Mei's Perspective
Mei, Taylor, Hayley, Brina and Boy had all made it back to Atlas. They couldn't take the Predator considering they only had three pilots so they had to leave it behind. Mei was still crying when Hayley and Taylor got in Atlas. Brina was severly injured and Boy was still unconcious from the tranfusion. They piloted the Jaeger as far from the Sister's headquarters as they could, no one said a word. They had been walking for a while, when Brina started coughing badly.
Taylor: Mom? Mom what's wrong?
They stopped the Jaeger and went to check on her. She wasn't responding and looked like she was in terrible condition.
LOA: I detect that she has sustained critical injuries. I am afraid she won't make it far.
Hayley: No, no! She can't! Not now! Not when we're so close.
Mei looked over and saw that they were crying.
LOA: ...If I may suggest. I could help create a vision. So that she could leave in peace.
There was silence in the room. It was a grim thing to think about, but Mei felt like it was something Brina would want.
Taylor: ...Okay.
Mei watches as Hayley enters the rig and Taylor puts a sleeping Brina into the conn pod as well. A few moments pass and Mei sees tears running down Brina's face. The beeping of her monitor continues to get fainter and fainter. She sees Taylor and Hayley, tears in their eyes.
Hayley: There's nothing more for you to worry about.
The beeps keep getting fainter and their sobs continue.
Taylor: We love you Mom.
The beeping then becomes a high pitch droning. She was gone.
LOA: All life signs are gone. The injuries were simply too severe. Thanks to you both however, she has finished well.
Taylor: Thank you LOA, for giving our mother such a beautiful gift.
LOA: It was my honor.
Mei watches as Hayley, sobbing, runs out of the Jaeger to roof. Mei, understanding how she must have been feeling, goes out to join her. She just sits next to Hayley, without saying anything. She had heard enough inspirational talk, all Hayley wanted now was peace and quiet.
Hayley: Thank you.
Mei: For?
Hayley: Not saying anything, just sitting with me.
Mei: Well sitting sullenly is what I do best.
Hayley looks over at Mei, noticing the tears in her eyes.
Hayley: I'm sorry about Y/N.
Mei: ...Y/N was different, they were special. I, don't know what it was. They made me feel different. Happy.
Hayley: You love him, don't you.
Mei blushes.
Mei: Yeah... yeah I guess I do.
Hayley: ...It's nice. Having a sister.
They both smile at each other and enjoy the sky for a while.
Later...
They had been walking to Sydney for a long time. Mei and Taylor were piloting the Jaeger while Hayley watched Boy. Not much had been said, until Boy suddenly jolted up. He was holding his head, like he was fighting something.
Hayley: Boy? Boy it's okay it's me.
Boy had fallen off of the bench and was panting heavily.
Taylor: We didn't save him in time.
Hayley: No, no that can't be. Boy!
Mei: He's mutating! Get him outside!
All of a sudden, Boy jumps up and runs outside, followed by Hayley. Mei watches him jump from that head and in a bright flash, lands on the ground below. He had turned into his Kaiju form and turned toward Atlas. He started climbing to get to Hayley.
Hayley: Boy! No stop!
Just before he slammed into the head of Atlas, Hayley managed to slip inside. He started slamming against the conn pod and inside, sparks were flying everywhere.
Taylor: Boy! Stop!
Suddenly, Boy stopped. He let out big roar, holding his head, and jumped away, fighting the will of the Sisters. They stared him down for a while until he stopped. He had sucumbed. He leaped forward, throwing punches at Atlas. They blocked each hit and managed to land a brutal uppercut, sending Boy flying backward.
Hayley: No! Don't hurt him!
Mei: It's him or us!
Hayley: No! No!
Hayley runs over and grabs Mei's arm.
Mei: What are you doing?
Taylor: Hayley! Back off!
All of a sudden, Boy jumps at Atlas causing it to fall over. He starts throwing several fatal punches to the conn pod and red alarms start going off everywhere.
LOA: Impacts are threatening hull integrity.
Taylor: LOA, activate Saber Chain.
Hayley: No! Taylor please!
Before the Saber Chain activates, a massive hand grabs Boy and flings him across the wasteland. They look up and see a collosal spiked mech that they recognize as the Jaeger-Kaiju Apex.
Taylor: What's Apex doing here?
Mei: Who cares? He's trying to save us.
Hayley: Not us. Boy.
Boy starts to charge toward Apex, but he easily grabs him and beams of blue energy fire out, scanning Boy's eyes.
Hayley: That scanning beam. He was using it last time to see out memories. Is he giving them back?
LOA: That appears to be exactly what Apex is trying to do.
Boy continues to struggle in Apex's large arms. He manages to maintain the scanning beams trained on Boy the entire time. Boy manages to swing his feet up into Apex, causing him to drop Boy. He lands on top of Apex and while holding his arm in place, starts kicking Apex, causing bioluminescent Kaiju blood to start spilling out of the Jaeger-Kaiju's head.
Taylor: Boy! Don't! We need to pull them apart.
Suddenly, several sparks fly from the back of Atlas' head and it falls to one knee.
LOA: Warning. Cascade failure due to rhomboid servo damage.
Taylor: Shut it down and reset.
LOA: Affirmitive.
The entire Jaeger shuts off and the conn pod goes dark as the systems reboot.
Hayley: Hurry!
The screen of Atlas' conn pod goes transparent and Boy was still hitting Apex. He gets his hand free and catches Boy as he goes to stomp. He takes the Kaiju and throws him away as the reboot countdown continues.
Hayley: Come on. Come on. Come on.
Boy jumps back on Apex's head, pulling him back down to the ground, beating his head back and forth. At that moment, the countdown reaches zero and the Jaeger powers up again.
LOA: System reset successful. Rhomboid servos back online.
Mei: Let's move.
They get back on their feet and run toward Boy. They take the Kaiju and hold him tight.
Hayley: Apex! We'll hold him! Finish it!
Apex, severly injured, struggles to get up but manages to lock eyes with Boy, who was roaring viciously. Apex powers up his scanning beams once again and continues to return Boy's memories. It takes a moment, but Boy calms down and just as the scanning beams disappear, Apex falls to his knees and his eyes go dark, no longer moving. Boy watches in devastation at what he just did and lets out a roar.
Hayley: Apex did it. We have Boy again.
Mei looks over and sees tears of joy fall from Hayley's face.
Hayely: Welcome back.
Mei notices Taylor trying to look at Atlas' scanners but is greeted with a red screen instead.
Taylor: LOA, what's wrong with the scanner?
LOA: Exterior array has sustained damage.
Taylor: You've got to have another way of tracking incoming Kaiju. Right?
LOA: Negative.
Hayley: Then we won't be able to see anything coming at us.
LOA: Not from a distance. Only what is visible through the visor.
Mei: Wait. The scout tank. Joel installed a scanner.
Taylor: Let's grab it and get out of here.
They suddenly hear horn calls ins the distance. They look over and see on a rock formation the High Priestess and a handful of Sisters blowing into bone horns.
Hayley: The Sisters, they're here.
Mei: Which means Kaiju aren't far behind. Let's go.
Taylor: Boy, they're coming for us. We need to leave here.
Boy looks up at his fallen friend Apex.
Hayley: Please Boy, we have to hurry.
He reaches a hand out in sadness before turning and following them. They make their way to where they had left the scout tank and picked it up, ready to leave. They look down and the two graves they had made, the one for Shane and the one for Brina. They think back on the ones they had lost and a tear runs down Mei's cheek as she tinks about you.
Taylor: LOA, how long before we reach Sydney base if we run as fast as possible?
LOA: Seventeen hours, forty-eight minutes, eleven seconds. Uninterrupted.
Taylor: If we trade off, we can do this. Right?
Mei: I know I can.
With the scout tank in hand, they start running full speed toward Sydney base.
Hours later...
The group had been switching pilots for several hours now. Mei had entered the scout tank and was tracking Kaiju while Hayley and Taylor drove. Boy had yet to change back into his human form.
Mei: I'm still tracking that Kaiju behind us. Looks like it's gaining.
Taylor: We outran one and beat another one down. We got this.
Hayley and Taylor were panting heavily now that they had been running for a while.
Mei: Those were category IIs, this is a category III at it'll be tapping on your shoulder in ten minutes.
Taylor: Copy. Thanks Mei.
Hayley: LOA, any place for us to hide within ten minutes of here? Mountains or canyons?
LOA: Negative. Might I suggest doubling your pace.
Hayley: I'd laugh, but I know your not joking.
Taylor: I'm afraid you're getting our top speed LOA.
Hayley: We are in no condition to take on a Kaiju. You do know that?
Taylor: We don't really have a choice.
Mei: Hey, here's an update. The Kaiju just vanished from our scopes. I guess it retreated. There's nothing else showing up so we're clear to keep moving.
Taylor: Or clear to take a break.
Hayley: Boy, we're stopping to rest.
Boy starts to slow down and turns to look at Atlas.
Hayley: I'll come out and see you.
Hayley climbs to the top of Atlas as Boy approaches the collosal mech with a sad face.
Hayley: Oh, don't worry Boy. Everything's going to be fine. You'll shrink back down, just like last time.
Boy leans in as she touches his forehead gently.
Hayley: And if for some reason you don't. I love you anyway.
Back in the conn pod, Taylor was taking a break on the nearby bench, thinking to himself.
Taylor: You know LOA, I keep trying to imagine that moment when I see Sydney in the distance. But, I can't really picture it.
LOA: You had visited Sydney base during your cadet orientation.
Taylor: Yeah I remember how it looks. I guess what I'm trying to say is it doesn't feel like a city anymore.
LOA: Sydney existed five years ago, therefore it is likely...
Taylor: That's not what I mean either. Sydney has been this place of peace and safety. It was a goal that had been out of reach for so long, it's kind of a myth. I just can't see myself getting there.
LOA: You will get there. I will ensure it.
Taylor: Yeah, but what about everyone who couldn't make it.
LOA: You are talking about Y/N.
Taylor: And everyone else that we lost.
LOA: They may not have made it this far, but you have. And you are my top priority.
Taylor: Careful LOA, our hope is rubbing off on you.
LOA: Oh, well I am overdue for maintenance.
All of sudden, Mei calls on the coms.
Mei: Atlas come in! The Kaiju is back! It was underground!
Hayley and Boy on top of Atlas look over and see an enormous Kaiju Eel emerge from the ground and Boy growls.
Hayley: I know you want to help, but stay back. We got this.
She runs inside to find Taylor already ready to go. She enters the pilot position and they Drift immediately. They turn around to face the Eel, ready for battle.
Taylor: LOA, Saber Chain.
As the Eel charges toward Atlas, the large Saber Chain pierces the Kaiju's forehead. They lift it into the air and slam the beast into the ground. As it recovers and charges at them again, they grab the Kaiju by the tail and slam it into the ground, killing it.
LOA: Ground tremors. Another Kaiju is emerging.
As LOA says that, another massive Kaiju Eel emerges from the ground not far from Atlas. Before they could react, Boy leaps over their shoulder and runs for the Kaiju. He swiftly gets it in a choke hold, preventing it from moving and he proceeds to break its neck, causing it to fall limp. He drops it and looks back at Taylor and Hayley who are wide eyed.
Hayley: Okay. Wow.
Taylor: That is going to come in handy.
Boy lets out a final roar at the dead Kaiju and Atlas gives him a big thumbs up. Mei returns to join them in the scout tank.
Mei: I guess he is worth keeping around. Anyway the scanners are clear. But, I'm sure we have more on the way.
Taylor: Yeah, breaks over.
And with that, they continue running toward Sydney base. After a short time, Boy starts running faster ahead of them.
Hayley: Look who wants to race.
Taylor: He should be disqualified, Kaiju blood is a known performance enhancer.
Hayley: Yeah...
Taylor: What's wrong.
Hayley: It's just... when we saw Y/N fighting those Rippers, do you know what that was.
Taylor: Now that you mention it, no, I don't.
Hayley: You don't think...
Mei: Yes... it is.
Mei had tuned in to the coms when they started talking.
Taylor: Why didn't he tell us.
Mei: ...They said they were scared. They knew you two had been through a lot and they just didn't want to put more on your plate.
Hayley: Sounds like them.
Mei: Yeah... it does.
You go on in silence for a bit until Mei checks the scanners again.
Mei: Looks like we're picking up some more. A couple dozen, including some smaller ones close behind. Probably Rippers.
Taylor: Got it.
Suddenly a big mark appears on the scanner.
Mei: You better pick up the pace. A category VI is on an intercept course thirty minutes out. Wicked Witch is bringing it.
Hayley: Category VI?! How big is that?
Taylor: Too big. LOA, how far until we reach Sydney base.
LOA: With our current speed, arrival will be in one hour.
Hayley: It'll catch us by then. Taylor what do we do, we need a plan.
Mei: Hold on, I'm picking up something else.
Hayley: More Kaiju!
Mei: Yes, but, there's something else. A Jaeger. Dead ahead.
Taylor: A Jaeger?
Hayley: Maybe it's from Sydney. Maybe it could help us.
Mei: ...Wait. No... it can't be.
Her eyes go wide.
Mei: Stop! Stop!
Taylor: What? Why are we stopping?
Mei couldn't answer, she was far too shocked. They look ahead to see what caused Mei to be speechless and they had their eyes widen. Before them flanked by two Kaiju, was a bulky, steel Jaeger, holding a massive axe.
Hayley: The Predator?!
Y/N: Hello friends.
Mei: Y/N?