Author: Vincent Rodger & Alex Williams | Banner: Tyler Trieschock

Table of Contents
Prologue: The Message
Chapter 1: Our New Reality
Chapter 2: I Always Come Back, Don’t I?
Chapter 3: The Sentinel
Chapter 4: The Assassination Decent
Chapter 5: Arrival
Chapter 6: All That is Left
Chapter 7: Touching Down
Chapter 8: Remnants of the Past
Chapter 9: Interception
Chapter 10: Old Friends
Chapter 11: Storming The Castle
Chapter 12: A Good Day to Die
Chapter 13: Emergence
Chapter 14: Against All Odds
Chapter 15: Rescue

Prologue: The Message

Blood ran down a man’s chest, his hand pressing onto the wound in an attempt to cause the flow of plasma to slow down. The man sprinted through the halls of his workplace. The groans of his coworkers grew louder as they began to climb out of the shadows, anxiety running through the older man as he raised his free hand, holding a pistol as he began to pick up speed towards a door.

The man quickly opened the door with his bloody hand, the ichor covering the door handle as he turned it before entering the room and then proceeding to quickly take in his surroundings, spotting a radio in the middle of the room on a desk.

“I don’t have… much time.” Blood dripped down his lips as breathing began to become a chore, each breath feeling as if his lungs were burning from the inside. The man quickly locked the door behind him before grabbing a nearby shelf and shoving it in front of the entrance of the room, sweat running down his brow as he began to walk towards the radio.

He turned on the device before talking into the mic. “Hello? Can anyone hear me? If anyone can hear me please respond.” The man was only answered by static, not a single response being heard. “I repeat if you can hear me please respond.”

Seconds turned into minutes as all that returned to him was more static, tears flowing from his eyes as he gritted his teeth.

“Goddammit!” The man screamed before slamming his fist into the desk, the groans from outside of the room returning once more as they heard him in the room. His eyes widening as he realized what was going to occur, reaching into his pocket and grabbing a flask before taking a swig of bourbon. The burn of the alcohol reminded him of simpler times before placing the flask on the desk and once again grabbing the radio’s microphone.

“My name is Steve Martin of United World News. If you are listening to this, it means that you have survived the first week of ZQN infection. We do not know how this plague has started but we do know that the dead have risen from their graves and begun to devour the living. Today, I sit alone in this station, attempting to radio to anyone that can hear me… even if one voice hears this, I can die knowing that this message has reached someone. Survive at all costs.”

The groans outside of the room had finally made it to the door, a body only seen by its shadow within the glass panel of the wooden door as the body began slamming into it.

“They can be killed by a good shot to the head with a gun, but it requires complete destruction of the brain to fully put these abominations down. I know things are dire, but I urge those that have survived to keep hope alive, as long as you all stay strong humanity can overcome this plague.”

The window within the door’s frame smashed open, revealing a hideous form of rotting flesh that once resembled a man attempt to claw for him as it laid its eyes upon him, drool and blood leaving its maw as the animalistic corpse swiped to reach a man it simply could not.

“It is reported that metahumans and civilians alike are among the infected, at all costs stay away from the major populated areas. For when there is no room in Hell, the dead will walk the Earth. This is Steve Martin, signing off for the last time.”

The shelf that held his safety began to budge as more of the monsters came to the door, slamming the entrance as hard as they could as they swarmed the area. He was trapped, cornered like a rat in a sewer. Steve placed his gun and flask onto the desk before pulling out a bloody photo from his coat pocket, tears swelling as he laid eyes upon a much better memory.

“I guess I’ll see you soon Serizawa… Emiko… Ogata.”

The man held onto the photo as he reached down to the flask one last time and chugged the rest of his drink before throwing it at the door, managing to hit one of the growling infected on the head before turning his attention towards his pistol. Reaching it with his bloody hand and wrapping his fingers around the metal, a sense of weight finally being added to it, the older man shook as he raised the firearm to his temple.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this…”

The man closed his eyes and with a firm grip, pulled the trigger, a flash being seen from the window outside as he dropped to the ground in an instant. Blood flowed from the corpse as the door finally came down, the shelf shattering into pieces along with the door.

This was it. The end of the world.

 

Chapter 1: Our New Reality

28 Months Later, Okinawa

Half of the world was dead.

Humanity as we know it, will never be the same.

Russia, China, the United Kingdom, Germany, and so many others in the European and Asian landscapes fell in a matter of days. Other countries were fortunate enough to survive long enough for a countermeasure to be enacted against the army of the dead. However, the majority of those that did survive were greeted with several different fates.

The highly populated areas of the United States collapsed, but those who stayed in the mountains or in the vast, open valleys were spared from the infection. Though they formed their own governments to keep order, some were benevolent, others became dictatorships, exterminating all those who opposed them.

Italy, one of the few countries in Europe to escape the pandemic unscathed, became a haven for all metahumans. A place protected and governed by them to ensure humanity would always survive no matter what. Metahuman was the next step and it would not be the last, for they will embrace the next step they will have to take to advance.

To them, evolution is key.

The Titans, or kaiju, as some would dub them, had all played their part in this world changing event.

The survivors all agreed that had monsters never existed, humanity would have gone extinct, transformed into the endless undead horde roaming the barren planet to sate their hunger. The same monsters everyone feared for sixty years were the ones who gave them a fighting chance. Thus, allowing the plan to retake the planet to go into effect.

The once legendary King of Skull Island: Kong, had played an instrumental part in ushering in several refugees in his new home down below the surface. A place where the infected couldn’t dream of following them, but a place where science could continue to thrive amongst the most brilliant minds imaginable.

Biollante, despite her previous rage, ushered in her newfound humanity, allowing anyone to meet her gaze to be granted safe haven in her very birthplace: Lake Ashido. A home everyone had dubbed “Eden,” a place of not only comfort, but now the biggest supplier of crops for the recovering population.

Nabu Island, a settlement that survived by pure anonymity. An island far, far removed from any other country, a place to start a new life without anyone looking for you. Despite its concealed nature, those that are more well informed through connections or even bribes have theorized its endgame should things go south. An island of a couple thousand to restart humanity, turning it into the only planet they’ll ever know.

Far in the North Pacific sat an island with ancient divine guardians, benevolent gods that welcomed refugees across the planet. While the race of Mothra spread far among the settlements, it was the alpha among her race that protected her ancestral home along with her offspring, her bitter half, and a beast that seeked redemption for failing his people. It mattered not where a person was from or their status, the Mothra welcomed all seeking peace to Infant Island.

Other settlements around the world remained strong during the war with the infected, but none were as prominent as their primary staging ground: Okinawa.

They didn’t have the heavy hitters to turn their treasured city into a fortress like the lord of Monster Island: Godzilla, or the Guardian of the Universe: Gamera, but they still had a formidable army to contend with any invading infected. King Caesar, the guardian of the Azumi royal family for over a thousand generations had now become the guardian of all seeking sanctuary in its treasured home, gigantic walls protecting all from the outside world.

It is where humanity and the Titans could begin taking their first steps in reclaiming their once beautiful planet.

***

“Well, what about Eren Jaeger?” Hange brought up, peering away from the stack of dossiers in her hand, smiling slightly at the thought of seeing a Titan devour zombies and vice versa. She nearly chuckled at seeing the infected continuously try to ravage the creature’s neverending healing body.

“A good head on his shoulders, but too hot headed for an operation like this,” Ibuki, the ZAT commander countered, keeping his eyes peeled on his own set of papers.

“And yet you championed for Hideki Go,” Keigo Takami, the Number One Hero known as Hawks, pointed out, gaining his fellow commander’s attention. The pro hero then raised an eyebrow, gaining a frown from the tired, middle aged man. “They’re pretty much the same. Both can turn giant, are raising a kid that isn’t theirs, and will likely bite your head off if you take even one little nibble from their rations.”

“Point withdrawn,” Ibuki mouthed, peering down towards his stack of dossiers once more. “So, since we have two angry shapeshifting giants for the team down, I recommend we put down someone who can not only follow orders but keep the others in line.”

“Cementoss? He’d be the ideal candidate,” Rumi Usagiyama, the Number Two Hero, relayed, keeping her eyes peeled. “Good at keepings on track and one of the few people we have that can’t be compromised.”

“Negative. We need him here to fortify our defenses,” the former commander of MAT conveyed, pinching the bridge of his nose. He longed for the days when it was him and his team just fighting against a kaiju once a week, but ever since the apocalypse came knocking, his whole profession changed. The Monster Attack Team became the Zombie Attack Team, forced to deploy to the neighboring islands to slowly reclaim the land that was lost to them. And even worse, was being made one of the members of the military council for the Alliance. It was taking a toll on him, both physically and mentally, already just by glancing at the bunny girl across the table from it, it was not going to be an easy discussion.

Mirko rolled her eyes. “Considering Captain Muramatsu is stationed at the Hollow Earth right now, we need to be in unison on who we send for this mission.” She paused, trying to compose herself, however, the metahuman had venom filling up in her voice. “So, kindly explain to me who you think would be ideal for the assignment.”

“Jet Jaguar,” Ibuki plainly answered.

“Ibuki’s robot? The funny robot who communicates with just a thumbs up and strange noises only the inventor could understand,” Hawks chuckled, playfully smiling at the older councilmember.

“Are you kidding me?” groaned Mirko, closing her eyes at the old man’s idiotic suggestion.

“Far from it,” the ZAT commander responded. “Like Cementoss, he’s one of the few agents who can’t be compromised, a capable warrior as proven during the Seatopian and Nebulon invasion, and like the other two soldiers, possesses the ability to grow. Allowing all three of them to carve an easy path towards their objective.”

“Ibuki does bring a good point,” Hange chimed in, turning her focus on the frowning Mirko. She admired the robot for its abilities and personality. He was someone she had taken quite the liking to in recent times, despite requiring him to write to communicate with her. One of the few people she could truly connect with lately.

She breathed out a sigh, feeling herself at a loss since that fateful day. Not when the apocalypse began, but the day she lost. Lost someone very important to her. The Survey Corp Commander shook her head, taking her mind away from that person and towards a goal she had in sight.

“I need to brush up on my sign language.”

“In the off chance there’s more to this mission than we originally thought, there might be data to recover. Something our robotic friend could store easily and evacuate should things take a turn for the worse,” Hange conveyed, waving her arms around, becoming giddy at the thought of recovering anything that could technically benefit them.

Yet, the thought of that person missing persisted.

She subtly shook her head as that smile went away.

“I’ll ask Connie and Jean for a bottle from their not so secret stash.”

“Very well, the funny robot can join,” Hawks chuckled, leaning back in his chair while he put his hands behind his head. The Number One Hero planted his feet on the table as Ibuki frowned at his fellow councilman’s behavior. The hero simply shrugged his shoulders “Eh, it’s a new world. Might as well make myself comfortable.”

“Um….. moving along….” Hange interjected before yet another argument could start. She turned over to Rumi Usagiyama, noticing her ever present frown. She heard of her behavior, how much more upbeat she was before all of this happened. It was almost as if she was looking in the mirror aside from the bunny ears. Still, she got the impression none of her suggestions were being taken into consideration.

“Rumi, is there someone else you had in mind for this operation? Maybe not someone who can grow, but someone who possesses a different ability or talent?”

“Hmm… so someone does want my input after all,” spoke Mirko, leaning forward in her chair. “The way I see it is, the three candidates that were chosen so far conserve a lot of energy and can only cast their abilities for a short amount of time. So, it’s best if we have someone who can act as support, supply them with whatever they need otherwise they won’t get very far.”

“Oh? And who might be the lucky contestant?” Hawks inquired, shooting his fellow pro hero a smirk.

“The only documented survivor of Class 1-A, Momo Yayorozu,” the Number Two Hero answered, flipping over her dossier onto the table for the rest of the council to observe.

“Hmmm…… sending a child out to the heart of the infection is not something I’m fond of,” Ibuki murmured, nearly shivering at the thought, especially at the thought of his own daughter getting drafted in an expedition.

Mirko rolled her eyes at the ZAT commander disagreeing with her choice yet again. “She’s not a child, it’s been two years since she enrolled at U.A. We’d be sending a grown adult who, by the way, will be given a choice. So, who knows, you may get it your way after all.”

“As cruel as it sounds, her abilities are what’s needed for the others to be able to push through,” Hange pointed out, taking a look at Creati’s file.

“If she’s committed, then I don’t see the problem in it,” added Hawks, now tipping backwards in his chair.

Ibuki lowered his head and groaned.

“Why has it come to this?”

“Only if she agrees. If she doesn’t, then do not push her,” Ibuki demanded, keeping his eyes firmly on the person who suggested sending the girl into a warzone.

“Of course,” huffed Mirko.

“All right!” Hawks slammed his chair down and floated upwards from his chair, gently setting his feet down on the chair. “Send them in!”

***

Eren placed his back against the metallic wall just outside of the briefing room. He was the first to arrive of the squad summoned, bolting as fast as he could when Sasha came to deliver the news to him. Recruit or Captain, he was always eager to do his duty, to save lives and kill all that threatened the peace.

Yet, he felt empty.

The Titan Shifter closed his eyes, rationalizing to himself it’ll probably be one of the few moments of any rest he’ll get for the near future. Still, his hand couldn’t help itself as it lifted itself upwards and began playing with something wrapped around his neck.

He slowly opened his eyes to see a portion of the red scarf in his hand.

The Captain of the Survey Corp sighed, staring deeper into the article of clothing.

He grieved for two years, and it wasn’t enough, even if no more tears could be shed.

“Nice scarf,” a voice called out, forcing Eren to snap out of his misery and to look up at the ZAT Captain decked out in his orange uniform, smiling at him.

“Hideki Go,” Eren murmured, offering his hand out towards him. Had he been a few years younger, he’d assume the Ultra host was mocking him, but his growing maturity told him Go was likely unaware what happened to him.

“Eren Jaeger, a pleasure,” Go spoke, taking the Titan Shifter’s hand and shaking it, still keeping a smile plastered on his face.

“I suppose you don’t have any idea why they’re calling us here?” inquired Eren, relinquishing his grasp on Hideki’s hand.

Before Go could answer, both of them heard a loud noise erupting right next to them. Hideki nearly jumped from the startling noise while Eren slowly turned to find the culprit to be none other than Jet Jaguar himself.

Jet Jaguar simply shrugged his shoulders.

“You think you can tap my shoulder instead or lower your voice, because Christ almighty, that was loud,” Hideki asked, rubbing his ear from the loud noise.

Jet Jaguar beeped once more while shooting him a thumbs up, forcing Go to continue covering his ears.

“Here,” a polite, calming voice said, causing Hideki to turn around to find a girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail standing before him while pink and blue energy brewed in her palm. The energy soon dissipated, being replaced by two small beige earplugs.

“Thanks,” Hideki smiled, taking the plugs from her hand. “I appreciate that.”

“Miss Yaoyorozu, I presume?” Eren asked, eyeing her choice of clothing. It was certainly perplexing to him, even disgusted at why a young girl like herself would be wearing nothing more than what appeared to be a red swimsuit. She didn’t appear to be a soldier and even if she was, he was gonna share some words with leadership and their inability to properly outfit their new recruits.

“Ye…. yes, Captain,” Momo stammered out, bowing before him, as Eren’s eyes widened in shock.

“There’s… no need for that. I don’t really feel comfortable with that,” Eren nearly choked out, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Of course,” murmured Momo, lifting herself back up.

“I take it you’re not fond of the title?” inquired Hideki, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s taking some getting used to,” replied Eren, turning around towards the door leading to the war room. “Come on, we shouldn’t keep the brass waiting.”

The Captain of the Survey Corp opened the door, holding it open for his fellow companions as they all walked in to find the military council waiting for them. Eren, without a moment of hesitation, slammed his hand in front of his heart and the other behind his back upon seeing Hange.

“Commander, what are your orders?”

Hange chuckled at her newly appointed Captain’s dedication. “I appreciate the enthusiasm, but there’s no need for that.”

“Eh…. right…. Of course, ma’am,” apologized Eren, allowing his arms to drop, standing his as he awaited for the debriefing.

Go, watching the display before him, placed his hand over his mouth, nearly cackling at the Titan Shifter’s behavior. The Ultra Host nudged Jet Jaguar, gaining the robot’s attention, “Now I see where he gets it from.”

Ibuki’s creation simply nodded, acknowledging what Hideki was getting at.

“Your orders, Captain Jaeger, are an extraction for some people hoping for a meal ticket,” Hawks interjected, stepping next to Hange.

“Sounds simple enough; been on quite a few of those,” Eren replied, flicking his ear.

“That’s… not gonna be simple,” interjected Hange, concern washing over her face as Eren tilted his head slightly at what could frighten his energetic leader.

“What do you mean?” Hideki asked, stepping up. “It shouldn’t be too bad, right?”

“Hideki,” Ibuki breathed, pausing as he looked down on the ground, dreading having to look into the eyes of someone he viewed as a son and giving him a mission that could very well lead to his death. “The operation is in Tokyo.”

“Tokyo!?” Momo cried out in horror, knowing full well the fate that awaited them there, forcing her to slowly tremble backwards. Even then, her legs could only do so much as they began to buckle down.

Jet Jaguar snapped towards her and stepped right behind, placing his hands onto her shoulders, preventing her from collapsing. Momo took a moment to compose herself as she glanced back at the robot supporting her. She nodded in appreciation while Jet did the same.

Ibuki sent Mirko a glare at the display before them, as the Number Two Hero rolled her eyes.

“Some of these people are ordinary citizens, but a few in this group are vital as they could be the key in providing that extra push we need,” Hawks relayed, lifting his hands up. “At least that’s what this Aki Sakata said over the transmission we just received.”

At the sound of the girl’s name being mentioned, Hideki’s jaw dropped to the floor, his stomach filled with butterflies.

“Aki…. she’s alive?”

“Commander,” Hideki spoke, turning to Ibuki, his mouth quivering. “Is this true?”

Ibuki nodded. “It’s her alright.”

“Then…. Then…..” Hideki stepped forward, his heart racing rapidly, sweat starting to race down his body. “I’m taking part in this operation.”

“Excellent,” smiled Ibuki, patting him on the shoulder. “If anyone can bring her and others home, it’d be you.”

“Commander Hange, did this Aki mention who any of these vital civilians are?” inquired Eren.

“She did not, as the transmission cut out shortly,” answered Hange.

Eren rubbed his chin with his hand as he glanced over at Hideki bouncing with anticipation to save the girl who he only assumed meant a lot to him. The Captain of the Survey Corp didn’t need any convincing to join the suicide mission, however, seeing the fellow Captain at having a chance at saving someone he loved filled him with the much needed determination to partake in the assault.

“I refuse to let another person go through what I went through.”

“You can count on me, Commander,” Eren announced as Jet Jaguar followed suit giving them military council a thumbs up.

The council turned towards the young girl, who was now fiddling with her hands together. She heard the horror stories of what went on in Tokyo, how nearly everyone either died horribly or became a monstrosity. The young hero never wanted to experience that, however, a thought brewed inside her mind.

One of hope.

One possibility of even finding one of her classmates, her friends.

She never received any official confirmation on them being deceased, but reports have indicated their survivability was very unlikely.

Momo gulped nervously as she stepped forward, away from Jet Jaguar’s hold on her. “I…. will join. Just tell me what to do.”

Ibuki raised an eyebrow at her, glancing over at the scared girl, feeling absolutely mortified at her decision to partake in this very deadly mission. He stepped forward and mouthed out softly, “You sure?”

“I am, sir. If there’s any hope of finding my friends, then I have to take it,” answered Momo, her voice no longer shaking, but more of determination.

“Then, it’s settled,” Hawks declared, walking towards them. “The four of you will leave tomorrow morning on the Super X2. I recommend all of you get your affairs in order.”

 

Chapter 2: I Always Come Back, Don’t I?

Eren placed his hands above his mouth while his elbows rested on the dining room table. Papers were spread all over, ranging from roster stats, assignments, patrols and even dossiers on his team for tomorrow.

The Captain sighed.

As a kid, or even a few years ago, he would have dreaded the thought of doing this. Spending countless hours dedicating his time to the Survey Corp, making sure it’s a well running, oiled machine. It was something he had to do, to ensure what happened to him never happened to anyone ever again.

His friends, Sasha, Jean, and Connie, did help him from completely changing. Always egging him on to join them for their nightly activities despite him threatening to pull rank, but they saw through the ruse. The days at the arcade, drinks on the roof, or singing together in the karaoke bar.

“Eren,” a soft, warm voice called out, taking him away from his thoughts, allowing him to drop his hands onto the table.

It allowed him to meet her.

The Titan Shifter turned to meet a woman with her black haired tied up in a ponytail, smiling at him while she held a cup of coffee. Eren smiled back at her, raising his hand against her waist, allowing him to feel the red and black flannel shirt.

The woman chuckled. “Eren, we’ve been over this. No work at the table.”

“Right, right…” Eren spoke quietly, turning his attention away from her momentarily as he swept all of his documents into a stack, setting them on his lap. “Just… um…. Busy day and for the next few days as well.”

She raised an eyebrow, setting the cup of coffee on the table. “You look tired.”

He cracked a smile, taking a sip from the coffee. Eren nearly jerked back from the heat of the liquid, however, his healing factor counteracted it. “That’s a bit of an understatement.”

“Talk to me,” she whispered, pulling the nearby chair out from the table and sitting next to him.

“Hiana, it’s….. I’ve been ordered to go back to Tokyo,” Eren spoke, pausing as she saw the fear in his eyes, the mere mention of that city made him physically ill.

Hiana closed her eyes momentarily, before wrapping him up in a hug, pulling him closer to her. They sat there for a few minutes with Eren allowing himself to be fully embraced by his partner, slowly lifting his arms to wrap themselves around her.

“Did they at least give you a choice?” inquired Hiana, slowly rubbing his back, resting her head on his shoulder.

“They did, but….” Eren answered, pausing knowing full well Hiana would have some words for him. She pulled away and frowned at him, almost crossing her arms as he kept his still tired look. “I understand why you’d be angry, but it’s something I have to do…. to do for someone, at least.”

Hiana rolled her eyes and was about to open her mouth in protest about Eren’s decision to embark on a suicide mission, but was interrupted by a joyful cry of “Daddy!”

Eren nearly jumped out of his seat to see a little girl, no older than six years, running towards him. His mood was enhanced slightly, with a small smile creeping up on his face as he lifted her up onto his lap.

“How was your day, Riko?” asked Eren, putting a hand behind her back, ensuring she didn’t fall from his lap.

“It was great! We colored, had a full on pirate adventure and played chef for a little!” Riko exclaimed, eliciting a chuckle from the Titan Shifter.

Despite only knowing her for a year, Eren loved the little girl, even recalling his first date with Hiana involving the three of them due to there being no sitter available. Yet, a small chill went down his back, unsure about being called “Dad.”

He loved both Hiana and Riko dearly, but wasn’t sure if he could fully commit to that life, especially when anything could happen at any point in this screwed up world.

“Sounds like you had an exciting day today,” Eren laughed out, rubbing her long black hair.

“Was your day exciting, dad?” the child asked, smiling at him brightly.

Eren let out a small sigh. “Not as exciting as yours. A lot less coloring.”

“Hmph,” Riko pouted, folding her arms together, almost mirroring her mother’s. “Being an adult sounds boring.”

Eren chuckled while Hiana momentarily cracked a smile. “You said it.”

“But… tomorrow is going to be an adventure for me,” Eren pointed out, glancing back at Hiana.

“Are you gonna be a pirate?” she asked, as Eren looked in her eyes, swearing he could have seen sparkles in them from the excitement.

Eren lightly snorted, deciding to humor her. “Oh yeah, I’m building up a crew with our own pirate ship to collect some booty!”

Hiana raised an eyebrow at her partner’s choice of words. “And what is this type of booty you’re trying to collect?”

The Captain of Survey Corp gulped at her question, realizing the grave error he just committed as Riko kept her grin, excited to hear the valuables he was intending to grab. “Oh, well, supplies, some gold, and maybe something for this kid named Riko.”

“Ooh! What are you going to get me?” Riko nearly hollered out, slightly bouncing on his leg.

“I… can’t tell you that, it’ll ruin the surprise,” Eren laughed out before simmering down.

“What about you, dad? Is there anything you want from that adventure?” the child followed up, giving Eren pause as he sat in silence for a moment, thinking.

He let out a deep breath, remembering the reason why he didn’t balk at the duty presented unto him. Not to get revenge, not for glory, or not even because he felt like he owed the remnants of the government for giving him his abilities.

Eren turned his attention towards Hiana, to make sure she knew why he had to do this, without it devolving into an argument between them in front of Riko. “I’m helping a friend find his family.”

He didn’t know much about Hideko Go, but from reading his dossier, Aki Sakata was his fiance and that her brother was currently under his custody. And if he could prevent him from experiencing the same pain he went through, then it’d be worth it.

He then decided to bring the mood back up by declaring, “Besides, I don’t need booty. I have what I consider the perfect booty around me!”

Hiana’s face turned bright red in embarrassment, but at the same time she bit down on her lip, squinting her eyes at her partner slightly. Eren responded with a wink as Riko tugged on his brown jacket.

“And what booty is that?”

“Well, it’s only something you can understand when you’re an adult,” Eren nearly stammered out, not wanting to give his step-daughter the birds and bees talk before going on a dangerous journey.

“Hmph. Adulting sure sucks.”

“Most of it does,” Hiana interjected, smiling at Eren once more as he returned the gesture.
Eren, on the other hand, after talking with the two of them, said that work could wait until tomorrow. He wanted to enjoy the night, setting Riko down on the ground as he got up to his feet.

He clasped his hands together. “Say, why don’t we make some ramen for tonight.”

“Ramen!” Riko joyfully blurted out, bolting towards the kitchen to gather the pots and pans needed as Hiana pulled herself up from the chair.

She slowly walked over to him as Eren couldn’t help but start grinning like an idiot, knowing full well what she was gonna suggest. “After dinner, you and I are….”

“Dinner? I thought you were gonna say now?” Eren asked, embracing her by placing his hands on her sides. “You’re so unfair.”

“Only because you said booty,” Hiana whispered into her partner’s ear, following it up with a kiss on the lips. She turned to head towards the kitchen to help prepare the food, “Especially since you said it in front of Riko.”

Eren hung his head down slightly, muttering, “Damn…”

***

“Ow! Hideki nearly barked out, grabbing the two hot plates of food from the food truck, racing over towards the table where Jiro awaited. “Ow. Ow. Ow.”

The ZAT member placed the food on the table, taking a seat at the round table across from Jiro. Before Hideki could even wrap his hands around the frosty drink to cool his hands, he watched as the child took a bite out of his cheeseburger, as red hot sauce oozed out of it.

Hideki snickered, watching in amazement at how the boy could tolerate it. His crustacean sandwich still packed a punch, but nowhere near on the level of what Jiro got. The boy looked up from his meal and up towards his guardian.

“How’s the Ebirah on the Crust?” asked Jiro, before taking another bite from his burger.

“Not too bad actually, could use a bit more garlic,” Hideki answered, setting his meal down to wrap his hands around the frigid drink once more. “I see you’re enjoying the Explosive Varan.”

“It’s so good!” Jiro exclaimed as best as he could with food still in his mouth, trying to swallow it so he could take another bite. Before he could continue, Jiro started coughing as Hideki’s eyes widened in shock. The Ultra host nearly jumped out of his seat to help, assuming he was choking only for the boy to reach for his drink. It was then Hideki realized Jiro’s face was turning bright red as he immediately hollered out with laughter, watching him gulp down his beverage.

“The burger does live up to its name!” Hideki shouted joyfully, immediately placing his hands back on the freezing drink.

Jiro followed suit, slamming his hand down in a vain attempt to combat the spiciness of the burger. “Least…. I’m not sensitive to anything that’s slightly hot!”

“Uh-huh,” Hideki murmured, watching Jiro gulp down another drink. “We’ll see about that, Varan.”

It took a few more minutes for Jiro to calm himself down between getting a couple more refills and dipping his fries into some cool ranch, before he could speak again. “You think Aki would like this place? Fishdog food shack.”

“She’d love it until you take another bite of that burger, and then she’ll be nagging at both of us nonstop,” Hideki responded, grinning as he remembered all of the times they went out together.

Jiro cracked a smile.

“You really heard Aki’s voice over the radio?”

Hideki smiled back at him. “I did.”

A part of him had his doubts that she may not be alive for much longer after recording it. “The Scourge,” as some people called the infection, devoured everything in sight in just a matter of minutes. They were fortunate enough to be isolated from the main area, but always knew if even one infected got into Okinawa, all would be lost. Still, he had to keep hope up for Jiro and for himself.

Then, a voice only he heard came to him.

“If anyone could survive this, it’s Aki. Never doubt that.”

Hideki turned to the side to see Jack sitting at the table with them, giving him a thumbs up and a smile of encouragement. The Ultra host nodded towards him and turned back to Jiro.

“She’s doing okay and making sure everyone else is doing alright as well.”

Jiro shook his head and turned towards the empty spot at the table as Hideki realized he was turning his attention towards the invisible Jack. “Make sure you bring them home, okay. It’s your duty as Ultraman to protect the people.”

He couldn’t see it but the Ultra sitting with them smiled. The three of them were the most important people in his life, and he would never let any harm come to them. They gave him purpose once more in his life and he would never forsake that.

“I will ensure they return no matter the cost,” Jack softly declared as Hideki nodded in appreciation before turning back to the boy.

“Jack has promised and besides, it won’t be all that bad,” Hideki paused, taking his hands off his drink and turning his attention towards his food. “I’ve asked Sasha to watch over you while I’m gone.”

Jiro’s eyes widened in excitement, morphing his hands into fists. “I’m eating good tomorrow!”

***

A loud digital beep was all it needed to snap his attention away from the schematics he was drafting up. The tired inventor sheepishly turned his head towards his son, Jet Jaguar. The robot held a tray out in front of him with steak and biscuits with gravy poured all over it.

“Jeez…. what time is it?” Goro murmured, rubbing his eyes before taking the tray from his creation and setting it down on the side table.

Jet Jaguar made another noise, indicating the time as he raised his arms up, clasping his hands together, almost looking as if he was getting ready to dive.

“Midnight!” Ibuki exclaimed, bringing a tiny bit of life into his eye, immediately stabbing his utensils into the beef. The inventor cut through it and shoved the steak into his mouth, chewing away as Jet simply watched.

The size-changing robot made a quieter noise, eliciting a response from Goro as he slowly looked up.

“I know, I know. Chew slower. The work will get done as always,” the inventor rambled, grabbing one of the biscuits and taking a bite out of it as gravy poured down his chin.

Jet Jaguar took a step forward and grabbed a napkin, wiping the food off his chin as the inventor then pulled back. “Jet, Jet! I can handle it.”

The robot simply tilted his head to the head slightly, knowing full well his father was lying.

Goro glanced upwards, noticing his son’s expression of disbelief. Just about anyone else would just see Jet as smiling the whole time, but no one else spent as much time with him as he did to know his gestures.

The inventor rubbed his hand over his face. “Look. As I said before, I’m not fine and I doubt I will be for the longest time.”

Tears couldn’t even be shed.

He spent nearly the past two years doing that with Jet, a child he placed too much responsibility onto, to pick up the pieces. Learning how to cook, clean and to perform even the most basic of duties around the house they lived in. While the only thing Goro did was focus on his job developing schematics for whatever the government needed from him.

Jet Jaguar took another step forward and snagged the tray away from his creator, setting it down on the table. He lifted his father off from the chair and gave him a hug, trying his best to comfort him. He didn’t fully comprehend human behavior, but from all of the shows he watched from the local theater, he was gaining a decent grasp out of it. Knowing a simple hug is all that is needed.

Goro returned the gesture and wrapped his arms around his son. “Just be safe, my son.” He let go of him and looked at the empty sockets of Jet’s face. “I can’t lose you like I did with Rokuro and Hiroshi.”

Jet Jaguar nodded his head and gave him one of his patented thumbs up.

***

Momo knocked on the door of one of the apartments in the complex. She put her hands together, placing them in front of her body, already feeling nervous towards the person she was about to talk to. The former U.A. student had already conversed with her parents, telling them how she needed to do this, to do her part in all of this after spending the last few years helpless. They begged her not to go, but she stood firm in her decision. She enjoyed her meal and the quality time she spent with them last night, but now, the hour was nearly upon her.

It was almost time to report for duty, however, she wanted to make one last stop for a friend. To say something on the off chance she wouldn’t return. Momo took another deep breath in when the door to the apartment slowly opened up.

The girl smiled softly at the occupant, revealing her to be Inko Midoriya, her former classmate’s mom. Momo saw a smile plastered on the older woman’s face, however, she knew better than to believe what most people saw. She saw the guilt and the depression behind it all. Knowing full well she blamed herself for not doing more to keep herself with her son at all costs.

“Hiya Momo,” Inko greeted, ushering in an invitation inside her as Momo simply bowed her head and stepped inside. “What brings you here today?”

The two struck up a friendship after the world fell apart, one of the few people Momo could talk to that was some sort of remnant of her past. They got together when they could to exchange stories about her adventures in U.A. with Izuku and the others while Inko did the same when he was a child.

“I can’t stay long, but I wanted to tell you I accepted a mission to venture outside of Okinawa, to help bring some people home,” explained Momo, twiddling her fingers together, feeling incredibly nervous about the whole conversation. More so than the other with her own parents. She glanced up to see Inko barely keeping it together, knowing full well she could break at any second. It was only the lack of confirmation that prevented her from losing the will to live.

“You shouldn’t go out there, for a kid like yourself, it’s not safe,” Inko quietly commented, mirroring the younger girl’s behavior by rubbing her hands together.

Momo, from what both Izuku and the way she acted knew Inko would normally protest and start sending out waves of tears, but like so many other people, there was no life in her.

“I know,” Momo paused, taking another deep breath in. “But there’s a chance, that….”

“Izuku could be one of them,” Inko surmised, raising her head down slightly before turning towards a nearby drawer. She slowly pulled it open and grabbed a photo from it. Momo lifted up her eyebrow at what Inko was holding. “I think you should have this for when you’re out there.”

It was crumpled and the quality was faded, but enough was still there to make out what it contained. Momo issued out a smile and slowly reached for it, but her hand was shaking, taking another look at her friend’s mom.

“Don’t you want to keep it, though?”

“I have several pictures of my special boy, but this photo belongs to Class 1-A,” answered Inko, gently pushing the photo towards her friend.

Momo smiled back, accepting the image as she took a brief glance at it. It was taken during their first week as a class. Just about everyone wore a grin as bright as the sun, aside from Bakugo and Tokoyami.

“And if you see Izuku, bring him home and tell him ‘I love him very much!’” Inko nearly hollered out, a fraction of her old personality erupted out.

“I will bring them all home,” Momo declared, putting the photo neatly into her pocket.

***

“What a piece of junk!” Hideki declared as he stood in the hanger, observing the now seabound Super X2 docked just before him.

“It’s um…..” Eren tried to speak up in its defense, knowing full well he couldn’t act like he used to, being a highly vocal critic of everything that even mildly offended him. Yet, nothing could come up in his mind to offer it protection from his companion’s criticism. “Yeah, I got nothing. This sucks.”

Jet Jaguar didn’t offer any words or beeps in his case, as he walked past them, hauling their supplies onto the boat. Creati, on the other hand, tried to offer some encouraging thoughts. “At the very least, I can maybe conjure up some things that might make the ferry more tolerable.”

“Please!” Hideki nearly exclaimed.

Eren chuckled, before glancing back at Hiana and Riko who were a distance away, smiling at him. Hideki noticed the girls and nudged Eren, eliciting a head turn towards him.

“That your family?”

Eren formed a smile at his loved ones, but felt uncertainty in his stomach. “They are in a sense.”

“They look like a good bunch, keep them close,” Hideki commanded, patting him on the back.

“I will,” Eren replied, before glancing at the small boy next to Sasha. “I assume that’s Jiro?”

“Eeyup. You’re looking at the best kid around,” Hideki smugly declared, shooting his fist up in the air as Jiro mimicked him from a distance.

“Nah. I think Riko’s got him beat,” joked Eren, following it up with a snort.

“Well, you haven’t met Aki yet. She’ll definitely tell you why you’re wrong,” Hideki shot back, knowing how passionate Aki can be when she sets her mind towards something.

“I look forward to meeting her then,” Eren brought up.

“And I look forward to a nice three on three family contest when we get back,” Hideki almost hummed, thinking about the exciting adventures everyone was going to get into.

Eren turned towards his teammate. “Already treating me as a friend, huh?”

“Of course!” Hideki exclaimed, slapping Eren on the shoulder. “Might as well start now, we’ll be getting to know each other quite well on the boat ride and while we’re killing zombies.”

Eren cracked a smile. “Of course.”

“And don’t you worry, Mr. Go!” Sasha cried out from afar, gaining the attention of both hosts to see her putting her hands on Jiro’s shoulders. “I’ll take good care of little Jiro and make sure he gets the best food around!”

“Yeah, he’s definitely in good hands,” Eren chuckled.

“And same with Riko,” Hideki pointed out to Eren as they turned their attention to the Titan’s Shifter’s loved ones.

“She is,” Eren quietly surmised.

“Daddy! I love you!” Riko declared, her bubbly voice echoing all throughout the hanger as Eren waved her goodbye.

“You know, you should say it back to her,” Hideki pointed back out, grabbing his newfound friend’s arm, preventing him from embarking onto the ferry. “You might never get the chance again.”

“I think she knows,” Eren replied, trying to move past him, but his grip was stronger than he anticipated.

“Does she?” Hideki quietly snapped back, forcing Eren to roll his eyes.

Of course he cared about both her and Hiana. A lot, but a part of him was holding himself back. He wanted to, more than anyone could ever know, but what happened to him changed him forever. However, he decided to go through it, just to appease the Ultra Host and to actually say something to the child.

“Love you too!” Eren called out, before turning back and pushing past Hideki, heading directly towards the Super X2.

Hideki groaned, seeing a bit of him inside his fellow shifter, but knew arguing about it right now isn’t gonna solve anything. He waved a final goodbye to Jiro before boarding the ferry, as the hatch then closed.

The propellers spun, pushing the boat out of the hangar and into the open ocean where they made a course for their destination. To hell itself where they would meet their contact and be given further orders.

Nobody knew what horrors awaited them in Tokyo, but they would be sure to see through it to the end. No matter what.

 

Chapter 3: The Sentinel

Oak Harbor, Washington, The United States

Embers rose to the sky as flames covered the landscape, concrete turning into molten lava from the intense flames as the one responsible continued with the assault, ash covering the starry night sky as the flames began to build up.

Though most kaiju had simply minded their own business since the infection began to spread across the planet, others along with himself had always come to aid humanity, this war against the living dead was no different. This island was doomed the moment the ravenous hunger had taken a single human, their only means of escape completely destroyed to make sure no more would escape.

Putting these abominations, no, lost souls out of their misery was the least he could do. They did not ask for this, and deep within the guardian’s heart, he did not believe they deserved this fate either. Even if humanity was capable of terrible atrocities, there was still good within them.

The terrapin roared into the sky as plasma once again began to surround his maw, his eyes and tusks glowing a sun yellow as Mana coursed through him. The power of Earth’s very life force flowed through his veins before unleashing a gigantic ball of plasma at the approaching horde, managing to quickly wipe out a huge portion of the oncoming wave with a single action.

The gigantic turtle turned his gaze to his legs, seeing some of the infected attempting to rip into his flesh with their jaws and talons to no effect, simply breaking apart what remained of their rotting bodies with each attempt. The creation of Atlantis raised his left leg before stomping it into the ground, wiping out another portion of the infected.

These monsters were different from other hordes he had faced, they did not have the tools the Gyaos or Legion possessed to harm him at all.

This town would be the first of many on his journey to revive humanity to their former glory. Though he could not see or hear any survivors within the area, he knew deep down there had to be more of them, surely they would not be devoured by this disease.

Bump bump…

Gamera’s eyes opened wide as he turned his attention to the bay, staring past clouds and sea to properly “see” what he sensed.

Bump bump…

”No… no, not her. Anything but her.”

“Where are you, my guardian? Why have you abandoned me!?”

”No, I never meant to leave you…”

The guardian walked forward through the horde, not even paying attention to them as they still attempted to rip into his flesh, their cries becoming muted as the only thing he could hear was her voice.

“You left me to die alone, cold and forgotten. Have I not given everything!?”

”Please… I’m sorry.”

Gamera’s heart began to beat at a rapid pace as he felt her life signs drop rapidly, fear overtaking his mind within moments. He could hear her coughing blood, struggling to breathe, she was infected and he wasn’t there to stop it. He felt every moment of her pain, every nerve burning as her humanity was replaced with hate. All he wanted to do was reach out to her and help, to hold her in her time of need.

The world was being consumed, and yet how could he call himself a guardian if he couldn’t even save one girl?

“You were my last hope…”

Bump bump… bump bump…bum…

She was gone…

Tear ducts swelled as rage began to build, the terrapin closing his eyes while the water began to drip down his face before becoming steam as flames erupted from his maw. His eyes snapping open with blood boiling rage as he unleashed flames upon the horde, they were to blame!

The horde did not scream in pain as they were burned into ash, simply becoming nothing more than a memory in the wind, but this did not stop the guardian. He began to swipe at buildings above the horde, bricks crushing them under their weight as dust bloomed into the air.

The terrapin quickly reared his other arm back before swiping at the infected horde, swatting them into paste in an instant. Their blood and guts splattered before he raised his leg and slammed the limb into the horde multiple times. It didn’t matter how many would come, he would slaughter them all for distracting him from her safety, from taking what was most precious to him!

His claws began to glow yellow as Mana rushed through his finger tips, golden lightning dancing in between his fingers… Then as he prepared to fully charge the attack, a thought came to his mind.

He returned his gaze towards the bay, to where he sensed her. There was a chance to save her, a second chance.

His only chance.

If he used Mana correctly, concentrated and defined with purpose, he could cure her of this illness and perhaps redeem himself in her eyes… and his own.

Without a second thought, the ancient man-made goliath retreated into his shell, blues flames erupting as he began to quickly spin. Destroying the horde and buildings alike with a single swift action, the small town breaking at the seams as he executed his vengeance upon the infected.

But this was a waste of time. He needed to find her, he needed to fix this, he needed to fix her…

With that thought, the guardian took to the skies at full speed, heading towards where he last felt her presence. He would find a way to save her soul and if he couldn’t, then he would avenge her, and finally, burn this world to cinders.

 

Chapter 4: The Assassination Descent

Tokyo, Japan

High above the diseased metropolis sat a vessel hovering amongst the clouds, a silver vehicle designed to encounter kaiju targets during a crisis now being taken in by those that were vile in nature. The lights on the front of the weapon lined the top of skyscrapers, searching for a safe place to descend from the heavens, the Super X making for a valuable asset in these dire times.

In the front of the cockpit, two pilots manned the super weapon, the pair being as ruthless as the infected in a lot of ways. Losing what made them human as those they cared for were lost in the first days of the virus spreading like wildfire, the darkest moments in human history revealing the monsters that walk in plain sight. Whether they knew it or not, deep down they were the worst of humanity.

A young man with brown hair wore a unique armor among the crew, armor laying over a black uniform, protecting his most vital areas except for ironically his head. The armor being made with a special material created by the M-Organization years ago, Kazama was the last known remaining Mutant on the planet, his people being lost on the frontlines of the war against the undead. Even if little remained of the man he once was, one thing was solidified in stone on Z-Day, avenge those that were not strong enough to make it to this new world.

Beside him sat an older man, long black hair flowing behind his back, clearly not being cut or properly taken care of in days. A small beard covered his face with a cocky smile always hiding underneath. The uniform he wore once being one that aligned with the JSDF, a branch of military simply known as the Scout Regiment, at least the torn green cloak that covered his back and neck were. The clothing underneath being a white shirt stained with blood and mud across it, brown pants and dark brown boots covering his power half, the material on both being weathered down from the constant days of moving. Captain Shikishima of the new world order would be on the front lines to ensure his survival, no matter what the cost.

“Looks like we lost sight of them, not seeing anything. Prepare for landing as soon as we find somewhere a little more comfortable,” the Captain stated as he turned his head slightly to the four behind him, each member of this team bringing a vital role. The group all quickly began to inspect their weapons, counting the amount of ammunition they possessed.

Two in the middle of the vessel faced each other as they turned their chairs, one was an older man, a gray beard laying on his face. His uniform resembled that of a G-Force captain, a dark green covering the military issue gear, a yellow “M” painted on the front of his helmet. The former Captain of Moguera patted his chest, making sure his cigarettes were still in the front pocket of his jacket as he continued to stare at the man in front of him who was reloading his rifle.

Akira Yuki stared with malice at the man, black sunglasses hiding his reaction as he continued to inspect his weapon. His uniform was that of your average gray suit, complete with a white undershirt. Black fingerless gloves held the rifle as he finished his task, placing the weapon by his side.

“Was it really necessary?”

“One should always inspect your gear before entering an operation.”

Yuki instantly grew annoyed at his “comrade’s” words, not noticing that he slightly raised his voice as he spoke again. “There was no need for that girl to die.”

The rest of the crew slightly turned their heads before resuming inspecting their gear, attempting to ignore the uncomfortable conversation. “They were resisting to join us, something not tolerated by our founders. I did what they would have, besides if you had forgotten, they had the vile.”

“She looked no older than twenty!”

“That’s enough,” a stern feminine voice cut through the conversation, quickly silencing the two arguing men. Her uniform was blue with a black vest overlaying, the woman wearing a uniform from the JSDF’s G-Grasper branch of the military. “We can worry about this later, for right now we need to focus on either capturing or eliminating the rest of her party. But for the record…” she said as she turned her attention towards the Saradian Agent, her facial expression revealing a deep rage at the man.

“We could have taken the girl with us, someone so young to be lost in the field is a waste when she can be useful.”

Yuki’s eyes widened at his fellow former JSDF member’s statement, turning his head in disbelief at what she had just uttered. The young woman gave him a glare, knowing fully well that he would react to what she said.

“And what if she was as young as Jun, Kiriko? Would you have stopped him from shooting her to be raised as nothing more than a fucking animal!?”

The former Major quickly wrapped her hand around the pistol clipped on her waist, only for another hand to grab her wrist, causing Kiriko to turn her attention towards another former JSDF member. Hazel hair being cut down to a pixie cut, making sure that no infected could grab her from behind. “This is getting us nowhere, we must prepare to hunt them down and get whatever supplies they have. One of them had an Otaki Factory uniform. Maybe they were an engineer, or knew where something valuable was.”

“Azusa, did you recognize the person at all?” Captain Shikishima spoke, cutting the tension down with authority.

“No, just the outfit. I had seen their ads on TV talking about their robot mascot. The second generation of Jet Jaguar.”

The group all turned towards Azusa, raising an eyebrow at what their comrade had stated. If they were to apprehend the Otaki Factory employee, they would possibly be able to gain a new assist for HQ. They would return with favoritism from the man himself, fresh supplies and whatever pleasures they desired would be answered.

“A good eye, Azusa,” Shikishima commended with a smirk, the others hearing a small chuckle release before his tone of voice got much lower. “Now Kiriko dear, I’m going to need you to stand down.”

She looked past Yuki, meeting a glare in the corner of her Captain’s eyes, her superior officer’s words sinking in before looking back at Yuri. The older man waited for her to act, the indecisiveness driving him up a wall.

Kiriko, with much disappointment, let go of the gun’s handle before motioning that she was backing off, turning around in her chair and staying silent.

“Yuki,” Captain Shikishima said with a commanding voice, stern in tone to gain his attention.

“Yes, Captain?”

“Make no mistake, you disagree with a decision like with that girl, you will wish you were born without a tongue. Do I make myself clear?”

Yuri took in a deep breath before answering, his glare meeting the back of the Captain’s seat with vile intent. “Crystal.”

“Good. Now if all of you can please, for the love of God, shut the hell up… I would like some peace and quiet before we start the hunt.”

Kazama turned some switches on the dashboard of the vehicle before speaking. “Might have just found a decent landing pad, prepare to descend.”

The Super X began to fly down to a rooftop within the city, the area currently having no signs of undead in sight making for a perfect staging ground for their landing. The sound of the ship’s jets ceased as they gently landed on the rooftop, the door to the outside world opening and exposing the group to the scent of decay once more. Each member unbuckled themselves before taking the steps onto the rooftop.

Each of them took a moment to observe the surroundings, looking down to the decayed metropolis below them in an attempt to spot anything useful or resembling life to no avail.

“Hey,” Kamaza commented as he slowly opened the door to the rooftop stairs, “Found how we are going to get down.”

“Excellent,” Captain Shikishima commented as he approached the doorway, now wearing his most trusted gear in the form of ODM gear strapped to his waist. “After you, Kazama.” The captain motioned for his comrade to walk through the door frame first, the Mutant simply walked forward and entered the staircase while turning on a flashlight, leading the way down to the ruined city.

One by one, they each followed behind in their leaders’ examples, each climbing down the stairs.

The undead were a dangerous threat, but nothing is more deadly than those that are consumed by hatred.

 

Chapter 5: Arrival

The craft rocked back and forth as waves hit the sides, the Super X2 managing to be more than fine with the elements as they continued forth to their destination, the modified vessel being the correct choice for their journey. It would handle whatever came their way from a tsunami to a passing kaiju if they were careful enough, at least that was the small bit of hope that the group had as they entered enemy territory.

The infected had claimed this land as their own from the very start of the pandemic, overtaking the city in only a matter of hours, even the strongest of humanity being slaughtered as if none of their power ever mattered. Momo took in deep breaths as she began to ponder to herself. The young hero had plenty of experience dealing with the massive horde of infected and supervillains before Z-Day, but she still felt unease about this entire operation. So many people that were stronger than her had fallen, her own teachers adding to the horde’s numbers… What chance did she have of being useful to this team?

One by one she glanced over them, her self doubt rushing through her at rapid rates as she continued to think. Hideki was a member of ZAT, a noble hero that fought to save this planet time and time again from alien invasion or a rampaging beast, he had his issues but he was a good man deep down.

One worthy of the title of “Ultraman.”

Eren had lost so much within these two years, though he didn’t often speak of the things he had been through, he always made it a point to make sure the rest of the team would press onward. That no matter what, we must keep our humanity if we are to survive the horrors of the infection. One must fight with everything at their disposal, one must be kind even in a world with terrors lurking to devour you, the young man was worthy of leading the Scouts into this hell time and time again. He was worthy of the power given to him by the serum, the manifestation of humanity’s rage would in the end have a better chance of saving them then her own abilities.

Jet Jaguar was built to serve the people of Japan, defending it and its people until it was nothing more than scrap metal. Today, the android would get a second chance, though he had saved countless lives on Z-Day including the life of his creator, there were so many that were lost in roars of hunger and rage. If he was human, he would hear the echoing screams within his dreams, though the creation of Dr. Ibuki still remembered the haunting images all the same. He had fought alien invaders and kaiju alike, growing to match them in size and strength across the decades. Compared to him, she was nothing…

The Quirk user reached into her pocket, her hand wrapping around a tiny piece of paper before pulling the item out and unfolding it carefully. A small grin forced itself onto her face as she stared at the crumpled photo, the welcoming smiles of her classmates bringing back warm memories of simpler times before Hell had opened its gates and swallowed the planet whole. No matter what happened to her, a vow formed in her head.

“I promise I’ll find you all… No matter what, we will all be together again.”

She couldn’t let her own emotions cloud her every move, if she was to reunite with the people she loved, she would need to be focused on the task at hand and put those thoughts of doubt and fear aside. She wasn’t there then… she can be here now.

“Hey,” Eren spoke, breaking her train of thought and earning her attention, raising her head to the captain. “Don’t worry, we’ll find them, I am sure of it.”

“What makes you say that?” Creati asked with residual fear in her voice, staring with worry in her eyes as she waited for her comrade’s answer. Each passing moment felt like a thousand.

“If those kids are anything like you, they’ll be fine. Have faith in your friends… and in yourself.” The captain smirked as he spoke, hoping that any of this would reach the young girl even if it was a little. Even the tiniest bit of encouragement would aid them in what was to come, entering a city of the damned would make any sane person begin to question their abilities, much less someone so young.

The student of U.A. nodded her head as she let a small smirk form on her face, though every horrible thought was still present, Eren was right. Her friends had survived things that most people their age wouldn’t even fathom facing on their own with the League of Villains’ invasion of their school, the hero killer stalking them through the alleyways, or even the return of All For One. They were alive, they had to be.

On the deck of the small vessel, Hideki listened to the conversation, the door and windows still allowing the older man to hear. Occasional water would splash on his outfit, but the water had seemed somewhat calm, prompting the ZAT member to not worry of the potential soaking of his uniform. Though it would be an overall minor inconvenience at the moment, he couldn’t risk getting sick and accused of infection… that is if he could even get sick anymore.

Standing next to him was a being that had bonded with him after a fatal encounter with a kaiju, though others could not see his form, the extraterrestrial was there all the same. Their appearance was humanoid in build, their body seeming to be like that of static on a television screen or a being made of fog. The only thing that was not like this was the individual’s glowing yellow eyes, as Hideki turned towards his companion, it seemed that he was staring into the glow of a star.

“Do you think he is right? That… Aki is okay?” The man stated as he looked down at the photograph in his hand, a memory of warm smiles and joy that seemed like a lifetime ago. The four of them together, sitting on a series of boulders on a mountain trail.

“Do you believe it was really her on the radio?”

“I… I want to believe that she is alive. Everything was so chaotic, Ken went down, we got separated and then… everything just became a blur. Even with your power, we couldn’t find her. It’s been two years, would hope even be the correct response?” The man gripped the photo a tad tighter between his fingers as a single tear slid across his face, the doubt becoming more apparent within seconds.

“Hope is what makes you human, Hideki,” Jack said as he placed his hand on his other half’s shoulder. “Without that, you would be less than the infected. Within desperate times, your species seems to still see the light, even when things become this dire. Time and time again, humanity has surprised me with its hope.”

Hideki raised his head up and turned towards the Ultra, the man staring at the best part of himself. “She is alive. I know it. Jiro knows it. Have faith in her, my friend.”

The ZAT member nodded his head with a small grin on his face, the agent of light was right. He needed to keep his hope, without it, he might never even reach Aki in the operation and bring her home. Jiro’s sister would be lost, the boy has already lost so much and being the only parental figure for him has been… tough on the both of them. He couldn’t let him down again, not after so much time. The man quickly folded the photograph and placed it back into his pocket, securing its safety before taking a deep breath.

If they were all to survive this, then they would all need to have their heads in the game, focused and ready to make whatever decision it takes to survive.

The door opened wide, making Hideki turn his attention to Eren standing in the doorway. “Jet says we are about to land, the beach is about three or five minutes away. Are you ready?”

“Ever since I heard their voices.”

The Captain of the Scout Regiment nodded before turning back into the cabin of the Super X2, taking a seat and reaching for his ODM gear that sat beside him. The soldier started to properly equip his arsenal for the mission, there was not a moment to lose.

Momo Yaoyorozu quickly stood up and stared through the front window of their boat, seeing small moving dots that became more in frame the closer they got, the superhero gritting her teeth a tad with an annoyed stare. “Infected line on the beach! Looks like we aren’t starting off easy.”

Hideki quickly reached down to his side, wrapping his hand around the ZAT Shoot before pulling it out of the holstier, tightening his grip around the weapon. He didn’t want to use Jack’s power as the operation just began, they would need to save strength and energy in case of unforeseen dangers in the shadows.

The host of the Attack Titan stood up as he finally finished equipping his gear, the second in command of the Scouts standing proud and ready to face whatever dangers they would encounter during the operation.

The superhero in training closed her eyes as light surrounded her chest, putting her right hand in front of her body as a hilt quickly took form, wrapping her fingers around the item before pulling out a sword. The blade shined for a moment before her right arm repeated the action, the limb glowing as a shield formed around it almost instantly. Her hip quickly followed in example, her body glowing a radiant white before a sheath was created.

The number of undead grew by the second, several moving corpses marching from the woods to the sands of the beach to meet the landing Super X2 with ravenous fury, their gaping maws snapping and dripping blood onto the beach.

The Super X2 came to a halt, meeting with the land and causing the vehicle to cease moving forward. The four heroes quickly rushed to the back, ready and determined to begin their mission, the howls of the undead horde causing the group to hold on tightly to their weapons before bursting out of the back door. Immediately being met with a few of the infected as they attempted to crawl onto the ship, only for Hideki to aim his ZAT Shoot and fire, the red laser landing directly on one of their heads, causing the infected brain matter to dye the water crimson.

From the other side, Momo swung violently down at another infected attempting to board the vessel, her steel blade sliced through the ghoul’s flesh with ease. The hollow shell of a corpse groaned as each strike took more of their skull, before one final swipe cut the limb in half. Two more attempted to climb from the very front, only for Jet Jaguar to charge and wrap his hands around both of their skulls, lifting them up before crushing them like rotten fruit. Blood splattered on the android’s body as the defender of humanity dropped the corpses into the water. He turned and motioned towards the beach, letting out a robotic cry to signal the others.

They couldn’t waste any time on small stragglers, they needed to make it to the beach and meet their contacts to begin the operation.

“I have an idea,” Momo stated as she quickly placed her weapon away and wrapped her hand around the android’s own. “Lift me into the sky. Eren, Hideki, cover your eyes as you start heading towards the beach.”

And with that the creation of Dr. Ibuki shot upward into the sky, hovering in the air with the young superhero above the beach. The former student of U.A. gritted her teeth as she observed the growing horde. There must have been dozens at the very least leaving the forest to meet them, if they didn’t do something fast, the situation would go from bad to dire. Momo closed her eyes as her chest and stomach began to glow white, her Quirk quickly finding an answer to their situation as small objects began to descend towards the beach.

“NOW!”

At her command, the Scout and ZAT agent covered their eyes as they marched through the sea water, their eyesight being saved as the flashbangs ignited and blinded small patches of the horde. The groans of the infected alerted the two that her plan had worked, the pair opening their eyes and seeing that their enemies were blinded, some tripping over each other or swiping randomly at the air in an attempt to land a blow on one of them. Eren grinned before activating his ODM gear, a cable rushing towards the entrance of the forest, landing its mark and propelling the Scout forward at rapid speeds. The hero of the Walls rushed past several infected and beheaded them in one swift movement, ending their existence in an instant.

Creati quickly released Jet Jaguar’s hand, catching the robot off guard. She quickly reached for her sword, her hand wrapping around the hilt and revealing the blade as she descended at rapid speeds, slicing through an infected from top to bottom with one attack. The young woman landed on her feet as blood sprayed onto her and the sands below, the two halves of the corpse falling to the ground. The android let out a cry before charging directly at the beach, crushing another infected into paste as he crashed head first into it. Standing on top of nothing but sand and a mush that used to be human, now reduced to crimson ichor with such a simple act of violence.

The host of Ultraman Jack approached his comrades at a steady pace, there was no need to use all of his energy when most of the enemy was at their mercy, though a few infected still knew their surroundings. A pair of them charged at Hideki at incredible speeds, only for the hero to aim his weapon and fire bolts of energy at the infected, striking one on the chest and making it fall backwards as the other continued to charge. The older soldier quickly took control of the situation, firing a bolt directly at the knees of another infected, forcing the hollow shell to stumble to the ground. Hideki caught it by the back of the hair, placing the ZAT Shoot to its temple and pulling the trigger. Brain matter splattered across his uniform and the sand below as the corpse fell to the beach, blood dyeing both the sand and seawater alike.

The host of the Attack Titan quickly detached from the tree, falling to his feet before charging at the group of infected, both blades in hand aiming for the kill of a distracted pair. Swiping directly at their skulls and landing with deadly precision, he slashed through flesh in an instant as they dropped to the ground. All seemed to be according to plan, their progress beginning at the very least being the best case scenario with dealing with a horde; the luck that these were just once ordinary people instead of metahumans. If they had made landfall to a special infected, this mission might have ended as soon as it started.

That was when Eren was suddenly jerked backwards as an infected got the jump on him, their decaying hands wrapping around the back of his uniform before opening their gaping maw and attempting to sink their fangs into the Scout’s neck. A mix of saliva and drool dripped down his clothes as the ghoul roared with hunger, the Captain quickly shook his vital spot away, barely dodging the attempt on his life before turning his blade backwards and swinging. The sharp steel punctured through the infected’s stomach with one precise attack, but the undead still pressed on, only for Hideki to fire the ZAT Shoot directly at its head.

The corpse collapsed onto the ground, the hilt of the blade keeping the lifeless body slightly sitting up in the dyed sands. The Captain of the Scouts instantly went for his weapon, only to realize in horror as more bodies began to exit the forest. They were surrounded on all sides, the beach now lined with a small army of the undead, all roaring with fury as they charged in.

“We need to get the hell out of here!” Hideki screamed as he unleashed bolts at the horde, managing to strike a few down with well aimed shots. “Yaoyorozu! Any bright ideas?”

“I don’t have enough time to make a big distraction,” The superheroine continued to swing her blade at the approaching undead, managing to push a few back with hit and run tactics. “They keep closing the gap and the more I make, the more energy I consume.”

Jet Jaguar quickly took action, charging at full speeds towards the forest, the infected that stood in the robotic defender’s way were smashed across his frame like insects to a car windshield. The creation of Dr. Ibuki was covered head to toe in ichor and entrails as he wrapped his hands around a tree, ripping the plant from its roots and lifting it above his head like a baseball bat with little effort. The robotic superhero swung the massive trunk at sonic speeds, smashing a small batch of the infected with one action. Tree bark flew into unsuspecting undead as those caught by the swing were reduced to mush. For a moment this distracted the horde, most of them now turning their attention towards the android, who was marching forward and repeating the action with each step, sending undead flying into the air with each violent swing.

“Now is our chance!” Hideki declared as he quickly ran towards Momo, aiming his sights at the infected that were still approaching her. “We have to think of something fast!”

Eren followed in example, quickly dodging past the few strangler infected standing in his way, now reaching the others and standing in a defensive position before looking down at his thumb. He didn’t want to transform just yet, but with no reinforcements in sight and the numbers increasing among the corpses with each passing minute, it was leaving him with little option. The captain quickly placed his blades in his sheath before opening his jaws and lifting his hand to it…

“WAIT NO!” Creati screamed out, causing him to stop dead in his tracks. “The transformation could turn this beach into glass and us into nothing but a crater! As well as wasting energy for later in the operation.” The superhero then turned her gaze towards Hideki who was continuing to fire the ZAT Shoot at the infected, even though his comrade had gained their attention, he still needed to aid him all the same.

“And don’t you think about it either Captain Go, if Jack isn’t able to manifest when we are in deep shit, we might not be able to rescue the survivors.”

Eren raised his voice a little as he turned his attention towards the young woman, growing frustrated at the situation at hand. “Then what the hell do you suggest we do then!”

Suddenly the earth below their feet violently shook, birds quickly flew away from the treeline to escape whatever was approaching. While most of the infected continued to pursue Jet Jaguar, a few of the horde turned their attention back to the forest, only for a massive boulder to be thrown above the treeline. Descending at rapid speeds towards the beach, it crushed the infected and sent sand flying into the air.

Before anyone could even react to what was happening, two gigantic humanoid forms burst out of the forest with a chorus of rage. The pair instantly went on the offensive to squash the horde of abominations, crushing them with their immense weight. Jet Jaguar looked up and let out a robotic cry as he held the tree, motioning for one of the new entities to grab the makeshift weapon. The calmer of the two reached down, opening his hand and wrapping his fingers around the plant life before lifting it into the air and slamming it into another small batch repeatedly.

The two looked awfully alike, both had fur covering their entire bodies, yet what appeared to be patches of armored plates covered their chest and arms. The differences were in the colorization of their forms, one of the giants was a dark swamp green with twin fangs that sat outside of the maw, the creature’s red eyes dilating at the feast before him as he swallowed entire groups in one gulp. The light brown giant continued to swat the infected away with the tree in its hand, but unlike his brother, the kindhearted giant looked disturbed by his actions, even if these creatures were now abominations… they were once as human as their father.

Still, Sanda pressed onward and continued to slaughter the horde with extreme prejudice, pushing aside his feelings of remorse for the greater good. The brown Gargantua glanced over to the trio on the beach, the three heroes watching with wide eyes as the cavalry had finally arrived at the party.

Gaira chuckled as he devoured the infected with a joyous glee, this new world suited the green Gargantua. Such a barbaric nature being now the norm across the entire globe, his unending hunger for human flesh could now fully be embraced, no longer having to hunt like an average predator. The demon of the sea could just walk into any area and grab a meal whenever he so chose, a world fit for monsters.

Suddenly, purple mist began to appear in the middle of the horde, the infected roaring in rage as they were pulled into it with little resistance, disappearing into the dark void at a moment’s notice. Pink and blue light surrounded Momo’s hand, quickly creating a metal pole that she stabbed into the sands before wrapping her other hand around it, the object keeping her somewhat still. Eren and Hideki quickly followed in example, the trio now hanging on as if they would perish at any second.

Creati stared at the void, gritting her teeth as she stared at this new arrival with malice, knowing who this was the instant that it appeared. Twin bright golden eyes stared back at the trio, specifically giving the young superhero a glare, squinting its eyes as it continued to devour the group of mindless drones.

“Ms. Yaoyorozu, I was not expecting you to be here.”

The entity ceased its actions, clearing enough of the infected to return to a more civilized form, the creature changing to a more humanoid build. A white under shirt covering up to the sleeves, a buttoned up gray shirt connected to metal holding its “neck,” the astral-like form of the head looking like dark purple flames were flowing in the wind with bright golden eyes staring at them. Black pants and brown shoes covered the being’s lower half, the entity adjusting its tie as it approached the trio.

Eren and Hideki quickly lowered their guard as the being continued to stare at Momo, the pair giving each other a glare before she spoke. “Kurogiri, so you are our contact. Makes sense why you would be here, the JSDF must find an immunity like you to be a very valuable asset.”

“A means to an end, I am only in debt to your superiors until the day that I am freed by my masters’ return.”

Before Creati could respond to the villain’s statement, a splat across the ground made them slightly turn their attention, only to see Jet Jaguar dropping a corpse to the ground. The robot released a digital cry as he gave a thumbs up to the group, the infected quickly being dealt with by their gathered might.

Sanda let out a grunt as he approached, crouching to the group with a nod and smile, the brown Gargantua was glad to see more survivors of this plague. His human heart still told him that there was hope for humanity to survive this dire time in history, as he would aid them in any way he could.

Drool pooled out of Gaira’s maw, the green Gargantua staring at the group of heroes with insatiable hunger, wishing to devour them all where they stood. The beast let out a growl as he reached down to the group, only for Sanda to smack him across the back, pushing the gigantic predator back with a growl of annoyance. His brother of the land let out a defiant roar as he continued to beat Gaira back until the Gargantua of the Sea let out a shriek of annoyance, causing Sanda to pause and walk back towards the group of humans. Dropping the tree to the sands below before opening up his other hand, greeting the gathered group with a warm smile.

“We will guide you to the rendezvous point, then you will be on your own until you return with the civilians.” Kurogiri quickly walked onto Sanda’s palm, being the first to climb before being followed by the others, Momo giving the villain a glare as she passed him. Gaira continued to give the small batch of humans a menacing glare as he grunted, following behind Sanda as he began to travel into the woods.

The operation had truly now begun.

***

“She hasn’t taken her eyes off him,” Hideki pointed out, firmly seated on Sanda’s shoulder, glancing upwards on Eren standing atop of the Gargantua’s head.

“Can you blame her?” Eren asked, turning his head downwards at Momo and Kurogiri on opposite ends of the giant’s palm. “That guy was part of The League of Villains who constantly terrorized the poor girl and her friends.”

“A fair point, I wouldn’t know how to react if I had to work with someone who harmed me, even if it meant having a chance at saving the person I love,” concurred the Ultra Host, turning his attention towards the night sky. Compared to the growls of the infected down below, clawing at Sanda’s body, the sky above was bliss. Peaceful, enough that one could get lost in it, but sadly, it’d have to wait. He had to keep an eye on when they made it to the point.

“I assure you no harm will come to you or your companions,” Kurogiri stated, waving his hand around slowly, but all he was greeted with was a glare from Creati. Her eyes shot daggers towards him, as sharp as the blade she was brandishing, fully intending to strike, if he so much as tried to sabotage the mission or harm anyone. “But your hostility is justified.”

Momo rolled her eyes, tightening her grip on the hilt of the sword. She wanted to decapitate the purple metahuman right where he sat, but knew it wouldn’t be worth it. She almost chuckled at how everyone from her past would tell her it’s against their code to kill anyone, whether they were a civilian or villain. But, that was on the very bottom of her list of reasons.

She had other reasons why she didn’t lash out. The council thought he was an asset for the apocalypse, his quirk probably being one of the best there is should things turn south extremely fast, seeing as how he could teleport them back to Okinawa at any time, and lastly, intel. If he knew about the fates of everyone she knew, whether it was from the League or her classmates.

“Alright, I’ll make conversation then,” Momo huffed out, eliciting a head tilt from her enemy. “Any idea what happened to the rest of your League pals?”

“Sadly, I cannot confirm their fates,” Kurogiri answered, his voice oozing with longing to be around his dear compatriots. Despite knowing most of them for only a short time, he did see a future with them, of being a team where they could take on anything together.

“I see you’re lying then,” Momo spat, irritated how the former villain was not giving her the answer she wanted to hear, as she soon simmered down, with a faint mutter. “Typical.”

“If I knew, then I would abandon this alliance with your government and be with them now,” Kurogiri answered, placing his hands together as purple smoke phased through, allowing it to slowly circulate around him. “But, I’d gain nothing by venturing on my lonesome.”

Momo rolled her eyes once more, tightening her grip on the sword as Kurogiri squinted his eyes. She had potential, one he never saw before due to her upbeat yet self doubting personality. Yet, since the apocalypse came, it changed her, forcing her to mature far more and that malice, that hatred was festering all inside her. Perhaps if any of the League was still around, he could convince them to look more closely into recruiting her. Where the young Bakugo failed his audition, the girl across from him would thrive in their community.

Still, if he wanted to entertain the possibility of the League being rebuilt, he needed to extend an olive branch to her. So, he decided to offer some intel to gain her trust. “There is, however, one ally I’m certain of that survived.” Momo raised her eyebrow, leaning over slightly, curious to know who her enemy was referring to.

Kurogiri raised his hands up, “You wouldn’t be aware of him except maybe in passing, but a powerful warrior named Gigantomachia is somewhere deep in the mountains of Japan. He possesses several different quirks and if he were ever found, he’d be a very, very valuable ally against this scourge.”

“You don’t know where he’s at?” huffed Momo, glaring at the former League member.

“I was to recover him, but your government interfered and apprehended me before I could fully make contact with him. Even I don’t know where he’s present,” explained Kurogiri, pausing as he glanced down below to see hordes of infected clawing at his Gargantuan compatriots. Despite their clawing and biting, the two brothers did not falter, either stomping past them or taking momentary pauses and eviscerating with their footsteps.

He turned back towards her, “However, it might have been a good thing that I was foiled, because he might be one of the infected fighting us right now.”

“So, which is it!?” Momo barked out, jumping up to her feet, agitated by her enemy’s behavior. The young hero was beyond furious at how calm, and even formally, he was conversing with her. Nothing affected him, no remorse, no pity, or even pride. Knowing full well he could have potentially outlived all of her friends. It was as if she was screaming at a brick wall, something far worse than someone gloating. “Do we have to worry about him barging in at any second and screwing up this operation or is he still in hiding, because you’re that pathetic at your job!?”

Hideki and Eren both stood up, preparing themselves in the off chance they needed to intervene as Kurogiri continued to sit there, taking in every word the woman threw at him. None of them could see it, but he grinned at how this was unfolding. None of them knew it, but she was slowly falling apart at the seams. He was tempted to chuckle, but had to play his cards just right, in the hopes either Shigaraki or All For One were still alive.

Kurogiri couldn’t ponder it any further as he felt himself being hoisted up by Momo’s powerful grip. She held him up by the collar of his dark green vest, pointing the tip of the blade right at his head, allowing a tiny bit just to go into the dark, purple abyss. Creati breathed harder and harder, turning the blade as the villain kept silent, no laughter, no cry of pain, nothing. His bright yellow eyes continued staring at her.

This only infuriated her more.

“And I bet you can’t even tell me where the hell my friends are! Or even worse, I wouldn’t be surprised if you told me you killed one of them to cover your own ass!” Momo continued to scream, her eyes becoming bloodshot while Kurogiri tilted his head back slightly. “If you really wanted to prove you’re the genius of your shit group, then you will tell me where they’re at or at least do us all a favor and jump down below, and submit yourself to an eternity of hell!”

“Momo! Enough!” Hideki screamed out, jumping down to Sanda’s palm and placing himself between the two as Eren ripped the sword from her grasp.

“We get it,” Eren spoke, pulling the sword away from everyone, keeping his eyes on his teammate. “You two have a past and he’s a shit guy for what he did to you and your friends. But we can’t afford to be at each other’s throats right now.”

The Titan Shifter saw a lot of himself in her, knowing he wasn’t immune to the behavior she was currently exhibiting. The thought of harming someone played in his mind constantly, be it a memory of the past when someone tried to start something with him and friends, or from something in another life. A memory or thought he couldn’t even begin to fathom, ones he never experienced, but felt real to him.

Momo listened to their words, only now realizing what had taken hold of her. She began to breathe in and out slowly, horrified by what she was allowing herself to be. Creati glanced at Kurogiri simply staring at her, almost as if she were looking in a dark mirror. A reflection of who she could become, if she kept believing everyone she loved was dead.

“I’m so, so sorry,” Momo whispered, feeling disgust with herself as she felt tears dropping down on the hairy surface.

Hideki took a step forward and patted her on the shoulder. “Hey, hey. It’s okay. No one said this was gonna be easy.”

“I know, it’s just…..” Momo tried to speak, but felt her voice being overtaken by grief at what she’d find is nothing but death. How she’ll be alone in this new, barren world.

“You have to keep hope alive, it’s what will keep you alive. Without it, we may as well be gone,” Hideki conveyed, glancing momentarily to Jack, who nodded with approval, using what he learned to pass on to others. To not only heal, but to make them better.

“Right…. There’s still that,” the former U.A. student murmured, wiping her tears away as she looked up at her teammate. “Thank you.”

Hideki nodded as Kurogiri spoke up in his calm demeanor once more. “If it helps, you won’t be seeing me much longer, as we have arrived at our destination.”

Momo turned away, not wanting to risk another outburst as Eren stepped up. “Sure you can’t get us any farther?”

“We’re a powerful bunch, but even we have limits, or at the very least, my companions will act on their own accord if they venture any further,” explained Kurogiri, as they overlooked the hellish landscape known as Tokyo. Buildings were in disarray as several of them had holes blasted in them or were starting to break apart while the streets were blown to bits. Cars were reduced to burnt husks while bodies ranging from pulpy messes to piles of bones littered the broken pathways.

What they saw could very well be the definition of hell to most.

“Right,” Hideki whispered, as he took a deep breath, fully apprehensive about venturing down the graveyard of millions, but Aki needed him and he needed her. “We appreciate you getting us this far.”

“The pleasure is mine,” Kurogiri spoke as he bowed ever so slightly, before turning his attention towards the distant Momo. “If it’s any consolation, I cannot confirm the fates of any of your classmates and I do hope they survived, as it would be a waste to see them as mindless ghouls.”

Momo rolled her eyes and nearly spat back at him, but she took a deep breath to compose herself. She kept her eyes away from him, looking into the dead city, a view far better than the purple mist just a few feet away from her, and spoke, “Thanks, for what it’s worth.”

Creati marched over to her robotic compatriot and placed herself onto his shoulders. Jet Jaguar issued a digital cry of acknowledgement, allowing the two of them to descend while Eren followed suit with his ODM gear.

“And remember,” Kurogiri spoke out to the Ultra Host before he could descend with his repel gear. “Once you recover the survivors, radio in ASAP, as this will be your only ticket off this wasteland.”

Hideki simply nodded, feeling uneasy by the entity speaking to him. There was something inhuman about it, he fully agreed with Momo on her disdain for the anomaly before him. The Ultra Host descended down to the broken streets of Tokyo while the Gargantuas turned to take their leave, distracting the infected near them so their odds of locating the survivors were even greater.

Jet Jaguar landed next to the other members of his group, the android taking in the sight of the concrete graveyard. The buildings were covered in vines and ash, a complete blackout throughout the city, with not a light in sight. Though the heroic robot could not feel the deep fear his comrade felt, he was still taken back by the state of the once proud metropolis.

The others began to walk forward quietly and quickly through the streets, prompting the creation of Dr. Ibuki to follow suit. The four heroes hid behind rubble, moving forward as fast as they could.

“Jet,” Hideki spoke as quietly as he could while they walked around the ruins, only for the android to motion with a finger over his robotic smile to be silent. The groans of Blight being faint, but enough that any sudden noise would alert them to their presence, the ZAT captain nodded in response to Jet Jaguar before attempting to communicate with sign language.

He had studied just a little over the night to prepare him for this mission, if Hideki knew what he was actually saying he would have apologized in a second. But the android understood what he was getting at, nodding to answer his real question.

“Do you have the coordinates?”

Hideki gave a thumbs up in response, the host of light continuing to follow behind Jet Jaguar as they all continued forth through the ruins. The groans grew more distant, the group managed to avoid a small swarm of the infected with Jet Jaguar’s instruction.

Eren and Momo followed the pair, protecting the rear from any sudden infection, their grips holding tightly around their respective weapons, ready at a moment’s notice. The young Scout took in his surroundings, only to realize something truly awful. Above him he saw a specific building he had remembered, a portion of the middle of the structure being blown asunder during evacuation…

“No… anything but this. God please, anything but this.”

More clues in the surrounding area began to make the young man fully realize where he was, anxiety starting to climb through his body at a rapid rate, blood stained concrete making memories flood in faster than he could process. The screams of the past echoing through his head as he turned to the side, having to take a second glance at the object as his eyes widened.

The bodies of those he failed stood in front of a fallen piece of military equipment, the Gunhed flipped on its side being the backdrop of an image that haunted him for two years. The blood covered remnants of the past stood silently, simply staring at the sole survivor of the evacuation that took hundreds in a matter of minutes…

He stood still, staring with teary eyes as they faded in and out of his vision.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry.”

“Eren?” Hideki inquired as the fellow captain came to a halt, the young Scout shaking as he stared at a flipped over Gunhed unit in the middle of the street. His hand wrapped around his chest as he stepped back, his pulse rising significantly with a moment’s notice, causing him to not notice his step and fall onto the ground. Tears flooded his eyes as he continued to stare, one hand on his chest, the other wrapped around his scarf.

Momo stopped dead in her tracks, the young superhero quickly rushing to his side and looking directly into the soldier’s eyes, seeing a horrified look on her superior’s face.

“Captain Jaeger, what’s wrong?”

Eren simply continued to stare at the ruins, a dark memory of tragedy entering his mind as all became black….

***

28 Months Ago
Tokyo, Japan
Hour 5 of infection

The crowd was chaotic as they began to walk down the barricades, the civilians all having different reactions to the hell that had been unleashed unto them.

Some sobbed as they marched forward, losing loved ones at every turn due to the Blight. Some cried out to the soldiers protecting the barricades, asking for help and demanding answers, only to be met with a stern attitude and orders to follow the group to safety. Even in the earliest hours of infection, it was almost unheard of that you hadn’t lost others when the scourge emerged from the depths of tartarus.

A young man marched forward through the crowd with his hand wrapped around the warm gentle touch of someone very special, the woman looking overhead to the front of the crowd in an attempt to spot anyone she had recognized, only to see a series of warmachines parked at the entryway, her eyes widening as she pressed onward.

“Have you seen my parents or Armin?” The young man asked, a worrisome tone trembling in his voice. While they had managed to all get out of their home in time, they had gotten separated amongst the crowd during the evacuation of the city.

“Not yet, but I am sure they are here… they have to be.” The two held each other’s hands as tightly as they could, no matter what happened on this day they needed to stay together. So many had been consumed within the horror, the rage spreading within hours across the entire city, for all they knew it was across the country or even the world.

Eren’s heart sank at her words, envisioning the worst possible outcome with three people he loved more than anything. For all he knew, she was the only thing he had left…

“Mikasa,” the young man spoke as they continued through the crowd. “Listen, I need to say something… just in case we don’t…”

“Don’t talk like that,” she said with a strong, stern voice as they ventured forth, pushing through the crowd as best as they could. The looks of those filled with fear started to look at them with rage as they passed, seeing that these people were making it faster to the front of the barrier before them. “We’ll get through this, we will find your parents and Armin, and we will get out of here.”

Eren stopped dead in his tracks, making Mikasa come to a halt and allowing other people to pass by them to the front of the gate. “Eren, what are you doing!? We have to keep moving and get to the fr-”

Her eyes widened as he dragged her to the side of the crowd, not staying in the way of the marching group of terrified citizens, allowing them to have a moment to themselves. “You have always been by my side… thank you,” Mikasa stared silently as her other half reached out to her, his eyes watering as he continued to speak. “You showed me that love was real, ” The young man forced a smile on his face as he reached out to her neck, wrapping a red scarf around his hand before coming closer and wrapping it around his own neck. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Mikasa let a small smile form on her as her hand was placed gently on Eren’s cheek, before they closed their eyes and put their foreheads together, the two sharing even a small moment amongst the endless chaos around them.

“Eren!” A familiar voice cried out, the pair turning towards the sound of the noise amongst the crowd, looking in all directions to find the location of the cry only for another to do the same.

“Mikasa! Eren! We are here!”

The two began to move back into the crowd of people, walking past several, going backwards in the line. “Hey, watch it!”

“Do these kids have a death wish?”

“Get out of the damn way!”

They kept pushing onward, hearing the voices more clearly, being able to identify them slightly better, making Eren pick up speed as he got closer. The young man did his best not to knock people over as he marched to meet those calling out to him, Mikasa’s hand holding tightly to his own as she tried to just not get separated from him. The two’s eyes widened as they finally saw who had called out before Eren ran as fast as he could. An older man with long black hair that flowed past his shoulders stood alongside a woman around the same age, her hair tied up at the end to keep it from flowing like the man’s.

“Mom! Dad!”

The two ran straight at the two, embracing their loved ones with a tight hug. “Thank god, you two are okay, we thought we lost you.” The older man looked over to the front of the surging crowd that continued forward, seeing the military forces clearly taking control of the situation. Eren let go of his father before rushing to his mother, embracing her for a moment as Mikasa stood beside them, her gaze looking around in all directions. Her eyes widened as she realized something horrific.

“Where is Armin, Doctor Jaeger?”

Eren’s eyes widened as his heart rate skyrocketed, letting go of his mother as his parents looked down in shame. “We haven’t seen him in a while,” Carla Jaeger’s soft voice stated in a low tone. “We got separated while looking for you and… we don’t know where he is.”

Eren and Mikasa stood in silence as they simply stared at the pair, for all they knew he was gone forever, a part of the ravenous horde that had consumed so many already. “I am sure he is fine,” Grisha spoke with certainty and confidence to the young man, a smile being forced onto his face as he looked towards his son and daughter-in-law. “Armin is very capable, I am sure he is here amongst the crowd. All we can do is move forward and hope for the best.”

Grisha held tightly onto a silver suitcase as he spoke, motioning towards the military. “If we get to them, we will all be together and safe… with the Gunheds out, I doubt that we have much time.” The group began to move forward through the crowd, aiming to reach salvation.

Eren looked down to his father’s side, seeing the older man holding a silver suitcase in his hand. “Hey Dad, what is that? Why out of everything to grab from the house, why a suitcase?”

Grisha didn’t look at his son as he responded, holding his wife’s hand as they moved forward in the crowd, not taking a moment’s notice to stop. “Our salvation. No matter what happens, I must get this suitcase to those in control of the situation.” The head of the Jaeger family had a look of fear and uncertainty on his face, he spoke with both a stern commanding presence and the fear only a parent and husband could feel. What lied within the precious cargo was their best hope of getting to safety, of getting his family out of an abyss ready to swallow them whole.

His greatest work, his masterpiece, could turn the tide of the war on the undead. Grisha took a sharp turn into the crowd, the rest of his family following close behind as he walked up to a soldier on the side of the barrier covered in head to toe in riot gear. One of many members of the JSDF working to evacuate what remained of the city motioned for the group of people to continue forward without stopping.

“Sir, you must keep moving forward. There can’t be any delays to make sure you are all safe.”

Grisha lifted up the suitcase to the soldier’s face, showing the object as he spoke. “You must hand this to Detective Tsukauchi, it is of utmost importance!”

“How the hell did you?…”

“I work with the government, I have connections that reach even now. Tell him that it is Dr. Grisha Jaeger, they will know who I am.”

The soldier backed away as he grabbed his walkie talkie on his chest, pressing the button before turning around and speaking silently.

“Detective Tsukauchi, do you read? Over.”

“Present, over.”

“At the barrier, got an old man and his family asking specifically for you. Some Dr. Grisha Jaeger saying he has “something” for you sir. Over.”

The radio grew silent for a few moments, the static of the radio continuing as the soldier waited for an answer from the detective.

“Bring them here immediately, there is no time to waste. Over.”

“Yes sir, over.”

The soldier returned back to his station, opening up the barrier for the Jaeger family, the group quickly following into the safety of the JSDF. “Follow me, we must get you all to safety immediately.”

“Thank you soldier,” Grisha said with relief as they began to follow the man that had just saved his family’s lives, the panic slowly slowly fading away, being replaced with hope. Hope that they would see the end of this day, that they could all live through possibly the most horrific time in humanity’s history.

“Eren!”

A voice cried out from the crowd, prompting Eren to turn his attention back to the other people continuing their journey forward. Giving Mikasa pause as he turned to her partner, placing her hand on his shoulder. “Eren, what’s wrong? We have to go.”

“Do you hear that? It sounds like someone is calling my name.”

“Eren!” it cried out again, somehow overpowering the sounds of migrating footsteps. “Mikasa! Mr. and Ms. Jaeger!”

Their eyes widened as they realized who was calling out for them, charging back to the crowd without hesitation. This prompted soldiers near the barrier to block their path and slowly raise their weapons at the couple, making them pause in motion.

“Stay right where you are!”

Grisha and Carla turned around to see them being held at gunpoint by the soldiers, fear returning just as fast as it had disappeared from Grisha’s heart. The soldier that was transferring them quickly walked over to the young couple, approaching slowly as they spoke. “They are with me, they must be evacuated with Detective Tsukauchi.” The soldier turned towards Eren and Mikasa before speaking with a stern annoyed voice.

“What the actual hell are you two doing? Are you trying to get yourselves shot after getting to safety?”

“We hear someone in the crowd we recognize,” Eren said with fear in his voice, thinking of what best to say for him to reach his friend. “It’s my little brother, Armin, please we were all separated when we were running for our lives.” The sole heir to the Jaeger name was trying to keep his composure as others aimed rifles at him, the soldier that was escorting them motioning for the others to stand down before approaching the barrier. He quickly saw someone in the middle of the crowd standing still as everyone passed him, a young blonde man cupping his hands together as he screamed out to his loved ones.

“Eren!”

The soldier quickly spoke to the others, instantly lowering their weapons as they continued to stare at the couple, the escort going back into the crowd. Though Eren and Mikasa couldn’t see it, the pleas of help had come with an answer as the man grabbed Armin by the arm and began to pull him into the secure area of the evacuation, securing the boy before returning to the barrier. Armin’s eyes widened before a gigantic smile emerged on his face, tears of joy rushing down his cheek as he ran towards the pair of them.

“Armin!” The couple said in unison as they ran back to their friend, wrapping their arms around him and embracing their best friend. “Oh thank god you are okay.” Mikasa said as her grip became tighter.

“We thought we lost you,” Eren said as he mirrored his partner’s actions before the three of them let go, their moment of embrace ending with smiles. “Were you able to find your parents?”

Armin looked down at the ground and grew silent, his mood instantly souring as he answered. “I could only find my dad’s hat, the house was wrecked and covered in blood and…” Eren and Mikasa quickly formed frowns as they began to walk towards the rest of the group, each having an arm around the shoulder of their childhood friend. Sorrow filled their hearts as the tragic implications reached their minds, the three of them would have time to mourn when they were safe, but for now, they had to keep moving.

“We don’t have time for this,” the annoyed soldier spoke as they moved in front of the trio, quickly reaching Mr. And Mrs. Jaeger before passing them as well. “Get a move on!”

The trio quickly caught up, jogging for a second to catch up with the rest of the group being escorted. “It’s so good to see you safe Armin,” Carla said with a warm smile as she attempted to cheer the young man up, seeing distress written on his face. “We were all worried about you.”

Armin looked at the older woman with a forced attempt to smile, while grateful for her words and concern, the hole in his heart couldn’t be filled with words alone. “I was afraid I was alone… that you all were…”

“It’s alright now son,” Grisha spoke as slightly turned his attention to the young man. “All that matters is that you are here now, we are all together. Hopefully your parents will be able to meet with us.”

Eren and Mikasa stayed silent as they looked forward, their faces being painted with sorrow within their hearts. Armin began to quiver as he tried to find the words, tears erupting as he finally spoke. Grisha’s eyes widened as he realized what had happened, shame washing over him as he spoke. “I am so sorry Armin…”

“Just up ahead,” the soldier said as he stopped in his tracks, turning to the group as he pointed towards a tent ahead of them. “The detective is waiting for you.” The man quickly walked past them, walking towards his post to return to evacuating the masses.

The trio began to walk towards the tent, only to be met with the warm embrace of Grisha and Carla as they hugged the three, the group huddled for a moment. The people that mattered most in the whole world were in one place, even with the chaos and death, they had all managed to survive. It was a miracle, one that they would not take for granted.

“We’ll get through this, I promise.” The scientist stated as he looked at the suitcase before his wife, her face having a look of fear, the situation being dire enough to break anyone’s spirits.

“Grisha.” A voice called out from behind them, a middle aged man wearing riot gear with a beard approached the family, the group all turning towards the member of the evacuation team as they let go of their hold.

“Tsukauchi, it’s good to see you.”

“Likewise, Jaeger. Though I wish it was under different circumstances.” The detective glanced at the suitcase the scientist held on so tightly before looking back at his old friend. “Is that what I think it is?”

“It’s so much more, this could turn the tide of this conflict. I couldn’t save all of the samples I had created, but this should be more than enough.”

The detective went to speak when static opened in the radio on his chest, the sounds of gunfire suddenly echoing through.

“Infected metahuman is leading a horde towards the evacuation center! We need reinforcements! Gran Torino has engaged with the enemy!”

Gunfire was suddenly heard throughout the area as screams quickly followed, the survivors’ march turning into a fleeing frenzy as fear overwhelmed them. The roars of the swarm overpowered even the rapid fire that echoed.

“We need to go now!” The detective stated as he quickly armed himself, his rifle now ready to take out anything that would approach them. Soldiers around them rushed towards the crowd while they followed Tsukauchi closely, running behind him the best they could.

The Gunheds roared to life and opened fire, the sound of the tanks unloading everything becoming louder than anything they had heard in their life, the earth shaking as rounds made contact with the enemy. Infected launched into the air or disintegrated in an instant, flames roaring to life as the city block quickly caught fire, the only thing the group could hear was the sounds of war.

Running as fast as they could as the world around them was thrown into chaos, Eren was barely able to even comprehend what was going on when he quickly caught the glance of something moving incredibly fast on the side of a burning building. Though it was only a quick glimpse, he knew what was now on the battlefield, the horror of an undead superbeing encountering him and those he cared about could come true. Suddenly a sonic boom echoed above the chaotic battleground, a yellow blur flying by before striking whatever was running on the wall, knocking it through the concrete near them.

“GO!” Eren screamed to the others, fear and adrenaline forcing him to run the fastest he ever had in his life, his lungs feeling like they were going to burst as each breath felt like a burn. The smoke filled his lungs as he was losing breath from the sprinting, his feet feeling like they were going to be cut through simply by running, each step feeling like a thousand needles were stabbing into them.

Suddenly from the flames an infected burst out, roaring as it instantly tackled Eren to the ground, his scream for help being silenced by the roaring battlefield. The flames that engulfed the member of the undead swarm burned the young man’s skin, embers falling across his clothes and his flesh, earning a scream of agony from him as he attempted to hold the enemy at bay with his arms. The infected kept snapping its jaws as it attempted to devour his flesh, even as the body was burning to ash, it still kept pushing. No concern of harm remained within the sludge of a brain that once housed a human mind.

The undead was suddenly knocked off of Eren, a crowbar colliding with the lone scourge’s skull, knocking the head completely off as the body fell limp. The young man quickly kicked the flaming corpse off of him as attempted to stand up, only for the burns across his body to cause him to recoil and fall on the ground. Gritting his teeth as he attempted with all of his might to stand again, his vision became hazy from the pain and sudden stopping of movement, the sight of his approaching family to grab him being a blur to him…

A scream snapped him back as his mother stood still, the others screaming in horror as the ghastly sight brought rage and sorrow within them all. Eren’s eyes widened as he saw her drop the crowbar onto the ground as an infected had punctured a hole through her chest in an instant. Holding her heart in its hand as the body fell limp on the limb, its maw opened wide before sinking sharp fangs into her skull, crushing the entire frontal lobe in one swift action.

“MOM!” Eren screamed out as he reached out for the crowbar, prompting the undead once known as Kesagiri Man to turn its attention to the downed man. It snarled it he leapt at him before the yellow blur returned, kicking it on the skull as hard as he could and sending the infected metahuman flying across the battlefield, only for the fallen hero to catch itself, sinking its talons into the concrete. The momentum of the attack came to a halt as it stood back up and snarled once again, staring at its prey with wide jaws and bloody saliva.

Blood dripped down the floating hero’s nose, his clothes ripped and elder body covered in claw marks. The smaller man kept his eyes on the infected, waiting for it to make the first move as the battle began to turn towards the worst, a building behind them crumbling as tankfire landed. “Go!” Gran Torino demanded. “Escape!”

The speedster finally charged forward, causing the superhero to charge directly at the blight, the two colliding and creating a shockwave as they traveled across the battleground. One moment of not being able to properly hold the monster at bay had cost a life.

Eren continued to stare at the mutilated corpse of his mother as water filled his eyes, Mikasa and Armin sobbing as they reached out to him, forcing him to stand as they all began to run again. The detective still led the charge to salvation as bullets blazed from his gun’s muzzle, dropping normal flaming infected like flies as each bullet landed on their targets. The police continued protecting a spaced out Grisha, who just continued to stare at the corpse of the woman he loved, his wife’s life ending so fast they could barely even comprehend what was happening. She was here one second and then the next…

Tears erupted as the trio of friends approached, steam rising from Eren’s wounds as the burns continued to harm him, his flesh still feeling the insane flames that scorched his body… but Grisha knew better. It worked. This chance that he held in the suitcase, it was now proven to be the key to saving his family, to save humanity. “Kids,” the broken scientist said as he wept, holding the suitcase to them, handing it over to his son’s burned arm. “No matter what happens, you have to make sure that this makes it to safety.” The scientist could barely even stand as he put his hands on his son’s shoulders, shaking with every word he spoke.

“This, this is humanity’s salvation. You all must get out of here with it, do you understand?” The three stood silent, the world around them becoming a nightmare as the earth shook and violence engulfed all senses. The site ahead of the detective calling to the others to keep going was drowned out as tears flowed through their eyes.

“DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?”

The three nodded before all four of them began to move, finally catching up with their contact further into the hellish battlefield, flames now becoming wide spread as a Gunhed combusted, debris flying in all directions in an instant. The group were sent to the ground as the chaos escalated, the difference between survivor and infected becoming blurrier as they all continued towards the fleeing crowd. Tsukauchi turned around as the others passed him, opening fire on what he could tell were members of the Scourge. “I’ll be right behind you! GO!”

The others quickly followed their contact’s demand, blending in with the fleeing crowd of people and the overwhelming swarm, members of the living being tackled all around them by the charging army of undead.

The steam of Eren’s wounds began to slow down, the burns being noticeably gone, the feeling of death washing over him no longer present. This prompted the young man to start running on his own, Mikasa reached out to his free hand in surprise and wrapped her own around it, doing the same with her other hand to Armin. Their childhood best friend reached out for her hand, only for another survivor to grab him and throw him to the ground in a desperate attempt to keep themselves alive.

“Armin!” Mikasa cried out, prompting Eren to stop in his tracks and quickly turn around to reach out for his friend, being pushed back by a wave of people becoming overwhelming and separating him from their best friend. The two cried out to Armin as he quickly covered his skull from the terrified escaping crowd of people, attempting to keep himself safe as people ran over him at a rapid rate, no sign of stopping as the difference in living and dead became wider. Some infected had stepped on Armin, not noticing him as they charged at the fleeing crowd.

The only soul that noticed the now bleeding young man was Grisha as he reached out to Armin, picking him up and forcing him to his feet before pushing him into the crowd to run. The scientist was quickly engulfed by the fleeing citizens as he was sent to the ground, being knocked down the moment he stopped moving, Armin’s eyes widened as the sounds of his friend grew silent over the overwhelming war around them. Tears flowed as he attempted to force himself through the massive crowd, only to be pushed further into it, his best friend’s father had just given him a second chance at the cost of his own…

Eren attempted to look over the crowd, seeing Armin reach out behind them, but his father was nowhere to be seen. The youngest member of the Jaeger family looking in all directions for his father to his fear, being quite impossible. “DAD!” Eren screamed off the top of his lungs, the young man’s tears now burning as water kept forcing itself to the surface, a howl of anguish exiting his mouth as he cried out to the world with a damaged heart.

Jets began to fly overhead, windows breaking from the mere sonic boom when the bottom latch of the ship opened, though Mikasa couldn’t quite see what was happening, the realization hit quickly.

The streets themselves were launched into the air as Bunker Buster bombs crashed into the earth, sending entire plates of the battlefield into the sky to crash into the ground, the overwhelming group finally stopping as they all screamed. The shaking of the street beneath them caused most of them to fall over, giving Mikasa a clear look at Armin who was alone. The young man lay on the ground, looking unconscious…

“No!” She thought before charging into the depths of hell, leaving Eren behind as he attempted to reach out for her, his hand wrapping around her scarf as she plunged headfirst into the darkness.

“Mikasa!” he screamed out as the overwhelming crowd of terrified citizens returned to its full speed in a moment, pushing him back, carrying him against his will to freedom. “Get the fuck off of me! You have no idea what you are doing!” He could barely see what was happening but he made out enough as he was being pushed further and further back, eyes widening with horror at even the glimpse of what was occurring.

She was attempting to save Armin, the young woman shielding one of her dearest friends with what she could, pushing back the infected that continued to swarm around them.

“No, God no! Anything but her!” Eren attempted to lift his other hand above his head to strike the countless people with the suitcase but to no avail, his limb was being blocked by the overwhelming crowd. Eyes watered at lightning speeds as he could only watch as her scream echoed over the sounds of fleeing people, drowning out everything but the sound of her voice.

“MIKASA! ARMIN!”

At the sight of horror, sorrow and rage quickly consumed him, tears erupting as he desperately attempted to claw his way out. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all! Get the fuck out of my way!”

She was trying her best to just push them back, punching several members as hard as she could as they surrounded herself and Armin, but it was no use. The sound of her friend’s screaming filled her ears as an infected sank its teeth into his throat, blood spraying on her back and ground, Eren could only faintly hear her call out to him as their images became more sealed away by the swarming horde. This quickly made it so that he couldn’t see them at all, the only thing that he had left was the scarf he was holding on intensely. His grip, if the material was anything harder, would have shattered the article of cloth.

Suddenly the sound of a sonic boom ruptured from above, the image of a yellow blur approaching at a rapid rate, speeding by as it quickly reached out, lifting Eren into the air, and to his surprise not being the only person as the detective was with him. The back of their jackets being held onto for dear life as Gran Tornino saved their lives, making the young man instantly erupt in rage. “You bastard, turn back!” Tears flowed down his face as he turned his attention towards the older superhero. “We can’t let them die! I can’t lose her too!”

The hero simply stayed silent as he focused on the task at hand, approaching an aircraft as fast as he could. The military warmachine opened up its bay door as the two approached, going further and further up into the air until the yellow blur to those below entered the vehicle, the superhero dropping Eren and Detective Tsukauchi onto the ground.

“Take me back!” Eren erupted as he quickly raised the suitcase above his head to strike his savior, the grief overtaking him in a moment of rage before a strike to the back of the head dropped him to the ground in an instant. The bay door of the military weapon closed as consciousness faded, the detective taking the opportunity to quickly knock him out. He stood above Eren, along with the superhero, as his vision went to black…

***

“It should have been me…” Tears erupted from Eren’s eyes as he continued to stare at the blood stained road, the horde surrounding a fallen Gunhed unit completely flipped onto its side.

The captain of the Scouts couldn’t move a muscle, his hearing being nothing more than static as his heart beat at a rapid rate. Creati crouched next to Eren, placing her hand on his shoulder and lightly motioning him to take his eyes off of the sight of horror but to no reaction, the soldier simply ignoring the superhero. “Captain… we have to go,” she said with sorrow in her voice, the young captain continuing to quietly sob as to not draw the attention of the horde.

Hideki turned his attention to Jet Jaguar as they stood watch before looking back to Eren. “Keep observing, warn us if something is coming, just give me a second.” The android nodded before returning to his task, surveying the debris to observe the Blight simply roaming.

The host of Ultraman Jack sat next to Eren, placing his hand on his other shoulder. “This is where it happened, isn’t it?”

Momo looked over to her superior, giving the ZAT member a concerned look as he continued. “I can’t imagine what you are going through, for someone so young to witness what you did… it must take its toll. I read your file before we left. Losing everyone you ever loved in a blink of an eye…” Hideki wrapped his arm around Eren’s shoulder, looking to Yayorozu to do the same, the two of them embracing Eren for a moment.

“You will understand more than anyone… I need to get Aki back. Please Eren, I can’t lose her again, this second chance… it’s our only chance.” A tear slowly made its way down Hideki’s cheek as Eren turned to his fellow captain, seeing the older man attempt to keep everything buried underneath his rough exterior.

“If there is even the smallest chance that my friends are amongst the survivors,” Momo added as her voice seemed to slightly crack. “I will do anything to see them again. I wasn’t there for them when this started… please Eren, help me make amends.”

The scout wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve before standing up on his feet, sniffing as he took in a deep breath. “No one will go through what I have… let’s move.”

The three of them quickly stood up and walked over to Jet Jaguar, the android turning and giving a thumbs up to signal the coast was clear.

“We’ll bring them home. Every last one.” Eren thought before taking the first step, four heroes now journeying into hell’s abyss to rescue the souls of the innocent.

 

Chapter 6: All That is Left

“Hello? Hello!” Aki called out, fiddling with the radio as static was overpowering the headphones currently planted on the top of her head. She snapped her head over to Kazuma Aoki fiddling with the machinery connected to the communicator. “Anything?”

The former G-Force pilot shook his head in disappointment as Aki lowered her head. “Dammit,” she muttered, removing the headset from her long black hair as she got up from her seat.

“Should we try again here soon?” inquired Kazuma, rubbing his shoulder as he gritted his teeth, wanting to feel useful in their current predicament. As the toll was weighing heavily on everyone in their makeshift fortress from the undead horde.

The young woman shook her head. “No, we need to conserve as much power as we can, should things take a turn for the worse.”

“You believe your message from yesterday got through?” asked Kazuma, heading over to a large object obscured by a large beige cover.

“I heard some voices on the other end, so maybe, but I don’t know,” Aki nearly rambled on, trying to keep hope alive for not only the people in the compound, but herself. She eyed what her companion was standing near, with his hand rubbing the covering. “It’s not ideal, but if it comes down to it, then at least two of us will have a chance on your pterodactyl.”

“As much as I relish piloting the old bag of bones again,” Kazuma spoke almost enthusiastically, but paused, remembering the situation that would have to be called for it to happen. With it, his smile turned into a frown, horrified at what would become of the other five left behind when the infected eventually broke through. “I do not look forward to what will happen in the coming days.”

“At the very least, just make sure it’s up and running. It’s the best piece of equipment we have right now,” Aki lightly commanded, giving her friend a smile.

“Count on it,” Kazuma spoke, mirroring her smile.

“And keep up the good work,” she spoke, before turning away, strolling through the large hanger to find the other members of the group. Not only to assess their every option, but to check in on them and keep their spirits alive for a bit longer.

Aki glanced all around the garage, eyeing where each member of their makeshift group was currently stationed at. All of them doing either what they needed to do to survive or to alleviate their own sense of boredom. She envied them, as nothing could take her mind off Jiro and Hideki. The two most important people in her life and not even having the faintest idea of where they are or if they joined the ranks of the undead.

She wanted to break down and cry, to do so yet again, but now, there were no tears left to shed. The most she could do was make sure everyone makes it out alive. Aki couldn’t be alone in her thoughts for much longer as in the corner of her eye, she saw a light. She turned around to find the source illuminating from the small office.

Aki took a step forward, peeking from the corner to see a woman around the same age as her with short, red hair. Her stained yellow buttoned up shirt matched the decaying color of the walls as her black pants were torn from the bottom. However, despite her beat up clothing, she was hyper focused on writing with a huge stack of papers placed right next to her.

She knocked on the door, eliciting a head tilt from the writer. “Hey Yuri, mind if I come in?”

“Of course,” Yuri smiled, setting her pen down as her eyes followed Aki as she sat across the table from her. “I was just about done with my little project here.”

“Oh? What’s the new exciting story coming from my favorite reporter?” the young woman asked, eyeing the stack of papers with great interest. Despite not being able to take her mind off the people she loved, she desperately wanted a chance, a chance for something to take her mind off it. Anything. She didn’t even care if Yuri’s pet project turned out to be made up bullshit.

“Depends how you want to look at it,” Yuri answered, pausing as she shoved the completed page under the stack, pulling out a blank page from the bin next to her. “It’s a story, more of a bible, detailing every person, kaiju and event from our history. Just to make sure a lot of people survive in some way.”

Aki tilted her head, confused by what she meant by that last part, as the reporter seemingly caught onto her visible confusion. Yuri tilted her head down slightly, visibly distraught at what awaited them. “In the event no one comes and we do not make it out of this.”

“Would it help if I read what you have?” Aki asked, giving her friend of the past two years a smile.

“I appreciate it, but it pretty much contains everything we’ve not only been through, but the world itself,” Yuri answered, glancing over at the blank piece of paper in front of her as she picked up her pen once more. “And besides, it’s not intended for anyone here. It’s for whoever comes across this to ensure humanity can still exist.”

“You intend to stash it?” inquired Aki, raising an eyebrow.

“Eeyup,” Yuri answered. “But… um…. No offense, I can’t afford anyone to find out where it’s at in the off chance your zombified selves dig through it.”

Aki simply chuckled at the answer the reporter gave. “Naturally.”

“And don’t worry, I have a plan myself in case things go south,” Yuri giggled slightly, causing Aki’s eyes to widen just a tad. A sense of worry was starting to take a hold of her as a small crack of insanity or perhaps some dark humor shined through.

Aki nodded, getting up on her two feet and turned towards the door, but not before she spoke up, “If we do make it out, make sure you publish it, okay? People are gonna need something new to read around here.”

“You bet!” Yuri enthusiastically chanted as Aki took her leave and moved on to the next area of the structure. Before she could move on to checking in on the young Otaki Factory employee, she heard a loud, enthusiastic voice holler out.

“Elves!” Aki turned around to find the former Apex employee and attempted saboteur, Bernie, shouting ever so loudly, tuning out the moans of the horde outside, at the little red creature known as Pigmon.

The friendly monster cocked his head to the side, baffled at what his friend said. Bernie nearly raised his hands up in annoyance as his eyes rolled. “I don’t understand how you haven’t heard of them? Elves! If your kind can exist, then they can, too!”

“Ra?” Pigmon vocalized.

“No! Those are orcs! Green people are not real!” Bernie cried out, throwing his hands at Pigmon, who bounced back, immediately waving his white, boney hands back at him.

“Ra! Ra! Ra! Ra!” Pigmon shrieked out, bouncing around in circles.

“Yes! Those kinds of elves! What ones did you think I was talking about?!”

“Ra! Ra!”

Bernie stood frozen, frowning at his red companion. “Now, I know you’re screwing with me, because those are giraffes!”

He then reached into his pocket and pulled out some tinfoil, fiddling around with it until he crafted a cone shaped hat out of it. Bernie then slammed it on top of his head and smirked.

“And that’s how you stop elves from reading your mind!” Bernie declared, pointing at his head with both of his index fingers.

Aki shook her head and chuckled. As entertaining as the conversation sounded, she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold a candle to what they were arguing about. She walked away from the bickering duo and made her towards Yun, fiddling with a switch on the wall. Tools were scattered around, wires were hanging all around him and wrappers of food littered by his feet.

The Otaki employee wiped his brow as sweat continued to drip from his face, his attempts at getting the old factory’s systems up and running were trial and error. Some days he had luck, other times not. It was only a matter of delaying the inevitable for however long he could. Still, he had to find some way to believe this would only be a bad memory. The same as the one just two years ago.

Yun shivered at that thought, taking a moment to compose himself at the horrors he had faced during the start of the pandemic. The people he saw being torn to shreds in the streets, the mightiest heroes joining the Scourge’s ranks and even his beloved friends being reduced to paste by his robotic brother.

It was only then, he was brought back to reality with a soft touch on his shoulder. Yun nearly shivered only to find it was the smiling Aki. “Hey! What are you up to?”

The Otaki employee chuckled, standing up straight to address her properly, dusting off his teal and red jacket. “Going for another round to reboot the old systems. I’m hoping I’ll have luck this time.”

“Aren’t the systems at least similar to the original’s back in Chiba?” inquired Aki, tilting her left eyebrow up slightly.

“A little, but the old man wanted every location to be different, but…..” Yun tried to answer, but felt the memories flooding back in his mind of that fateful day. When he lost everyone, or everyone he could confirm. The only thing that kept him from losing all of his sanity was the thought of Mei and Pelops managing to make it across the bridge. The place he and Jet Jaguar Yung were last stationed at before it all fell apart.

He exhaled, composing himself once more. “We never got around to fully implementing it.”

“I’m so sorry, Yun, I didn’t mean to make you go through any of it,” Aki murmured, placing her hand on her friend’s shoulder once more.

“It’s okay,” Yun reassured, giving her a small smile. “It’s just something that happens to all of us. Nothing we can really do about it except keep ourselves busy.”

“Couldn’t say it any better,” Aki affirmed.

“Besides, the sentries were always a little tricky to get up and running,” Yun announced, causing Aki’s eyes to widen with pure shock.

“The what!?” she blurted out.

“Eeyup,” Yun spoke out, pulling up a tablet, showing her schematics of large hanging turrets on each of the entrances. “The old man was really starting to get paranoid after the Kemur’s invasion a few years back.”

“I’d be against that, but the old man is justified in this case,” Aki complied, laughing at the whole concept of a garage having turrets strapped to the entrances. Perhaps it was a sign of cabin fever setting in for her, but the laughter was a welcomed feeling. She clapped her hands together, opening her lips once more, “I better let you get back to it, then!”

“Of course,” Yun simply mouthed, turning back with his tools, fidgeting with the panel once more as Aki turned her head upwards at the makeshift sniper’s perch above them.

The girl rubbed her hand on the railing as she took her first step towards the old, decrypt stairs. As each step elicited an eerie sound no other made in the garage, reminding her of an old haunted house she saw in movies as a child. She made her way upwards to the small room, the office of Goro Otaki, now largely torn asunder. Half of it was gone, blown apart when a misfired missile collided with the structure. Now, it gave them a clear view of the horde ravaging their base, knowing every moment to plan ahead. They had been fortunate enough that no infected metahumans were spotted, but it didn’t make their situation any better.

She saw a lone occupant of the former office, halfway concealed by the makeshift curtains as she peered outside, keeping an ever vigilant eye on the infected. The one person in their group that was a proper soldier, trained in several different forms of combat and firearms.

“Akane?” Aki softly spoke, as the former Kiryu pilot kept her eyes on the infected. Their groans and murmurs were disturbing, yet almost relieving in a sense. As if the void itself was calling towards her. “Akane?” she heard the voice speak out again.

The pilot shook her head slightly, pulling her head out of the outside world and back into the fortress. Akane shot her eyes at Aki, assuming the worst, strapped her rifle up to her chest. “Has there been a breach!? Is everyone okay!?”

“Oh no! No! No!” Aki hushed out, waving her hands rapidly. “Everyone is alright! I didn’t mean to alarm you! I just wanted to check in on you.”

Akane let out a deep breath, letting her head rest on the wall nearest to her. She couldn’t be mad, as it was misunderstanding afterall, nor the girl just wanting to be friendly. “Of course, I appreciate it.”

“How are things up here?” inquired Aki, rubbing her hands together.

“Same as usual,” answered Akane, letting herself slink down, planting herself firmly on the carpet. It was a rough feeling, but oddly comfortable for her. Similar to the bunks she slept in during her service in the Self-Defense Force.

“If you like, you’re always welcome to join us here in a bit for rations. We’d like to hear from you,” Aki spoke, trying to get to know the mech pilot a bit more beyond knowing she was in the army and Kiryu’s pilot.

“I appreciate the offer, but this place is cozy enough, at least for now,” Akane answered, as Aki’s face went down slightly in disappointment. The pilot’s mouth quivered, guilt starting to overtake her, realizing she was lowering the morale around for her companions. “But, I can at least show up for a little bit.”

Aki’s smile bounced back up. “Well, then. I better see you down there in a little bit.”

“Wouldn’t miss it,” the pilot responded, watching as Aki turned around and descended down the steps towards the other. Once she was gone, Akane sighed, closing her eyes momentarily before pulling her right sleeve upwards. What was once a mild mark on her arm became a deeper shade of red as her veins began to pulsate while the blood bounced back and forth.

It was just days before, about a week ago, they had tried to rescue a family, but were ambushed by a group of infected metahumans. Cider House, as she thought they were called, or at least the name they kept chanting out. The parents were ripped apart in seconds while the baby and another member of their group she tried to save was bitten.

The girl she was accompanied by attempted to distract them to give her and the child a fighting chance to escape, but it was all for naught. She was downed in an instant, joining their ranks as they resumed their chase. Akane soon felt herself being subjected to the same pain so many others felt, except it came from the baby she was trying to protect.

What she did next horrified her as she threw the baby down, breaking its delicate, developing head. The horror had not ceased as the infected infant continued to move, rising and lashing out, forcing her to swiftly put a bullet through the one taken far too soon. She retreated, fortunate enough to escape, or at least that’s what she initially thought. The others tried to ask her what went down and where their missing companion was, but she never answered, retreating to her nest, placing herself on the edge.

Waiting.

Waiting for the turn.

But, it didn’t come. Not yet at least.

Her stomach ached more than usual and her migraines were only getting worse, but she wasn’t a zombie. She was still a member of the living.

“For how long, though?”

Akane mentally asked herself.

“How long until I pay for my failure?”

Akane propped herself back up and put her front half through the makeshift curtains, eyeing the wandering dead. Sensing almost a sense of companionship with them as her finger was inching towards the trigger, still wanting to blow one’s head off.

“How long until I can be freed from thoughts?”

 

Chapter 7: Touching Down

Through the upper levels, they searched every room, finding nothing of value in each one. Shikishima launched his foot forward, kicking down a door as it shattered into pieces. The surge of energy rushed all over his body as the thrill of the mission or even the hunt invigorated him.

The resulting collapse grabbed the attention of two ghouls, no older than ten, who lumbered out of the shadows to face the perpetrator. Their blank, dull eyes widened as they saw Shikishima standing in the doorframe, smirking back at them. The infected children’s teeth began to chatter as their bodies shook rapidly, almost as if they were excited to see something or someone from their past.

“Mommy!” Both of them screeched out as they galloped towards the armed man, stretching their arms out towards him.

Shikishima reached down towards his left blade and pulled it out. Without any effort, he swung it directly into the child closest to him. The ultrahard steel blade cleaved through the top half of the child’s head, sending it flying into a wall, detonating on impact, leaving nothing more than a fresh coat of red paint. The second child almost wrapped her arms around him, but Shikishima’s ODM gear shot out a grappling hook, careening through the child’s skull and straight into her brain.

The infected child paused momentarily as Shikishima eyed her. Her eyes rolled back in her head as her mouth quivered. Her legs gave out as all brain function ceased, collapsing on her knees while the squad leader recalled his grapple hook, snapping it back into the ODM gear.

Shikishima chuckled, walking towards the child. “I prefer everyone to call me ‘Daddy.’”

He flicked his finger forward, sending it directly between her eyes as the limp body collapsed on the floor. The squad leader eyed the room and saw what he found in many others like it, nothing at all.

A growl was heard as footsteps echoed towards him. Shikishima got ready to turn around and face the charging threat, but heard two rounds going off. The bangs from a firearm would be a terrible thing for anyone nearby, but he was no ordinary man. One of the few, infact, able to afford to be so carefree in this dead world.

Shikishima smiled, turning around to see Yuki standing in the hallway just outside, pointing his pistol at him. His body was still shaking ever so slightly, as the squad leader raised an eyebrow at him. “Easy, comrade!” Shikishima called out, placing his blade in the holster. “You did God’s work by saving me!”

“It’s a damn shame I missed, you piece of shit.”

Yuki took a deep breath, wanting to end it all here and there, however, he knew such a hypothetical wouldn’t be easy. He’d be lucky if he killed the leader, but explaining the ordeal to the others and trying to leave this godforsaken place would be another headache. The former pilot of Moguera holstered his weapon and walked out of the hallway as Shikishima followed him.

The two turned to see Azusa approaching them as she then stopped in place and saluted Shikishima. “Azusa, babe. We’ve been over this, when I’m in command, there’s no need to salute.”

He paused, forming a look of discomfort for a mere second. “It’s pretty creepy, if you ask me.”

Yuki rolled his eyes, allowing himself to rest on the nearby wall while he crossed his arms.

“Not as creepy as your command.”

“Captain, Yuki. We’ve found a group of survivors in the lower levels. Orders?” relayed Azusa, with almost no emotion in her voice, as if she were a machine.

“Ooh!” hummed Shikishima, rubbing her chin softly as he glanced down the hallway from where she came from. “Perhaps we shouldn’t keep them waiting. I look forward to seeing what they have to offer.”

The three, with some quiet hesitation from Yuki, trekked down to their destination where they reunited with the rest of the squad. Yuki glanced over to SSS9, peering out of one of the windows in the massive lobby, likely to ensure no infected charged in. Kazama and Kiriko kept their eyes peeled on the band of survivors they found huddled together.

“My friends! My friends!” Shikishima announced loudly, stretching his arms out while he smiled brightly at the scared group. “We are here to help get you fine folk out of your predicament!”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” a very tall, fox-like woman jumped to her feet, taking her attention away from the others and towards Shikishima. “Please! We’ll do anything we can to get out of here.”

“Of course, of course,” Shikishima laughed out, reaching his hand upwards at the very tall civilian who stood a couple feet higher than him and placing it on her shoulder. “Tell me, what’s your situation like? Provisions, weapons, skills. You know, the fun kind of stuff.”

The trembling girl was taken back by what the man requested, staring down at his inquisitive yet uncaring nature. She rubbed her hands together and glanced back, “We…. just ran out of food and water as you arrived. It’s…. um… a good thing you all got here when you did.”

“Mhm…..” Shikishima simply hummed, taking his hand off her shoulder and stepping past the civilian to assess the other survivors.

Her gaze went downwards with her hands continuing to be bundled together. “We don’t have any weapons, just managed to outrun the infected as best as we could….” she paused for a moment as her voice began to crack as the memories surged of seeing so many being ripped apart by the undead. She took a moment to compose herself while Yuki watched the conversation unfold, feeling his stomach turning into knots.

“Please. Please! Tell me all of you are useful. Anything! Basic foot soldier or technician if anything!”

“And all of us are just civilians with average jobs. Sales reps, janitors, mailmen,” she murmured.

“Hmmmm…. A mailman was a noble job back in the day, but it’s sadly not needed,” Shikishima spoke, eyeing the scared group of survivors huddled before them. They were battered, dirty and a few of them even had injuries cast upon them, with splints wrapped around them. “You see, we have limited room aboard our craft and I wish we could take you, but none of you fit the bill of what we’re looking for.”

“I don’t understand…. I thought you were here to rescue us…” she stuttered out, tears welling in her eyes as she was turning around to face him.

“It seems plans change,” Shikishima murmured, hanging his head down. Before anyone else could fully comprehend it, he pulled out his ultrahard steel blade and swung it upwards, striking the tall fox woman’s nape.

Blood erupted from her mouth, nearly coating Azusa with it as her eyes widened in shock from the sudden swipe. Shikishima swiped the blade away from the nape while the civilian immediately collapsed on the floor, the collision nearly snapping her head off from the rest of her body.

The rest of the civilians screamed out in horror as Yuki placed his hand on his stomach after witnessing the execution his superior officer just committed. Shikishima swung his finger around, “Kill them all.”

The rest of the squad, with no hesitation, turned their aim towards the crying crowd as they unleashed a hail of bullets. Each of the rounds tore into the civilians, ripping them up to shreds, ensuring they did not survive nor be reanimated as the undead.

Yuki continued to watch how his comrades, ones who had sworn to protect people, could massacre them in an instant. Helpless citizens who were always saved by them when a kaiju reared its head, but now murdered over a lack of supplies or skills desirable to them.

It was then when his stomach dropped even further to Shikshima smirking at him. Yuki then realized his commanding officer knew he wasn’t firing his weapon at them. He closed his eyes, awaiting the inevitable execution from his leader, but instead felt his thumb and index finger rubbing his chin.

“Chin up, soldier. We at least got them out of their predicament,” Shikishima spoke softly, almost as if he were trying to comfort him in his own twisted way. Yuki slowly opened his eyes only to see his commanding officer walk away from him, assessing the remains of the people his team massacred.

Sweat poured down from Yuki’s face as he wanted to scream at the tragedy he’d just witnessed. His chest bounced up and down while his breathing became rapid, feeling the urge to hurl out his insides. The thought of raising his gun up to his head came into his mind, but his hand trembled, refusing to follow such an act. Or perhaps he thought of himself as too cowardly to join the rest of his former comrades in the afterlife, fearing the judgment they’d cast down on him for the wretched acts he participated in.

He slammed his hands into his head, pulling on his hair as he snapped his eyes shut.

“Just make it stop!”

 

Chapter 8: Remnants of the Past

The group covered their nostrils as they moved through a downed building, what remained of anything that had been living was long since decayed, flies buzzing in the air being more potent as they marched forward. Attempting to be as quiet as possible with every step was quite the task as the smell engulfed all senses, causing them to gag while the glass that was scattered on the ground could create a problem. The sound of anything could alert the horde and the buzzing bugs wouldn’t be enough to cover their tracks from them if one, or a group, of the undead horde was near.

Jet Jaguar stood at the front of the group, motioning the others to step where he stepped, his computer mind calculating with precision the safest route. The android, however, would take moments to observe the area in case of a hidden infected, the Scourge would be easily hidden within the shadows of the office room to his organic comrades at first glance. But he would spot them quicker than they could, and if need be, would silence them before they could alert more of them.

The deeper within the city they traveled, the higher the risk was becoming. At any moment an incredibly strong infected metahuman or kaiju could enter the equation, throwing in a new variable to overcome on their already perilous journey. His human compatriots had already faced psychological scars at the beginning of this journey, at some point the horror would return to hunt them physically, roaring and clawing as they would attempt to save those in need.

He had hoped that they could rise to the occasion, the group assembled was a worthy one on every account to face whatever lurked within the dark, but life had shown that it can be cruel, much more cruel than anyone had believed within the last two years. While hope would push humanity to their absolute peak throughout the horror that started twenty eight months ago, hope could only get you so far in war.

The robotic superhero’s thoughts came to a crashing halt as he reached the end of the hallway, the path being blocked by a gigantic piece of debris, coming to a halt and raising his arm to signal the others to stop. The three following him ceased all movement as the android began to touch the boulder in their way, feeling out where the best place to strike was. One wrong move and his human allies would be crushed to death by a possible collapse. Jet Jaguar motioned them to step back, the sound no longer being a problem with what he was about to do.

Reaching back with a fist before swinging, the metallic hand struck the boulder with around five percent of his maximum power to break it apart, making a walkway for the four heroes to continue forward. Jet walked first into the city street to observe the area, checking in all directions to spot any sign of movement. To the relief of the automaton, it was a moment of peace as nothing alerted his sensors. The superhero motioned to the others to enter the street, each of them one by one stepping into the sunlight, only for them to see something truly horrific…

Established over a series of destroyed buildings laid the corpse of a colossus, one of this planet’s greatest defenders had been reduced to nothing more than a barren memory. The humanoid build was covered in rubble, tears across the being’s silver uniform revealed nothing but bone and shadows as nothing else remained. The light in its eyes was pitch black, it was as if the giant had been hollowed out from the inside, the only sign of life being the murder of crows that hovered around the corpse, cawing as they searched for more food.

“Dear god…” Hideki uttered as he stared at the fallen hero, looking across the being’s form, eventually spotting the belt on the corpse being as dark as his eyes, a chill forcing its way up the ZAT member’s spine as the remains gave him a vivid look into his possible future.

Creati stared with sorrow at the fallen giant. She had been taught about the Peacelander’s efforts to defend the planet in school, a part of her always hoping to meet the extraterrestrial defender. It would seem that even the mightiest could be devoured.

“Zone Fighter fought to the very end for this planet,” Eren commented with sorrow in his voice. “To give our species a fighting chance… for his sake and so many others like him, we can’t waste that sacrifice.”

For a moment Momo pondered on what her superior said, thinking of her teachers that no doubt fought to the bitter end to save as many lives as they could before falling to the Scourge. To her friends, it was unknown if any of them had made it out of this city, let alone survived with no contact for two years… but she wouldn’t let this second chance, her only chance, to save them go to waste. She looked past the remains of the Peacelander to the horizon, seeing in the distance the ruins of Tokyo Tower, the once proud monument being cut in half.

“We should be near,” turning to Jet Jaguar as she spoke. “Can you confirm?” The android nodded before pointing in the direction to where the signal had been picked up from, having the others all observe carefully its point of origin. His attention returned to the fallen Zone Fighter. The android bowed before the corpse of the hero, taking a moment to respect the sacrifice he had made on Z-Day. Afterward, he turned and started walking forward, prompting the other members to follow.

But unbeknownst to them, they were being watched.

On top of one of the ruined buildings stood four dark figures looming as the group of heroes walked further into the damned metropolis, the front three snarling as they observed the traveling meal. The one standing in the middle was covered in unique armor, protecting specific vital points while also allowing the entity’s movement to not be hindered. Ripped black clothing laid underneath the armor, revealing wounds that were now stained crimson from decay. The infected Mutant stared with hollow white eyes, the muscles in his hands visibly flexing through a wound as he gripped the concrete on top of the roof. He crushed it with enough force to make the gigantic hole in his torso leak a bit of ichor.

Shinichi Ozaki had given it his everything two years ago at the fall of civilization, but even the strongest Mutant on the planet had fallen victim to the Blight.

On his right stood a man that had been all too familiar with life and death, his muscular build ravaged by the transformation into a demon of the night. The once proud captain of the Gotengo was still a valuable asset to the Scourge. One wide eye stared alongside his fellow infected, the other being nothing more than a black hole surrounded by bone and patches of flesh. His nose was completely gone, torn skin surrounding the hole where it had once been. A tear on his right leg revealed the muscle underneath, the fibers being exposed to the outside world as it oozed ichor with every movement. A necklace that resembled a crescent moon hung around his neck, a gift from a better time in the world, a brown, ripped trenchcoat flowing in the wind alongside the necklace. Black gloves held a sword that was swung over the infected’s shoulder, the entity ready to pursue the hunt.

Captain Douglus Gordon was lost to the Scourge as so many others had been.

The entity to Ozaki’s left wore bright red armor, the middle of the chestplate having a golden center with a symbol resembling a bow and arrow protecting the torso of the infected. The helmet of the undead superhuman was cracked on the right side, revealing milky white eyes with gray skin to the outside world. A tuft of black hair poked out of the armor piece alongside the rest of his face. Across the left side of the armor a gigantic tear revealed bone and muscle. Blood dripped out as black sludge onto the ground as the ravenous hunger pointed at the group of traveling misfits, growling. The thought of fresh meat was driving the infected mad.

The leader of the Gransazers, Tenma Kudo, of the Fire Tribe, charged into hell alongside the best of the best. In a desperate attempt to end this war, he had only added more firepower to the overwhelming legion.

The trio started to move to begin the chase, only for the sound of the fourth member of their group to enter their ears.

“No…” he spoke as he waved his hand, the others quickly ceasing their actions as they turned towards the one in command, making way for him to properly see what lay below. The undead commander stared deeply at one specific member, a feeling washing over its black heart for the first time since the transformation into an abomination.

Distinct memories of a past life flashed before the entity’s eyes, the leader of the pack forcing a smile on his ruined face as he began to see the full picture, revealing the fangs hidden underneath his cheek. White eyes filled with hatred continued to stare as he adjusted his neck, the tear through his flesh making it harder to properly look for a certain amount of time. A crack was heard as the undead marched a bit forward, looking with anticipation as to what was to come next.

“Eren…”

 

Chapter 9: Interception

Yuki stared at the rest of the group ahead of him, his eyes narrowing on each of them with every step he took. They had just committed an atrocity, all without a second thought, bloodstains that they couldn’t wash off their souls. The visions of this day would haunt him till the end, innocent blood being spilled without hesitation or remorse, those around him not being affected by the horrible actions they had committed. They simply moved forward with a determination to see this mission to the end, all in the service of a man of ambition and madness.

“Dwelling on it won’t change what happened.” a voice beside him stated, Kazama hanging in the back of the group with the ex-pilot of the JSDF, the Mutant staring forward as they walked.

“It doesn’t bother you as someone who used to protect people like them, how far we have fallen?”

The Mutant stood silent for a moment, taking his comrade’s words to heart. Kazama’s eyes hung low at the thought of how his fallen brothers and sisters would see him now, the forces of the M-Organization putting all of their faith in him… only to have failed every step of the way. “We are soldiers,” he said with deep sorrow. “We are here to do the things others won’t for the greater good.”

“Soldiers have done some horrible things for the ‘greater good,’ we swore an oath to uphold peace, yet we slaughter children like animals.” Yuki drifted his sight towards the Saradian Agent, the pilot staring with disgust. Kazama couldn’t help but think of his rival in the moment, these two would more than likely see eye to eye on a lot of things, and to a certain extent Kazama agreed with his companion.

“Sometimes we must make decisions… and we have to learn to live with them.”

The once proud pilot of Moguera went to speak, only for Shikishima in the front of the group to raise his hand in a fist, signaling the others to cease their movement. “Quiet.” The captain motioned for the others to get behind cover as something began to approach, the sound of footsteps within the gigantic graveyard seeming to grow louder by the second. The group quietly waited behind the scattered debris within the street alley, shadows on the ground growing bigger before their full frame was seen by the hiding group.

There were four of them, two men, a robot, and a woman. Their clothes, while having some grime on them, were not the blood and mud covered clothes of someone lurking in the streets to survive this city’s horrors. Shikishima looked at their uniforms, his eyes curiously seeing the details in each one. It would seem that just like them, others were searching the ruins of Japan’s capital, there must have been an outpost somewhere and if they were to question them, they could discover possible outposts for their superiors to raid.

The captain of the Super X smiled as the possibility of rising through the ranks came to mind, but then he looked closely at the boy wearing a Scout Regiment uniform, his eyes widening as his grin turned into one of genuine joy. The four suddenly came to a halt when the robot standing in front turned to the alleyway, staying silent as he stared into the dark ruins.

“What’s wrong?” Hideki asked his android companion, his hand slowly reaching over to the holster housing the MAT Shoot, the action of hostility putting Eren and Momo on edge. The two hovered their hands over the hilt of their blades while observing the alleyway.

“This might get interesting after all.” Shikishima thought to himself as Jet Jaguar pointed down the alleyway, beeping as he spoke in binary at the hidden group, his sensors indicating movement most likely caused by breathing. The captain of the Super X revealed himself, raising his hands above his head to show that he meant no harm.

“Easy, I’m a friend,” He spoke with a welcoming smile. “No need to be on edge. I apologize that we were hiding, we didn’t know if you were infected or raiders.”

“We?” Hideki inquired as he continued to stare at Shikishima, his hand now unclipping the holster and hovering above his weapon.

“What the hell is he thinking?” Kiriko whispered as she stood up, being the first of the rest of the Super X pilots to reveal themself. Promptly, the others one by one stood up from behind the debris and alleyway trash, the two groups now facing each other.

Eren looked closely at Shikishima, seeing the ODM gear and the blood covered Scout uniform being worn by an unknown man. “You are a Scout? Where are you stationed? I don’t remember you from any records I have seen.”

Shikishima slowly made a frown before lowering his hands, standing at attention. “You really don’t recognize me, boy?”

“The JSDF divided forces across this country two years ago, on Z-Day I helped against the undead in Osaka. Regrettably, however, I was left alone to pick up the pieces.”

Hideki and Eren stared at the rest of the group, the rest of their uniforms matching the story the man spoke.

“A G-Grasper, JSDF Pilots, a Scout, and a Mutant. Seems that you all lucked out at the very least, not being alone or with other people that can’t catch your back.” Hideki spoke, his tone being a stern one as he threw in some bait to size up this new group of survivors, unsure of their intentions. The one wearing shades was an unknown factor; if he was just some normal person that had survived the apocalypse, or if he was as dangerous as the rest of his group was to be seen. If things were to get out of hand, he might need to transform into Jack, but if he did at the first sight of danger, then it would be possible for that energy to go to waste with a bigger looming threat.

“Yes, we were quite fortunate to find each other. Our base is pretty far away but we came down here for some supplies, finding weapons, food…” Shikishima stated before turning towards Jet Jaguar, a cocky smirk laying on his face. “Technology.”

Eren wrapped his hands around the grips of his blades, his grip carefully preparing for conflict.

“A ZAT member, a Scout, and the first generation of Jet Jaguar being in Tokyo of all places,” the captain spoke, slightly turning his attention to Momo with a smile. Making the young heroine give a slightly uncomfortable look as her grip wrapped around the hilt of her weapon. “The only one I don’t know about at all is you, young lady. If you all come with us, perhaps we can all get to know each other a bit more.”

The pilots of the Super X all in unison pointed their respective weapons at the four heroes, their guns all aiming towards them causing Momo to stand in front of her comrades with her shield as she quickly unsheathed her weapon.

“No one needs to get hurt here,” Shikishima continued. “If you all come with us quietly, I guarantee that you all will be more than safe.”

“And if we refuse?” Yaoyorozu spoke, her feet standing steady on the ground as she put her sword pointing at the enemy while protecting herself with the shield. A tactic she would not regret as Kiriko suddenly fired a single round, aiming to shoot her in the leg, only for Jet Jaguar to catch the bullet midair. He held the bullet in his palm before dropping it, speaking in binary as he pointed towards Shikishima.

“Why, that is quite the threat, my robotic friend.”

“What did he say?” Hideki asked as he grabbed his weapon, the ZAT Shoot aiming directly at Shikishima’s skull.

“That he would “feed me” my own heart.”

The enemy opened fire, bullets rushing towards them as the group of heroes quickly went to defend themselves. Jet Jaguar pressed onward towards Shikishima, his open palm blocking incoming fire as the android stared viciously at the captain of these raiders. Momo stood strong, holding her shield in front of herself and Hideki as they moved towards cover, the ZAT agent firing bolts of energy as he hid behind Creati’s defenses.

Finally they made it behind a gigantic boulder, Hideki still retaliating while Momo quickly began to think of a plan. The ZAT member continued to fire the ZAT Shoot as Eren took to the sky, the ODM gear putting an anchor into the wall behind the enemy forces, pulling him forward at rapid speeds as he dodged incoming gun fire.

“Kazama!” Shikishima yelled as Jet Jaguar swung towards him, the android missing by the skin of his teeth, with the captain managing to sidestep just in time. “Deal with Jet Jaguar… the boy is mine.” The creation of Dr. Ibuki went to strike the cocky smirk off of Shikishima’s face with a punch, only for the Mutant to zoom by and stop the impact. The fallen member of the M-Organization caught the robotic fist in his hand before kicking the superhero back, a trail forming in the concrete from the strike.

Jet Jaguar uttered a few digital beeps at his opponent as he got into a defensive stance, Kazama’s fists tightening as anger began to rise to the surface. “Who the hell are you to judge me?”

The android replied with another series of binary beeps, causing the Mutant to make his move. Charging at full speed and swinging with both hands, the strikes were caught by Jet Jaguar in an instant, a shockwave being sent out from the impact. “Bastard!”

Bullets broke concrete and brick as Eren ran across the ruin wall, the Scout attempting to get a proper advantage on the group. A drop at his speeds and with an exact strike would end this conflict in an instant. The captain held onto his blades as he prepared for a rapid descent, only for an anchor to cut through his leg, the hero of the walls gritting his teeth as he was thrown down to the ground. A loud thud was heard as he smacked his head against the concrete floor, blood pouring from the wound as his vision became hazy, seeing a figure walk closer to him.

“Deal with the other two behind the debris, I have this.” Captain Shikishima stated as he revealed his blade, the twin steel weapons shining for a moment as he approached. His eyebrow rose as he noticed something while Eren recovered, steam rising from the wound on his head. The captain smiled as his assessment was correct.

“Seems the old man had more successes.”

Eren now stood on both of his feet, blades ready to counter whatever this fallen Scout would throw at him. “So,” Shikishima spoke. “How is the old man and his wife doing? Grisha and Carla.”

The words sparked something deep within Eren, the captain of the Scouts growing to an emotional response instantly, raising his voice as he continued to stare at the enemy. “How the hell do you know my parents!?”

“Now, now, that isn’t how you play twenty questions, young Jaeger.”

The hero of the walls’ eyes widened as the man stopped in front of him, his twin blades being pointed downwards as if he wasn’t even a threat to the captain. “Who the hell is this guy? He knows my parents, he knows me…” He didn’t answer, only panting as slight anxiety began to rise up. Shikishima looked down with a slight frown as he had realized the answer.

“I see… despite all that has happened, you have my condolences.” Shikishima swung his blades at Eren, prompting the captain of the Scout Regiment to roll out of the way before aiming a slice to the leg, only for Shikishima to quickly strike his knee into Eren’s chin. A tooth flew as he was thrown back against the wall, his blades rolling across the ground as he stared at the approaching figure. Steam rose from the wound in his mouth, prompting the young man to attempt to open his jaws and sink his teeth into his thumb, only for one of Shikishima’s blades to puncture through his hand and cheek.

A blood curdling scream echoed across the battlefield as cold steel held Eren in place, the weapon stabbing into the brick wall. “You can’t beat me, so sit still and enjoy the entertainment.” Shikishima turned his attention towards the battle at hand, watching with eager eyes to witness the victors, his comrades cornering the small batch of heroes.

“Yaoyorozu!” Hideki screamed. “Eren is down! Is it ready?”

Her arms glowed pink and blue as a small batch of objects fell from her form, falling next to her as she picked up two of them before pulling the pins and throwing them above the debris. The group continued to fire, only one noticing the small objects fly towards them and landing at their feet.

“GET BACK!” Kiriko screamed as she quickly turned around and leapt behind cover, only for a blinding white light to engulf the eyes of the rest of the group. The former G-Grasper got back up with her sights on the enemy emerging from the debris, opening fire on Momo and landing a grazing hit on her arm.

“Shit!” Creati yelled as blood poured down her arm, prompting her to charge directly at the soldier, her shield acting as both protection and a battering ram. Bullets bounced off the quirk-created weapon as Kiriko unloaded everything she could at the superhero, preparing to defend herself as Momo raised her blade to her, swinging the cold steel and missing only by a few inches. The soldier reached out, wrapping her hand around the hilt of the sword before pulling it forward, attempting to relinquish it from Creati, only to instead earn a headbutt from the heroine.

Kiriko stumbled back before being cut at the waist, Momo landing a blow with her sword, making the former G-Grasper fall to the ground. “Submit,” Creati stated as she pointed the blade at the downed enemy.

The raider smiled before swiping at her feet, knocking Yaoyorozu to the ground and slamming her back into the concrete, her weapon sliding to the side. “You aren’t a Mutant,” Kiriko began as she pointed her pistol at the young woman’s head. “You aren’t a devil, so you either have a deal with one or you have a Quirk. Either way you will be of great use to th-”

Her thought was cut short as Hideki landed a hit on her shoulder, the ZAT Shoot burning through her flesh and forcing out a cry of pain as she stumbled back, giving Momo an opportunity to free herself. She kneed Kiriko in the crotch before blocking her body with the shield, the raider firing her gun in a desperate attempt to stun her target, only for the bullet to bounce off and fly into the distance.

Kiriko panted as she attempted to catch her breath, Momo reaching for her sword before the two stood still. Waiting for the other to make their first move.

The Saradian Agent, Azusa, and Captain Yuki surrounded the debris that Hideki hid behind. Bullets ripped through the concrete and pinned him down, their sight returning to them after a small amount of time. “Dammit!” The ZAT Captain yelled aloud, trying to think of anything to help. Flashbangs went off around him before seeing the astral form of his closest ally standing still. His static-like form stood in front of Hideki, nodding as the captain began to form a plan.

“Perhaps it is time to borrow my power Hideki, save your friends.” Jack reached out with a glow, his hand becoming a welcoming embrace… only for the transformation to cease when Azusa and the assassin circled around, pointing both pistols at the older man.

“Don’t move.” Azusa ordered, the former pilot smiling as she gained the high ground. “My friend won’t give you a warning, I suggest you do as I say.”

Hideki raised his hands in the air before placing the ZAT Shoot on the ground, damning the entire situation under his breath.

Shikishima smiled as he watched his group gain the upper hand, his eyes focusing on Eren, who was attempting to pull himself upwards. Rage-filled grunts were heard as adrenaline made his heart beat incredibly fast. The captain of the raiders started to walk over to the distracted Creati, the young superheroine being locked in combat with Kiriko.

She didn’t notice the sneaking fallen Scout as she continued to violently swing her blade at her target, aiming to end this quickly. However, her plans were thwarted as Shikishima sweeped under her feet, making the young woman cry out in surprise as her head slammed into the ground. Her vision quickly became hazy as she stared up, only to see the raider captain standing above her with one of his blades aimed at her throat.

Smirking with arrogance as Hideki was thrown to the ground, the ZAT Shoot now in Azusa’s possession as they stood above the two.

“So that only leaves Jet Jaguar.” Turning towards the onslaught of blows being traded between Kazama and the android, the concrete around them cracking with each blow. The robotic superhero struck the Mutant directly at the stomach, causing Kazama to cough blood as he felt a few ribs crack, though this did not stop the experienced soldier as he wrapped his arms around Jet’s limb before spinning and throwing the android through a brick wall.

The Mutant caught his breath for a moment before Jet Jaguar returned to the bout, charging so fast that Kazama couldn’t register his approach until the android’s foot struck his face, sending him flying into another building. A dust cloud formed from the impact before dissipating as the heroic robot zoomed past, catching up with the soaring Kazama in a mere moment, wrapping his metallic hand around his face before slamming him into the wooden floor.

Splinters flew into the air as Jet repeated the action, wood forcing its way into the Mutant’s face before he was lifted to eye level. Kazama stared at his opponent with gritted teeth and rage building from his core when he swung his fist at the robotic adversary. However, the hero of the Showa period caught the swing, letting out a digital cry before his free hand wrapped around Kazama’s throat and threw him into the ceiling. The Mutant screamed as his eyes widened before dropping down, only for Jet Jaguar to land a blow midair, sending Kazama flying through the wall once again to the outside world.

The former member of the M-Organization coughed blood as he stared into the sky, raising his head to see Jet Jaguar on top of him again, repeatedly striking the soldier’s face over and over again with lethal blows. He knew the dangers of the Mutants of the JSDF. They were incredibly strong fighters with the speed to match anti-kaiju military weapons. Leaving even a moment for Kazama to gain the upperhand was one the android couldn’t afford. He would save his allies from this group, even if he had to beat them all by himself.

The other raiders watched the battle unfold, the only one having a noticeable reaction being Yuki, who stared in horror at his comrade’s beatdown. The captain raised his pistol to intercept the famous robotic hero, only for the other blade Shikishima held to hover above the barrel of the gun, stopping him from aiding Kazama. “Watch,” The captain stated with a stern voice, motoning for the man to continue observing the conflict.

The Mutant reached over to some rubble next to him, his hand wrapping around rebar sticking to a clump of concrete before swinging it upward and striking Jet Jaguar with it. The concrete rubble broke into shards and flew into the air as the robot was pushed off of him, Kazama finally being able to recover as his attacker was pushed back. The rebar, still within his hand, was raised into the air before stabbing into Jet Jaguar’s shoulder. Sparks flew as Kazama screamed with fury, forcing the rubble deeper into the robot’s circuits.

The size changing android pulled back his free arm before slamming his fist into Kazama’s chest, sending him flying into the alleyway. Sparks continued to emerge from the wound as Jet attempted to rip the rebar out of him, only for then gunfire to knock the limb off completely with a well aimed shot. The Saradian Agent stood with a smile of pride as the robot stumbled back and clutched the damaged spot. He turned towards the other raiders as they stood with their guns aimed at the downed savior of mankind.

Eren’s eyes widened in horror as his comrades were defeated, the group of raiders all now looking down on them. If he hadn’t gone down so fast, he could have aided the others in forcing them back or retreating, but now they were going to meet the same fate as the others he loved… he was weak.

His eyes glowed deep emerald green in a quick flash as yellow lightning began to surround his body, rage building as he forced himself through the steel blade, steam erupting from his mouth and hand as he let out a deep roar of pain and hatred. The cry out earned the attention of the raiders, each of them wide eyed as an animalistic roar let out of Eren’s jaws. “Don’t think, just do it! Don’t get caught up in your own fucking trauma and let them die!” Blood erupted from the wounds deep in his mouth as he forced himself to stand, his free arm rising above his head before slamming it into the blade and breaking it from the handle, the steel falling to the ground.

“The world is cruel! Be cruel back or be devoured!”

The raiders raised their firearms towards Eren as he wrapped his hand around the broken blade within his jaws and pulled it out, mustering all of his strength and willpower into freeing himself from the wall. Success came as blood sprayed across the ground, steam rising from the wounds as he stared with glowing green eyes.

“I’LL EXTERMINATE YOU ALL!”

The raiders opened fire, each bullet ripping through his form, enough lead and fire power to even send most metahumans to the ground as a broken, deceased mush. Yet, fear entered their minds, even for just for a moment, as Eren stood his ground. Yellow electricity surrounded his body, and he smiled…

A golden bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking true to Eren’s form, the raiders were sent flying as steam surrounded him like a small tornado. Rubble flew in all directions as the soldier transformed into a beast of incredible might, green predatory eyes glowed through the smoke as it snarled. Its muscular frame showed as it stepped out of the dust, long, black hair draped to the nape of the humanoid monstrosity. Pointy ears twitched as the ogre stared down at his prey, a split open jaw having steam emerge from the maw as he breathed out. Shikishima smiled as he stared at the goliath, while not the biggest he knew of, the Titan that stood before him had exceeded his expectations.

“Show me what you really are, boy. A monster of his creation!”

The demon of justice let out a howl of rage as the rest of his comrades stared in amazement and horror. They had all read reports on their teammate, but seeing the transformation itself was different. A monster created to fend off the Scourge. To lead mankind to the freedom they once had, the manifestation of humanity’s rage being embodied in the form of the captain of the Scout Regiment.

Eren Jaeger, Demon of Justice, Hero of The Walls, the Manifestation of Humanity’s Rage, the Attack Titan had entered the equation with a thunderous declaration of war.

“I’ll kill you all…every last one.”

“Open fire,” Shikishima murmured, smirking at the monstrosity before him as his squad immediately followed his orders and turned their complete attention away from their captives. They opened fire, with a hail of bullets racing towards their intended target as the Attack Titan raised his hand forward, protecting his face.

The projectiles blasted through the fleshy palm of the Titan as large amounts of blood poured out of the freshly created wounds, only for steam to rise out of them. The Saradian Agent peered through his scope and fired a round directly through the Attack Titan’s ring finger, eliciting a cry of anger from it as it charged towards them.

The manifestation swiped at the opposing force with Shikishima meeting his attacker’s assault with his steel blades, slicing the remaining digits off of the Attack Titan’s hand. The creature hollered out in agony while the squad leader smirked.

“Surely you can do better, Eren!” Shikishima hollered out, attempting to bait the Survey Corp Captain to use his other hand while his afflicted one was slowly healing.

Hideki slowly stirred himself upwards, witnessing the display before him, smirking at his comrade demonstrating his true power. “Give them hell.” The ZAT captain scanned the area for his ZAT Shoot only to then realize it was still in Azusa’s possession. He shook his head and glanced upwards at the ghostly figure of Jack.

“Want to spot me?” inquired Hideki.

“Of course,” Jack spoke, turning around to eye the squad currently keeping their eyes peeled on the raging Attack Titan. The Ultra turned back around, giving Hideki the clear command on proceeding forward. “Now!” Hideki raced forward, attempting to give Eren the distraction he needed to end this conflict in one fell swoop.

All the while, Momo’s vision was coming back as she shook her head, attempting to figure out what exactly was going on as she heard a monstrous roar rattling the ground. Had it not been for the blow to the head, she would have gained her bearings a lot sooner. However, the sight of Hideki running towards her made her realize what was transpiring. She glanced up to see the raiders fully turning their attention towards the Attack Titan.

Despite her brain trying to process everything once more, she developed an idea to buy her comrades time. Pink energy surged from her body as she crafted another sword, and with a weakened swing, she struck Shikishima in the leg with it.

The slice forced the leader of the raiders to cough up, collapsing to his knees while Azusa turned to him. She briefly turned her attention back at the Attack Titan, firing at him as she raced over to help her commander. However, she was met with an elbow to her face, striking her left eye, blinding her!

Azusa cried out in agony, dropping her weapon as Hideki snatched his ZAT Shoot from her holster. The ZAT member aimed his weapon at the Saradian agent and Kiriko, firing his beams from his pistol, forcing them to back away. Yuki, on the other hand, retreated behind a barrier, keeping his distance, watching as his so-called squadmates were racing away from their enemy’s attacks.

With the rest of his enemies distracted, the Attack Titan nodded at Momo and Hideki before turning his attention back to the wounded Shikishima and Azusa. The raider leader struggled to get up while Azusa held onto his shoulder, supporting not only herself, but him as well.

“All right, you son of a bitch! I have you exactly where I want!” Eren screamed out.

Yuki, aiming his pistol at the Attack Titan under the guise of making it look like he was assisting his squad, inched his finger on the trigger once more. He didn’t want to hurt these people they just encountered, but his life was in danger if he didn’t follow orders.

This was the only middle ground he had; to keep everyone alive.

Or so he thought.

“RAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Yuki’s heart sank.

He knew that monstrous cry all too well.

The former Moguera pilot slowly turned around to see the street before him, filled with a horde of infected. His hope for a miracle came in the form of a disaster. His eyes widened in pure horror as he saw the Scourge charging towards him, their arms reaching out as their teeth chattered with anticipation.

“Shit!” Yuki cried out, hopping over the barricade he was taking shelter behind him as he screamed out. “Captain! We need to evacuate!”

Shikishima shot his head towards Yuki’s cries, only to see the horde racing towards them. Normally he’d relish the thought of chopping heads off, but there were too many even for him. He slammed his hand onto a device around his wrist, lighting it up.

“Coordinates uploaded!” Shikishima screamed out, wrapping his arm around Azusa while the anchors in his ODM gear hooked into a building just behind them. He looked up as the Attack Titan’s hand collapsed towards them as in the last possible second, Shikishima pulled him and Azusa away from their would-be murderer. For a brief moment, he felt fear, the thought of being reduced to paste was not a pleasant thought as he quite enjoyed the body he inhabited, and so did many others.

Shikishima found himself hooked onto the building while the Attack Titan glared at him, tightening his fists, intending to continue their battle. It was then Shikishima smirked once more and raised his eyebrows.

“Eren, my boy!” The raider captain yelled out, regaining his composure, eliciting his cocky attitude once more. “I’d love to stay in chat, but I’m afraid your company has interrupted our little sparring session.”

“Interrupted? What the hell is that bastard trying to do!?”

Shikishima, with his free hand, pointed to the charging undead, as Eren took notice. His eyes widened, watching as they were getting close to Hideki, who was already firing his weapon at them. His beam cut through a few of them as others had only lost a few limbs.

The Attack Titan snarled at his retreating foe before racing towards Hideki to provide him all the support he could muster. It was then Shikishima spoke out once more “Squad, retreat and regroup. Let our friends deal with the infected!”

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief at the command given to them as he followed the Saradian Agent and Kiriko through the alley they entered. Ideally, he would have liked to have gone anywhere but follow them, but he wasn’t in the position to argue. Survival was the only thing on his mind.

Shikishima glanced over at the wounded Kazama, struggling to get up as he watched Jet Jaguar pick up his severed arm and race towards his comrades. His comrade was nearly beaten to a pulp while blood raced down his entire body, its scent attracting a few of the zombies. He was nothing more than a sitting duck, waiting to either be devoured or to join their ranks.

The raider captain wasn’t partial towards him, but he recognized his value, or at least the potential harm in having to face a zombified version of the Mutant. With his free hand, he pulled out his blade and unhooked himself from the building. The ODM gear blew out steam, sending him flying into the charging infected. He struck down the zombie in half, slicing the upper portion off of the body, forcing it to collapse to the ground while its legs ran towards Kazama.

Shikishima landed on the ground, nearly collapsing from his early wound from Creati. He nearly hissed in pain, but kept it under control as he then realized, he no longer had to hide.

“Oh, right.”

Steam came out of his leg as the scar healed almost instantaneously, allowing him to stand tall once more. He swung his blade into the second zombie’s neck, cutting its head clean off while he stabbed the final zombie in the head, pulling its brain out before letting it fall off the blade. Shikishima glanced down before stomping on the brain, splattering it as the body it once inhabited collapsed right next to the Mutant.

Kazama continued coughing, feeling his entire body ache as if it were to explode from the beatdown he received from the robot. He looked up to see his captain holding out his hand, an offer he graciously accepted.

“Kazama, you got very lucky today,” Shikishima relayed as Kazama held onto him while his captain fired the anchors of his ODM gear into the top of the building. Before any more infected could attempt to sink their teeth into them, Shikishima pulled the group upwards, allowing them temporary shelter on the rooftop above to nurse their wounds.

“Well, shit,” Hideki muttered, firing off his ZAT Shoot. The first beam sliced through three of the zombies, one’s jaw exploding on impact, the second losing its left arm and the last, with its heart completely vaporized. Yet, it was still moving to his horror.

Energy surged out of her body as Momo formed two pistols from her chest. She grabbed a hold of them and began firing away, slowing the infected, but they were still gaining on them. One in particular inched closer and closer to Creati, its stubby hands nearly wrapped around her as it reared its green, blocky head back, readying to sink his teeth into her pale flesh. Momo shivered in horror, as her life began to flash before her eyes. She attempted to back away, but another grabbed a hold of her, as she felt a black, goo-like substance drip all of her arm.

“Brains!” the horrid creature uttered out as Momo snapped her attention at the decaying zombie covered in tar while the flesh on its head was gone, only a skull was left. Yet, it remained fully functional and hungry. The slimy zombie yanked Momo towards it as she uttered a scream, launching its head forward when a metallic hand struck the gooey creature. The skull shattered like glass as its body dropped, relinquishing its hold on Creati. She breathed a sigh of relief, turning around to find Jet Jaguar had saved her life as he immediately shoved his remaining arm down the green zombie’s throat.

SNAP!

It was then Jet Jaguar ripped the infected’s spinal cord out of its body, along with its skull. Without giving any further thought, the man-made construct swung his new weapon across the closest zombies, detonating the skull upon impact as they were sent flying.

“Gross, but thank you so much, Jet!” Momo exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him for a quick hug before picking up her pistols.

Jet Jaguar gave her a thumbs up before picking up his severed arm and holding it in place.

The three of them nearly jumped when the Attack Titan leapt in front of them, squashing several of their attackers with a hellacious bellow. His eyes glowed green with fury, sending out another swipe, shredding several of them with his claws. Against kaiju, they would only leave scars, but against the infected, they were reduced to ribbons.

Hideki and Momo were able to have a moment to catch their breaths as the Attack Titan was clearing the path for them. However, it wasn’t for long as several still managed to bypass them.

“Ready for round two?” inquired Hideki.

“No,” Creati breathed, feeling herself out of breath and out of energy to create any more weapons.

“Well, it seems like they’re ready,” Hideki murmured, pointing his weapon at the charging horde.

It was then when Jet Jaguar stood forward, placing his severed arm in front of Momo. He nearly hunched over, electrical zaps sparking from his chest as he let out a series of beeps. Hideki eyed his teammate, immediately asking her, “Did you catch that one?”

“He’s telling us to enjoy the show,” answered Momo, before turning back to the robot. “I think.”

Jet Jaguar let out another beep as the vents unleashed mist from his mouth, careening straight towards the growling infected. The mist did little to deter them as their mouths watered at the meal in front of them, but it was then they felt their joints beginning to stiffen. One by one, they fell over as several others soon after tripped over them.

Hideki and Momo raised their eyebrows, only to find the necrotic bodies turning a light blue as they were encased in ice. It was only then did they realize their bodies were frozen, with some even shattering upon impact with the asphalt.

Momo jumped in relief, running up to her robotic compatriot. “Jet, I could give you another hug right now!”

Jet beeped out as he handed her his severed arm, her mouth quivering with confusion. “What do you want me to do with this?”

Jet Jaguar beeped as he turned around, facing east of their location. Hideki glanced over to her briefly before resuming his attention to the still present horde. “What is he suggesting?”

“He found life signs!” answered Momo.

“Life signs!? Could it be Aki?” exclaimed Hideki with excitement in his voice while his heart raced. He bolted up to Jet Jaguar, placing his hand on the robot’s shoulder. “Take us to her. Now, please!”

Jet Jaguar shook his head and beeped as Momo filled him in on what the robot just conveyed. “He wil….”

“I don’t need a translator for that one!” Hideki cheerfully vocalized.

Momo frowned at him for interrupting her as she yelled back out, “Well, you still do, because the only way we’re getting there is flying on Jet, and it’ll end in a crash landing!”

“I don’t see a problem with that!” Hideki barked back at, wrapping himself around Jet Jaguar. “Whatever gets me to her is a-okay with me!”

“I can’t blame you there,” Momo called back, wrapping herself around the robot’s other half as Jet Jaguar raised his remaining arm up, allowing his body to begin to float, using up the last of his energy at the moment to get to the location they desired.

They shot up into the sky, allowing the Attack Titan to take notice, swiping away several infected.

“Whatever your plan is, I don’t care. Just get us the hell out of here.”

Hideki went to relay the orders to Eren, but noticed the Attack Titan looking up at him, seemingly understanding their intent. Jet Jaguar turned horizontally as the three airborne heroes looked downwards to see several zombies jumping up for them as they kept their eyes peeled. Hideki, on one hand, wanted to mock them, but he had seen the horror movies. The movies where some bastard made fun of the monster before karma took hold of them and got them killed. He would not make the same mistake here.

Jet Jaguar with the last bit of energy in his body shot across several blocks, carefully bypassing the obstacles in their way. Momo glanced up, eyeing the location they were heading towards. “The Otaki Factory?”

Before she could ponder it, she heard the gears inside of her robotic friend’s body stalling as the engine in his body shut down. It was then he began his descent towards the front of the building, aiming towards the huge garage door. The two passengers knew the crash would be rough as they both nodded to each other, seemingly knowing what to do.

Momo and Hideki propped themselves onto the static Jet’s back and held onto his body for dear life as he made a crash landing. Creati held on as best as she could, but she lost her grip, forcing her to roll away, leaving scrapes and bruises on her body. Her knee in particular was scraped, every bit of flesh was ripped off from the asphalt while her left arm received several cuts.

Hideki didn’t fare much better as he crashed into the wall of the factory, slowly descending to the ground. “Son of a bitch….” wheezed the Ultra Host.

The Scourge continued to charge in as Hideki stirred himself upwards to find several racing towards them. “Goddammit!” he cried out, pulling out his signature weapon once more.

BANG! BANG!

Two shots came from above him, causing Hideki to nearly jump in shock when he looked up to see a sniper peering through a large curtain. It was then he saw several of the infected dropping to the knees.

“Thank you!” Hideki called out, giving the unknown shooter a salute.

“Don’t thank me! Help the girl and the robot!” the feminine voice shrieked out as she continued firing her rifle at the horde, causing more and more of them to collapse. Hideki nodded and did as he was told, helping Momo onto her feet before they raced over to drag Jet to the large garage door.

The Attack Titan roared out towards the front of the Otaki Factory, swiping more of the undead out of the way. He sent his fist down onto a large zombie, its bulging stomach exploding into pieces, painting the Titan’s fist with a fresh coat of red paint.

Hideki snapped his attention back to the sniper, holding the robot up. “Hey, lady! Can you open this damn door!? We’re about to die out here!”

“Yuri! Kazuma! Now!” the sniper screamed out, followed by another few shots from her rifle.

It was then the large garage door opened up as Hideki and Momo wasted no time in dragging their deactivated companion into the shop. All the while, the Attack Titan backed away towards the door right as he swiped the infected closest to him away. The Rage of Humanity ushered out another cry as steam ascended from his body while the massive door began to close, the last thing audible more shots being fired.

Eren then came out of his Titan’s body and saw the rest of his squad just below him, panting from the ordeal they just went through.

The garage door was slowly closing, he needed to quickly make it under the gate to join the others, luckily most of the infected were preoccupied with the dissolving corpse of his Titan form to really pay mind to him, but a few stragglers still chased after the captain. Eren quickly swung a blade out to his right, slicing through the skull of a member of the horde as he pressed onward, quickly sliding under the door as it closed behind him.

With heavy panting, the Scout stood up, looking towards the group of survivors. Each of them with a look of horror as the door continued to get slammed into by those that saw Eren enter the workshop. Sniper rounds echoed as the woman upstairs fired round after round, while she was dropping the number of infected with each shot, the overwhelming nature of the horde still began to increase. “Yun!” the woman yelled, her ammo running short as she continued to drop bodies.

“Almost there… just a little further.” The scientist thought as he continued to work at a panel in front of him, the wires almost repaired as the moans continued to grow louder, sweat running down his brow as anxiety began to build. The fear of those things smashing their way into their fortress could become a reality if he wasn’t fast enough.

“Hurry! Hurry!”

“GOT IT!”

Suddenly gunfire erupted outside, the moans being silenced by the rapid sound of war echoing outside and making it hard to hear anything else. Yun stood up, breathing heavily before turning and motioning to follow him. Yuri and Kazuma were the first to follow suit, the two survivors wishing to get away from the entrance as fast as possible, even with the sentries online, the fear of the undead entering their “home” still frightened them enough to retreat upstairs.

Hideki and Momo carried the damaged Jet Jaguar as Eren followed behind them up the stairs, his hands covering his ears to protect them from the sound of gunfire. The small group made it to the upstairs office, the group of new arrivals looking out of the destroyed wall, seeing the horde be gunned down by the sentries that lined the surrounding building, keeping the swarm at bay.

Hideki and Momo placed their fallen friend on the wall, placing his arm on his lap before Kazuma and Yuri approached. “Thanks for that save back there,” Hideki stated as he reached out with an open hand and smiled towards the two survivors. “My name is Hideki Go, I am a Captain of ZAT.” Kazuma reached out, wrapping his hand around the captain’s own while shaking.

“Kazuma Aoki, I was an engineer at G-Force.” Yuri walked up to the older man, the reporter opening her hand as Kazuma let go and stepped back.

“Yuri Tachibana of Digital Q, we are glad to see some more friendly people for once. Between the undead and…” the reporter’s eyes grew tired, looking at the ground for a moment remembering the loss of one of their members trying to rescue a family. Hideki placed his hand on the young woman’s shoulder, returning her back to the conversation for a moment while he went to speak.

“We are glad to have found you, our base was able to hear your radio transmission and we left as soon as we could,” The captain turned towards the rest of his group as he let go of Yuri’s hand, motioning to meet his comrades. “This is Momo Yaoyorozu and Eren Jaeger, if it wasn’t for them and Jet Jaguar, I wouldn’t be here to meet you.”

The survivors bowed as a sign of respect towards their saviors, Momo and Eren smiling for a moment before speaking. “There is no need for that,” Momo said as she started to walk forward, reaching into her pocket for a photo. “I am just glad that you are all safe. Are there more of you?”

From the blindfolds, Akane finally made her presence known, the JSDF pilot placing the sniper rifle against the wall before she approached and gave a quick salute. “Lieutenant Akane Yashiro of the JSDF, pleasure to meet your acquaintance.”

Eren responded with a quick salute, one hand on his chest while the other wrapped around his back. “Captain Eren Jaeger of the Scouts Regiment, nice to meet a fellow soldier.” The two returned to a normal stature as more people entered the room.

“Guess that answers my question…” Momo said with a slightly sad tone. While she was incredibly glad she could aid the others in reaching these survivors, her heart felt sorrow that she didn’t recognize a single one of them. Slightly crumpling the photograph on accident as she gripped it, frustration that once again her hope of finding the people that mattered most to her was for naught.

The trio’s eyes widened a bit as a small humanoid creature exited the other room last, staring with eyes filled with fear as he looked at the new arrivals. “It’s all right Pigmon,” Bernie reassured as he motioned with his hand to follow him, a warm smile on his face “They are friends, we are going to get out of here.” The kaijin exited the doorframe and jumped up and down in excitement, repeating the sound “Ra!” at the good news.

“I’m Yun Arikawa,” the quiet scientist stated as he sat above the fallen body of Jet Jaguar, an assortment of tools surrounding them as he looked back at the gathered group. “Engineer here at Otaki Factory.”

“I’m Bernie Hayes,” The man said as he approached with an open hand, quickly shaking all three of their hands before backing away. “Was an employee at APEX Cybernetics, but now I expose the truth of the world.”

Hideki’s eyes widened as the last member of their group entered the room, her long black hair flowing in the wind as time started to feel like it was slowing down, everything coming to a stand still. Tears erupted from his eyes as he passed by the rest of the group, walking to a straight line for her. The woman looked at the man approaching with wide eyes, noticing the man from her past quickly approaching.

“Hideki?”

Tears streamed from her eyes as she covered her mouth with her free hand, before her beloved wrapped his hand around it, putting his free hand on her cheek and pulling her closer. The pair of them closed their eyes as they embraced each other, their lips meeting for a moment as the others looked with wide eyes at the sudden display of affection. “Oh thank god you are okay,” Hideki breathed out as he formed a smile. “I’m so sorry it took so long to get you out of this.”

Eren looked at the two lovers reuniting in a moment of happiness in hell, his hand wrapping around the scarf for a moment, remembering the woman he loved so long ago. He breathed in as he closed his eyes before looking back at the pair, a smile forming on the captain’s face. “I couldn’t save you but… maybe this can make up for my mistakes.”

“Where have you been?,” Aki said with sorrow in her voice. “Where is Jiro? Is he alright?”

“Jiro is back home in Okinawa, don’t worry. I have a friend looking after him right now, he is in good hands. More than likely chowing down on a Minilla Burger as we speak.”

Aki continued to sob at the good news of her little brother’s condition. For two years she had believed that everyone she ever loved was gone, that she was the only survivor that day when the infected entered the shop. Ken had been lost, but it seemed that Hideki and Jiro had mourned just as she had for their separation, the two of them feeling more alive than they had in a very long time.

“So, these nice folks have been looking out for you, huh?” Hideki turned with a gigantic smile around the room, looking at the gathered survivors. “Seems like you really did the best you guys could do within the situation. Couldn’t have been easy.”

“If it wasn’t for Yun, none of us would have been able to find shelter during these two years. We had all eventually found this place one by one, but he let us all stay here.”

Hideki turned towards the scientist as he quickly wrapped a mask on his face and turned on a blow torch, putting on goggles to protect his eyes as the scientist began to repair the fallen android. “Thank you for saving my girl, I don’t know how I will ever repay you.”

“There is no need to thank me captain,” Yun stated as he focused on the task at hand. “I just did what was the right thing, couldn’t let them all die like so many others…” For a moment Yun remembered the horrible battle that took the lives of gathered warriors to purge the threat in Tokyo two years ago, slightly shaking his head as he ignored the memory, pressing onward to fix his inspiration.

Akane gripped her arm a bit, staying silent as she felt a pulse through the limb. The pain had gone up and down in the passing day, going from a mind numbing flare to a calming pulse at a moment’s notice, but she still felt it all the same. It was catching up with her, she felt it across her body. She didn’t have long, if she couldn’t escape from the city, then she would at least make damn sure that the others would make it out of the mass graveyard alive.

“I don’t mean to interrupt the touching reunion,” the lieutenant stated as she stepped forward, her hand wrapped around her arm as she gained the attention of the entire room. “But do you all have a plan to get us out of here? You said Okinawa earlier, is there an outpost?”

“Yes there is, a couple thousand people have been relocated to Okinawa during this plague,” Hideki stated as he turned his attention to the lieutenant. “We have a contact within the city limits to get us home, as soon as he gets to the rendezvous point, they will pull us out.”

“Any idea on how we are going to get there?”

“We have some tricks up our sleeves, but with those raiders and the infected, I don’t like what else might be out there.”

The room went silent. Hideki, Momo, and Eren all raised an eyebrow as everyone stared in horror at something the ZAT captain had stated, the heroes of the Walls all waiting for someone to speak up. Even Yun had stopped repairing Jet Jaguar as he reached into his front pocket, wrapping his hand around a small object as he stood up and looked at the man.

“Those raider bastards have been a scorn to us for quite some time, they have been hunting us for days, even… even taking the life of the youngest member of our group just to get this.” Yun revealed the vial within his hand, holding it carefully while revealing its form to the newcomers.

Eren’s eyebrow raised a bit as he felt an odd sense of familiarity with the object, he had seen it before but he didn’t know where. A time long before the Scourge had descended upon them, a blurry memory with a hidden figure.

“How old was your friend?” Momo spoke as she stepped forward, shaking at the possible answer that she would receive as she revealed the photo in her pocket. She held it up as she shook, displaying it for the entire group of survivors to see. “Were they a Quirk user? Were they anyone in this photo? Please, I need to know.”

Akane stepped forward to get a better look, the crumpled good memory that she held reminding her of a man and his daughter that she became very fond of, the lieutenant looking with sorrow before answering the superhero’s question. “No, she wasn’t anyone here… I’m sorry Yayorozu. They are your friends, aren’t they?”

Momo began to get teary eyed as she pulled the photo back, placing it in her pocket as a tear went down her cheek. “Yeah… I haven’t seen them since before the outbreak started, I was gone with my family and… oh god…” Creati began to attempt to hold everything back, her face quivering as she thought of the worst possible outcome.

The group all looked with a mix of sympathy and empathy at the young woman as Eren approached her from behind, placing his hand on her shoulder before speaking. “We’ll find them. I’m sure of it.”

Creati shook her head up and down before breathing in deeply, a single tear going down her cheek as she contained herself. “I’m sorry about your friend, you said she was young, right?”

“She was nineteen,” Akane spoke with remorse. “And that bastard in the shades shot her down without a second thought, then the next thing I knew, Cinder House and an infected group were pouring into the building… I didn’t see her get back up.”

“Do you know who they are?” Hideki inquired.

“The Red Bamboo,” Bernie answered, everyone turning to him at the mere mention of the terrorist organization’s name. “The bands on their arms, the symbols. They belong to the Red Bamboo. Yuri helped me cross reference them with some photos we could find. Seems that even after all this time, they have been lurking in the shadows.”

“That can’t be,” Eren interjected. “The Red Bamboo was destroyed decades ago when Godzilla attacked their home base, everyone was taught this in history. Hell, I wasn’t even born when they were destroyed.”

“He’s right,” Yuri stated as she joined the conversation. “There is no mistake about it, they are members of the Red Bamboo. They must have found some way to keep themselves hidden through the passing decades. Gives us some shit luck, that’s for sure.”

“This is troubling,” Hideki added. “They managed to beat all of us in a closeup fight, they had bigger numbers and good teamwork. If it wasn’t for Eren transforming into his Titan state, we would have all ended up as corpses to feed the undead.”

“Then, it is best we discuss our plan of escape before it’s too late,” Akane spoke, speaking forward, feeling her body pulsate again. “Yun, any idea how long it’ll take to fix their friend?”

The Otaki engineer turned off the blowtorch and looked at his fellow survivor, grabbing a hold of the severed arm. “It’s a bit more complex than Yung, but it’ll only take me a few more minutes.”

“I have about two more transformations as the Attack Titan before I really need to rest. Too much and my body will explode,” explained Eren, rubbing his chin, trying to decipher their plan in motion. “But that’ll only be good provided the horde isn’t going to devour us the moment we step out, or if the Red Bamboo doesn’t stomp us yet again.”

“I saw your Titan form, it was doing pretty well under the Scourge’s advances, it shouldn’t be too much of a hassle,” Kazuma pointed out.

Eren shook his head. “No. I already felt them biting and clawing at my Titan’s legs. Had it not been for Akane and the sentries, I would have been motionless.” The Captain of the Survey Corp paused before glancing at Momo. “If we’re going with the idea of me clearing the front door, then I’ll need you to create some sort of armor for my feet.”

Momo gulped at the favor Eren had asked her. The journey and the skirmish with the Red Bamboo left her body drained as she needed the energy to recover her strength. She eyed the supplies they carried with them and what the survivors had in their base, noting nothing but scraps lying around. It was a very tall order, one she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do.

“If it was just for you, as yourself, that’d be doable, but to create something large…..” she paused, taking a deep breath as she felt her entire body struggling. It was commanding her with every fiber of its being to drift off into sleep, but she was ignoring the order. “I’ll be out of commission unless everyone is okay with me consuming the last of our food.”

Everyone nodded, some of them were hankering for a bite to eat as it could very well be their last meal, but the path to freedom was just right at their doorstep. If it meant one person hoarding the last of their rations for survival, then they’d gladly do it.

“Go ahead, Ms. Yaoyorozu,” Aki spoke, opening up a cabinet of the last of their rations ranging from canned goods to bags of chips. “I hope this will be enough to bring you up to strength.”

“And this as well,” Hideki chimed in, unzipping a bag strapped to his body as he stepped up next to his partner, bringing out two sealed containers of sandwiches. “This should be enough.”

Momo’s mouth couldn’t help but water at the buffet laid out just before her. Her stomach began to rumble, followed by the others as well. She glanced over with guilt, feeling uneasy about gorging on the last of their food, but they gave her a collective nod. Without any further hesitation, she slammed her hands down, piling the food into her mouth as the others turned away to discuss the rest of their plan.

“The strategy with Momo will work, but the survivors on top of my Titan won’t last long, which is why we need something to distract them with,” Eren relayed, scratching his chin, trying to come up with a solution.

“Ooh! Ooh!” Kazuma uttered out, before rushing over to the tarp, pulling it back to reveal his pride and joy; the mechanical pterodactyl. “We get Jet Jaguar to help me fly this, I can at least get one other person in the sky with me to distract the zombies while Eren clears them out!”

Yuri slammed her hands together and cracked open a smile. “Yes! That works!”

“And then if that goes well, Hideki will come in with the save,” hummed Aki, smiling at her partner as she wrapped her hands around his arm.

Hideki’s face turned red from what Aki was about to suggest as everyone turned towards him. He scratched the back of his head with his free hand. “Well, I can’t take all of the credit. Jack will be the one who will carry everyone out and fly us to safety.”

“But, that’s only if the Red Bamboo doesn’t strike back,” Akane pointed out, inspecting her rifle. “I can provide additional cover if that happens, but I only have a couple of clips left.”

“In that case, it’s best we let Jack out while the Attack Titan and Jet Jaguar either shield the others from the rubble or distract the Red Bamboo long enough for him to evacuate the others,” Yun suggested as the others glanced at him at the impromptu plan he just concocted. “What? It’s better than them just waiting while they charge in.”

“I hate it, but if that does happen, there’s only so much we can do to avoid infection or execution,” murmured Eren, letting go of his chin.

It was then Bernie clapped his hands together, knowing he could die at a moment and decided to jump in. There was something he always wanted to know and now was as good as time as any. He directed his eyes at the most experienced member of their rescuers, Hideki Go, and approached him.

“I just have one more question before we leave.”

“Shoot.”

“You as a ZAT member have seen a lot of things, from kaiju to invading aliens, and kaijin.” Bernie continued as he motioned towards Pigmon, the podcaster with a wide smile making Hideki anticipate what was going to be said. “So, have you ever encountered an Elf?”

Hideki stared wide eyed at his new companion, completely baffled by what the man said. “N-No. I can’t say I have.”

“So you’re telling me you have fought against giant monsters, extraterrestrials, and beings like Pigmon, but not a person with slightly pointy ears? Next thing you’re going to tell me is that Unicorns don’t exist.”

The ZAT Captain continued to stare at Bernie, the man’s completely serious tone taking the Ultra Host off guard by his statement. He had made a semi-decent argument, but at the same time, he sounded like some insane dude on an internet forum.

“I can’t say for sure they don’t exist for sure but… I haven’t seen one, no.”

“Ra!” Pigmon screeched as he heard the news from Hideki, the kaijin jumping in glee that his argument was correct.

“This proves nothing! This only proves he hasn’t met one!”

“Ra! Ra!”

“You are such a smartass…”

“Ra!”

Hideki gave a slight grin as he watched the two friends argue, the others around him starting to work on the plans to escape from this city. The ZAT agent, for the first time in a very long time, felt hope reach his soul. He had made it to his better half after two years of despair.

They would escape this hell, even if it was the last thing he would do. He would get Aki home to Jiro and bring the others to a world free of this infestation.

The final steps of the evacuation had begun.

 

Chapter 10: Old Friends

The sound of a passing jet echoed throughout the city, the undead inhabitants of this lost world all looking to the heavens for whatever was approaching, the infected all waiting for their next meal. Their form revealed itself as it parted the clouds, blue flames surrounding a gigantic spinning object that approached the ground at rapid speeds before coming to a halt. A loud boom echoed throughout the dead metropolis as the earth shook, buildings around the entity collapsing from its mere landing, crushing nearby infected like insects.

As the smoke cleared, loud booms followed suit, the terrapin’s form beginning to march forward through the concrete jungle as he tracked the signal of his fallen priestess. He still felt her here, somewhere, even if the direction was not clear to the goliath. All he knew was that she was here in this city, alone and turned into just another member of the undead.

“Dear god, what am I doing?”

Her voice echoed in his head. Even though she was deceased, she still had thoughts? Gamera turned to where he could “hear” the voice emitting from, the terrapin quickly redirected his path and began to beeline towards Asagi.

“I’m not in control! Run! Please escape, this is awful!”

The guardian let out a small groan as he continued to walk through the dead streets, buildings in front of his path being crushed by his weight as he literally walked through the terrain. The unwillingness and regret was clear within her voice, her humanity was contained even within the ravenous hunger that consumed her soul. Were they… were they all capable of being saved? If he managed to manipulate the Earth’s Mana on a grand scale, would he be capable of curing this entire world?

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

Gamera stopped dead in his tracks, his heartbeat for a moment overcoming all sound as his eyes widened. The guardian covered his mouth as saliva began to fall down his maw, a feeling within his stomach and throat filling the Atlantean creation with disgust, the last hope beginning to gag. For the first time in his existence, the terrapin felt like vomiting, his stomach acting like a volcano ready to blow at any second. Their connection had allowed them to share battle scars and thoughts, he would have never predicted this allowing each other to share the sense of taste. The smell of iron overcame his senses as he felt the ichor down his throat, incredibly fresh and warm, he could feel the steam still coming off the… the…

The guardian quickly began to brew Mana within his throat, his maw burning with power, yet he kept the fires calm. Perhaps if he burned the taste from his mouth he could… no…

The friend to mankind instantly ceased the flames from burning on anymore, a new taste making the terrapin breath in and out as he quickly recoiled in disgust. Anxiety and rage built as he clenched his hand into a fist, growling as he made himself walk forward towards the signal. The taste of burning meat filled his maw, making the terrapin cringe with every step forward. It was unnerving, foul even, the guardian being filled with a new sense of determination to cure his friend. She was stuck in a prison, one of her own flesh that she could not control, the virus taking everything from her. He would make damn sure that she would not suffer anymore, that the Mana would cure her of this virus.

He had to… he had failed her once, he needed to save her soul.

“Why did this happen? Why were we cast into Hell?”

A tear flowed down Gamera’s cheek, but he did not stop his course, her cries of agony only making him speed up and destroy whatever stood in his way to her, the city being trampled every passing second.

”I’ll save you…I promise.”

 

Chapter 11: Storming The Castle

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Shikishima mouthed, pushing his cloak backwards as he put his hands on his hips, observing the Otaki Factory across from his location. Him and the rest of his band of raiders stood on a roof just a few blocks from the location of interest. “It seems our newfound friends have led us to somewhere exciting.”

Kazama breathed out, placing his hand on a column while his wounds were slowly healing. As much as it pained him to continue on with this mission, he knew he’d be capable enough to continue after another hour or so. Still, he needed to make sure he would be given time, otherwise he’d just be cannon fodder at most.

“I assume we’ll at least scout it before charging in?”

The raider leader turned and smiled at the panting mutant, knowing full well what he was getting at. His sadistic mind toyed with the idea of sending him head first into the den, with him either being mowed down or torn apart, but he did need everyone at their best. “Of course.”

He turned back around and pointed with his finger, “Like those sentires at the front. None of us are getting through that.” The raider leader paused before turning back around and smirking as he waved his hands in front of his body, displaying it like it was a work of art. “Not in this form at least.”

“Orders, then?” The Saradian Agent questioned almost monotonically, ignoring his commander’s upbeat behavior. He had a mission to fulfill and wasting their time was not efficient whatsoever. Something he despised most of all, even to the point of contemplating whether he should put a bullet in the back of his head or not.

“Kiriko!” Shikishima exclaimed, turning towards her.

“Sir!” the former G-Grasper jumped up, giving her commander a salute, eagerly awaiting to execute whatever orders he had in store for her.

The bandit leader rolled his eyes.

“Jesus Christ,” he muttered, hating his soldiers who were still giving him salutes and other former procedures compared to the rest of the leaders in their organization. He kept his composure, however, and resumed, “You and Yuki will deploy the explosives around the select areas of the warehouse.”

“Acknowledged,” Kiriko spoke while Yuki rolled his eyes, dreading the upcoming bloodshed.

“Azusa,” Shikishima turned around to the former White Heron pilot and approached her, placing his hand on her chin once more. She smiled back, leaning her head forward. “You’ll storm the front gate with me. I want you all to myself.”

“As you wish, sir,” she purred, causing Shikishima’s smile to fade away, frowning once more at the formalities being directed at him.

He removed his hand from her chin and turned to Kazama, still regaining his composure. “What about you, I Am Legend? You gonna be up for storming the rear?”

The last standing mutant planted his hand firmly on the column, glancing up at his superior and nodded. “Just a few more minutes.”

“Granted. It’ll take our explosives team a few minutes and then they’ll join you,” Shikishima relayed, before walking over to the expressionless Saradian Agent. The bandit leader couldn’t help but admire the sharply dressed man and how well groomed he kept himself. However, he didn’t like the shades the Agent plastered over his eyes. He was never partial towards face coverings of any kind.

“And you my… friend… I have no idea what your name is, sadly,” Shikishima tried to speak, but found himself lost in thought, trying to decipher his fellow squadmate’s name.

“SSS9,” the agent answered, staring at his superior officer.

Shikishima rolled his eyes, his heart slowing down a bit from the lack of excitement going on. “You will stay here and take out the sentries when our precious explosives go off.”

“By your command,” SSS9 acknowledged once more, staying as still as a statue while Shikishima cocked his head to the side.

“It is dark here after all, so why not take your sunglasses off? It’ll help you see better,” Shikishima softly spoke, reaching for his glasses as the Saradian Agent stepped backwards. The bandit leader rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips once more. “Buzzkill.”

The Red Bamboo leader observed the Otaki Factory once more, smirking at the spoils of war they were about to obtain along with a certain person of interest. More important than the people he liked to play with in his group. “I’ll save you from all of this, Eren.”

 

Chapter 12: A Good Day to Die

Momo glanced over at Yun, hard at work at restoring her friend, tapping her shoulder while she sat at the table in the recreation room. The feast brought her up to full strength to ensure their evacuation went well, but she still needed time to let her body settle. She was nowhere near as well trained as Eren, Hideki, or even Akane.

She turned her head over to the three of them continuing to discuss their strategy of escaping. The former U.A. student huffed, pushing herself away from the table and getting up. She hated not being able to contribute to the wellbeing of the team, but knew she didn’t possess the tactical input to contribute much. Instead, she cast her attention to Yun. She had a question on her mind, one that had piqued her curiosity ever since they had arrived in the Otaki garage.

Creati stepped forward, tapping the young engineer on the shoulder. Yun ceased working on the automaton and looked back at the young woman. “Ah, Miss. Yaoyorozu, what can I do you for?”

“Just wanted to check in on, well, the two of you,” murmured Momo, rubbing the back of her head.

Yun cracked a small smile, glancing back at the inoperable mech. “I’m doing fine, and our friend is getting better by the minute, no thanks to me.” He opened up a panel and began fiddling around with the wire, eliciting small smirks. “This will make sure he holds for the rest of the operation.”

“I assume he’s not all that different from Yung?” inquired Momo, leaning her head towards her comrade being repaired.

Yun wiped his head, removing the sweat from it. “One of a kind.”

“I saw the reports on what happened that day, he made sure a lot of people escaped before the scourge claimed him,” Momo relayed, as Yun stayed motionless, the memories of that horrid, horrid night projected them against his brain. He knew she meant well, trying to pay her respects towards him, towards his robotic son, but it was only a painful memory. One he was about to relieve once more.

***

28 Months Ago, Tokyo, Japan
Hour 12 of Infection

“We are getting reports of the infection spreading across the entire country, the epicenter of this in Japan is here in Tokyo. We don’t know how or why this is happening but we do know that several metahumans were amongst the infected, quickly destroying a chunk of our military. In a matter of hours it has spread across the entire planet, as it is now, it is already too late to contain the infection. Our goal is to recapture the center of the city and save as many lives as possible, is that understood?”

The woman on the monitor stated to the group standing behind a man sitting in a chair, the man wore brown military uniform with black gloves and a hat, the end of a sword’s hilt in the palm of his hand beside him. A mustache laid on his chiseled face, the build of his body being quite muscular to match, his brown eyes staring at the screen.

“Understood Ms. Namikawa, we will do all we can in the situation.”

The woman raised an eyebrow as she nodded back at the man, taking in a deep breath and placing a hand on her head. “God help us, Gordon.”

The screen turned off, the communication cutting off. The captain of the Gotengo stood up from his seat and turned around, looking at the group that had gathered for the mission that sat below his vessel, Douglas Gordon standing with authority as he got a read on them.

The first had flames across his form, making up a mask with the element across his face, his feet and chest glowing red with heat, silver metal covering his shoulders and hands which was connected to a blue uniform. The metahuman stood with both his arms crossed, his mind lingering towards not only all those that could not be saved, but of his family back home. The Number One Hero in Japan, Endeavor, had been called to lead the situation.

The second man wore a military outfit quite different from Gordon’s, a green rain jacket covering the brown and white uniform, a twin set of metal sat on each side of his body, each holding multiple blades for the man’s specific weapon. Black hair laid on the man’s head, his expression being quite serious as he waited for Captain Gordon to address the situation. The Captain of the Scout Regiment, Levi Ackerman, had been assigned to aid against the ravenous infected.

The third was a man that Gordon knew quite well, the two forming a bond throughout the years of warfare against kaiju kind, a member of the M-Organization stood in salute. Armor covered his black uniform, his chest, arms, and legs being covered in the special material. A revolver laid on his hip, ready for use at a moment’s notice. The strongest Mutant, Shinichi Ozaki, had been personally requested by Captain Gordon to aid in the mission’s efforts.

The fourth man was a hero from another world, known famously for having Godzilla himself aid him against extraterrestrial forces. Silver armor covered the man’s head, chest, and hands while the rest of his uniform was a dark blue. The mask that covered his face matched the rest of his uniform. Red streaks that resembled lightning bolts went across his chest, his boots having different colors on each side of them. The hero of Peaceland, Zone Fighter, had been recruited to help aid the government in this battle in exchange for his family’s safety.

The fifth was robotic in nature, though it would not be a surprise for many that they were of extraterrestrial origin. Humanoid in appearance, across his metallic body were markings and an attire that resembled Native American heritage. Green and silver covered most of the body, yellow, glowing eyes staring on his blue face. The so-called “emissary of god” had been summoned to aid humanity against the hordes of the undead, and Greenman would answer the people of Japan’s prayers.

The sixth and seventh were representatives of Otaki Factory, a man with white hair stood in front of his creation, wearing his usual work attire. A light blue jacket with red streaks on the arms, white streaks being on the front of the uniform. A white t-shirt covered his chest, tan shorts covering his legs. The scientist, Yun Arikawa, stood in front of his proudest creation.

The entity was much larger than the rest below the Gotengo, the robot sitting down to make sure that he wouldn’t accidentally crush anything important. While his body had resembled the first generation of Jet Jaguar, there were noticeable differences. His limbs were much longer, the entity’s full height dwarfing his predecessor, and in the middle of the robot’s chest laid a compartment for a human pilot to sit. Three black digits held onto a gigantic spear made from an abnormal kaiju. Blue, red, and yellow covered the robot’s exterior, taking the color palette from the Mark 1. Jet Jaguar. The creation of the Otaki Factory had a smile on his face with bright blue eyes observing the others around him. Whatever was going to happen on this mission, he would avenge those that could not escape from his home.

Endeavor crossed his arms, watching a portion of the city go up in flames off in the distance. He wanted to do what he always did and rush in, save everyone he could and neutralize the threat, but today was not that day. Him and the others, the best of the best, were to hold the line until the infected numbers thinned or reinforcements arrived to journey further into the gates of hell.

His family, however, was on the top of his mind. The last he saw of them, at least Shoto, he was with some of classmates, assigned by him personally, to gather their families and to run. Get out of the city, to find some place to hold up until he or someone he could trust found them. All he wanted for them was to save themselves. He needed to know the people he loved the most made it out of this alive. If he could die knowing that, then he could be happy. He had treated them terribly for all of their lives, making them resent him, and rightfully so.

“Shoto….” the Number One Hero spoke softly, hearing the howls of the undead get closer, tightening his fists, sparks coming out of his body. “If there’s one thing I want you to follow exactly as I told you, it’d be this. Please. This is the last thing I’ll ever ask of you. Just get yourself and the others out of here, no matter what.”

“Mister Endeavor!” a cheerful voice spoke up, snapping him out of his thoughts and turning his attention to see Jet Jaguar staring down at him.

“Um…. yes. Is there something I can help you with?” the pro hero asked.

“Sorry he’s bothering you, sir, he’s just a big fan,” Yun explained, stepping into his creation, the front latch opening up to reveal a cockpit as he took his seat.

“It’s alright,” Endeavor spoke, chuckling slightly afterwards. “What’s on your mind?”

“I watched every special involving you and hope I can be a hero like you one day,” Jet Jaguar declared, standing upright, swinging his spear around proudly in an attempt to impress his idol.

“Standing here voluntarily is what makes you a hero already,” Endeavor spoke, nearly wincing at the naive robot wanting to be like him. He obviously didn’t know him personally, just what he saw on TV. From what he heard of the robot, it had recently just acquired sentience, at most the equivalent to a small child. Still, he couldn’t help but feel respect for the machine, no, the hero. One far braver than the other pro heroes who either balked at their duty or chose something less risky.

Jet Jaguar bounced up from the compliment from his idol as he exclaimed repeatedly, “Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Mister Endeavor!”

The Number One Hero couldn’t help but smile, something he rarely did with anyone, but the robot’s enthusiasm was infectious. Perhaps what was needed in a time like this, and something he should do as well.

“If we make it out of this, how would you like a job at my agency?”

Jet Jaguar Yung’s blue eyes glowed even brighter, pausing momentarily as Yun smiled. “Now you got him really excited.”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Jet Jaguar joyfully screamed out, dancing in excitement as he then reached inside his compartment for a pamphlet. He sent it towards his idol. “Could I please have your autograph?”

Endeavor thought back to the countless people who asked for his signature, either ignoring or giving them a half assed copy, but here, it felt genuine. He slowly took it from his fan and signed, giving it back as he smiled.

“Thank you, mister Endeavor!” Jet Jaguar exclaimed happily once more, observing the signature before tucking it in safespace so it did not get damaged during the fight.

“Always,” the Number One Hero spoke, smirking as he faced the gates of hell closing in on him and the others.

“Hand it over Yung, I’ll keep it safe with me.” Yun spoke as he opened his hand, the mascot of Otaki Factory carefully placing his prized autograph within his father’s hold before the cockpit closed shut, the pair turning as the infected drew near.

Levi, on the other hand, glanced over at Greenman, putting his hands together while lowering his head down. He was mumbling something, likely a prayer of sorts to his supposed God. Still, he figured a bit of smalltalk wouldn’t kill him. But as much as he would never admit it, he enjoyed his conversations with the Survey Corp Commander, who was planning a charge into the city from the rear, and Section Commander Hange. She got on his nerves everyday, but he couldn’t help develop a fondness for her. If he survived this, perhaps he would take her up on one of her offers.

“The Jesus Bot will have to do for now.”

The Captain stepped forward, placing himself next to Greenman. “I’d normally ask what Bible verse you were quoting, but I don’t really care. What I will ask is, you think it’s going to help?”

The emissary of God lifted his head and turned it, smiling at his friend. He didn’t take offense to what he said, instead happy he came to talk to him. “Of course.”

“Second question,” Levi spoke, taking a moment, letting himself exhale as he couldn’t believe he was entertaining this with a robot believing in God.

“Last thing I’m gonna do is get into a religious debate with a robot, aren’t I? Shit…”

“Then why are you praying? I thought you had all of the faith in the world for your God to let us make it. Something change mid-prayer?”

“It’s because of my faith that I pray for our safety. For I believe we are going to face hell itself and I fear for our souls,” Greenman elaborated, shaking ever so slightly when the cries of the horde grew closer and closer.

Levi raised an eyebrow, grabbing the bridge of his nose with finger and thumb. “Isn’t it weird for a robot like yourself to talk about souls?”

Greenman smiled at teammate. “Oh child. I don’t need to be organic to have a soul.”

“Oh God, just let the horde arrive already.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” murmured Levi, gripping blades as he got ready to face the oncoming scourge.

The infected were now in sight, readying to pounce on the heroes and the civilians they were still evacuating at any second. Endeavor stepped forward, keeping his eyes on them and not even flinching at the horrors that were about to be cast down upon them.

“Team, no matter what happens today, we hold the line until every last person has been evacuated, no matter what,” Endeavor spoke, lighting himself up as the flames began flowing around his entire body. “When one of us falls, we keep fighting, no matter what. When we see an infected comrade, we grant them the release of death, no matter what. And last of all, if we can’t save this city, then we will avenge it, no matter what.”

“Hell yeah!” Tenma screamed out, bolting past Endeavor, feeling completely energized by the speech he was just given. “We got this by the ass!”

The Gransazer of the Fire Tribe ran straight into the gates of hell, his weapons appearing almost out of nowhere as the rest of the squad watched dumbfoundedly.

“Oh my god,” Greenman muttered in disbelief.

“You might want to pray extra hard for him,” Levi pointed out, rolling his eyes at the complete idiocy of the enhanced running out.

“Damned idiot! Always running ahead and making everything about himself!” Gordon hollered out from the intercom of the Gotengo.

“Great. That moron is gonna make me expel energy faster than I planned,” Hikaru spoke out before lifting his arm upward, looking up at the heavens above him. “Zone Double Fight!”

Zone Fighter fully morphed, standing alongside the rest of his team, standing in position as he pointed his arms forward, aiming his wrist rockets.

Tenma cried out with glee, slicing past the first of the infected with ease. The speech was imbued with a great source of energy, feeling as if he could take on the whole world.

CRASH!

Sazer Tarious stopped completely on his feet, dumbfounded as he saw an entire Gunhead thrown in front of him. “What the hell?” he murmured out, feeling that adrenaline dissipate when a large, hulking entity jumped on top of the wrecked vehicle, staring down at him. Its one good eye stared deeply at him as its bulky body produced more muscle to coat itself.

Tenma was completely frozen in fear, just how much he realized there was nothing he could do to pierce through this monstrosity. The tank of a zombie lunged at the Granzaser, holding him tightly as Tenma attempted to break from his grasp, but it was of no use. The infected villain’s hold was far more powerful than he could ever counter as he screamed out in pure agony when the muscular undead bit into him, tearing out a huge chunk of his flesh.

The rest of the undead poured from the top of the Gunhead and around it. Some went in for their respective bites at the now infected captive while the bulk of the horde charged towards the defenders. The tank eyed the rest of the heroes as he snarled with glee, throwing the bloodied Gransazer to his infected brothers and sisters to feast on while he went after bigger fish.

“Come in!” a voice from the radio called out as Endeavor put his finger up to his ear piece. “The line is being broken through. Several of the infected have broken off towards the evacuation center. We need help immediately!”

“Shit!” Endeavor uttered out, throwing his arm down as his hand morphed into a fist.

“Easy, Hothead,” Levi mouthed, swinging his ultrahard blade though an infected, completely bisecting him, as he tore through the upper half of another infected head with his other blade. “I can handle the evacuation.”

“Fine! Go!” Endeavor vocalized, unleashing a stream of flames at a group of infected, incinerating them entirely, even the ashes becoming nonexistent.

“Ozaki, go with him,” Gordon commanded over the intercom as the Gotengo alongside Zone Fighter fired off several missiles, striking the tail end of the horde, casting explosions off in the distance. “Those folk are gonna need the strongest soldiers defending them.”

Ozaki simply nodded as the two went toward their destination when they noticed Greenman running alongside them. “Oh god….” muttered Levi, keeping his eyes on the civilians fleeing for their lives.

“I hope you don’t mind me tagging along,” Greenman spoke, with several arrows shooting out of his left ankle, piercing the skulls of the chasing undead, dropping behind them like bricks. “But this is where God has given me my expertise. To help those who are in need the most.”

Levi glanced at Ozaki who simply shrugged. “Fine, but keep it in church.”

“Of course.”

The Captain of the Scout Regiment fired the twin hooks from his ODM gear onto one of helicopters, spinning himself several hundred degrees, slicing through the charging undead. Blood sprinkled all around the area as Levi landed on his two feet, turning around slightly to see the infected reduced to tiny cubes of flesh in a second.

Levi smirked before turning his attention towards the people scared beyond belief, staring at the still charging undead. He rolled his eyes and exhaled. “Do you need me to wipe your asses as well? Get to the chopper!”

Everyone nodded as they shuffled into the craft before it took off, escaping the city and towards a safe zone. Levi wished he could breathe a sigh of relief and head back for some tea while Hange rambled on about one of her conspiracy theories about the kaiju. However, today was not the day, as there were still thousands upon thousands of people they needed to evacuate in this area alone.

It was not a winnable battle, he knew that from the get go, but it was his duty as not only a soldier, but his title as “Strongest Man” to ensure the lives of every human being. He flung his blades slightly, allowing the blood to drop to the ground as he glanced over at Ozaki taking down several infected with a maser rifle.

“And may god bless you on your trip!” Greenman spoke out enthusiastically, causing Levi to turn his attention towards his ally, facing a child as he boarded another craft. The Captain of the Survey Corp watched as two more helicopters fled the area as the Emissary of God noticed him, immediately waving at him.

“Great….” Levi muttered, running over towards him to regroup. “He’s going to be rambling about this the whole goddamn time.”

Greenman summoned his staff, completely manifesting from thin air as the two of them continued bolting over towards the next of the aircraft. They slammed their respective weapons through the heads of several infected. The autonomous alien, with his free hand reached for ear, pulling a boomerang from it.

“Help! Someone please help!” a tall, fox-like lady screamed out as the infected were clawing at the entrance of the chopper she and so many others were huddled inside of.

“Your prayers have been answered, my child,” mouthed Greeman, throwing the boomerang at the front of the infected, detonating upon impact. All the while, Levi flew in once more with his grappling hooks, cutting through the stragglers.

The passengers inside saw the two heroes standing side by side as the tall fox woman slowly approached them. She snatched up Greenman’s hands, shaking them as the robot did the same. “Thank you! Thank you so much! I don’t know if I can ever repay you!”

“No thanks needed my child,” Greenman said happily, smiling at the overjoyed civilian as she then turned towards Levi, doing the same for him.

“If you want to repay us, just make sure you get out of here alive,” Levi spoke, almost frowning at her before she backed away in the chopper. Its propellers spun, finally being cleared for take off as the two watched momentarily, admiring their handiwork in their own separate ways.

“Let’s round up Ozaki, so we can cover this more thoroughly,” Levi commanded, moving forward as he was being flanked by Greenman.

“And we shall, as we have strength and fai…..” Greenman went to speak, but a loud gunshot was heard.

Levi stopped in his tracks when the sound of the shot went past him, causing his ears to ring, almost forcing him to cover them up. He patted his body to make sure there were no wounds present on him, but his eyes widened, realizing it hit someone else.

Humanity’s Strongest Man turned around to find Greenman on his back, the life in his entire body was gone. His entire form, once a bright green now a dark gray as half of his head was blown off, oil spilling out and wires hanging out of the stump.

He couldn’t speak at the horror that was unfolding on him. In a matter of minutes, they had already lost two of their best warriors as another gunshot was heard.

BOOM!

Levi nearly jumped, feeling completely fine when he heard the helicopter’s blades stalling. He lifted his head up to see the aircraft full of people they had just rescued, crashing down a couple miles aways from him.

The Captain wondered why there was someone shooting at them, until realizing who the culprit was.

“Snipe…..”

Snipe had been assigned to pick off any infected chasing civilians in the heart of the city, but knowing Greenman’s fate, Levi had a solid guess as to what happened to the teacher of U.A.

BOOM!

The sound of the rifle went off as Levi knew who exactly this shot was for. Levi sharply turned and swung his blade forward, slicing the bullet in two, forcing the two pieces to hit two infected behind him. Their heads exploded upon impact as Levi knew this assault would only continue. He eyed a nearby wreckage of cars, commanding his anchors to fly out of his gear, propelling him to a temporary source of salvation, planting his back against the wreckage.

He glanced over to find Ozaki still performing his job admirably, with several more aircraft ascending into the sky. Yet, any luck they had was about to run out. Even if the two of them reunited, they still had Snipe and countless undead to contend with.

This was only getting worse and worse by the minute.

“God, if you really are real, then you bring back your talking pickle. Could use him about now.”

Levi reached up to his ear piece, placing two fingers onto the device before speaking. “This is Captain Levi, Snipe has been compromised! Greenman has been slain! I repeat! Snipe has been compromised!”

Ozaki continued to unleash fire power on the few straggler infected left within the area, the anti-kaiju military weapon ripping through them like nothing as he mowed them down, reducing the undead horde to a mush within seconds.

BOOM!

The Mutant managed to quickly dodge out of the way of the gunshot, leaping into the air before noticing his attacker’s true target as his rifle sparked. Ozaki gritted his teeth as he threw the useless weapon to the ground, landing a bit away from the sharpshooter’s last targeted location. The soldier attempted to run and find cover, before another round managed to scrape the back of his leg. This earned a groan of pain as he skidded across the ground, Levi’s eyes widening as another one of his comrade’s was going to be taken out in front of him.

“Ozaki!” The strongest man cried out, jumping to action and using the ODM gear to propel himself forward at mach speeds, managing to instantly get in front of the Mutant before another round came charging at them…

BOOM!

Levi screamed as the bullet ripped through his stomach, blood bursting from his mouth and the wound as he slammed into the ground at mach speeds, ichor splattering across Ozaki’s body as the Mutant’s eyes widened. “Captain!” Quickly he jumped out of the way as another bullet came racing towards him, standing on top of debris to gain the infected’s attention as he stood still in the open. He glanced at the strongest member of the Scout Regiment, seeing him continue to spit out blood as he crawled to safety as best he could, gripping his ultrahard blades with each pull forward.

“Not like this…” Levi stated as he continued to push, adrenaline and rage forcing him to go faster as he saw salvation. He needed to live, he needed to help the others push back this horrid apocalypse and evacuate the rest of the citizens out of this hellhole. He needed… he needed to say something to her.

“You are the world’s strongest man,” He stated as he forced himself to his feet, huffing as he noticed more infected begin to emerge and beeline towards him. “Start acting like it! Do it for the fallen! Do it for those that cannot help themselves! Do it… for her.”

Ozaki stared in amazement at the sheer strength the captain possessed as he charged at the infected with a battlecry, the Scout ripping through them just as easily as he was minutes prior to the gun wound. The Mutant returned his attention to the buildings in front of him, waiting for Snipe to make his move…

BOOM!

The bullet charged forward as the sniper round made its way towards him, the Mutant managing to reach out and catch the projectile midair, a gust of air rushing past him as his feet dragged for a moment before examining the bullet. Ozaki took in a deep breath as his body glowed golden, lightning danced across his fingers as the Keizer energy erupted from him. His body seemed to become a beacon within the hellish battlefield, all eyes turning towards him in a moment as he raised his arm back before pitching the bullet like a baseball at mach speeds.

BOOM!

The bullet collided with another round from Snipe, but the infected’s projectile had been ripped through in an instant, the hard iron not having an effect as it was destroyed and Ozaki’s projectile rushed towards the undead Quirk user. The force of the throw caused the rooftop that he stood on to explode as the bullet made contact, a geyser of concrete and stone erupting into the air as Snipe was consumed by the attack.

Ozaki stood still for a moment, waiting for the U.A. teacher to make his move, only for silence to hang over the battlefield before the roars of war once again reached the Keizer’s ears, the golden glow disappearing as he returned his attention to Levi. The Scout’s captain was still standing strong even as blood poured from his stomach and mouth, standing on top of a small hill of corpses as they continued to charge at him at every angle. “Captain!” Ozaki called out as he charged in to help his comrade. “Hold on!”

Only for the Mutant’s plans to go to hell as the infected, tank-like behemoth suddenly came in from his side, slamming into him at top speeds and throwing him across the battlefield. Blood dripped from his mouth as he slammed into a rockwall, wiping away the ichor as the entity that was once Muscular roared with fury at the Keizer before charging at full speed, throwing smaller infected to the side as his maw opened wide and let out another ear shattering cry.

Lightning once again surrounded Ozaki’s fingers as he pointed both arms outward at the rapidly approaching monstrosity, but right before he shot out his elemental attack, tragedy struck…

Ozaki screamed out as fangs ripped into his stomach, the entity sneaking up from behind him during the chaos, his eyes widening as pain flared through his body and shock made it to his brain. Tenma, now a member of the Scourge, was feasting on his flesh.

The Mutant aimed his hand at the infected Gransazer’s skull, power rising as he prepared to slay his fallen comrade, only for Muscular to slam into the pair and break down the rock wall. This sent Ozaki to the ground, the gigantic gash across his torso being completely ripped open as Tenma was pushed to the side, ichor sprayed across the ground as Muscular raised his arms above his head and slammed the limbs into Ozaki’s form.

“No!” Endeavor cried out as he and Jet Jaguar Yung charged forward, flames surrounding his fist as he reared the limb back, before unleashing a stream of elemental fury and striking Muscular across the back. A scream of pain left the fiend’s jaws as he was thrown across the ground, being sent flying away from Ozaki’s body. “I’ll kill you where you stand, abomination!”

“No! No!” The young artificial intelligence cried out. “My friends!” He looked all around him, seeing Levi continue to withstand the damage to his stomach as he continued to swing rapidly at whatever infected approached him, the strongest man being covered head to toe in the ichor. Greenman’s corpse laid lifeless on the ground, oil covering the pavement as wires continued to spark. Ozaki laid on the ground, blood oozing from his form as Muscular recovered near him, the tank of a zombie turning his attention back to the pair approaching at rapid speeds. Tenma stood back on his feet, fangs quickly devouring the flesh he had removed from Ozaki before slamming his fists into his chest and charging forward, Muscular joining his fellow infected metahuman in the chase as they both roared with hatred.

“They were heroes!” The second generation Jet Jaguar cried out, raising his spear above his head as he charged at the pair of infected. “They were my friends!” Yung swung down with his blade, aiming to slice Tenma in two, only for the Gransazer to dodge the attack and slam his fist into the side of the mecha and pushing him back. “You will both pay!”

Flames across Endeavor grew brighter as his power rose, slamming head first into Muscular’s form, pushing him back and dragging his feet into the earth below. The two locked hands as they attempted to overpower the other, sheer strength between the two managing to make the ground beneath them shake. “BEGONE MONSTER! YOU DON’T BELONG IN THIS WORLD!” The Number One Hero of Japan declared as flames surrounded his entire being, the flesh across the wretched form burned, earning a scream of pain as the superhero pressed onward.

Levi panted as he finally got a moment to stand still, rampaging infected no longer charging at him, the world’s strongest man turning his attention towards his allies facing the infected metahumans. He noticed Ozaki begin to get back up from the ground, the Scout captain staring as the Mutant cracked his neck before stumbling forward, managing to catch himself mid-walk before falling onto the ground. His eyes widened as he had realized what happened, seeing Ozaki’s eyes become a hollow white as a scream of rage exited his maw, the Hollowed staring at him. Anchors launched forward, the wires piercing into the debris that surrounded them and launched Levi forward, the soldier flying at mach speeds with his blades aimed at Ozaki’s skull.

The infected suddenly jerked forward as the blade went to make contact, a sudden flash of golden light erupting from him as he grasped the ultrahard blade in midair, catching Levi mid-swing. His eyes widened before the infected Keizer reared his hand back and slammed it against his blade, the steel snapping in two from the attack. “The strongest man…” the infected muttered before striking Levi on the chest, sending him flying though various concrete walls before crashing through a building, the infected that lined the city streets all turning towards the sound and walking to a fresh meal. “What a j-j-joke…”

“Ozaki….” Gordon mouthed, rubbing his right eye as he watched the holoscreen displaying his close friend running with the members of the Scourge, devouring any civilian that hadn’t evacuated yet. “I’ll make sure you won’t suffer for long.”

“Orders, sir?” a pilot asked, turning their head back to him.

“It’s a losing fight,” Gordon murmured, rubbing his head with sickness running all over his body at the decision he was about to make. One all on his own, one not even a superior made for him. If he didn’t make this decision now, then other holdouts would fall shortly. “Bombard the entire landscape, infected and human alike.”

The crew were frozen by what Gordon commanded, hesitating at even considering to follow the order. One of them spoke up, her voice shaking while hands rattled around at the control panel. “But…. sir….. What about what remains of our forces? Endeavor, Zone Fighter, Jet Jaguar?”

Gordon shook his head. “If they get infected, then we’ll be wiped out even faster.”

The crew stammered, still completely unsure about going through with the order as they heard the screams of civilians being torn into, with them soon joining the cries of the horde.

The Captain of the Gotengo rolled his eyes and stood up. “Do it!”

The crew panicked, pressing every button they could as the Gotengo unleashed its entire arsenal. Missiles struck groups of the undead, blowing them to smithereens and leaving behind craters while its masers tore through several others.

The Gotengo’s continued assault created a barrier between the warring metahumans, forcing them to delay their fight. The two groups glared at each other while the infected gritted their teeth as the three heroes stood, almost smirking at the timely assistance from Gordon.

However, it wasn’t assistance they were getting.

Endeavor’s eyes widened as a maser nearly cut into him, but he blasted away. “Dammit! What the hell is Gordon thinking?!”

He threw his arm forward, incinerating three zombies, saving what appeared to be a family, only for a missile from the warship to blow them into pieces. The Number One Hero’s eyes widened, watching as the Gotengo was obliterating everything below it. He was absolutely horrified, but at the same time furious at how someone who swore to protect the people resorted to doing this.

Endeavor slammed his finger up to his ear piece. “Gordon, what the fuck are you doing!? Those are people down there!”

“I’m sorry, Endeavor, but the battle has been lost. I’m just making sure no one gets past us. There’s still the rest of the Earth to protect, and I’m sorry it had to come to this for the four of you,” Gordon relayed, before abruptly shutting off communication.

“Goddamnit!” Endeavor screamed, shoving his fiery fist into an infected, settling it ablaze as he turned to his remaining comrades on the ground. “Yun, Jet Jaguar, Zone Fighter!”

The three turned around to face their comrade, seeming fuming with rage like never before. “Gordon has lost his goddamn mind and is killing everyone!”

“But… why? I thought he was a good guy?” Jet Jaguar murmured, hurt in his voice at the betrayal.

“He’s delusional,” Endeavor answered. “Grab everyone you can and run like hell past the Gotengo. I’ll do what I can to provide you with cover.”

Zone Fighter nodded, stomping over to the next pocket of survivors while Jet Jaguar Yung jumped back. The duo ran in the opposite direction as Endeavor blasted off to search for stragglers while he set the undead ablaze.

Gordon shook his head once more, the screams of the living getting louder as they were shredded by the Gotengo’s arsenal. He lifted his head back up to keep an eye on the crew, ensuring they were doing their duty as he saw someone limping past him.

“Huh?” Gordon murmured, glancing up at a member of his crew making her way towards one of the pilots. “Ma’am! Get back to your station! We have a job to do.”

The woman turned back at her captain, twitching her left eye as she cracked open a smile.

“RAAAHHHH!!!!”

She slammed her mouth down on the pilot, tearing a chunk of his shoulder out while he released a bloodcurdling scream, crimson splattering onto her face. Gordon jumped out of his seat, pulling out his katana while the others did the same, horrified at the sight before them. The blood shot into the infected zombie’s mouth as she smiled with glee before shapeshifting into the crewmember she tore into.

“Shit. Only one person has been known to exhibit that kind of ability.”

“Himiko Toga is on the Gotengo! Kill her before she strikes again!” Gordon commanded as the soldiers pulled out their weapons to fire, only for the cries of the undead to be heard right behind them. The Captain of the Gotengo turned around to see the rest of his crew bolting out of the elevator tackling their former comrades, ripping into their flesh.

Gordon stepped forward, swinging his sword forward, decapitating a member of his former crew. He then stabbed another through the skull before kicking a third crew member on the ground. It was all for naught as he saw them getting up one by one, growling at him.

“Kill them all!” one spat out.

“Captain’s orders!” another screeched out, collapsing onto the ground as the ankle she was bit on had been torn off, forcing her to crawl towards the one uninfected on the ship.

Gordon prepared to fight them off when the infected infiltrator lunged towards him, ripping his ear off with her teeth. The Captain of the Gotengo cried out in pure agony, forcing him to drop the sword while the others lunged at him, sinking their teeth into his flesh. He punched them, as many times as he could, but they did not budge, all of them wanting to feast as he cried out.

“Izuku would be so happy with me!” a cheerful girl declared, forcing Gordon to snap his head at the infiltrator reverting her form back to herself. Her blonde hair was messy, all over the place while blood covered her entire face, with only her white eyes glowing in the mess. Then, finally her white sweater and blue skirt were ripped to shreds, but it no longer mattered to her. Blood was what mattered to her, and ever since her transformation, it became even more delicious than before.

Gordon was horrified at how the infected could act. It was nothing like the movies, nor anything he had ever faced. He spent his entire life defending Japan from every monster imaginable, only to die by them, it was only then did he realize how he really felt about the people here.

“How I hate wom-“ Gordon tried to scream out, Toga shoving her fist through his throat, cutting him off as she drank more of his blood. However, as Gordon lost consciousness, on the verge of death, the last thing he saw were the infected glaring at him as if they knew what he was about to say.

From below, the three remaining heroes looked up into the sky, a look of horror being placed on them all as the flying war machine began to fall from the sky. The Gotengo’s arsenal continued to unload everything it had as it descended from the heavens towards the ground, the flying fortress’ form crashing into the side of the city’s most prized monument.

Tokyo Tower.

The standing symbol of the country’s progress and knowledge broke apart in two in a series of sparks as the Gotengo flew by. The war machine fully crashed into the earth below with a gigantic blast echoing across the hellscape as the ground shook violently. Whatever was standing was thrown to the ground in an instant, even making Zone Fighter lose his footing before catching himself. The Peacelander watched from a distance as the Gotengo lit aflame, the element rolling across the famous anti-kaiju weapon.

“Shit!” Endeavor screamed out as the top half of Tokyo Tower began to crumble towards him, the gigantic monument rapidly approaching him as he attempted to save civilians that hadn’t evacuated. Flames began to surround his hand as he stood his ground, the pro hero rearing the limb back as the element changed to a blue hue, gritting his teeth as power climbed from deep within his core.

“PROMINENCE FLASH!”

The Number One Hero of Japan unleashed a stream of powerful flames, the blue fire rushing towards the falling debris and meeting it, before devouring the falling steel and iron. The monument’s remains turned to falling, hot iron as it melted away from a single attack. Endeavor’s eyes widened as he noticed a family rushing towards him, only for the remains of the tower to crush them and the shockwave to send him flying. “No! Goddamn you, Gordon!”

The extraterrestrial marched through the battlefield, sweeping them with his feet at the horde of undead, sending them flying into the air before crashing into the ground as mush. The Peacelander managed to kill dozens of them with just a simple swipe of his legs, though this did not ease his soul as he continued to put them to rest. Innocent blood had been shed, the most he had seen since the Garoga invasion of his homeworld, the cycle of violence continuing throughout the histories of multiple worlds. Zone Fighter approached a damaged building, wrapping his hands around the massive structure before throwing it to the ground, crushing a decent portion of the horde as they attempted to surround him. “I’m so sorry, your people didn’t deserve this fate. The least I can do is put you out of your misery…”

Hikaru turned his wrists towards the horde, aiming his rockets at the enemy. “Meteor Missile Might!” With a shout announcing his attack, the missiles charged forward and detonated across the earth, disintegrating another portion of the horde while debris flew into the air before descending towards the earth. Rubble slammed into the few infected that somehow avoided destruction from the meteor man’s attack, ash rising into the sky as flames erupted across the battleground. Zone Fighter looked all around him, seeing an endless wave of zombies overwhelming the military off in the distance, the only thing being heard by the Peacelander being the sounds of screams and gunfire. Hellish cries of rage and pleas for help mixing into an audible blender of torture as he tightened his fists, before placing his hands on top of his forehead before firing a thin blue beam to the infected in the distance.

“Proton Beam!” The alien’s attack tore through the landscape as it sliced through the horde, a gigantic boom following as the powerful beam detonated on impact. Zone Fighter quickly looked down as he saw many of the undead attempting to claw their way into his flesh, only to break their hands and jaws with every attempt, but still they continued. The onslaught of the waves felt like nothing more than a mosquito’s bite, but sorrow filled his heart as he lifted his leg and slammed it into the ground, crushing dozens with every stomp. His foot was drenched in ichor.

The air smelled of death and fire, the flames roaring to life across the landscape causing him to pause as he took in the horror around him. These monsters were once people, with families and ideals and dreams… now reduced to an animalistic rage. A shell of themselves, almost unrecognizable from the people they were. The only thing shared was their appearance, but even that was a warped, dark reflection of who they once were. While his family was safely being transferred out of the city’s limits, he was here being an executioner to hundreds of the Hollowed.

Zone Fighter looked into the sky as smoke rose from the destroyed landscape, questions rushing to him as he slowly began to mentally fall to the pressure of the battle. Had this “Hell” really opened its gates to swallow mankind whole? Had alien invaders unleashed some kind of bio-weapon bent on destroying the tiny remote world that had refused to fall time and time again? Had humanity created something worse than the atom bomb to neutralize threats to their own agendas and ideals? Or perhaps a failed attempt for a cure for disease? A way to end world hunger? So many questions about the hell they had found themselves in, only to be drawn back to the battle as he formed a fist and slammed the limb into the earth, sending infected flying into the sky as he struck the ground.

“Dammit!” he screamed as he remembered a call to action not being answered, while he had found allies in the mission, the rest of his comrades were dropping like fireflies. Tenma, Greenman, Ozaki, Captain Levi, Gordon and the Gotengo, all falling to the Scourge in under ten minutes. The world’s best falling to the blight in a moment’s notice, a blink of an eye that they would never get back with each passing second. His siblings had accompanied him on every mission against the Garoga’s forces, and now they and Smokey were far away from the battlefield, not giving him the backup he so desperately wanted as everything plummeted into the abyss. His only hope was in the form of a call to a distant ally in the war against the Garoga, only for him not to answer and abandon the fight when they needed him the most. Perhaps he was off facing the horde somewhere else across the planet, fighting the same threat they were, but that didn’t matter. The Peacelander looked up into the sky as he continued to slam his fists into the surrounding infected, reducing them to mush as he shouted.

“Some king you are, Godzilla! You can’t even answer the call to war from a friend! You couldn’t even be bothered with the problems of this planet you rule! Damn yo-”

Zone Fighter screamed out in agony as something pierced his left eye, making the Peacelander stumble backward into a destroyed building, making it collapse from his sheer weight alone as he covered the damaged orb with a hand. Blood rushed past his fingers as he surveyed the area, attempting to spot his attacker. But the sudden rush of adrenaline, fear, and anxiety made him blind to what was standing in front of him. Tenma stood amongst the ruins, his bow aimed at the alien as he formed a grim smile, the Gransazer of the Fire Tribe loading another arrow as the screaming Peacelander returned to his feet. His free arm pointed towards the ground as he yelled out “Meteor Missile Might!” The attack rushed towards the earth and struck randomly in all directions as Zone Fighter panicked, turning in all directions to strike true to whoever wounded him…

Only for lightning to strike him from the side, earning another scream of anguish as he was forced to his knees, Ozaki roared as he unleashed all of his power at once at the alien defender. The skin on the Mutant’s hand ripped apart from the sheer voltage and power behind the Keizer’s elemental attack, the strongest member of the M-Organization laughing as his former ally fell and continued to let out cries of pain that echoed across the battlefield.

“No!” Jet Jaguar Yung screamed out as he turned towards the assault, the robotic mascot charging straight towards the execution at full speed, slicing through the horde with his spear as he ran towards Zone Fighter. “No more! No one else dies!”

“Wait, Jet Jaguar!” Endeavor yelled on the intercom. “You can’t go alone!”

“I am a hero! I can’t let him die! My friends, one by one have been slaughtered! NO MORE!”

Yun covered his ears from within the cockpit of his creation, breathing heavily as a panic attack began to engulf him completely, the sounds of death and war surrounding him at every corner. One by one the best humanity had to offer against the Scourge fell like common soldiers, the overwhelming force of the undead showing them the grim reality…

They were all going to die.

The scientist thought back to the first few hours of infection, his friends and coworkers all being devoured by the horde and adding to their hatred, forcing Jet Jaguar’s hand in defending his life. Their deaths would mean nothing, their memory forgotten as the undead ripped him to shreds and devoured him, the sole survivor of their story being nothing more than a meal for the Hollowed.

Yun snapped back to reality as Zone Fighter screamed once again, Muscular jumping to the aid of his fellow infected meta-humans and slamming his entire body into the Peacelander’s chest. This sent him backwards into a building, his body quickly became limp as Tenma fired another arrow into his other eye, blinding the alien completely as Ozaki continued the electrical assault.

“N-Not like th-th-” The alien attempted to speak as he raised his arm, one last desperate attempt at survival as he blindly fired his signature attack once more, the missiles missing completely and hitting a series of buildings miles away. Explosions erupting from the blast points with a gigantic shockwave, crumbling completely under the might of the attack. His last thoughts were towards his family as his hand grew shaky before dropping to the ground, his entire body going limp on the building.

The last of the Zone Fighters had been slain.

“NO!” Jet Jaguar roared as he had finally made it to his friend, if the robot was organic his heart would be pumping like mad as tears poured from his eyes, the feeling of failure to save Zone Fighter washing over him as rage quickly built. The young robot charged directly at Ozaki and managed to catch the infected off guard, slamming his full weight into the Mutant’s side and sending him flying to the ground as Yun’s creation raised his spear, intending for the weapon to pierce the demon’s heart. Only for Tenma’s arrow to fly towards Jet Jaguar, the projectile aiming for the cockpit forcing Jet Jaguar Yung to catch the object, giving Ozaki time to recover and send a bolt of Keizer Lightning at the robotic superhero. A digital scream echoed from the child and his father, being pushed back as smoke rose when Muscular returned to the picture with the throw of a piece of debris, the concrete shattering across the second generation of Jet Jaguar. He crashed to the ground.

“I will…” The robot started to speak as he rose back to his feet, swinging his blade at the charging pair of infected, forcing them to dodge as Jet Jaguar felt fury reach the breaking point. “I will avenge them all! You will all pay! They were good people!”

The tank-like Muscular rushed into the scene as Tenma and Ozaki surrounded the struggling mascot, the creation of Yun Arikawa swinging madly at the dastardly duo as they simply continued to dodge his attempts to slice them in two. The zombified criminal slammed full force into Jet Jaguar’s body. The robot crashed into the ground on his back before being pinned, the infected super villain roaring with hatred and hunger as he raised his arms and slammed them into the robot’s form repeatedly. Dents formed as Jet Jaguar Yung attempted to block the onslaught of punches, putting his spear up to block the attacks, only for the super villain to reach down and wrap his hands around the long hilt, violently shaking the weapon from side to side. He attempted to rip the Anguirus spear away from its holder, sparks starting to fly as Muscular put force into the pull, ripping one of Jet Jaguar Yung’s arms off completely with the spear before tossing the limb away.

Drool dripped down the infected’s maw as he smelled Yun within the robotic defender, a smile forming as his hands wrapped around the entrance of the cockpit, applying pressure to free the fresh meal from within the mascot’s chest. Yun shook violently as he reached for the pistol at his side and aimed the weapon at the entrance, fear completely taking over as death approached.

Suddenly a gust of wind surrounded the fallen Jet Jaguar’s body. The Otaki creation was saved by a charging Endeavor as he slammed his fist into Muscular’s face at mach speeds, sending the Tank flying across the battlefield before quickly helping the damaged robot to his feet. “Go! Take Yun and run as fast as you can! I will hold them off!”

“No!” Jet Jaguar stated as he reached over to his spear, shaking off the destroyed limb before standing tall with his idol. “We face the monsters together!”

“Do not die a fool’s death, Jet Jaguar!” Endeavor barked as he turned his attention to the charging Tenma and Ozaki, the pair of super humans roaring with fury as they broke the ground beneath their feet. “Save your father! Live another day to save as many lives as you can! Avenge this city! Avenge us!” The pro hero charged forward at full speed at the Gransazer and Mutant, the pair snarling as they were both struck in the stomach and then sent flying. Flames surrounded the Number One Hero’s fist before sending out a stream of blue fire at the pair, aiming to destroy them in an instant, only for his hopes to be dashed as they quickly dodged the attack midair.

Jet Jaguar stepped forward to help engage with the enemy when Yun spoke from within the cockpit. “No! My son, we have to go!”

“But if I leave, he will die!”

“If we don’t leave, his sacrifice will be for nothing! We will die! I can’t lose anyone else!”

The robot stood still for a moment as sparks continued to fly from the damaged areas across his body, taking in his creator’s words as he watched his idol have his last stand before his attention was stolen from the charging Muscular. The hulking monstrosity’s roar reached the robot and his father as he looked between the rampaging infected and the battle unfolding. Jet Jaguar lowered his head in shame before turning around and running as fast as he could, the damage across his form not allowing him to run at max capacity, but he still ran all the same. “I’m sorry Mr. Endeavor…” A sense of sorrow washed over him as he retreated from the battle, his idol and father’s begging words echoing through his head with every step through the flaming hellscape.

Endeavor screamed with rage as he took to the sky and fired a volley of fireballs at the enemy, the elemental power rapidly flying at the deadly duo before slamming into the earth around them. The resulting explosions forced the pair to take evasive maneuvers to not be instantly disintegrated. The zombified Ozaki glowed golden once more as he jumped in front of one of the fireballs, catching the energy attack with his telekinesis before throwing it back at the pro hero. Lightning surrounded his finger tips before sending another bolt of a Keizer’s might at the flying superhero. Tenma loaded his bow with another arrow before letting it rip, the flaming arrow following the godly bolt towards their intended targets.

Japan’s Number One Hero simply knocked his reflected attack away with a strong fist before managing to catch Tenma’s arrow and snapping it in two, the Keizer Lightning being the closest to landing the mark, but still not striking true. Endeavor charged forward as the elemental fury passed by him, flames surrounding his back as he roared a battle cry at the pair, only for concrete to slam into his body as he descended. The fire hero was sent crashing into the ground as Muscular made his move before charging at the downed hero, Endeavor shaking his head back and forth as he returned to his feet, gritting his teeth as elemental fury surrounded his fist.

“Prominence Flash!” The red flames charged straight at Muscular, the fire earning a cry of pain as he continued forward, each step beneath his feet cracking the concrete further as the flames washed over him. The attack of the Number One Hero was only an annoyance as he pushed through the pain. Endeavor’s eyes widened as he quickly jumped back, the infected super villain almost managing to get on top of him with a large leap. If he had been any slower, the zombified tank would have managed to gain a chance to infect him with the plague.

Ozaki rushed by, razor sharp talons ripping into his side, blood spraying into the air as Endeavor gritted his teeth and attempted to slam his fist into his enemy. He was only met with concrete being sent into the air, distracting him as Tenma fired another arrow. This time the attack landed on the knee, puncturing the bone and earning a roar of anguish from the pro hero before Muscular slammed into his chest. The flame hero rolled across the ground before managing to catch himself, his fingers sinking into the concrete to stop his momentum before turning to his side and spotting the Keizer running straight towards him.

Endeavor smiled as a devilish plan formed in his mind, placing his hands on the ground and heating it up as fast as he could, the very ground becoming molten lava as the three charged at different sides. “The floor is lava, you bastards!”

The ground beneath them all erupted with power as a geyser of burning concrete launched into the sky before falling to the ground, the burning liquid earning a roar of agony from Muscular as he backed off. The fibers on his body were burned completely through from the attack, forcing the infected to jump backward and roar with hate.

Ozaki simply leapt into the air, passing through the descending molten concrete with a vile smile laid on his face, the Mutant opening his maw as he approached Endeavor. The pro hero reached upward with his arm and caught the Keizer by the throat. Heat quickly built up as he went to finish the fallen soldier before Tenma kicked him on the back of the knee, the Gransazer earning a cry of pain as he forced Endeavor to the ground. Ozaki saw the opportunity to free himself as he wrapped his hand around the pro hero’s own and twisted it away. This broke the limb, shattering the bone with a simple twist as he freed himself.

Lightning surrounded Ozaki’s hand as his prey stepped backwards, holding his broken hand as he screamed in agony, before releasing a bolt at the superhero. The electrical energy surrounded the man’s entire body as he screamed out. Endeavor gritted his teeth once more as he stood back up, the Keizer’s bolts only managing to piss him off as he rose back to his feet and grabbed Tenma by the skull, throwing him at Ozaki. The two of them were slammed together with violent force and sent flying before crashing into the ground.

The pro hero breathed in heavily as he attempted to locate Muscular once again, but it was too late…

A ripping pain he had never felt before rushed through his skull as the cruel hulk wrapped his hand around Endeavor’s skull, his talons ripping through the right side of his face, blood gushing as a massive gash formed. His eyes were slashed to mush with one swift motion from the infected super villain, Muscular laughing as he held the hero down before opening his maw and sinking his fangs into the hero’s shoulder blade and ripping a chunk of flesh away from his body. Blood erupted like a geyser from the wound as Endeavor screamed, earning the attention and monstrous smiles of Tenma and Ozaki as they rose back to their feet and charged at the downed pro hero.

“Dammit it all to hell!” Endeavor screamed out as he slammed his fist into the ground before sending out a powerful enough flame to send him flying, the superhero rising into the sky at mach speeds, aiming for one last heroic act before he was to become victim to the virus. He didn’t have much time, but if he was to climb as far up into the sky and use all of his energy in one desperate attempt to save the world, he would drop to the earth as a corpse with no chance of survival.

“I’m so sorry Shoto, Fuyumi, Natsuo, Rei… I couldn’t show you that I could be the man I always wanted to be… I didn’t deserve that chance… where I am going is not the same place that Toya is.”

Energy built up as he approached his limits, feeling the virus overcome him as his power climbed at a rapid rate. It was now or never…

“PROMINANCE BU-” He stopped dead in his tracks, and with that all hope for Japan was lost as Endeavor turned towards the ground with one glowing white hollow eye, the Scourge roaring with fury as he charged at the earth at top speeds before slamming into it and causing an explosion…

Jet Jaguar Yung continued to run through the ruins of the city, going deeper into the hellscape and swiping at whatever would approach with his spear, slicing through the walking corpses as they charged at him. The robotic mascot looked behind him for a brief moment as he saw an explosion in the distance, the earth shaking from miles away from the sheer magnitude of the superhero’s descent from the sky.

“Dadda…” The robot spoke as he continued to run, attempting to gain distance from the horde as he heard all too familiar cries of his fallen comrades. “You must run, you must survive.”

“What are you talking about Yung!?” Yun screamed at the top of his lungs as Jet Jaguar leapt into the air, landing on a piece of debris before climbing it the best he could to the top of a roof. The Otaki creation ran across the building’s form before leaping down to the ground on the other side, using whatever means it took to save his creator.

“You must find Mei. She is the key.”

“You aren’t making any sense! Jet Jaguar!”

“Do you not hear the song, Dadda?”

“No! All I hear i-” The roars of the infected metahumans grew closer, managing to follow the horde to their location. Yun’s eyes widened as he felt heat near them the inside of the cockpit, fear climbing as the end approached at rapid speeds.

The cockpit suddenly opened as Jet Jaguar Yung placed his spear into the ground near him before reaching in and grabbing his father. “Wait! What are you doing!?” He cried out to his creation as he placed him within an empty building before grabbing the Anguirus spear and turning towards the approaching horde and four infected metahumans, the rampaging demons making their way closer with every second that passed.

“RUN DADDA!” Jet Jaguar Yung screamed out as he charged into hell, the final stand to make sure his creator escaped with his life coming to a final choice. He was a hero, the decision to save Yun over himself came in an instant, the robot letting out a digital cry as death surrounded him.

“NO!” Yun screamed at the top of his lungs as he watched his son get surrounded by the horde, the normal infected being sliced into bits with a swipe of his blade, but the small victory quickly ended as the metahumans dogpiled on top of him and began to rip him to shreds. The scientist burst into tears as he covered his mouth and ran in the opposite direction, taking his own advice to secure survival and running, not looking back even for a moment as he made his way to salvation…

***

Tears streamed from Yun’s face as he stopped the blowtorch, dropping the item as he reached into his pocket. The scientist held the autograph that Endeavor had given his son, staring at the photo as he covered his mouth and continued to sob. The memory of how he lost his creation ripped open a hole in his heart he often attempted to avoid, the scars that were left two years ago never healing.

“I’m so sorry!” Momo cried out as she walked over to Yun, the Otaki engineer waving his hand as he took a moment to breathe. The rest of the survivors all turned towards the scientist as he struggled to even sit still, the tears flowing down like a river.

“No, I appreciate your kind words Ms. Yaoyorozu. I just… my son… I miss him so much… it meant a lot what you said, that his sacrifice made it so that innocent people would escape. He looked up to heroes… it is what he wanted.” The tears continued to flow as he shook, his hands not holding still as he reached for the blow torch, not even noticing the repairs on Jet Jaguar had finished.

“I didn’t mean to upset you,” Creati continued as she reached out, placing a hand on the scientist’s shoulder as he continued to release the trauma he had been holding down for so long. His friends throughout the last two years all looked on with a mix of empathy and sympathy for him as he slammed the ground. “I just… I wanted to give my respects to someone that helped so many people. I wasn’t there for my friends when this happened… he was on the front lines. He was a real hero.”

Yun turned to the young superhero and forced a smile on his face as he wiped away the tears, breathing in as he attempted to compose himself. “Thank you…” The Otaki engineer then returned to repairing the original Jet Jaguar, opening up a panel and pressing a button before it shut itself. “He will be rebooted soon-ish, your friend will be fine…” He stood up, wiping away the tears from his eyes before starting to walk out of the room. “If you’ll excuse me, I… I need some time alone.”

Momo looked to the ground with shame as the broken scientist walked onward, his heart shattered from the memory of his loss and the hell he had to go through to survive.

“Idiot…”

Only for their eyes to all widen as the front and back doors suddenly exploded…

 

Chapter 13: Emergence

“Show time!” Shikishima hollered out, pressing his thumb down on the detonator as the front and the back of the factory were blown into smithereens. He smirked at watching the fireworks as the remains of the huge door collapsed while both him and Azusa moved forward.

The sentries strapped on the wall snapped towards them as Shikishima simply waved at them. The gears inside began to turn, readying to riddle their targets with bullets. However, a powerful round went through one, detonating upon impact. The other snapped around, attempting to shoot down its target, but it too was met with the same fate.

The bandit leader turned around to the very distant Saradian Agent and blew him a kiss. Shikishima and Azusa stepped foot to find the band of survivors all standing together, united as they aimed their weapons at the two of them.

“Woah! Woah! Easy now, fellas,” Shikishima called out, raising his right hand while he put his left hand on Azusa’s pistol, lowering it, eliciting a glare from her. “I know we got off on the wrong foot, that’s my fault, by the way, but I think we can help each other, with the horde about to swarm us in a few minutes.”

Not a single one in their group kept their eyes off of Shikishima nor lowered their weapons as they stared daggers at the man who nearly killed them before. Eren was the first to step forward with a simple command, “Piss off.”

Shikishima shook his head. “If this is about the tooth, don’t sweat it. You have amazing dental!”

“And my reply is still piss off!” barked Eren, taking another step forward, gripping tighter and tighter on the handles of his blades.

“Now, now, Eren. I don’t expect you to know who I am, but that doesn’t mean you have to be overly hostile towards little ol’ me,” Shikishima replied, raising his arms upwards as he smiled, taking a step forward to the Captain of the Survey Corp.

“Poor Eren. I hate to use him like this, but this distraction will ensure we have the winning hand here.”

Momo moved her head slightly to Yun and whispered, “Is Jet Jaguar ready to go? We need him now!”

“Reboot is nearly complete. We just need Eren to distract him a little longer,” Yun whispered back, glancing back at the still deactivated Jet Jaguar.

“And while you two do that, I’m going to be looking the other way,” Hideki relayed, pulling out his ZAT Shoot, facing the direction towards the rear of the factory.

“Hostile towards you!? You stabbed me in the face and nearly got my friends killed! I have every goddamn reason to be hostile towards you!” Eren screamed out, pulling his blades out, aiming them directly towards the rival leader.

“And you’re right,” Shikshima spoke, placing his hands together as he took a deep breath and pointed them towards the captain. “You are justified, but let’s start over.”

The bandit leader dropped one of his hands and raised the other towards Eren, intending to shake his hand. “My name is Shikishima, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Eren nearly lowered his shoulders at the pure audacity this man had. The man who killed countless innocents and nearly killed him was now trying to parlay with them. He glanced back at his friends, keeping their eyes peeled towards the group before turning back to meet the smiling Shikishima.

“Okay, I’ll play along,” Eren spoke up, taking another step forward, taking his hand off the hilt as Shikishima kept his grin.

“Now you’re seeing reason, my boy.”

“My name is Eren Jaegar, and you can go fuck yourself,” Eren spoke calmly, giving Shikishima pause as the Titan Shifter reached for his hilt, pulling it out in a flash and swinging it towards the bandit leader.

Shikishima eyes’ widened at the sudden movement from his rival as he moved his head out of the way, but was not entirely successful. The blade slashed across his face, carving just past his eye and onto his nose, casting a large, nasty scar on his face.

“Aaaghck!!!!!” Shikishima screamed out, reeling his head back, but soon followed it up with a laugh, standing back up to face the now perplexed Eren. Shikishima wagged his finger at him, pacing around in an attempt to nurse the pain as he didn’t want to heal his wounds in an instant in front of the enemy. “Nice swing, I’m proud of you, but you’ll have to do better.”

Eren snarled, swinging his blade forward once more only to find it being knocked out of his hand. The Captain of the Survey Corp snapped his head over to find three of Shikishima’s crew emerging from the back of the factory, their weapons drawn on the crew. However, their hold on the crew would not last long as Hideki fired off his ZAT Shoot, striking Yuki on the shoulder.

The former Moguera pilot cried out as Kazama charged towards them while Kiriko fired several rounds at the survivors. With a surge of pink energy flowing from her body, Creati crafted several metallic barriers, placing them in front of the group, deflecting the barrage of projectiles. Kazama, however, pulverized them, intending to act as a human battering ram, incapacitating as many as he could in one fell swoop.

He braced his shoulder forward, intending to strike the former U.A. student. Energy surged from her body once more as Creati intended to form a sword from her body to strike down the charging mutant.

Blue eyes then lit up.

The sword fully materialized from her body as Momo wielded it, aiming it at the charging Kazama when, to her shock, Jet Jaguar jumped in front of her, letting out a defiant beep. With his arm rearing back, the child of Ibuki sent it crashing into Kazama’s face, sending him flying into Kiriko and Yuki.

“Damn, Jet,” Hideki said in astonishment. “That’s yet another time we owe you.”

Jet Jaguar beeped out, giving his friend his trademarked thumbs up.

From the ensuing chaos, Eren launched his thumb into his mouth and tore it off with his teeth. The pain made him scream out in pure agony as blood spurted like a fountain from the stump, but he couldn’t risk another incapacitation again. Not when so many lives were at stake.

A golden bolt of lightning crashed through the roof of the factory and directly onto Eren, as steam came from his body. The blast sent Azusa tumbling down while Shikishima stood his ground, smirking at the creature manifesting before him. The Attack Titan let out a powerful scream, intending to kill all those who opposed him, his friends, and the mission.

He sent his fist crashing down towards Shikishima, but with a quick command to his anchors, he grabbed a hold of Azusa and pulled back to the far side of the structure.

“RAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

Shikishima heard the all too familiar echoing noise and shook his head from the mild disappointment, lowering himself and Azusa onto the ground. The bandit leader peaked out of the ruined door to see several infected scurrying down the streets and pouring out of the ruined buildings. All of them were converging onto their location.

“Damn,” Shikishima muttered, turning back to the Attack Titan. “A shame we’re interrupted yet again. I enjoy our conversations. I really do.”

The Attack Titan charged forward, intending to squash Shikishima like the bug he was, but as before, he was faster on the draw. The anchors on his ODM gear struck another wall, pulling him and his teammate away from the oncoming danger. They collided into the structure as they watched the Attack Titan ram into the wall, creating an even bigger opening for the infected to pour through.

Hideki watched on, seeing the infected race towards their ruined base of operations. He turned back towards the others, “We need to go now!”

“What about the raiders!?” Yuri called out, watching as Kazama was slowly getting back up, fuming in pure rage as blood poured down from his face.

“Forget them!” Hideki screamed out as he turned over to Jet Jaguar. “Get Kazuma and Yuri out of here with the pterodactyl!”

Jet Jaguar beeped, walking over towards the aircraft, lifting it with ease while Akane aimed her rifle at the three Red Bamboo members. Without any hesitation, she fired it off, forcing them to scatter and to take cover while Jet Jaguar moved forward.

“Momo, provide Akane with the backup she needs and then get out of here!” Hideki relayed as Creati allowed her body to glow with energy as metal plates and ammunition dropped from her body.

The host of the Ultra looked at the hulking behemoth in front of them, keeping his burning eyes on Shikishima. As much as he wanted to see the raiders dead for their heinous, disgusting crimes, they had their mission to complete. He still had to save Aki.

“Eren!” Hideki screamed out at the top of his lungs as the Attack Titan ignored him at first, still keeping a watchful eye on his rival. His hands tightened, imagining the blood from Shikishima’s crushed body pouring out of them. He had a chance to end this, to kill a mass murderer, to rid the world of one more awful being. It may not have been enough to avenge them, but it was a start.

Yet, deep down, he knew it wasn’t meant to be as he glanced over at the approaching horde. Saliva dripped from their mouths while their eyes were bloodshot, intending to sink their teeth down onto everyone who occupied the garage as their arms were stretched forward.

“Son of a bitch!”

The Attack Titan turned around to face Hideki as Shikishima snickered, watching as Eren was retreating from their conflict. The Titan glanced down at Hideki who was relaying orders to him as Momo placed the barriers around the Attack Titan’s legs.

“Eren, get Bernie, Pigmon, and Yun out of here while we focus on the rest,” Hideki ordered as Eren nodded while he picked Pigmon up and placed him on his shoulder.

“Never thought I’d live to see the day where I get to ride an elf,” Bernie rambled before taking a shot from his flask as he sat up on his shoulder. “Next thing you know, Momo will tell me she can make me a leprechaun.”

“I can’t!” Creati called out from below.

“Damn!” Bernie shrieked out, shoving his flask in his shirt pocket while Pigmon turned to him.

“Ra!”

“They are real!” Bernie barked back as Yun was placed next to the two of them.

“Please don’t tell me you’ll be arguing about this the whole time,” Yun murmured, placing his hand on his head. “I have a headache.”

“Hideki….” Aki spoke, stepping forward towards him. “Is Jack coming out yet?”

“No. I can’t risk the building coming down on us when the infected are nearby. We, Momo, and Akane can exit out of the rear while the others get out,” Hideki nearly stammered out, not liking the idea, but it was now their best option since plans kept changing at every second.

“Any idea where we’ll rendezvous?” inquired Yuri, nearly shaking from the upcoming danger.

“Each of us will have a tracker, whoever finds a secure location, stay there until the rest of us get there. Then, I will transform,” relayed Hideki, reclaiming his composure while he wrapped Aki close to him.

Jet Jaguar gave him another thumbs up while he ran up the stairs with the pterodactyl still firmly wrapped in his hands, Kazuma and Yuri following behind. Hideki turned to Aki, looking deep into her eyes.

“Stay close to me at all times, no matter what,” Hideki uttered as Aki shook her head, sticking extremely close to him as they bolted towards the back exit, with Momo and Akane following their example, before branching off on their own path.

The Attack Titan stood upright, watching the infected pour into the warehouse while the Red Bamboo unloaded everything they had onto them. Humanity’s rage smirked at the fools being forced into a corner, just as they were several minutes ago.

“Serves those bastards right.”

Eren braced himself as he bolted past the Red Bamboo, trampling over several infected, reducing them to red paste. Several of them cried out in pure agony while others in gibberish, clawing at the metal plates, barely making a dent into them.

“Good thing Momo made those for me.”

With a swipe from his hand, three infected were sent exploding against the wall as the Attack Titan stepped into the frame of the ruined door, taking a brief moment to observe the Scourge bolting towards them. It gave him pause as he watched the seemingly endless horde pouring through, their bodies becoming indistinguishable, only a river of white and red.

Yet, he couldn’t let it distract him. He had a mission to complete.

The Attack Titan let out a powerful roar, taking a step forward when a loud bang was heard. His eyes widened as Eren darted his eyes around, thinking the bullet went into his nape, but felt no substance bypassing his flesh. It was then he heard a scream from above as he saw from the corner of his eye, Yun crying out.

His leg had been shot as blood trickled downwards with one zombie managing to get the red ichor into his mouth. The infected grinned with glee as the taste of blood was refreshing to him as he, along with so many of his kind, eyed the descending Otaki employee with hunger, wanting to get the full meal.

“No!”

The Attack Titan turned around to grab a hold of the falling Yun, but he wasn’t fast enough. A figure zoomed by, snatching up Yun as the anchors on the wall held him in place. “Excellent work, Azusa! He will make a fine hostage!”

Shikishima turned over to the glaring Attack Titan and smiled. “Don’t be so upset, Eren. That was just a lucky shot on our part. We won’t be able to get the other two.”

“Shikishima, you bastard!”

The Attack Titan stepped forward, rearing his arm backwards, intending to slam it directly into him, but once again, the Red Bamboo leader was quicker on the draw. He shoved the wounded Yun in front of the Attack Titan, forcing him to cease his assault. The Titan growled once more as Shikishima lowered him ever so slightly towards the clamoring horde below them.

“Consider this a draw. We get the young mechanic while the rest of you can try escaping from the horde and us,” Shikishima conveyed, as he raised an ultrahard blade and pointed it at the Attack Titan. “You have my permission to retreat.”

“Not on your life, you bastard!”

“Eren, come on! We need to go! The crazy bastard is letting us go!” Bernie screamed out while Pigmon jumped up and down in fear from the infected still banging on the metal plates.

The Attack Titan looked back at his passengers, noting the fear in their eyes as they could meet the same fate as Yun at any moment. It was then, the Attack Titan unleashed a bloodcurdling cry, forcing Bernie and Pigmon to cover their ears while Shikishima grinned.

“You can expect me to kill you the next time we meet.”

The Titan turned back towards the outside world and barreled past the infected, becoming a distant sight for the Red Bamboo.

“Atta boy!” Shikishima called out, clapping his hands together as he then put Yun back on his shoulder, looking at his retreating team members. “Call forth the Super X.”

***

“See? This isn’t so bad, right?” Kazuma spoke, turning his head back to the passenger of the aircraft, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “Just needed Jet Jaguar to help with takeoff.”

Yuri glanced down at the countless number of infected below them as they blanketed the streets they flew over. She gulped at how her friend’s pterodactyl could break down at any second. In the event that did happen, she’d hope the fall would kill her before any of them even laid a finger on her. She then turned her head back towards the operator, “That remains to be seen.”

“Hey, we’re in the sky and the others are probably doing okay, so I’d say we’re out of the woods…” Kazuma paused, taking a brief moment to look at the concrete jungle they were flying over. “City, is what I should say.”

Yuri rolled her eyes, not even bothering to give him a response as they soared next to Jet Jaguar, whose optics lit up, scanning the rooftops for hostiles and a landing zone. She glanced over to the child of Ibuki as he beeped, motioning them to continue, indicating nothing they have found is desirable.

The journalist sighed before turning around as they made their way between two large buildings. Kazuma squinted his eyes to see the coastline off in the distance as he glanced back at Yuri. “See, what did I tell you? We’re almost there!”

SWOOSH!

Before either of them could even react, a large net stretched across the two structures and ensnared the two. Jet Jaguar let out a loud beep, zooming towards them while the net rapidly descended towards the street, where they’d be for sure killed. The robotic hero gave it everything he had and sent himself crashing into the bundled mess, with his hands pushing it into the left structure.

CRASH!

The trio broke through the window and rolled onto the dirty, worn out floor. Jet Jaguar immediately got up to his feet and ripped a portion of the net off, freeing his newfound friends. Yuri crawled out of the broken net and huffed, “And I told you that remains to be seen!”

“That doesn’t matter!” Kazuma cried out, tears welling his eyes, turning back to the broken pieces of his pterodactyl. He lifted up the severed wing, inspecting it as he then tried to snap it back into place, but it didn’t click. As much as he didn’t want to say it, it was a lost cause. “You know this thing got me out of Osaka when Super Mechagodzilla fell.”

Yuri remained silent, feeling a bit guilty over her outburst at seeing how her friend was taking to the destruction of his pride and joy. Jet Jaguar, on the other hand, walked over and picked up the severed head of the aircraft and gave it back to its creator.

Kazuma sniffed, rubbing his eye as slowly reached out for the head. “Thank you.” Yuri then offered him a hand, an offer he accepted as he stood up, giving the two a small grin. “When we get back home, perhaps I can make a new one.”

Jet Jaguar shot him a thumbs up, eliciting an enthusiastic beep.

Tick.

A small, yet noticeable noise was heard, causing Yuri and Kazuma to jump up in shock as Jet Jaguar activated his high beam lights, scanning the floor they were on.

Tick.

Another noise was heard, one that sounded like someone moving a chess piece across a board. Jet Jaguar took a step forward, continuing to survey the area when he saw a figure obscured in shadow.

Tick.

The shadowy figure moved another chess piece forward as it inched closer into the robot’s line of sight. His blonde white hair flowed in front of his milky white eyes while he held his scarred neck with one hand, the other reaching for another chess piece.

“I was hoping for… Eren,” the ghoul spoke almost fluently, startling Kazuma and Yuri at its intelligence. It lifted the chess piece up, speaking once more in an almost elegant manner, with no spit or even growling oozing out of its vocal chords like so many of his infected comrades. “But you will have to do… as a test.”

“Test?” Yuri inquired, squinting her eyes to get a good look at the individual. She couldn’t get a clear picture of his appearance, but what she saw was enough to spook her. His pale, cracked skin tapping against the wooden table was enough to make her uneasy. “I don’t understand. We don’t have time for that, we need to get out of here…..”

The shadowy figure sent his boney finger down on a button as Yuri attempted to make contact with him.

SWHOOP!

A panel opened up and an arrow came flying out, heading directly towards the red-haired woman. For most targets, it was intended for instant kills, but for someone like Eren, the very person he was hunting, enough to incapacitate him.

Jet Jaguar let out an alarming beep, stepping in front of Yuri and grabbing a hold of the arrow, snapping it in half like a twig. Yuri placed her hand in front of her chest and breathed, horrified to realize she was right on death’s door before being yanked away.

The figure reached for the opposite side of the chessboard and grabbed a black knight. He slowly pulled it back, his hand shaking it from the instability, knocking over a white pawn. The mastermind lightly dropped the piece down and placed the pawn off to the side.

“Impressive…. Eren would have dropped from that,” the ghastly figure spoke once more.

Jet Jaguar kept his optics on him as Kazuma stepped forward, angered by the enigma setting up traps for them. He tightened his fists. “What the hell is your problem!?”

The former Mechagodzilla pilot stepped forward, only for his foot to go down slightly, making him jump back in shock.

“A pressure point!?”

The ceiling came down on them as a sentry lowered, both Yuri and Kazuma standing frozen in fear as it opened fire on them. Jet Jaguar, with only a second to react, sharply turned around and wrapped himself in front of them. The heavy bullets bounced off his back as they flew all in different directions, shattering windows and breaking down pillars.

The gun soon clicked, its stock empty as Jet Jaguar relinquished his grasp on his friends. He turned around once more to find the figure once more knocking another pawn down with the black knight.

“I’m amazed… you’re not in command… You are far more… competent than… Eren ever was…” the figure spoke once more, wheezing after almost every word as he gripped harder on his throat, blood slowly oozing out from his grievous wound.

Jet Jaguar lowered his head, using his high beams to scan the area, already noticing several pressure points all around the floor. He glanced back at Yuri and Kazuma, holding his hand out, motioning for them to stay still. The child of Ibuki stepped forward, gaining a closer look at the shadowy figure intent on both killing them, and killing his comrade.

The figure shined his light on the chess player, glancing slightly away from the brightness. He was perplexed by its behavior, realizing their enemy was an infected, but one far more intelligent and capable of speech. Almost perfectly. Jet Jaguar took another step forward, letting out a beep, attempting to see if there was any way he could parlay with him or at least buy himself time to come up with a solution.

“Revenge… On Eren… for abando… abandoning me…” the ghoul nearly coughed out, moving a white rook forward. His stomach filled with bile as hatred was taking form, his broken mind remembering the events of Z-Day when he was ambushed by his murderers, all while his friend just stood there and watched before running away. With a slam of his fist, another button on the table was pressed.

Flames burst out of the pillars surrounding Jet Jaguar as they scorched his body, melting away some of the paint on his body. The robot circled rapidly, raising his hands up defensively, gaining his bearings on the four columns spewing the dangerous flames. Fortunately for himself and others, he had had a brilliant creator teaching him self-preservation under the most dangerous of circumstances. So, he developed a method to counteract it almost instantaneously.

Blue mist came out of his mouth as he circled around rapidly, suppressing the flames before ripping the columns out, rendering them inoperable. Jet Jaguar snapped his head back once more to see yet another white pawn had been moved to the side while the infected individual kept his eyes on him.

Jet Jaguar beeped out, inquiring why he had such a personal grudge against Eren in particular, almost reaching the table.

“I am Armin… Arlert. I am… was his best friend…” the zombie answered, now gripping the black king piece as several white pieces were placed near it, readying to checkmate it at any second.

If he had a heart, Jet’s would be beating. All he could was just ponder on it. The incident was hard on Eren, just hours before, he had seen him break down. He didn’t know which was better, him seeing his childhood friend like this or letting him think he was gone forever. A topic he didn’t look forward to bringing up to Eren whatsoever if he made it out in one piece.

“And now… A choice… will be given to….”

Jet Jaguar cocked his head to the side in confusion, baffled at what the choice was.

“An opportunity… to show if you’re better than… Eren…” Armin wheezed out, pressing down on the final button on the table, opening up a door, revealing several undead wandering the hallways just before it. “Kill me… and you will have rid the world of its leader or save your… Frie… Friends.”

Jet Jaguar, with almost no hesitation reared his arm back, intending to rip the infected Armin’s head off, but the zombie was faster, smashing his decaying, broken hand against the table. The bang echoed throughout the room and into the hallway, causing his infected brothers and sisters to snap their heads in unison. Their eyes widened while their bellies roared, seeing the two survivors stand in front of them.

They all howled out, racing towards them with their arms out, intending to chow down on the meal before them. Jet Jaguar tightened his hands, pulling his arm back. The thought of killing the infected commander was all too tempting as it was nearly too good to pass up. He knew it’d do wonders for the living in reclaiming the planet, but his original mission took priority. To save the people, no matter what. It was also what his father taught him, to care for his fellow man and to stand up for them even to the end.

“I am a hero.”

Jet Jaguar turned away from the infected commander and to his two friends. He elbowed the closest zombie, breaking its face like glass hitting concrete while he kicked a hole through the stomach of another. The child of Ibuki let out a loud beep, telling the two to get on his back while he ripped the front half of a zombie’s head off.

With enough distance cleared between him and the zombies, he turned around and ran straight out the window. He flung his arms forward, shooting off into the night sky, searching for another possible area to reunite with his comrades while Armin continued to watch, knocking the black king with his white king.

“A… far… far better man than you’ll ever be… Eren.”

***

They ran like hell.

The undead were surrounding them at what felt like every corner just from the sheer sound alone, the howling horde behind them causing anxiety and fear to rise within the young heroine as she continued to sprint through the ruins with Akane close behind. The soldier constantly looked behind them to make sure they weren’t being followed, her rifle hanging next to the ground but she was ready to open fire at any second.

Momo held on tightly to the hilt of her blade, the superhero’s adrenaline spiking at a rapid rate as she looked in all directions for an exit, something, anything in these ruins that would allow her and Akane to safely travel to the others. Her breathing became heavy, her heart beat at a rapid rate, her legs felt as if they were going to collapse from the long journey in the diseased metropolis but she continued forward. The only way to survive was to push, push herself to her absolute limits, push until she had allowed everyone to make it home safe… until she had found her fellow students of U.A. High School. It was the only way.

“Get a grip…” She thought to herself. “These people need you, damn your limits!”

“Yaoyorozu!,” Akane cried out, making Momo turn to see the lieutenant kick down the door to an office building, breaking it apart with a single kick. “In here! If we manage to get to one of the upper floors, we can secure it and allow the others to find us.”

Creati nodded before following the soldier into the building, the young hero’s body glowed as she stepped back before placing a barrier, making sure their path would not be compromised by a horde of the dead following them or worse, the Red Bamboo hunting them down before the rest of their group could meet up with them.

But before they had entered the building, high above them, standing on top of a roof, was a single entity. Red armor covered the hollow corpse as it gripped the concrete wall at the edge of the rooftop, his white, milky eyes staring with curiosity and confusion at the two women but his gaze had turned more towards Akane as they entered the building. Memories of a life long past flooded his mind, fragments of who he once was coming in like a tidal wave before ceasing back into the void, for a moment he could have sworn he had felt his heart beat again for the first time in two years.

“It… can’t be.”

The Gransazer continued to stare as they entered the building across from him, a faint glow alerting him not to enter from their path but instead to take a different approach, looking across the vast distance between buildings before backing away and starting to sprint at full speed, jumping into the air mid sprint and launching himself into the sky.

“Must… tell her… how I feel.”

The member of the Fire Tribe descended to the building’s rooftop, air rushing past him as he began to gain momentum, grabbing the attention of Momo and Akane as they began to climb up the stairs. The sound resembled a bomb being dropped, Akane’s eyes widening as the worst came to her mind.

“What the hell is that?” Creati asked as she stopped dead in her tracks on the stairs, raising her blade as she prepared to face the Red Bamboo once again.

“Get down!” Akane screamed as she grabbed Momo’s hand, throwing her down as the ceiling above them collapsed, concrete and steel flying into the air in all directions as dust surrounded the area. The pair of warriors were sent flying into a room, breaking down the wooden wall in the process. Akane quickly reached for her rifle, aiming it at the entrance of the hole in the wall as Yayorozu recovered, standing on her feet with her blade in hand.

A figure’s shadow began to show as the dust settled, the entity stepping forward, approaching them with loud thumps. Akane shot one bullet from her rifle, but the entity had raised its arm and deflected the attack, a slight snarl exiting from its maw as its form was revealed. Their eyes widened as Tenma revealed himself to them, the zombified Gransazer staring at the two with white, hollow eyes and an open maw.

Akane gritted her teeth as she continued to open fire and backed away from the entity as Momo charged forward with blade in hand, the two of them opting to overwhelm the infected as quickly as they could.

“Wait!” The infected shouted as he continued to deflect the bullets with his arm before catching Creati’s sword in his free hand, gripping tightly as he stared at the young superhero, her eyes widening in fear as it just stood still.

“No… No, why?… Why two?… Mithras?… Mika?”

The sword shattered into pieces within the infected’s hand, causing Momo to jump back as her arm began to glow in a desperate attempt to defend herself as he raised his hand in the air before backhanding her through most of the office spaces that lined the room.

“Momo!” Akane continued to open fire, aiming each bullet at the open space on the Scourge’s helmet, only for the undead warrior to continue forward until the entire clip from the rifle was empty. “Shit!” The lieutenant cursed as she reached for her pistol at her side, unclipping it from the holster and aiming it at Tenma before he had closed the gap. The Hollowed quickly snapped the firearm in two before pushing her into a corner, the soldier’s eyes widening in fear as her fate had caught up to her. Death had come for her in the form of an undead ghoul of the night.

“I’m… sorry,” Akane’s eyes widened before mustering with all of her strength to raise a hand, pushing him back and managing to send him flying backward until he caught himself in the entrance of the ruins. The lieutenant looked down at her hand in amazement and fear at the realization, her new found strength making her heart beat as adrenaline rushed through her. Though she couldn’t see it, red veins surrounded her eye, her face reflecting the infected without being a part of their numbers. “I s-should have listened… should have stayed with you… so many devoured… so many lost.”

“Did… did they have a soul?” Akane thought to herself as the entity continued to stumble forth. It would have almost seemed like that the undead was asking for forgiveness, his hollow heart yearning to be heard even after being dead for so long.

“I… was always f-f-fond of y-you… M-Mika,” The member of the Blight stepped forward with an open hand, the rotting carcass attempting to force a smile on his deceased face. “B-but now, things are different… you… you are like… me.”

Akane glanced at her bite for a moment as she rolled up her sleeve, the mark of infection pulsed as pain slightly shot up her arm, making the lieutenant cringe slightly before taking her attention back to the still approaching Tenma. “Come with me… please… I…” Before the infected could finish his statement, Momo came back into the equation with a baseball bat to the skull. She managed to strike the exposed flesh and push the Gransazer back, catching him by surprise and striking him again over the head, slamming the infected superhero into the ground. Tenma began to rise back up to his feet as Creati went in for another swing of her weapon. The Gransazer swiped at her legs with his talons, slicing across her limb and earning a scream of agony.

The lieutenant charged straight at the rising infected, slamming into him at full speed before crashing into the wall, rubble falling onto the both of them as Akane began striking him across the torso and face. Each strike sounded like a gunshot from the sheer strength behind them, she gritted her teeth as rage began to build, an everlasting bloodlust rising from deep within her core.

Bump bump….

Her adrenaline spiked immensely, her sight becoming red as she continued to savagely beat down the infected Tenma, primal violence boiling over from within as she continued to attack.

“Let go!”

Bump bump….bump bump…

“Let go of everything!”

Tenma reached upward, wrapping his hand around her throat before slamming her into the wall and then throwing her across the floor, only for Akane to sink her fingers into the floor of their battlefield and slow down her momentum before charging like a rabid animal straight at Tenma. She leapt into the air before pouncing on top of him and attempting to sink her teeth into his throat, only for the Fire Gransazer to strike her against the stomach before kicking her away once again.

Momo looked in horror as Akane became more violent, the calm collected lieutenant becoming like a feral monster, that was when she noticed the small bite mark on her arm. Creati’s eyes widened at the discovery as the soldier returned to her feet, standing and panting as Tenma did the same right above the entrance way to the destroyed staircase. She smiled, a plan forming in her head before acting, charging straight at Tenma as fast as she could before drop-kicking the infected out of the room. The Gransazer dropped through layers of concrete and stone as he made his way through multiple floors from the impact, Akane standing still for a moment as she looked downward, making sure that for the time being that he was taken care of.

“We need to hurry, that won’t distract him for long…” Akane turned around to see Momo holding the baseball bat while shaking, ready for whatever was needed to be done. The soldier raised her hands as she slowly walked closer to the superhero, the lieutenant looking at her comrade with a mixture of confusion and sadness as she stood ready to defend herself.

“Don’t step closer!” Yayorozu yelled as she prepared to strike Akane’s head, shaking as tears began to form.

“I’m okay, I’m not like them. I have had this bite for a day now and nothing, just pain and… that.” She looked down at her bite mark for a moment, remembering the infant that didn’t survive the encounter with Cinder House’s infected swarm. The incredible strength and… bloodlust she must have inherited from the virus, but yet she still retained her humanity, no desire to devour the living.

Akane reached out, wrapping her hand around Momo’s bat before lowering it and giving the young hero a hug.

“You’ll be fine, I’ll be fine. The others will make it out of this hell with us… so let’s go.”

The two backed away for a moment before Momo nodded, the two heroes now starting to look for a new way out of the situation they found themselves in.

***

He held on as tight as he could, the ZAT agent gripping Aki’s hand for dear life as they made their way through the ruins, his heartbeat becoming faster with every step that passed. He had finally gotten to her, after two years he had finally gotten the love of his life back.

The Red Bamboo was hunting them, an army of the dead surrounded the entire area, and now they were separated from the rest of the group. His allies defended the rest of the survivors while running for their lives, he had faith in them all but the feeling of them falling to the Blight or the terrorists was ever so present in his mind.

“Hideki!” his lover cried out as they sprinted through the dead city, the young woman painting as they ran for their lives, the sounds of conflict bringing out fear. “Where are we going?”

“Anywhere that isn’t here! We have to have faith in the others to meet us and get out of this hell!”

The ZAT captain continued to march forward with Aki, the two of them seeing what appeared to be an empty building and starting to beeline for the door. “This way, I am sure if we make i-”

“BACK AWAY HIDEKI!” A voice in his head screamed, his eyes widening as he jumped back just in time for the sound of concrete breaking to enter his ears as something hit the door frame. Hideki quickly motioned for Aki to get behind him, reaching into his holster for the ZAT Shoot and aiming at the door frame. He was still surprised as something zoomed by and slammed their fist into his stomach, the single strike making him cough up blood before falling to the ground for a moment. His weapon dropped and slid away as the member of the undead turned their attention towards Aki.

“Hideki!” His lover screamed out as she looked at the metahuman, his armor resembling that of the Mutants of the M-Organization, there was no doubt about that in her mind. She backed away, helpless as the infected snarled at her, slowly approaching her as if it was trying to make her feel fear like prey.

Hideki quickly reached out for the ZAT Shoot, earning the infected’s attention, snapping back to him and raising his hand. Golden bolts bounced from finger to finger before unleashing lightning at him, his eyes widening as time slowed down before he felt the presence of his more powerful half.

“Allow me, Hideki.”

Light surrounded Hideki’s form, the golden bolt being devoured by it as he stood up, the man dropping his weapon as the process began. The infected Ozaki had to cover his eyes as the white light engulfed the small alleyway, golden eyes staring back at the Scourge as his form manifested. Silver covered most of the being’s body, red patches covered the chest, waist, knees and arms with tiny lines surrounding the patches acting as accents. A blue light surrounded the middle of the alien’s chest, glowing brightly as he stood in an aggressive position.

Ultraman Jack had now taken control of the situation, causing Ozaki to take his eye off of the woman, seeing worthy prey within the Ultra. “Hideki?…” Aki questioned as she looked at his new form, though she had known of his identity for some time, her eyes still widened all the same as she had realized all the times that he had put his life on the line as the Ultra alongside MAT years ago.

“Aki Sakata,” Jack said as he got into an aggressive stance at the zombified Mutant. “Mark my words, I will get you home. I promise.”

Ozaki attempted another bolt of Keizer Lightning, only for Jack to run through the electrical attack and strike the infected across the jaw, pushing him back before striking him in the stomach. The action repeated until his free hand wrapped around the Mutant’s hair and was thrown into the wall, sending him into the building. “Aki,” Jack stated as he reached down, grabbing the ZAT Shoot and tossing her the weapon. “Take this, we can’t risk losing you again.”

Suddenly gunshots were beelining for them, the Ultra quickly jumping in front of the young woman as a golden light surrounded his wrist, the Ultra Bracelet forming into the Ultra Defender to defend Aki. The bullets bounced off the defense but managed to push Jack back a bit, his feet dragging in the soil for a moment as Ozaki charged forth while firing rounds at the pair.

Jack stood his ground, the bullets bouncing off of the shield as Ozaki continued the assault before quickly dodging an energy blast from the ZAT Shoot as Aki fired at the undead Mutant. The soldier snarled as he looked at the pair.

The Ultra Bracelet glowed before changing form, leaving himself open to hand to hand combat. Ozaki launched forward, talons swiping at his foe as Jack stepped back to gain distance, wrapping his hand around the Mutant’s wrist and slamming him into the nearby wall before throwing him back into the building once more. The Ultra sprinted at lightning speeds as he aimed his hands at the infected before unleashing his Ultra Rockets at him. A roar of hatred resounded from his maw as the explosives made contact, the mutant pushing forward as the assault continued with no worry in its rotted mind. The zombified Keizer quickly ran across the wall and struck Jack with a kick to the skull, sending him flying into a wall before Ozaki leapt and wrapped his hand around his neck.

“No!” Aki screamed out as she fired the ZAT Shoot once again, the Mutant barely having to dodge its head as the laser cut through the wall next to him. The deceased looked at the woman for a moment, giving the Ultra Brother a chance to act. His hand wrapped around Ozaki’s wrist and twisted it, freeing himself and firmly kicking the metahuman in the chest. Ozaki was pushed back before the Ultra Bracelet lit up like a beacon, the bright glow even for a moment blinding him, the Ultra Flash doing its job.

Aki aimed her weapon at Ozaki’s skull, moments away from pulling the trigger, but she wasn’t quick enough. The zombie unleashed a bolt of Keizer energy blindly at her, managing to strike her across the shoulder and send her flying to the ground. The woman let out a cry of pain as she slammed into the hard, wooden floor of the ruined living room, the ZAT Shoot sliding over to the side.

“No!” The two minds screamed as she sat in pain. Jack charged in and tackled the infected before raising his fists into the air, slamming them down repeatedly. Blood flew across his body with each strike until the Mutant caught his fists and lifted his own leg, placing it on Jack’s stomach before throwing him overhead. Breaking down another portion of the wall to the alleyway, the infected Ozaki rose back to his feet as he began to stare down at the injured woman, Aki’s eyes widening as lightning danced across his hand as it hovered above her. The fallen hero of the JSDF stood still as he looked at the woman, snarling with a wide smile, blood dripping down onto the ground.

The zombie continued to stare at Aki, a moment of hesitation entering its deceased mind as it stared at the cowering woman, a quick flash showing someone from a better life.

“M-Miyuki?”

Ultraman Jack quickly rolled back to his feet, as his bracelet once again glowed white before taking the form of the Ultra Cross before being thrown at the entity’s skull.

Gotcha.

Ozaki’s body glowed yellow as he caught the weapon with his telekinesis, the Mutant roaring with hatred as he prepared to pierce Aki’s heart, only for the Bracelet to explode in the air. The explosion sent the strongest member of the fallen M-Organization stumbling back as blood erupted from his flesh, black goo flying across the ground and Aki’s clothes as she quickly ran towards Jack.

The veteran of the Land of Light walked forward as the bracelet once again glowed before forming a whip. Jack reared his hand back and swung the weapon directly at the undead target, ensnaring Ozaki’s hand. With a firm tug, Jack threw the metahuman to the ground before he flew up, a sonic boom bursting around him as he quickly ascended into the sky. Aiming to drop the Mutant from a high altitude to its doom, those plans quickly went awry as the Scourge screamed with hatred as it reached up with its free hand, swiping with blood covered talons at the whip as they continued to ascend.

Aki quickly ran back into the destroyed room, picking up the ZAT Shoot and aiming the weapon at the entrance of the broken wall, shaking as she prepared for a last stand against their attacker.

Ozaki quickly reached to his side, once again grabbing his firearm and opening fire at the Ultra, managing to scrape the hero’s shoulder. Jack threw the whip above his head, violently thrashing Ozaki in the air before swinging and throwing the infected mutant back at the ground. A whistle was heard as he rapidly approached the terrain and crashed into the ground, a pillar of dust skyrocketing after the collision.

Ultraman Jack quickly descended with a strong kick, aiming to finish the fight once and for all with a single blow, only for those hopes to be dashed as the smoke cleared to reveal that Ozaki wasn’t there. The intergalactic warrior jumped upward in surprise before a golden blur zoomed by, talons slicing through his side as it passed, causing Jack to scream out in pain as he clutched his wound. Light emerged from the wounds across his body before the infected once again zoomed by, this time running across the wall before leaping at the hero, aiming to slice his eyes only for the Ultra to dodge just in the nick of time.

The infected swung at his target violently, only for Jack to catch both hands before rearing his head backwards and slamming it into the Mutant’s skull, sending the entity stumbling backwards before Jack landed a strike against Ozaki’s face that sent him flying.

“NOW JACK!” Hideki screamed from within the body, there was no time for this distraction, the infected needed to be dealt with. He needed to be dealt with with one final blow.

Jack put his arms in the signature pose, energy building as he prepared to unleash his most famous finisher.

Ozaki caught his footing, snarling as dirt dragged behind him before coming to a halt. The Mutant recognized the stance from his previous life, information being cluttered but still signaling his decayed mind of danger. A gamble formed, golden energy bouncing between his fingers before shooting his hands upward and unleashing golden bolts of Keizer Lightning.

The Specium Beam fired from Jack’s arm, the beam of blue energy clashing with Ozaki’s alien energy in a deadly and beautiful display of gold and blue. Neither of them yielding as power bounced back and forth, Aki watched in awe and horror as the two were interlocked, the young woman trying to aim her weapon at Ozaki but the light was too bright for her to get a proper lock on her target.

The Ultra Brother for a moment glanced at his chest as it began to beep red rapidly, the energy he had used over the course of this battle coming to a close.

“Shit.”

The intergalactic defender looked at Aki as he struggled to keep his footing, the look of fear on her face being apparent as she stared at the beam clash. Then a thought came to mind as he noticed the ZAT Shoot in her grasp, they didn’t need to defeat the Mutant, they just needed to escape.

“Aki!” Jack yelled as loud as he could over the sound of the colliding beams. “Take the shot!”

The young survivor aimed her weapon, shaking as anxiety began to take hold but with a deep breath and a quick prayer to whatever would listen, she pulled the trigger. The beam ripped through Ozaki’s knee, causing the undead Keizer to howl in anguish as his footing dropped, his lightning ceasing as the Specium Beam overwhelmed the destabilized blast. The soldier’s luck continued as he dropped to the ground, the beam shooting forward until it collided with a nearby structure and detonated.

The Color Timer began to flash faster, Jack’s energy decreasing at a much more alarming rate. With one last push for survival, the Ultra unleashed a mist from his fingertips at the concrete structure to his side, covering it with ice. The sound of the wall’s integrity breaking entered their ears as Ozaki began to get back to his feet, Jack quickly charged towards Aki as light engulfed his form, the building behind him crumbling as he leapt into the destroyed living room that she stood in.

“Start running Aki!” Jack cried out as his form returned back to Hideki Go, the crumbling structure blocking the Mutant’s path. But, who knew how long that would last? The reunited lovers charged forward, the two of them holding each other’s hands for dear life as they began to run up the stairs, finding the building to be an apartment complex.

“If we make it to the roof, the others can get to us. We have to hurry.”

Aki looked back as they ran for their lives, her heart beating at a rapid rate with each step. At every corner there was a predator lurking to devour them, undead or alive, danger was waiting for them. “I can’t wait to get home…”

***

The Attack Titan barreled through the horde of infected, from squishing them to kicking several into the windows of the distant structures. The barriers around his legs were giving way. The materials Creati generated were durable, but not enough to last a whole night, only enough for their original plan. They needed to find a rendezvous zone fast.

The Titan turned his head slightly at Bernie, who had his hand placed on his long hair, keeping himself upright from the goliath’s intense speeds. “Well, I’m not seeing anything, for the fifth time!” Bernie barked out as the Titan rolled his eyes.

“It’s not my fault they haven’t found a secure site yet!” he retaliated, gripping his hair tighter.

“Ra!” Pigmon spoke out loud, waving his left hand.

“Oh, and you think you can do better?” Bernie spat, as he then took a moment to compose himself, allowing himself to breathe. “Never thought I’d see the day where I’m riding on a giant elf with a tomato while being chased by zombies ending up like this.”

Pigmon cocked his head in confusion. “Ra?”

“Yes, I thought about this day for a long time! It’s not the weirdest thing to happen in the world!” shrieked the conspiracy theorist.

“Ra!” Pigmon called back out as the Attack Titan huffed in disbelief at his new friend’s declaration.

“Shut up!” Bernie screamed out as the Titan continued barreling through the horde.

“Go… go…” a figure observed from the shadows on the fifth level of a building, watching his infected brothers and sisters being trampled by the monstrosity off in the distance. His hand shook while he reached for his sword. The Attack Titan moved at record speeds, blitzing through the streets until he saw the beast within striking distance. He yanked his katana out and screamed at the top of his blood curled lungs, “Right into it!”

Gordon jumped from the window, crashing down onto the Attack Titan, immediately causing terror in his passengers. “Oh shit!” Bernie screamed out as Pigmon backed up to his friend while he waved his arms at him.

The Attack Titan stopped in his tracks to see what the commotion was about, but it was too late. Gordon smiled while his teeth chattered with saliva pouring down onto the back of the Titan. The two looked incredibly appetizing, particularly the short red creature. He never tasted a Pigmon before, but his duty had to come first.

Destroy All Monsters.

The zombified Gordon swung his katana down onto the nape of the Attack Titan, eliciting a howl of agony as steam erupted out of the afflicted wound. With the monstrosity already collapsing onto his knees, Gordon snapped his head back towards the cowering civilians, licking his lips at them. He reared his katana back, before charging at them. Unlike several of the others, he knew his bare hands didn’t always get the job done in catching their prey, but his katana always cleared the gap. It allowed him to feast on countless victims while his infected comrades had his leftovers. He was a cut above the rest, something his commander greatly valued.

It was not to be, however, as a gigantic hand blocked the zombie’s path, immediately grabbing a hold of his two friends. The hand swung itself ever so slightly and threw them off of its body as Gordon howled in pure anger, deprived of a very tantalizing meal. He swung his sword through the fingers of the already decaying body, easily severing the digits as more and more steam blew out of the wounds.

“You bastard!” Eren screamed out, launching himself out of the damaged nape, bringing his last remaining blade down onto the zombified soldier only for Gordon to turn around, blocking it with his own blade. The Titan Shifter stepped forward, pressing his blade up against Gordon’s, forcing him to stagger back. Eren’s eyes turned bloodshot, glaring down at the zombie’s milky white eyes.

Eren pushed forward yet as the Attack Titan’s body continued to decompose, slinking over as they both staggered ever so slightly. His glare would be enough to make anyone feel either discomfort or scared, but the zombified Gotengo captain felt no fear. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and smirked. “There are two things you… don’t know about…” Gordon snarled, saliva being launched in Eren’s face, causing him to jerk back in disgust, allowing the captain to take a step forward and press his blade forward from the momentarily distraction. “Is me…..”

“Save the theatrics and let me chop off your head!” Eren barked, pressing his blade forward, allowing him to regain his footing, but not by much. Had he been at full strength by not turning into the Attack Titan twice, this zombie would have been dead, but he was more troublesome than he anticipated. Still, he had civilians to evacuate and his squad to reunite, this undead bastard will fall soon enough. He will see to that.

“And… other is… Commander Armin,” Gordon stammered out.

Eren’s eyes widened, his heart stopped at what the zombie relayed. His friend was not only a member of the infected, but leading them as well. He shook his head, attempting to convince himself the zombie would play mind games on him, but the infected were not known to make up lies to the living with knowledge about their loved ones.

“What… did you say?” Eren breathed out in disbelief as his body began to shake rapidly. Gordon watched his prey crumble before him. The Commander was right, the Titan Shifter would fall just by the mere mention of his name. The zombie smirked once more, swinging his katana onto Eren’s hand, slicing it off like a hot knife against butter. Eren screamed in pure agony as blood splattered all over Gordon’s face as he licked his ichor covered lips. It was the perfect appetizer to the meal before him.

The Titan Shifter was now defenseless as Eren attempted to shift once more, however, Gordon was much faster than him, ramming the blade into his stomach. The Survey Corp Captain choked out once more, spitting out another round of blood. This time, launched directly into the zombified captain’s mouth.

Gordon laughed in pure delight, punching Eren off the still decaying Titan, watching his prey fall on the asphalt. He jumped off the now collapsing body, standing over his gravely injured prey. He shall enjoy eating him alive, especially with the steam rising out of his body as it made him only more appetizing. The zombie slammed his katana down into the crack of the asphalt, no longer needing it against the meal below him. His hands and teeth were all he needed to devour him.

Bernie stirred himself upwards while he watched Pigmon do the same. “A little warning would have been nice,” he muttered, brushing the dirt off his shirt.

“Ra!” Pigmon replied, waving his arms once more.

“You can say that again,” he commented, scanning the area trying to find his friend as the steam was still ascending in front of them. “You have any idea where Eren is? He’s our only shot of getting out of here.”

Pigmon cocked his head to the side, looking deeply into the steam as it slowly dissipated to see two figures on opposite sides of it. The figure standing up was hunched over, a sight all too familiar to him, the kind that terrified him while the other attempted to inch himself away. The little hero banged his hands against Bernie, squawking out at the sight in front of him.

“Ow! Ow!” Bernie cried out, pushing Pigmon away from him. “What are you doing!?”

“Ra! Ra! Ra! Ra!” Pigmon cried out, pointing his boney white hand out to the now dissipating steam as they saw the zombified Gordon standing over their wounded friend.

“Oh shit!” Bernie called out, slamming his hands on the top of his hand. “We got to do something!”

“Ra!” Pigmon cried out.

Gordon dropped himself onto his knees and hunched over to the wounded captain. He arched his head back while he croaked, anticipating the first mouthful he was about to take out of his prey. Eren attempted to use his remaining hand as a deterrent towards the zombie, but his body was too weak to do much of anything except to watch and accept his fate. It was then his mind began to flash with his failures. His entire family dying on Z-Day, the mission failing and him leaving behind Hiana and Riko.

“I’m so sorry everyone. For failing you to save you, for not doing enough. It should have been me. All of you would have been able to complete this mission. All I’ve done is screw up time and time again.”

“Hey!” a loud and proud voice called out, snapping the zombie away from his meal. Gordon turned around to see Bernie standing with a piece of rubble over his head. He was struggling to keep it lifted up as his body looked like it was about to give out. Yet, he held onto his strength, determined to rid the world of this particular zombie.

Eren’s eyes widened at seeing what the civilian was doing. He wanted to scream at him, yell at him for not running away, for not saving himself. Just another casualty on his watch as his tears dropped from his eyes at the horrific murder that was about to take place.

Gordon snarled at the interruption, however, his future victim looked very promising to him. His feast on Eren would only be that much more satisfying after he devoured his appetizers first. The zombified captain went over to reach for his katana, only to find it was gone.

The captain shrieked out, uttering out once more. “Where…. Is it!”

“Ra!” Pigmon screeched out, swinging the blade down on Gordon’s legs, severing them instantly, forcing the zombie to scream out. The enhanced zombie collapsed on his stomach while he looked up at Bernie still holding the rubble above him.

“Tap or no tap!?” Bernie yelled out.

“He… will….. Come for you all!” the zombie spat out, attempting to reach for Bernie’s leg, only for him to drop the debris onto the crawling Gordon, splattering his head like a bug. Blood and brain matter shot out all over the ground as Bernie took a moment to compose himself.

“Tap it is then.”

Eren breathed a sigh of relief, seeing his friends taking out that monstrosity. He saw them rushing over to them as Bernie immediately asked, “You look like shit!”

“No shit,” Eren mouthed, as the two helped him up to his feet while he panted out with steam rising from his wounds. They were healing, but he still needed a few more minutes before he could transform for the last time this night. “Let’s not waste any time on whatever that was and get the hell out of here!”

“You said it, pal!” Bernie called out, before stopping as Eren rolled his eyes.

“I said let’s go!” the Captain shouted.

“Yeah, I know!” Bernie retaliated, picking up Gordon’s sword off the ground and inspected it. “Always wanted one of these.”

“Ra!” Pigmon vocalized.

“Just because I like anime doesn’t mean I’m a weeb!” Bernie barked out, placing himself next to Eren, allowing himself to be a crutch.

“Ra!”

“I appreciate art, dammit!”

A rumble was heard, forcing the three to stumble, stopping in their tracks. Another was heard, as the three felt the vibrations under their feet. Eren huffed, lifting his head upward. “Turn me around… I need to assess the situation.”

Bernie and Pigmon did what they were told, all of them turning around in unison and seeing something that only made their escape even more treacherous. Eren’s eyes widened in pure horror, knowing full well who stood before them.

Gamera unleashed a roar towards the heavens, casting down a fireball onto an area several blocks away from them. The blast incinerated everything it touched, infected and structure alike. There was no discrimination in his blasts as he took a step forward, swinging his hand through a nearby building, taking out a floor. With the top portion starting to crumble, Gamera wasted no time and sent it careening down onto a horde of infected, delivering them from this planet.

The Guardian of the Universe stomped down on the rubble like it was nothing and made his way deeper into the city. He let out a mighty roar, letting all those who were present know what his intentions were. He would not be trifled with, not today and never again in the future.

His priestess was in danger and all of those who got in the way would perish. The planet he swore to protect would have to wait a bit longer before he would resume his duties, as Asagi was the only thing on his mind. Her life mattered to him, no one else’s did.

Gamera cast down another fireball, incinerating the next several blocks in front of him as he continued searching for his beloved priestess.

Eren’s eyes briefly turned into a bright orange as the flames got closer and closer to them. His legs nearly trembled, but he had to stay strong, to protect those he swore to defend. “We need to go! Now!”

“Don’t need to tell me twice!” Bernie hollered out as they all turned around and ran together, holding Eren as best as they could while Gamera’s all out assault could still be heard behind them.

“I just hope the others are okay,” Eren mouthed, allowing himself a brief moment to rest for his wounds to heal faster in the off chance he did have to transform to fight Gamera.

***

“Goddamn!” Hideki screeched out, watching the orange flames rise up in front of him as he held onto Aki as tight as he could.

“Gamera…. I thought he was on our side?” questioned Aki, trembling at the sight of the kaiju everyone saw as a hero, now a war machine.

“Apparently not,” Hideki spat in pure annoyance over Gamera making their operation even more difficult as the route they intended to take was covered in flames.

“Hideki, I have enough power for one more transformation if things take a turn for the worse.”

The Ultra Host nodded, taking a detour through an alley. “I appreciate it, Jack. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

“Come to what?” Aki asked, feeling her stomach turning into knots over what her partner seemingly said to himself.

“Jack and I having to kick his ass.”

***

“You think you can fly us out of this one, Jet?” Kazuma asked, watching from the roof of a two story building at Gamera’s path of destruction.

Jet Jaguar shook his head before turning around to observe the damage.

“Worth a shot,” mouthed the former Mechagodzilla pilot.

“Still preferable to dealing with the zombified Jigsaw,” Yuri pointed out.

“And I’d still rather not deal with an angry turtle unless I either had Mechagodzilla or my pterodactyl!” Kazuma countered.

“All I was saying was my opinion, no need to get angsty!” Yuri countered, rubbing her head from the oncoming headache she was just now receiving.

Jet Jaguar watched the fire scorching a huge chunk of the city while he heard the civilians he was assigned to protect. The encounter with Armin took a toll on them and to some extent, him. He couldn’t blame them for lashing out after the mind games they had to endure, but he couldn’t help but feel annoyed over everything. It only made him miss being home, solving mysteries with his father and Chikako, no matter the case they took on.

“I miss Patches.”

***

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Shikishima spoke, admiring the view of the burning city before him as he watched the Guardian of the Universe continue his trek. Behind him, the Saradian Agent loaded the wounded Yun into the Super X. “This just got more exciting.”

“Captain, come in,” Kiriko spoke over the radio as the raider leader picked up his communicator.

“What’s the word?”

“I’ve located the girl and Akane. Orders?”

Shikishima smiled. Two valuable targets almost in the palm of his hand. He was going to receive a very, very nice bottle of wine for neutralizing them. “Subdue them if you can, but kill them if you must.”

“Roger that,” Kiriko spoke, before signing off as Shikishima turned around to find Azusa saluting him once more.

The captain of the raiders rolled his eyes once more, not even going to bother with giving his subordinate yet another lecture on the formalities. “Yes?”

“Orders?” she inquired.

“You and Yuki think you can handle the Super X?”

“Of course,” Azusa affirmed, smiling at the opportunity to pilot the impressive war machine.

“Good, now search for Eren Jaeger. I want him alive at all costs,” Shikishima ordered, before turning to SSS9. “Same goes for you. Use whatever methods you find desirable to destroy his Titan form, but bring Eren back alive!”

“As you wish,” the Saradian agent spoke, loading a clip in his rifle as he raced down the street, intending to locate his target.

“Kazama, you’re with me,” Shikishima ordered, pulling out his blades. “We’re gonna take a closer look at our new friend there.”

***

“This way,” Akane stated as began to climb over to the ruined staircase, carefully placing her foot on the little that remained between the room and her escape. “If we manage to get over this, we can place the tracker and wait for the others.”

Momo followed her lead, the young hero carefully stepping onto the little bit of the floor that remained as Akane jumped to the staircase before beginning to climb over the rubble that covered the path to their salvation. She stared for a moment at the lieutenant’s arm as she made the same leap her comrade had done, the soldier making it over the small batch of rubble and standing on it before offering her a hand.

The superhero was met with a warm smile, but a horrific image of a possible future was all she saw, the side of Akane’s face covered in red veins with a bloodshot eye. She took her hand and quickly climbed over the bit of rubble, the two standing on the broken chunk of concrete before jumping down to the other side and walking up the staircase.

“How did it happen?” Momo asked with sorrow in her heart, the two continuing to climb the stairs as a moment of silence passed, the question forcing Akane back to an unfortunate memory.

“We were trying to save a family, me and the member of our group we lost yesterday. The parents were ripped apart like nothing, a horde being led by Cinder House devouring them within seconds,” Akane gripped her arm as they continued forth, the memory bringing shame that she couldn’t save them or her friend in the chaos. “I had managed to get the baby away, I thought I had gotten there in time, I thought I had at least done the one thing the parents had asked me to do and save their child…”

Tears emerged from her eyes with each step she took, the guilt of everything finally washing over her as the pain in her arm raised slightly. Her free arm covered her mouth for a moment before continuing the story. “The baby was infected, it bit me with such tiny teeth that at first I thought nothing of it. But throughout the last two days, I have felt the infection spread in my body,” The lieutenant forced her flaring arm on the railing as she gritted her teeth, her physical pain rising as the memory that started to haunt her began to force her into a breakdown, the soldier pushing onward towards her freedom even as body and soul were being crushed. “I kept waiting for the transformation, to turn into a monster and then blow my own fucking brains out… I… I had to shoot the baby.”

Momo’s eyes widened with horror, the young woman seeing someone with such a heavy heart forcing themselves to simply stand as they continued their journey made her own heart break. Akane was a soldier, a woman bound to protect her country against all matter of threats, and now she felt more helpless than she had ever felt in her life. Creati reached out with her free hand, placing it on the back of Akane’s shoulder and stopping her in her tracks for a moment. “You did all you could have done… it must have been hard, putting all this weight on your shoulders, feeling responsible for everyone in your group,” Akane quivered for a moment as her friend spoke, words attempting to stitch the wounds back together. “We are almost free, you are almost out of this. You haven’t turned yet, we can find an answer Akane.”

The lieutenant looked down as she nodded before speaking “Thank you… let’s get a move on.” Though she did not truly believe that freedom was in her future, she appreciated Momo’s words all the same. At the very least, if she were to die in this city, if she were to turn into a member of the army of the dead… she could die knowing that the future was in good hands and that she would fall with honor saving the others. And with her new found strength, nothing would stop her from reaching that goal.

“What was her name?” Creati asked her friend.

“Asagi. Asagi Kusanagi.”

“What was she like?”

“She… She was the heart of our little group. The youngest of us. When things were at our lowest, she was always there to raise our spirits. She often spoke in her faith to her guardian but when the time had come… he didn’t arrive.”

“Who was her guardian?”

Akane stopped in her tracks, turning to Momo and with sorrow in her voice stating the answer. “Gamera.”

It was then the building violently shook as an explosion was heard off in the distance, the pair of warriors having to keep their footing. They witnessed from out of the window flames erupting in the distance, before being followed by something moving. Something big was making its way through the city, though they couldn’t quite see what it was, Akane’s eyes widened all the same.

“No…” The soldier gripped the back of Momo’s shirt for a moment, gaining her attention before motioning to start climbing. The two entered a sprint up the rest of the stairs before finally finding the rooftop’s door. Akane didn’t stop as she reached salvation, knocking the metal door with a strong slam with her shoulder and sending it flying to the edge of the roof. The two finally reached fresh air, only for their solution to escape to transform into another threat to their lives, Akane’s eyes widening as the full picture finally came to her.

“You bastard…” The lieutenant stated as she stared at the goliath tearing through the city, the absolute guardian roaring with hatred as flames surrounded his maw before unleashing more plasma across the dead city. “You are too late!” She screamed as tears flowed down her face like a waterfall at the sight of the terrapin, pointing at him with fury as she shook. “She didn’t have to die! Where the hell were you!? Damn you! DAMN YOU!…. damn you…”

Akane collapsed onto the ground, slamming her fist into the concrete floor and cracking it slightly as tears continued to flow from her tear ducts onto the ground. “I’m so sorry, Asagi… it should have been me, I’m so sorry…”

Her breakdown was interrupted as the sound of a click alerted the both of them to another presence, the pair turning around to see Kiriko standing there with her pistol aimed at Momo’s skull. “No sudden movements,” She barked, keeping the gun steady as she stared at the two. “Drop the bat and step away from the weapon, we wouldn’t want this to get messy, not when you can be of use for the Red Bamboo.”

Momo did as her captor commanded, dropping the metal bat onto the ground before backing away from the weapon and raising her arms into the air. Akane slowly stood up, wiping away the tears as she looked at their adversary and raised her arms.

“Here is what is going to happen,” Kiriko continued. “You both are coming with me, you answer any questions we have, or I blow your fucking heads off. Is that clear?” The sound of the terrapin marching echoed through the conversation, the ground beneath their feet rumbling as they continued the stand off. The pair nodded in response as the former G-Grasper got closer to them.

“Good. First question,” She stated as she turned her attention more towards the young superhero. “What is your deal? Where do your powers come from?”

Momo squinted her eyes as she answered her captor’s question. “Student of U.A.”

“Quirk it is. Explains why you were added to your little suicide squad.”

“Why the hell are you doing this?,” Momo asked, trying to keep her captor’s attention on her as she noticed Akane slightly twitching. “What do you hope to accomplish when you have fallen so much from who you once were?”

Kiriko snickered as she smirked. “Foolish girl. You see it takes patience to make a soldier, the patience to watch and wait to protect all of us quietly. For humanity and the Red Bamboo witho-” Kiriko was launched as Akane suddenly swung out, striking the soldier in the chest and sending her flying to near the edge of the rooftop, slamming her back into the concrete wall before opening fire on the lieutenant. Only, her eyes widened as Akane sprinted forward and managed to dodge the bullets, the former G-Grasper swearing that she saw a smile of insanity written on the soldier’s face as she carried her momentum.

“Momo!” Akane shouted as she continued to press onward. “On my mark!”

Creati quickly followed her comrade’s command, charging forward towards her bat with her right arm as her left glowed vibrantly before forming a shield to protect herself from oncoming projectiles. Akane took one gigantic leap into the air, managing to close the distance while dodging the gunfire, closing the distance and landing on top of Kiriko. Her now glowing red and white eye stared deep into Kiriko’s soul, a twisted smile formed on her mouth, salvia dripping slightly as a chuckle left her maw. “Infecting you would be too damn good for you, you bitch!”

Kiriko attempted to fire her gun at the soldier, only for Akane to grab her hand and raise it into the air, holding it still as she let one bullet fly into the sky. The former G-Grasper managed to push her attacker off of her, only for Akane to rip the firearm from her hand as she rolled across the ground. The lieutenant quickly recaught herself as Momo continued forward, her bat hanging behind her as Akane opened fire, the bullets striking Kiriko three times in the chest. Blood erupted from the wounds and her mouth as she was forced back, her sight becoming blurry as pain flared throughout her entire body. However, she was still able to see Akane standing in a salute with a smirk before Momo struck her with the baseball on her head, sending her flying off the rooftop to the ruins below.

If the hit hadn’t snapped her neck, killing her in an instant as a gigantic gash formed on her head, the fall would have as she slammed into the pavement as mush. Her brain scattered across the road as her bones shattered like toothpicks, the few infected that noticed the corpse starting to lumber towards her carcass the moment they smelled fresh meat.

Momo breathed in and out as she looked back at Akane, the soldier dropping the gun as she did the same. The two took a moment to rest before another sudden noise startled them, only for smiles to form on their faces as they saw Jet Jaguar descend with Yuri and Kazuma.

“Oh thank god!” Akane yelled out as she ran towards her pair of friends and they landed, wrapping her arms around all three of them. “You are all okay… I was getting worried sick.”

Yuri and Kazuma both smiled as they hugged back for a moment. “It’s good to see you too, Akane,” the reporter stated as the three let go, Kazuma rubbing the back of his head as he slightly smirked with a very faint blush. “We had run into trouble with some sort of… mastermind infected. It was smart, smarter than any we had seen.”

“It almost killed us,” added Kazuma, the scientist holding onto the robotic pterodactyl’s head while slightly shaking, recalling the experience they had escaped. “It set traps! It was waiting for us, for Eren.”

Jet Jaguar nodded as he pressed the tracker he held onto, prompting Momo to do the same, alerting Hideki and Eren to their position. The robotic defender let out a beep as he shook his head, a strange sense of shame hovering over him as he added to the conversation. Creati’s eyes widened when she heard what her comrade stated.

“Did… did you just say that the infected was Armin? And that he is… leading the undead?”

Jet Jaguar nodded, confirming to the superhero what he had stated before turning around and beeping once more. Telling Eren this, something that had torn him apart just mere hours beforehand, would once again rip apart his heart as the memory would return like a flood. His best friend being a member of the undead, much less commanding the horde with swift precision, was going to make their friend’s heart break. A frown formed on Yayorozu’s face as she looked down, the thought of how her friend was going to react to the horrid news at the front of her mind. Before she could dwell on it any further, her thoughts were interrupted as two more trackers activated, alerting the group that the rest of them were nearby.

Soon they would all be reunited and escape from this hell to Okinawa in one piece, the nightmare would soon be over.

Jet Jaguar turned back to Creati before letting out a series of beeps, giving the young woman a thumbs up as he began to walk to the rooftop’s edge.

“Wait! Just because the others are incoming doesn’t mean that I can do this on my own!”

The son of Dr. Ibuki let out another series of beeps, her eyes widening as his words reached her ears.

“I have faith in you, young Yaoyorozu.”

Jet Jaguar leapt into the air, taking off towards the signal closest to the rampaging Gamera. He must ensure that his comrades survive and his mission to save these people is completed.

Creati took in a deep breath as she was given command over the group, the young superhero stepping forward and gaining their attention. “We will wait here for the others. With how everything is, it’s best to keep our ground as they approach. Moving would only complicate things.”

“That’s fine with me,” Yuri stated as she took a seat on the ground, the reporter covering her face with her hands for a moment as took in a deep breath. “I don’t want to risk running into another zombie ever again.”

Kazuma followed in his friend’s example as Akane reached down and wrapped her hand around Kiriko’s pistol before placing it in the holster, standing in the doorway to the rooftop to keep watch as they waited for their friends in case an infected came up the stairs. The pilot of Kiryu gripped her arm as pain increased once more, gritting her teeth as dangerous thoughts entered her mind. “No…” she said under her breath. “Just a little bit longer, just enough for them to get to safety. Please just… just until then.”

 

Chapter 14: Against All Odds

“You two can let go of me now, I’m fine,” Eren breathed out, with the steam finally ceasing as his wounds were nonexistent.

“Ah, no! No!” Bernie proclaimed gripping his hold on the katana and his friend’s side, earning a hiss from him. “No way in hell am I letting go. You’re our best ticket out of here and I’m not letting go without a good reason!”

“Ra!” Pigmon joined, gripping his boney hands onto Eren’s back as they moved forward through the quieter streets of Tokyo, only encountering very few infected. They had been lucky these past few blocks after what they went through with Gordon. Eren’s only thoughts in his mind were getting the two of them out of here and if the others were okay.

High beam lights shone in on them, blinding them as they shielded their eyes. They all lifted their heads slowly, trying to peer through the brightness. Eren’s heart raced as a small bit of optimism rushed in his whole body.

“Jet!?” Eren exclaimed, but those hopes were dashed as he heard an engine rumbling in the craft above them with the rotary blades singing with it. His eyes then widened in shock when their vision became more clear. “The Super X…. how…. did it survive?”

“Hell yeah! We’re rescued! Woo!” Bernie cheered, pumping his sword wielding fist in the air while Pigmon bounced up and down in excitement.

Eren, however, knew better. By all accounts, it was thought to be lost in Osaka, as his mind raced. He wasn’t a genius, but he knew only one thing.

It now belonged to the Red Bamboo.

“Run!” Eren yelled out, causing his two compatriots to face in confusion.

“Why do you want to run? This is obviously our rescue!” counterned Bernie, tightening his grip on his savior’s shoulder.

“It belongs to the Red Bamboo, you idiot!” Eren barked back. “RUN!”

In the cockpit of the Super X, Azusa smirked while Yuki kept his focus on the group down below them. She flipped the switch on the controls as her co-pilot snapped his attention back to her. “What are you doing? Shikishima said he wanted Eren alive!”

He wanted the killing to stop, to let this conflict be over. All he wanted was to retreat, to head back to base where he could potentially devise a plan to escape or defect. However, even if his chances were better now with the squad separated, he couldn’t take that chance. Not when Azusa was at the helm and not when Eren could potentially transform and wreck his chance to escape. Yuki sighed, realizing the horror of them not listening to him, if he told them he wanted to switch. He knew they’d be justified in killing him, so he simply resigned himself to his fate, desperately hoping Azusa would listen.

She kept the smirk on her face, her eyes still glued to the survivors down below. “Oh, this won’t kill Eren, it’ll only wound him,” she paused before slightly shaking in excitement, giddy about what was to come. “Besides, I always wanted to kill a Pigmon.”

She pressed down on the switch as blue particles cannons charged from the aerial battle tank as both Bernie and Pigmon’s eyes widened in horror, finally realizing what was about to happen.

“It was good knowing you, Eren!” Bernie exclaimed, relinquishing his hold on the Titan Shifter and bolted off into the nearby building, Pigmon waddling away and following his friend.

“Oh thanks a lot, assholes!” Eren screeched out, nearly feeling himself collapse as the Super X fired its twin lasers. Cobalt beams shot out at the Titan Shifter, but he was far faster, biting down on his wrist, giving himself one last transformation.

A lighting bolt came down, temporarily blinding the pilots as the Attack Titan let out an earth-shattering roar, accepting the challenge. He swung his fist at the mobile craft, forcing Azusa and Yuki to pull it in reverse, dodging the attack in the nick of time.

“Firing flares!” Yuki declared, slamming down a red button.

Red flashes shot out of the siege weapon directly towards the Attack Titan, forcing him to shield his eyes as Eren grunted.

“Dammit! I can understand why Godzilla hated this thing.”

The Attack Titan kept his arms crossed in front of his face, attempting to shield himself from the blinding light. Azusa, seizing the opportunity, fired the lasers, carving through the arms of the Titan and into its collarbones. The Rage of Humanity was forced to drop his arms and let out a painful shriek at the searing pain enacted onto him. Missiles were then launched from it, heading directly towards him.

Eren gritted his teeth, watching the steam slowly ascend from his body. He needed a minute to heal his wounds, to allow his arms to function once more. As much as he hated it, he needed to run, to devise some sort of plan.

Picking up his feet, he allowed himself to duck, letting the first wave of missiles sweep over him and collide with a building, detonating upon impact. The top half of the building crumbled into pieces, its remains raining all over the nearby streets, creating new obstructions for anyone daring to cross them.

The Attack Titan stood back up, bolting to the side, taking refuge behind a few buildings as the missiles followed suit. One immediately struck a building while the others circled around as the Attack Titan ran with his life on the line. The rocket first in line appeared right next to Eren, forcing him to jump into the building next to him, slowing him down, but sparing him from the pain.

The Rogue Titan stumbled back up to find the other rockets careening towards him, easily ducking down once more to dodge one. However, it only delayed the inevitable, as the next missile tore straight through his ankle. Large amounts of blood exploded out of his talus, forcing the wounded combatant on his back, crashing into a structure, turning it into a makeshift bed.

Steam rose out of his ankle while his arms were just about healed. The Attack Titan growled, watching the hovering fortress, making its way towards him. The Titan of Rage heard screams of joy, feeling nibbles on his fleshy arm. He glanced over to see a group of zombies have made their way towards him, clawing and biting into his flesh. He rolled his eyes as their attacks were the equivalent of tiny pinches, something not worthy of his attention.

Except… like a lighting bolt, an idea struck his brain, as a sinister, yet silly, plan formed. Eren smirked as the Super X hovered closer and closer, aiming its arsenal at the Attack Titan’s head, intending to end this fight once and for all.

“You know what the hardest part about all of this is, Yuki?” Azusa asked.

“Finding a way to live with ourselves,” the co-pilot mumbled, frowning at what horrible act Azusa was about to commit.

“No, stupid,” Azusa barked out, tapping her index finger at the corner of her lip as she elicited a huge grin. “I just can’t decide whether I want to use the lasers or missiles to blow his ugly head off!”

In the moment of her indecisiveness, the Attack Titan moved his arm forward, grabbing the horde of infected clawing at him. He aimed them right at the Super X and threw them, the screeching undead setting his plan in motion.

Yuki looked back up to see, to his complete shock and horror, undead flying towards them. “Azusa!”

“Oh shit!” she cried out, fumbling around the controls, firing both the lasers and missiles at the flying horde. The missiles detonated against the undead, sending their fleshy remains raining down on the streets while the lasers carved them in half. It was all for naught, though, as several of them collided into the windshields. Some of them were broken upon the impact while a few of them eyed the two bandits inside, screaming at the top of their lungs while clawing at the window.

“Oh my god!” Yuki screamed at the top of his lungs, moving the Super X as best as he could to shake them off. “Get them off! Get them off!”

Eren smirked at the seemingly panicking craft, noticing his wounds were completely gone, as he got up on his feet.

“Payback.”

The Attack Titan shrieked, swinging his arms violently, with each step leaving behind a crater. His hands struck the battle tank, sending it rearing back, eliciting groans from its pilots. Eren leapt forward, placing his hands onto the Super X, lifting it over his head. The Titan Shifter gritted his teeth, feeling the intense amount of strain on his body, as the war machine was far heavier than he ever expected.

He took a step forward and with a powerful roar, echoing throughout the entire city, he reared his body slightly backwards before slamming the Super X into the ground. The resulting impact caused a large dent in the craft as Yuki coughed from the attack, placing his hands above his ribs, feeling a few of them crack.

Azusa fared better, nearly snarling at the beast standing before them. Only a scar was cast upon her forehead, ignoring the blood dripping from it and onto the controls. She slammed her hand on the buttons in an attempt to retaliate, however, nothing came of it.

“What the hell!?” she shrieked. Yuki coughed once more, flipping the emergency power switches.

“It’s going to take a minute for the reserves to come on,” answered Yuki, watching the Attack Titan continue to pummel their craft repeatedly, hearing the dents being created while it rattled continuously.

“We don’t have a minute! That wretched thing is going to kill us and destroy our precious craft!” countered Azusa, slamming her hand on the buttons repeatedly.

“Godzilla couldn’t penetrate this craft, so I don’t see how this Titan can,” Yuki pointed out, reclining slightly in his seat, watching the Attack Titan continue pummeling away. “We’ll be alright.”

“I hate you,” growled the co-pilot, turning her attention towards the windshield.

“The feeling is mutual.”

“Target acquired,” an all too familiar voice spoke on their comm, causing both of them to light up.

“SSS9!” Azusa spoke up, her spirits being raised once again as Yuki rolled his eyes.

“You’ll have all the time you need,” SSS9 clarified, aiming his rifle at the Attack Titan in a distant building. His eye peered through the scope, aiming it directly at his left eye. “This will be more than enough.”

His finger pulled the trigger, sending the high caliber round careening into the Attack Titan’s eyes, turning it into a crater of mush. The Titan stumbled back as he cried out in pure agony while Eren gritted his teeth.

“Where did that come from!?”

The Attack Titan covered his injured eye with his hand as he turned around to face the challenger, only to be met with another round towards his other eye. The Rage of Humanity screamed out, completely blinded as he stumbled backwards, attempting to nurse his wounds.

Azusa grinned like a child in a candy shop as the Super X’s reserves came back on. It hovered above the ground, facing its blinded target directly. “You are a godsend!”

“Yeah, thanks….” Yuki added sarcastically.

The former White Heron pilot slammed the buttons once more, firing out a hail of missiles. All of them struck the blinded target, forcing him to unleash another series of cries. The barrage knocked him down on his back, as he writhed in pain.

“Hey!” Azusa spoke up, hitting her co-pilot on the shoulder. “We got this by the ass!”

Bernie peaked his head outside of the store door, watching the carnage take place. He saw his savior being ripped to shreds with the terrifying arsenal. A part of him felt guilty for running off, but he didn’t know how he could help, especially when it was against a sky fortress made from the most brilliant minds in the Japanese government.

“I’m telling you Pigmon, if I ever have children or adopt a gopher, I’m gonna name my first born after him. It’s the least I can do,” Bernie spoke, expecting to hear a response from his little red friend, but received nothing. “Pigmon?”

He turned around, only to find him gone as he searched around, but to no avail. Bernie then heard hopping as he peaked his head outside to find Pigmon skipping towards the battlefield. His eyes widened with horror, realizing what the little hero was trying to pull.

“Pigmon! Pigmon! Don’t!” Bernie cried out, pushing past the door as he attempted to give chase. The two of them teaming up against Gordon was one thing, but him going head to head with a military grade vehicle was suicide. “Pigmon!”

Pigmon gave one last glance at Bernie. “Ra!”

He had no other choice. If Eren, Bernie, and the others had any chance to escape, then he needed to make sure it could happen. They took him, treated him no different than each other, and he was eternally grateful for that. Even promising him the path of paradise. It sounded amazing, at least according to Bernie and his crazy mind, but it was never meant to be for him.

It was almost comforting to him in a sense. Seeing it in person would have disappointed him. It being a fantasy was way more appealing.

He skipped past the Attack Titan as the Rage of Humanity’s left eye healed up, watching what the little hero was doing.

“Pigmon, don’t.”

Pigmon stopped for a moment, glancing up at the floating battleship above him.

“I gave you an opportunity to escape. Why are you here!?”

It was then the red creature started hopping around in circles as he waved his hands, crying out.

Yuki raised his eyebrow in confusion at what the little creature was trying to do. Azusa, on the other hand, grinned. She turned her focus completely on Pigmon as she cheerfully yelled out. “Best day ever!”

She slammed the controls, sending out a missile directly at the dancing little hero. Eren watched the missile careen towards his friend as he screamed out for him to run, but he didn’t listen, continuing his dance.

“Pigmon!”

The missile struck Pigmon, annihilating the little hero, leaving only a silhouette of him in its wake. Eren gritted his teeth, eyeing the distracted battle tank.

“You son of a bitch!”

Feeling the wounds in his body healing once more, the Attack Titan stumbled back up, raising his hands forward. He glared directly at the Super X, intending to strike it with everything he had.

“I’m going to destroy that piece of shit before I tear you all to pieces!”

The Attack Titan howled, launching himself upwards, crashing into the Super X before its pilots could even counter it. The Vengeful Titan grabbed a hold of the floating craft, sending it crashing into several buildings.

The result throttled the two co-pilots around as Yuki held himself firmly in his seat, Azusa faring a lot worse. The impact forced her to slam her head into the control center, knocking her out cold as Yuki’s eyes widened.

“Shit!” he cried out, running his hands across every control he could, firing its entire arsenal. Missiles and lasers carved through the Attack Titan like a Thanksgiving turkey. Pieces of flesh were blasted off its body as ichor poured out of the gaping holes. All the while the Attack Titan continued pounding away at the battle tank, damaging it further and further, as Yuki was losing control of it.

“Just let this end!” the former Moguera pilot cried out. The explosions of missiles and the sounds of punching were all he heard, with the two crashing into every nearby building, pushing both to their absolute limit, casting a huge cloud of dust.

SSS9 peered through his scope, seeing all went quiet on the front. Within seconds, the cloud subsided to reveal the bloody and battered Attack Titan still standing, with the Super X perched on top of a ruined building, blinking its lights with what little power remained. The Saradian Agent glanced over at the Rage of Humanity, noticing both of its arms were blown off while muscle was exposed on the majority of its body. He simply smirked, taking aim with his rifle at the nape, awaiting the emergence of Eren.

Yuki shook his head as smoke flowed all around him. He took a deep breath, amazed at how he was still alive from a fight he couldn’t even fully remember, but the windshields were still in near perfect condition. Something that amazed him when he picked up on the fact nearly every component of their craft was inoperable. Except for the missile function, however, with only one projectile left. He looked at the Titan, sensing death in him, but it didn’t feel right to him as he glanced upwards at the building up ahead, taking note of the Saradian Agent.

He slowly turned his head to the side, seeing Azusa still unconscious before turning back to the window. Yuki reached for the controls, moving it ever so slightly, aiming the cannon towards the building.

For the first time today, he felt no hesitation as he pressed the button down calmly, launching the last missile. SSS9 continued peering through his scope when he heard something zooming towards him. He took his eyes off his target and turned, only to find himself in a black void.

Yuki watched the building explode like fireworks, smiling at the terrorist being blown into pieces. He defied direct orders, but no one would know, not even Shikishima. For the first time today, Yuki smiled as he watched Eren slowly come out of the Titan’s nape.

“Escape while you can,” Yuki quietly commanded, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. “Because I sure as hell can’t.”

“Eren!” Bernie screamed out, bolting towards him as Eren used his ODM gear to lower himself down from his Titan.

“Come on, we gotta go,” Eren commanded, with no emotion in his voice.

“But what about Pigmon!? We can’t leave him”

“I’m sorry….” Eren murmured, turning towards the silhouette etched into the ground. “But there’s nothing we can do for him.”

“Dammit!” Bernie screamed out, feeling his entire body trembling, the grip on his sword getting tighter and tighter. “We were going to start a podcast! Titan Truth Podcast! An informative show where we educate the world on monsters and aliens! It would have changed everything!”

Eren wanted to scream at Bernie to get a hold of himself, but felt Hiana’s calming presence take hold of him. He wasn’t a hardened soldier like him, and only just recently had gone through loss. His wife before, and now his best friend, both perished.

He breathed out, placing his hand on his shoulder. “Bernie, we need to go. Pigmon would have wanted you to continue that podcast no matter what. He would want you to expose the truth of the world. If you want to honor his sacrifice, then you need to get out of here alive.”

Bernie groaned at what Eren conveyed, but knew he was right. He hated not living in a world with his wife and his best friend, but the Captain was right. There was still a war he was fighting, the one for truth.

“Right, gotta make those bastards pay,” Bernie responded.

“Spoken like a true soldier,” Eren murmured, before taking the lead as the two ran off to regroup with the others.

***

Hideki and Aki ran for their lives, the rooftop of the apartment complex shook violently as Gamera continued his course, nothing standing in the guardian’s way as he was starting to get closer to his goal. The Ultra Host looked back for a moment, seeing plasma surround his maw once more before firing off into the distance, the ball of fire landing amongst the city ruins and exploding on impact.

The pair were sent to the ground as they attempted to make it to the staircase once again, Aki letting out a cry as her knee scraped the hard surface on impact before they quickly got back to their feet. The two survivors rushed down the stairs to salvation as Hideki pressed his tracker, activating the device for the others to find his presence, only to see that two more had activated. Gathered at the same spot, it would seem that at least two of the parties had managed to meet and regroup, hopefully they would be able to meet with the others and get out of this once and for all.

Between Gamera’s sudden arrival and the zombified special Mutant, they were getting put into a corner.

“ARHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Hideki’s eyes widened when he saw out in the distance, a golden bolt of lightning followed by a roar of fury.

“Eren…” His fellow captain had transformed into the Attack Titan, his gargantuan form arriving onto the scene. Had he planned on facing Gamera alone? Was he that desperate to see his loved ones in the afterlife, even with a woman and child waiting for him back home? “Don’t do anything stupid, Eren. I am not letting that little girl grow up without her father.”

The building shook once more, this time having Hideki lose his footing and fall down a few steps before slamming into the stone wall, letting out a cry of pain as Aki screamed, falling onto the ground in front of him. “AKI!” The ZAT Agent screamed out as rubble began to fall down on them, small but still enough to alarm the pair as they recovered. Hideki reached down to his partner and picked her up, holding her entire body in his arms as he began to pick up speed, his lover gripping tightly onto him for dear life. The approaching organic war machine’s roar shattered the windows around them, his declaration to find his priestess at all costs echoed through the gigantic cemetery.

Aki closed her eyes to protect the sensitive organs from the shattered glass, the debris falling all around them as another step closer made dust fall down from the floors above them.

If they didn’t hurry, the entire building was going to collapse on top of them.

Hideki would fail again.

Fail to save the woman he loved in their most desperate hour, fail to reunite Jiro with his sister, fail to return from the mission whole again…

As if every horrible feeling was being answered, Jet Jaguar burst through the wall, their robotic comrade letting out a series of beeps as he rushed over to the pair. “Jet!” Hideki screamed out with a smile as he headed straight towards his ally. “Take Aki back to the others and get the hell out of here!”

The son of Dr. Ibuki let out another digital cry as he reached for Aki, the robotic defender wrapping his hands around the woman to hold her as Hideki backed away. The building’s shaking becoming more erratic, Gamera’s reflection appearing across the broken glass on the ground as he got closer

“Wait!” Aki cried out. “Where are you going!?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch up.” Hideki quickly wrapped his hand around his lover’s face as he pulled her in and gave her a kiss before backing away. “Go!”

Jet Jaguar turned around, the woman’s pleas to stay being silenced by the roar of the goliath as it was right above them. The robotic superhero flew off, heading straight towards the last location of Momo and the others. Though he knew that Hideki would be more than fine, a sense of guilt still washed over him at leaving his friend behind, he would have to hurry and aid the Ultra Host in fending off the terrapin. Creati would be capable of defending the survivors, he had full faith in her capabilities to lead them home.

Hideki looked above him as light began to radiate from his body, the ZAT agent closing his eyes as he took in a deep breath. “So Jack, are you ready for this?”

“Whatever it takes,” the Ultra Brother said without hesitation as the building’s windows flashed with bright light for a moment, altering Gamera dozens of meters away to their presence as they transformed. The capital of Japan illuminated with the light of hope before the Ultra’s form was truly revealed to the gigantic terrapin, earning a snarl as the absolute guardian turned his attention to Jack.

The figure standing with his arm raised into the sky on his arrival, the silver giant quickly got into an aggressive stance as taunted the terrapin. The two stood still, their radiant, glowing eyes staring at each other as Gamera unleashed a roar of fury, having Jack flinch as he noticed a difference the instant he was close to the behemoth. The eyes were glowing white, he knew that Gamera’s appearance had changed multiple times throughout the years, eventually leading to the form that stood before him due to war against the undead, but the eyes gave the Ultra a chilling realization.

He was infected.

Somehow, he was being influenced by the virus, transforming into a knight for the horde. But why was he still lashing at them if that was the case? Was he some rogue amongst the seamlessly endless numbers of Scourge that was simply lost to bloodlust? Was he still in control of his mind, being able to resist the hold that the infection had on other life forms due to his biology? Questions that the Ultra Brother knew would not be answered here, he would have to gather the knowledge another day, for all that mattered in the moment was keeping the guardian at bay while the others escaped.

The last hope stared at the Ultra as rage began to brew from within, hatred adding to the living furnace as each moment he would waste on this opponent, his priestess’ return would become more difficult. This creature would dare come to stop his quest of freeing her, her mind continuing to be consumed with vile hatred and animalistic hunger, it would pay with its life!

Gamera unleashed a roar as he charged at Jack at full speed, demolishing what little buildings were in his way as he quickly reached his opponent. The Ultra quickly had to gain distance as his bracelet glowed before taking the form of the Ultra Cross, the staff protecting him as the terrapin swung down at him, sparks flying for a moment before the turtle’s other hand wrapped around Jack’s throat.

Steam rose from his maw as the Ultra attempted to free himself, raising his weapon above his head in an attempt to stab downward at his captor, but his opponent had simply reached out with his free hand and grasped his wrist. Gamera applied pressure and forced the Ultra to let go before he raised Jack into the air and slammed him into the earth, repeating the process as he let out roars of hatred, his foe’s head bouncing off of the hard ground with each strike.

The Ultra Brother let out cries of pain as he put his will into the bracelet, the item glowing before suddenly a gigantic explosion engulfed Gamera’s side, earning a roar of anguish as he was forced off of Jack. The Ultra quickly rolled away and got back to his feet as the infected guardian recovered, once again on the offensive as plasma surrounded his maw before firing a ball of fire at the alien. Ultraman Jack quickly put up a barrier, the wall of energy protecting him from the energy attack while giving him a chance to breathe. Gamera let out another hellish roar as he charged at the barrier, forcing his hands to interact with it, burning scales away which made the Atlantean creation grit his teeth as pain flared through his hands.

His hands glowed golden as he managed to sink his talons into the barrier, the bonds forming the energy barrier starting to break which made the Ultra step back in shock as Gamera smiled. This energy that the humanoid emanated was just another form of Mana, another form of life energy, all Gamera had to do was force his own will onto it.

The barrier shattered like glass as Gamera ripped it in two and pounced forward, prompting Jack to take to the sky. The terrapin reached up as he attempted to flee and wrapped his hand around the alien’s leg before slamming him into the earth once more. The Ultra Brother let out a cry of pain as he collided with the city around him, buildings crumbled as his weight crashed into them repeatedly, the absolute guardian not stopping as he let out roars of hate. He lifted the Ultra above his head before slamming into the ground on the other side, opting to senselessly beat the alien with brute force to not waste energy on his opponent.

“Enough!” Jack screamed out as he suddenly vanished from the terrapin’s grasp, Gamera’s hollow, white eyes widened in shock as he scanned the area around him to spot his target, only for a bone shattering kick to strike his jaw and send him rolling across the landscape. Buildings under his massive weight were demolished before he managed to recover, standing upward as he placed his hand on the broken jaw. While it would heal over the course of the battle, the guardian grew furious.

“I do not know how this has become of you, Gamera, but you are a threat to every living thing on the planet… I’m sorry, but you must be destroyed!”

Jack fired his Stop Beam to hold his target in place, only for the energy projectile to miss as Gamera dodged to the side and charged forward on all fours, roaring as he rampaged through the streets like a wild animal. Once again gaining the upper hand, he pounced on top of Jack and opened his maw, a primal feeling deep within calling to him as he went in for the killing blow, only for the Ultra to quickly block the bite with his arm. Light erupted from the wound as he screamed, his attacker shaking his head back and forth as his talons slashed at his torso, the terrapin mauling the alien like a bear.

Jack lifted his leg as Gamera continued his assault, the fallen guardian forcing the Ultra to attempt an escape or face a gruesome fate, putting all of his weight into his leg before managing to throw the infected turtle into the sky. The reptilian colossus crashed into the ruins of Tokyo, earning a cry of pain from the artificial kaiju. This prompted Jack to return to his feet and act, not even acknowledging the massive wound from Gamera’s tusks in his arm, his bracelet reforming as he created the Ultra Javelin. He leapt into the air and pointed the weapon down at Gamera’s torso, only for his eyes to widen as the dust quickly cleared and his target had taken off into the sky, the attack proving fruitless as the Javelin stabbed into the ground.

The sound of a jet echoing throughout the city alerted Jack to the turtle’s presence as he circled around him, the terrapin spinning in the air while blue flames erupted from all sides. He rapidly approached the Ultra, prompting the intergalactic warrior to reach for his weapon. Wrapping his hands around the hilt and pulling with all of his might, only for the weapon to not budge in time as Gamera slammed into him at full speed, knocking Jack down to the ground, flames coating his back for a moment. The alien let out another scream as he was thrown throughout the arena, his form rolling across the vast landscape and crushing the barren wasteland before managing to stop himself and look upward. He saw Gamera approach once again.

Jack breathed, slightly hunched over as the fight was already taking a toll on him. He knew Gamera was one of the strongest defenders of this planet and that it was no easy task, but he didn’t think he would be this close to defeat already. The Ultra eyed the Guardian of the Universe making his way towards him, pure malice in his gaze, fully intending to kill the hero. The Ultra Brother still had a job to do, no matter what.

He sent his arm out forward as if he was going to karate chop him, but instead a blue beam shot out from his hand, striking Gamera’s shoulder, slicing into his collar bone. Gamera shrieked out in agony, slumping downwards with Jack taking the opportunity to rush forward. He jumped and launched a kick directly into his face, cracking one of his fangs, eliciting another cry from the turtle.

Gamera fell over on his stomach as Jack didn’t relent, throwing an Ultra Slash down on him. A yellowish buzzsaw-like material formed from his hand and crashed onto the hardened shell, forcing chunks to fly off. Jack then slammed his hands together and fired a cold mist at his fallen foe, causing Gamera to immediately tense up. His joints were starting to stiffen up while his vision grew hazy.

No! I didn’t come all this way just to be frozen yet again!

Gamera’s hands gripped the street, slowly regaining their strength.

I refuse to let her die!

He titled his head slightly at the Ultra, allowing his face to get hit by the mist, causing frost to form on him. The fire inside his stomach raged, racing upwards towards his throat until his mouth brewed fumes once more.

I refuse!

Gamera fired a massive fireball from his maw, sending it careening towards Jack’s face. The Ultra screamed in pure agony as he stumbled backwards, batting his hands against his face to quell the flames while Gamera slowly got back up. The Guardian of the Universe grumbled, feeling the ice melt away from his body while he watched Jack fumble around.

The two were currently in a stalemate, but not for long. As their battle waged on, he picked something up on him. It wasn’t a matter of killing him with his strongest attack, but simply through attrition. He knew the Ultra was getting tired and was becoming more vulnerable. Just a few more minutes before the last obstacle towards Asagi was taken care of.

Gamera looked up at Jack glaring at him, taking note of how the flames had ceased. Both of their hands tightened, eyeing each other down, almost demanding the other to stand down or perish. Neither did as both will fight to see through their mission or die trying.

“One more obstacle.”

The pair of goliaths charged at each other, their massive weights destroying the ground around them with each step, each unleashing a battle cry as they closed the distance. Gamera reared his head back as flames surrounded his maw once more, the hot plasma shooting at his elbow spikes as they grew into massive swords. The deadly bone was engulfed in flames as he returned his attention towards the charging alien. Jack’s bracelet glowed once more as his Ultra Cross appeared in his hand, the weapon simply manifesting back to the user as he charged forward. They slammed their respective weapons into each other, a shockwave being sent out and destroying what little glass remained in the area as they attempted to overpower each other.

Jack grunted as he began to lose his footing, his feet dragging in the dirt as Gamera pushed him back, a snarl leaving the terrapin’s maw as smoke began to rise. Flames quickly replaced the entity’s jaws, burning so hot the tusks glowed yellow with power, causing fear to enter the Ultra’s mind as he realized what he was about to do.

At point blank, the turtle unleashed a fireball, detonating and sending Jack flying across the battlefield with a gigantic boom that engulfed Gamera’s form for a moment. The alien’s screams were not heard as he was thrown into the air before slamming into the ruins, weezing as smoke rose from his wounded body. The Ultra attempted to stand back up, only to collapse to the ground once more.

Ultraman Jack turned on his back, looking through the flames to spot the shadow of his opponent approaching, a black silhouette with glowing eyes alerting him that Gamera had remained unfazed by the massive explosion. The Ultra Brother took in heavy breaths as he forced himself to his feet. The intergalactic knight stood amongst the ruins, waiting for the lumbering behemoth to make his move. Anxiety washed over him as the infected goliath pushed past the flames and roared at him, the terrapin demanding his demise by his hand.

He had faced world-ending threats larger than planets, but the entity that stood before him made Jack feel something he hadn’t felt since the day they had lost Aki two years ago.

Fear.

***

“Such a beautiful display,” Shikishima commented as he watched the battle of Titans unfold, Gamera gaining the upper hand and putting Jack in a weakened state. “Such ferocity, such rage! It seems that the absolute guardian has given into the vengeance deep within his soul.”

Kazama observed the clash alongside his commanding officer, the Mutant scoffing at the whole situation as he turned his attention back to the Super X’s signal. Their comrades were nearby, the war machine seemed to be locked in one area of the city, which either meant they hadn’t taken off or they were in a confrontation. The roar they had heard earlier had sounded like Eren’s Titan form, perhaps they had found the Scout and engaged with the enemy. “Captain,” the Mutant spoke. “The Super X is nearby, staying in one area. It would seem like the best time to regroup with the others.”

The Red Bamboo captain turned towards his subordinate before reaching down to his walkie talkie and speaking into the communication device. “Kiriko, report.” The walkie went silent, the only thing being heard was a loud buzz as the terrorist waited for a reply from his soldier. “Captain Shikishima to Kiriko, over.” Once again silence, the two men looking at each other before coming to the same conclusion.

Kiriko was dead.

“Well that is a damn shame,” Shikishima said with a heavy breath. “She was a valuable asset to the team… not too bad on the eyes either. Oh well.” Kazama simply rolled his eyes before reaching for his own communication device, turning it on before speaking.

“Yuki, Azusa, SSS9, do you copy? Over.” Silence. The radio was dead silent, nothing more than static being the answer to the Mutant. The two members of the Red Bamboo stood with a little bit of disbelief as they waited for any of their comrades to reply.

“Well that is concerning.”

“Come on,” Kazama stated as he placed the walkie back on his hip, pointing towards the direction of the signal of the Super X. “I have a feeling that Eren has crossed paths with the rest of our squad.” Shikishima ran before taking off into the sky, his ODM gear propelling him forward as Kazama followed suit and jumped down to the city’s streets, running at full speed. While his captain had taken control of any oncoming threats from the sky, he had no choice but to be open within the diseased metropolis while charging towards the rest of their comrades.

There was a bellow, countless groans underlying it.

The more they went away from Gamera, the closer it seemed they got as the roar of the Attack Titan echoed throughout the battlefield as the sound of missile fire followed suit. It would seem that his suspicions were confirmed, the rest of their group had engaged with Eren in combat. The pair of warriors picked up speed when suddenly, Kazama came to a halt, his heart dropping as his eyes widened at the horrific sight before him. His vision seemed to zoom out as anxiety rose with the memory of failure, the Mutant standing completely still as the shadows of the past revealed themselves.

Lumbering out the dark alleyways came a small group of infected, all groaning and reaching out for Kazama as they approached, the soldier seeing a warped reflection of himself within them as their forms were revealed in the open…

Mutants.

His brothers and sisters all turned into hollowed monsters, former shells of themselves, the unyielding hunger fueling them forward with white, glowing eyes and gaping maws filled with crimson ichor. Shikishima looked behind him, seeing Kazama begin to panic as he continued forward. The captain took a deep breath as he rolled his eyes, turning back as fast as he could. His blades were raised in an offensive position as he charged forward at rapid speeds, descending towards the street with a sonic boom before slicing one of the Mutants’ heads in two, a geyser of blood erupting from the corpse as it fell onto the ground lifeless.

The sudden drop of his infected family brought Kazama back to reality, the young soldier seeing Shikishima stand in front of him before swiping once again at an approaching Mutant. “Get your shit together!” The captain screamed as the infected lashed out, a roar exiting its maw as it missed the intended target and was kicked away by the Red Bamboo captain.

Kazama reached for his pistol as he jumped backward, avoiding the fangs of one of his brothers before aiming the weapon and firing, splattering the brain matter across the pavement with a single action. Another attempted to jump him from behind, only for the trained soldier to wrap his arm around the infected’s skull before aiming his weapon and pulling the trigger. The corpse of his Mutant brethren fell onto the ground as blood quickly covered Kazama’s uniform, jumping backward to gain distance as another attempted to grab him from the side.

Shikishima lashed at a howling infected, the undead warrior’s face being split in two before he kicked it down to the ground and stabbed through the corpse’s chest, holding it in place as another attempted to latch onto him. The terrorist simply moved out of the way before beheading the member of the Blight with his free hand, the head rolling across the concrete as more of the infected Mutants began to emerge from the shadows. Each of them roared with fury as they began to surround the pair like a pack of wolves, ichor and drool flowing from their maws as they charged forward.

“Well, this doesn’t look all that fun anymore,” Shikishima stated as the captain used his ODM gear to quickly evade his pursuers, rocketing to the sky at mach speeds in an instant to escape. Kazama quickly looked around him, looking for anything to aid him in this situation, only to find more of his infected siblings charging at him. He leapt into the air and fired multiple rounds at a group, managing to strike a few of them across the chest or land a lucky headshot, landing on top of a piece of debris before realizing his path. Looking to his side he saw a path to salvation, the ruins being perfect for him to leap across with ease to escape into the building.

The Mutant quickly changed tactics, firing multiple rounds at the horde as they all followed him up the debris, a few of the bullets ripping through the charging horde with little issue as he continued to evade death. He managed to reach his destination and climb through the destroyed building, running at full speed before leaping out of a window into the next building, not stopping for a second as he landed on his feet. The growling of the undead horde still managed to keep up with him as he began to think of a plan, noticing stone pillars holding the room together just up ahead.

Kazama smiled as he reared his arm back and struck the piller, breaking it in two with a single swing before continuing forward, the room behind him crumbling as he once again leapt out of the nearest window and into the streets below. The Mutant looked back for a moment to see the room collapse from the pillar’s destruction, the soldier nodding before returning his attention to the task at hand, charging at full speed down the road and following Shikishima. The fallen Scout formed a smile as he watched his comrade closely, a chuckle leaving his mouth as they continued forward. “You will do nicely under my command Kazama, just you wait.”

The Attack Titan’s roar shook the very battlefield around them, the sound of the Super X’s engines entering their ears as everything suddenly returned to silence as they turned the corner. The war machine’s lights illuminated the battlefield as steam rose from the sitting corpse of Eren’s Titan form, steam rising into the sky as it was slouched over just below the sitting Super X.

Shikishima quickly latched onto the back of the fallen Attack Titan, covering his eyes through the steam as he approached the nape, only to find it empty. The Red Bamboo captain quickly surveyed the area as Kazama climbed the goliath’s corpse at a remarkable speed, managing to reach his captain in mere moments. “Any sign of the boy?” the Mutant asked.

The raider captain scoffed as he looked towards the city ruins, seeing Jack and Gamera continue their brawl. “No, but I have a feeling that they are going to escape from this city without pushing their absolute limits.” The fallen Scout sent out his anchors into the building before zooming upward, a gust of wind following behind him as he landed next to his war machine, quickly running to the back and opening the cockpit door to find his comrades and hostage in a banged up shape. He walked towards the pilot seats, only to find Azusa unconscious and Yuki heavily breathing while barely keeping his wits.

“Report! What the hell happened here?”

“We had tracked down Eren and a few survivors to this location,” the former Moguera pilot breathed in heavily, each inhale of air feeling like his lungs were burning as he attempted to talk to his superior. “He transformed into his Titan form and attacked us, even managing to kill SSS9 in the process and bring us to this state. If he hadn’t retreated when he did, we might not have been able to survive the battle.”

Shikishima breathed in before slamming the wall in frustration, the loss of two of his men in one single mission brought nothing but a barbaric rage to him, not out of any empathy or compassion, but the fact that precious resources had been lost in one mission. They hadn’t gained anything they were looking after, only having the unconscious Yun as a slight victory. The captain composed himself before speaking once more. “Kiriko is dead, we are all that is left. Let us evacuate, there is nothing more to gain from staying here in this city.”

Kazama walked into the cockpit of the Super X, the Mutant taking a seat as he breathed in and leaned his head back. The door to the war machine shut as engines roared to life once again, Shikishima quickly moving Azusa into one of the back seats and securing her before taking over the co-pilot spot next to Yuki.

The Super X sat still for a moment, continuing to observe the onslaught that Ultraman Jack was going through, the sounds of war echoing throughout the city. Shikishima smiled before whispering to himself. “I wish you luck Eren… can’t have you dying before we have another reunion.”

The war machine turned around and shot off into the sky, leaving the war against the dead for the time being.

***

“AHHHHH!” Jack screamed in utter anguish, his entire body being lifted into the dark red sky by one hand as Gamera glared upwards at him. Fire brewed in his mouth, aiming it directly at his chest, unleashing a plasma fireball at Jack. The Ultra screamed in agony while the impact scorched the front of his entire torso, cascading it into burnt black against his silver and red skin.

In a desperate attempt, Jack slammed his hand against Gamera’s head, earning a growl of annoyance. The Guardian of the Universe reared his hand back before striking his target’s burnt chest, earning another scream. Jack continued to struggle, feeling his eyes begin to close while his color timer flashed red. His time was nearly up, and he was nowhere even near hurting the powerful guardian.

Gamera wasn’t going to let him off easy. He had gotten in the way of the mission that was the most important one in his life, more important than protecting Atlantis, or even the Earth itself. Finding and curing his priestess was above all. In this new world of darkness and despair, her life mattered to him. No one else’s did.

His elbow blades glowed yellow, something he rarely did, only when desperate measures called for it. However, this wasn’t one, but he did so to ensure no more interruptions would come into play.

Gamera let out a triumph roar, pulling Jack forward as he dropped him. The custodian reared both of his arms back, his elbows raised up to the sky while Jack stood there dazed, barely able to move. He aimed both of his now glowing spikes towards the Ultra’s head, letting out one more cry. He thrust them forward when the sound of a faint mist came in, causing his arms to stiffen.

He roared in pure anger, demanding to know who the culprit was as he saw Jack slowly regaining consciousness. Before he could acquire that answer clearly, a loud beep was heard as Jet Jaguar charged in, elbowing Gamera in the right eye, temporarily blinding him and forcing him to stumble a few feet away.

The child of Ibuki looked at Jack, rushing over to him, giving him assistance in regaining his footing. Jack shook his head as he nodded in appreciation towards his robotic friend. As much as he was annoyed at his comrade not following his orders, he was glad to see him.

“Thanks. You just saved the Earth from Remi,” Jack chuckled as Jet Jaguar gave him his trademark thumbs up as they stood side by side, watching their recovering foe concentrate a sizable amount of mana to unfreeze himself.

Gamera glared once more, not caring if the Ultra had brought a friend along. The robot would pay as well, he would spare no one in this coming fight.

Jet Jaguar’s azure eyes lit up as he let out a digital cry, charging straight forward at the terrapin as he clenched his fists, aiming for the throat with the sudden leap. Only for Gamera to swing his massive blades at the approaching robotic superhero, aiming to cut him down before even managing to land a hit on him, but the creation of Dr. Ibuki had anticipated the maneuver. His eyes shined bright as the high beams struck Gamera point blank, blinding the guardian for a moment as he swung, the massive glowing blade missing its mark and slicing through the ruins like a knife through butter.

The android let out a digital cry as mist emerged from his smile, aiming at the glowing blades in an attempt to gain an advantage, only for Gamera to swing wildly with rage as he felt the cold cover his body once more. The terrapin released a roar of hatred as the robot managed to dodge once again, the glowing Plasma Blades’ temperature dropping as steam rose from the bone. He released a growl as he pushed through the drop in temperature, the Ultra had attempted to freeze him before and it had proven fruitless due to the pure adrenaline and rage rushing through Gamera’s veins.

White, hollowed eyes stared at Jet Jaguar as he went to swing his left blade, the bone now being covered in frost from the nitrogen the android sprayed, only for Jack to return to the battle with a powerful karate chop. The Ultra managed to cut the bone in half, but at the cost of burning his hand. The intergalactic agent of peace screamed as he held his wrist and backed away from his opponent, who as well let out a cry of anguish. Gamera reached out with his damaged hand, wrapping his palm around the Ultra’s skull in an attempt to crush it under the pressure, only for his eyes to widen and another scream of agony to exit his maw as Jet Jaguar broke the other blade. The nitrogen cooled the weapon down to a breaking point, allowing the android to gain the upper hand once more as he struck the turtle’s jaw, the strike forcing him to release Jack.

Jet Jaguar continued with the assault, striking him across the skull and chest multiple times, each punch managing to earn a groan of pain from the fallen guardian, only for Gamera’s rage to once again push through the pain. His hand grabbed Jet Jaguar’s own mid-swing before throwing him into the ground. The robot let out a beep of peril as he attempted to roll away, only for the terrapin to slam his foot into the android’s chest, pinning him down as Jack charged once more. The Ultra aimed for Gamera’s skull with a strong punch, only for the artificial creation of Atlantis to cease the attack, wrapping his hand around the burnt wrist and twisting upward, and in one motion managing to break the alien’s bone.

SNAP!

Ultraman Jack let out a blood curdling cry before he was released, dropping to his knees in pain before being backhanded into the city’s landscape. Jet Jaguar let out a digital cry as he once again unleashed his Nitrogen Gas onto Gamera’s scales, his foot starting to freeze over, earning the terrapin’s attention once more as flames surrounded his maw and unleashed a fireball point blank.

BOOM!

The gigantic explosion engulfed both of their forms, forcing Gamera away from his target as he was sent stumbling back, managing to catch his footing as he crouched on all fours. The android was sent flying with a digital cry, the hero of the Showa era crashing into the city’s landscape with a loud thud as smoke rose from his form. The first generation Jet Jaguar started to get back to his feet, only for the sight of a charging Gamera to catch him off guard as the terrapin pounced on top of his form like a lion on the hunt, pinning Jet once again as he stood to his full height and began to swing downward. Sparks flew as Gamera’s fists collided with his metallic head, pushing him further into the dirt with each strike, the ground beneath them cracking from the sheer strength of the guardian’s blows…

Gamera’s eyes widened as he felt a sudden tug on his tail, seeing the barely standing Ultraman Jack pull with all of his might to free his friend from the terrapin’s grasp. The turtle simply threw the alien off of his limb with one swing. The ZAT agent was sent back to the ground rolling before coming to a stop, his centerpiece flashing red rapidly as he struggled to his feet. This earned his enemy’s attention long enough for Jet Jaguar to enter the equation once again. The android quickly rose from the hole that he had just been forced into and struck the terrapin square in the chest, pushing him backward before shrinking as Gamera swung his arm to strike his opponent down, missing his intended target as the man-made guardian quickly took to the sky.

The terrapin stared in confusion as he let out a groan, not knowing what to make of what he had just witnessed, only for Jack to snap him back into reality as he stabbed the Ultra Cross through his chest. The infected guardian let out a ear shattering cry of pain as the Ultra continued to force the weapon through his shell, green blood spraying from the wound across Jack’s face and chest like a geyser as pain flared through his body, his heart beating fast as he turned his head down at his attacker. Gamera reached down, wrapping one hand around the weapon before swatting Jack away, the Ultra stumbling backward for a moment as his hopes for a quick victory were dashed. The absolute guardian of Earth quickly removed the weapon from the wound and snapped it in two like a twig, the terrapin roaring with hatred as he attempted to charge at his opponent. Only for Jet to suddenly return with a strong kick to the top of his skull, sending him crashing to the ground in an instant, with a concussion.

The turtle’s jaw bounced off the ground as his ears rang, the sound of static echoing through his mind as the two humanoids began beating on him while he was downed, kicking and punching at the downed guardian.

My story does not end like this!

Gamera quickly retracted all of his limbs into his shell, prompting Jack to jump back while throwing Jet backwards before blue flames erupted from his form. While the attempt at dodging the attack had been a valiant effort, the azure fire bathed the Ultra’s back as the terrapin took off into the sky. Smoke rose from his form as he crashed face first into the earth, prompting Jet Jaguar to rush over to his ally and force him back to his feet. The pair watched as their adversary charged rapidly into the sky as a sonic boom echoed across the battlefield, before the giant turtle turned around. Roaring as his head and arms emerged from the shell, the infected kaiju charged straight at the earth as his left arm began to glow golden.

His entire limb glowing gold as electrical sparks of Mana danced between his fingers, the planet’s life force starting to rise from the center point of Gamera’s palm like fireflies, the absolute guardian’s rage built as power climbed.

Ultraman Jack and Jet Jaguar quickly took to the sky, the pair of superheroes instantly charging at the fallen guardian as they saw him prepare a powerful attack. He had been completely overwhelming them this entire fight, they couldn’t afford to give him even a moment to gain a finishing blow.

Gamera clenched his talons into a fist as his opponents began to close in, his glowing white eyes staring at his arm as it continued to grow brighter, the terrapin’s Mana levels reaching a critical point.

She will not suffer any longer!

Jack let out a battle cry as he attempted to slam his weight into Gamera, only for the Atlantean creation to wrap his free hand around the Ultra’s neck before he made contact. He threw him into the earth with all of his strength, causing the ZAT agent to bounce off the ground and struggle to breath as he descended towards the ruins. Jet Jaguar attempted to swing at the turtle’s skull, only for his attack to be in vain as the artificial guardian caught his metallic hand and twisted his arm backward. A digital cry of pain echoed as Mana surrounded Gamera’s maw and a fireball was released point blank into the heroic creation’s face. He was sent flying towards the city once more before crashing into a building next to Ultraman Jack.

Vermin!

Gamera raised his arm back as he roared, the limb glowing so brightly that it seemed to be a glowing star. He approached the deceased city at mach speeds, the two heroes of the sanctuary shooting upwards as the terrapin’s intention was clear. Ultraman Jack quickly took his signature stance, opting to finish the fight with a Specium Ray, his arms charging up energy while glowing blue.

But he was too slow, not enough power was gathered as Gamera slammed his fist into the earth, puncturing it with a Banishing Fist. A malicious smile adorned his face…

BOOM!

The earth beneath their feet cracked open like an egg as a geyser of concrete and molten rubble roared into the sky, the cracks revealing a hellfire underneath as the ground shook, flames erupting and landing across the destroyed landscape. The buildings around them crumbled into dust as explosions continued to erupt across the battlefield, Jet and Jack’s cries of pain being silenced as they were sent flying into the sky, burns covering their forms as they slammed into the earth below with a gigantic thud.

Gamera roared to the heavens as the earthquake continued, the Banishing Fist had been the right call, managing to send his pair of adversaries down with one swift motion. Red lightning slammed into the ground as smoke rose to the heavens, the molten concrete spreading across the landscape as the Mana disappeared from his palm, pulling his limb out of the gigantic crater that now laid in the middle of the city.

The terrapin marched forward, his mind set on slaying the two heroes where they stood for interfering with his revival process of Asagi. The fallen guardian let out a growl as smoke rose from his maw, hatred brewing to the surface like a furnace when he saw the two humanoids begin to recover through the smoke, their shadows being seen through the darkened air.

Bump bump… bump bump…

His hollowed eyes widened as he turned, seeing himself as he did so, his priestess had been so close to the epicenter of the blast that he could see his own image within her infected orbs. She was close, incredibly so, just there, prompting the terrapin to walk forward, determined to save his priestess once and for all. Embers rose into the sky as flames and magma covered the concrete streets, the crater that now laid within the middle of the deceased city acting as a reminder to all of the battle that had occurred today.

They could leave with their lives and forever be reminded of the might of the planet’s guardian, for the rest of their days.

Ultraman Jack breathed in heavily as his color timer continued to flash, his energy depleting from the massive battle at an alarming rate. The creation of Dr. Ibuki let out a robotic cry as he crouched down to his ally, only for the Ultra Brother’s body to glow golden for a moment before shrinking down to the size of a human. Hideki Go lay on the ground as he continued to heavily breath, looking upward to see Jet Jaguar above him before he followed in his allies’ example and shrunk down to his size. The robotic superhero reached down and wrapped his friend’s arm around his shoulder as he lifted him upward, holding the ZAT Agent as they began to ascend into the sky. “Thanks for the save back there… let’s get back to the others before Gamera changes his mind.

Jet let out a digital response, his binary cry entering Hideki’s ear as they began to fly towards the tracker’s signal. A smile forced itself on the hero’s face as he chuckled, a tear of joy going down his face. “I’ll see you soon Aki.”

***

Hooks shot onto the roof, startling the survivors as they saw them shoot into a pillar as they heard something ascending upwards. Yuri, Kazuma, and Aki jumped back as both Akane and Momo slowly walked over, pointing their weapons downwards.

“Easy you two, I’m one of the few who can’t get infected,” Eren relayed, raising his hands up.

Momo breathed a sigh of relief, dropping her weapon as she offered him a hand up. “Eren, I’m so glad to see you!”

“The feeling is mutual,” Eren replied, giving her a small smile as he pulled himself up. He did the same with Bernie, bringing him up on the rooftop. He watched Gamera cease his assault, feeling a sense of relief that his wrath had stopped, at least temporarily. The Captain of the Survey Corp had a million problems today and a pissed off turtle was one he really didn’t need to deal with.

Eren looked at the group huddled on the rooftop, but noticed the lack of Hideki and Jet among them. His heart raced, fearing the worst as he snapped his head back at Momo once more. “Where are they? Where’s Hideki and Jet!?”

“They went to fight Gamera to buy us time,” Momo relayed, rubbing her shoulder as she turned back at Gamera standing in the fiery abyss. Her right eyebrow raised up slightly, curious as to what caused him to cease his assault along with the fact that neither of her comrades were still fighting him.

“Then I’m not leaving them,” Eren declared, stepping forward, making his way towards the other side of the roof when he felt a hand placed on his shoulder. He turned around to find the culprit to be Bernie, who gave him a saddened look.

“Eren, don’t,” he murmured, pressing his hand on him.

“If I don’t, then they’ll die!” Eren barked, glaring at his newfound friend, immediately forcing Bernie to glare back at him.

“And I can’t lose any more friends today!” Bernie screamed back at him, gripping his shoulder tighter. His entire body trembled while his grip on the katana forced him to wave it around slightly. Yun being taken by the enemy, god only knew what they were doing to him, and Pigmon being blown to nothing just to save them. He was on the verge of losing everything, and he couldn’t lose another person.

Not again.

“I just learned my best friend is the commander of the undead! Do you really expect me to lose Hideki and Jet!” Eren screeched out, breaking free from his hold on Bernie, shaking with every step he took towards the other side.

“Is that it? Are you really going to make Pigmon’s sacrifice for nothing!” Bernie retaliated.

Eren stopped in his tracks, taking in what he had just laid out. Just minutes ago, he had to console Bernie about the death of his friend, but now, he needed to be reminded of it. He knew he was right, Pigmon made sure he would be able to get everyone else out alive. But, he couldn’t leave anyone behind. Not like last time.

Not again.

“Eren…” Momo whispered, placing her hand on his shoulder. “They’ll make it. Jet had faith in me to protect everyone, we need to have faith in them.”

“Ten minutes,” Eren spoke plainly, turning to Momo and everyone else in the group. “Then I’m going out for them.”

“Ten minutes?” a new, but all too familiar voice inquired as everyone turned to see Jet Jaguar hovering before them with Hideki hanging onto his back. “Didn’t want to give us half an hour?”

Eren breathed a huge sigh of relief as the two hopped down as Aki screamed out happily, “Hideki!”

She jumped in his arms as he laughed while Eren spoke up, “Never fight a turtle again!”

“Duly noted,” Hideki chuckled, walking over with Aki still in his arms. “And besides, it’s a good thing we got here, I don’t think your fists would do much against Gamera.”

“Hilarious,” Eren groaned, rolling his eyes, but smiling back at him. “It’s good to see you both.”

“Same to you,” Hideki spoke as Jet Jaguar let out a beep.

“We’re not going anywhere, Eren. We’re a team.”

“We still have a ways away, but we should be able to make it with little to no interruptions,” Momo pointed out.

“Momo’s right,” Eren pointed out, before turning towards the direction of their destion. “Kurogiri isn’t too far. I have a little gas left in my gear to lower everyone, but after that we’re gonna have to run.”

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get the hell out of here!” Kazuma declared, hugging his pterodactyl head tightly.

The four heroes each grabbed a survivor as they all rappelled down the building safely as they then started moving forward. The streets were barren, likely from all the commotion Gamera was causing at the moment, buying them the precious time they needed. They were running as fast as they could, not wanting to risk any further threats that life could throw in their path.

All, but one, that is.

Akane felt herself collapse as the right of her eye turned bloodshot, red veins sticking from all corners in her eye. She elicited a scream, forcing everyone to snap their attention back towards their suffering comrade. The former Kiryu pilot gripped her stomach tightly as she dropped her gun.

“Akane!” Aki called out, rushing towards her, but Momo placed her hand in front of her. “She’s in pain! We need to help her!”

“Don’t!” Akane screamed out, following it out with another screech of agony, forcing herself to bundle up from the crippling pain.

“She’s been bitten,” answered Momo, keeping her eye on her.

Everyone’s eyes widened at the sudden revelation when Yuri stepped forward, timidly asking, “When? When did she get bitten?”

“Two days ago when Cider House attacked,” Momo clarified, taking a deep breath in. “I only knew about it when we were attacked by Kiriko.”

“Son of a bitch….” Eren muttered, feeling a sense of guilt wash over him for not being able to do anything for her, as he continued to watch her writhe in agony.

“Momo!” Akane cried out, forcing herself to stand up, picking her gun back up while her other hand was firmly placed on her stomach. “The hunger is starting to get to me, but I still have time. The rest of you need to go, I’ll stay behind if any come down this way.”

“Akane, no!” Yuri cried out, with Akane flashing her a smile. The two had grown close, becoming sisters in what felt like a millenia. “In another life, we could have had more time together.”

“Give them hell, Akane, for both Mechagodzillas,” Kazuma spoke, giving her a salute, as she did the same for the fellow soldier.

“I couldn’t have done this without you,” Aki spoke softly, giving her a smile. “You’ve been an amazing person to talk to and you never should feel disgust for who you are. You’re not only a hero, but my hero.”

Akane smiled at the dear friend she made over the past two years. How she wanted to give her a hug, all of them a hug, for making these past two years bearable, but she couldn’t risk it. Risk their lives. “All of you are my heroes.”

The former Kiryu pilot turned around, aiming her pistol towards a lone infected off in the distance while she started to hunch over. The pain was making it hard to aim, as she fired off a round, attracting its attention. She fired a second round as she let out a cry of agony from the pain ravaging in her body while the smell of flesh was starting to appeal to her. The round hit the infected in the leg, forcing him to careen into the asphalt. She fired one last round into the zombie’s skull, killing him once and for all.

The survivors turned and ran off towards their destination while Akane kept her aim focused on the massive graveyard before her. One she would soon call home.

***

There she was. One of the many undead screaming with vile hatred at the terrapin as he reached down, his gigantic hand carefully hovering above the group as they climbed onto it. The two stared at each other with white, glowing, and hollow eyes as he lifted them into the air, a deep breath exhaled from Gamera’s maw as he stared at his fallen priestess, her thoughts now only that of animalistic rage.

His attention turned towards the rest of the infected in his palm, with his free hand flicking them off of him and sending them to their doom. While he might feel regret if the cure with Asagi would work, it must be perfect, there can be no room for error. This was his last and only chance to free her of this curse, he had to save her.

The zombified young woman roared with hatred as Gamera’s palm glowed bright yellow, flickers of power rising into the air like fireflies, the light seeming like the birth of a star in the middle of the city. Brightening the dead metropolis for miles, putting all the Mana he could into her, her body glowed just as bright as his limb. The roars became quieter as she grasped her head and shook it back and forth, collapsing to her knees as the process began to finish, the creation of Atlantis letting out a small whimper as he stared at the girl.

Please… please wake up.

The golden light dissipated as the girl opened her eyes, the orbs returning to their natural color of brown as she started to sit up. Asagi had returned to the land of the living, staring in awe and confusion at Gamera.

“Gamera?” She looked at her guardian with wide eyes before looking down at her hands and clothing, being drenched in blood for the few days that she had roamed as a monster. “How is this possible? You came back and…” Tears began to erupt as she covered her mouth with her hand, the memories of her time as an undead flooding her mind, devouring the living that were not fortunate enough to escape the city.

Gamera let out a small growl, attempting to reassure her that everything would be alright, a tear sliding down the terrapin’s cheek as he stared at Asagi. He had done it, he had brought her back, he hadn’t failed her.

“I did such terrible things… with no remorse, with hatred unlike anything I have ever felt. And you freed me… thank you.” A smile forced its way on her face as she continued to sob, the priestess feeling a sense of hope wash over her, hope that she wasn’t the only one that could be saved from this nightmare. Gamera looked to the horizon and began to march forward, the sentinel continuing on with his friend. He would never leave her again, the mistakes of the past would not repeat as the war against the living dead continued, this he vowed to the end of his days.

Suddenly, Asagi grabbed her arm in pain, screaming in agony as her vision began to change back to red in one eye. “No…. NO NO PLEASE GOD NO!” She screamed in fear, breathing heavily as she turned towards Gamera, his eyes widening to see one of her eyes become blood red as crimson veins surrounded it.

Bump bump… bump bump….

No…

Anxiety ran through Asagi’s mind like a bullet train, fear running through her as the pain returned tenfold, screaming and crying as the feeling of hunger quickly returned…

“Not again… Please Gamera.”

No… Don’t ask me that…

“I can’t go back to being a mindless monster! Please! I can’t go back to the dark!” She stared with burning eyes as the tears continued to flow, slamming her fist into Gamera’s palm. “Don’t leave me alone again!”

The terrapin continued to stare with a teary eye, his friend’s suffering bringing rage and confusion as she began to revert back to the mindless drone she once was. He didn’t understand, Mana was the planet’s very life blood, it flowed through this planet and every living thing on it, why did it not cure her of this disease? This virus being immune to the Mana raised a thousand questions as he watched in utter horror his friend roar in pain and anger.

Had humanity created something that went out of control in an effort to turn to war or cure disease? Had extraterrestrials unleashed this plague upon the planet to eliminate the planet’s inhabitants? Had the planet itself grown angry at them? Why did the Mana not cure her!?

“You are my only hope, Gamera… You gave it everything, you came for me. Please… put me out of my misery.”

Bump bump…. bump…

Her heart began to slow down, the virus making its way through her body and mind once again as she descended into the abyss. “I won’t be alone,” She said as she forced a smile through the pain. “Not this time…”

Bump bump…

Once again he was forced to feel everything she felt, but now he had to witness the demise of his closest friend, his hand shaking as he thought of what to do.

Bump…

She fell completely to the ground, her breathing becoming slow as her body went into shock, violently thrashing and shaking from the process returning her to the barbaric state. “I’ll miss you… Thank you for… for…”

Bump… B… …

Her heart stopped, Asagi laid as a lifeless corpse within the guardian’s hand. A roar exited his maw as he shouted to the heavens, how could he have failed her, how could the Mana not restore her permanently to the land of the living!? Rage and sorrow consumed the terrapin while her body began to twitch, causing him to look down as he felt the movement, waiting for the moment that she would stand up once again.

He couldn’t even have the strength to put her out of her misery, to do the right thing and not have her return to this nightmarish hell of a world they lived in… how could he call himself a guardian if he couldn’t even save his own friend, let alone stop her from transforming into a monster.

Her body shot up in an instant, staring at Gamera with hollow, white eyes filled with rage and hunger as a roar exited her blood soaked maw. The girl went on the offense in an instant and began to bite at his hand, only breaking teeth with each attempt, blood and parts of fangs flying across his palm with every second that passed.

His heart sank seeing her become this hollow shell, a wave of emotions flooding over him quickly as he came to only one single conclusion.

He knew what he must do.

I’m so sorry little one… you didn’t deserve this.

Tears swelled as the guardian looked down at his palm, memories flowing like the sands of time itself ran through him. They had always been together, their bond was only strengthened through the years of trials they had faced… and now this virus had taken it. He had failed her.

She believed in him until the very end, and he was too late.

His hand twitched as he began to slowly close his hand, watching as the horror began to sink in, the girl he once knew was truly gone. Asagi clawed furiously at his flesh, stripping her hands to barren knuckles, the terrapin’s flesh simply being too strong for the infected.

He closed his eyes before quickly closing his palm, ending it as fast as he could.

He could no longer sense her, and that brought nothing more than burning rage as flames built up that were so hot that his tusks turned bone yellow, illuminating like a miniature star in Tokyo’s night sky. His eyes seemed white from the lighting, though perhaps it reflected how hollow he felt without her.

Gamera unleashed plasma across the city’s landscape in a single swipe of his flames, buildings shattering like glass and burning undead to ash.

The night sky burned as embers rose, the sins of mankind reaching to the heavens themselves….

 

Chapter 15: Rescue

“Anything on my six, Jack!?” Go screamed out, racing towards the rally point, his hand completely on Aki’s back, moving her as fast as he could. His heart raced a mile a minute, he had just spent all this time fighting through the Scourge, the Red Bamboo, and barely survived Gamera, he wasn’t going to leave anything to chance. Not when they were close, this close to the meeting point just in sight.

“One closing in on you in about ten seconds, “ the Ultra calculated, glaring at the infected, daring to sink its teeth into his host or his beloved. “ZAT Shoot, now.”

“I know!” Hideki screamed, pushing Aki further into the group, allowing her to skid into the center of the group as the ZAT member turned back around. He aimed his gun at the charging undead, pressing his finger down on the trigger when he saw a metallic fist going completely through the infected’s face. The ZAT member stopped in his tracks to see Jet Jaguar pulling his arm back from the now collapsing zombie, with its brain in his hand.

Hideki stared at him for just a second before holstering his weapon away. He smiled at his robotic compatriot. “Thank you, both of you.”

Jet Jaguar dropped the brain on the ground as it splattered into pieces, following it up with his trademark thumbs up. The two then trailed behind the rest of the group, continuing to give them cover from any more potential surprises. Jack hovered next to Hideki once more as he glanced back at him.

“Perhaps a vacation to my homeworld is in order?” Jack suggested, attempting to lighten up the mood.

“After the day we had, I wouldn’t mind taking you up on it,” Hideki breathed out, feeling his body beginning to shut down from pure exhaustion.

“Good. Remi would love to meet Aki and Jiro sometime,” Jack spoke, thinking about the days when that meeting could be a reality. When all of the people he ever cared about will get to be together with him. Like everyone else in the group, he had a lot to lose as well. The people who helped him see himself as more than just a broken man. But a hero. The person who will always help those in need no matter what.

“And y’all are saying I’m crazy!” Bernie exclaimed, planting his hand firmly on his crumbled up tinfoil hat while he helped keep Eren still with his other hand. “He’s clearly talking to himself, and I know it’s not the ghost who never lies!”

“Christ almighty…” Eren muttered between breaths, feeling the steam slowly ascend from his body while scars he collected were slowly healing. As much as he was thankful to Bernie for saving his life, he felt no desire to argue with him or explain the complicated details of a man he had only known for two days.

“You’re crazy!” Kazuma blurted out, before lifting up his hand and began lowering each of his fingers down as if he were counting down to something. “I’m crazy with the robot pterodactyl, Yuri’s crazy for carrying her novel, a robot who gives thumbs up is crazy, Momo is crazy for wearing a swimsuit! We’re all crazy!”

Momo’s face went bright red at the mere mention of someone criticizing her superhero outfit. She knew it wasn’t for everyone and had some reservations about it herself, but it was necessary for her abilities. She sighed, knowing he wasn’t wrong, as she looked down in disappointment, another bad decision she made in her life. Disappointed in herself for not even getting her costume right.

“Perhaps a stop at requisitions is an order after this.”

“Ah! All of you made it at last!” a loud, yet elegant voice called out as the group saw Kurogiri emerging from the purple portal. “I was beginning to get worried.”

The former member of the League of Villains eyed Momo who simply shot a glare in response. He chuckled in response, seeing the spark in her to become much more than a C-list villain, but those plans would have to come later.

“Captain Jaeger, Captain Go. Are you ready to depart?” inquired the B-rank villain.

“Yes!” Both of them shouted in unison.

“One moment please,” Kurogiri spoke, turning his attention away from and towards something off in the distance.

“The hell are you waiting for, Purple People Eater!?” Bernie shrieked out, snapping his head back at the incoming horde charging towards them. “They’re going to eat our asses!”

“More like concrete,” Kurogiri replied calmly, waving his hand as the portal behind collapsed. The group glared at him collectively as he eyed them briefly. “Relax. This will buy us time.”

Another purple portal opened up behind them as every infected tripped into the portal as the villain waved his yet again. This time, another opened on the thirtieth story of a building nearby as the infected poured out. Their growls descended towards them as within seconds, they splattered the entire block with their bodies. Some managed to bounce up and down with what remained, but none posed a threat to them.

With another flick of his hand, the portal behind them opened up once again. “After all of you.”

Without any hesitation, everyone funneled into the portal while Kurogiri followed them, closing it behind him. It was then, the rescue crew noticed the familiar sight of the beach they landed on several hours ago. They breathed a collective sigh as it was littered with the corpses of the undead, the Gargantuas wiping out the last pockets of resistance.

“Thank god, there’s no last jumpscare!” Hideki sighed out in relief, as his body then quivered, realizing he was potentially jinxing himself. Without wasting any time, he pushed Aki onto the docked Super X2.

“Hideki! It’s alright! We’re fine!” Aki vocalized, squirming slightly at her partner’s pushing.

“Not until we get back to Okinawa!” barked Hideki, pushing her onto the ferry as the others followed them onto it. Creati formed a large shield, placing it on the entrance of the craft while Jet Jaguar placed his hands onto it, reinforcing it until they got a safe distance from the city.

Hideki slammed his hand down on the buttons, starting the craft up as it began sailing away towards their destination while the others stood outside, observing the Gargantuas. Yuri, somewhat puzzled as the two brothers were now standing side by side with seemingly nothing else to do but to watch them depart, turned to Kurogiri.

“What about them? What are they going to do?”

“They’ll be alright, my dear. They will report back to Doctor Akemi Togawa. She was Sanda’s caregiver, after all,” explained their contact.

“Hard to believe the green one would even listen to someone, he’s been licking his lips at us the whole time,” Kazuma pointed out as they all turned to see Gaira glaring at them while grinding his teeth in anticipation for yet another meal.

“His brother keeps him in line, at least for now,” Kurogiri pointed out, slightly glaring at Sanda, seeing him as an obstacle to his brother’s absolute potential as a force to be reckoned with.

“Nonetheless, I wish them safe travels,” Creati spoke up, waving her hand at them as they watched the two leave the beach and towards the ocean, likely back to their caregiver.

Eren allowed himself to rest on a wall of the craft as he eyed the looming storm as he began to feel the drops of rain descend onto him. He rubbed his head, feeling the need to chug down an entire bottle after the fight they were involved with.

The entire operation just about ended in failure. He wasn’t upset about him, his squad and the civilians they rescued surviving, but furious at how things turned out. The Red Bamboo escaped, losing two highly valuable civilians capable of turning the tide of this cursed war, and a creature sacrificing his life for him.

“What a joke,” muttered Eren, turning his attention back from the distant dead city. “And who the hell is this Shikishima?”

The Captain of the Survey Corp rubbed his chin, lost in deep thought as he turned his attention back to the approaching storm. “And why do I feel like I know him?”

***

They had barely survived.

The Red Bamboo raiders all sat within the Super X, their damaged vessel still managing to make due and travel within the air above the diseased city. Shikishima pressed a button on the control pad, turning the ship on auto pilot before turning towards the survivors of his group, seeing Azusa and Yuki stare at Yun who was strapped to a chair. The scientist stared at the ground as blood dripped from his mouth, his glasses foggy as he breathed heavily.

“Kazama,” the captain stated as he stared at Yun. “The coordinates to HQ are put into the computer, join us for a meeting.” The Mutant nodded before turning his chair, the battle damaged soldier hovering his hand over his pistol in the holster as the conversation began.

Shikishima reached into his pocket, pulling out a vial of red liquid, a cocky smirk forming on him as he shook his hand a bit, prompting Yun to raise his head a bit to look at the leader of their group. The employee of Otaki Factory tried to keep conscious as the blood loss began to get to him. “Do you know what this is?”

Yun swiped his head back and forth, giving no as an answer before speaking. “No…” He breathed heavily, blood dripping down his chin. “I just knew you were after it, was going to use whatever the hell it is if needed.”

The captain of the raiders looked back at the vial as he spoke, a feeling of nostalgia washing over him for a moment as he recalled what power he held. “A Jaeger Titan serum.”

The others looked at their commander as he continued to speak, his eyes looking deep within the vial. “A creation of Dr. Grisha Jaeger, a scientist that worked for the JSDF to develop a new weapon to aid their Mechas into war. Though its final results had only been finished shortly before this virus spread like wildfire, I believed myself to be the only one that had received the treatment before the purge…” Shikishima’s grin became wider as he continued explaining, the others listening closely to their superior’s words.

“But now I see that my younger brother, Eren Jaeger, is the host of the Attack Titan.” The group’s eyes widened at the revelation, not only of the news that the enemy had a direct connection to their commander, but that he was being so open about it. Not much was known about Shikishima, he didn’t speak much of his life before the Scourge, tending to see the time as a world he didn’t believe he was born for.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Yun asked, the scientist waiting for some sort of catch to the story.

“You have brought me a valuable asset to the Red Bamboo, with this we can at least transform one lucky soldier into a superior being, or hell, even replicate the contents of the serum.” Shikishima motioned with his chin for the others to act, all three surviving members of the Super X crew pointing their firearms at his skull.

“Now like you promised, you are going to tell us where the second generation of Jet Jaguar is located,” The smile on Shikishima’s disappearing as his tone lowered, conveying a more stern attitude and tone. “Or your brains will be scattered across the wall.”

“…Tokyo Tower. He is located near the fallen structure.”

“Now, why should we keep you alive?” Shikishima continued, the older man holding the authority to at any moment end Yun’s life at the first instance he felt.

“I… I can repair him,” Blood coughed a bit out of Yun’s mouth onto his shirt, the engineer taking a moment to catch his breath. “I created him, I designed him.” Shikishima smiled with glee as he gently placed the Titan Serum into his front pocket before clapping his hands together.

“Splendid! Now that’s a good boy! You will be given a strong recommendation for survival, who knows, maybe our leader will see some use for you.” Shikishima nodded towards the other members of his group, each of them lowering their firearms.

The pilot looked over to Yun, the scientist reminding her of someone that was lost during the first days of the outbreak. A man that she respected… and cared for more than he realized to the end. Azusa simply laid back and closed her eyes, breathing in as she rested. “Wake me if I am needed.”

“Got it,” Yuki stated as she quickly fell asleep, the countless days of scouting the ruins for technology, weapons, and food taking a toll.

The former pilot of Moguera turned to Yun who was staring at the group, they hadn’t given him much of a choice for survival, ‘help or die.’ The only options he was given when he had failed to defend a settlement from the raiders. Shame washed over him as he looked at the scientist, the young man struggling to breath as the wounds from the beating made him incredibly weak. Holding a civilian hostage, killing innocent bystanders, hunting metahumans… what the hell was wrong with him?

Kazama thought back to his infected comrades he saw storm the city, a reminder of his failures on Z-Day. The Mutant gripped the controls for a moment in the reminiscing. That time had passed, the only thing left to do now was push forward.

Shikishima continued to ponder on everything that had happened. While losing two operatives under his command, he had also gained information on the enemy, human and undead alike. The serum that his father had created added to their organization’s overwhelming might, their masters would be most pleased with these discoveries.

The Super X continued to move through the ocean of clouds, hovering over the dead metropolis as they began to search for the remains of Jet Jaguar Yung, on this day the Red Bamboo had gained something that was the best ally to have in such dire times.

Power.

***

Eren pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes, taking a break from staring at the raging ocean. He declined the invitation to congregate with the others, feeling the call of isolation in the dark, stormy weather almost more comforting. Some solitude was what he needed after the mission ending in failure.

The drops of rain splashed across the face, eliciting a twitch as he kept looking into the eye of the storm while the sea crashed against the waterfaring craft. He hated it. Hated the way things ended, thinking he could prove his worth by saving everyone in need, cleanse a once beautiful city from the blight and to even conquer his own demons.

Failure was all he got from this mission.

“Goddammit,” muttered Eren, lifting his fingers off his nose and letting his arm drop down to the side. “Nothing ever changes, doesn’t it?”

A meager amount of time passed, but that’s all that was needed before Eren could reflect on the events that had transpired. They already felt like years when the operation was only a good couple of hours before.

In the darkness that surrounded him with the occasional bolt of lightning passing by, his eyes glanced down at the red scarf dancing with the wind. He lifted up his hand and rubbed it with his fingers. The softness of it reminded him of better days with the ones he loved.

Armin.

He gritted his teeth to hear about the horrible monster his friend was forced to turn into. A brilliant mind, now a sadist who toyed with his food and subjected them to every horrible thing his twisted mind could conceive.

The Titan Shifter breathed out once more, feeling the water against his pale skin, as he hoped at the bottom of his heart that he’d never have to come across his friend again. That someone out there would grant him the peace he deserved by putting a bullet between his eyes.

Eren hoped that he would never be the one to do that.

His parents and Mikasa got out easy. They never had to know the feeling of being dead and forced to devour the ones they loved the most. Hearing Armin the way he was made him suffocate, gasping for air. Had the others become the Scourge, he didn’t know what he would have done. Allow himself to be eaten, run, or find a way to become one of them?

He really didn’t know.

Eren let out another deep breath.

The horn on the Super X2 blared, snapping Eren away from his thoughts as he saw the bright lights from the hanger. The gigantic doors pulled away from each other granting the weary travelers the much needed relief they’ve been searching for. The ferry docked into the bay as the hatch to the craft opened up.

The survivors that were evacuated opened their mouths with excitement, relief washing over them as for once in the past two years, they were safe. Yuri, Kazuma and Bernie nearly bounced off the craft and onto the dock as Aki held Hideki tightly, resting her head on his shoulder.

Eren briefly glanced over at the couple and smirked. He saw a lot of himself and Mikasa in them. Then, he heard a childish cry of excitement coming from the dock as the voice echoed throughout the hangar.

“Aki!”

The three of them turned around to see Jiro beaming with excitement, bolting over towards them with Sasha tailing behind, as he pushed past the survivors. The boy rammed into the two, sending them back a few feet by wrapping them up in a massive hug.

“Jiro!” Aki hollered out, wrapping her arms around her little brother, embracing him as the tears poured out of her eyes. Her heart ached for everyone in this world, whether they lost their lives or people close to them. She’d do anything she could to help ease their pain, but she was extremely thankful to know that Hideki and Jiro were alive and well. With her.

“It’s been two years!” Aki spoke up, choking up from the reunion, pulling away slightly to take a good look at her brother. He was still standing proud, the same as ever, taking note of his growth, taking his first steps into adolescence. “You’ve grown!”

“And so have you,” Jiro countered playfully as Aki’s grip on his shoulders tightened, knowing full she stayed the same weight these past few years.

“Shut up!” Aki exclaimed happily, pulling her brother in for another hug as Hideki wrapped himself up with the two once more.

Eren leaned back at the railing, watching the reunion unfold as he crossed his arms. His vision was obscured briefly by his robotic compatriot walking past him with supplies strapped over his shoulders as he made his way to the dock. The Captain of the Survey Corp glanced over to see Goro Ibuki approaching his creation, his son. He couldn’t hear it, but saw him eliciting the same response Jiro did to Aki and Hideki.

Jet’s father pushed the luggage off of him and wrapped him up with a hug, overjoyed to see his creation making it home in one piece. Eren snickered, making a mental note not to mention the incident of Jet losing his arm. Otherwise, he’d be getting an earful from him on top of getting it from the brass.

“Eren, you heading back in?” asked Momo, snapping Eren away from the reunion between father and son.

Eren turned his attention over to his newfound friend. “Here in a few… just taking it all in.”

“It is comforting… to say the least,” Momo spoke, leaning her back on the barrier alongside the Titan Shifter.

He turned his head over to her, seeing how distraught she looked from all of it. The young heroine tried her best to cover it up, but from everything he’s been through from combat operations to personal trauma, he could see it all. Better than most, or everyone, if he dared to say so himself. He tugged on his scarf slightly, as he continued to observe her, taking note of how scared she really was.

Sure, she may have had skirmishes with the League of Villains and low time criminals, but being a part of a full on war, to the point where she even had to kill people? It was not something any child, nor anyone, should ever have to do.

Still, it was part of his job as Captain to keep his comrades in check, to make sure they were okay to continue moving forward. He gripped harder on his scarf, feeling it pull away as he let out a sigh.

“Are your parents showing up?”

“I imagine they will,” Momo answered before pausing. “They’re probably being cleared before they can see me.”

Eren smiled softly, turning away slightly as Momo tilted her head at her friend. She observed him slowly removing the scar from his neck, almost as if he was doing subconsciously. It meant a lot to him, the one reminder from the life he had before all of this. A lot of people, including herself, didn’t give her credit, but she did a decent job of reading people.

As Shoto once told her, she was capable, more than she knew. Perhaps it was her turn to help someone in need. She cracked a smirk at her friend.

“What about Hiana and Riko?”

“Same as your parents probably,” answered Eren, feeling the scarf descend down to his chest as the tail end was hanging above his shoulder.

She knew exactly what he was doing. Wanting to cast aside any form of his past away and to keep moving forward, turning himself into a golem. One of vengeance, casting down the wrath of a thousand gods to trample the world a million times over. Even ignoring those he found in this new life at the risk of losing it all yet again.

“Eren….” Momo spoke once more, feeling herself choking at what she was trying to convey as he lifted an eyebrow. “What happened to you was awful, something I wish I knew how you felt, to experience, so I know exactly what I can do to help you. But….”

“Momo,” Eren cut in softly, forcing her eyes to widen a tad. He was taken back slightly, he didn’t mean to come off as rude or even a downer to the reunion. It was a joyous occasion for all of them, but to him, it was hollow. He breathed out once more, hanging his head down. “I appreciate it, I really do. You’re an amazing person, you’ve shown that extremely well today and a highly capable hero. But, the person that I used to be died alongside his friends, his parents, and his lover.”

Eren let the scarf drop down to his hand, observing it one last time. He glanced up at Momo while he dangled his arm over the railing. “It’s time to move away from them… from anything, and to just keep moving forward.”

He relinquished his hold on the scarf, expecting it to slowly drop to the body of water only to find someone else holding onto it instead.

“You should move forward,” Hideki popped in, bringing the scarf closer to himself, tightening his grip on it. “But that moment in your life doesn’t define who you are.”

“Jesus Christ…” muttered Eren. He finally accepted the way things are and how they’re always going to be for him, only for it to punch him in the stomach once more. “Can I just please move on from all of this?”

“Eren, they’d be happy to see where you’re at now and that you’re able to find peace,” Hideki pointed out, reaching his hand forward.

Eren rolled his eyes and pulled away slightly. A part of him wanted to tell him to ‘shut the hell up’ and to punch him, but his professionalism couldn’t be compromised. Instead, a few words would have to suffice. “Would they?”

“I may not know them, but they would be proud of seeing the man you’ve become and how you reunited a family,” Hideki illustrated, motioning his head back towards the distant Aki and Jiro. “Without you, I wouldn’t have Aki back in my life. You’re not just a hero, but a good man.”

“And that’s something you should never forsake, no matter what,” Momo added in, taking a step closer towards her compatriot. “I didn’t find any of my friends today and it’s a terrible feeling, but I know I can’t give up and become a being without hope. Because I know they’d do the same in my shoes, to give it their all.”

“And like Momo said, I may not have been through everything you went through, but there was a time when I was at my lowest. When I nearly lost everyone I ever loved before Z-Day, but someone helped me see that. That my trauma, my past, didn’t define me. Instead, he just told me to become more than that, to rise above it,” Hideki relayed, turning his head slightly back at the invisible Jack standing alongside them, nodding his head in gratitude, remembering the day he had confessed to the Ultra.

“They…. wouldn’t want me to hang onto such a trivial piece of clothing,” Eren mouthed out, feeling his body shaking at the thought of them. “It’s not something they’d want… it’s just holding me back.”

“Eren,” Momo murmured once more, scooting over to him. “That scarf is what’s binding them to you, to ensure they’ll always be with you. They’re giving you the strength to continue moving forward, to continue being the best version of yourself. Don’t ever give that up. Don’t ever give them up.”

Eren felt a tear drop from his eye, as his nose stuttered, feeling the urge to break down once more, but unlike last time, he was able to keep himself composed. He wasn’t being brought down by grief, but relief. They were right, they didn’t know what he went through exactly, but they somehow knew what they needed to say.

The Titan Shifter chuckled.

“I think you’d like these two a lot.”

Eren held out his hand to Hideki as the Ultra Host knew exactly what the fellow captain was getting at. The Titan Shifter smiled at him as he handed him the scarf, watching as Eren wrapped it around his neck once more.

“Thank you, both of you,” Eren spoke up, pulling the two in for a hug as they returned the gesture. “All of this is leaving me starving. Know any good places?”

Hideki chuckled. “Fishdog Food Shack is great. Especially the Explosive Varan.”

“Count on it!” Eren declared.

“But first,” Hideki cut in as he saw two familiar faces stepping foot into the hangar and smiled excitedly. “I think you have visitors.”

“Huh?” Eren questioned before the Ultra host spun him around to see Hiana and Riko. The Survey Corp Captain’s eyes widened with excitement at seeing the two people he loved the most. He was so caught up in his own failures from the past, that he didn’t see the happiness he acquired in this life.

“Excuse me for one moment,” Eren spoke. Hideki chuckled while Momo smiled as they watched him rushing over to the two with excitement. Before Hiana could even say anything, Eren lifted her up and planted his lips on hers. She squirmed passionately, eager to spend more quality time with her beloved as both Hideki and Momo couldn’t help but break down in laughter.

“He is passionate in more ways than one,” Momo pointed out.

“Well, whenever they’re done I could certainly go for some food,” Hideki declared once more, turning his attention towards his younger teammate. “You in?”

“After the day we had, absolutely.”

“Miss Yaoyorozu! Miss Yaoyorozu!” an all too familiar voice to her screeched out, forcing her to turn her head to see the short, pudgy green-haired woman racing towards her with all of her might. She smiled at the familiar sight of Inko racing towards her to greet her, but what caught her eye the most was seeing her hold a radio high above her head.

Before she could ask the older women what was going on or even exchange pleasantries, Inko blurted out. “Izuku! My little Izuku is alive!”

Inko immediately unleashed a tidal wave of tears from her eyes as she played the recording on the radio.

“Calling… Calling all… Everyone…” Izuku’s voice came through the static. “This is Izuku Midoriya… Hero known as Deku. I, along with… Many of my friends are under siege from… This is a distress call… Any help… Bring will save the civilians we’re protecting.”

Momo’s heart raced excitedly as a huge grin appeared on her face, snatching her friend’s mother up in a hug. “He’s alive! They’re alive!”

It was that day, when not only her, but so many people could wake up and live again.

***

The last bit of life had left Tokyo.

Those still alive have departed back to their homes or for parts unknown to this new world. The restless scourge had fully claimed the once modern metropolis into their kingdom. Their victory, however, was a hollow one.

There was nothing to chase or to feast on, leaving the husks to roam around mumbling to themselves or repeating an activity they had done in their past lives. One in particular kept moving forward, walking at an almost normal pace; albeit with a slight drag in her achilles tendon. She glanced ever so slightly to see the rest of the horde either hunched over and dragging themselves around or doing things she couldn’t even comprehend had she still been alive.

One infected was bashing his head against the concrete surface of a nearby building, screaming at the top of his lungs. His face, nothing more than a red, pulpy mess as his eyeballs splattered on the ground while his nose was split open.

She turned her head away, unphased by the gruesome sight occurring right next to her as she continued marching forward. Akane murmured just a tad, feeling herself struggling to conjure up any words like her undead brothers and sisters. In the past day, her former self thought the infection was making her yearn to be like them, now she felt nothing.

Not for the blight, not for humanity.

Akane’s insides raced up and down, the infection taking its course. Everyone else was driven to madness just seconds after a bite, but she was a different story. She had no interest in sinking her teeth into someone’s flesh, self-mutilation, or even the chase.

Her mouth quivered as she took another step, an aspect of the infection made contact with her brain, her nervous system. As if her entire body was being rewritten to focus on one singular goal, one passion from her past. The sole purpose of her staying alive in her past, was now her calling card as this forsaken undead.

Her mind flashed with memories of her time in the Self-Defense Force, with her friends, and with a man and his daughter. Akane didn’t recognize them, as her conscience continued speeding through several of her disjointed memories until she saw a magnificent metallic behemoth. One of great power and viewed as a champion for the Earth.

A soft smile slowly crept up on her face as she picked up the pace, ignoring the searing pain in her tendon. Only one thing was on her mind now as she finally found the strength in her vocal chords to speak up.

“Kiryu.”

Winner: Attack Titan, Gamera (Heisei)