Chapter Text
- King Edward: too fierce to handle (10/12/19, Anchorage) -
Chuck, chin braced on his palm, sighs and flicks his eyes—
""It is five minutes later than the last time you looked, Cadet Hansen,"" says AGNIS.
With a frustrated huff, Chuck flips and catches his pencil, grumbles, "She said she'd call."
""Twenty minutes remain before Miss Mori's curfew.""
"I know. 's why I'm worried."
""Perhaps you should distract yourself by completing the homework you've been evading for the last half-hour.""
"'s pointless."
""That, in itself, may be the point, Cadet.""
Chuck rolls his eyes, heaves himself out of his chair, ambles to his bunk, flops down.
Max stands, wags, rests his front half on Chuck's chest, whuffles.
Chuck absently scratches his chins.
Max pants happily.
scritch-scritch-stritch
pant-pant
scritch-scritch-scritch
pant—
""Incoming call—""
Chuck lifts Max—"Sorry, Handsome"—wiggles out from under, throws himself across the room—
""—from Miss Mako Mori, Anchorage Shatterdome.""
—into his desk chair, slaps his tablet awake.
The intercom speaker clears its throat.
"Thanks, AGNIS."
""You're welcome, Cadet.""
The tablet screen resolves, its speaker chimes.
""Chuck!""
"Mako!"
""I'm sorry I'm so late. I was helping the triplets with—"" Glances over her shoulder, turns back, grinning. ""—something.""
"Something fun, hopefully?"
""For them,"" she giggles.
"Are they gonna end up on the clothesline again?"
""Probably not?""
Chuck laughs.
"It was mostly Chuck and I working out. Had our best Kwoon session ever. We were really in the same groove." Grimaces. "Until Ranger Scarface interrupted."
Mako rolls her eyes. ""What did he say this time?""
"Called Chuck 'Affirmative Action' and told her to go home to the Outback. Again."
""And she ...?""
"Planted her hanbo, leaned on it, and looked at him until—did I tell you what she did to his brother last month?"
""I don't think so?""
"He pulled her braid when she tried to ignore him, so she hanged him with it."
""He survived?""
"Unfortunately."
""Do you think he'll ever give up?""
"Doubt it. He's a total idiot." Chuck shrugs. "Aaaaanyway, she just looked at him until he got bored at took a swing at her."
""And then?""
"She says, 'You want what I did to your brother?' And he says, 'If you're a one-trick kid, sure.' Then she tried to hang him, but he dodged and started laughing."
""Then?""
"She cracked him across the head with her hanbo and clocked him 'til he stopped laughing."
Mako sniffs approval.
"Yea, she's almost as good as me."
""Chuck ....""
"What? We're good: the best Cadets without Jaegers." He grins like a loon. "Don't tell anyone, but we have a Drift Compatibility test tomorrow and then we'll officially be copilots!" He just avoids squeeing.
""You are so lucky,"" sighs Mako. ""I still can't even start at the Academy.""
"We'll wear him down eventually."
""I hope so. I don't want you to get too far ahead of me.""
Chuck scoffs. "You'll catch up in no time. I'm happy I'm gettin' a head start."
Mako giggles.
Chuck grins.
Mako's face falls and she fiddles with the cuff of her jumper, eyes off to the left of the camera.
"What's wrong?"
""I'm remembering our Drift,"" she replies, quiet.
"Oh, uh, yea." Chuck rubs the back of his neck. "That ... I wish that'd gone differently."
""Me, too,"" she whispers.
Chuck picks up and fidgets with a pencil. "Brilliant as Chuck is, I wish you were gonna be my copilot."
Mako says nothing.
"You'll get your Jaeger. I know you will."
""Thank you for saying that.""
"I'm not just saying it: I believe it." He leans closer to the screen, gestures forcefully. "They'd be stupid not to give you one. Then we'll be teammates."
Mako blushes and leans into her screen. ""What's that on your arm?""
"Wha?" Chuck looks down. "Oh! It's our logo! For our Jaeger. Chuck and I got tattoos." He offers his forearm to the camera.
Mako peers, then breaks out in sparkles. ""It's really cute!""
"It. is. not," growls Chuck. "It's fierce."
""Whatever you say,"" snickers Mako.
"I'm gonna hang up—"
""Don't! Please!""
Chuck crosses his arms, huffs.
Mako attends something offscreen, pouts at whatever it is, then relents.
"Bedtime, ay?"
""Yes,"" she sulks. ""Goodnight and good luck on your test tomorrow.""
"Thanks! Goodnight to you, too!"
Mako reaches and the screen goes black.
Chuck pushes his chair into a slow spin, smiling to himself.
""Your homework will not complete itself, Cadet.""
"So?"
""So you will receive a zero for the lesson.""
"Who cares?"
""Judging from previous incidents, I believe your teacher and your father will care.""
"Well, I don't 'cause tomorrow I'm gonna get my Jaeger."
AGNIS sighs. ""You should complete your assignment, just to be safe.""
Chuck rolls his eyes, but picks up the pencil and touches it to paper.