Authors: Dan Rogers | Banner: Matthew Williams

A tense wind blew across the icy wastes of the North Pole. Moments ago, a strange object appeared in the sky, silently observing the barren terrain. It was uncertain how it got here. There was a bright flash of light, and once it cleared, it was there, gently bobbing in the air. The entity appeared to be a ship of some kind, yet it lacked the shape of any vehicle known to mankind. The body of the ship looked organic, while unnatural metal domes and spikes bulged from it like tumors.

Miles below the ice, a gray haired man stared at an image of this ship on a large computer monitor, scrutinizing every single detail of its appearance. It was his first inclination to simply destroy this object, as no being, whether from Earth or not, should be allowed to approach his domain. However, his wrath was tempered at the thought of what knowledge he could gain from this new technology. His plans had been foiled in the past by a simple primate, and he relished the thought of upgrading his mechanical behemoth and extracting his revenge. Besides, regardless of how long he waited, these creatures that dared to approach him would suffer eventually.

The entire room was silent. Once the ship had appeared on the monitor, every worker and assistant had frozen in place, with their eyes locked on the screen. Despite being in the employ of brilliant Dr. Who, none of them had seen anything like this. The scientist could feel the fear grip the entire room. He glanced over his shoulder, and saw his workers tremble. He felt only disgust.

A gasp filled the room, causing the doctor to whip his head back toward the screen. A pair of green, soulless eyes stared at him. This creature’s skin was rough, its maw hung open, with a complete vacant expression adorning its face. The man’s eyes drifted downward, as he continued to study the creature. Its body was covered by armor, but still appeared to be bloated, almost like a corpse. Its arms split, bifurcated at the elbow. Who’s eyes quickly shifted, as he noticed another one of these creatures moving through the background, revealing the four insect-like legs propping up this grotesque vision. The scientist thought they were disgusting. A sick grin formed across his face.

“Gentlemen,” Who spoke as confidently as ever. “My name is Dr. Who, and you are in my airspace. Identify yourselves immediately.”

There was a brief, yet unbearably tense, moment of silence. The creature slowly turned to its left, and pressed a button on its console. “Human, we are the Leviathan.” The alien’s mouth remained motionless, somehow speaking without vocal cords.

A worker swallowed hard, while another shifted uncomfortably in place. Despite the voice being completely monotone, it shook the doctor’s crew to their core. Who, however, remained completed unwavered. “And what do you want?” Who demanded, his voice becoming far more serious.

The Leviathan once again was silent, for a moment. Who began to understand that this being was taking time to process what had been said to it. “We require what you humans refer to as ‘Element X’.”

The man felt his eye twitch, as he gripped tightly onto the arm of his chair. He forced a smile onto his face. “Unfortunately, all the ‘Element X’ belongs to me, and I simply cannot part with it.”

Much to Who’s surprise, the alien’s reply came much faster this time. “It was not a request.”

The doctor felt a flame begin to rise in him. How dare this insect speak to him like this? He had killed people for less. Despite this, he had decided that he would make one more attempt to remain civil. “Perhaps, we can work out a trade.”

“Yes, a trade,” the Leviathan responded. “We will take the Element X…” It fell silent for a moment, seemingly pondering the situation. “…And you may keep your lives.”

That was the final straw for Dr. Who. He refused to be spoken to with such impudence, especially from some overgrown insect. He lifted his hand to his mouth, considering his options. “Your terms are fair.” He spoke, his voice completely flat. “We will load the Element X onto the lift, and send it up to you at once.” His hand hit a switch, turning off the audio to his microphone. He kept his hand to his mouth, as he turned to his subordinates. “Prepare Mechani-Kong.”

*****

The Leviathan’s ship silently hovered in the air, waiting for the human scientist to fulfill his agreement. Wind began to blow again, kicking up snow and ice into the air, clouding the area. The sound of the lift filled the air, and though the Leviathans could not see the area clearly, they willed their ship toward their prospective cargo. However, as they approached, a dark silhouette became visible.

Suddenly, a large metal canister pelted the side of the ship, exploding on impact. Though there was no physical damage on the outside, the inside of the ship began to shake, knocking several of the creatures off balance. The figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing its full visage to the invaders. Its long arm reached to its belt once more ripping off another canister. Mechani-Kong lobbed the explosive, once again, meeting its target. Smoke began to emit from the aircraft, as it began to lose altitude.

The robotic ape took a few steps forward, and opened its mouth. “It seems you had no clue who you were dealing with!” Dr. Who’s voice boomed from the speaker. “I am the world’s greatest scientist and future ruler.” The mech grabbed another explosive. “I will be treated with respect!”

*****

Back under the ice, the mad scientist leaned back in his chair, extremely pleased with himself. It became evidently clear to him that not only would the people of Earth eventually bend their knee to him, but the entire galaxy would, as well. He turned back to the monitor on which he was communicating with the Leviathan. The alien struggled to lift itself back to its feet. Who took great pleasure in the creature’s pain.

The scientist leaned into the microphone and spoke through his metallic beast again. “As you can see, I already have the upper hand. I could easily destroy you now.” He smiled. “However, since I am a fair man, if you admit defeat and leave behind some of your technology, I will spare your lives.”

The creature finally gained its footing. “Foolish human,” its voice still monotone, “did you really think we did not expect this?”

Who furrowed his brow. “What do you mean?”

“Your species is all alike,” it judged. “You will throw away guaranteed survival for even the chance of what you perceive as freedom, yet your actions trap you all the same.” The creature moved its bifurcated limb across the console. “Your predictability allowed us to plan for this contingency.”

*****

The ground below the Kong of Steel began to shake, the ice cracking beneath its feet. Who struggled at the controls to keep his only means of defense on its feet, as the Leviathan’s ship slowly began to back away. More and more fractures began to appear in the ice sheet, but the doctor did not dare attempt to move Mechani-Kong, lest his creation plummet into the water below. Suddenly, the ground in front of the robotic ape shattered, as a figure rose from the abyss. The mystery creature let loose a metallic version of an all-to-familiar roar.

SKREEEE-ONK!

Dr. Who’s mouth was left agap, as he studied this new adversary. One arm was completely cybernetic, while the other was flesh. Armor adorned its body, reenforcing an already impressive physical structure. It was a morbid marriage of biology and technology, and in all honesty, Who wished he had thought of it himself. However, the doctor could not allow himself to be too impressed with this monstrosity. He had already decided that this alien race was pathetic and far beneath him.

The robot Kong reared its arm back, about to throw another canister. In response, the Leviathan’s cyborg lowered its body, as four lights began to emanate from cybernetics grafted to its spines. Before the mechanical duplicate could react, a missile rocketed through the air, and collided with the canister in its hand. The explosion was massive, causing Who’s creation to stumble to the side. Seeing this as an opening, Cyber Godzilla rushed its opponent.

Thinking quickly, the mad scientist turned on the high beams installed in the robot’s eyes. If it worked on the Eighth Wonder, it certainly would work on a reptile on life support. The lights flipped on, directly shining in the cyborg’s eyes. Somehow, though, it was completely unaffected. It continued its rush, without even letting out a groan of complaint. Without warning, it jumped into the air, tackling the Kong of Steel to the ground.

The doctor was furious. “I don’t understand! How did it-” He stopped as he looked closer on the monitor displaying his robot’s point of view. The cyborg’s eyes were the same sickly, soulless green as those disgusting insects. It dawned on him. The creature wasn’t using its eyes. It was being controlled by the Leviathan completely.

Cyber Godzilla perched itself upon the chest of the mechanical behemoth, as it attempted to bite into its armored plating. A chorus of gnashing teeth filled Mechani-Kong’s vision. This was exactly what Who wanted. While the alien’s beast had superior technology, nothing could match his creation in terms of sheer strength. The mech reached forward, and gripped the cyborg by its neck, causing it to let out a strangled yelp. In a single swift motion, Cyber Godzilla was flipped onto its back by its prone opponent. Mechani-Kong sluggishly stood up, and began to pummel the cyborg.

As the strikes continued and pieces of machinery broke off, the mechanized reptile let out a wail of pain. A grin spread across Who’s face, absolutely delighted as he came to realize this creature still could feel pain. A well placed punch slammed the cyborg’s face into the ice, creating a crater in the ice sheet. Mechani-Kong then began to attack its opponent’s chest. After several blows dented the armored exterior, the mechanical primate placed its hands to the center of the cyborg’s chest and began to attempt to rip it open. The metal creaked in protest, as the cyborg attempted to squirm out of the behemoth’s grip. With a loud clank, the chest cavity opened, as a satellite dish-like device began to extend from it. A high pitched squeal emanated from it. The doctor hit a button on his control panel, commanding the Kong of Steel to continue his attack.

Yet, his creation remained unresponsive. Who hit every button he could on the console, as he attempted to regain control of Mechani-Kong. The cyborg, still pinned under the robotic ape, managed to flip to its stomach, as it attempted to claw its way out. The creature roared, as it became clearer that its efforts were futile. The Leviathan’s ship, which up until this moment sat as a silent observer of the conflict, approached the two metallic beasts. A panel on the ship lit up, and immediately began to rain laser fire down on the two. The inactive Mechani-Kong was struck first, collapsing on its side. Cyber Godzilla, now free, attempted to distance itself from the attack, yet was struck in the crossfire. It fell forward, sliding along the ice, moving just far enough as to not be damaged further by the Leviathan’s onslaught.

Who slammed his fist down on the console, as he cursed at himself. At this point, he had to admit, he was simply outgunned by the alien’s technology. As long as they were involved, his creation had no chance of winning. The cyborg didn’t even need to see on its own while it was being controlled remotely. The only strategy became evident. Who would have to take care of the insects first.

The doctor placed his hand on the console, attempting to revive Mechani-Kong. His creation roared to life, as it stood up. Who decided that he would no longer waste time on the loathsome reptile, and he would simply attack his threat directly. The robotic ape ripped a canister off of its belt and lobbed it at the ship. Like before, it exploded on impact. Cyber Godzilla whipped around at the sound of the impact, as it let out a roar, directly challenging its opponent. It was ignored, as the Kong of Steel simply pulled another canister off of its belt. It reared its arm back to throw the explosive at the ship, but was met with thirty-seven thousand tons of flesh and metal colliding with its back. While the counterfeit Kong undoubtedly weighed more, the unexpected force traveling at such fast speeds caused it to lose its balance once more, as it fell to its chest.

Mechani-Kong quickly turned to its back. It swung its arm, colliding immediately into the face of its attacker. Cyber Godzilla’s body flew to the side, its body scraping against the ice. Its sliding came to a halt, as it dug its claw into the ground. The robot Kong sat up, as it pitched the explosive canister at its opponent. The explosion enveloped the cyborg, dazing it. Dr. Who’s creation managed to get to its feet once more, hurling explosives at the Leviathan’s warcraft. The ship, once more, began to lose altitude. The outside of it smoked.

The Kong of Steel opened its mouth, allowing Who to speak through it again. “It seems we are reaching the end of this little game. Normally, I would be grateful for the chance to field test my creation…” His voice trailed off, the mechanical beast growing incredibly silent, as it reached for its belt. “Unfortunately, I would hardly call this a challenge.”

*****

The Leviathan on the screen was nearly enveloped in smoke. The area behind it, once lit with thousands of monitors and lights, had grown dim. A member of its species lay unconscious behind it. Its face had remained just as expressionless as when Who first laid eyes on it, yet it had stopped communicating with him once the battle swung in his favor. A sick grin formed on Who’s face. He now struck fear into this creature.

“If you think this is the end…” the creature, though completely monotone, spoke somberly. “You are a fool.”

*****

Cyber Godzilla emerged from the fiery smoke in which it had been concealed. The devices grafted to its spines began to glow once more. A barrage of missiles came forth, unleashing the remainder of its artillery on the seemingly unsuspecting opponent. Who’s eyes widened, as it realized what the aliens were doing. He quickly commanded his mechanical ape to fall to the ground. The missiles rocketed past the prone counterfeit Kong. Now, there was only one thing in the missiles’ path.

The Leviathan ship.

One after another, the missiles exploded on impact. The ship became enveloped in flame, as it fell to the ground. Who could hear the aliens wail in anguish as their bodies were immolated. He felt no pity. He felt only ecstasy. The ship erupted into a huge fireball, even dwarfing the ninety meter titans on this battlefield. As the flames subsided, the only thing left of this once proud airship was a dark black husk.

The eyes of the cyborg faded from the sickly green to bright orange. It stepped back, confused, whipping its head around. It did not know where it was. The last thing this creature truly remembered was being caught in the cabling of a suspension bridge, pelted on all sides by missiles. Now, it was surrounded on all sides by ice and snow, struggling to get its bearings.

Who laughed to himself. Despite reducing the ship to ash, he could still harvest the technology from their pet. The doctor cracked his knuckles, cocked his head to one side, and input the command for his creation to attack. Mechani-Kong slugged the unsuspecting Cyber Godzilla right in the jaw, before unleashing a fury of blows on its chest. The robotic ape took a single step forward and delivered a savage headbutt directly into the creature’s skull, causing it to yelp in pain. The cyborg reared back to attempt to hit its opponent in retaliation, but the counterfeit Kong turned on its high beams. Cyber Godzilla moved its arms to shield its face from the bright light, giving Mechani-Kong the opportunity to deliver an additional punch. The mechanized reptile collapsed to the ground.

The robot Kong stood above the limp body of its enemy. It reached down, placing its large hands into the mouth of Cyber Godzilla, and started attempting to pry the mouth apart. The cyborg tried to fight back, but found itself far too weak to fight against the much more powerful mech. As its mouth began to open to a far more unnatural size, a white foam bubbled up from the back of Cyber Godzilla’s throat. The monster would soon meet its end.

Suddenly, the cyborg’s eyes turned a bright blue, as a bright light flashed across its spines. A burst of blue atomic fire shot from its gullet, directly impacting the face of the counterfeit Kong. Who’s creation fell backward, while the doctor himself sat in disbelief. He leaned forward, closely observing the movements of Cyber Godzilla as it returned to its feet.

“Incredible…” he muttered under his breath.

Cyber Godzilla’s spikes started glowing once more, before he unleashed his atomic breath on its opponent. Who tried everything to get his creation to return to an upright position, but the assault proved to be too much for it. Though Cyber Godzilla lost the ability to use its cybernetic enhancements, its own latent abilities proved to be more enough for the Kong of Steel. The cyborg reared its head back, as its eyes glowed bright blue. When it brought its head back down, it aimed directly at the ice below Mechani-Kong. As the atomic fire made impact with terrain, it shattered, sending all eighty-four thousand pounds of Who’s greatest invention down into a watery abyss.

The cyborg approached the ice, and watched its opponent fade out of view. As the mechanical behemoth faded from view, Cyber Godzilla lifted its head back, and roared triumphantly. Lowering its head, it inhaled deeply. Though it won its battle, the victory was hollow. The creature could not remember how or why it was there. It turned away from the battlezone, following its instinct to whatever could resemble its home now. The monster required answers, but it would not find them here.

*****

Who’s control room sat in complete silence, all members of his staff in complete shock at what had just occurred. “Get out,” the doctor demanded, his voice stern, yet emotionless. Without a word of protest, everyone filed out of the room as quickly as possible, leaving Who alone with his thoughts. Rage consumed him as he took stock of the situation. While it would be quite the undertaking to rebuild Mechani-Kong, he knew it would be resolved in due time. No, what angered him was the fact that he had been humiliated once more. First, a primate and now, a reptile. Would these injustices know no end? Who slammed his fist down on the console, as he made a promise to himself.

That creature would be his.

Winner: Cyber Godzilla