Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/ works/12916620. Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Major_Character_Death, Underage Category: M/M Fandom: Pacific_Rim_(Movies) Relationship: Chuck_Hansen/Original_Male_Character(s), Aleksis_Kaidonovsky/Sasha Kaidonovksy, Raleigh_Becket/Mako_Mori, Other_Relationship_Tags_to_Be Added Character: Raleigh_Becket, Yancy_Becket, Chuck_Hansen, Hercules_Hansen, Scott Hansen, Mako_Mori, Newton_Geiszler, Hermann_Gottlieb, Stacker_Pentecost, Tendo_Choi, Trevin_Gage, Bruce_Gage, Jin_Wei, Cheung_Wei, Hu_Wei, Sasha Kaidonovsky, Aleksis_Kaidonovsky, Original_Kaiju_Character(s)_(Pacific Rim), Kaiju_Character(s)_(Pacific_Rim), Baby_Kaiju_(Pacific_Rim), Precursors_(Pacific_Rim), Gipsy_Danger, Crimson_Typhoon, Cherno_Alpha, Striker_Eureka, New_Vengeance_(Original_Jaeger), Original_Jaeger(s)_ (Pacific_Rim), Tiny_Ghost_(Original_Jaeger), Delta_Black_(Original Jaeger), Original_Characters, Shatterdome_Crew, Hannibal_Chau, Max_ (Pacific_Rim), Kaidan_'Kai'_Oldenhoff_(original_male_character), Coyote Tango, Romeo_Blue Additional Tags: Original_Character(s), Major_Original_Character(s), Original_Character- centric, Character_Death_Fix, Character_Death, Canonical_Character_Death, Implied/Referenced_Character_Death, Not_Really_Character_Death, Soulmates, Alternate_Universe_-_Canon, The_Drift_(Pacific_Rim), Ghost Drifting, Drift_Compatibility, Drift_Side_Effects, Drift_Bond, Drift Hangover, Drift_Sex, Post-Drift, Drifting_with_a_Kaiju_Brain, Hive_Mind, Mind_Control, Mindfuck, Mind_Manipulation, Mind_Meld, Mind_Palace, Mind Sex, Implied/Referenced_Mind_Control, Thought_Projection, Telepathy, Sex, Gay_Sex, Underage_Sex, Underage_Drinking, Consensual_Underage_Sex, Underage_Smoking, Not_really_underage_sex, Implied/Referenced_Underage Relationship(s), Background_Relationships, Romance, Smut, Fluff, Light Angst, Kai_isn't_really_underage, Basically_Kai_is_a_child._VERY basically, Kai_is_a_minor_but_he's_an_adult._what, Canon-Typical Violence, Aliens, War, Apocalypse, humans_don't_take_shit_from_aliens, Human_Experimentation, Science_Experiments, Medical_Experimentation, Kaiju, Kaiju_(Pacific_Rim), Kicking_Kaiju_Ass, Baby_Kaiju, Kaiju_War, Kaiju_Blue, recruiting_kaiju, raising_a_kaiju, Drifting_without equipment, Grumpy_Old_Men, Boys_Will_Be_Boys, Age_Difference, Coming_of Age, Boys_Being_Boys, assholes_and_bigger_assholes, Mental_Link, Other Additional_Tags_to_Be_Added Stats: Published: 2018-01-02 Updated: 2018-01-04 Chapters: 2/? Words: 6695 ****** Telepathic Blue ****** by zero4life Summary 'Somewhere along the lines, someone thought it was a good idea to experiment with unborn infants to make hybrids... They were wrong.' The shatterdome crew at Anchorage are baffled when a boy washes up next to Raleigh with rapid growth, Inhuman strength, Instant information processing, Telepathic abilities and Kaiju blue in his veins. Pentecost does not trust anything Kaiju. Especially not when it's half human. But against his will he has to admit that perhaps this is the kind of influence they need to get Raleigh back into a Jaeger and get a strategy to kick the Kaiju off of Planet Earth for good. ***** Kaiju Blue ***** Chapter Summary "Experimenting was never the right thing to do. But in this desperate time. It was the only thing to do."   ===============================================================================   Fisherboat Saltchuck. Location: 7 miles off coast. Anchorage. Alaska. 02:30 AM "kAIDAN! SECURE THE GEAR! GET THE CREW BELOW DECK!" Even though the captain of the Saltchuck was shouting at the top of his lungs, Kaidan could barely hear him above the noise of the crashing waves and rolling thunder. The weather was more then bad and half of the crew, experienced as they were compared to the boy, were afraid the boat would haul over and land upside down in the rough waters. Stormy weather had never been great around Alaskan seas. But this one storm was particularly bad.  The kid was agile and flexible. Quick on his feet and with a perfect balance. Much more equipped in skill to work under these extreme conditions then the seasoned fishermen aboard this boat. Kaidan had been at the mercy of the captain when he was alone, starving, homeless and looking for work to feed himself. The man took him aboard, not knowing what kind of kid he was getting under his wing. Kaidan preferred not to talk about it. All he said, was that he had a rough past. And the old man with his golden heart accepted that. Mainly because Kaidan acted much older then he looked. Kaidan rushed over the length of the deck. Pitching in wherever his help was needed to secure the equipment. He was soaked to the bone but the water did not seem to bother him. Others froze in their raincoats just looking at him. But Kaidan kept working despite being drenched completely. If he kept busy, he didn't have time to be cold. That's how he reasoned with the men who told him to put on something warmer. Plus it would get wet anyway in this weather. From the way he looked he couldn't be more then eleven years old. Which was way too young to be running around on a boat like this one. Little did the crew know that wasn't even close to his real age. Which was also something Kaidan had preferred to conceal. Fortunately he managed to convince the captain to take him on board anyway. Despite being just a little boy. He was older in mind then in body. Perhaps that was also the reason it was easier to be taken in by the old man. Kaidan made sure he wasn't in the way. He did what he was told and he worked hard. He was too smart for an eleven year old. And it made that he was just taken in as part of the regular crew. When the equipment was secure, the Captain was frantically discussing options with his boats mate in the cabin. Kaidan could feel their concern dripping from their minds. It had been a blessing and a curse to him to be capable of such a thing, but he could listen in to any words left unspoken. The minds of the entire crew were wide open to him. And they had no idea. It wasn't like he did it on purpose. He couldn't control it. It connected automatically. He had not yet learned how to shut it on or off. But he knew bees had the same kind of system. A hive mind. Knowing what others knew just by standing close to them. It's how he learned. And he learned quick. Picking up knowledge of seasoned men and women as if he himself had been studying with them for years. His hive mind gave him access to all kinds of information. Anything others possessed was free for him to pick up. That's how he knew things no eleven year old could possibly know. It's how he earned his spot in the crew despite being just a kid. All because he was running... Suddenly, Kaidan had to grab the railing. As a freezing wave crashed over him, his hands squeezed tight around the wood. Something was coming. Something big. He could feel it. Something that was loud in thought and something that was out only to destroy. And this wasn't the first time. He heard it before. 'Attack. Attack. Attack. Destroy them. Kill them. Vermin. Useless. Wipe them out.'  The weird part was, that's what it sounded like, but there were no words. Just noises. Foreign sounds and feelings that Kaidan could not place and yet remembered vividly. And they were getting louder. Closer. louder. Closer. LOUDER. Kaidan gripped at his ears. Trying to drown it out. There was an aggression coming with the noise. But even the roaring storm could not silence the echoes in his head. What on earth was going on?! Why did it get so loud?! 'ATTACK! KILL THEM! WIPE THEM OUT! ' It was so loud. So incredibly close. By the time Kaidan saw the Kaiju rising up from the waters, he was screaming. Pressing his hands against his bleeding ears. His eyes swirled and turned from their usual chocolate brown into a sickly toxic blue. The same blue that stared right back at him as the Kaiju rose up and towered above the fisherman's boat. The blood seeping from his ears was an eerie blue as well and it covered his hands, seeping between his fingers. Lighting up in his veins. And then- A horn. Loud but unmistakable. Sound from the outside instead of within. Was it the boat? Was it something else? 'Let's get this son of a bitch.' Words. Actual human words echoed in his mind. Kaidan looked up as the boat shook and moved and seemed to lift from the water. He looked straight up at one of the largest helmets he had ever seen. A Jaeger. He knew. Those words. Those thoughts. Those must be the pilots. Had to be. For a moment Kaidan was close enough to the con pod for his hive mind to pick up flashes of Jaeger tech, knowledge on how to pilot it, Hours of simulator training, combat sessions and other important lessons learned. A bond of brothers who stuck together because they came from an unfortunate family and only had each other.  It hurt. He once had brothers like that. But now they were gone.  Then the Jaeger shoved the boat to the waves behind it for safety as the metal giant and the Kaiju engaged in a fight. Kaidan ran to the part of the boat closest to the fight. Looking up at the two giants fighting each other. The Jaeger punching left and right while the Kaiju tried to evade and attack. They shot the kaiju once with the right arm plasma cannon. The Kaiju wailed and fell into the water. Pretending defeat or death or perhaps even both. But that was just it... It was pretending. Kaidan stared at the water which now held a layer of that toxic blue that bled from his ears earlier. Something was moving underneath. The noise had gotten less. But Kaidan could still sense it. The aggression, the determination. A different inhuman level of emotions that came from the deep. Pain, cunning. And then the element of surprise. It knew... Kaidan looked up to the Jaeger. He wanted to scream to warn them. But he knew the pilots could not hear him through the thickness of the hull and the roar of the bad weather. Tiny little him in a fisherman's boat they just pushed aside like a bath toy. How badly he wished they could hear him. How badly he wished he could connect with them. Drift with them. But how could he establish a connection least of all in a fight? They would be distracted. It would be too dangerous. And yet. He had to try. He had to show them what he knew. Like how he used to do with his brothers. He had to show them what the Kaiju knew. He had to- Too late.  The Kaiju pierced right through the Jaeger's left arm. Kaidan could hear the internal screaming of one of the pilot's minds. It grinded in his brain even more painful then the screeching death threats of the Kaiju itself. An echo pulsed through him and he collapsed in shock. His mind pulsating, finding, latching on to the first grand source of energy he could find. Before he could stop it he was drifting. But not with the pilots of the Jaeger. He saw right into the Kaiju's mind. The rage, the thirst for destruction, the mission. Orders... The beast had been given orders. But by who? "Kid? Kid!" Somewhere far Kaidan could hear the captain call to him. He started bleeding from his nose. Blue drops dripped on his clothes and his body started to shake. He was falling into a seizure. He was overloaded with the Kaiju's mind process. It didn't have particular thoughts. More like a common purpose and a goal. A duty to his masters. Kaidan felt the Kaiju ready to attack again. With all his might and willpower, Kaidan send through a thought that brought the Kaiju to a grinding halt. A change of plans. A different order. Pain seeped into Kaidan's head. His brain was stretching to try and carry the neural load of the drift. But the Kaiju was a class 3 and Kai never drifted with a beast before. He knew how to get through his seizures. But not in the middle of a Drift. He was unprepared and way out of his league.  The captain grabbed a hold of Kaidan but the kid flailed and swatted any hands that would hold him away. He had seizures before and he couldn't take it if someone touched him during one. Not like that anyway. Only if they grabbed him in a way that pushed his arms into his chest and kept him secure, unable to move away or kick his way out. The Kaiju seemed confused. which gave the Jaeger an opening to really damage it with the plasma cannon that was still working. Yet the Kaiju needed only moments to recover and Kaidan fell out of the Drift. His mind prioritizing his own survival above the attempt to sync with the giant beast, to stop it.  "KAI?!" The boy jolted and wildly looked around. He was still on the boat. And the Kaiju and the Jaeger were still fighting. 'Gipsy Danger' was spray painted on the armor plates of the gigantic robot. She whirred and shuddered and complained under the heavy impact of all the damage Knifehead The Kaiju delivered to her. But she held onto her metal casing, desperately protecting the two pilots that made her come to life. Kaidan saw she wouldn't last long. Knifehead was too quick, too smart. Too focused on his goal. Which was to destroy her. And preferably her pilots with her.  "The-.. The pilots!" Kaidan choked out. He tried to get up on the slippery deck. Having nearly no strength in his legs. He noticed that with his seizure his spine had grown by two inches. Being taller threw him off balance until he got used to his height. and on a rocking ship in the middle of a storm wasn't a good time to get any taller. Perhaps it was only by an inch or two, but it made all the difference to him. Kaidan nearly fell over and the captain grabbed him again. This time the boy did not swat him away.  "I have to-.. They have to know! I need to- The Kaiju will-" Kaidan was panting and out of breath. Almost hyperventilating and the Captain, bless the man's soul for trying, couldn't understand anything the boy was trying to say. "What are you- What is it?! Kai! You're bleeding all over the place! You- It's blue. Dear god! What is going on?! Kai? Kai!" The boy grabbed the railing of the boat. Trying to focus all his efforts on Gipsy Danger. The Jaeger was too far for Kai's hive mind to reach. So he had to revert to trying to Drift again. He could reach further with that. He tried to connect. Trying hard to avoid connecting with the Kaiju again. His blue eyes could have drilled holes into Gypsy Danger. That's how hard his toxic eyes were staring at the Jaeger. Unbroken eye contact while he tried to breach the neural load of the machine and enter it solely with his thoughts. Somehow he had to grab a hold on either of them. If he could reach one, the other wouldn't be far. Kaidan felt sick. He felt like he was being turned inside out. He felt like he was going to throw up. His seizure still going though it ebbed away slowly. He pushed it down and focused on Gipsy Danger. Projecting his consciousness within the hull of her con pod. And as if she had a sense of her own, she let him breach. Entering the Neural handshake, Establishing a drift from the outside, Kaidan rushed towards the first memory he could find. Which so happened to be of the right-hemisphere pilot. Kaidan searched and quickly, he found names. Yancy Becket, Right-Hemisphere Pilot. Raleigh Becket, Left-Hemisphere Pilot. Kaidan was tapping into Yancy. It wouldn't take long for Raleigh to pick him up too. But he had too little time to wait for both of them to pay attention. So he called out to Yancy first... ===============================================================================   Alaska. Anchorage Shatterdome. Bay 6. 02:00 AM Yancy was sound asleep when the alert went off. As usual Raleigh piped up when they were being deployed. The kid had an unhealthy amount of energy for an early morning. If it was even morning... Even more so whenever they were being called on to pilot Gipsy Danger. Why the hell did Kaiju's not keep time so they'd make some more appropriate work hours?  "Yo Yancy! Wake up! We're being deployed!" Raleigh's voice pierced his ears and Yancy groaned. Pushing his little brother's head away. Just when he thought he could get a good night sleep...  While Yancy dragged himself out of bed, Raleigh seemed to bounce all over the place. Wide awake like he had gulped down ten cups of some energy drink that would destroy your health but keep you bouncing around like a pinball machine. Raleigh wasn't far off.  "Kaiju's a class 3. Biggest one yet. Code name:-" Raleigh paused for dramatic effect and continued with a supposed frighting voice. "-Knifehead." Yancy wasn't impressed. He was tired. He didn't get much shut eye and his brother's level of energy served him a headache on a silver platter. He loved his little brother. He really did. But Raleigh could be a bit much sometimes. "Say, ready to get a fifth notch on our belt?" Raleigh did their handshake and Yancy couldn't keep up. It was too goddamn early for this. He needed to splash some cold water in his face first. He sighed as he shuffled to the bathroom. Although Raleigh's energy could get annoying early in the morning. He did have spirit. And he was ready to kick some ass. Although it would be better if he wasn't so excited he couldn't focus. So when he stepped inside the bathroom connected to their bunk he turned around and grinned. Already more awake thanks to his little brother's endless supply of radiant hyperactivity.  "Hey kid, Don't get cocky." Yancy then closed the door. Who was he kidding? Raleigh was already a bit cocky. He liked to brag. And he liked to tease Yancy and call him an old man. But Yancy was clever enough not to take any of Raleigh's shit. He brought the ball right back to the kid. And that is what made them such a good team. They loved sparring. It was healthy between siblings. Not just in words but also under physical training. Competing in the gym. But in the end no matter who won and who boasted about it, no matter who kicked who's ass or who called who names, they were still tight as brothers and despite giving each other shit, they would do anything for each other. Ten minutes later they stood in the boarding dock for bay 6. Suiting up with help of the crew, who fixed the plates and armor on them that would connect them to their Jaeger. Gipsy Danger. A beautiful and strong yet deadly piece of work. Warmed and wired by a nuclear core. She was a sight for sore eyes, even if they were not deployed to fight any Kaiju. And to Yancy her inside was as interesting and amazing as her outside. He often told Raleigh; 'Take care of her and she'll take care of you.' Now of course Raleigh didn't understand that. He knew a Jaeger was only as good as it's pilots. But what Yancy meant was that there was more to the Jaeger then you'd expect. If you knew her capabilities, boundaries and ways to run, you'd always win.  It meant that if you put your trust into her, she'd come to life. Some pilots interfaced without an emotional connection to their Jaeger. It may sound stupid, but giving a damn about a whole big chunk of metal actually made the difference. Though Raleigh didn't entirely understand, he had been inside Yancy's head enough to know that his brother put his heart into that Jaeger every time they dropped and connected the con pod to the rest of her. Raleigh followed his brother's example the best he could. Even if he didn't quite understand it. He still succeeded to get on the same level. And it made the Drift between them as strong as their bond.  By the time they were all suited up and attached to their con pod, Yancy was finally wide awake. It took him longer then his energetic pinball of a brother. But he managed none the less. Besides within moments the two of them were going to share each other's brains. That ought to wake him up if he wasn't awake enough already. When the con pod was attached. Control initiated the neural handshake with a count down of 15 seconds. Yancy smirked at his little brother. "You ready to step into my head kid?" What he got back was a cocky smirk and an insult to boot. "After you. Age before beauty old man." Yancy just snorted and shook his head. If there'd be a day without Raleigh teasing him for being the older sibling, it would be a miracle. Then again. There was hardly any day that went by without Yancy calling his little brother 'kid'. That was just life between the two Becket boys.  There was a shock. A Jolt of the system initiating the Neural Handshake as they called it. Memories of their childhood both happy and sad passed them in flashes. Memories belonging to Raleigh and memories belonging to Yancy. Once the Drift was stabilized, the flashes stopped as each of the Becket boys let go of their memories to focus their minds on the present. Now fully connected. Able to feel what the other felt. Able to know what the other was thinking. Mind to mind connection, Thinking with two brains, moving and processing as one. The beauty of Jaeger tech. ***** Intruder in the Drift ***** Chapter Summary "Even though I knew what he was going through, I could not tell him that I knew how it felt." "Right-hemisphere calibrating." "Left-hemisphere calibrating." Yancy and Raleigh each locked their interface controls with motions and mind alike. Their suit connecting the nerve system and brain function to the many components of the Jaeger. Aligning themselves with the program that allowed them to control Gipsy Danger till in the smallest movements. Around them equipment whirred and beeped and settled in the right settings. Adjusting to the two pilots. Over the com Marshall Stacker Pentecost explained their mission to them.  "Gentlemen. Your mission is to hold the Miracle Mile 10 miles off coast." Yancy checked the radar and noticed that it wasn't empty. "Sir there's still a civilian vessel in the gulf." But Stacker didn't budge. He was obviously thinking of the bigger picture and despite the Becket brothers' earlier successes he would not weight the risk against a probability.  "You're protecting a city of 2 million. You won't risk them for a boat that holds 10. Am i clear?" Yancy sighed. "Yes Sir." And shut off his end of the conversation. Raleigh shook his head and shut off his com for a moment as well.  "Man that's cold." Yancy didn't need to ask to know that Raleigh didn't agree with it. He himself did not agree with it. Those people on that boat deserved saving as much as the 2 million in the city. And Yancy didn't even need the drift to know that Raleigh had the exact same opinion. They both weren't born heroes. They had to fight to become this team of ass kicking rangers. But they earned it fair and square. And now that they had it, they both wanted to put it to good use. Their mission was to protect. So why weren't they allowed to protect 10 more lives? "You know what i'm thinking?"  Raleigh said. Yancy quirked a smile. They were in each other's heads. He could practically /hear/ his brother's profanities directed towards the Marshall and his press for disobedience. 'We don't abandon people who need us. So let's go and save some people and rub it in the Marshall's face later.' Yancy wasn't as quick to abandon orders as Raleigh. But he had to hand it to the younger. This was just plain wrong. So this time, he agreed. "I'm in your brain. I know." He replied with a smile. Inwardly, in the drift. He replied to Raleigh through their telepathic connection. 'Don't get cocky kid. But let's warm the Marshall up with 10 more happy faces.' Raleigh's grin grew so wide for a second Yancy thought his younger brother's face might crack.  "Then let's go fishing!"  Raleigh piped. Yancy shook his head and in sync they started moving. Walking. Putting motion to Gipsy Danger's legs.  "here we go! Come on bro, put some muscle to it!" Raleigh yelled over the loud whirring of metal beneath them. Piloting a Jaeger wasn't as easy as people thought. It wasn't just moving around, being in sync with your co-pilot and knowing what to do. Wearing the suit, moving the robot. It was heavy. They were well trained and worked out regularly for a reason. Getting Gipsy Danger to move took effort. Like walking up a hill with big rock on each foot. But that was just the start. Once you were moving it got easier. However the heavy equipment needed to get going first before the movement would become less heavier. As soon as they were walking though, it got easier for Yancy and he snapped right back at his teasing little brother.  "Worry about yourself kiddo." The pushing and pulling is what they needed to stay strong in the drift. And to also connect deeper and strengthen their bond. With it, they became better at fighting. Better at grasping each other's intentions and limits. Better at kicking some Kaiju ass.  However... =============================================================================== Loccent Control Tower. Anchorage Shatterdome. Alaska. 2:32 "Discharge reading Sir! Plasma Cannon in the shallow shelves. 7 miles off the coastal line." Operator Tendo Choi called out as he read the signals from the radar. From Ops center he had successfully dropped the Becket boys with their con pod onto the rest of Gipsy's grand exterior. He had initiated and established their drift and before that made small talk on how he dated a girl that already had a boyfriend. He was close enough to the pilots to be worried about them every time they hit the field.  Marhsall Pentecost on the other hand was pissed. Even though he had to ask, he already knew the boys had disobeyed him and were fighting a Kaiju class 3 over a boat with 10 people on board. Yeah, real heroes those Becket boys. And damn costly if it came to repairs every time they brought Gipsy Danger back. They never brought her back without a scratch.  "Gipsy, what the hell is going on?!" Mashall yelled into the mic connected to their coms. He was pissed indeed. It was Raleigh who replied first.  "Job's done Sir. Lit it up twice. Bagged our fifth kill." He'd say well done. But if he did they would think he'd be going soft. And the Marshall had no intend of becoming a buddy to the rangers. There was too much at stake to become a friendly boss. If he did that they would disobey his orders more often. He knew those boys. He couldn't give them a damn finger or they'd grab his entire arm. Especially Raleigh. "You disobeyed a direct order!" He bellowed back through the microphone. This time Yancy replied even though he was a little out of breath. "Respectfully, Sir.. We intercepted a Kaiju and saved everyone on that boat." Marshall Pentecost wasn't pleased. Though 'another Kaiju down' was always good news.  "Get back to your post now!" 'Kaiju Down' however got an entire new meaning when Tendo Choi suddenly confirmed movement.  "Kaiju signature rising!" And sure enough on the monitor a blip rose up with the Kaiju code name and credentials. That thing was far from dead and now Gipsy and her pilots were in a dangerous position. The next logical order was to tell them to grab the damn boat and get the hell out of that position. If only things had been as simple as that.  ===============================================================================   7 miles off coast. Anchorage. 2:35 AM This fight didn't go so well. This was something they hadn't planned. Something they hadn't been able to prepare for no matter how or in what way or even at what time they stepped into Gipsy Danger. And Knifehead, the Kaiju they were battling, grasped the opportunity to deal some real damage. It was smarter, quicker then anything they fought. And the Becket brothers struggled to get the Kaiju to go down. Even while Raleigh held Knifehead back with the left side of Gipsy Danger, It chewed hard and trashed wildly. Almost too wildly for Yancy to even use his plasma cannon.  In the end, they got it done. And for a moment, both Beckett brothers were relieved. They thought they had won. They thought they had their 5th kill. And that they saved the people on that boat. But Knifehead was a big category 3. And as it turned out, wasn't so easily brought down as the ones before. When it rose up from the water, Gipsy Danger nearly tipped over. Raleigh and Yancy had the biggest trouble to keep themselves and her on their feet.  "Get him Raleigh!" Yancy yelled while he tried to stabilize and counter the Kaiju with his side of Gypsy Danger. Raleigh thought he could make it. And so did Yancy. But right after Raleigh yelled; "I got this!" Knifehead ruined their plans. With his hardened and pointed skull plate, the Kaiju pierced right through Gipsy Danger's left arm. The short circuit went straight to Raleigh's suit and the electrical mimic of nerve damage surged through him. Raleigh screamed as he fell back into the wires holding him up. Grabbing at his left arm. The suit had short circuited on the same spot where Gipsy Danger was pierced and it branded a mark on his arm as if it had been his own limb that was torn off. Gipsy's left arm tore from her circuit and crashed into the sea, close to the boat that was still riding the waves close to them. The blue light of her loading cannon disappearing in the dark of the wild waves.  They had been fighting for what seemed like hours. In reality it took the Kaiju five minutes to breach their system and deal substantial damage. Because of their Drift, Yancy could feel all of Raleigh's pain and it took him everything to stop himself from screaming out at the phantom of pain throbbing in his own left arm. He needed to be strong. Raleigh was compromised and he had to make sure they could get through this.  "Loccent we're hit!" Yancy yelled through the coms. At that moment, a shadow fell into his sight from the corner of his eyes. He tried to turn to see, but it took him into one of his memories. However, there was a figure there that he had never seen before. A boy. A small boy with eerie blue eyes. 'Yancy...Yancy!... Can you hear me?!'  Yancy was utterly confused and for a moment, distracted from his brother's pain. It all took just a few seconds, but in those seconds, Raleigh could sense a disturbance in their drift. Something that never happened before. Yancy was out of alignment. Back into a memory. And it felt as if there was another person there. But not like in memories. Not like seeing their parents. Yancy communicated with someone. 'Who are you? How did you-' 'There's no time! Yancy listen to me. That Kaiju. It knows. It- It's here to take you out! Specifically. To take you -your Jaeger, your brother And any defense the world has left- out. They know you're fighting back and they know how! You have to protect the Jaeger's weak spots! Protect the con-'  The hull... The con pod. This was their control center for the Jaeger. If that is what the Kaiju was aiming for like this figure said, then they were in deep trouble. ===============================================================================   Alaska. Anchorage Shatterdome. Control tower. 2:35 AM "Left arm's gone cold Sir!"  Tendo notified the Marshall of the damage and then stared at the monitor with the drift data on it like he saw water burning. "What the-" he tapped his keys and tried to adjust the monitor but the data he was receiving remained unchanged.  "How the hell- Sir?! Right-Hemisphere pilot out of alignment! I got an intruder in the Neural Handshake!" Marshall Pentecost immediately hung over him looking over his shoulder to the monitor that indicated something or someone tapped into the Becket boys' brains.  "How is that possible?" "It isn't Sir. The Drift can't be accessed without equipment. But i didn't initiate and it states clearly: There's a 3rd reading. I'm getting vitals from someone unknown." Pentecost went back to the microphone. "Beckets what the hell is going on?! Who's with you?" Tendo tried to pinpoint the origins, but he found nothing. And there was no response from the Beckets.  "Right-Hemisphere Pilot realigned! Sir, there's no one else in Gipsy Danger. This is coming from outside." Pentecost drew his conclusions quickly. "What the hell do they have on that boat?!" ===============================================================================   7 miles off shore. Anchorage. Gypsy Danger. The next attack came from the side. While Yancy was being warned by Kai, Knifehead had already found it's way into one of the weak spots. Yancy was pulled back to reality with the brutal shock. Feeling fear from a 3rd party. Most likely the boy that warned him. "The hull! it went through the Hull!" Yancy stared at the hole through which he could see the Kaiju, the bad weather and all the things outside you shouldn't be seeing while being in a Jaeger. The boy in his mind said the Kaiju would tear them out. After the pilots were gone, Gipsy Danger would be easy prey. She would have no one to keep her moving. The metal made loud noises, bending and breaking. Almost as if Gispy herself was crying out in pain and fear of what was coming.  'Whoever you are.. Stay with me. Stay inside my head.' Yancy called out in his mind. Raleigh looked at his brother. He was confused and afraid. Staring at the gap with the same fear he could feel in his brother. 'Yancy who's with you? What is going on?' Raleigh's mind resonated both questions and fear. Yancy knew something was coming. But Raleigh couldn't search his brother's mind for what he knew. He was too scared. In all their fights this never happened before. Not once had Yancy ever been out of alignment only to return with a third wheel. Someone foreign was entering Raleigh's mind through his brother's. Fear should be none existent in a fight like this, but Raleigh was in pain, injured and taken by surprise. He felt his body tense and freeze up. He didn't know this new mind.  Yancy turned around to his brother. He tried to connect their minds in a way that this person would be able to connect to Raleigh too. But he had too little time to tell Raleigh what was going on. Or to explain to him he got a clear warning and that the Kaiju had adapted their battle tactics.  "Raleigh listen to me! You need-" His words were cut off as Knifehead threw it's head back and ripped part of the con pod away from the rest. As it was the part that was also attached to the wires which had Yancy connected to the pod, Yancy was torn out with it. He screamed in fear as he flew through the air, pulled by the wires. 'I'll stay with you. Hold your breath! ' He heard. It wasn't Raleigh. That much he knew. But he did what was being said. And as he hit the water he took a deep breath. His suit was damaged and the water seeped in. There was a blue cloud around him. Kaiju blood flowing in the water. A toxic blue that clouded his vision. Everything was offline. coms, suit, vital signs monitors. All of it. Yancy struggled as the wires on his suit pulled him down with the wreck. Things were getting darker and darker around him. He was sinking. As he struggled he could not feel his legs. He was paralyzed by the blow. From the waist down he couldn't move his body. With all his might Yancy tried to hold his breath. Until black spots entered his vision and he felt like he would burst if he didn't exhale. He was convinced he was going to drown.  'Yancy. Don't fight it. They are going to take you. Don't struggle. Just let them haul you in.' Questions started to fill Yancy's mind. He didn't know how long he had been under, or when he passed out. But he had heard that voice speak and it knew what was happening. Who was that boy? And who were 'they'? What did he mean by 'take'? It didn't take long for Yancy to completely black out. The lack of oxygen made him go limp. And the last thing that he felt before he slipped out of it, was that he was being pulled away. ----- Inside the half torn open con pod of Gipsy, Raleigh was still connected. He felt his brother's fear and pain as Yancy was brutally torn from Gipsy's head and out of his own head. The Drift between them allowed Raleigh to feel it up to the last second in which Yancy struggled to hold his breath. And then... nothing. An empty void in which his brother's thoughts had previously run. like a knife had come down and cut their connection abruptly. Raleigh screamed in desperation, anger and grief. Thinking that Yancy had died. His no's were carried away by the storm but they were loud and full of pain. So much pain he could hardly stay upright. There was little left of Gipsy. Raleigh thought he was going to be next for certain. But he wouldn't let this end without a fight. He wasn't going to go down that easily. If he was going to join his brother, he would make sure Yancy could be proud of him for giving it all he got. But what could he do?  'Raleigh! The other arm! Use the other arm!' Raleigh didn't know who was shouting inside his head. He had no idea what was going on. There was too much pain and too much information streaming into his head to make sense of it all. But in the last moments before Yancy was gone from his mind, he heard that exact same voice in Yancy's head. Telling him to hold his breath. So instinctual, he trusted the voice. Even if it sounded like one from a little boy. With pain and effort he raised the arm controls and switched hands. The alarms were going off and Gipsy had next to nothing left to give. But her right arm was still in tact. And if the voice encouraged him, then he was going to use it. Raleigh activated the plasma cannon. While it was loading, knifehead pushed the remaining form of Gipsy Danger against a cliff and started to tear at her. Chewing and ripping off bits and pieces. Metal snapping and breaking. Wires tearing up. Alarm systems working over hours to notify Raleigh of what was damaged. Raleigh ignored it. Those things could no longer be fixed. But he had one shot to take this thing down. He screamed and aimed. 'Aim higher. Get the heart.' The voice in his head said. He felt a mental strength. Someone who's spirit grabbed him by the hand and helped him aim. A little boy pulled his arm up. Tugging him to the proper height. And with that he pulled and blasted Knifehead away. The Kaiju roared and fell. This time it was not getting back up. Raleigh was exhausted, In pain and a headache came crashing in like a brick wall. He lost Yancy. He could hardly pilot Gipsy on his own. Not that there was a lot left. But still. Raleigh screamed as he pushed himself up from the platform he was pinned against. Barely capable of standing on his legs. Somehow, The headache grew less and Gipsy Danger's interface leaned less heavy on his mind. 'It's gone Raleigh, The Kaiju's gone. Head for land. I know it's hard. But you can do this. I'll stay with you. Come on.' Raleigh didn't know who was talking. And how it could still be inside his head when all forms of equipment stabilizing a Drift were fried and broken. But he followed the voice. It was his only hope. His only strength to drag the remaining rubble of Gipsy's body back to shore. He needed to survive. For Yancy. He needed to find out who the voice in his head belonged to. He had questions and grief. But he needed to get through this. For Yancy. 'Yes. Think about him. Keep going. We're almost there. You can do this Raleigh.' we? Who was we? The voice was inside his head. It knew he was thinking of Yancy to give himself the strength to drag himself to shore but.. We?... Was someone going with him? Who entered his head? Who told Yancy to hold his breath as he was torn from the con pod? Who was backseat driving the Drift? By the time he got to land, Raleigh was at the end of his strength. Everything hurt. He was bleeding several places and above all.. in his heart. He fell over with Yancy's name on his lips. All Raleigh wanted to do was curl up into a ball and wake up from this nightmare. Then be comforted by his brother like so many times when he had a bad dream. However.. it wasn't a dream. He could feel it. The way all his muscles were tense and overloaded. Pain spreading across every muscle and every nerve ending was alight with an incredible burning sensation caused by the strain on his body. There was a tug. A small set of hands, strong as a grown man, tugging at him. Breaking him free from the equipment of the con-pod. Supporting him while it dragged him out of Gipsy's helmet. The body he was leaning on was small. The clothes were dirty. Through his blurred vision, Raleigh swore he could see Kaiju blue.  "You're okay Raleigh. You're gonna be okay. You made it." That voice... It was the voice from his head. Raleigh couldn't voice it. But his mind replied with bitterness before he passed out. 'Yeah but Yancy didn't...' Please drop_by_the_archive_and_comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!