The ground rumbled beneath your feet as the massive hangar doors slowly creaked open, revealing the Cerberus, a massive form towering against the dark sky outside. The colossal Jaeger stood ready for the next assault, titanium-plated exterior reflecting the flickering lights of the hangar.

The air smelled of oil and he was already there, standing with his back to you. "You’re late," Mace’s voice broke the silence, his tone as flat as ever but with a hint of dry humor that you were starting to recognize. He didn’t turn to face you, but you could tell he was observing every movement you made out of the corner of his eye. "Did you get sleep again?"

You gave a quiet laugh, brushing past him to approach the console. The fate of humanity rested on the shoulders of pilots like you.

The massive Jaeger’s cockpit was a mix of high-tech interfaces and intimidatingly large control levers, designed for two pilots to navigate its massive frame in perfect sync. He had piloted this beast longer than you, and you knew what that meant, he was always in charge.

"Ready?" He asked, his gaze finally meeting yours as you climbed into the cockpit. "This one’s bigger than usual."

The neural link would engage soon, a synchronized mind-meld that connected both of your consciousnesses. The connection was always strange, disorienting at first, but you had learned to trust it.

Mace’s gloved hands hovered over the controls. "Focus, I won’t carry you through this one,"