Chapter 24: The McMannus Clan: L & L

* The McMannus family is the oldest surviving Jaeger family to this day. Their common ancestor is also known as the first commander with Jaeger status. It was he and he alone who succeeded in gaining acceptance for the Jaeger in society while offering them the social status that their rank grants them. But even among these exceptional beings that are the Jaegers, the McMannus are a little different. The mentality and actions of the members of this family would come down to one thing: Protecting humanity. And for that they had to sacrifice their own freedom to achieve it. The members of the family are born and grow up in the little garden on the ice desert that Umino represents. Then the women who will have to give birth to their children must also be Jaeger of great lineage, this genetic selection process aims to keep the family always on top even if the current head of the family has broken all that. Yes Baptiste McMannus had 3 wives. The first, human, died giving birth to her first son Burges McMannus. He found another companion 3 years later and gave birth to his second child Berthold McMannus. 2 years later it was Liore McMannus' turn. His mother died a few months later from an inexplicable illness. The Commander then decided to take a Jaeger wife and had a daughter named Alberta McMannus who was also 3 years apart from Liore. This is how the McMannus bloodline ended ... At least officially *.

* Year 211 of the stellar calendar. Little Garden inside Eden's Sphere. Liore had once again completed a brain fitness test and was congratulated by the researchers *.

-Incredible. It is amazing such mastery of synaptic flow. At this rate he might even awaken meta-psychic gifts.

-I'm finished, can I go play with the others?

-No Liore you still have to pass ...

-It's good Vick, he's a kid, let him enjoy life.

* The doctor got up from his chair and gave a bar of cereal to Liore who went to play in the yard *.

-What are you doing to me, Joras since when did you become sentimental? I remind you that you are visiting did not interfere with my experiences.

-I have a kid. He is a little younger but he is very cute. And beware, your "experiences" are the children of the commander.

-I doubt that this guy cares about children but hey it seems natural to them not to be watched by their parent apparently.

-You should have kids Vick. Children change your life.

-I don't doubt it, seeing how you got soft. * He said as he observed Liore's genome under a microscope *. Prodigious. The McMannus have it in their blood.

* Outside Liore had joined his brothers and his sister. At the time he and Burges still had dark blue hair like the rest of the family. The boys wore a White T-shirt with blue sky stripes and pants and boots. The girl was wearing mini-shorts and a tiled wool sweater *.

-So Liore is he still ecstatic about your results? * Burges asked *.

-I hope he hasn't electrocuted you yet, he promised to stop the physical tests. * Said Berthold with a look of annoyance *.

-He said if I continued like this I will soon have established a psychic connection. Ark Kortex will be a formality.

-What so early? I thought we had to wait until our 15th birthday. * Berthold wondered *. That's what you told me, right Burges?

-It.. It's true, but this is also a special case.

* A trembling Liore snuggled into Berthold's arms and squeezed him so tight that the Jaeger almost felt his fingers dig under his skin. Liore with a terrified look *.

-I ... I don't want ... I don't want to .... Log in. I heard a child of Darkstar family last time. He screamed so loudly that he lost his mind. * Said Liore *. On his return he was trembling ...

* A little saddened Burges didn't know what to say but tried to comfort his brother *.

-You know it's not that bad to have a Stryker. Galactica and I get along really well. Liore you must be ...

-I DON'T WANT. And your case is a bit wrong if I may, Burges. So thank you for not talking about it.

* While trying to comfort their brother Alberta jostled Liore who crushed the nearby flower field. Her two other brothers were staring at her *.

-Alberta are you nuts. * Berthold shouted *.

-Everyone talks about you as a prodigy, the future pilot, but my results are just as good.

-Alberta? * Liore wondered, trying to get up *.

-You are better than all of us here and you have the highest score in the sync test. And despite all that you dare to play the scared victims. If you didn't want so much attention you had your results skewed. * She yelled *.

-Alberta enough.

-I hope you will suffer a thousand times when you enter in this Stryker.

* Then she ran away as Burges called her to come. That night Liore had nightmares about it, he imagined being locked in the cockpit of a Stryker and forced to synchronize via Ark Kortex. The pain being such that he lost his mind and was taken to the hospital. Also the next day the agitation was at its peak in the center *.

-Damn how a simple kid could escape you. * Shouted Doctor Vicks *.

-Sorry sir ... * The guard apologized *.

- Hurry up to find it I want to see it synchronize this evening.

* But Liore was already far away. Thanks to his games with his brothers he knew Eden Sphere like the back of his hand and Little Garden was like his home. As he fled out of the confines of the center he exited through the first pipe he found. The place was strange, there was Zero camera, the lighting was limited to a bluish experiment tube, the rest of the room was totally dark. However Liore managed to walk in the dark and managed to turn on the switch. There he saw in full the room which lit up. There was a cage in the middle of the room and a camera filming. Inside that cage was a young boy who jumped when the light returned. The boy stood up and stared at Liore with wide open eyes while Liore himself couldn't be more shocked. They were speechless until the boy asked him *.

-Why do you look like me?

* Liore's heart skipped a beat and he stumbled back but stood up. He approached the caged boy and tried to touch him, but the boy backed up to the back of the cage, trembling *.

-What are you afraid of? * Asked Liore *.

-I'm ... I'm sick. Was I told to avoid contact with people until I was healed?

-Ah ... and how long have you been sick?

-Since my birth. I've been locked up here forever.

-Truly ? * Asked Liore revolted *. Ok wait for me there ...

-What are you doing ?

* Liore knew the cage would resist an attack so he tried to unlock it otherwise. He searched his memory and reproduced on a computer the magnetic card of Doctor Vick Wiggins *.

-What are you doing ? The doctor said I had to stay here until I got well.

-The doctor tells a lot of things you know. But tell me sincerely ... * Liore turned his head and stared at him seriously *. Do you want to spend your life locked in this cage?

* The boy was shaking and a series of visions in the form of horrible flashes came to his mind *.

-NOOO. * He shouted *. Please get me out of here.

* He managed to open the cage but just then Vick entered with Joras *.

-And I told them stop your delirium ...

-I don't care about that Joras I want to find this ....

* He came face to face with Liore and the caged kid. One had a determined gaze and the other was trembling *.

-We ... what do we do?

* Liore rushed to the cage and grabbed the young boy by the wrist *.

-RUUUUN.

* The two kids walked towards the scientists screaming. Joras pulled away as Vick ate a nasty kick from Liore which slammed him to the ground. The two youngsters entered the hall as soon as lasers were pointed at them. Seeing the guards they jumped on the walls of the walls, slaloming at full speed. They didn't even need to communicate, the boy instinctively knew where Liore was heading. Once again Liore McMannus disappeared in Eden's sphere. A few hours later when everything calmed down Liore who had taken refuge in one of his hideouts shared treats with the boy. At first reluctant he stared at Liore with a surprised air *.

-Thank you...

* Liore took a Fruit juice and sat down in front of his double. To tell the truth, the look he was giving him was very uneasy *.

-Who are you ?

- My name is ... McMannus. Logan McMannus. And I am the Commander's son.

-My name is Liore McMannus and I am also the Commander's son.

-Eh ? It's impossible, I'm an only child ... *Shouted Logan*

-It's impossible my father only had 4 children.

* The two young boys stared again with their legs crossed while thinking *.

-Okay how old are you ? * Asked Liore *.

-6 years old why?

-Oh ! I'm 11 and a half, which makes me your big brother.

- Big brother ... Big ... I have a big brother. * Did he repeat once more *.

* The smile on the kid's face showed how happy he was. He jumped on Liore whom he hugged tightly as he burst into tears *.

-Big-brother ...

* Liore hesitated a moment then hugged him back. When he was calm he helped him wipe his face *.

- Wait, did you say that there are 4? Does that mean there are others?

-Yes. There are others. Burges, Berthold, Alberta. * Will he list *.

-A girl ? I have a little sister...

-Not a great one. And she is very angry.

-It's better than nothing.

* This is how Liore met the one with whom he was going to run away for at least a week. As they chatted they learned more about each other. Liore explained the Jaeger mission to him and Logan explained how he had been conditioned to practically become a weapon. Liore was telling him his concerns and Logan was trying to make him feel positive. They would make escapades in the mess and steal what little food they could before running away in the ducts. The scanners couldn't find them because Liore was hacking them from a distance. The ironic thing is that Liore who hated training continued his exercises with Logan by showing him what he knew *.

-Go ahead. You just rubbed your fingers.

-Like that ?

* Logan made a mini lightning appear between his fingers under Liore's smiling gaze *.

-You got there the first time. I'm proud of you. Now I'm going to teach you how to put up a magnetic barrier that will protect you from bullets.

-My skin is already very resistant to bullets, you know.

-How do you know that? ... Motherfucker Wiggins ... He shot him. *He says to himself*.

-Hey ... * Said Logan who grabbed his arm *. It is not serious. It is far from all that. Now I am with you.

-We're still on this goddamn planet.

* Liore moved closer and the two boys pressed their palms together *.

-I swear I'll find a way out of here. I won't let them take you back.

-I know it. I believe in you.

* Their foreheads stuck together and when they closed their eyes Liore was transported into his brother's neural network. There he could see by flash of the various experiments carried out on Logan. He had been gutted, skinned, dismembered, shot, drugged, stabbed. The truth behind these experiments was an excessive fear of the Jaeger. Vick Wiggins was looking for an effective way to kill both the Jaegers and the Krawls. Liore's flashes stopped when he saw the scientists pull out a flamethrower *.

-Holy blood that's horrible. * He said on the verge of tears *.

* The escapade in their secret compartment could not last an eternity because in the end It was enough to seek and to seek well. The guards threw phosphorus in the conduits which had already made the place unlivable *.

-What is that ? * Logan asked *.

-White phosphorus they want us to...

* As they stormed out of the conduits they took several shots of tranquilizing darts. Before collapsing Liore saw Alberta who had smiled at him before looking at the doc *.

-You see it was not that complicated.

-Al ... Berta. You damn....

* When he woke up Liore was tied up with a guard that held him tight. He turned his head and saw Logan screaming his first name himself held by a guard *.

-LIOOORE.

- Are you awake? * Vick asked *. Is that you made me waste a lot of time you know?

* He looked up and saw above the doctor a sort of exoskeleton of an inert Stryker. The machine was about twenty meters and looked like any Reder of its kind *.

-NO I DON'T WANT. I DON'T WANT TO DIE LIKE THIS.

* Vick walked over to him and dropped to one knee *.

-Listen to me Liore, you have a gift. Your body, your brain, your whole being is different. If you want to, you could become the most powerful Jaeger in history and save humanity. Isn't that what you wanted? Become a savior?

-NO. I never wanted that, I said that just to make you happy. So that you leave me alone and that I can return to Bert. I never wanted that I never wanted to be a McMannus why are you doing this to us?

-I see ... * Said the doc getting up *. Indeed you are not there for nothing it is your father fault.

-My father ?

-To tell the truth in the past there are plenty of Jaegers in this center that suffered the same. But the previous commander as well as your father decided that only the major Jaeger lines should go through this. The others will be free.

* The doc sighed and motioned to the assistant who opened the cockpit of the aircraft *.

-You will get into this machine and do your duty to humanity.

-I refuse. * He shouted *.

-Very well. In this case it will be you. * Says he has Logan *. You see no objection, do you?

-Me ? Why me ? I am...

- You would, wouldn't you? To save your brother. Don't worry you are more resistant you will survive. Even if you're only 6 years old.

-I will do it. * Shouted Liore *. I'll do it then out of pity ... Leave.

-No Liore I am more resistant I can endure ...

-Shut up. I'm the eldest, it's up to me to take the risks.

-That ?!

-Hey I always dreamed of saying that. * He said smiling *.

* Vick detached Liore and he was placed in the cockpit. The young boy smiled at his brother and made a V with his fingers to tell him not to worry *.

-Liore ...

- See you Logan.

* End of chapter *.