Author: Landon Soto | Banner: Landon Soto

A colossal, black shadow darted across the city of Fukuoka. Masses of people fled in terror, filling the streets with panic as they attempted to evacuate the city. A chorus of fear-inducing cackling filled the ears of terrified people, their shrieks of fear drowned out by the monstrous cacophony from above.

Three bolts of golden energy ripped apart the streets below, causing buildings to combust as the three golden beams tore through the city, leveling every nearby structure, now reduced to piles of rubble. Cars, asphalt, and other city decor were blown to smithereens, clouds of dust slowly enveloping the ruined Fukuoka.

Two golden scaled, claw-tipped feet effortlessly crushed a small building as the owner landed, the ground quaking beneath the beast’s feet. Large, golden, bat-like wings gently flapped as a trio of golden dragon heads, each adorned with a crown of horns, cackled with evil glee, their piercing shrieks echoing throughout Fukuoka. This was King Ghidorah, the attack dog of the 23rd century people. Their hearts filled with malice, they had unleashed the golden hydra on Japan, to prevent the country from becoming a superpower never seen before!

An American man with short, burgundy hair neatly slicked back and crisply dressed in a purple tuxedo paced around the crescent control panel of the MOTHER, the vessel the future people had used to travel back in time. His fellow American, a stout man compared to his partner, dressed in an olive green tuxedo that complimented his well-groomed, ginger hair, sat contently in his chair as they watched the city of Fukuoka burn to ashes. They wanted to prevent Japan from becoming the most powerful nation on Earth, a superpower far greater than America. They were sick of this reality, and now that they possessed the right technology, they could finally make their dream a reality.

Suddenly, the computer behind the man in green began to sound an alarm that made him jump in surprise.

“The hell was that?” the man known as Grenchiko barked. He turned from the control panel and got up to inspect the machine. “Good Lord, what is that!? Wilson, come here!”

The tall man clad in violet turned to face his cohort, intrigued by the sudden outburst. “Step aside, let me get a look at it,” Wilson grumbled as he inspected the red dot that had appeared in the middle of Hokkaido. “What do we have here?” he said slyly.

—

In rural Hokkaido, a large pile of dirt erupted from the ground. Dirt and trees were flung into the sky as a boxy snout poked out of the dirt and sniffed the air. A nearby herd of cattle began to let out moos of distress as the agitated group of bovine became more and more distressed. Suddenly, the whole surrounding area erupted in an explosion of earth and rubble! An ear-splitting screech filled the open air as the brown cloud dispersed. The form of a creature, obscured by lingering dust, now became clear.

The creature was a thin, yet muscular reptile that vaguely resembled the mighty tyrannosaurus, its dark teal hide covered in smooth, leathery skin with bumpy scales. The reptilian beast stretched out its long arms, and flexed its obsidian-like claws as its long, whip-like tail gently swayed in the breeze. Its back was aligned with three rows of sharp, navy blue triangular fin-like protrusions, running along its backside, and to the tip of the tail.

Cows mooed in a chorus of fear and confusion, alerting the dinosaur-like monster. The creature inspected the herd with its orange eyes, before its head shot forward and scooped up the mass of dairy cows in one fell swoop, silencing the noisy group. Nothing was left, save a large pool of drool that dripped from the toothy maw of the reptile monster. The beast growled contently, before standing upright and making its way further inland.

—

“Interesting. It seems as though Godzilla was recreated once more, although it is a far cry from the original version,” Wilson stated with intrigue. The American leaned against the control panel, facing a large, horizontal screen that displayed a live video feed of the new Godzilla.

Grenchiko stared at the screen, chuckling to himself. “This new Godzilla doesn’t appear to be very impressive. It’s scrawny, and not nearly as big as the old one.” The man with ginger hair frowned. “However, it seems that the second birth of Godzilla was inevitable. Nuclear energy has always been abundant in this age. I guess it really didn’t matter where we dropped that dinosaur off.”

That last sentence caught Wilson’s attention. The violet tux-sporting Futurian turned to his partner and asked an important question: “The dinosaur! I don’t understand, if this is the same dinosaur, why does it look so radically different? Godzilla also was not capable of burrowing before, so why now?”

Grenchiko balked at the question. “Are you implying we, somehow, inadvertently created a new Godzilla, a separate entity entirely from the original dinosaur?” Grenchiko faced the screen as he watched the massive theropod jog across the open fields of rural Hokkaido.

Cupping his hand around his mouth, Wilson contemplated for moment, before barking a command to a person operating on a small monitor behind them. “Give me a reading on that Godzilla, ASAP!”

The man nodded and began typing away.

—

King Ghidorah soared above Fukuoka, making quick work of the puny jet fighters that dared to challenge him. The left head opened its maw and spat a golden gravity beam that effortlessly swept through a group of fighter jets, small bursts of combustion confirming the enemies were eliminated.

The golden hydra cackled in glee as it rained more gravity beams down upon the smoldering city. The three headed dragon made another lap around the urban area, its chaotic cackling echoing throughout the smoldering city, before suddenly, the creature began to leave Fukuoka, a command sent from its leaders forcing it to head into the rural region of Hokkaido. With great flaps of its golden wings, Ghidorah left Fukuoka.

—

Wilson leaned forward in his chair, tapping his fingers on the crescent control panel as he examined the biological data and readings MOTHER had received from the new Godzilla. “As I suspected. This creature is more closely related to marine iguanas, not to mention it isn’t even fifty years old.” He turned snappily to his companion. “There you go, Grenchiko! Our tampering with the past must have somehow created this new Godzilla.”

“Well, Wilson, what do you suggest we do?” Grenchiko asked sternly. He was getting on edge. They were so close to completing their ultimate goal and with the arrival of this new Godzilla, he was cautious.

“The answer is simple.” Wilson smirked as he crossed his arms. “Let us send that overgrown iguana a welcoming present.”

He turned to face the subordinate behind him again and pointed at the worker. “Send King Ghidorah to kill Godzilla!” barked the future man.

—

The new Godzilla marched forward, looking for more food inland. The irradiated iguana suddenly stopped in its tracks and lifted its boxy head to the sky. It could hear faint sound in the distance, slowly getting louder. Soon, a mass off in the horizon was becoming more and more visible. The teal theropod cocked its head, tensing instinctively as a trio of cackling slowly became more audible.

The irradiated lizard perked up as it stared at the incoming golden hydra. King Ghidorah bobbed its multiple draconic craniums as they each cackled and screeched. The golden dragon flapped its large wings as it propped itself upright, allowing its scaly feet to slam into the ground, dust erupting into the air from the resulting tremor as the mind controlled dragon eyed its opponent.

—

“Go ahead, King Ghidorah. Slaughter Godzilla!” Wilson shouted with authority, the command being sent to all three brains of Ghidorah. The message was loud and clear.

—

The golden dragon spat golden gravity beams from all three mouths, ripping apart the ground around the iguana mutant, who shrieked in surprise as the ground exploded and obscured his form. King Ghidorah halted the assault, but as the dust settled, the trio of heads noticed their opponent was gone, replaced with a large crater.

Before King Ghidorah could take action, the ground behind it rose into a mound. A familiar boxy snout poked out as the new Godzilla clawed out of its hole. The iguana suddenly sprang forth, evading the barbed tails of Ghidorah, and latched onto the scaly backside of the massive dragon. Ghidorah screeched in discomfort as the claws of the theropod scraped against its hide, sparks erupting from each strike.

The hydra cocked each of its heads to try and get a good aim at the smaller reptile, to no avail. The teal iguana lunged its head forward and clamped its jaws around the center head of Ghidorah, its sharp teeth digging into and cracking the golden scales in its toothy maw. The middle head screeched in pain and the hydra raised its twin spike tails and threw them backward. The barbs successfully jabbed and pierced the backside of the new Godzilla.

Godzilla howled in agony as streams of blood ran through the grooves and scutes of its backside. Ghidorah cackled as it flicked its twin tails and flung the limber iguana into a hillside. The reptilian beast shrieked in anguish as it slammed into the dirt mound, leaving a large imprint before it slunk down to the grassy terrain. The theropod groaned in discomfort as it jerked its head to face the golden dragon.

King Ghidorah turned like a tank before facing the new Godzilla, once again letting out a cacophony of screeches as it taunted the downed reptile. The irradiated iguana struggled to stand but managed to rise on wobbly legs. The Futurian bioweapon spat another barrage of gravity bolts, ripping apart the ground, before the golden bolts lanced across the wounded lizard’s frame. Godzilla squealed in agony as the beams erupted along the body of the theropod, sparks and blood exploding off the carnivore’s body as chunks of skin and scale skyrocketed into the air.

—

“Pathetic,” Wilson barked with laughter. “This Godzilla is no threat at all. King Ghidorah will make quick work of it, and we can finally get back to our mission.” Leaning against the control panel, the American dressed in purple grinned as he enjoyed watching the brutal beat down. Soon, their mistake would be thoroughly erased.

His fellow American chuckled. “Godzilla is on the brink of death, and our monster has barely exerted itself. A shame really. It seems we took the ‘God’ out of ‘Godzilla.’”

Wilson suddenly flung his head backward and burst into laughter, a rare sight to behold. Grenchiko gawked; he could barely remember a time where his comrade had such a fit of hysterics. The future man chortled as he composed himself, enjoying this turn of events. He wondered how long it would last.

“Zilla… it has a nice ring to it.”

—

King Ghidorah inspected the wheezing lizard, not wanting the fun to end either. Ghidorah marched forward and leaned toward Zilla, the middle head eyeing the iguana before it slowly wrapped tightly like a noose around the neck of Zilla. The golden hydra forcefully lifted the bloody carnivore and its right head shot forward, biting into the ribcage of the iguana and receiving a groan of anguish from the reptilian beast. The left head coiled around the waist of Zilla, winding around his body like a python and squeezing.

Zilla groaned in discomfort as he felt the pressure increase around his body. The irradiated iguana lazily kicked the golden pecks of Ghidorah, doing little to ease the pain. Foam began to drip from the maw of Zilla as the lizard groggily felt for the right dragon’s head with its left hand, finally finding what felt like a face, and raked the eyes of Ghidorah with its lanky arms, scraping the sensitive organs.

The right head immediately let go and screeched in fury as blood flowed from the blinded dragon. In a panic, the cranium began to spew gravity bolt after gravity bolt, striking its fellow heads along with Zilla. All three howled in pain as the death grip loosened, which allowed the thin iguana to squirm past the thick necks of King Ghidorah.

Zilla fell to the ground with a thud before using what little burst of adrenaline it had to kick dirt, grass, and trees into Ghidorah’s face. The dragon stumbled backward as it used its wings and tail to balance itself. When the dragon had regained its bearings, only a large hole remained where Zilla once stood.

—

A Futurian worker alerted her superiors. “Sirs, Godzilla is headed towa-”

“Zilla, ma’am. That is no Godzilla,” Wilson smugly exclaimed, adjusting his suit.

“Just send King Ghidorah to wherever Zilla shows up,” the future man ordered. “I want that scrawny chump erased!”

—

Smoke rose into the sky and fire crackled as buildings were decimated. Dust coated the city of Fukuoka, nearly impossible for a person to breathe long in these conditions. The overcast made the city appear dark, and bleak, small rays of sun broke through the cover.

The Naka River, overflowing with debris, began to bubble and churn, a black mass appearing in the agitated waves. Water erupted into the sky, creating a slight drizzle, as the massive form of Zilla leapt from the river and landed amongst mounds of smoking buildings. Zilla felt the water wash away the blood from his wounds, his regeneration working double time to keep himself alive. With this moment to recover, Zilla inspected his surroundings. Most of the structures were mountains of rubble, but plenty still stood, their neon lights aiding in illuminating the grim city. The irradiated iguana, satisfied with the area, quickly began to dig into the mountains of debris and carve out a burrow the size of a football stadium. Comfortable with its makeshift home, Zilla rested its eyes and relaxed. He needed the rest after the ordeal he had gone through.

It seemed like hours had passed when the iguana was suddenly pulled from its slumber. The reptile poked its boxy snout out of its den and grunted, irritated by familiar sounds – a chaotic chorus echoing throughout the decimated city.

Zilla left the comfort of its home, standing tall as a pillar of clouds fell from the sky. When it touched the ground, the clouds dissipated and revealed the form of King Ghidorah, its golden, bat-like wings blowing away dirt and smoke. Its three heads bobbed up and down, cackling in an uproar. The right head was especially filled with malice as dry blood coated its face, caking its left eye shut. It was eager to finally exact its revenge.

The future dragon had followed the pseudo-Godzilla back to Fukuoka. It enjoyed the destruction it had caused, and now it could add the carcass of the creature standing in its path to its personal pile of destruction. Hot air escaped the nostrils of Ghidorah, snarling as it awaited Zilla’s next move.

Zilla stepped forth and roared a challenge at the hydra. King Ghidorah accepted, flapping its wings and taking off as it began to rain gravity bolts down on the cracked ground. Zilla leapt forward and dived into the nearby river to escape the barrage, its frame disappearing completely. Ghidorah snarled as it lost sight of the iguana and landed once more to survey the area. As the massive future beast maneuvered through some still standing buildings, the three heads were suddenly broken from concentration as a large mass slammed into their back, causing the scaly hydra to stumble as it screeched in shock. Ghidorah turned and began to pelt the earth with golden gravity bolts, but nothing was there.

Suddenly, a sharp pain radiated from the dragon’s left side. King Ghidorah screeched as three thin cuts were sliced into the hydra’s scales, small streams of blood running from the source like a river. The Futurian war machine whipped around to face its assailant, but again, nothing.
Feeling the rage boil and build, King Ghidorah leapt into the air and began to flap its massive wings, spinning in place as all the heads unleashed a storm of gravity beams. The wind from the flapping wings created a mini tornado that flung chunks of dirt and debris everywhere as the beams of energy ripped into the soft ground, unearthing a system of large tunnels.

Ghidorah landed and huffed, examining the newly created trenches it had created. Now that slimy lizard had nowhere to hide. King Ghidorah began to march forward, but suddenly, the ground began to rumble. The dragon looked around, but began to lose its footing as the ground gave in and swallowed the hydra in a waist-deep pit.

The Futurian dragon shrieked in shock, looking in three different directions. A sharp pain shot through the right leg of the dragon as underneath the dirt, Zilla clamped his jaws around the limb and shook his head violently, drawing blood and effectively tearing up the scaly flesh of King Ghidorah, painful screeches sounding from above ground. The pain ceased, but the hydra only had a brief moment of relief as another sharp pain radiated from the other leg and it felt its warm blood trickle down its leg.

The golden hydra screeched in agony as it felt the meat and muscle in its leg rip and tear. Golden gravity bolts struck the earth, loosening the ground bit by bit until it was weak enough to try and fly upward. The burrowing Zilla noticed the effort, but would not have it. He had struck both legs, but there was one place left to attack – the middle.

Ghidorah was almost freed, when a stinging pain shot through its groin. Each dragon head howled in pain as it shot out of the ground, ripping Zilla out alongside it, to the reptile’s surprise. The three headed dragon hovered high above the ground, blood dripping from its torn-up legs and groin, but nothing that would impair its fighting capabilities. King Ghidorah quit its thinking and turned its heads around, feeling a large weight on the tips of its tails. Sure enough, Zilla had held onto the barbed tails, struggling to hang on. His eyes then locked with the dragon’s, which stared daggers right into the pseudo-Godzilla’s.

The future dragon flung its twin tails upward and shook Zilla off, launching him into the open sky. The iguana mutation shrieked as he was flung upward, then began to fall back to Earth. Ghidorah turned and stopped flapping its wings, letting gravity bring the dragon down.

Zilla smashed into the ground with a thud, making a small indent in the dirt. The lizard monster jerked his head up, eyes widening in horror as 70,000 tons of dragon fell right out of the sky. Before the iguana could react, Ghidorah slammed feet first into the reptile, throwing rock and dirt into the sky.

Dust settled as the hydra stood above Zilla. The mutation’s ribs were broken, legs nearly crushed, and it struggled to stay awake. Ghidorah cackled in glee, its chorus of terror echoing throughout the devastated city and the reptile’s ears. Zilla coughed up blood as he groaned. The pain was agonizing, but he couldn’t muster the strength to cry out. Ghidorah inspected the near unconscious beast and began to kick around the downed lizard, letting out chaotic shrieks as Zilla squealed with each strike.

It was mere minutes, but to Zilla, it felt like an hour. The mutated iguana struggled to stand, but he could only crawl as King Ghidorah toyed with the pseudo-dinosaur. The hydra placed its right foot on Zilla’s head and began smothering it into the ground, before smashing it repeatedly, splashing blood with every stomp. Ghidorah watched its handiwork with glee. If it could smile, it would be twisted. Suddenly, another command shot through the heads of Ghidorah. A message was being received, the dragon standing motionless as the message was made clear.

Ghidorah broke its concentration and turned back to Zilla. It was shocked to see that its prey was gone, leaving a pit of loose dirt behind. King Ghidorah growled, promising not to be so merciful in their next encounter. Death would surely greet it in their next confrontation.

A disturbance had been detected, and Ghidorah was to eliminate whatever was lurking in the waters off of Hokkaido. Taking to the sky, the hydra left Fukuoka and once again let out a cacophony of chaotic shrieks as rain began to pour. Nothing could possibly stand in its way now.

“King Ghidorah is on its way, Wilson. What do you suggest?” Grenchiko, clearly agitated, stated. “Our plans are constantly being halted!”

Wilson furrowed his brows as he heard his partner express his discontent, but he did feel the same way about the situation. They were so close, yet still so far. Once this next nuisance was eliminated, nothing would stop the people of the 23rd century from decimating Japan. Wilson clenched his fist and proudly exclaimed, “Have a little faith, Grenchiko. America will once again be a powerful nation. We will not fail!”

Although King Ghidorah was still far from reaching its destination, it could see the restless waves just offshore bubble and churn violently. A charcoal saurian head rose from the waters, its hickory colored eyes teeming with an unbridled ferocity. King Ghidorah cackled as it challenged the newcomer, confident that it could decimate whatever was coming.

Winner: King Ghidorah (Universal)