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Every step drags, too heavy to walk properly. Frame too damaged.

The shoreline is just... just over there, it's right here before us. It's snowing too... it's beautiful.. isn't it, Hisao?

…..We're here, we're saved. Don't worry.

My left foot catches on something, a depression in the terrain, ...oh no.

The sensation of falling... a young memory of tripping over... but in the cockpit, it feels like falling down a hundred thousand steps of howling wind and frightened tears.

The carpet of sea and sand beneath is pulling backwards, throwing me up into a darkening waterfall of moving earth and vertigo, then gravity catches and hits me so hard, my face breaks under a mountain of cold wet soil.

<Drift Sequence Deactivated. Emergency Eject Malfunction. Left-User Disengage.>

<Right-User Harness Override. Manual Disengage.>

<Have A Nice Day.>

It feels weird, it always does, when I'm just out of the Drift. A deep gnawing feeling of regrowing a brain, since my own mental processes are my own problems again, no one else is sharing my load, not the dying Kaiju brain in Day Tripper's broken face, not Hisao... as I drag him out into the billowing snow and howling cold.

I try to bring him back to life, giving him CPR, moving his torso, getting water out of his lungs.

A Drift-fragment overwhelms me, Hisao's last waking moments, bleeding, reaching, ..dying, drowning, ...dreaming, death.

I anchor back into reality, forcing myself into a world where white snow is falling upon Hisao's pale cold visage. Specks of white melting in the blood on his suit.


Exhausted, overwhelmed, ..tired. I feel like falling, my vision brightens uncontrollably...

I fall beside him...

Knowing this is the last time I'll ever be with him, I take one last look at Hisao..... then let go.. and faint into the snow.



- PACIFIC INTERIM -

[ED: Day Tripper by The Beatles]

On the next episode:

I just turn and walk away from Hanzou, my decision is final. I can't Drift with anyone else. Not after-

“The world is coming to an end! Iwanako! WHERE DO YOU WANT TO DIE? Out here? Building Walls? Or In A Jaeger SAVING LIVES?”


To be? …..Or not to be?

That is my question. Of whether 'tis nobler to suffer, the jaws and talons of outrageous fortunes, or to take arms against a sea of monsters... and by opposing them; end them?

To die? …..To flee?

-----

“Welcome to Shanghai! Iwanako!”

The tall freezing wind sweeps through us on the deck, soaking us with rain. Hanzou quickly leads and pulls me into the rusty elevator.

Thankfully, the metal door closes soon enough, giving us silence and reprieve from the storm we just endured. At the press of a button, we're quickly lowered down through levels of steel frames, into the seemingly-unending expanse of technicians milling about giant robots, a vast garage of huge metal parts, flying sparks, and dull yellow scaffoldings.

“This is...”

“Impressed? Iwanako?”

I nod slightly, as Hanzou shines his smirk through his samurai-mask.

With a grand voice, he says “This is Iacon. The last active Jaeger Nest. In the whole Pacific Rim.”

-----

“Over there is Kyo, Kyou and Ryou, the Fujibayashi Triplets. The most well-trained pilots I've ever seen, fierce and focused at all times. That's their Jaeger, the 'Lucky Star'. A Medabot-Series, Voyager-Class. Peppercat Model.”

The huge, bright red Jaeger does look like something they'd pilot. Two arms, and a tail, all capable of delivering electric shocks that will cook Zerg flesh to a crisp, eliminating the need to break through a Kaiju's carapace and attack its weak point with a “finishing move”.

“Over there is Shinji Ayanami and Rei Ikari. The last children of the Marduk Institute still under my command. Their original squadron 'NERV' was disbanded after the incident at their HQ.”

“What.. happened?”

“Err.., they lost one of their own. They're now piloting the 'Enola'. A wholly NBE nuclear-powered Jet Alone Series. They tried to salvage their S2 Engines, but the design just couldn't work.”

-----

“So is there a plan? Hanzou?”

“Plan?”

“Yeah, why else did you bring me back? I mean, they may have taken all our funding, you've lost the taste for titles and uniforms, and stopped calling me '~Ranger Hanajima!~' all the time, but you're still the same determined Marshal I used to know. You have a plan, Sir. --They don't call you Mr. Bushido for nothing.”

“...I'm really starting to hate that nickname.”

“Err..”

“Lionel and Shizuo will pilot their Jaeger, the 'Sym-Bionic Titan', with an N2 drop-pack explosive. The total payload is equivalent to 12 million tons of TNT.”

“Wha-What?!”

“In case that fails, Mr. Ayanami and Miss Ikari will detonate their Jaeger's nuclear reactor. We will be loading the 'Enola' with semi-weapons grade, and full-weapons grade fuel cells during the operation.”

“That's insane! Where do you even get all that-- explodey stuff anyway?!”

“You see those triplets behind me? They do provide more than just memorable experiences in the bedroom, you know?”

-----

Thunders clash into shards of daylight, splitting apart the night sky as the Kaiju makes landfall. Its four green eyes glow bright and ghostly in the mists of water vapours, as the rest of its beaten and weathered frame lumbers out of the sea, drenching the abandoned refugee camps on the beach, and creating pools of seawater with every footstep crushed into the streets beneath it.

It cranes its neck high and splits its face into two horrendous jaws, roaring at a sky-cam helicopter. The blinding heat of its breath is so intense, even the helicopter starts to lose altitude, before it quickly regains control and pulls back from the Kaiju.

It's a classic Sojourner-class Evangelion, entirely beaten and broken. After having lost most of its dull red armour plates, almost all of its soggy grey flesh looks to have been harshly exposed to the elements.

The Zerg can't scent-communicate or breed or survive underwater, since prolonged exposure to our oceans' waters --even with a shell or carapace-- would cause their cells to over-saturate with salt and burst. Synthetic Zerg-tissue has no such problem, and if it is true that the Zerg share a weak but viable psychic hive-mind, and can even claim a cloned Kaiju brain, I think it would be safe to say what Kaori said: 'We are so screwed by seven hundred ways from Sunday'.

If the Zerg now know that we know, that they've been listening in on everything we know, ever since the very first Kaiju-Drifts by Kunimitsu Takahashi and Takumi Fujiwara, there's no telling what mutational advances they're already preparing their next Kaijus with.

But the behemoth shambling on our shores right now, is a dire problem wholly by its own, as the Evangelion beast opens a comm channel and loudly declares.

“ALL BITCHES BEHOLD! GUESS WHO IS BACK FROM CHAR!? WHAT~ ARE YOU DENSE?! ARE YOU RETARDED OR SOMETHING?! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM?! I'M THE GODDAMN OSKAR LANGLEY SOHRYU!”

-----

All on the next episode of 'Tokyo-3 Nights: The Ballad of Rei Ikari'.

Gently, an elegant white coffee cup is gracefully lifted from the plate... Slowly, the fine golden rim touches lightly to Shizuo's lips..

The breeze brings comfort in rushing whispers, caressing us tenderly on the balcony, calming me as I gaze dreamily at Shizuo, who looks steadily on to the view beyond. To the horizon of bright blue skies and crystal clear oceans, the peaceful paintings of a pristine scenic beach, drawn smoothly along the sandy edge of wild gardens. The natural greenery carries high its canopy, fresh foliage reaching far to the ends of the land, bordering over quiet streets at the town's limits, embracing the other beach houses as rising islands in a green rustling sea of refreshing leaves, beautifully billowing up to me from beneath the white deck.

His svelte ponytail flowing freely in the wind, Shizuo holds himself still and serene. Measured composure rests firm on his young adorable face, with long twin fringes sharply framing those pensive dark blue eyes, blinking weary yet staring softly.. from behind an iron veil of expensive rectangular glasses. With a quiet smile lifted in refinement, Shizuo, the Stoic Prince of My Dreams, politely finishes his cup of decaffeinated coffee.

[OP: Tashika ni by Angela Aki]

K-Shounen!

One More Act: Graduation (part 5)

I hum the song as I smooth and fold the colourful blankets, pleasantly noticing their fragrant clean smell, as my fingers gently run through their fuzzy warmth, savouring a pleasing feeling of fabrics coming fresh out of the dryer. I carefully ensure each fold is as even and wrinkle-free as possible, before arranging them all into a neat bundle, and cheerfully carry them off and deliver them to each of my friends' rooms down the hallway.

Kaori and Lionel's room is the first I visit, gently laying out their orange and yellow blankets, then hugging and puffing up their pillows, making sure they're as comfy as can be. After having done all that, I give myself a satisfied smile, and swiftly move on to the next rooms in order, happily carrying off the slightly lightened load of sorted blankets.

Hmm, Hanzou and Sasha were supposed to share a room, while Rai would sleep with me in the living room that opens grandly out to the swimming pool and majestic balcony deck, but Kaori strongly resisted that arrangement, adamant that Rai absolutely cannot share any sleeping space with me. ...I wonder why?

We talked about moving everyone around, wondering if Shizuo would relent and share his room with Lionel, while I sleep with Kaori, or Lionel having to kiss and make up with Hanzou each night before going to bed, and not attempt unspeakable things as they share a room, while Sasha and Rai sleep together in the living room. But then Rai got upset and said he didn't want bad dreams about pirates stealing off his first time on the deck. Which angered Sasha and prompted even more inane discussions that turn into insane accusations about each other's preferences.

But in the end, and in a great bit of surprise, Hanzou said he'll sleep in the living room with me, since I didn't really want to impose on anyone in the few fully-furnished rooms available. After the momentary silence following Hanzou's uncharacteristic choice, everyone else quietly agreed to the rest of the sleeping arrangements.

I'm sure Hanzou will be okay.. he'll wear the new, soft, flexible half-mask I gave him at night, making for a much more comfortable experience when he goes to bed. He'll put on his usual white half-mask during the day.

Halfway through the hallway, I notice Kaori and Hitomi watching an anime show, with both of them sitting rather close to the TV screen...

I can still vividly imagine Kaori's surprise when she realised Hitomi was Shizuo's younger sister, a fact well-obscured by her rich-boy appearance. Who could have expected that Shizuo was the proud older brother of such a handsome energetic tomboy?

Wearing schoolboy clothes with her hair neatly parted, Hitomi is loud and insistent on being treated as an adorable boy, refusing to act in any way like a girl. Only Shizuo and Mrs. Hakamichi is ever allowed to address her with endearing honorifics. Not that I've ever seen them do so..

“Do you like this show? Miss Kaori?” Hitomi cutely asks, without looking away from the screen.

“Yeah, I do! I love the robot and character designs! I've been thinking of buying one of those figures, in fact.” Kaori answers very enthusiastically, the nerdy side of her starting to show. --I've never really thought of Kaori as the “perverted otaku best friend character”-type.

“Do you know what the show is about?” Hitomi turns away from the screen and asks, just as the commercial break starts.

“Yeah, I... it's.., err, they say its hard to describe, but it's basically fantasy MMORPGs that, when the magical girls load the game discs into the alien artefact, open up into alternate dimensions, with the virtual beings inside the artefact taking on different personae and characters from the various game discs, changing everything around for each story arc. They even have awesome mecha battles and survival missions against zombies, and.. they have a penguin wearing a red top hat and clown shoes as the series mascot.”

“You.. made it sound kind of weird.” Hitomi glowers a little, disappointed while saying so.

“Err.., hey! You can show me your mecha dolls afterwards, we'll-”

“Action figures. They're not dolls. I assembled each one by hand. And they're all customised.”

“Oh-- Right! Action figures! That's even cooler!”

“Hmph. I thought you said you were going out with them?”

“Oh... right. I do kind of want to check out the beach with Lionel and Hanzou and the others...”

Kaori scratches the back of her head slightly nervously, while Hitomi remains annoyed but maintains indifference.

“But hey... you can still show me all your cool mecha toys when I get back, Hitomi. I can't wait to see your collection.”

With eyes hesitant but expectant, Hitomi slowly reaches out with her little finger and asks “You promise?”

Warmly, Kaori smiles as she hooks her own little finger with Hitomi's, softly answering “I promise.”