Chapter Text
The command center was quiet at this hour, eerily so. Just the low hum of the mainframe and the occasional shuffle of personnel cutting through the silence. Hongjoong’s boots echoed as he stepped into the briefing chamber, summoned without explanation. The lights above buzzed faintly. Rain tapped steadily against the glass panels of the high windows, streaking the city skyline in cold silver. Marshal Ryker didn’t look up right away.
He stood at the end of the long table, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the schematic projected above the holopad.
The blueprints pulsed faintly: a Jaeger frame, mid-repair, its systems flagged in orange.
“Engineer Kim,” Ryker finally said without turning.
“Glad you made it.”
“Marshal,” Hongjoong replied, straightening his posture. He glanced at the hologram. Even half-finished, the design was unmistakable.
“That’s… not one of ours.”
“Not yet,” Ryker said, voice sharp. “It’s being transferred to this facility as of tomorrow. You’re being assigned as its lead engineer.”
Hongjoong’s brow twitched.
“I wasn’t aware we were taking on new units this cycle.”
“You weren’t meant to be,” Ryker replied. He turned now, face carved in stone.
“But Command changed the playbook. We’re accelerating readiness on several dormant Jaegers. One in particular is a priority.”
The schematic shifted, zooming in.
The name flickered in at the base of the projection: PHANTOM VERMILLION
Hongjoong let out a slow breath.
“That’s one of the older gen-seven frames. I thought it was mothballed in Macau.”
“It was. Now it’s yours.”
There was a beat of silence before Hongjoong asked, “Pilot?” Ryker tapped the holopad.
A personnel file appeared:
PRIMARY PILOT: PARK SEONGHWA
CLEARANCE: RANGER-LEVEL
TRANSFER: APPROVED
STATUS: SINGLE-PILOT ASSIGNMENT (TEMPORARY)
The room suddenly felt colder. Hongjoong’s eyes locked on the name.
Park Seonghwa?
Why him?
Why now?
He schooled his expression quickly.
“Only one pilot?”
“For now,” Ryker confirmed. “His original co-pilot was injured during a breach response in the South China Sea. The Hong Kong Shatterdome’s been downsizing active teams while they recover. Seonghwa’s one of the few still cleared for deployment.”
“So they pulled him out?” Hongjoong asked, unable to hide the edge in his voice.
Ryker nodded. “Command wants Vermillion operational again. They believe he’s a viable match. We’re sourcing a co-pilot from nearby candidates—trial runs will begin once the Jaeger is stabilized.”
Hongjoong said nothing for a moment, gaze flickering across the projected specs. Pulled from Hong Kong. Transferred without a partner. A dozen more experienced teams had builds closer to Vermillion's, so why him?
Ryker studied him.
“You know the pilot?”
“I’ve heard the name,” Hongjoong replied evenly.
“They want Phantom Vermillion ready in four weeks,” Ryker continued. “The frame’s unstable—feedback loops are incomplete, neural scaffolding needs recalibration, and we don’t even have drift clearance yet. It’s not going to be easy.”
Hongjoong nodded once.
“Nothing ever is.”
Ryker’s voice lowered slightly.
“I requested you for a reason, Kim. You’re one of the few engineers who knows how to rebuild from the inside out. No distractions. No hesitation.”
Hongjoong kept his jaw tight, but gave a crisp nod.
“Understood.”
“Dismissed.”
Hongjoong exited with measured steps, the door sliding shut behind him like the sealing of a vault. Only when he reached the corridor did he allow himself a breath.
Phantom Vermillion.
Park Seonghwa.
Four weeks.
No partner.
He walked the length of the hall in silence, the weight of the name sitting heavy in his chest.
When he reached the main engineering bay, he stood at the observation platform. Below, rows of dormant machines lined the floor like sleeping giants, and somewhere among them, a berth had already been cleared.
His hands curled around the railing.
“Of all the Jaegers in the world,” he muttered, almost to himself.
“And they give me his.”