𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬𝐚𝐦 | 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐑𝐢𝐦/𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐏

𝐭𝐰𝐨

❝𝐒𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐖 the hell does this work?" Newton asks as he walks through the door to k-science. The first time he's been back in a long while.

Hermann almost forgets the question entirely for the fact that Newt is wearing normal clothes. The hideous jumpsuit he had been wearing is gone, and Hermann is so glad to see him in his usual white shirt and tie, not those tacky red suits he'd previously worn. Glasses back, stupid tattoos on show, stubble slightly more beard-like than he normally has it.

"Ah, yes. I'm not quite sure..." This is one of the only times Hermann doesn't trust himself. He feels insecure in his mathematical ability, and he worries for Newt. If he dies, it's his fault completely.

"You're not sure? Dude, you've been talking about this portal since we first met."

"Yes, well, interdimentional travel isn't as simple to do as it may sound."

"But you've done this before, right? Rats and shit?" Hermann nods, hobbling towards his desk.

"Yes. But here's the problem; I can give you a tracker, but I can't monitor or see you, and an arrow on a screen can only do so much. I think accompanying you as you first enter will be best."

"Dude, are you insane?"

"I've been told so from a few people," Hermann smirks, and Newt wants to wipe it off his face with a wake-up slap.

"Ok, but if you die while we're in there-"

"Then I die. Oh well."

"Oh well? The PPDC doesn't even know you're doing this, the only reason you can is because Jake stole everything, if you die they have no scientists, and he'll get all the blame."

Of course when Hermann finally grows a pair and starts making some rash decisions for once it's on a matter of literal life or death. Newt almost rolls his eyes.

"I'm sure he'll convince them otherwise. I've given enough to this stupid cause anyway, to be quite honest. I was thinking of quitting soon anyway."

"What!? You can't just- dude!"

"Let's begin, shall we?" he hears Newton mutter a 'Jesus Christ' under his breath.

---

The portal isn't unlike the Kaiju breach, it almost scares Newt. A large, cracked hole in the floor of the lab - on his side, of course. He wouldn't hear the end of it if it didn't close properly and Hermann had to work around a giant, gaping hole.

Hermann attaches a small black device to the waist of Newt's jeans, and clips one onto himself. He tries to give a reassuring smile, but it comes out as more of a grimace. Neither of them are ready for this.

"Sorry I'm late, sorry I'm late!" Tendo Choi of all people storms through the large doors to the lab, and Newt can't help but groan.

"You brought him into this?" Tendo grins over at him.

"It was the only way I would be able to travel with you. If we do manage to get through, we need someone to monitor in case we can't get back," So don't travel with me! Newt screams in his mind. Simple as that!

"Ok, let's just get this over with."

Tendo syncs both trackers, and looks over with a thumbs up. Both men falter before entering. Life or death. Rockstar or dumbass. Precursors or no. They enter.

The new breach, as Newt has now dubbed it, is strange, but it doesn't feel like death quite yet. A strange tingling sensation fills Newt's body, and he squeezes his eyes shut, grabbing Hermann's hand next to him. They're stuck in an infinite cycle of falling.

And then they hit ground with a force so hard Newt is surprised they didn't break bone, but Hermann comes close.

He falls to the ground, having landed on his bad leg, and Newt immediately crouches to help him.

"Shit, you ok?"

"I'm fine, Newton, really. But... ah." Hermann frowns, and in turn, so does Newt.

"What? What's up?" Hermann lifts his hand, and Newt pulls the other up, using his cane for support. He looks around for a short moment and starts towards a bathroom. He drags the other to a mirror, and Newt grins.

"Oh, shit, now that's cool." Newt says, laughing.