𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Chapter 30. Go Big Or Go Extinct

"Anyone can fall." ~ Raleigh Becket

January 12, 2025: Mariana's Trench

As we were dropped into the middle of the Pacific Ocean, I felt a sense of dread overcome me. This mission, there was no way we were all coming back alive from this.

I knew it, Raleigh knew it, and Stacker knew it. It was only a matter of time before our luck ran out, right? I mean, there was only so much we could do.

"All ports sealed, ready to submerge." Raleigh's voice brought me out of my daze. I shook off my feelings of dread, preparing for the inevitable attack as we were submerged underwater.

Don't think about that stuff, Em. We'll make it.

Raleigh's thoughts coursed through me as if they were my own. I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to ignore the pit in my stomach that was growing the deeper we were submerged under the water.

As we approached the breach, the glowing light emitting from inside of it grew brighter and brighter despite the absolute darkness we were surrounded by as we switched to instruments.

"Gipsy you got movement on your right!" Tendo's voice sounded alarmed as he spoke through the comm's. 

Raleigh quickly pushed a few buttons, attempting to see if it could be spotted through Gipsy since it was too dark to physically see. 

"Right flanks clear, I got nothing!" Raleigh called out as Gipsy stated the 300 foot radius was clear.

"Left now. It's moving quick! Fastest Kaiju on record." Tendo called out once more.

I swallowed harshly, trying to focus on the mission in front of us knowing that there was nothing we could do about the Kaiju seeing as we couldn't even pinpoint it.

"Eye's on the prize, Gipsy. 600 metres to the drop!" I'd almost forgotten about Chuck and Mako being out here with us. His voice reminded me of the promise I made to the Marshal.

I felt a rush of determination flow through me as I remembered my best friends were inside the machine in front of me and I had to keep them safe. I couldn't lose them.

Good. Keep that energy.

I felt Raleigh's thought tickle the back of my head, a hint of pride in them as they did so. As we got closer to the breach, Striker stopped abruptly just a few feet from the entrance.

"Striker the bogey's aren't following. Take the leap, now!" The Marshal's voice was stern as he spoke over the comm's. I wanted to side with the Marshal, I wanted to tell them to just jump and that we'd be right behind them but something in my gut was screaming at me that something was wrong.

I know, I feel it too

Raleigh reassured me as we kept walking closer to the breach when the sounds of two irritating voices could be heard through the comm's. "Move you fascist!" 

Newt had gotten a hold of the mic, shouting at us about how us jumping into the breach wasn't going to work because it scans the Kaiju's signature like a barcode? I don't know, it was all too confusing and my brain was already scattered as it was.

"And uh- how are we supposed to do that exactly?" I asked with an annoyed tone, hating how confusing both him and Herman were making things.

"You have to lock onto the Kaiju and ride it in through the breach." The sounds of rustling in the background could be heard before Pentecost's voice came back through the comm's.