"Six foot tall and bulletproof."
Now, believe it or not, Raleigh Becket actually doesn't think this much of himself. He's only just pushing six foot, actually, and he well and truly knows he's not bulletproof. His nose and his time spent as a veritable punching bag as a younger teen and kid prove that.
But it seems like that phrase is going to follow him all around the Jaeger Academy.
In truth, he's just too goddamn stubborn for his own good.
So that's why he's found himself in the Academy's Kwoon, alone, on a Saturday night. Yance is probably back in their bunk, although to be honest, Raleigh fancies that he's actually out on the town somewhere. After all, he's of legal age. (Insert brotherly roll of eyes here.)
Raleigh's supposed to be meeting one of the Academy's fightmasters here for a session. A request from on high, apparently, because the kid is good---not a natural like Yancy, but good enough that he didn't wash out of the first cut---but he doesn't know how to keep himself focused. He's determined but erratic. He has no commitment. Or, at least, that's what he's been told.
He just thinks it's a load of bullshit.
He's doing fine. All the recruits have just finished two weeks of intense combat booty bootcamp or whatever and hell, next to Yance, Raleigh was in the top five for the end results! He doesn't need this extra treatment.
(But, dear friend, do not mistake his train of thought for cockiness---
---Raleigh Becket knows his limits.
He just likes to push past them.
He may not be the best pilot,
a natural,
But he's definitely the most
determined one.)
Glancing about the empty room, the teenager bounces on the mat, on his toes. Barefoot and with rolled up sweatpants and a singlet, he's ready. It's a curse, really, that he finds himself wanting to be at least 15 minutes early for everything, but if they want to see if he's prepared, if he's willing to keep up with the program, he'll damn well prove it to them.