. Her fingers were careful, but Ezra could see the worry in her eyes.
"How does it feel?" she asked, her voice quiet but steady.
Ezra winced a little as her fingers brushed over the bandage, but he forced a smile. "Better. They said it's not too deep. Just... hurts like hell."
Analia smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Good. You were lucky this time."
Ezra nodded, his guilt still gnawing at him. "Yeah... I know."
His mom's hand rested gently on his shoulder for a moment before she turned to Amara, who was sitting on the edge of her seat, her eyes wide with worry. The silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken words. Ezra knew what was coming, and the thought of it made his heart sink.
"Amara..." Analia started softly, her voice kind but firm. She pulled up a chair and sat beside her, her eyes filled with a sadness that mirrored the weight of what she was about to say. "I have to tell you something."
Ezra saw the way Amara's face tightened, her eyes pleading silently for some kind of good news. But there was none. His mom's voice was gentle, but the words still hit like a sledgehammer.
"Raleigh's made his decision," she said slowly. "He doesn't think you can stay in the program after what happened."
Amara blinked, her face going pale as the weight of those words settled in. "But... but it wasn't just me! I didn't mean for Ezra to get hurt—I swear! We were just... I was just trying to—"
"I know," Analia said, cutting her off softly. "I know you didn't mean for this to happen. But Raleigh's right in a way. You went inside that Jaeger without permission. You put yourself and Ezra in danger."
Ezra wanted to jump in, to tell them both that it wasn't Amara's fault, that it was his idea too, but his throat felt tight. The words wouldn't come out, and he just sat there, helpless, as his mom broke the news to her.
Amara's shoulders slumped, her eyes filling with guilt and fear. "So... that's it? I'm done?"
Analia sighed, placing a hand on Amara's shoulder. "I'm afraid so."
Ezra's heart dropped into his stomach. This was wrong. It wasn't just her fault.I should've said something earlier.
The silence that followed was thick, suffocating. Amara sat motionless, her face pale, her eyes wide with disbelief. The news had hit her hard, and Ezra could see the way her body tensed, her hands gripping the edge of the medical bed so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
For a long moment, no one spoke.
Analia squeezed Amara's shoulder gently before standing up and giving Ezra a soft look, as if to reassure him that everything would be okay, even though they both knew it wasn't. She stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Ezra shifted uncomfortably on the bed, the burn on his arm still throbbing beneath the bandages. He stared down at his hands, guilt gnawing at him. He wanted to say something, to tell Amara he was sorry—sorry for not stepping in, sorry for letting this happen—but the words stuck in his throat, too heavy to speak.
Amara was still, her eyes locked on the floor, her breathing shallow. Ezra opened his mouth to say something, anything, but before he could get the words out, she finally looked up at him.
Her face was tight with anger.
"Why didn't you say anything?" she asked, her voice low but laced with frustration.
Ezra blinked, taken aback by the intensity of her question. "What?"
Amara's eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched as she stood up from the chair. "You just sat there! You didn't say a word to them. You could have—" she broke off, shaking her head in disbelief. "You could have stood up for me! You could have told your dad it wasn't just me in there!"
Ezra's heart sank, guilt flooding him in a rush. He'd known this was coming, but hearing her say it out loud made it worse. He swallowed hard, trying to find the right words, but nothing felt like enough.
"I—I know," he stammered, his voice weak. "I should've said something, but—"
"But you didn't!" Amara snapped, cutting him off. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her eyes blazing with anger. "I'm getting kicked out of the program because of this! And you didn't do anything to stop it!"
Ezra winced, her words cutting 's had sat there, frozen, while his parents decided her fate. He hadn't defended her, hadn't even tried to tell them that it wasn't her fault alone. And now, she was paying the price.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't know what to say."
Amara let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head in disbelief. "That's the problem, Ezra. You never know what to say when it matters."
Her words hit like a punch to the gut, and Ezra flinched, shame creeping up his spine. He wanted to defend himself, to tell her that it wasn't that simple, that his dad wasn't someone you just argued with and won. But deep down, he knew she was right. He hadn't stood up for her, and now she was being thrown out because of it.
"I should have said something," Ezra admitted, his voice cracking with the weight of his guilt. "But I—I didn't know how to. My dad... he wouldn't have listened."
Amara's eyes flashed with frustration. "It's not about him listening, Ezra! It's about you having the guts to stand up for what's right. You could've at least tried. But instead, you just sat there, like it didn't matter to you."
Her words hit harder than any physical blow, and Ezra felt a burning sensation rise in his chest. He clenched his fists, his guilt transforming into frustration. "Of course it matters to me!" he snapped, his voice louder than he intended. "You think I wanted this to happen? I didn't ask for you to get kicked out!"
"Then why didn't you do something?" Amara's voice was sharp, her anger spilling over. "You're their son, Ezra! They would've listened to you! But no, you just sat there, like some scared little kid!"
Ezra's heart pounded in his chest, the frustration bubbling up to the surface. "You think I'm not scared?" he shot back, his voice rising. "Of course I'm scared! My dad doesn't listen to anyone, not even me! And my mom—she's trying to protect you, but you have no idea how hard this is for her either!"
Amara stared at him, her breathing heavy, her eyes filled with hurt and anger. "You don't get it, Ezra," she said, her voice quieter now but still sharp. "This is everything to me. This is my shot, my chance to be something. And now it's gone because of one mistake. One mistake we both made, but I'm the only one paying for it."
Her words hung in the air, heavy and raw. Ezra opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. What could he say? He knew she was right. Shewaspaying for something they both had done, and he hadn't done anything to stop it.
"I'm sorry," he whispered again, his voice cracking with emotion. "I... I should have done more."
Amara's shoulders slumped, the fire in her eyes dimming as the reality of the situation settled in. She looked away, her face tight with emotion. "Sorry doesn't change anything, Ezra. I'm still out. And you're still here."
The silence between them was suffocating, thick with unspoken words and feelings neither of them knew how to handle. Ezra wanted to fix it, to make it right, but the truth was, there was nothing he could do.
Amara shook her head, letting out a shaky breath. "I need to go," she said softly, not meeting his eyes.
Ezra watched her go, his heart heavy with guilt and regret. He wanted to reach out, to say something to make her stay, but his throat was tight, his mind blank. He had messed up—he knew that. And now, he wasn't sure if there was anything he could do to fix it.