Chapter 2

The thing about humanity is, regardless of the calamity and predicaments they've had to overcome, those they still are facing, they still find it in them to create their own. It's not merely greed but malice, spite and gratuitous hate, so rampant that they've become a common human trait. In the year two thousand and seven an arguably deserved phenomenon took place, the first kaiju emerged. Raising from the depths of the Indian Ocean it reigned terror on the coast of Mombasa, Kenya. It's emergence alone caused tsunamis, it charged into the unexpecting country crushing everything it laid it's eyes upon. An ugly titan that shook the ground with each step. By the time the army stopped it, thousands had been flattened. The army itself sacrificed many lives, using nuclear weapons to end the beast while killing those unlucky enough to be within proximity. Someone had to make hard decisions however, it was either that or more lives lost. Many were skeptical however, majority of those in power made that decision out of fear for their own lives. On top of all of that, the amount of resources spent and lives lost fighting this creature was too costly. A trace fraction mourned the dead loved ones while the rest of the world was shaken to it's core, so much so for the first time in never every nation regardless of gender, race or ethnicity banded together, uniting to come up with a solution for this thing. It would've been foolish to assume that only one of them existed in the mass of earth.

Quickly, engineers and scientists from all over came up with a solution. Fight fire with fire, build giant robots that would be controlled by a human pilot to combat the kaiju. You'd be surprised with what mankind could accomplish if they looked beyond minute differences, in a little over a year and a half, the first mech was born, a prototype that was immediately tested when the second kaiju attacked only a week after it's completion. The battle was fierce but in humanities favor, the mech came out on top...barely. Though the pilot behind it won, the prototype seemed heavily defective, a couple of lags allowed the kaiju time to recuperate from prior blows, the armor also seemed highly breakable. It's left arm was lost and the cockpit almost ripped off.

Constructing a new mech was costly but the especially corrupt of individuals who'd syphoned funds from the free world, the richest families àlike also invested so much in the production of mech's. They were afraid for their lives, but more especially afraid for their properties. More mech's were produced, improved models with better designs that were more fitting for their occupation. Schools for mech pilots were created and heavily funded. This is how Kel found his "purpose" at life. He was a typical teenager about to start university level education. Back then he didn't have much going on for him, close to no friends, no girl friend and a drug junky mother, he decided to enroll in one of the top mech pilot schools. There he met his first ever friend group; Killian, Koy, Drew and Pete. They were a weird bunch, but just like him, they were misfits, young gents and ladies with no strong motivation or reason for this gig yet there they were.

It was a surprisingly torturous process, one would think all it required you was some combat skill and the know how to pilot the mech's but no. It was a lot more than that, they implanted a chip within you that caused involuntary muscle flection and spasms for a long while as it intergrates with your brain, this chip allowed one to wirelessly connect with a mech while in range. The same chip also murdered many after some rogue cyber security group hacked into them frying the chips from within them. They went through intense training to ready their bodies before having exo skeletons temporary planted on them. These exoskeletons gave them extrabracing and protection while piloting the mech, protecting them from inertia and other loads alike. Finally, after two yrs of constant training, they were ready. They as a group were among the first generation mech pilots. Kel had built a more than a liking to them, he valued them a lot. They were his family, he loves, best and only friends.

About a month after graduation, a kaiju rose from the coast of Somalia, Koy was sent to deal with it. A mech suit provided for her to wield as her armor and weapons. She was smooth with it, the kaiju hardly scrapped her yet she killed it almost effortlessly. Her shear skill gave hope to the hearts of many as the whole world watched her unironically, gracefully deal with the kaiju.

After her battle with the creature, humanity gained enough confidence to take the battle to them. They decided to go deep into the Indian Ocean sending autopilot submarines with powerful sonars to see where these things were coming from. The expedition was held for while with no new realizations or discoveries. Constantly they would search and each time they would learn nothing new. As for the carcasses of the already damned kaiju, they were studied and Intel gathered on them. Most of them had an exoskeleton like a crustacean that protected the less dense flesh underneath, acting like a suit of armor and tool of destruction. Most of the minerals obtained comprised of compounds and elements out of this universe. At most all they could do, is come up with alloys and weapons capable of with standing and damaging the exo skeleton, and to modern day(two thousand and twenty three), that is as much as they could gather.

A new morning weeks after Kel's last kaiju fight, he was walking towards the graduation parade. An event where new recruits would be appointed as pilots while others would be selected as ground support. Ground support were those who's job was to combat lykans, creatures that came in marauding with the kaiju but we're almost human sized, the smallest of them was about eight feed tall. They were less of a threat but with enough numbers they had the potential to cause ample damage and take dozens of lives.

Kel, dressed in his high prestige military suit walked across the hall way of the army base headed towards the event's venue. He took out his phone and called his ex-wife, Shana. It wasn't something he took pleasure in, in fact he would rather chew glass but he had to. He wanted to ask her for help with his son, to persuade him into taking interest in talking with his father.

She took a while to pick up but he was resilient, finally she did.

"What?" She asked as soon as she picked the call.

"I need your help," said Kel.

"Of course you do," she said to him contemptuously.

"What do you..." He began then stopped on his tracks, she was a feisty one, and would use every opportunity to not only get to him but also blame the out come of each situation on him, " I want you to talk to Dante, ask him to spend time with me, or at least talk to me."

"And why would I do that?" She asked him a minor smirk growing on her face.

"Because I'm his dad?"

"Wow, since when?"

"Shana come on,"

"Kel that boy begged you to be this...whatever it is your pretending to be right now. He went out of his way to be what you're asking for right now yet you didn't give a fuck. You don't deserve him, and as far as I know, you're just a sperm donor, don't call me," she said before ending the call. Kel grunted knowing how much she enjoyed his pain, watching him beg and still leaving him in the pile of shit he so desperately begged her to help him out of.

A short while later he arrived outside to the venue, he walked to his seat, most of the other officials had arrived. The new recruits if course naively excited as ever to venture into this new chapter of their life. Kel looked at them, not in pity but mild contempt. Idiots they were, who the hell would be excited to learn how to use a shovel just to dig their own grave. Only five of the new recruits were to advance as mech pilots, the rest were all ground support. In their uniforms they sat parallel to each other. A short while later the president of Kenya arrived. There were seven black cars escorting him three in front and found behind. Finally he alighted and got to his seat, the highest ranking generals sitting by him. The event started and speeches were given before the recruits were finally promoted by both the president and commanding general.

After about three hours it was over, Kel was almost pissing himself. He dashed out of it. The recruits on seeing him wailed and cheered but he couldn't careless, to them and in the eyes of many he was a global hero. The recruits after hyping their new roles went into the base, it wasn't their first time but this time it was more than just an attachment, they were now pilots and soldiers. While taking a tour around they bumped into Kel who was minding his own business and completely unbothered by them.

One of them, Dorian, extended his hand to greet him. "Officer Mullah, it's a pleasure to finally meet you." The others; Kate, Shane, Prestine and Dennis watched

Kel stared at him and then looked at the rest for a moment before shaking his hand. He didn't say a word and there was awkward silence for a moment before Dorian spoke again. So uhm, I wanted to ask, " Do you mind giving us a tour of the base?"

"Yes, he said before taking out his phone and walking past them," the rest were surprised. His tone came off as rude to them,but then again, it's the army.

Kel walked off for a while and called his son, who as usual took a moment before answering him. Finally he picked the call.

Kel always changed his demeanor while talking to him, almost like he was talking to this feared superior at work. A tone with humility like if he said something wrong even due to intonation it would be the end of his world.

"Aye son," greeted Kel.

"Sup," Dante greeted him.

"Did you get the money?" Asked Kel

"Yeah,"

"Good," he said before going silent for a moment.

"So uhm, anything else?" Asked Dante.

"Ohh uhh, yeah, I wanted to ask if your be interested in hanging out?" Asked Kel.

"Why?" Asked Dante.

Kel didn't know what to say after that question, in all honesty ideal parent-child relationships don't need this conversation going this far, usually it ends as soon as one party asks the other one out. Who needs a reason to hang out with their dad?

"To...talk, catch up, you know?" Said Kel.

"No, I don't...but sure, where should we meet?" Asked Dante.

"Chapo's pizza," said Kel excited.

"Alright,"

"Awesome, by..." Once again the boy ended the call before good byes were said. He had a tendency of doing so and it was on purpose. He wanted it to sting and it did. Kel however was still happy, his son for the first time in ages actually wanted to talk to him.

"Follow me if you want a tour of this place," said Kel appearing behind the new recruits who were still walking around.

They all looked at him with confusion, he still had the same demeanor but why the hell did he want to give them a tour? They however, chose to follow him and had a fine tour. It wasn't anything special, the only reason they liked it is because majority of them idolized him. This it was a privilege to be within proximity.