| Match 53: |
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| By: Christian Salabert |
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The mutant reptile known as Zilla trampled through
what was left of Sydney.
The creature had caused a great deal of damage
to the city, as per his alien commander's instructions. But
now night had fallen on the Australian city and Zilla was receiving
no further orders. Left to his own devices, the beast began
to wander the crushed streets of Sydney, slinking back and forth
through what few buildings remained. But Zilla soon grew tired
and laid down on the asphalt, resting as he awaited any further
word from his master.
But Zilla's rest was soon ruined as a high-pitched
cackle pierced the night air. The lizard's eyes opened and he
snapped to attention. Hearing another cry, he marched out towards
the ocean, seeking the noise's source.
Zilla reached the land's edge, turning his head
from side to side. He saw nothing. He heard the cry again, but
could still not see what was making the sound. Suddenly, he
heard something else. He began to turn his head...
Something large slammed into Zilla, sending him
flipping through the air and crashing to the ground. The reptile
groaned as his face smashed into the pavement before he managed
to get back to his feet. He turned and roared furiously, ready
to tear whatever had attacked him apart. Unfortunately, the
thing smashed into him again, this time from behind, again dropping
Zilla to the ground.
Groggily and cautiously, Zilla returned to his
feet once more. This time, he saw a large flying beast landing
not too far away from him.
Rodan glared at Zilla and cackled a challenge.
With any luck, this lizard would prove to be his next meal.
Zilla tilted his head in confusion. This creature...
Wasn't it one of his allies? Another of his commander's warriors?
But then he shook his head clear and growled. It didn't matter.
This beast had attacked him, and Zilla would make him pay for
that. With a mighty roar, Zilla threw his arms open and charged.
Seconds before he would have reached his foe,
Rodan flapped his wings and took to the sky.
Zilla looked up and stared at Rodan as he flew
through the air, circling the mutant iguana. He was helpless
to do anything except watch the pterodactyl flew around him,
sizing up the situation. Zilla screamed, demanding he come down
to fight. Rodan obliged, diving down and striking Zilla with
his beak, again flooring the reptile. As Zilla tried to get
to his feet, Rodan struck him again, slamming him into the pavement.
Zilla tried to rise again, but Rodan flew past and clutched
Zilla's head in his talons and pulled him into a building, smashing
Zilla's head into it and bringing it down on the lizard. Zilla
cried out as the debris crashed down upon him.
Rodan, having flown a fair distance away, turned
back and headed straight for its opponent, planning on goring
Zilla with his beak. Unfortunately for him, Zilla had other
plans. Pulling himself out of the rubble, he turned and faced
Rodan. With a roar and a tremendous leap, he flew through the
air and collided with the pteranodon, bringing his feet up against
Rodan's chest. The two hit the ground with a thunderous crash,
Zilla atop Rodan.
With his foe finally at his mercy, Zilla began
clawing and biting at Rodan's face. Blood was drawn as Zilla's
claws raked Rodan's flesh, causing the flying kaiju to cry out
in panic. He tried to peck up at Zilla's face with his beak,
but the reptile responded by smacking his clawed hand across
Rodan's face. It was then that Rodan decided to bring out the
big guns, and the horns on the top of his head began flashing
with violet light. This caused Zilla to stop his assault momentarily,
once again tilting his head in confusion. The cost him dearly,
as seconds later Rodan pointed his beak right at Zilla and spewed
forth a uranium heat beam, striking Zilla in the face and knocking
him away. As Zilla clutched his face and screamed in pain, Rodan
flapped his wings and got to his feet. He began flapping his
wings, generating hurricane-like winds which began to batter
his foe. Zilla roared in defiance, and Rodan responded with
another blast of energy from his beak, striking Zilla's legs
and bringing him to the ground.
As Zilla rolled around on the ground, Rodan took
to the skies once again. Again he attacked his foe from the
air, but this time he would not risk getting close. He spit
out another heat beam, slicing across Zilla's tail. A second
hit him square in the gut. A third and final blast hit Zilla
directly in the head, causing the irradiated iguana to cry out
in agony. Zilla shook and twitched as he reeled from Rodan's
attack. Rodan hovered in the air, watching gleefully as his
soon-to-be prey suffered.
Zilla knew he was in trouble. This beast was
proving to be much stronger than he had anticipated. He was
too fast and his heat beam badly burned. He needed a plan. He
quickly pulled himself up, sank his claws into the ground and
began to dig. Within moments, a large tunnel was formed, which
Zilla was already beginning to disappear down. Rodan realized
what he was doing and swooped down to try and stop the lizard's
plan. But he was too late; his talons flew across the tunnel's
entrance mere seconds after the tip of Zilla's tail disappeared
within.
For a few moments, Rodan slowly circled the hole
in the ground, waiting for Zilla to emerge. But soon it became
apparent that he wasn't going to... At least not without some
encouragement. Rodan fired blast after blast of his heat beam,
striking the edges of the tunnel, the ensuing explosions threatening
to close it up. When Zilla still refused to come out, Rodan
lowered himself, touching down outside the rim of the hole.
He inspected the tunnel, then cackled into it, calling Zilla
back to battle. A few more moments passed, and still no sign
of Zilla was seen. Rodan lifted his head into the air and let
loose a victory cry. He may not have claimed Zilla as a meal,
but he still won the fight. He began to flap his wings so that
he could return to the sky.
The ground exploded as Zilla leapt up out of
the tunnel, tackling Rodan to the ground. Rodan tried to attack
Zilla with his heat beam, but Zilla's jaws instantly closed
down on Rodan's throat, stopping the beam and closing off the
pterodactyl's windpipe. Rodan struggled violently as he tried
to dislodge his attacker, but Zilla was not about to let him
snatch victory out of his claws a second time. Biting down hard,
Zilla ripped a large chunk from Rodan's neck, holding it in
his mouth. Rodan screeched in terror as blood poured from his
throat, but his struggling was already fading in intensity.
Soon his limbs no longer moved at all. His eyes closed and his
head fell to the ground.
Rodan was dead.
Zilla chewed the chunk of flesh in his mouth
for a moment, then swallowed. He growled contently. It was so
much better than fish.
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