Emmett nodded attentively as he listened, he welcomed the feedback. The way he saw it, every tip he got from from these veterans got him that much closer to being what he've always wanted to be. If he could squeeze the military knowledge out of their brains with his bare hands and suck on that sweet, sweet nectar, he would. Not that he'd ever tell them that in precisely those terms. That'd be weird.

(But accurate.)

Taking the kickboxing gloves from Iris, the Oklahoman fiddled around with it. If they kind of match they were going to have was kickboxing, then he seemed to have an advantage. Having been in about a dozen professional matches, what Emmett had was first-hand experience. His opponents never went down easy but he didn't really expect any less from them. Slipping the gloves onto his hands, he wriggled his fingers around a little bit, and the familiar sensation brought a small grin to his face. It was gonna be good to get back in the saddle again. As he received the final set of instructions from Iris, Emmett did a few quick exercises to get ready.

"And I promise no cheap nut shots if you swear not to break me, I'm a little sore today."

"You got it." Emmett laughed, rearranging his limbs into a battle-ready stance which mirrored Iris's own. Legs apart and and arms up to protect the face. Since the other told him to make the first move, he took a short moment to calculate the best course of action. Deciding to bank on his strong point -- strikes, he let loose a left hook, like he always did.

Marshall Raleigh Becket and Mako Mori, along with everyone else in the room working the computer systems were watching Milo and Jack complete their simulation. Mako had taken detailed notes to show Iris and before any of them knew it, the simulation was over.

"Well done boys." Raleigh said to them through the comm. "Iris wil be happy to know you both passed." he had a big grin on his face as well as Mako.

"Alright help them out of there." he said to the tech crew. They shut everything down and a few people went into each pod to help them and reset the systems for the next few.

Mako touched her earpiece and listened before turning to Becket. "I have to go. Tell the boys i said they did good." Becket smiled and nodded. "Get all the info on the Jaegers. Take them to Iris and i'll meet you with these two in the training room." he said. With a nod she turned and left.

"I say this is a good enough reason to feast tonight." Choi told him.

"I agree."

Iris watched Emmett prepare himself then shot out a left hook. In a fraction of a second she ducked down and aimed for his stomach. It was higher than where she normally would hit but, she did promise no nut shots.

She just tapped his stomach and stayed in position. "Watch for easy access points when fighting someone smaller. My right side is weaker so if instead of trying to block, i used my size to throw my own attack. " she clenched her left fist then and aimed an uppercut at the chin of Emmett, not holding back, she would test to see how good his reflexes were.

Emmett had barely enough time to register that his swing had missed, and the next thing he knew, he felt a light tap at his stomach. Glancing downwards, he took note of how he probably would have the wind knocked out of him if Iris hadn't stopped at the last second. The adrenaline was starting to kick in, and it gave him that buzz he always got during a fight. Carelessly brushing a stray lock of curly hair out of his eyes, he lightly thumped chest twice with his fists. It was a little ritual that carried over from his MMA days, something to settle the nerves.

"Watch for easy access points when fighting someone smaller. My right side is weaker so if instead of trying to block, I used my size to throw my own attack. "

Taking that into consideration, Emmett managed a counter. Opening his glove downwards so that his palm faced the ground, he caught the uppercut by pushing it down and to the right. He knew that he was now susceptible to even more blows to the head, he quickly rotated inwards and directed a straight jab at Iris's face.

Iris was impressed when he blocked her uppercut. As he pushed her arm away she spread her legs farther apart, widening her base of support. She leaned back just enough for his fist to painfully nick her chin. As she leaned back, she started feeling unstabe so with her right hand she grabbed his arm and with her left, aimed a jab at him.

It was just below his collarbone it was going to hit because of her hight and wavering balance.

Jack was riding high. Sure it was odd that he was excited for that but it was so cool. He had to admit that he and milo made a dang good team. But that was beside the point. He got out and took the suit off. "Gotta say, you did damn good in there Milo." He said slapping him on the back. "So now what? We head back to Iris?" He asked figuring they could hear him.

Unfortunately, Emmett wasn't quite quick enough to dodge the next blow. He had tried to move himself out of the way, but with his arm caught in a vice-like grip, he didn't really have much mobility. Plus, Iris was significantly smaller than him, and maneuverability was on her side. Taking a jab to just below his collarbone, he let out a little wince. It hurt, but it wasn't going to cause any permanent injuries. And thankfully, it wasn't actually aimed at his collarbone. Just 7 pounds of force was enough to break it, and the entire arm would've dropped like a sack of bricks.

Wrenching his arm free, Emmett got back into a defensive position. He briefly wondered whether a defensive or offensive play would be more suitable. There were pros and cons to each choice. If he chose to fight aggressively, he might tire himself out because of how quick Iris was. But he might be able to take her out with a solid blow to the head. Going on the defensive with his other choice, and although it probably would've been the safest option, he didn't fancy prolonging the fight. In the end, he decided to go on the offensive. After all, the best defense was a good offense.

Feinting with his right, Emmett aimed a cross at Iris's face.

Iris noticed he was thinking, likely about the best way to fight her. Her eyes moved from him to her arm for a second, her tierd mind starting to wander off. Just as she got a hold of herself she looked back at him and noticed he was coming in for an attack.

She fell for the feint and barely had time to raise her arms up to protect her face. His fist hit her hands which caused them to move back and hit her forhead. She stumbled back some steps and fell on her butt. "Ow...woah!" she said removing her hands to catch herself. She sat there and pouted, looking up at him. She knew she had to look like an idiot sitting there with a big red mark on her head.

The fact that he had made her hit herself caused her frown to slip into a smile, then she laughed.

---

Becket talked through the comm as the boys were coming out. "Yeah we're headed off to Iris. She's training someone so we're going to the gym. Miss Mori will meet us there."

He turned off the comm and waited until the two of them came out. Patting each of them on the back, he simply smiled. He didnt have to tell them they did well. "C'mon." he said turning and leading the way.

"Not to bad yourself, for a military man," milo said back to jack trying to fuck with him with the last comment (like joking fuck with).
He then heard Becket say they were going to see Iris again. They walked out and were joined by Beckett who guided then to where iris was apparently training with someone else

Emmett's eyes widened as his cross connected. Well, it kinda did. Iris managed to shield herself from the initial impact, but the force of the punch made her hit herself in the face. All he really did was punch Iris in the fists, but it had the desired effect of knocking her on her ass. Indirectly, of course. But he wasn't going to complain. An angry red mark was starting to form on Iris's forehead, as she stared up at him with eyes like saucers. It took Emmett all of his self-control to not burst into raucous laughter. After all, he wasn't raised in a barn and knew not to laugh at other people's mishaps -- least of all a lady's.

Though he couldn't quite keep the grin off his face as he heaved Iris back up on her feet. To be honest, Emmett was surprised to find that his kickboxing wasn't as rusty as he though. He guessed it was like riding a bike, once you learnt how to, you never really forgot.

"Good match." Emmett stated, a hint of amusement in his voice. His expression soon turned into mild concern as he narrowed his eyes at the red mark. "You okay, though? I didn't hit you too hard, did I?"

Jack smiled and walked after the group. There were a lot of guys in this group. What did women just not want to deal with them? He walked back to watch Iris fight the new guy.

Josh stepped out of the chopper, his duffle bag in hand and back pack slung over his shoulder. He had just arrived to the Shatterdome, his days of slaving as a common laborer were over. He decided that being a pilot was his calling. "Come this way." yelled a man with large hearing protection over his ears, motioning for Joshua to follow him into the building and off the flight line. As they entered the double doors, Josh dropped the hood of his heavy jacket and extended has hand to the man. "Welcome to Fantasy Island." the man said with a laugh as he shook Josh's hand and lowered the head phones to around his neck. Josh smiled simply in response. "Ah, I use that line or every person who's never been here before, I suppose it really isn't that good." he noted, scratching his head after withdrawing his hand.

"So you're here to be a Jaeger Pilot I hear. You have any experience or skills?" he asked, now leading them further down the hall. "I was born to be in a Jaeger, that's all you need to know." he stated, knowing that this man wasn't the guy who made the big decisions. "Ah, so mysterious type, aye. Well that's fine, Mako will be down to collect you shortly. For now you can wait in here." said the man while pointing into an open room with chairs that they just walked up to. He wandered off down the halls while Josh found a seat and sat down. He unzipped his outer jacket and pulled out a photograph from an inner pocket. It was a picture of him and his parents, the last picture he had of them. They were in training to be pilot's but their facility was hit by a Kaiju one year ago and it was that exact moment that Josh knew he must be a pilot to avenge them.

Mako Mori walked into the room where the new recruit was waiting. She looked at him, the folder, then back at him to make sure it was the right man. "Joshua Stone?" she asked him, walking over. "Mako Mori. A pleasure to meet you." she extended her hand to shake his. "I know you've just arrived, but we waste no time here so if you would please come with me, i will show you to the training room."

She turned and led him out of the room. The way she spoke was short and to the point, but when the last Marshall died, she didnt have much to say to anyone anymore. She walked into the training room as it appeared right after Becket, Milo, and Jack.

---

Raleigh turned from watching Iris and Emmett when he saw Mako enter the room. Behind her was a new recruit and he shook his head. By now he knew Iris was likely tierd after three matches.

"Hello everyone, this is Joshua Stone. He's here as another Ranger candidate." Mako said, introdecing him. Raleigh extended his hand in welcome. "Raleigh Becket. This here is Milo and Jack." he said, gesturing for everyone to meet eachother.

---

Iris gratefully accepted Emmett's help to stand. "If you hit me too hard i would let you know with a kick to your balls." she said smiling and crossing her arms. Just then her mentor Mako walked in and thanked the gods she didnt see her on her ass just now. Mako had someone with her, likely a candidate...then she introduced him as such. She walked over with Emmett as they all introduced themselves. "Iris Dvorak. I'm here to see if you have what it takes to be a Ranger." she raised her head high, trying to ignore the stares she was getting from that re mark on her forhead.

She looked at Raleigh. "How'd these two do?" she asked pointing to Milo and Jack.

"Passed with flying colors. Their ready for their Jaegers now." he said. Mako approached her with a folder and just as she was about to take it, Choi ran in yelling. "Guys! Guys! We're getting a Kaiju signature. Category 3 and heading for Hong Kong City." he said out of breath. Raleigh looked at Iris. "Thats all you." he said.

With a nod she asked "Where's Leo?"

"Suited up and ready." Choi said.

"Go." Mako said. "We are right behind you." With that Iris took off, running as fast as she could to her Jaeger.

---

Raleigh looked at everyone. "Alright. A slight delay but thats good. Gives you a chance to see a Veteran team in action. Lets go." he said jogging out with Mako on his heels.

Milo turned racing after Iris, Choi, Raleigh, and Mako, "Ain't no rest for the wicked," he called up to the others laughing a little at it himself. "Time to get serious, no second guessing, the bullfight begins," he thought to himself. "Do we have an assigned Jaeger yet?" He asked to the two big time vets.

Jack chased after the group. First day here and already there is an attack. Time waited for no man and the Kaiju seemed to think no rest was a good idea. He stayed quiet since that's how he was trained.

Mako Mori watched ad Iris outran all of them as she expected. She looked back at Milo who asked about their Jaegers. "No. Iris still needs to decide. For now, the four of you will learn from observing." though she wad running, she did not sound out of breath, a tribute to how fit she was. As they reached the control room where all they communicated with the Jaegers, Choi sat at his control panel.

"All systems are ready to go. Iron Hunter is prepped and at 100% functionality. Preparing for the drop." he waited until they heard the okay from Iris and Leo in their Jaeger before he turned a nob and sent the head of Iron Hunter down.

The loud clang of bolts connecting was reverberated through the shatterdome and soon after, everyone cleared the area around the Jaeger.

"Initiate Neural Handshake." Raleigh said and a moment later, he did.

---

Iris literally threw herself into her Ranger suit. Luckily her drift partner Leonardo had a pair of boots for her when she got there. Slipping them on, she smiled at him. "Its about time we got outa there huh. I was itching for a good fight."

"Your late." he said after some people came to help him with his equipment.

"Oh sorrrry. I was actually working. You were just sitting on your ass all day." she rolled her eyes and they both put on their helmets.

He said nothing and just smiled. This came as no surprise to Iris. She knew Leo was a man of few words. As she felt the familiar feeling of being in an elevator, she checked her side to make sure everything was working smoothly. Her control disk rose and she clutched it in her left hand. That was the side she controlled. "Ready for Neural handshake Becket." she said, pressing the button to speak.

Closing her eyes, a moment later she was pulled into her head. First it was her memories. She was going over all of them from her life....the good and the bad. Next was Leonardo's memories. From back to his home in Italy to now, and everything in between. She knew everything about him, and him about her.

After a moment she opened her eyes. They shook their heads in sync, causing their Jaeger to do the same. They rolled shoulders and punched outwards with both hands. They heard Choi's voice over the comm.

"Alright. The alignment is strong, Iron Hunter is ready to go."

"Of course it is." Iris said confidently. The two of them crossed their arms over their chest and made their all red Jaeger look even more badass.

---

It was no more than fiveminutes later that they were being flown over to the location where the Kaiju was 20 miles from the coast. Disengaged from the helicopters, Iris and Leo wasted no time running out to intercept it.

As they approached the blue glowing water, the Kaiju lept out of the water over the head of Iron Hunter. It was long and skinny much like an eel with four legs. Looking up, they raised their arms to grab the tail of it.

"Get back here you little-!" Iris yelled as they used all the Jaeger's muscle to throw it back across the water.

This time after it regained its composure, it lunged straight at them, its cry was loud and high pitched and caused Iris to wince. "Lets shut him up, Leo." she said.

"Mhm." he said and nodded. As it came up to them, they punched it in its face. Its body flew sideways but it recovered quick. It wrapped its long body around their Jaeger's torso and constricted. They both cried out in pain and the Kaiju opened its mouth to bite their head.

They shook when it did and struggled to stay upright with the weight of the Kaiju being almost too much. Reaching up with both hands, Iris and Leonardo gripped the top and bottom of the beasts mouth, pulling it apart.

They both gritted their teeth at the effort as they slowly ripped the jaw off the Kaiju. Before it could recover, they slammed the right arm of the Jaeger into its throat, loading the cannon and unloading the clip into it.

With a final scream the Kaiju body went limp and fell from the Jaeger, falling dead into the ocean. Iris sighed, relieved as they finished the job. She looked at Leo who smiled at her. "Good work little girl." He said. She laughed then and touched the comm button. "Job's done. We're coming home."

They turned their Jaeger and started walking back. Then she heard a panicked Raleigh's voice calling them. "Hunter, we're getting two more signatured heading towards you. Hold them off as long as you can. Protect the city. Mako and I are coming."

Leo let out a curse and they turned back aroubd to look at the water. "I hate that we cant tell how many will show up anymore." Iris nodded.

"They've gotten smarter. Learned how to be unpredictable." Just as she finished talking, a Kaiju lept as them from the right side. Stepping back with the Jaeger's right foot to dodge, the left leg was exposed, and the Kaiju landed on it, ripping it off like nothing. Iris let out a blood curdling scream and their Jaeger fell backwards into the water.
(Not done. Just reached max words on my phone. Dont post

They landed heavily on the ground and Iris clutched her left leg. "Iris! Are you okay!?" Leo asked her. She shook her head as they worked together to get Iron Hunter back on its one leg.

Ignoring the pain, she initiated the right arms plasma cannon and aimed it at the Kaiju that was stupidly attacking the leg of the Jaeger. They fired the cannon twice before the second Kaiju came up from behind and smashed them down. They fell again and the Kaiju mercilessly pounded the back of them before throwing them to the side. Landing on their backs, they could see both Kaiju as they came at them. Looking to Leonardo, she asked "What do we do, Leo?" he looked at her for a moment then the Kaiju reached them and started ripping parts off the Jaeger.

She saw what he was thinking and she shook her head. "No. No you promised me. If....this happened we would stick together."

Leo shook his head. "I cant let you die here." he said. Iris glared at him and heard the comm speaking. "....unter. ....is Gyp....Anger. We are...." she heard Marshall Raleigh's voice. Then one of the Kaiju ripped off the left atm of the Jaeger and she screamed again, louder this time around. She saw it throw it across the water and that Gypsy was inbound, but too far out to do anything. She saw an image in Leo's head again and she wimpered. "No...Leo." she looked at him as he reached toward her.

"A man has to do whatever it takes to protect the woman he loves." he told her. Her eyrs widened as he reached closer. She thought he would touch her face but instead, reached above her and activated her escspe pod.

She was raised up and put into her pod. Kicking and screaming she tried to get out but it was useless. "Leonardo! Let me out!" she yelled to him.

Pushing the comm button he spoke into it. "Gypsy Danger, this is Leonardo from Iron Hunter. Iris is leaving in her safety pod. Please....see to it she makes her way home tonight."

Iris was crying now, yelling at the top of her lungs but as her pod sealed shut, she was ejected from her Jaeger and into the water. After some time of banging, the pod surfaced halfway between Hunter and Gypsy. Watching in horror as Leonardo launched one more plasma cannon and unloaded it into a Kaiju, the other one ripped the head off and crunched it between its teeth.

"LEO!!" she screamed from her raft. Nearly falling over, she clung to her pod with her good arm as Gypsy lifted her up out of the water. Tears streaming down her face, she watched as her mentor and Marshall loaded their cannon to full power and let it loose, hitting the Kaiju and making it explode.

Tierd and in pain, she lay back in her pod, her eyes closed and rolled back into her head. Losing consciousness, her pod re-closed and started up the life support systems.

(Thats the end. Now feel free to post.)

Jack had been excited to see a pair of stars in action like this. It would be so cool to see this. He had never been so close to the action like this. It was amazing to see. He cheered with the techs as the first Kaiju went down but their cheers were suddenly silenced as the Marshall called a pair of Kaiju inbound for Hunter. He knew this would end terribly. He just knew it. The area became a flurry of activity as the Marshall and Mako rushed out the door to assist.

It became silent when Leo called in he was ejecting Iris. They all knew what would happen next and it did. The truth hit home like a sack of bricks. Jack looked stunned as this could be his fate as well. He looked out in a dazed state as the room exploded into chaos.

Milo punched a wall in fury, "I knew they should of took us damn it, damn it, DAMN IT!!!" He refused to cry, didn't even know the guy he knew he should but couldn't let himself do it. "What's the plan now?"

As Raleigh and Mako came out of Gypsy, the Marshall immediately asked where Iris was. Their Jaeger had carried her pod back to the Shatterdome and as they were shutting Gypsy down, the maintenance crew moved her pod.

"She's in the Med Bay." Choi said, the usual smile on his face was replaced with the same gloom that plagued everyone in there. With a glance at Milo and Jack, he sighed. "Mako. Please show Emmett and Joshua bqck to their rooms. We have alot of things to get done. Boys?" he said tilting his head and showing them to follow him. Turning, he led the way to the med bay.

Upon arriving, he saw as they were just getting Iris on her bed and hooked up to the nerve stimulator. They were hooked on her left arm and leg, used to bring back the nerve impulses to a normal rate. Limb Shock was what they called it. When a Jaeger's limb is ripped off, the nerve impulse for pain is increased and nearly unbearable. They created the Nerve Stimulator to counteract the impulses sent to the brain and reduce the damage done.

"How is she?" he asked the Doctors there.

"She is unconscious, but fine. A full recovery will be easy since she's being treated immediately."

He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. Boy was she going to be pissed when she woke up?

---

Mako looked at her feet then escorted Joshua and Emmett to their rooms. Conveniently they were placed next to eachother. "I'm sorry for the inconvinance. You are not confined to your rooms of course, but here they are. Feel free to... to look around." Tears had started forming in her eyes and she stepped away from them. "Excuse me."

She half ran back to the Med Bay and crashed into Milo when she entered the room.