Jasmine Leaf Tea

Jasmine Leaf Tea
29 February 2020
Anchorage, United States
-February 29, 2020-
The day that ruins Raleigh's entire life starts off with the sound of the Kaiju alarm klaxon.
"Yo, Yancy! Wake up! Movement in the Breach!" Up, you lazy bastard! Kaiju's aimin' for our hometown. "Hey! C'mon! We're being deployed!"
"Great. Good morning." Yancy slurs into his pillow as he buried his face back into it.
"Kaiju's a Category 3. Biggest one yet. Codename: Knifehead." Raleigh pokes at Yancy's shoulder, playfully tugging on the blanket with a grin.
"What time is it?" Yancy asks as he rolls out of bed.
"Two." Raleigh chirrups as he tugs on a shirt, nudging Yancy through the link with a soft wash of affection.
"A.M." Yancy slapped a hand to his face and dragged it down with a groan.
"Yup!" He grabs for his brother and rubs at his hair, both of them still warm from sleep.
Yancy sighs and rubs his eyes.
"Whad'ya say? Fifth notch on the belt?" Raleigh hums as Yancy curls around him.
"C'mon, Beckets. Time for the drop." A rap on the door and a muffled voice tells them.
"Hey, kid." Yancy says and his part of the link is serious.
"Yeah?" Raleigh pays attention this time.
"Don't get cocky." His brother chuckles as he gets dressed. Fucker's goin' down for waking me up.
"This thing's ugly, too, apparently," Raleigh tells his brother out loud as they bump shoulders on the way to the Drivesuit Room.
They strap in, teasing each other over the bond and out loud in turns with bright grins on their faces.
If Raleigh had known what was about to happen, he would've fought to take the other side.
"Sir, there's still a civilian vessel in the gulf." Yancy says over the comm. link to LOCCENT.
"Gentlemen, you're protecting a city of two million people. You are not to risk it for a boat that holds ten. Is that clear?" Marshal Pentecost orders gruffly, command lacing every word.
"Yes, sir." Yancy replies.
"You know what I'm thinking." He nudges his brother over the link and Yancy laughs.
"I'm in your head. I know." Yancy's exasperation washes over the link.
"Then let's go fishing." Raleigh grins at his cheesy line, Yancy actually rolling his eyes this time.
They slog through miles of water.
""Kick its ass, Gipsy!": the Gage twins yell over the comm.
"Can do, Romeo!" Yancy laughs as they head out.
"Yeah, we'll take care of it for you, slowpokes!" Raleigh jibs with a light tone.
Knifehead breaches the water first, snarling as it opens it eyes and targets the fishing boat. They stand up fully, scooping the boat up.
"Engage the torque!" His brother barked out, their upbringing making it an order.
"I'm on it!" Raleigh replies with a dash of glee chasing down the link.
They dodge Knifehead's first swipe as they shove the boat toward shore.
Take that!
Man, Tendo was right. This thing is UGG-LY. Wanna take it out of its misery, Rals?
Hell yeah. They share a quick flash of vicious joy as their other fist slams into the jaw and they pull back for a double-fisted punch. The Cat III's head dunks under the waves and it swipes at them after it comes back up with a roar.
"Get it! C'mon, shoot it!" Raleigh yells enthusiastically.
Yancy triggers the Plasmacaster on his side. "I'm on it! I'm on it!" His brother growls and Raleigh sends an apology.
He fires it three times into the Kaiju's exposed chest and throat.
"Gipsy, what the hell is going on?!" Marshal Pentecost asks from LOCCENT while sounding pissed.
"Job's done, sir. Lit it up twice. Bagged our fifth kill." Raleigh announces with no small amount of pride.
"You disobeyed a direct order!" Penetcost barked down the comm. link.
"Respectfully, sir," Yancy pants softly from the exhertion, "we intercepted a Kaiju and saved everyone on that boat."
"Get back to your post now!" Stacker practically hisses.
"Yes, sir." Raleigh's almost laughing but they'll probably get a huge reprimand when they get back.
"Gipsy! We're still getting a signature! That Kaiju's still alive! Grab the boat and get out of there! Do you copy? Grab the boat and get out of there now!" The Marshal orders sharply, desperation lacing his tone.
What?! We got this bastard, right?! "Take it, Raleigh!" Yancy commands.
"I got this!" he says with a wide grin. Raleigh starts charging up his Plasmacaster. With ya every step of the way, Yan. They strengthen their stance and then Knifehead spears straight through Gipsy's left shoulder. Raleigh screams in agony even as he's filling the link with every curse word he knows.
"LOCCENT! We're hit!" Yancy's worry slams through the link; Raleigh manages to send assurance.
The Kaiju separates the arm entirely and Raleigh chokes on his next scream as the circuitry suit sears through his skin. Knifehead attacks the Conn-pod next, its thick claws shrieking as they shear through the metal of the pod and shatter the glass of Gipsy's visor.
"The hull! It went through the hull!" Raleigh yelps in fear, his grip tightening on his gauntlet.
"Raleigh, listen to me! You--" Yancy turns to him and starts to say something as claws reach through the compromised hull and yank Yancy straight through it.
"NOOOOO! NOOOO!" Raleigh feels weightless as Yancy's ripped from Gipsy's Conn-Pod. YANCY! Yan, please--
Love you.
Nononono! I'm sorry! Please! Yancy! Tears pour down his face as he reaches for his brother, screaming in anguish as he finds an abyss where Yancy used to be. YANCY!
A bone-rattling roar is his answer and he snarls back, body straining as he pulls strength from Yancy's last words. The lumbering Kaiju practically tackles him and rips even farther into his damaged left arm, spearing through the chest plates and causing even more pain. He grunts as he takes it, straightening up as the Kaiju's jaws close around the sparking pieces of machinery.
Switching the gauntlet to the opposite hand, Raleigh bares his teeth at the monster who stole his family. Flicking the gauntlet starts the cannon charge as the Kaiju shakes its head to get rid of the parts it took off.
He unloads the Plasmacaster under Knifehead's lower jaw snarling as he does it. Raleigh fires again and lifts his foot in a perfect imitation of a curb-stomp, pressing down until he feels the thick skull cave in. When the Kaiju's body floats in the waves >alc: i don't think Kaiju float< Raleigh wants to disconnect and curl into a ball but he knows if he does that, he drowns in the frigid Arctic waters. He doesn't want his uncle and his sister burying two caskets instead of one.
He slogs through the waves for hours, somehow still controlling the Jaeger even as he's blinded by grief and the absence where Yancy used to be. Everything is shaking; Raleigh doesn't know if it's him or the actual Jaeger doing it but he's in severe agony.
I will not allow you to fall, my Ranger. The female voice is soothing and everything he needed. The coast is only a few steps more.
Who are you? Raleigh has a feeling that he knows this voice.
Your Jaeger, she croons as they stumble towards safety. Gipsy.
Thank you. You saved both our lives, Raleigh breathes as they take the final step onto the beach. 
Gipsy Danger falls to her knees and then everything is blissful oblivion.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Jasmine Leaf Tea
Category:Raleigh
Category:Team G Danger
Category:Team G Danger (ficlet)
Category:Yancy
Category:Yancy (ficlet)
Category:Raleigh (ficlet)
Category:Knifehead event
Category:Knifehead
Category:Pentecost
Category:Pentecost (ficlet)
Category:Anchorage Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Jaegers work frequently in the ocean
Category:Tendo
Category:Tendo (ficlet)
Category:Becket boys are Rangers
Category:Becket boys
Category:Becket boys (ficlet)
Category:Team G Danger's quarters
Category:Pacific Rim (2013)
Category:Yancy is dead
Category:Yancy sleeps
Category:Raleigh is a sunshine-y golden retriever
Category:Drivesuits
Category:Team Romeo Blue
Category:Team Romeo Blue (ficlet)
Category:Ranger Body Art
Category:Saltchuck
Category:Charlie (mention)
Category:Jazmine (mention)
Category:The Drift
Category:G Danger (description)
Category:Becket boys are technopathic
Category:Raleigh is technopathic
Category:G Danger is selfaware
Category:Tea Lovers Association storyline