Pacific Rim: Legacy

Chapter 14 - Ezra

Later that night, Ezra found himself standing on the hangar bay with Amara, the cold wind sweeping across the open space, biting at his exposed skin. The night was dark, but the floodlights on the deck bathed the area in an eerie glow, casting long shadows across the concrete. Above them, the massive forms of Jaeger drones were being lowered from helicopters, their hulking silhouettes looming over the base like sleeping giants. The cables that held them creaked under the strain, the sound reverberating through the air like the low growl of a predator preparing to strike.

Each of the drones dangled precariously, swaying slightly in the wind, their bulky frames hanging in perfect symmetry as they descended toward the hangar floor. Ezra couldn't help but feel a knot tightening in his stomach, a deep sense of unease creeping through him. The cold wasn't the only thing making his skin prickle.

He glanced to the side, his eyes falling on his parents, Analia and Raleigh, who stood a short distance away with Jake and Nate. Their postures were rigid, faces serious as they engaged in a low, tense conversation. Ezra couldn't hear what they were saying, but the weight of their expressions told him all he needed to know—something was wrong. The tension in the air was palpable, thick enough that it felt like it was pressing down on him, suffocating in its intensity.

"Look at those things," Amara muttered beside him, her voice barely cutting through the wind. Her eyes were fixed on the drones, watching as the helicopters gently lowered them closer to the deck. "They're not like the others."

Ezra nodded, his own gaze never leaving the mechanical beasts. Their massive forms looked even more imposing up close, their sleek designs gleaming under the lights. "They're drones," he replied, his voice quiet, almost hesitant. "Shao Industries built them to replace the older Jaegers." His words trailed off, the unsettling feeling in his gut growing stronger. "But I don't like this. Something's off."

Before he could finish the thought, one of the drones twitched.

It was subtle at first—a slight jerk of its arm, as if something had momentarily glitched in the system. Then, another twitch. And another. Metal scraping against metal echoed through the hangar as the drones' limbs began to move unnaturally, their joints twisting in ways they shouldn't. The sound was eerie, like nails on a chalkboard, setting Ezra's teeth on edge.

His eyes widened, heart hammering in his chest. "What the hell?" he whispered, taking an instinctive step back, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

The drones continued to twitch and jerk, their once-sleek forms now moving in erratic, disjointed motions. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, the movement stopped. The drones hung still once more, suspended in the air by their cables, silent and unmoving.

For a heartbeat, everything was still.

But the silence didn't last.

In an instant, the drones sprang to life, their frames twisting and contorting as if something inside them had broken free. Ezra's breath caught in his throat as he watched in horror. The metal plating on their exteriors began to shift, splitting open like skin peeling away, revealing something far more monstrous beneath. Dark, jagged spines pushed through the metal, like grotesque bones protruding from beneath the surface. Tendrils of blackened flesh began to wrap around their mechanical limbs, slithering like serpents, fusing with the machinery in a horrific blend of organic and mechanical.

The sleek, robotic forms of the drones had transformed into something twisted, something wrong. Kaiju-like features emerged, with glowing, malevolent eyes and sharp, predatory claws that seemed to pulse with dark energy. The drones—no, the monsters—let out a low, rumbling growl, their once-precise movements now erratic and filled with rage.