Chapter Text
Bianca Donnell
April 2019
The news had it that the Hansen brothers had bagged another kill. If she hadn’t already heard her excited classmates whispering about it in fifth period, or on the bus on the way home, Bianca Donnell certainly heard it the moment she walked into the apartment. Bolting the door, the dark-haired teenager turned to glance across at the TV. Channel Nine was doing a real piece on the latest kaiju that Lucky Seven had taken down, over near Christchurch in New Zealand.
“...Herc and Scott Hansen have taken out three kaiju in as many years, and show no signs of stopping anytime soon…”
Bianca had never met the Hansens in person, but she’d heard all about them from Andy. He raved about Herc, who had been RAAF before Scissure’s attack in 2014. All the news reports portrayed the older brother as reserved but diplomatic. Scott was the ladies’ man, both in Andy’s own words and demonstrated by the mischievous smiles and winks he’d toss the cameras. He liked the attention a lot more than Herc. The men were in their late 30s, despite girls at Bianca’s high school gushing about them as if they weren’t old enough to be their dads.
“Bianca, you’re home.” Rosa Donnell got up from the faded old couch to greet her daughter, shuffling into the kitchen to take dinner out of the oven. “Have you heard from Andy?”
“Nope.” Bianca shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. She and her older brother were eight years apart, but had been close ever since Scissure’s attack had cost the life of Bianca’s dad, Kaden. Andy had become the primary income earner of their household, joining the Pan Pacific Defense Corps at the age of 21.
Fast forward two years and Andy was one of the pilots of the mighty Vulcan Specter, Australia’s second Jaeger. Whilst Lucky Seven was a Mark 2, Vulcan Specter had been the newest model, a Mark 3—that was, until they’d started rolling out the Mark 4s in 2018. As Bianca understood Drift compatibility, the pilots had to have a close emotional connection in order to form a strong neural handshake. As Scott was Herc’s co-pilot, Andy’s co-pilot was his long-time best friend Linden Blayne.
It had been difficult to get used to the fact that her brother was famous, that they couldn’t go to get groceries without people recognising him and stopping him for selfies and autographs. Andy took it with good grace, as he did most things, but it irritated Bianca. Sometimes she was selfish and wanted her brother to herself, yet now she felt she had to share him with the world. Andy was constantly busy. Even now, not having been involved in the latest kaiju encounter, he’d be doing a press conference or some form of media campaign.
Her phone buzzed and her face lit up at the same time the screen did when she saw Andy’s name flash.
Heading to dinner with Linden & Hansens after the media storm is over. Wanna come?
Bianca felt a sense of girlish excitement. She hung out with Linden all the time, but the Hansens were another matter entirely. Although they’d been piloting for longer than Andy, Bianca didn’t exactly rub shoulders with many people in PPDC. For a start she wasn’t even fifteen yet, and Andy kept saying she couldn’t exactly ditch school and become a Jaeger groupie. Nonetheless, the prospect of meeting them for the first time felt like an invitation into some sort of secret inner circle.
The mouth-watering smell of Rosa’s roast lamb and sweet potatoes made Bianca hesitate. She hated leaving her mum at home, especially knowing that Rosa needed all the help that she could get. Rosa was busying herself setting the tray on the stovetop, glancing over at her daughter as she took off the oven mitts.
“Is that Andy?”
“Yeah.” Bianca placed her phone on the bench, drumming her fingers against the flat surface. “He asked if I wanted to come out to dinner with him and some of the others.”
She waited for Rosa’s verdict, and her permission. Despite her health problems and the fact that Andy was the unspoken person in charge, Rosa was still Bianca’s mother. If Rosa needed her to stay at home and help, Bianca would begrudgingly do so. Andy had taken care of them for some time, so it was her obligation to pick up where her brother left off, to do the things he no longer had time for.
“You want to go.” Rosa’s smile was slightly sad, not quite reaching her brown eyes. “Honey, it’s alright. I’ve taken my medication, and you can bring the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.”
Bianca tried to stop herself from looking too excited as she picked up her phone and tapped out a response to Andy. The cogs were turning in her mind—what would she wear? Should she put on some makeup or go bare-faced? She was aware she was being absolutely ridiculous, and should probably act a bit more casual since her brother was a Jaeger pilot too, but she couldn’t help her sense of anticipation.
Sure. What time & are you picking me up?
The response was immediate.
Yep. 7pm.
The heart of Sydney was an interesting place these days. About half of it had been destroyed during Scissure’s rampage, and to this day it was sectioned off. The Grounds of the City, the restaurant where Andy and Bianca were meeting the others, was a quaint restaurant boasting a bold green exterior and its name in red neon lights. Bianca hadn’t been there before, but Google reviews told her it was pretty good.
As she and Andy headed inside, her stomach lurched as she noticed Herc and Scott in one of the booths. There was also a brown-haired boy there, probably about Bianca’s age. He was disinterested, too busy playing games on his phone to pay her or Andy any attention. Herc smiled and pushed himself to his feet, clapping Andy on the arm with an easy familiarity as they approached the booth. Scott leaned back and sipped at his beer.
“Good to see you, mate.” Herc glanced at Bianca. There was a warmth about this guy, the same warm vibe that people got from Andy. “This must be the sister. You look alike.”
“Different dads, but yeah we do.” Andy was all too eager to make the introductions, gesturing between the pair. “Herc, this is Bianca.”
“It’s lovely to meet you.” Bianca reached out to shake Herc’s hand vigorously, before glancing at Scott, who raised his beer in acknowledgement. “And you as well.”
“Chuck.” Herc’s tone became stern as he surveyed the teenage boy. “Don’t be rude. Put the phone away and say hello.”
Chuck. Bianca vaguely recognised the name. The media sometimes talked about Herc’s son, who was in PPDC training to be a Ranger himself. Maybe he wanted to take after his dad and his uncle, apparently he excelled in the Academy. He was only a year older than her. He heaved a dramatic sigh, rolled his eyes and put the phone down on the table. He might be good-looking if he wasn’t constantly scowling.
“Hi.”
“I’m Bianca,” she said, hoping that maybe she could make a friend her own age. Chuck’s dad was a Ranger, her older brother was a Ranger. She smiled and offered her hand.
“Mmhm.” Chuck’s attention had now drifted to the restaurant’s menu, and Bianca’s smile faltered, her outstretched hand falling to her side.
“Don’t take it personally, darling.” Scott put his beer down on the table, sliding across so Herc and Andy could slip into the booth beside him. Unfortunately, it meant that Bianca was forced to sit next to Chuck. “He’s a little shit toward pretty much everyone he meets. Not exactly the social type, our Chuck.”
The food was good, Bianca surmised as they ate. Linden messaged Andy to say he wouldn’t be coming. The Hansen brothers and Andy exchanged banter and several stories about PPDC personnel that Bianca didn’t know anything about. She tried to make conversation with Chuck, but it was like trying to get to know a brick wall.
“So, how old are you?”
Chuck examined her as if she had suddenly sprouted a second head. “Sixteen in August.”
“Oh, cool!” Bianca made a determined effort to sound enthused. “I’m fifteen in September.”
Chuck was far more interested in the burger that had just arrived, which he immediately began wolfing down. Bianca glanced across at Andy, who rolled his eyes and shook his head. Even he knew that she shouldn’t expect anything from the moody teenager.
Herc muttered a stream of expletives as he looked down at his phone, glancing at his brother.
“Commander Forrest wants a debrief following the drop, so we should probably head back to the Shatterdome.” Herc cast an apologetic look at Andy. “Sorry to cut this short, mate. Don’t think he’s too happy we didn’t check in.”
Andy shook his head slowly, dark eyes glittering with mirth. “Good luck, boys.”
Bianca shifted out of the booth so that Chuck could get out. He brushed past her without a backward glance, still too preoccupied with his phone. She had to admit that she was a little disappointed in him. Herc and Scott had been interesting and more than happy to make conversation, but Herc’s son was another matter entirely.
“See you around,” she called after them as they went up to pay their part of the bill. She noticed Herc quietly berating his son as Scott took out his credit card, something that Chuck ignored despite the deepening scowl on his face.
“They like you.” Andy declared.
“What makes you say so?” Bianca raised her eyebrows.
“Well, they like me.” He said, as though it was possible for someone not to like him. “You at least attempted to interact with Chuck, which is a marvel in itself.”
“He definitely didn’t like me.”
Andy laughed. “Chuck doesn’t like anyone.”
He paid for their meals and drinks—despite Bianca’s half-hearted attempts to give him some cash to pay her share. Having dinner with the Hansens made her want to spend more time at the Shatterdome. If the personnel were as friendly as Herc and Scott, she could definitely see herself having a good time there. Plus, as Rosa was constantly pointing out, she didn’t exactly have a huge friendship circle. Oh, there were plenty of people eager to befriend her once Andy became a Ranger, but Bianca had quickly learned to pick out fakes.
“Can I come visit you at work?” Bianca asked as they headed back to the car.
Andy glanced at her with his hands in his pockets, apparently surprised by the question. “Sure. You’re family, I can get you a pass. There are just some areas you won’t be allowed into.”
Bianca liked it when Andy wasn’t treating her like a kid. When they’d initially started piloting, he and Linden hadn’t been too keen on the idea of a young girl popping into the Shatterdome and exploring the place. Now that she was a little older, Andy seemed to have reconsidered the idea. Besides, if Chuck was training to be a Ranger at only one year older than her, Bianca saw no reason why she shouldn’t be permitted to come and say hi—to her brother, Linden, the Hansens.
But not Chuck, because she found him to be rude and arrogant. Chuck was the one Hansen family member that Bianca wouldn’t care if she didn’t see again. Only as the teenage family members of Australia’s finest, it seemed fated that their paths would cross again.
Andy Warner
Every time that Andy believed Chuck Hansen couldn’t be any more of a little brat, the kid went and managed to prove him wrong. Bianca had tried valiantly to keep conversation going during dinner, but Chuck had been a major dick. It hadn’t escaped Andy’s notice how crestfallen she’d become during her attempts to make a new friend. The two had a lot in common, after all—both kids had a Jaeger pilot for a family member, both had lost a parent during Scissure’s attack.
Andy remembered the attack vividly. He’d been eighteen at the time, and almost finished with high school. He remembered Rosa shutting herself away for days after finding out Kaden had been killed in the CBD. He remembered Bianca, not quite ten, confused and terrified. Her small fingers had gripped at Andy like he was her lifeline. He’d realised then that it was up to him to protect his family. Rosa wasn’t well, and Bianca was still a child.
He and Linden had always possessed a friendly competitiveness, but when they’d joined the PPDC, they’d been competing against other people for the chance to pilot Australia’s latest crown jewel: Vulcan Specter. Once he’d seen the Jaeger, Andy knew it had to be them, burned with a hunger like he’d never known. Two years later, he still hadn’t quite gotten used to the fame that came with being a Ranger.
It was almost eleven o’clock by the time Andy returned to the Shatterdome after dropping Bianca home. He knew he probably should have stayed there too, gotten some rest. But as Linden often stated, there was no rest for the wicked. People never saw Andy frustrated or angry, because he kept all of that pent-up and ready to unleash in his favourite place: the Kwoon Combat Room.
“If it isn’t my partner in crime.” Linden’s familiar voice. The blonde was pummelling a bag, but stopped at Andy’s entrance. “Well, maybe not crime. Partner in heroism? Not quite as catchy.”
Andy raised his eyebrows. “You skived dinner for boxing? Bloody dork.”
There were rumours, outside of the PPDC and possibly within it too, that Linden and Andy were secretly lovers. Completely untrue and unfounded, but Andy realised some found it difficult to understand that a friendship could be just as strong as a relationship between brothers.
“I didn’t want to see the Hansens.” Linden shrugged his shoulders. Subtlety was not his strong point, and he didn’t beat around the bush. “You know I’m pissed that they sent Lucky Seven out and not us. You know it should have been us.”
This again. Andy heaved a sigh. While he’d been a little put out that the Hansens had been sent out to deal with the latest kaiju incursion, he didn’t hold the same level of resentment that Linden did. Every time Lucky Seven was sent in, Linden would complain. He and Andy were younger, Vulcan Specter was the more modern Jaeger. The list went on.
Andy got on with his fellow Rangers, but Linden’s relationship with the Hansens was more strained. Particularly with Scott. Linden and Scott had butted heads several times in the past, while Herc was far more easygoing.
“You know it isn’t personal, Linden.”
“I guess.” Linden inspected his co-pilot, knowing this conversation wasn’t going to go anywhere new. “Besides, why are you here?”
One of the drawbacks of the Drift was that it meant your co-pilot suddenly knew everything about you. Linden was well aware that the Kwoon Combat Room was where Andy came when he was frustrated. He also knew that Andy wasn’t as mad about Lucky Seven being sent out. Andy didn’t hold grudges like Linden.
“Herc’s son. He was at dinner with us, and he was a bit of a dick to Bianca.”
“Chuck’s a dick to everyone. It’s his default.”
Andy didn’t know how to explain to Linden that this was different, because it was Bianca. His baby sister had always been his soft spot. He could take Chuck being rude to him and anyone else in the PPDC, but when it was Bianca, it got under Andy’s skin. The kid had enough difficulty making friends as it was. Rosa said Bianca was bullied at school, but Bianca never talked about it. The last thing Andy wanted or needed was Chuck becoming a problem for Bianca. She should be able to come to the Shatterdome and feel welcome, not like a waste of space.
“Hey, you can beat me up if it makes you feel better,” Linden offered with a wry smile. They’d do combat training several days a week, and it was often amusing for observers—while Andy was six and a half feet tall, Linden was only a few inches taller than Bianca. The height difference was something they constantly joked about, although it had no impact whatsoever in combat situations.
“Tempting, but I might just make do with an inanimate object.” Andy scooped up a pair of boxing gloves and got to work on the bag beside Linden’s. He wouldn’t admit it, but he liked to pretend it was Chuck’s scowling face.
Bianca Donnell
The scent of Chinese food wafted through the Shatterdome as Bianca waved her newly-acquired pass and headed in with a plastic bag slung over her arm. Andy had been working long hours lately, and just like Rosa, she liked to ensure that he was well-fed. Bianca wasn’t as brilliant a cook as her mum, but Rosa had taught her some recipes after complaining that Chinese take-out just wasn’t the same.
“Excuse me,” Bianca called out to the nearest person, “Do you know where I can find Andy Warner?”
“He’s probably out in the Jaeger bays.”
“Thanks.” Bianca wondered if that was one of the no-go zones, but headed down there anyway. She’d seen Jaegers on TV of course, but she’d never witnessed one up close. The prospect was a tempting one. Swiping her card, she was pleasantly surprised to find out that she apparently did have access to the bays - not bad for a civilian, although she doubted she would have this privilege if she wasn’t related to Andy.
Bianca let out a low whistle as she craned her neck to look up. Both of the Jaegers were currently stationed in individual bays. Lucky Seven was the more battered of the two, which sported a number seven with wings. Vulcan Specter looked to be in better shape. It was a bit smaller than the older Jaeger, but had a more sleek build. She guessed that it was likely faster than its predecessor. It probably wasn’t difficult to be impressed by such massive machines. Soon they’d be joined by the world’s first Mark 5, a machine that the government had apparently spent $100 billion on.
“Oi!” The sharp voice was accompanied by a dog’s indignant bark. Bianca spun around to see none other than Chuck marching over to her. There was a bulldog trotting along by his heels, which astonished Bianca. She hadn’t been aware that animals were allowed inside the Shatterdome, but she supposed that when you were Chuck Hansen, you could do whatever you wanted.
“Chuck. Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” he demanded, folding his arms over his chest. The bulldog began sniffing curiously at the plastic bag under Bianca’s arm.
“I’m here to bring my brother dinner.” Bianca frowned at his open hostility, a little uncertain on how to respond to it.
“You shouldn’t be in the Jaeger bays.”
“Um, my card got me in here.” Bianca held it up, her cheeks flaring with heat. She felt utterly embarrassed. “I didn’t think it’d be a problem. I just wanted to find Andy and someone said he’d be in here.”
“Did I miss something?” Andy walked over to Chuck and Bianca with his hands in his pockets. Chuck muttered something under his breath and trudged off without so much as a backward glance. A grin spread across Andy’s face at the plastic bag swinging by Bianca’s side. “Is that...homemade Chinese?”
Andy swooped in on the plastic bag. Bianca handed him a fork as he started to hop into the sweet and sour pork, with muffled exclamations of delight as he shovelled it down.
“Pig. Always thinking with your stomach.”
“You’re the best, B,” Andy responded through a mouthful of fried rice.
“Is that Chuck’s dog?” Bianca blurted out. She’d been questioning the bulldog’s presence ever since she’d watched the animal following Chuck around.
“Oh, you mean Max.” Andy nodded vehemently, scraping out the last remnants of food from the container. “Yeah, Herc got him not long after Scissure. They show that dog more affection than they show each other.”
Bianca thought that was a bit sad, although it didn’t shock her. Chuck didn’t seem to want much to do with anyone, including Herc. She’d hoped that maybe they could be friends, but it looked like that was off the table. The dog was cute, though. Bianca didn’t have any pets of her own, so she didn’t think she’d object if Max came bounding over during a visit.
“How’s Linden?” Bianca asked. She hadn’t seen her brother’s co-pilot in a little while now, since he’d skipped out on dinner with them.
“Yeah, he’s doing pretty good.” Andy popped the fork and the empty container back into the plastic bag. “Just a lot of intense training going on around here. Always prepared for the next attack. You know how it is. Lucky Seven is…”
He paused, hesitating, which only made Bianca all the more curious.
“No, go on. What were you about to say?”
“Don’t get me wrong, I really like the Hansen brothers,” Andy leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest and flicking his fingers up toward the older Jaeger. “But Lucky Seven is starting to age. So are they. I can’t help but think...I mean, it’ll good when we finally get the Mark 5.”
Bianca personally believed the Hansens were an amazing duo, but she wasn’t one to question what Andy was saying. It wasn’t as though her brother had ever claimed otherwise. He’d just said that both they and their Jaeger were beginning to slow down - and when it came to the kaiju, you wanted the fastest and strongest Jaegers and pilots that you could get.
“Hey, kiddo!”
The vaguely familiar voice made Bianca in her walk to the Shatterdome exit. It was Scott Hansen, a wide grin spread across his features. Although she didn’t particularly appreciate the term ‘kiddo’, at least it was a more pleasant greeting than his nephew’s.
“Scott. Hi.”
“Come to see Andy, huh?” He strode over, hands in his pockets. “Your brother’s a good guy. Works hard too.”
Bianca tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Mum and I are very proud of him.”
When the kaiju attacks were streamed live, everyone had a tendency to gather around the nearest screen to watch attentively. Vulcan Specter had only had three deployments since its launch, but every time Bianca had felt sick to the stomach as she’d watched them fight. For her, it was more than just making sure the kaiju never made landfall. It was hoping that her brother would make it home to them in one piece. Granted, the Jaegers were doing extremely well in combating the kaiju, but that didn’t make them infallible.
“Apparently Chuck ran into you again.” Scott shook his head slowly. “He’s headed back to Kodiak Island for his final trimester at the Academy soon. Hopefully he gets a boot up the ass. It’s what he needs.”
Bianca’s smile broadened a little at the remark. She couldn’t exactly say she disagreed.
“So he wants to be a Ranger one day? Like you and Herc?”
“I wouldn’t exactly say like us.” Scott withdrew his hands from his pockets, folding his arms over his chest. “He’s competitive. He wants to be better than us. A next-generation Linden Blayne if I ever saw one.”
Bianca said nothing. Linden and Andy were close enough to be brothers, but Scott wasn’t wrong. Andy saw his job as a solemn duty. He wanted to protect his country. Linden saw it as an opportunity for glory and fame. He was a decent man, but sometimes Bianca didn’t understand how someone so different from Andy could be his best friend, could Drift with him so seamlessly.
However, from what Andy had said about Scott in the past, he was no different. Scott liked women and alcohol. Linden wasn’t particularly interested in either of those things, but it just proved that it wasn’t only the younger generation of Rangers who enjoyed the rockstar status their job afforded them.
“Not something you wanna do?” Scott asked, tipping her a knowing wink. “Too focused on school, huh? If you’re anywhere near as smart as Andy, I’d bet you get exceptional grades.”
There it was. The comparison to Andy. Although it wasn’t unfavourable, Bianca had grown resigned to hearing about herself in relation to Andy’s achievements. She was only fourteen and still figuring everything out, but she could feel the pressure weighing down on her. Everyone would expect her to do something exceptional and noteworthy. She was living in Andy’s shadow and while she loved her brother dearly, she hated the expectations she was already faced with.
When would she stop being Andy’s little sister? When would she be Bianca instead? She had plenty of time to think about who and what she wanted to be. There was no doubt in her mind though—whatever she did now, it would be different. She didn’t want to be Chuck, following in his father’s footsteps. She wanted to make her own path, one that didn’t lead to comparisons with Andy. They were two separate people, with an eight-year age gap between them.
“I do okay.” Bianca shrugged her shoulders. She liked Herc and she disliked Chuck, but she hadn’t quite made her mind up about Scott just yet. He just seemed a little too familiar for someone she didn’t know all too well.
“If you ever want me to show you around Lucky Seven, let me know. Those Jaegers are pretty cool.”
“I hear we’re getting a Mark 5 soon.”
Scott’s brow furrowed slightly. “Late in the year, apparently. Striker Eureka.”
It was an interesting name. “Do you think you and Herc will be the ones to pilot it?”
“Hopefully.” The smile was still there, but more strained this time. “I guess since it’s going to be so new—I mean, it’s the first Mark 5—they probably want some more experienced Rangers piloting it. They could give Lucky Seven to some fresh pilots.”
“They didn’t do that with Vulcan Specter,” Bianca replied, before wondering if she should have spoken at all. It was true that the newer Jaeger had been given to younger Rangers, but she thought perhaps saying that was like twisting a knife in a wound. She didn’t want Scott to think she was questioning his ability, or Herc’s for that matter.
Scott laughed. “They don’t do a lot of things like they used to, sweetheart.”
She thought she disliked the pet name even more than being referred to as ‘kiddo’.
“I should head home.”
Bianca walked out of the Shatterdome without a backward glance. She couldn’t really explain why Scott made her nervous, but she found his conversation with him had been even more awkward than her encounter with Chuck. Around the others, Scott was fine—but when she was on her own with him, his overly friendly manner made her feel anxious.
Andy Warner
The recreation room was a favourite for most of the younger PPDC personnel. It was open 24 hours with various vending machines, an abundance of card games and a huge plasma screen for watching shows or electronic games. The mood in the rec room tonight was light-hearted, as it usually was for the first while after there’d been another kaiju kill. Andy cast around for Linden, but his co-pilot was nowhere in sight.
Heading over to one of the vending machines, Andy slid his PPDC card in and keyed in the code for a Tooheys Extra Dry. The can rolled out of the machine into his outstretched fingers, and there was a hiss as he popped it open. Striding over to the couches, Andy flopped across some cushions and took a deep gulp of the beer. Of course there were strict regulations in regards to drinking for Rangers - this would be the only beer Andy was having tonight.
Someone was cursing loudly at the screen, playing some old Call of Duty game that Andy vaguely recognised. Realising that it was Chuck, he eased himself to his feet with a sense of purpose. Tonight had been the second time that the kid had been unnecessarily rude toward Bianca. Herc didn’t say much to the boy, so Andy felt obligated to.
“Hey.” The word was sharp. “Mind turning the volume down?”
Chuck gave him a filthy look. “Bugger off, Warner.”
“I don’t think so.” Andy snatched the controller from Chuck’s hands, resulting in a heated glare from the teenager. “Look. Lay off my sister, yeah?”
“I didn’t do anything,” Chuck protested, reaching for the controller. Andy was tempted to rap him across the knuckles with it, but took the high road and instead held it over his head.
“Yeah, you did. Trying to tell her she shouldn’t be here, making out she can’t go look around the Jaeger bays…”
“She’s a civilian!”
“You aren’t a Ranger yet.” Andy’s tone was uncharacteristically stern. Anyone who knew him would say he was a patient person, but that patience was beginning to wear thin with Chuck and his attitude. “You might be a cadet, but you haven’t earned your stripes. So maybe think about that before you decide to tell others what they should and shouldn’t be doing.”
That made Chuck spring to his feet, hands balled into fists. Andy rolled his eyes.
“I’m not brawling with you in the rec room, Chuck.”
“Scared I’d beat you?” The boy sneered.
“The opposite.” Andy handed him the controller back. “I’m afraid I’d flatten you and have to explain myself to your dad.”
Insulted, Chuck went at him. Andy shoved him hard onto the couch, folding his arms and raising his eyebrows at the red-faced, fuming teenager. He wasn’t a violent person and he didn’t pick fights—that was Linden. Chuck might infuriate him, but Andy wasn’t going to lash out at him or brawl with him to prove who was the alpha male.
“You heard what I said. Don’t be a dick to my sister.”
“You can’t…”
“Sit down, shut up, and play your game.”
Chuck opened his mouth to offer some retort. There was no doubt in Andy’s mind that he wanted to have the last say. Instead he clenched his jaw, turned his gaze back on the screen and pressed play on the game. Andy resisted the urge to say ‘good boy’, a phrase he usually reserved for Max.
Heading back over to his previous position on the couch, Andy reclined with his can of beer. He couldn’t help but watch as Chuck continued gaming, restarting with dogged determination each time he ‘died’. Andy wondered what drove a kid that age to want to become a Ranger. Despite his sullen temperament, Chuck worked damn hard. According to Herc, he was getting top marks in all areas, despite being the youngest cadet.
Andy knew how difficult it was to become a Ranger. He’d been 20 when he’d been assigned to Vulcan Specter. Chuck wasn’t even sixteen yet, and if he was in his third trimester soon and still hadn’t scrubbed out, odds were that he would actually make the cut and become a Jaeger pilot. The only problem then was who the kid would be able to Drift with, considering how difficult he was to get along with.
Andy finished his beer, throwing the can into a recycle bin as he got up and left the rec room. He might not particularly like Chuck, but there was something to be said about a boy that age doing so well in an environment as tough as the Jaeger Academy. Andy could pin few positive traits on Chuck, but resilience was certainly one of them. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so surprised. The kid was, after all, Herc’s son.