Rated: Fiction T - English - Adventure/Romance - Killian Jones/Captain Hook, Emma S.
FF.NET: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10127521/2/Once-Upon-a-Jaeger
Also Available on AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/1184025/chapters/3249524
Author’s
note: Really sorry for the long wait to update. Between working and studying
has not left me much time to do what I really like – telling stories. This
chapter will be shorter than the previous one and it contains my first fight
scene. Do let me know how it goes. And
also a big THANK YOU for your wonderful feedback and support. You are the
reason for me to keep writing.
The Pegasus Endeavour waded deeper and
deeper into the ocean. No sign of CrocClaw. Lightning was striking every now
and then, followed by an almost deafening thunderous boom. Killian and Liam
were piloting the Pegasus right in the middle of the storm. The Jaeger’s heavy
mass was keeping them steady in the choppy tidal water sloshed against them.
“Hey,
I can’t see the kaiju anywhere. Do you see it?” asked Killian. “No, me neither. Malcom, any sign of the
bastard?” said Liam.
“It’s
moving towards you! And it’s fast. -400 meters…300 meters…”
“There’s
no sign of it. That thing should be charging right at us now,” said Liam.
“Unless…It
has learnt to adapt,” said Killian with a sickening realisation. Malcom was
still counting down over the intercom “200
meters…100 meters…”
“It’s
in the water! Prepare to brace for impact brother!” yelled Killian, just as
CrocClaw leaped out of the water right in front of the Pegasus. Its long jaw
opened, revealing two rows of carnivorous teeth as it sank them into the
Pegasus’s left shoulder. Liam cried out in pain clutching his own left shoulder
at the sudden ferocity. CrocClaw took advantage of the opportunity and slammed
its full body weight onto the Pegasus, toppling the Jaeger, together with
CrocClaw, teeth still sunk into the armour, into the water.
Pegasus struggled to loosen CrocClaw’s
grip over them with Liam still holding in the pain. Killian tapped his screen.
The female intelligence voice came online [Initialising
retractable blades]. Blades sliced out of the Jaeger’s right hand. Killian
slammed his right hand to the right, the Pegasus mimicking Killian’s movements,
and drove the blade into CrocClaw. To Killian’s shock, the blade was barely an
inch deep into the monster. Its thick hide was acting as its protective shield.
But CrocClaw released its grip on the Pegasus nevertheless.
In full view now, the kaiju really lived
up to its name as a Frankenstein version of a crocodile. CrocClaw had scally
thick skin with blue glowing veins growing all along the body. It was the only
thing that gave off light from the creature. Its yellowish teeth were big and
resembled stones cavemen used to light up a fire. Up-close the kaiju looked
massive, its size rivalling even the Pegasus.
“We
need to get back up above water. Its strength is underwater,”
commanded Liam. Killian nodded and they stood back up. Rain was pouring
heavily, blurring their visor screen vision.
“Where
is that bastard?” Liam tried scanning
the waters but the storm was interfering with the accurate location. It didn’t
help that CrocClaw was a fast swimmer.
Out of the corner, Killian spotted a
pair of yellow slit eyes heading towards the Pegasus left. The strong tidal
waves camouflaging its body movements. “There!
To your left!”
Pegasus Endeavour turned around as
CrocClaw made another leap at the Jones’ brothers. Killian’s hand swung and
clutched CrocClaw by the neck, temporarily immobilising the beast. [Pistol Initialised. Target acquired. Engage
pistol with target]
“Now
Liam!” Liam fired the high velocity pistol into
CrocClaw while the monster was struggling in Killian’s grasp, trying desperately
to claw its way out.
The pistol was shot. All ten rounds of
it. Into CrocClaw’s upper torso. Because of its heavy high velocity power, only
a precious ten rounds fitted into the pistol, making it the Pegasus’s last
resort weapon. Bright glowing blue blood spurted out CrocClaw, who was roaring
ferociously.
Liam began to yell in pain. “aarrghhh…what’s happening?” Killian
could feel the sudden immense pain through the mind meld that almost
incapacitated him as well. He turned to see Liam collapsed to the floor.
Killian instinctively dropped CrocClaw
and ran towards his brother. He took off Liam’s helmet. Liam was shivering.
Killian could see black veined marks growing rapidly from his brother’s neck,
moving onto his face. The robotic spine attached to the back of their suits
kept the Drift intact. He could feel Liam’s presence slowly fading away.
A searing pain course through Killian’s
right arm as though his hand had been ripped off. For a moment he was afraid
that he too had been affected by whatever his brother was experiencing. He
dismissed the assumption as he saw CrocClaw, who was apparently not quite dead
but bleeding a lot of blue goo, with the Pegasus’s arm in its jaws.
“Malcom,
we need backup,” yelled Killian over the intercom desperately. “Liam has been compromised. I don’t know what
it is. I can see black veins on him. It’s growing fast. And CrocClaw is still
alive.”
“I’m
on it Killian,” responded Malcom. Commander Gold’s voice came through the
intercom, “We’re deploying Crimson
Typhoon over to finish the kaiju.” And the line went dead.
“Hello?
Commander? Hello? Malcom? Anyone? HELLO?” No response. CrocClaw was nowhere
to be seen. Yet. They abandoned us when
we needed them most. Killian cradled Liam in his arms. The black veins
passed Liam’s lips moving to his nose. It was beginning to affect his breathing
as he gasped for air. His brother could barely speak but the Drift was still
up.
“Get
out of here Kil. While you still can,” pleaded Liam to Killian in their
minds. Despite the pain, Liam’s eyes stared straight at Killian. “I can’t leave you Liam. I can’t,”
responded Killian desperately, tears wielding in his eyes. “You’ll be okay.”
“We
both know that I won’t make it out of here. But you still can. Tell Milah that
I love her. Stay strong brother and keep fighting the good fight.” Killian
could feel Liam’s emotions wash over him – pain, confused, regret, and love,
for both Killian and Milah. Then, Killian felt an excruciating pain, as if
someone forcefully tore his heart out from his body. Liam was gone. Killian
knew it. Tears fell from Killian’s face.
Liam
was right. Killian had to stay strong and
continue living for both of them. He vowed that he will seek vengeance upon his
brother’s killer. Killian reluctantly let go of Liam and began the sequence to
eject himself out of the Pegasus.
Killian did not have much time left.
CrocClaw was upon the Pegasus again, attempting a last ditch effort in
destroying the Jaeger. [Escape Pod
Sequence Initiated]. Killian stepped into his pilot position and was
hoisted up into an escape pod. In the pod, a sleeping gas was induced to ensure
minimal oxygen was used while the pilot was in the pod waiting for rescue. That
was fine with Killian as he did not want to think or feel anymore. The gas took
over and Killian fell into oblivion while the Pegasus Endeavour collapsed into
the sea along with his brother.
Author’s
end note: So how did you find it? If you can’t quite imagine how the Pegasus
Endeavour looks like, the rough mock up picture of the Jaeger is available on
the blog ourfictionstation.blogspot.com. I basically modelled the Pegasus
Endeavour to bear resemblance the Navy uniform. I used the Pacific Rim Jaeger
design application to create the picture so the model is a rough mock up, not
including the exact details written in the story due to the limited (but still
awesome) choices provided by the app.
As always please leave a review if you enjoyed it =)
