CHAPTER 11

Chapter 11

Shane saw Raleigh standing in front of the elevator, a contemplative look on his face. It seemed like he had just finished talking to Marshal Pentecost. Something was clearly bothering him. Shane approached, his footsteps light but deliberate.

"What is the matter, sir?" Shane asked, his tone respectful but curious.

Raleigh shook his head slightly, exhaling through his nose. "Nothing, Shane. Just thinking."

Shane studied him for a moment before offering a rare, casual remark. "If you need company, just ask, Raleigh."

Raleigh blinked, momentarily taken aback by Shane's informal tone. It was the first time Shane had called him by his name without an honorific. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Raleigh's lips. "Okay, Shane. I'll keep that in mind."

With that, Shane entered the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind him. As he returned to his room, his mind drifted to the conversation he was about to have. He picked up a small, sleek communication device and activated it. Almost instantly, the familiar face of his father, Alexander E. Buron, appeared on the screen.

"Shane," Alexander greeted, his voice steady. "How are things going on your end?"

Shane leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. "Eventful, to say the least. How is the development of Azure Defiant?"

Alexander nodded, his expression serious but tinged with pride. "Azure Defiant is now in action. It has been fully deployed and is ready to defend against a Kaiju attack at any time. Mark Panganiban and Erin Santos , the pilots of Azure Defiant, are performing well, and their synchronization with the Jaeger is stable."

Shane felt a sense of relief hearing that. Azure Defiant was one of the key projects under the Philippine branch's Jaeger program. It had taken years to develop, and now it was finally battle-ready. "That's good to hear. Mark and Erin are capable. I trust them."

Alexander smirked slightly. "I knew you would. But that's not all. We've started working on a new Jaeger—an upgraded version of Azure Defiant. We're calling it Azure Infinite."

Shane's eyebrows lifted slightly. "Azure Infinite? That's a bold name. What's the upgrade?"

Erin's expression grew more intense. "Higher speed, better armor, and a more adaptive AI system for combat analysis. We took everything from Azure Defiant and pushed it further. We're making it the most advanced Jaeger the Philippines has ever built."

Shane nodded, absorbing the information. "How long until it's operational?"

"It's still in the early stages, but we're making progress," Alexander replied. "It won't be ready overnight, but if something big is coming, like you suspect, we'll need every advantage we can get."

Shane remained silent for a moment before speaking again. "Good. Keep me updated father. If anything happens, I'll return home immediately. The Philippines is my priority."

His father gave a knowing nod. "I expected nothing less. Stay safe, Shane."

Shane ended the call, setting the device down with a quiet click. He sat there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, processing everything. Something about this whole situation felt off. The sudden emergence of new Kaiju, the escalating attacks, and the shift in strategy—it all pointed to something bigger on the horizon.

With that thought in mind, Shane stood up, cracked his neck, and walked toward the training facility. If a storm was coming, he needed to be ready.

End of chapter.