Enjoy the Show

Date/Timing: August 2016, Reckoner Day in Hong Kong
Setting: Hong Kong, China
.
Brother and Jackson sit near the entrance to LOCCENT, Eyes and Feng lean against the wall nearby.
On the multitude of screens, Reckoner throws /Horizon Brave the Third from its path and onto its backside.
Feng cringes.
「This's embarrassing,」 grumbles Eyes.
""ETA for the tankers?"" says Marshal Xiong.
""Twenty minutes,"" answers Commander Tse.
Eyes huffs, 「Fuck this. Let's go,」 grabs Feng by the shawl, and hauls him out the door and along the corridor.
Feng chokes, 「Where—」
「Out.」
「But—」
Eyes stops—
Feng bounces off him.
—pulls him upright, a familiar brightness in his eyes—
Feng braces for it.
—says, 「Look, we can sit in there with the nerds or we can go out and see the action for ourselves.」
「But—」
「I've done this before.」
「When?」
「Scissure. Got within a block of it.」
Feng's stomach drops. 「And you're alright? Completely?」
Eyes rolls his eyes. 「/Obviously.」 
「I still don't think—」
「I'm going.」 Crosses his arms. 「With or without you.」
Feng swallows. 
「Fine.」 Eyes turns away, starts walking. 「See you later!」 Waves over his shoulder.
Feng ....
Eyes vanishes around a corner.
Feng—「Heaven protect fools.」—runs after him. 
.
Telly's mobile shrieks.
Thomas focuses on the continuing fiasco in the harbour.
Telly squeaks, fumbles—
"What's wrong?"
—drops the mobile, croaks, "Logan. Out."
His heart stutters. "What?" 
Telly gets the mobile in hand, passes it over.
Thomas scans its screen, takes a deep breath. "AGNIS, please display Cadet Jones' current position in a secondary window."
""Loading.""
A sub-window opens on a map of Tsing Yi and its surroundings.
A nightmare-red dot flares southeast of the 'Dome, moving steadily away.
"On the /bridge?" whimpers Telly.
""Cadet Jones' location is approximate as even his personal tracker has an uncertainty bubble of two meters.""
"Thank you, AGNIS."
""Is now a good time to mention GLITTER tags indicate Cadet Lin Feng has joined Cadet Jones on this little adventure?""
"No, it's not, but thank you," says Thomas with remarkable calm. "I assume Marshal Xiong is aware of this development."
""Of course.""
"What're we gonna do?"
"Nothing," sighs Thomas.
"But—!"
"All the troopers have been deployed into the city and everyone else is sheltering. Those two are on their own."
Telly meeps.
.
Eyes jogs to stop just past the midpoint of the bridge, gazes across the water to Jaegers' losing fight. 「Fucking hell, those guys are slow.」
Feng is forced to agree.
/Horizon Brave the Second tumbles across the port channel.
「Goddamn things're deathtraps, moving like that.」
Reckoner heaves itself onto land, pushing /Horizon Brave the First into a block of flats.
Feng swallows.
「Let's get closer,」 says Eyes. He resumes running toward the mainland through air thickening with dust and smoke.
Feng offers a quick prayer and sprints to catch up.
.
[Jackson glances around LOCCENT as Reckoner plods back into the city. He frowns, nudges Chao.]
He attends.
"Where're the idiots?"
"They left some time ago," sighs Chao.
"Left? For where?"
"Trouble, no doubt."
"Think we should look for 'em?"
"I'm sure Brother will—"
Jackson raises an eyebrow.
Chao clears his throat. "I'm sure they'll be fine."
Jackson rubs his neck and drags his attention back to the screens.
.
The pavement shudders under Feng's shoes as he and Eyes run side-by-side along an empty street.
「We need to get higher if we want to see anything.」
The ground jumps.
Eyes whines, 「We're missing all the action!」 Seizes Feng's arm and drags him into the lobby of an office tower.
Feng heads for a stairwell, trips—doesn't fall because Eyes catches him by the elbow—says, 「The stairs are—」
「Yea, but the power's still on in here, so the lift'll work.」 Pokes the call button.
「Is poor Wogan tired already?」
He scoffs. 「Was worried about you, Small Fry.」
The lift /dings and the doors slide open.
Eyes bows him inside.
Up up up they go—
The building shakes.
—Eyes bouncing on his toes, eyes locked on the indicator, until the doors open on the top floor. He makes a bee-line for the roof access stairwell and takes the steps two at a time.
.
Jackson huffs, "Fuck this. I'm going," pushes to his feet.
Chao tugs his sleeve, queries.
"Can't concentrate with those idiots missing."
Chao acknowledges, puts his attention back on the paint drop.
Jackson slinks out and over to the security desk.
"We've won?"
"Not yet. Just need my mobile for a sec."
The desk officer plucks it from a cubbie, hands it over.
"Thanks." Jackson retreats around a corner, tucks himself in an out-of-the-way alcove, thumbs on his mobile, and takes a deep breath. "Computer, where's Logan?"
""This base—""
"Cadet Logan Patrick Jones. My stupid little brother."
""Cadet Jones is currently in Mong Kok—""
Jackson's mouth goes dry.
""—approximately twenty stories above ground level, give or take two meters.""
Jackson fights down rising panic.
""Never fear, Cadet Lin Feng is with him and Marshals Xiong and Nguyen are aware.""
Jackson remembers how to breathe, croaks, "Thanks, Computer."
""Also, Marshal Nguyen orders you to remain in LOCCENT until he explicitly dismisses you on penalty of, and I quote, 'an exquisite punishment yet to be determined'.""
"O-okay. Thanks."
""You're welcome, Jackson.""
He plods back to the checkpoint, surrenders the mobile—
"Are you feeling ill, Cadet?"
—hauls himself back into LOCCENT, slumps down beside Chao.
"Did you find—" Chao blinks rapidly, colour draining. "Oh my sky, where are they?"
Jackson swallows. "Outside. About—" Clears his throat. "About four blocks—" Nods at the screen. "—from that."
Chao goes perfectly still, chanting something under his breath.
.
Eyes rests his elbows on the parapet, sighs into his palm. 「Deathtraps, the lot of 'em.」 Turns to Feng, smiles brightly. 「Good thing we'll have Mark IIIs, yea?」
Feng swallows, nods as another tower block falls in Kowloon.
「The /paint's doing more good than they are.」
「I've been meaning to ask: what do you plan on doing if the battle moves this way?」
「Run like hell.」
「Brilliant,」 sighs Feng.
「Besides, we know where it's going.」 Grins. 「Exactly where Her Marshalness wants it to.」]
「This is true ....」
「Relax, Drapes. We're /fine.」 Shifts his attention back to the cloud of snow in the distance and gestures expansively. 「Enjoy the show.」
.
"They've stopped," offers Telly. "Haven't moved for a while now."
Thomas acknowledges, counting the time until reinforcements arrive and resolutely not thinking about crushed buildings or AWOL cadets.
"Do you think they're okay?"
Crushed cadets are /right out.
"If they're not, I don't want to be the one to tell Xiong."
""Cadet Jones' vital signs monitor indicates a person who is excited, not deceased,"" says AGNIS.
Telly exhales.
""There is a slight lag in my information, however. Wait a—""
Telly—
""False alarm. Still alive.""
—grumbles, "If you weren't omnipotent, I'd hate you."
""Lucky for me I am, then.""
Telly rolls her eyes.
.
The silhouette of a Jaeger suspended from its net of Jumphawk wires appears in the smoke hanging over Kowloon.
「Looks like the cavalry's here,」 drawls Eyes.
/Tacit Ronin drops.
The building trembles.
「At least they sent someone with a little speed.」
/Ronin picks its way over the downed buildings to Reckoner and buries a fang-blade nearly to the hilt in its side.
[Reckoner whines pitifully.
Feng thinks of small animals.
「Sounds like someone stepped on its foot,」 snickers Eyes.
「Did Scissure make that sound?」
「Not really?」 
/Ronin strikes with their other blade.
Reckoner wheezes.
「It fucking /cackled, like the missile were /tickling it.」 Barely controls a shudder. 「Kinda unnerving really.」
Feng rallies. 「You? Scared of a little Kaiju?」
「I said 'unnerving', not 'scary'.」
/Ronin straightens, kinda shrugs at a /Horizon Brave.]
Eyes sighs. 「Guess the show's over.」 Stretches his arms over his head. 「We might as well head down.」
.
[Jackson exhales shakily; beside him, Chao's shoulders drop their tension.
Xiong and the LOCCENT folks briskly arrange for cleanup, pickup, and un-evacuation. At least, that's what Jackson assumes they're doing since he still doesn't understand Cantonese beyond 'hello', 'please', and 'thank you'.
"Shall we go?" asks Chao.
"I have to wait for Nguyen to dismiss me."
"This is because of our brothers?"
"Yep."
"I will wait with you."
"Thanks." Jackson lets himself sprawl a little.
""Chief Tse, please detach one security team to recover our wayward cadets,"" says Marshal Xiong in crystal clear English. ""Have them escorted directly to the brig.""]
"I have a very bad feeling about this," whispers Chao.
"Ditto."
.
「I bet we can get right up to it,」 says Eyes as the lift descends.
「I don't think that's a good idea.」
「What? Are you /scared? Of a /dead Kaiju?」
「Of course not!」 scoffs Feng. 「But the fact remains it is highly toxic.」
「So we don't touch anything blue or glowing.」
Feng sighs.
Eyes grins and bounces on his toes.
The lift doors slide open, they step out and stroll in the direction of the carnage.
.
"Uh oh," says Telly.
Thomas checks the map.
The red dot is moving again. /Toward the Kaiju.
"Does he have a death-wish?"
"Right now, I honestly don't know," sighs Thomas. Considers. "Though, if he does, I may be willing to grant it."
Telly snorts. "And if you don't, Xiong might."
"Yup."
.
Feng and Eyes merge with a PPDC crew moving to release citizens from the municipal anti-Kaiju shelters and guide them to safety.
Safety far, far away from the downed Kaiju.
As they draw near, the air is choked with dust, ash, and an indescribable stench.
「Kaiju,」 explains Eyes. 「Cover up with your shawl so you inhale less of this crap.」
Feng does so, noting Eyes has pulled the collar of his t-shirt over his nose and mouth.
「「Cadet Jones,」」 says a voice behind them.
Eyes keeps walking.
「「Cadet Lin.」」
Feng stops, grabs Eyes' arm, spins them around.
He stumbles, yanks free, and rolls his eyes. 「Boy scout.」
Feng shrugs helplessly.
「You two are to accompany us—」 Indicates five other officers in Security colours. 「—back to the Shatterdome.」
「What if we don't want to?」
Feng hisses, tugs his sleeve.
「We have Marshal Xiong's permission to use whatever means necessary to ensure your timely arrival.」
Hands—ah, he should've expected a full squad—clamp down on their shoulders.
「Help! I'm being—」
「That won't work this time either, Cadet,」 sighs the squad leader.
Eyes shrugs. 「Worth a shot.」
.
They get dropped off in the brig, are given a lunchbox each, and left alone. 
"Maaaaaau," greets a cat, worming in from ... somewhere. 
And they wait. 
.
Officers Lee and Castro frog-march the Cadets into Medical exactly as ordered.
「Thank you, [Officers]. I'll take it from here.」 >replaces a name<
They bow, depart.
Cadet Jones, dust-streaked, rocks on his heels, hands tucked behind his back.
Cadet Lin, equally dirty, hunches nervously and worries the hem of his shawl.
"Come along." Gets the door from the anteroom.
The Cadets shuffle through, hover near the wall. 
Li-hua strides down the hall. "I apologise for the delay, Cadets."
"It's fine," says Lin. 
Jones shrugs. 
"I was overseeing the search teams looking for the employees sent out before the drop." Leads them around a corner. "We've since found the last of them." 
"That's great!" chirps Lin. 
Li-hua gets the door to a patient room. "We found the last of them—"
Lin claps a hand over his mouth. 
"—beaten half to death, wandering around on a very badly broken leg with her head duct taped together."
Even Jones has gone a bit grey. 
["I've been trying to comfort her parents over the phone; Miss Yeung's grandparents have ordered them to stay in the Safe Zone under threat of being disowned. They've signed over her care to me but are understandably distraught not being able to attend their eighteen year old."] 
Machines hum to themselves. 
"I was also speaking with the Nobel committee; they want to reward me with /something, they're just not sure what yet, so." Shifts. "On the one hand, I saved Hong Kong at a cost of only some bumps, bruises, and property damage. On the other, I put an eighteen-year-old kitchen aide in harm's way and now she's in a coma." 
The artificial lung wheezes loudly. 
"You signed on to be Rangers, not to be killed in a back alley. If you two leave the Shatterdome, together or separately, you will take a security team with you. If you want front-line experience, you will join one of the volunteer rescue groups."
Another machine hisses.
"Do we have an understanding, Cadets?"
"Yes, Marshal," squeaks Lin.
"Yes, ma'am," croaks Jones.
"Good. Now go get yourselves decontaminated."
"Yes, ma'am," they say and slink out.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Hong Kong (setting)
Category:Hong Kong Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Feng
Category:Feng's POV
Category:Feng (ficlet)
Category:Logan
Category:Logan (ficlet)
Category:Jackson
Category:Jackson's POV
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Xiong
Category:Xiong (ficlet)
Category:Tse
Category:Tse (ficlet)
Category:Chao
Category:Chantell
Category:Chantell's POV
Category:Chao (ficlet)
Category:Chantell (ficlet)
Category:Nguyen
Category:Nguyen's POV
Category:Nguyen (ficlet)
Category:Scissure (mention)
Category:Reckoner
Category:Tacit Ronin
Category:Horizon Brave
Category:AGNIS
Category:AGNIS (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Ficlets in need of language stuff
Category:Judgement Day arc
Category:Tang Min (mention)
Category:Logan vs GLITTER
Category:Cats of Lin
Category:Cats of Lin (ficlet)