Chapter Text
When the first breach opens, Johnny is 18 and freshly presented as an alpha. He immediately signs up to join the Pan Pacific Defence Corps the second the formation is announced, despite his mother's protests. His father agrees that he should do what he can, expecting Johnny to join as an engineer, or a mechanic. He doesn't expect his 19-year-old son to tell them he signed up to join the jaeger piloting program. His mother is distraught, and his father is shocked, but Johnny stands tall and stubborn as his parents try to talk him out of it.
"My application has already been submitted. I'm going, mom." Johnny crosses his arms as he looks down at his parents.
"You can't Johnny! I can't lose my baby boy!"
"I'll end up dying anyway if they don't have jaeger pilots mom! I'm going to protect the world! To protect you and dad!"
"Sweetheart, Johnny's right…" Johnny watches as his mother rounds on her mate, her eyes filled with shock.
"What the hell do you mean he's right?! Who's side are you on?!"
"Johnny is capable of defending himself, and he'll be trained before they put him in one of those huge robots. He'll be okay, and I'm sure if you listen to him, Johnny would be more than willing to maybe write to us once a month to keep us updated on his progress, right son?"
"Of course, I will, it's not like I'm suddenly going to drop off the face of the earth. I'll write and call whenever I can, I promise." Johnny kneels in front of his mother, where she sits at the table stunned into silence. "I promise mom, I'll keep in touch, but I need to do what I can to protect this earth. To protect our home."
"I'm going to hold you to that Johnny, I want to hear from you at least once a month." Johnny nods quickly as he stands, hugging his mother quickly.
"I will eomma, I promise you." He presses a kiss into her hair, smiling when his father joins the hug, moving to hold them both close to him. "I love you both, so much. Remember I'm doing this for you."
"We love you too Johnny." his mother sniffles slightly as she tucks her head into her son’s neck.
.•° ✿ °•.
°•. ✿ .•°
When Johnny receives his papers welcoming him to the program, it includes a set of tickets to Hong Kong, and a letter detailing instructions for when he lands.
Jaeger Pilot Training Academy
Pan Pacific Defence Corps
Tsing Yi Island
Hong Kong
November 13th 2014
Dear Mr Suh,
Thank you for your application to the Jaeger Pilot Training Program. You have been selected for the program and are expected to report to the Hong Kong Shatterdome on Tsing Yi Island for training on January 15th 2015.
Included with this letter is a set of plane tickets for your flight from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to Hong Kong International Airport, booked for January 10th. There will be a short layover at Incheon International Airport. When you arrive in Hong Kong, you will be met by LOCCENT officer Lee Donghae, who will escort you to the Shatterdome, where you will partake in a tour before receiving your ID. Please do not lose the ID as it gives you clearance to access spaces open to the cadets, such as your dormitory, training facilities and J-Tech for tests and medical.
We have chosen to give you a few days to settle in before your training begins as we understand you are moving very far away. English is the language of choice in the Shatterdome but you will find officers and fellow cadets who can speak others, and you may choose to learn a new one if you so please. You will be called in for a medical check-up with Doctor Kim Kibum on January 13th, and it will be up to the Doctor whether he believes you are truly fit to begin your training on the 15th.
We hope to see you soon Mr Suh,
Marshall Choi Siwon,
Pan Pacific Defence Corps
Hong Kong Shatterdome
Johnny turns his attention to the plane ticket he had pulled out of the envelope, reading through it as he sits back.
KOREAN AIR PRESTIGE | BOARDING PASS
NAME SUH/JOHN MR | NAME SUH/JOHN MR
FLIGHT KE 807 TO ICN SEOUL | FROM CHICAGO
DEP TIME 15:35 | TO SEOUL
BOARDING TIME 15:05 GATE B10 | FLIGHT KE 807
LOUNGE SERVICE | SEAT 07H
KOREAN AIR PRESTIGE | BOARDING PASS
NAME SUH/JOHN MR | NAME SUH/JOHN MR
FLIGHT KE 607 TO HKG HONG KONG | FROM SEOUL
DEP TIME 17:15 | TO HONG KONG
BOARDING TIME 16:45 GATE 245 | FLIGHT KE 607
LOUNGE SERVICE | SEAT 08A
Johnny smiles and carefully sets the letter and boarding passes on his desk under his passport. He runs downstairs to the kitchen, snatching up the red marker from the table to mark the date of his flight on the calendar. He is practically vibrating with excitement as his mother comes in from the garden, raising an eyebrow at her son bouncing around the kitchen. “What has you all excited, hmm?”
“I got my letter of acceptance mom! I’m going to Hong Kong to train in January!” Johnny grins brightly at his mother, pulling her into a hug as he giggles. “I’m actually going eomma…” His mother smiles softly as she hugs Johnny tightly, kissing his cheek gently.
“Oh my sweet boy, I’m so proud of you. You’re going to do so well.” Johnny lets his mother scent him, relaxing into her arms as he smiles into her neck. He lets the sweet smell of lilies and roses fill his nose as he closes his eyes, rocking side to side with his mother as she quietly hums in his ear, recognising it as a lullaby she used to sing to him as a young pup.
.•° ✿ °•.
°•. ✿ .•°
When Johnny’s father comes home from work, Johnny brings the letter down for his parents to read. He’s got a bounce in his step as he watches them read it together, watches their smiles grow before his father is wrapping him up in a hug. “I’m so proud of you John, I know you’re going to do amazing.”
“Thank you appa… I’ll make you both proud, I promise. You’ll see me on the news in no time, with my co-pilot in a jaeger.”
“Johnny, you could be sat at a desk for the rest of your life there, and we’d still be proud of you.” His father ruffled his hair gently, a smile spreading across his face as he watches his son. “You’re my son, and you’re going all the way to Hong Kong to save the world. I couldn’t be prouder of you.” He watches as Johnny’s cheeks redden, a bashful smile spreading across his cheeks.
“Well, I’ll still do my best appa. Even if I don’t become a pilot.”
“I know you will kiddo. Now, we should probably make a checklist of what you want to take out to Hong Kong with you, to begin with. You don’t want to leave behind anything important.” Johnny nods quickly and grabs the notepad and pen his mother keeps on the side of the fridge, writing down a few items quickly.
“I know I’ll need to pack enough clothes to last until I’m given my uniforms, and I want to take my laptop for calling you and eomma, and some books for during downtime. I’m not sure what else I’d need…”
“Well, how about some more personal items? You’ll want to take some things you can use to decorate your accommodation while you’re there.” Johnny nods and chews on his lip as he tries to think of what he wants to use.
“Do you think I could take some of the photos you and eomma have printed out?”
“Of course, you can! I still have them all on my hard drive so I’ll even order you your own set of whatever ones you want, okay?”
“Any that I want?” Johnny smiles brightly as his father nods.
“We can even get you some frames for them if you’d like? I’m sure if we wrap them in your clothes, they won’t get damaged.”
“Maybe three frames? I want to have photos of me with both you and eomma together and separately.” Johnny’s father nods and makes a note of it on the notepad.
“If you want three frames, we can get you three frames kiddo.”
“I think I might need to get some new luggage for the flights too. The suitcase I have now is a bit old and worn.”
“Well, we have to go out and get you some. I don’t have work next week so we can go then.” Johnny nods as he runs a hand through his hair.
“I can’t think of anything else right now, but I’d add it to the list if I come up with anything else.” Johnny smiles up at his father, growing shy when his father ruffles his hair.