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The Drift shuddered. Metalstorm faltered and Colt nearly lost his footing on the sea shelf.
"Colt."
"Sorry just-" Another spike of pain jolted through his head and he winced, wishing he could have taken his meds before the drop. Alas, no Drifting on a clouded mind. "You know," he sighed.
"Seavers hold yourself together." Stratt's voice rang through the comm system with the unforgiving calm of the Marshall. "Blade Runner take point, Bullet Train support Metalstorm and do not commit without confirmation. Metalstorm will be secondary engage." Tan chuckled over the comm system before Court's reprimand shut him up. Stratt gave the bone deep sigh of someone who has dealt with Bullet Train's pilot's for far too long. "Shapiro to brief on your enemy."
"It's a triple event. Two category fours and a Category five, just like we predicted."
Colt sucked in a breath. A triple event with just Category fours would have already been enough to nearly overwhelm them. A Category five could wipe all three of them out even if they were all at 100%
Something Colt just… wasn't capable of anymore.
- warmth under a blanket while sat stood under the awning, Colt's body shaking by her side as they watched the rain bucket down on a tombstone -
Shit he didn't mean to drag her mind down with him. "Jody, sor-"
"Colt if you apologise again I am throwing you out of this Jaeger." she cut him off, a sombre bite to her words. They both knew he couldn't help it, not in Metalstorm, and not this close to the breach but still. She shouldn't have to put up with his failures.
"Oi stop flirting in the comms lovebirds." Of course Tom had to chime in with his own two cents.
"Be on your guard. The Kaiju are approaching." Court barked and they all shut up and squared up. Here it was, the first look at what they were up against.
A shape lunged out of the water, clambering up onto the sea shelf. Large and Tough plates covered the whole thing, with a boxy head and obvious hard muscle. The dim red light of it's eyes and mouth were all the Astrophage that was visible, the rest dormant in it's blood.
"There is Iron-bore. Built heavy and strong, do not let that horn gore you, it could very well rupture your power cores." Shapiro explained.
Beside it, the waves whipped around and bubbled as a tendril pulled a new shape out of the waves. Sleeker than it's cousin and showing much more red, it had six plated tentacles twitching and swishing through the waves, like a demented octopus with too many mouths.
"Inclemency. This one looks to be capable of whipping the waves and ground into an unsteady foothold with those tentacles, while potentially restricting movement. Do not allow it to get a grip." DuBois stated. Ahead of them, Blade Runner shifted. With their sword, it was clear which Kaiju those two would be going against at the start.
The ocean behind the Kaiju began to glow red.
Before exploding outwards in a shower of hot mist.
The Kaiju that rose into the air was unlike any they'd seen before. Colt felt dread pool into his stomach while Jody's unease echoed through the Drift.
It was big, on the larger end of the Category five's. Six legs, a long and strong tail, and two massive wings on it's back. It's neck stretched out from it's chest and ended in an almost canine head with three large, obvious eyes. It didn't have scales or plating just a thin membrane. It's body was almost transluscent, the sunlight and spotlights passing through and highlighting the way it's organs pulsed and strange gases moved through it's body. Vapour puffed out of vents and gills on it's flanks, releasing mist that made it look hazy. Bright glowing red flickered through it's body with excitement.
As it fell down from the air and landed heavily on the ocean floor, Colt's dread bottomed out to - anticipation - and a hint of fear. What the hell was that thing?
"Kaiju Name is Astrum Deus. Category five. Analysis!" Ortiz chirped.
"Thank you Rocky, we are still working on it. It is unlike any Kaiju we've ever seen. From the looks of it there is actively charged Astrophage inside of it. Exercise extreme caution when engaging."
Jody readied their weapon systems while Colt prepared the combat protocol. He brushed off Jody's concern and focused on - securing the objective -
The three Kaiju stood on the edge of the shelf for another moment before Astrum Deus reared up onto it's hind legs. It's wings stretched out, covering the sun as it opened its jaw and let out a high pitched screech.
Inclemency and Iron-bore charged forward as Astrum Deus went back down onto its paws. Blade Runner and Bullet Train came forward to meet them but Metalstorm lagged behind. Colt was still trying to get his ears to stop ringing from that scream. Metalstorm looked up. Iron-bore had broken past Bullet Train and was coming right for them.
They got their arm up just in time to catch Iron-bore and shove it away. For once Bullet Train was on top of it, using their drill arm slam into Iron-bore's flank in an attempt to crack some of it's armor and get to it's insides.
Metalstorm rolled their shoulder and got to work, pushing through the waves and reeling back it's arm to deliver a powerful punch to it's other side.
The Kaiju roared as Bullet Train managed to break through it's armour, but the drill barely dug in before Iron-bore shoved Metalstorm away and. There was barely any red on it. This thing was tougher than Rockstar.
It tried to go for Bullet Train, but Metalstorm managed to grab it by the horn and wrench it to the side, stopping it from gaining any momentum. As it thrashed, Stratt's voice came through the comms.
"Astrum Deus is not engaging. Remain vigilant and do not underestimate it." She barked. Colt turned to look.
She was right.
Astrum Deus was still standing on the edge of the shelf, looking over at it's companions with rapt but idle attention. Fins around it's neck twitched occasionally, and it was shifting it's weight around it's paws, but aside from the occasional head tilt it was completely idle. - It was waiting for something before it acted -.
Colt heard about what happened up near Tokyo with Leatherback and Otachi. If Astrum Deus had EMP or similar in it's arsenal, they couldn't let it get whatever opening it was waiting for.
Unfortunately the wrong person also had the same idea.
"Yo Metalstorm hold the rhino, we're going after the big guy!" Tom jeered before Bullet Train turned towards the Category Five. Colt's heart leapt to his throat. What the fuck do the think they'll actually be able to fight that thing alone!
- they both cursed whoever thought letting Ryder fill in for Lemon while he was in the med-bay was a good idea. That idiot was going to get himself and Tangerine killed! -
Metalstorm threw themself after Bullet Train but Iron-bore blocked their path. Jody loaded their magazine in time for Colt to start firing but Iron-bore didn't care. Behind it, Blade Runner could be seen trying to evade Inclemancy's tentacles to no avail. The Kaiju's were isolating Bullet Train.
"Bullet Train fall back!" Joe snapped over the comms but at this point Colt wouldn't be surprised if the twins were either ignoring them or had actively turned off all communication systems. Tangerine you know better than this stop following Ryder off a fucking cliff!
Bullet Train continued to march forward and Astrum Deus rose up.
Once more, the Kaiju's wings unfurled. This time, the flickers of red energy, the charged and dangerous Astrophage through the monster's body, began to move. Astrum Deus crouched down, hackles raised and tail low, it's eyes locked unerringly onto Bullet Train - brimming with energy and excitement, this was it! - Colt shook his head and looked towards Jody. She was looking at him. That… that wasn't from her end of the handshake? They were slammed in the chest by Iron-bore and Colt focused back on their defense, now was not the time to ask questions!
Bullet Train kept up their advance, but they were still far out. If Blade Runner gave Inclemency the slip, they might be able to catch up-
The Astrophage finished gathering in Astrum Deus' wings, and a blinding flash of red was the only warning they got before the Kaiju was slamming into Bullet Train and throwing the Jaeger across the ocean floor.
The waves crashed into Metalstorm's shins and they took a second to stablise themself. How was it that fast!
"Astrophage! Uses Astrophage to fly fast fast fast!" the head engineer's digital voice chattered into the microphone while Ilyukhina could be heard trying to wrestle him away.
Very helpful Ortiz but now is not the time!
"FUCKING SHIT!" Tangerine screamed. Looks like they un-deafened their comms. Jody thankfully turned Bullet Train's channel down before Tom joined in.
"HOW THE FUCK-!"
"Hold on we're coming!" Jody called back over the comms before Colt lifted their rifle. They couldn't let Astrum Deus rip into-
- Where is it where is the connection - find the torn thread and use it to bring about their demise - you'll know him when you sense him - what's happening why does it hurt - not right Jaeger? Try again - Rip it in two! - why wont it work? -
Colt's vision whited out and he gasped. His brain was melting, ever nerve in his body on fire. If felt like drowning.
- There you are -
The ghost Drift burned.
"Colt!"
Jody. She was watching him, looked like she was about to step out of her suit to get to him. He could taste copper on his tongue, did he bite it? It didn't matter. The Kaiju, they were there for him!
"We've got to-"
They were thrown off their feet by the battering ram horn of Iron-bore.
They slammed into the sea floor and water surged over the displays. Before they could get up a transluscent, clawed paw forced them back down.
Six glowing eyes and the face of a fox bore down on them from above.
Astrum Deus
It began to glow red. The fins on its neck flared out and its eyes never left Colt's.
"Neural Handshake initiated."
-found you found you found you-
-Colt! agh!-
-control it, use it, eradicate the vermin-
- Shatter their shells! -
- fuck it hurts it hurts so much -
- burns! Claw is painful! -
- So, you did come back to the fight after all. He said you would -
- there's needles in my head and they're sharp they stabbing me you're murdering me stop please let me die stop bringing me back -
- he's ripped away and I can't save him and everything becomes too much but I can still feel him he's hurt, he's dying, he's -
- pain pain pain why does it hurt it didn't hurt before but it always hurts needles in my brain picking me apart be good I need to be good but it hurts too much -
- there are hands on me but holy fucking shit what the fuck happened what is going on and it fucking hurts stop fucking hurting! -
- "You most likely will not remember this so what is the harm? Come, take it, I have heard that alcohol can serve as a sort of pain relief when ingested, yes?" The Precursor hums in those weird tri-tone notes of its, an alien parody of the english language, as it holds out a small, picture perfect shot glass towards me in one of it's fore-claws.
I want to throw that fudging glass so bad right now. I look up at the monster that stole my brother's name.
I take it, and try to ignore the way my arm shakes.
Seavers cocks it's head to the side, as intrigued by my body as always. "Humans do not handle trauma well, do they?" it asks, equal parts teasing, curious, and condescending.
"Why ask, you know the answer, and it's not like you care." I hiss bitterly, downing the shot as though one glass will make me forget everything. I don't think I'd be lucky enough to get alcohol poisoning from this or even better, normal poisoning.
If I was lucky at all, I wouldn't be here.
The Precursor leans against the wall, rearing up onto its hind legs in thought while it tapped a claw on the glass in its hand. It was a pose ripped right from my memories, and I need to bite my tongue to stop myself from screaming at it. Stop imitating my brother!
Finally it nods to itself and looks down at me. I try not to shrink away. It swirls the glass around before saying, "I do see you as a person, if you had any doubt. That's why I am doing this."
"I hate you." I bite at it to hide the way those words chill me to my spine. I knew that these aliens were insane but somehow it's worse, knowing that it sees me as a person.
Seavers chuckles and lifts it's mask, knocking back the shot with ease. "In a couple of hours you will not be able to," it smirks.
I throw my glass at it. It doesn't even scratch its carapace. -
- I'm standing in the rain.
They made him a statue. That's what happens when you become a Jaeger Pilot. You're famous, you're a celebrity, you get to die with the world watching. They make you a statue to remember you by. The call you honourable, patriotic, brave. A hundred little words that couldn't even begin to describe you. Dorky, Smart, an asshole sometimes and especially if your name was Dr Scyther and you were at the UNESCO Conference in Denmark.
I can still feel him. Screaming for me, throwing Metalstorm away so Erinx couldn't grab me too. He was so scared when he was ripped from the rig. I was terrified. But then Carmine stepped in and Blade Runner couldn't stop it from taking off back into the water. Back into the Breach.
There wasn't even a body to bury.
"I can still feel him," I sob. What does it matter what tear fall, the sky's crying too.
Besides Court is right there, he's seen worse.
Joe left to get something, I don't know, I didn't hear him. Jody was waiting in the car. Ortiz had come, he was with Jody, fiddling with some gadget or gizmo or something.
Court still hasn't left. I know he's looking at me, pitying me.
For one bitter moment I'm jealous. Court's twin was still alive.
The moment passes and I'm just left feeling hollow.
Court sighs and when he reaches out I lean in
"I know kid."-
- Something breaks -
He's right there. Right next to me, hand curled in mine. Shakey, scared, sobbing. They were five again, hiding in the closet among the mess of clothes they didn't bother fold up, pressed against the back wall. Court told them to hide, that he'd come meet them once everything was safe but nothing is ever safe. Not when Dad is around. Not when I can hear Court's whimpers just under Dad's shouts.
There's another loud bang and my brother flinches hard.
I grab his hand and hold it close to my chest. He curls up into my side and I plant my face in his hair.
No matter what happens, I'm not leaving his side.
I'm never going to stop fighting for you.
Ryland.
"Neural Handshake confirmed."
Jody gasped, stumbling back towards the other side of the room. Colt was beginning to move again, shaking his head out. Through Metalstorm's display, she could see Astrum Deus making the exact same moves. She could feel Metalstorm doing the same. What the fuck was happening? She wasn't in the Drift anymore, mission control cut her connection when the neural load got too much but they told her they weren't able to cut Colt's due to the active interfacing.
The active connection that the Kaiju was trying to establish. Did establish.
"Metalstorm come in. Moreno what is happening in there."
She looked towards Colt, who was standing again. He turned to look at her. Astrum Deus and Metalstorm turned with him.
He looked bad. There was blood under his nose and staining his visor. Tear tracks washed some of it away. His eyes were sharp, sharper than they'd been in a long time. "Jody please move back. We need to get up and I don't want you hurt" he said, and the concern and care in his tone made her pause. She could hear Astrum Deus warbling under Colt's words.
She staggered back to her rig.
She grit her teeth before shoving her helmet on. "Control patch me in. I need to know what's going through that moron's head." she barked to the comms which promptly blew up.
She could hear shouting and panicking from the Stratterdome, scientists, engineers, and technicians alike scrambling to figure out what the hell was going on. Above it all, Eva Stratt's voice rang clearly and harshly, snapping in her ear, "Moreno you are not initiating a triple drift with Seavers and a Kaiju I forbid it!"
"Patching in!" a computerised voice chirped underneath the cacaphony.
"ROCKY NO!"
It was all the warning she got before a wave of pain slammed into her head. Fuck! It was like she'd been stabbed in the brain - again -
Almost immediately the pain lessened to a dull ache, and understanding flooded in with it.
She could feel it-him-them in the back of her mind. Ryland's shame, Colt's worry, Ryland's concern, Colt's energy.
"It's Ryland. The Kaiju- Astrum- what the fuck." she stammered, unable to take her eyes off the fox-like face in the visor's vision. Metalstorm was looking towards As- Ryland. Holy shit that was Ryland.
"…What?" Stratt asked, the entire Stratterdome falling eerily silent.
"The Kaiju is Ryland!" She shouted like that made any sort of sense.
- Sorry -
"Quiet from the peanut gallery!" she snapped and Colt-Ryland- fuck it, The Twins stopped sending her a buzz of information. Holy fuck never before had she appreciated the fact that in the Drift rigs their bodies matched the Jaeger they were Drifting with perfectly. She did not envy either of the boys, the cognitive dissonance between Metalstorm and Astrum Deus was night and day.
- Court! Joe! -
Jody felt their intentions as Metalstorm turned around and started to move. It still startled her anyway. She hadn't even had time to send back her own input before the Jaeger reacted. Two pilots with 100% Drift compatibility. She'd seen it from cameras, from displays, from the control room as Metalstorm fought while she waited in recovery to return to the field.
Never before had she felt the difference.
There wasn't any decision lag. No pause where decisions were made or communication had. No words exchanged or RABIT's to chase. No hesitation. Just one mind, controlling one- or now two- bodies.
Even Ryland's horrific transformation hadn't changed anything.
In fact, as Metalstorm moved in tandem with Astrum Deus towards Inclemency and Blade Runner's struggles, she'd argue that they'd only grown stronger.
Iron-bore had been caught by Bullet Train before it could reach Blade Runner, but the Jaeger was still in a rough spot. They had managed to slice off some of the Kaiju's tentacles, but now Inclemency had a grip on it's arms and was beginning to try and rip them apart.
- No! -
The Twins snarled before Astrum Deus bounded forward and sank it's fangs into Inclemency's bulbous head. The attack was followed soon by Metalstorm's canons. This time she hadn't even felt the intention until after the attack had been launched.
Jody mentally took a step back. She could admit that she was out of her depth here.
It seems that Stratt thought the same "Moreno I need an update on what Astrum Deus and Metalstorm are thinking and planning." She demanded, and Jody was happy to oblige.
"They're trying to save Blade Runner from Inclemency." She reported, and tried not to fight it as the rig moved her body for her. This had to be the first time there were two conscious pilots inside a Jaeger and only one of them were actively piloting it. The Twins had managed to rip Inclemency off of Blade Runner with Astrum Deus' claws and a couple well placed shots from Metalstorm. Now they were driving it closer to the cliff edge, away from civilisation while Iron-bore attempted to break past Bullet Train's defense with moderate success.
The comms unit crackled with static until a tinny voice spoke through. "Metalstorm do you copy. What is the Kaiju doing." That was Courtland. Blade Runner had been heavily damaged by Inclemency's attacks, so it made sense that their communications were almost down too. Still, Jody hesitated. How do you explain that one of your brothers was actively engaged in a Drift with the Kaiju who also happened to be your dead brother?
- I don't… - The Twins faltered before they were all cut off by the Marshall.
"Blade Runner. Retreat for pick up and repair work. Astrum Deus is working in tandem with Metalstorm to eliminate the Kaiju threat. Return to the Shatterdome for debriefing." Stratt replied through the
"Understood." Court said before Blade Runner shook itself off and began to lumber away. The static disappeared with it, it seemed that the older Gentry twins closed the connection on their end.
- I'll need to explain… everything. - The Twins thought anxiously before turning their attention back to the fight.
Astrum Deus had a tight hold on one of Inclemency's beaks, the one at the very top of it's being. It held the Kaiju in place with one of it's sets of paws and started to pull, holding it open. Metalstorm equipped it's axe attachment. Jody could feel the beginnings of Colt's excitement. Oh no.
She braced herself in time for Metalstorm to run forward, rear up, and slam the axe head down and cleave into Inclemency, practically splitting the Kaiju in half with Astrum Deus' support. Christ Colt can you spill any more Astrophage into the open ocean! - Actually you don't need to worry about the Astrophage. I can absorb it for my own use, my cores provide them enough heat and light energy to be more attractive of a target than the sun -
Jody blinked. "Stratt, Astrum Deus can absorb Astrophage." She reported, unsure what to do with that information. Shapiro, DuBois, hell even Ryland's own research stated that while Astrophage was used as a source of energy and warming for the Kaiju, it wasn't something they could outwardly control. She didn't know too much about the subject, but because of Astrophage's unique properties the creators of the Kaiju used it to make them stronger in place of what should probably be blood. The cost was that the symbiotic Astrophage wouldn't return to the Kaiju if there was a better source of energy, which made it a hazard when fighting against them.
Ryland being able to harness Astrophage marked a worrisome turn in Kaiju creation technology, especially if that light show he'd made to attack Bullet Train was any indicator.
- You don't need to be too worried about that, I've been told that it's not something replicable - The Twins replied and Oh my god boys stop sending ominous sentences across the Drift what is that even supposed to mean!
- Sorry Jody -
Yeah you two better be!
Astrophage-eating aside, Inclemency was out for good. Colt's trigger happy ways paid off with the entire Kaiju basically bisected. Both of it's brains were destroyed.
Now all that was left was Iron-bore, which had broken past Bullet Train and was making it's way towards them. Bullet Train was not far behind.
Suddenly Jody's headache returned with a vengeance. She winced as The Twins' dual conciousness separated slightly into two distinct selves.
- Hey Ry I have an idea -
Oh god no Colt was going to do something stupid wasn't he?
- Colt that could hurt people! -
He was. She couldn't tell what, she was too loosely connected to their Drift to find out, but she knew Colt and knew that it would be something thrill-inducing, and dangerous.
- Only Ryder -
Colt!
- Colt! -
Iron-bore got close enough to attempt to charge Metalstorm again, and Astrum Deus was quick to move around and shove it away and into the water. The comms crackled again, this time with the distinct voice of the man of the hour. "Would," Ryder chuckled, with the faint sound of Tangerine's scolding in the background.
Metalstorm turned to look. Bullet Train was standing there, pointing finger guns at Astrum Deus.
Their conciousness' separated slightly again and this time, beneath Ryland's flustered embarrassment was the distinct flavour of Colt's protective fury. Astrum Deus snarled and pounced, sweeping across the water with his fore-paws to throw Bullet Train to the side and promptly off the cliff. The Jaeger fell with all the grace of a stumbling six year old falling off a cot. It disappeared beneath the waves with barely a shout.
Jody checked. Bullet Train was muted on the comms.
- Look now he's gone - Colt huffed, so very clearly proud of himself that Jody didn't even need the Drift to tell.
- Colt no! - Ryland groaned
- Come on, it'll be cool - Colt egged, and Jody could already tell where this was going. The younger Gentry twins had always been more energetic than the older two and despite the circumstances - Colt was full of many bad ideas and Ryland was bad at telling him no -, it was heartwarming to see it again.
- … fine - Ryland allowed before the headache fully dulled and The Twins were back in full.
Metalstorm began to walk towards the collection point, Astrum Deus sheparding it along the entire way like Jean-Claude. - Stay back Jodes, this is gonna be bright - they sent across before Astrum Deus stepped forward alone.
At least they didn't face her away, she would have killed Colt for that
"Stratt, Astrum Deus is about to do something powerful and potentially risky." She spoke up for control.
"We figured," Stratt huffed. No one could prevent Colt from doing his own thing. They had all tried.
Jody settled down and looked ahead. What were these two about to do?
Astrum Deus crouched down, just as he had when first channelling the Astrophage in his body to pounch on Bullet Train. Oh no.
Indeed, it's wings rose up, and the red lights started to gather again. Boys no this was not a good idea stop that. The thin membrane filtered the sun onto the world, blotting it out with the flicker of charged Astrophage. Dappling the water with spots of red and gold.
A bright burst of green smog flaired through Astrum Deus' body, startling enough that Jody could hear the science team chatter about what it could mean.
Doubly so when Astrum Deus leapt up into the air and managed to stay completely suspended.
A Kaiju. Floating in mid-air.
"Oh what the fuck." she whispered as she watched the bright red energy of the Astrophage coalesce to burn in Astrum Deus' wings. It was still drifting upwards, twisting around until it's wings haloed the very sun that rested on it's horns. Iron-bore roared as it began to charge, horn lowered and ready to gore the opposing titan.
The green disappeared. The Kaiju dropped. It's wings glowed like struck iron as they tilted around, the edges facing back towards Iron-bore. The charging monster drew closer with every step, ready to snap it's horn up and pierce Astrum Deus' defenseless hide.
She held her breath. That couldn't have been it, they didn't just do all that only to fail at the very end-
Only for a bright burst of red to blind Jody with a bang.
She was slammed into her rig, the anti-glare shielding kicking in a moment too late to spare her burnt retinas.
When she finally could see again, Iron-bore was nothing but the vague outline of a Kaiju with a giant hole burned right through it's body. It collapsed dead in the water.
The Jaeger turned around. Astrum Deus had been flung backwards, over Metalstorm's head to land in the water behind them. It recovered gracefully, landing neatly on the oceanic shelf. A grin broke out on it's face and it reared up onto it's hind legs, a triumphant parody of the beginning of the battle. This time it's roar echoed with the victory of humanity, the bond between brothers restored to what it was always meant to be.
Jody's cheeks hurt from smiling. The Drift wasn't helping.
Metalstorm began to move through the ocean back towards the Kaiju as Astrum Deus landed back on all o its paws. - I told you I could do it - The Twins chirped with all of Colt's cheeky bravado and all of Ryland's fierce pride.
"You did." she laughed quietly to herself. Somehow, they always did.
The comms unit crackled as Stratt's voice echoed through Metalstorm's core. "Iron-bore confirmed killed. Collection is en-route now. There is no need to maintain the Neural Handshake for this, so it will be dissolved in one minute. I would suggest you take the time to make yourselves presentable."
She didn't need time to make her choice. "No need Marshall. Take me out now, I'd like to give the boys a moment."
-Jody…- they whispered, hesitant.
She turned and fixed Colt with a glare that she knew he could see. Don't shoot yourselves in the foot you stupid boys. "You need this. You both need this."
There was silence in the Jaeger, before Stratt gave her verdict.
"Very well. You have one minute Seavers, Grace. Make it count."
I'm standing in Metalstorm again. It's been… too long, since I was here.
I can feel the suit around me. A second skin, the only way to breathe down in hell. Cold and comforting, and connected right to my nerves. I clench my fist. It moves like a human hand does. It moves like a Kaiju's paw does.
It moves the right way. I don't know what that is anymore.
"Ry?"
I look up. The voice of my nightmare. Tri-layered tones echoing from a mask that was as stiff and unfeeling as it's owner was uncanny and alien. The voice of my brother. Joking, loud and brave and everything that I wasn't.
And there he was. Exactly as I'd last seen him, right down to the scuff on his cheek and bandaid on his nose.
"Colt." I can't help it. I sob. I stumble forward and the rig lets me go, lets me fall into his arms and gasp into his shoulder. It feels warm. It feels nice.
It feels right.
I don't have a lot of that anymore.
"I've got you Ry, I've got you." Colt murmers into my hair and more tears fall. I can't tell which of us they belong to anymore. I can't bring myself to care.
It's been far too long.
We hug forever.
We hug for less than a minute.
I hate that I'm the first one to pull away. I hate that Colt let's me. Part of my is glad I can still feel that strongly about something. "I can't stay," I whisper. The sound echoes through the room like a gunshot anyway. Colt flinches like the words physically hurt to hear.
Maybe in the wreck of Metalstorm, overlooking the Pacific Ocean with the ominous groan of ripped metal and a waiting Kaiju, they did.
"Don't pull this shit on me Ry, I can't do this again." he growls, equal parts ferocious and open in a way that makes me tear up again. I want to snap back - the feral part that clawed its way out of the rings to stand beneath the Breach demands I bare my teeth. I shudder instead. How can he put his trust in me when I can't even trust my own mind?
"I'll hurt people." I retort, stepping back towards my half of the cockpit.
Colt follows me, he always does. To the end of the line, even off a cliff. "You wont, you didn't." he said. Like it was a fact. It wasn't.
"You're wrong, I'm dangerous, you know that, you've seen it. The second this Drift is over I'm going to hurt someone. I tried to kill Tom and Tangerine, I nearly killed you!" I shout back. This new part of me, it's wrong it's not supposed to be there, but I don't know what I am anymore without it. I am Ryland Grace. I am Astrum Deus. I am both and I can't be one or neither and I can't figure out what that looks like.
Colt knows that. He's felt it. He's been it. I hope he never had to feel it again. I hope he leaves so my twisted mess can't hurt him anymore than it already has.
Instead of arguing, Colt scoffs, reaching out to- Hey! I flinch and rub my forehead. That hurt! This was supposed to be a mindscape, so why was Colt able to bully me like always. I pout to try and hide the way my lips twitch. I missed this, so viscerally that it burns. "Good to see you're still a fucking moron." Colt huffs before leaning forward. I can't help it, I tilt my head down to meet his and lean into his embrace. "I'm never leaving you again Ry." he mutters, in my ear, in my head, in my heart.
-Never-
I'm crying again. I don't care, he's seen worse. "I know," I warble through the tears before dropping my hands.
I step back and let myself fall.
My jaws snap shut as warmth consumes me.
For the first time in three months, the ghost Drift hums. Grounding, brave, and warm.
It feels right.
"Neural Handshake terminated."
Eva watched as Ortiz finally pulled the plug and disintegrated the Drift in it's entirety. Tomorrow she'd have him written up with Dr Komorov, Ortiz had been growing more uncontrollable with each mission Dr Grace had been dead for. For anyone else, his rampant insubordination and unruly demeanor would have gotten himself removed from the Taskforce immediately. For anyone else, his disobedience would have never allowed him to rise to as important of a position as he did. For anyone else, he would have been disciplined by the second inciting incident.
Ortiz had grown more and more unruly without his best friend to reign him in, and Eva couldn't bare to call him up on it, not when she was grieving the exact same man.
She could not begin to fathom how wild he would grow if left unchecked now that their First Officer had returned from the grave.
She sucked in a breath between her teeth as the radio chattered with Moreno and Seavers' conversation. To her left, the display monitoring Seaver's Drift condition was an ominous knell, the cognitive readings an omen. Of what she couldn't tell.
It didn't change the fact that his load capacity had only decreased. It hadn't returned to baseline, not since his initial Drift with Dr Grace. Now it showed a level of activity that would be concerning for anyone else, a level of interfacing that should only be possible when at the very least testing Drift technology with another mind.
A ghost Drift, made stronger than recorded in history by the Kaiju who shared it.
Eva watched without words as Astrum Deus shook its head, freezing as the Drift quieted.
Its wings snapped open. Faster than it had ever moved, green burst to life in it's body and it shot into the skies. The dislays tracked it up into the atmosphere, before it's path ended within orbit. Whenever he was overwhelmed or scared, his first instinct was always to run.
It seemed some things did not change.
"Marshall?"
She turned to the war room. They were all looking to her for a course of action for what the hell they just witnessed.
"Hatch, monitor Astrum Deus for activity. If it leaves its orbit I want the entire Shatterdome on high alert and the Jaegers mobilised." She didn't have answers but she could give orders until she did.
She turned to the comms unit, selecting all applicable frequencies. "Bullet Train, Metalstorm, upon your return you are to report for debriefing immediately," she barked. She had given them their moment, now it was time for Seavers to give her his explanation.
The radio buzzed. It was the ground team. "Marshall, Blade Runner has returned from active duty."
She bit back a curse. There was never a moment of peace in Atlas' mission.
She pushed off the console and strode away, leaving the command center with one last order. The most important of the lot.
"DuBois, Shapiro, find out what happened to my First Officer to turn him into- that!"
Eva did not need to walk far to reach the privacy of her office. She slipped inside and locked the door, before turning to look at the desk.
It seemed someone had beat her to it.
"Court."
He looked shattered. They all were, the last hour had been trying on every level, but for him most of all. He was still in his flight suit, the helmet discarded on the floor. His fingers twitched like he wanted to reach for something other than his gum. He already had one in his mouth. His eyes flicked to hers with the lost desperation of a man who was scared to lose everything for the second time.
She didn't know if that fear was warranted or not.
"Eva what is going on. What happened out there with Astrum Deus and my brother." he pleaded. Always in this room, with no cameras or microphones to bare witness, the walls come down. She walked to the cabinet and pulled out two glasses and a bottle of something she didn't bother to read the label of. One drink to get themselves through this shit show. She threw hers back without decorum and made her hand him one as well. The fact that he reached for it was a testament to how fucked this entire situation was.
"We'll discuss this at depth at the debriefing but Court…" she kept her grip on the glass, and made sure to meet his stare. He needed to hear this from her now. Not in an official meeting where distance and professionalism dominated the room. Not in a press release where the world learns a pretty lie masquerading as the truth to buy them more time to figure it out. Not from his brother, trying to process the pain and suffering his brother must have faced and seeking a rock to anchor himself in the storm.
Here, in this quiet moment between two people who had always been out of their depth but soldiered through it anyway because that is what the world needs. Whether that be seven billion people, or two boys who needed to be protected from what hurts.
She took a deep breath.
"Ryland is alive."