Author: Thomas Fairchild | Banner: Christian Salabert
Time slowed to a crawl.
Flying through Seattle at supersonic speeds, Rodan watched the destruction unfold in slow motion. First, the people in the streets were swept up. Cars, telephone poles, and streetlights followed the same fate. Shockwaves stripped rooftops from their foundations. Sonic booms made buildings explode into rubble, showering the ravaged streets in a blanket of dust and smoke.
Time finally caught up to the supersonic predator.
With the flap of his wings, the giant pterosaur shot up straight into the grainy skies, flattening the apartment complexes beneath him with his sonic booms. Raindrops pelted off his crimson face as he soared higher. By the time the crimson bird stopped, Seattle looked like a tiny pebble. The radioactive reptile expanded his wingspan, allowing the strong winds to keep him airborne. With his binocular vision, he observed the damage he had wrought. Nobody in Seattle saw him coming. Not a single one of them knew what had hit them. Was this a terrorist attack or a natural disaster? Nobody could say for certain.
Seattle was at his mercy and it didn’t even know it. If the primeval predator left now, that would be the end of it. It’d be days before Seattle’s citizens learned the truth about the kaiju’s involvement. But at least they’d be alive to know the truth. The hot blooded predator cared little about morals. He relied completely on his instincts. All he cared about was his survival. And right now he was starving. The heavens watched in dismay as the Lord of the Skies descended towards Seattle to quell his insatiable appetite.
Frightened masses huddled together in the streets. Their eyes averted to the skies, fearful of the ominous sound emanating from far above. The distinct dark shape breaking through the clouds caused a citywide panic. Rodan was seconds away from pouncing on hundreds of innocent souls. Before he could crush their bodies and gobble them up, his meal was postponed by the advent of Gamera!
The flying terrapin rammed into the diveboming saurian so hard, the giant pterodactyl was sent crashing into the Puget Sound. Like a beacon of hope for the denizens of Seattle, the friend of all children spun like a flying saucer. He accelerated over the Puget Sound, his spinning-glowing mass reflecting off its waters. An eerie glow emanated from beneath its churning surface. It was the only warning the scaled protector ever received.
A crackling purple heat ray burned out of the Puget Sound, striking the heroic chelonian’s whirling mass. The defender’s high-pitched cry echoed throughout the city as he crashed into the downtown area. Buildings fell like a house of cards, burying the Guardian of the Universe. It gave the mutant reptile all the time he needed to escape his watery prison. The pterosaur was in the air within seconds, circling the fallen creature.
Gamera stood up out of the wreckage, searching for his enemy. Rodan sliced through the air in front of him, grazing his armored chest with one of his wings. Despite being smaller than the titanic turtle, the supersonic flier successfully managed to hit the Atlantean hard enough to crash him into the viaducts. The network of bridges crumbled under the Last Hope’s massive bulk. The gentle giant dug his claws into the earth, pushing himself out of the rubble. Fire burned in the back of his throat. When the flames spilled out of his mouth and ensnared his tusks, his two massive canines burned brightly in the night.
The master of mana recoiled as three fireballs shot out of his mouth. One fireball seared into the Puget Sound. The second fireball plunged into Bainbridge Island, detonating into a fiery mushroom cloud. The third fireball struck the speeding saurian in the chest, enveloping the giant pterosaur in its explosion. With his body on fire, the Crimson Bird looked like a dying phoenix as he crashed into the Columbia Center. It didn’t take long for the towering skyscraper to fall apart. The malicious predator disappeared amidst the wreckage. Thick gray smoke and dust smothered the streets, concealing the destruction.
The noble terrapin stomped into the haze, searching for his winged adversary. The vicious pteranodon wasted no time in attacking his blind foe. Even with his skin horrifically burned, the radioactive archosaur didn’t let his injuries slow him down. He rammed into the startled defender at full force, pecking at the saber-toothed reptile’s eyes with his beak. Taken aback, the Guardian of the Universe tried in vain to raise his bulky arms to defend himself. When they failed to hold back the quick rapid strikes, he was forced to rely on his tusks to keep the hovering menace at bay. The nimble pterosaur maneuvered around the gnashing tusks, jamming his beak into a unprotected piece of throat. Piercing an artery, green blood gushed down a scaled neck. Curved horns on the Lord of The Skies crackled with atomic energy. Targeting the titanic turtle’s bleeding neck, the blast of heat ray made it worse.
Rodan moved to peck his giant foe’s eyes out. The guardian answered by swatting the winged monster’s face in as hard as he could. Rodan bounced off the pavement before sliding into the Chinatown District. The stunned reptile couldn’t feel nor see straight. He couldn’t even feel the earth tremble as hsi foe marched over to blow his adversary to kingdom come. While trying to crawl away, the avian spotted pieces of his broken beak lying in a parking lot next to a cuisine store. He had hit him harder than he thought. But even if his beak had been damaged, the predator was still determined to put it to great use.
Gamera stared at the wounded creature. It shared so many similarities to his nemeses, the Gyaos. Like the Gyaos, this hunter fed on human life. But unlike the Gyaos, it wasn’t a monument to Mankind’s sins. He was a natural byproduct of the planet. Even though Rodan was mutated by Mankind’s nuclear ambitions, he ruled the skies long before the humans crawled out of the woodwork. The tired hero would rather see this miscreant return to his domain and protect the planet. But he couldn’t do that, not as long as this beast threatened the humans he loved.
In the corner of his eye, the Monster of The Skies saw a bright flash. It was the shelled protector firing one of his fireballs. He had only seconds to react. Flapping his wings, the crimson terror launched himself forward, and narrowly avoided the fireball as it detonated. All of Chinatown went up in flames. Speeding over hundreds of buildings, the winged kaiju’s speed accelerated. Going supersonic this close to the ground wreaked massive collateral damage. Entire city blocks became tidal waves of buildings smashing into the earth. The defender of man watched his quick foe escape death with a determined glare. Smoke rolled down his arms and legs as he pulled them into their sockets. Roaring blue fire took their place as the turtle pulled his head into his shell. Spinning in circles, the living UFO chased the red streak over to Lake Washington.
Pulling himself back, the Crimson Bird dropped behind the spinning disc, as lavender hued energies burned out of his mouth. The unnatural flier whirled out of harm’s way, letting the heat ray sever the Floating Bridge that connected Seattle to Mercer Island in two. Commuters on the bridge couldn’t help but stare in awe at the spectacular battle unfolding above them. Rodan dove down to fly on one side of the bridge, kicking up water in his wake. Gamera flew on the other side, twisting and turning. In this mode of transportation, the engineered being navigated not with his eyes but by sensing the life force in others, as well as being able to see the electromagnetic spectrum. It’s why he preferred flying around like a flying saucer. It always made the scenery that much more stunning and beautiful.
The rotating disc of the guardian surprised the speeding saurian by colliding into him. Spinning faster and faster, the heroic reptile used the sharp edges of his shell to cut into the pterosaur. It took several seconds for the spinning shell to tear open the armored chest. With blood splattering all over the place, the protector of mana changed gears by stopping in midair. His clawed arms reached out and grabbed the corresponding wings. Firing up his leg propulsions, the terrapin pushed the scaled avian through the air. He crossed the five-mile gap between the Floating Bridge and the Evergreen Bridge in less than a few seconds.
Using momentum as an asset to his strength, Gamera flew Rodan through the Evergreen Bridge. The bridge didn’t even slow them down as it blew up into a thousand pieces. All the while, the titanic turtle crunched down on the ridged chest with his tusks. The irradiated predator screeched loudly in the night as his captor flew him back over Seattle. Mutated blood splattered over various parts of the city. They flew over Seattle for several minutes. Tens of thousands did everything they could to escape. Many more stayed to watch the titanic battle. One of the thick tusks punctured one of the flier’s lungs. Blood filled the damaged lung, drowning the Lord of the Skies in his own realm.
Summoning his atomic energy, the saurian spat his heat ray into the blood spatter face. Distracted by the heat burning his eyes, the turtle had no choice but to drop the flying reptile from his clutches. The primeval hunter fell for a few seconds before regaining his equilibrium. It was a struggle at first. He had to really fight to overcome the pain of losing one of his lungs. But against all odds, the prehistoric revenant prevailed, and was eager to teach this “hero” why the air was his dominion.
Gamera left a trail of smoke over Seattle as his jet propulsions burned. The raging pterosaur flew up from behind and pounced for his head. Digging his talons into the skull, the Monster of The Skies controlled their trajectory by using pain as his instrument. Looking ahead, the nimble beast selected a suitable landing spot. They were racing towards Safeco Field at several hundred miles per hour. At the last possible second, the smaller monster released his rocketing foe, and dropped the giant turtle into the house that Griffey built.
The impact completely leveled the baseball stadium. Rodan circled above, blasting the smoldering ruins. The titanic shape of the fallen stood out of the smoke, only making him a bigger target. Narrowing his eyes, the uranium empowered heat ray burned into the shell. Blinded by the lightshow, the dazed hero couldn’t see his foe flying straight into him until it was too late. Gamera was hit so hard his feet were lifted off the ground. The pterosaur tackled the terrapin through Qwest Field, demolishing yet another sports stadium. Thin talons scratched at his tusked face, leaving grisly claw marks. Flames churned in the back of the guardian’s throat. Knowing what would happen to him if he stayed, the speedster tried escaping. But the experienced ancient expelled his fireballs too fast for even him to evade. One missed his armored core by an inch, disappearing into the night. The second fireball burned through one of his crimson wings, torching it instantly.
Pushing himself away, the Lord of The Skies flew out of the city, and glided across the Puget Sound. Fire consumed his wing yet could not stop it from performing its greatest function. Breaking the sound barrier, the aerial terror returned to Seattle, and grazed one of his foe’s stocky legs with his stronger wing. The great protector’s legs were kicked out from under him. Landing on his side, the Atlantean clawed at the earth to return to his full height. The pterosaur circled around to hit him once again. But this time, the Guardian of the Universe was ready.
Startled onlookers watched in shock as a taloned paw grabbed one of the flier’s legs. The Crimson Bird yanked the friend of children off his feet and then dragged him near the ruins of the Columbia Center, just as his prey wrapped one of his claws around his throat. Raising his other arm, Gamera thrust his wrist blade deep into Rodan’s abdomen. Everyone in the Pacific Northwest could hear the thundering cries of pain. The absolute defender pressed on, shoving the pterosaur into a skyscraper.
The dedicated protector was unmindful of the many streets burning behind him. He cared for humanity, he really did. But without a direct connection to one, he couldn’t save them from himself. Not tonight.
The massive Pteranodon flapped his wings, creating a maelstrom of smoke and debris. The unmoving terrapin shoved his blade deeper into the gut. Vomiting blood, the thrashing archosaur fought back even harder by striking his foe’s face with his beak and talons. The noble hero answered by slamming the flier’s tinier body through building after building. Both monsters were bleeding profusely. Hideous cuts marred their bodies. Still they fought with more ferocity than a hurricane.
Gamera pinned the radioactive reptile up against a skyscraper, jabbing his blade deeper. Its sharp tip poked out of his spined back. Rodan felt the warmth of his blood drip down his spine. There had to be a way to break free. His horns pulsating with atomic energy, he wildly fired his heat beam in all directions. The armored defender swayed back and forth, dodging the heat ray as it sliced and burned everything it touched. It was all a distraction. While shooting his heat ray all over the place, the supersonic predator seized the arm with his talons, and pushed with all his might. It was a long, painful ordeal. But he finally succeeded in pulling the bony blade out of his body.
No longer a prisoner, the ancient pterosaur released an earthshaking sonic boom. The Guardian of The Universe was thrown off his feet. Not even the Lord of the Skies could endure the force of his gale. His sonic boom blew him back through the skyscraper. He tried flying away but his ruined wing wasn’t strong enough, so he was forced to hop off a rooftop to glide to the Seattle Center. The defender of mana unloaded a volley of fireballs. They seared passed the wounded pterosaur, exploding into buildings. Explosions blossomed in the heart of Seattle, cutting a fiery swath towards the Space Needle. The crimson monster hopped in front of Seattle’s most famous landmark, beaten and exhausted. Blue fire and smoke replaced the tusked hero’s legs. Fire churned in his savage jaws as he closed in on his adversary.
Fireballs raced to seal Rodan’s fate. But their aim was not precise enough. His beak turned to watch them engulf the Key Arena and the Pacific Science Center. Before the wall of fire could consume him, Rodan jumped to the top of the Space Needle.
Not everyone in the Space Needle had completely evacuated. Most were unaware of Seattle’s citywide crisis. Even its elevators were still functioning. One of the elevators, classified as the ‘Blue Elevator’ by the Space Needle’s staff, was making its way to the observation deck. Its operator, a young man in his mid-twenties, addressed his new guests with a proud smirk.
“Good evening, everybody! Welcome to the Space Needle. My name is BJ and I’ll be your elevator operator for the next 41 seconds. Our total height is 605 feet, the equivalent to 184 meters. At one time, we were the tallest building west of the Mississippi. Now we’re the seventh tallest building in Seattle, so that’s progress for you!”
BJ stopped. His guests weren’t paying any attention to his speech. They were too busy yapping on the phone, screaming at one another, and pointing hysterically out of the elevator windows.
“Why are my guests always so rude?” BJ snorted in contempt.
He didn’t see the flames shooting up from the ground. He didn’t see the giant reptile jumping up from behind him like a giant winged blur. All he could think of was how he never got the chance to finish his speech.
The Space Needle violently wobbled back and forth. Rodan dug his talons into the observation deck to stay on the swaying tower. Gamera emerged out of the sea of fire. He absorbed the crackling flames, rejuvenating his ancient strength.
“Jesus Christ!” screamed BJ as he finally saw the monster outside his elevator. The Asian tourists panicked as the elevator lights shut off permanently.
The Absolute Guardian readied himself to fire. The nimble hunter jumped out of harm’s way right as the Space Needle’s observation deck exploded into flames. The giant pterosaur glided over to the Lower Queen Anne, an area teeming with thousands of homes and stores, before landing on an apartment complex. There was nowhere else he could go. One way or another, he knew the battle was about to end.
The Space Needle finally plummeted into the burning wreckage of the Seattle Center. Gamera stomped through the flames, passing the Space Needle’s shattered remains. He would have to mourn the loss of human life later. Right now his mission was the complete destruction of this irradiated menace. Stopping to summon plasma, the ancient hero parted his jaws, and prepared to unleash a supercharged fireball. The air twisted and contorted around his face. Flames hotter than lightning burned like a miniaturized sun.
Undaunted by this showcase of power, the Crimson Bird launched a preemptive strike. His heat ray blazed through the tusked mouth, shot out the back of his throat, and toppled the Guardian of the Universe all in a single dazzling strike.
The Last Hope fell onto his back and showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. Rodan leapt high enough to glide over. Landing on the Atlantean’s still form, the pterosaur stared coldly at his beaten foe. Lying in a puddle of his own blood, the ancient hero’s green eyes scowled at the Lord of the Skies, waiting for the worst.
A broken beak snatched those eyes out of their sockets. It had a really delicious taste to it. Chowing down on other body parts, the Monster of the Skies savored the fruits of his victory. With Seattle burning all around him, all the prehistoric survivor could think about was how this was the most rewarding meal of his life.
Winner: Rodan (Universal)
