Pacific Rim: Legacy

Chapter 5 - Analia

Analia paced her quarters, glancing at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. Jake was due any minute. The tension from their earlier spat still clung to her, though she was trying her best to push it aside. We need to clear the air, she thought, her jaw tightening. Training the cadets was hard enough without added friction between her and Jake.

The soft knock on the door pulled her from her thoughts. Right on time. She opened the door to find Jake standing there, hands shoved in his pockets, his usual laid-back demeanor in place, though there was something in his eyes that told her he was here to talk, not just blow things off like he usually did.

Without a word, she nodded toward the hall, and they made their way downstairs to the kitchen. It was late, the base quiet, most of the cadets already turned in for the night. The kitchen was empty, save for the low hum of the refrigerator and the soft glow from the overhead lights. Analia grabbed two beers from the fridge, twisting the caps off with ease.

As she handed Jake one of the bottles, she noticed him giving the freezer a sidelong glance. He didn't take a drink right away, just held the beer loosely in his hand, clearly distracted by something. She raised an eyebrow, curious about what was going through his mind.

"So, one more time around? To prove your old man wrong?" Analia asked, breaking the silence. Her tone was casual, but she was testing the waters.

Jake finally opened the freezer, pulling out a tub of ice cream and setting it on the counter with a grin. "Nah," he said, grabbing a bowl from the cupboard. "I just came back to see if the stick up your ass ever got removed."

Analia rolled her eyes, though she couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped out. "Yeah, well," she shot back, "unfortunately, they replaced it with a bigger one."

They laughed, and for a moment, the tension between them eased. It felt almost like old times, when they could banter without the weight of the world pressing down on them. But the conversation couldn't stay light for long. Analia wasn't one to let things slide.

"Why were you so rude today?" she asked, leaning against the counter, folding her arms across her chest.

As Jake popped the lid off the ice cream tub, he hesitated, his smirk fading slightly. He grabbed an ice cream scoop and started working the frozen dessert into the bowl. "She's fresh to the program," he muttered as he scooped. "Amara's a good pilot. I just thought you were being too harsh on her."

Analia's eyes followed Jake as he moved from the freezer to the fridge, pulling out a bottle of chocolate syrup and some whipped cream. What is he doing? she wondered, but kept her focus on the conversation. "Jake, it's my job to train them," she said, trying to keep her frustration in check. "I was trained in hand-to-hand combat with Raleigh for seven years before I ever stepped into a Jaeger. And when I did, I was fighting the Kaiju I've put these kids up against in the SIM. Why is that so wrong to you?"

Jake squeezed a healthy dose of chocolate syrup over the ice cream, then grabbed a handful of sprinkles from a nearby cabinet. His movements were casual, almost methodical, as though assembling a sundae was the most important task of the moment. "Amara's never drifted with another mind before," he replied, not meeting her gaze. "She's probably still getting used to it, and she hasn't found the right co-pilot yet."

Analia watched as he opened the fridge again, this time retrieving a can of whipped cream and shaking it vigorously. Of course. She couldn't help but smirk slightly at the ridiculousness of the situation—here they were, having a serious conversation, while Jake built what looked like the most absurd ice cream sundae she had ever seen.

"So what?" she pressed, crossing her arms tighter. "Help her find her co-pilot and then start her training? That's—"

Jake cut her off, piling whipped cream onto the mountain of ice cream and toppings he'd assembled. "It's a start."