Author: Tyler Trieschock | Banner: Matthew Williams & Tyler Trieschock
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Captain
Chapter 2: The Prince & The King
Chapter 3: Storm Warning
Chapter 4: Aso’s Gambit
Chapter 5: The One of Legend
Chapter 6: Kaishin Muba vs. Godzilla Junior
Chapter 7: Resurrection
Chapter 8: Kaishin Muba vs. The Gotengo
Chapter 9: Of Purpose & Pride
Chapter 10: Of Legacy & Memory
Chapter 11: Gordon’s Gambit – Kaishin Muba vs. Godzilla Junior: Round 2
Chapter 12: Call Hazard
Tokyo – 2009
The sound of boots marching on tile echoed down a narrow hallway, sending crowds of attendees into euphoria as a lone man came into view on their periphery. The well-built individual’s thick mustache twitched in anticipation. Stoic and proud, the man gazed upon his audience who looked back to him with a combination of awe, inspiration, and jubilation. They were here for him, and Douglas Gordon couldn’t help but feel invigorated by the sight, though he would never openly express it. Instead, displaying an indomitable expression void of emotion, Gordon strolled toward the table in front of the lines of adoring admirers and took a seat, the king finally ready to serve his adoring court.
The black luxury chair awaiting its host buckled beneath Gordon’s weight. Shifting attention to the red cloth covered table, Gordon meticulously acquired the single black ballpoint pen lying on its surface and then gazed at the young man at the start of the line. Upon realizing he was being watched, the individual straightened up, appearing to imitate a military officer salute, but all hopes of keeping the façade vanished as Gordon waved him forward.
Ten feet of separation vanished in an instant. Squeaks of tennis shoes on tile reverberated through the library’s interior until the young man halted at the table’s front and placed an object down upon the cloth. Gordon felt the six foot tall fan’s lanky shadow fall upon him, but his stoic expression remained unfazed. Taking the object for himself, Gordon gazed upon it and the artwork on its exterior.
Multiple headshots of world famous kaiju were plastered across the front cover, each with their recognizable attributes changed enough to avoid any legal filing.
‘Screw the bastards which trademark monsters’, Gordon thought.
Moving up the cover and atop the mountain of beasts which included a bulky grey Anguirus and salmon colored Rodan, Godzilla posed emitting a triumphant roar. Gordon disliked the rat-like features forced upon the King of the Monsters by his publisher and quickly moved on to his own headshot, and the title just above it, eliciting a smirk which finally broke his emotionless façade.
Captain Douglas Gordon: Final War – The Historically Accurate Alternate Take On Humanity’s Darkest Hour
The feeling elicited by the achievement Gordon failed to bring to words. At his career peak, he piloted the war machine Gotengo and halted an invasion of planetary conquerors with wit, power, and tenacity. No one could deny or take the accomplishment away from him unlike his fabled warship, the Gotengo, which was ripped from his control by the Japanese Self Defense Force just days after the climactic battle in Tokyo. Without rank or an ability to face the impossible, the future seemed dour, uncertain, but after writing what was now his third title, he couldn’t help but feel his soul partially satiated. It was a meager flame to the fires which were elicited by answering the puzzles brought about by conflict, but Gordon cherished it with all his being.
“Ca-can I ask a quick question?”
Gordon peeled his sight off his creation to the nervous string bean of a man, opened the book and placed his pen down upon it. “Ten seconds kid.”
“Ri-right, right so, read the book online already. Great, great stuff, but why have the world apocalyptic at the end?”
Gordon signed his name and closed the book, then handed it back without any fanfare. “Make people realize the next time Xiliens invade, it might not be so clean cut.”
The young man’s face twisted with worry as he stumbled over a response. “Y-you think they’ll be back?”
“I’m sure of it,” he replied, “which is why I wrote Captain Douglas Gordon’s Xilien Survival Guide. Make sure you are well-versed kid, I’ve got you covered.”
Nodding profusely with a smile seemingly wider than his face, the kid wandered off, allowing the forty year old woman behind him to place her copy of the new release upon the table. A seductive smile took hold of her lips while she intertwined her fingers at the ends of her curly, blond hair.
“A man like you must have stories of so many different… exploits. Must be… lonely going on those excursions without company.”
Any trace of the smirk Gordon possessed melted away. ‘Eight hours of this too huh?’
“I do and no,” Gordon affirmed while he signed the copy with the fanfare of a teacher grading his twentieth paper. Without uttering another word, the woman received her copy and with a visibly annoyed scowl walked off, allowing the person in line to step forward. A loud thud upon the table followed.
Unfazed eyes gazed upon not a book but a stack of papers for enlistment into the Japanese Self Defense Force. The identity of who dropped the forty-seven pages of paperwork was clear even if Gordon refused to stare eye to eye with him. The persistent individual wore a finely pressed military uniform, one Gordon doubted he wore regularly when outside his lush office space at the S.D.F. Headquarters. It was an effective strategy on swaying civilians, one Gordon especially knew as he currently wore his original captain’s uniform of the Gotengo, but it didn’t serve his stalker well in their past encounters, nor would it help on this day.
“Can you sign these, for god’s sake, and end my suffering?”
Gordon, eyes laser focused on the fresh pile, removed the top sheet. A smirk reappeared beneath the burly mustache and with subtle glee, Gordon signed his name over half the page. “All you’re getting from me, Carl.”
Hands struck the table while an over the top breath exhaled from the military officer’s lips. “You know that’s not my name.”
Gordon finally tilted back in his chair to catch a glimpse of the frustration he created. It was without a doubt unwarranted, the man was simply doing his job and not a representative or underling of Aso. Carl’s job no doubt in the past was a recruiter with a long line of success until he possessed the unfortunate duty of recruiting Douglas Gordon back into the fold. A mission given and known to be impossible.
“And we both know I couldn’t care less,” Gordon said matter-of-factly.
“I still don’t get why they want a stuck up piece of crap like you back,” Carl lamented.
“I’m irreplaceable,” Gordon countered, “and the moment they give me my ship back, I’ll finally accept the offer.”
Any semblance of control from Carl snapped at the offer. “No sane person’s giving you control of the Gotengo again. Not after you abandoned Tokyo to lure in Godzilla.”
“It was a… my gambit,” Gordon affirmed with a cough.
At this point, the former captain heard the steps of the two guards assigned to the signing begin their movement toward Carl. Things would not get physical, his designated stalker would never belittle himself to such force, but Carl’s reaction to getting escorted out was something Gordon looked forward to. Maybe it was why he had let it slip to Carl’s colleagues his location on this very day. As expected, Carl raised his arms and visibly lowered the spiked tension in the room. Frustration and defeat covered every fiber of his expression until Carl looked down at Gordon.
It wasn’t loathing or irritation, but something which rattled Gordon’s nerves slightly. Something he’d never noticed since they began their encounters five years prior: pity. Paperwork shuffled into a neat pile in Carl’s arms and with a tired breath, he remarked, “Tell yourself this is what you want all day. I’m done. But you know, I wish I could see the moment you realize you’re not as important as you think you are.”
Chapter 2: The Prince & The King
Tokyo – Present Day
Gentle winds leisurely passed through the mountains of man which encompassed Tokyo’s capital. Soft as the gusts were, they still rocked the immense structures of Japan’s capital, swaying them side to side so methodically the thousands of people working within barely noticed the changes. Yet atop one of the largest structures in the metropolis, Miki Yamane smiled as she felt the immense movement. A small act which reinforced her belief that man and nature, however much at odds they may seem, could in fact co-exist and do so without conflict.
Usually the roof Miki was perched upon would be off limits to all visitors of the Tsuchi building, but with her husband a routine speaker to the auditorium within, and her institute a routine supplier of events; the owners turned a blind eye to Miki’s routine use of the space. In their eyes, what harm could possibly be derived from her? And so in their apathetic mindset, the psychic gained an appreciated scenic view of Tokyo Bay.
All six major ports buzzed with activity. Across the open bay from Miki’s view, the largest of the ports, Chiba, roared with life among its five smaller yet equally important sister sites. From aging fishing vessels to the monstrous cruise ships docked in their ports, all sizes of man made transports made use of the natural harbor. Such beauty Miki cherished, and fostering this love, she sat upon a blue yoga mat and closed her eyes. It was time to ensure the view she relished and all those within its scenic beauty would remain safe. If the government or Shobijin would not act, then with palpable reluctance she would use her gift to ensure the cities’ protection.
To the world, psychics were gifted individuals able to read others minds, talk to monsters, or move objects with a thought. Miki could not dispute the simple overview, but if others experienced her gift like she could, they’d know how truly wrong their misconceptions were. For instance, new students comprehending telekinesis needed to understand it was not thought which moved objects, but the extension of their own will, like reaching out with a third, invisible arm. Reading thoughts was another misconception by the masses. A more apt metaphor for the ability would be seeing one’s soul.
At the core of every living being existed the purest form of their essence and in most cultures, this roughly translated to a person’s soul. Miki remained unsure of its exact form, whether it be Chi, Mana, an unknown third option; whatever it was, it emanated from all living things with the mind acting like a gateway. To the average person, what they assumed were personal thoughts and the recognition of sight, touch, smell, taste, and hearing in reality beamed forth like personal radios. Psychics merely needed to attune to the frequency, or if wishing to communicate or interact with said radio, direct their own essence toward another. As she sat focused atop Tsuchi Tower, Miki focused on using this technique, yet her target was no mere human.
A salty taste lingered on Miki’s tongue as a wave of sadness crashed over her heart. Overwhelming at first, Miki pushed through the sensations barraging her until a black void from closed eyes materialized into a transparent, blue sea. Without expressing any surprise to the new space, Miki immediately glanced downward to discover an ethereal recreation of her body seemingly hovering in the depths of the ocean. The psychic projection, while theoretically unneeded, ensured two things, as she would explain to her students. The first is a strong link to whomever you’re contacting so as to not lose one’s self in the process. The other, Miki noted as she rotated her body to gaze upon the yellow eyes of an undersea behemoth, was to allow your contactee to have something to come face to face with. In her current case, the curious, reptilian gaze of the young saurian nicknamed by humanity as Godzilla Junior.
Wide, trusting eyes focused upon the familiar human before him. Claws scraped across the brown, lumpy skin on the reptile’s neck while Junior’s head swayed side to side through the water. The twitching of the juvenile Godzilla delighted Miki who reminisced about the small, juvenile Godzilla she helped foster in the nineties. That creature and the one before her were not one and the same, but the original did foster this new Junior and under the King of the Monster’s guidance, Miki recognized many traits of his adopted father. If only she knew what happened to him…
Bubbles poured forth from Junior’s maw as he released a somber roar, indicating to Miki that she inadvertently identified the source of the sorrow beaming into her heart. Accompanying the despair, loneliness radiated from the atomic beast. And with that final piece, Miki understood why Junior currently did not reside on his natural home of Monster Island.
‘You were alone and wanted to search for Godzilla,’ Miki surmised in her mind, merely for another growl to rumble forth from the juvenile beast in affirmation.
When she first heard about the disappearance, she’d used her powers to search across the globe for him, yet it seemed like Godzilla had vanished from the face of the Earth. He still lived, a piece of her and Junior told them this, but where–where was another matter.
A familiar ache rattled Miki’s heart. She related the feeling to a drug addict needing their next fix except in her case, it spurned her on. For as long as she could remember it plagued her, drove her, pressing her to help even as her will desired restraint. Caution always won out, it needed to in her eyes to avoid conflict, but this did not mean assistance couldn’t be given.
Forming a smile filled with understanding, Miki extended her right arm. Her index finger pointed to a seemingly empty void of water, but in that direction lay the heart of Japan, in need of a protector. In exchange, Miki assured she would search once more for the monster each of them missed. Bubbles poured from Junior’s maw in affirmation before a whip of his tail launched him onward, propelling the saurian out of Miki’s view in seconds.
Ayana Moribe was hidden by the one she loved.
Shinichi Ozaki assured Asagi Kusanagi’s safety.
Tokyo possessed a protector, now she needed to hold up her end of the bargain.
Hazy views of a dark sea vanished and in its absence, all focus in Miki’s mind shifted to her search. Time passed without the accompaniment of her senses, how long Miki couldn’t fathom, but her drive forced her onward regardless of consequence. Somewhere Godzilla existed. She knew this to be true, she just needed to concentrate further with the gifts she possessed. She couldn’t allow herself to be tempted to–
Ethereal eyes snapped apart in shock, her mouth filling with the taste of salt water. Guilt and uncertainty crept into her heart, gripping it with a crushing force as she felt a strange connection to the world around her. Where was she? Had she found him? Frantic eyes darted side to side, taking notice of the immense, underwater trench coated with vibrant colors and glowing flora that painted a kaleidoscope of beauty and darkness around her. Even blocked by an undersea mountain, obscuring the dazzling environment, Miki appreciated the unique beauty merely for a sensation to grip her heart with such force it brought her anguish.
Suddenly, the mountain opened to reveal an azure eye, radiating with a pulsing light so brilliant, it could rival the sun itself. Dorsal spines spread the light throughout the ocean depths like an electric current, engulfing Miki in a paralyzing wave of emotion: rage. In that same instant, Miki’s ethereal form snapped back to reality atop Tsuchi Tower.
The psychic awakened to a body overwhelmed. Her stomach instinctively tried to vomit salt water, confusing the sensations moments prior with her current situation. Convulsing atop her yoga mat, Miki concentrated solely on her breathing to calm herself, allowing the repercussions of the broken connection to begin their decline. She was lucky to be awake, alive, but then she felt the barrage of something against her body. Cold, persistent, unending; Miki gazed into the rain filled sky and watched unnatural clouds swirl to birth a typhoon.
She’d found something beneath the waves and now, it seemed what lurked within her fears had found Tokyo.
Tokyo Bay – A few moments earlier
A spine-chilling cry, like the bellow of a thousand damned souls, hovered over the city. The air shivered and black clouds filled the sky, obliterating the horizon from view. The relatively calm sea suddenly roared with fury, jettisoning waves with ferocity and size reserved for the nightmares of sailors. Onlookers near the harbor fled with terror while small vessels caught in the growing maelstrom’s rage capsized in the growing storm. Those that hung onto debris to escape the seething current were met with a sight beyond comprehension: a gargantuan wave that rose from the depths of the bay, only to reveal a Lovecraftian horror.
Sinister yellow eyes, radiating evil with a malevolent green gem perched atop their brows, burned a chilling gaze at the human made creations dotting the land. Lips which exposed dagger-like teeth pulled back even further in twisted delight, excited to return to this world once more to wreak chaos and extract its offering of the helpless. The orange webbed membranes that lay between the tentacled mane around its head flexed in preparation before it unleashed a bloodcurdling wail, heralding destruction and announcing its arrival.
Kaishin Muba, the universes’ forgotten fear, consumer of lost and forgotten souls of the sea, had been summoned to raze humanity’s fragile civilization.
The sea creature first glanced into the sky, observing the swirling mass of clouds over his form from his summoning. Lightning crashed onto the outer limits of the water, creating small fires that the harsh rains around him almost instantly extinguished. Pleased with what was occurring around him, the demon of the seas turned his gaze downward. Fishermen and their vessels tried to make their way to shore–but Kaishin Muba would not allow it.
An arm raised from the surface, but instead of solid flesh, the slime-covered appendage consisted of dozens of tentacles interwoven into a single cohesive unit. Unwinding his multi-limbed arm, each tentacle spread wide above those trying desperately to survive before the demon struck with murderous intent. A sinister screech boomed through thunder-filled air as the fiend witnessed the dead bodies of those he attacked sink into blood-stained, watery graves. With his appetite for death teased, Kaishin Muba craned its long neck back, unleashing another high pitch screech of chaos, before the horror dove under the raging waters, slapping its whale-like tail to launch itself toward land.
No being, on land or sea, would escape its murderous reach.
Anti-Kaiju Division Headquarters, Japanese Self Defense Force, Tokyo
The click of a door marked General Aso’s departure from his office. Flanked by an aide on each side, each carrying stacks of bureaucratic paperwork, the trio started their trek toward the command room of the building ten floors above. The tremble of thunder continually shook the thirty story structure and while every person inside was safe, the benefit of being on the extreme outskirts of the capital, it reminded the commanding officer the elevators would surely be out, forcing him to take the stairs. It’d take him at least ten minutes to reach his destination, and he knew he’d need every second to formulate the best counter to what now lurked in Tokyo Bay.
Pushing the stairway’s metal door open, Aso’s mind immediately raced to his penultimate weapon, Mechagodzilla; however, its implementation would prove difficult considering its current residence in Okinawa. The fiery demon which scorched the land never fought the mechanical creation, but American and Japanese superiors wished it to remain in case it were to return and now. Even if the crew happened to be prepped and the machine ready to launch, it’d take an hour, maybe two for it to reach Tokyo, giving the thing running amok plenty of time to take thousands of lives.
Something else needed to be done.
Upon reaching the third set of stairs, Aso snapped his fingers to the aide on his right.
“Assets,” he barked.
The young woman scrambled through her stack of manila folders until she found the requested file and handed it over to Aso who snatched it and gazed upon its contents with meticulous detail.
The storm would prove another factor not easily remedied. Aso held no certainty on the wind speed or the intensity of the rain, but his gut assured him the typhoon growing in intensity outside easily ranged from a high four to a low five. An attack via air could prove more hazardous to the pilots than the actual monster if his gut proved right on the increasing speed of the wind. Moving troops safely from nearby bases into the city, let alone diverting enough military hardware for those men to make a lasting impact against the creature, would take too much time to all but the most relentless captains and commanders.
Turning the corner of the eighth flight, Aso’s stomach churned while he decided amongst his fine selection of terrible options. None of them were objectively bad, but as the overseer of the Japanese Self Defense Force’s responses to any Kaiju related threat, he’d be skewered from every angle on whatever choice he made.
‘Wait and let civilians die or send good soldiers to die to minimize local casualties,’ Aso considered agonizingly until he spotted a name that made the grey haired man stop in his tracks in front of his floor’s exit. Countless other people passed the trio, entering and exiting, until Aso realized his immobility and pressed forward into the hallway, eyes seemingly transfixed on a certain line.
“Gotengo,” Aso whispered to himself as he walked toward the command center’s entrance at the end of the hall.
A relic of Aso’s predecessor, the super-sized battleship with a drill on its bow hadn’t seen service in nearly two decades, mostly serving as a propaganda piece to travel the world. Originally part of a set of four other war machines constructed to battle Kaiju, it was the last surviving member of its sister ships constructed with the belief that they would be more efficient than Mechagodzilla or Kiryu. Why waste resources making a mechanical kaiju? The answer proved obvious the moment the machines were torn apart upon the Xilien invasion of two-thousand four by creatures with teeth and claws.
‘Because Kiryu could take a punch and give it right back,’ Aso mused.
Regardless of its origin, the Gotengo currently resided in Yokohama, its nuclear fusion powered systems ensured it was constantly maintained and it happened to be performing a flyby this very day which meant its crew was available, maybe even ready for immediate launch. Whether it could kill the creature didn’t matter so long as its captain and crew could keep it focused, allowing soldiers to help the besieged populace, an end goal no superior would dare criticize. Reaching the door, Aso sucked in a deep breath and readied himself for the chaos ahead. He’d found a workable plan of action, now came the hard part, bearing its consequences.
15 Miles Outside Tokyo Harbor, Pacific Ocean
Fifty foot waves by the thousands crashed their bodies into one another, battling for supremacy in a chaotic sea. Rain peppered the thrashing water’s surface with the ferocity of bullets, illuminated by the chaotic frenzy of lightning which danced across the stormy skies. The Japanese Self Defense Force vessels which dared to enter the supernatural typhoon lay scattered, struggling, or in pieces. To the humans that still lived, their focus on survival distracted them from a legendary leviathan carving effortlessly through the ocean, its dorsal spines radiating azure power that no bolt of lightning could match.
Nature’s fury barely registered a nuisance to the Godzilla of another world who cruised through the pacific waters with one thought plaguing his primordial mind. For the time he’d spent in the new world, he’d stayed away from all other denizens of the planet, monster and human alike. His new home, so very similar to his original planet, possessed no Alpha, no being in control of its systems, and the need to fill that void pained the leviathan like an addiction. Sleep nulled the ache, guilt over his failure protecting his world buried it, but this period of wishful ignorance ended with her.
Godzilla felt the pull of her presence which no rest could subdue. Brief as the initial contact was, the draw tempted the leviathan to investigate, to respond to her call, and in his curiosity, he found the unnatural storm. Glowing eyes narrowed in rage upon the pulsing memories of his ancient draconic rival, but the behemoth calmed those infuriating thoughts. They were no more. This chaos derived from something else, but whatever emanated it did so with malicious intent.
So with fangs bare and intentions hostile, Godzilla surged forth toward the anomalies apex, hoping to quell the questions and fury within its heart.
Chapter 6: Kaishin Muba vs. Godzilla Junior
Chiba District, Tokyo Bay
A colossal wake in a frenzied sea exploded like a bubble bursting, revealing Kaishin Muba’s horrid face to any unlucky human still lingering on the perimeter of Chiba. To those unfortunate souls, the water demon launched four squid-like appendages from underneath his body. With the tentacles’ diameters and lengths exceeding any high-speed rail train, Kaishin Muba raked the coast and pulled all into its chaotic domain. People taking shelter from the typhoon instantly mixed with wood, cement, and steel; their scattered bodies torn limb from limb as they hit the water in an unrecognizable mess.
The human structures Kaishin Muba beheld as they slowly sunk into the bay’s depths were different then those he remembered from his last summoning. They’d changed in texture, shape, and size, yet the dens still shattered with ease. Would they still burn like they’d done so easily before?
Light seethed inside the emerald gem atop Kaishin Muba’s forehead like molten lava, conjuring energy for the sole purpose of destruction. Without wasting a moment with his jewel charged, Kaishin Muba unleashed a viridescent beam which flowed through every rain drop in the sky as if they were magnifying its power. When the Water Mirror Ray finally collided with its target, the results were instant, explosive, and most importantly, deadly. Fish processing plants and other buildings vaporized in a series of violent explosions as the leviathan swept its destructive ray across Chiba District’s outer harbor. The fires which jolted forth from the destruction quickly suffocated from the rain, drowning rubble and ash alike.
Death and despair filled Kaishin Muba’s view, but far past his watery domain, past the freshly blackened earth that stretched greater than the largest human settlements in its twisted memory, the strange towers of humanity still stood in defiance of his wrath. Small structures tore apart, crushed under his storm’s ferocity, yet so many still remained, enraging the leviathan to its core. Light flickered inside the emerald jewel atop the beast’s forehead, rippling bolts as Kaishin Muba bellowed a shrilling screech to all those that would soon be dead, merely for unnatural thunder to rival his cry.
Kaishin Muba swung its elongated neck back, allowing its teeth filled maw and yellow eyes to reflect the lightning filled heavens, its mind unsure what to make of the unfamiliar sound until the boom roared to life once more but its origination, behind him. Turning his gaze a final time, devilish eyes spotted a new creature within its domain, but instead of fury or concern, its fang-filled maw parted, allowing drool to run like waterfalls.
Fresh meat.
White reptilian claws tensed in anticipation of the unavoidable clash, not in terror, but reluctance. Even separated by a kilometer of water, Godzilla Junior knew what lay before him easily outclassed him in size, maybe even eclipsing his adopted father. As for experience in actual combat, what he possessed was miniscule. Excluding sparring with his father, Anguirus, or Gomora, he possessed no true victory to call his own and a defeat by Iris so decisive he was lucky to still be alive. Yet despite the odds, something deep within Junior’s soul stirred him onwards. He’d been asked to be this land’s guardian – his adopted father’s mantle, King of the Monsters, was now his to bear.
Godzilla Junior parted its jaws, unleashing a roar of warning to the leviathan – bow or accept death.
Kaishin Muba uttered no response, simply revealing more dagger-like teeth.
Junior bared his teeth in a savage snarl and tipped his head back to let out an ear-splitting roar of acceptance. Without hesitation, he lunged towards the ferocious waves and hurled himself head first into the raging depths, fully expecting his adversary to follow suit.
As both monsters reached their peak velocity, the disparity in strength became apparent with Junior’s minor shell of water compared to Kaishin Muba’s overwhelming wake. Regardless of the foreshadowed result, Junior pressed on until the disparity in strength finally exploded into reality upon collision. In the confusion of jettisoning water and rebounding flesh, Kaishin Muba sunk its fangs into Junior’s right shoulder and thrusted the juvenile monster beneath the raging waters.
Saurian and leviathan plummeted further and further into the depths of the harbor with a helpless Junior unable to stop his forced descent. The level five typhoon had caused the waters of the bay to rise considerably, yet it took only a second until brown, scaly skin smashed into the harbor’s floor. Rocks cracked and fractured in all directions while Junior screeched in agony, unleashing copious amounts of air. Realizing the tumultuous situation he was in, he grasped onto the demon’s torso and pushed with all of his strength, yet the small saurian couldn’t lift Kaishin Muba off of his body before the horror shredded most of the flesh from his right shoulder.
Dark crimson liquid spilled out of Junior’s wounds as Kaishin Muba devoured the chunks of flesh and skin in one greedy bite. With a fierce growl, Kaishin snarled and lunged forward for another mouthful, merely to be halted mid-lunge as an azure flash illuminated its monstrous, aquatic form.
Dispensing any reluctance in using his reserves, Junior discharged an onslaught of nuclear energy from his jaws. The first struck soft flesh, instantaneously burning the base of the leviathan’s long neck black. The second lanced Kaishin Muba’s left arm, striking the interwoven tentacles and severing three of the dozens which comprised the appendage. High pitched wails of anguish echoed for all marine life to shudder as the third connected with the beast’s abdomen, blasting the leviathan backward. As a final, meager blast scorched Kaishin Muba’s tail, the leviathan hectically dived into deeper depths of Tokyo Bay where its damaged form lay shrouded in darkness.
Junior’s body hit the harbor floor and he winced in pain, his right shoulder nearly gone. He floated in a red fog of his own blood, searing agony coursing through his body with every heartbeat. The anguish made it clear that a close quarters brawl with his enemy would certainly be his last, another route to victory was needed, but what?
With a height topping seventy meters, the young saurian considered returning to the surface by simply standing, yet instinct urged him to remain in his foe’s domain. With his body’s regeneration working diligently to repair torn flesh and his nuclear reserves recharging, Junior awaited the inevitable counterattack. A bright, emerald glow erupted in the distance, marking its start.
The juvenile Godzilla turned toward the new source of light, roaring and sending thousands of air bubbles to the surface before Kaishin Muba replied with destructive force. A viridescent beam burst forth from the leviathan’s emerald gem, traveling thousands of meters to violently collide with the surprised saurian. Junior’s body once again struck the harbor floor, upheaving mounds of gravel, mud, and trash in his wake. Brown skin burned raw, a horrid cry echoed beneath the waves, and by the Water Mirror Ray’s end, young eyes closed within a cloud of dust and blood.
Kaishin Muba’s raging maw split open to emit a deafening shriek of triumph and dominion. Its absolute power was now certain, and its insatiable appetite could not wait to consume the spoils of its victory.
The Lovecraftian horror scanned the area with its malevolent eyes, its long whale-like tail whipping back and forth in anticipation of the feast to come. As it maneuvered hungrily towards its defeated and unconscious victim, it salivated at the thought of feeding, savoring the taste of fresh flesh it would rip from the saurian’s body.
His bloodthirsty anticipation was quickly dampened when ten brilliant fireballs exploded around his submerged body, bathing him in an orb of fire. As fast as the fiery sphere formed, water drowned out the blaze, leaving an infuriated horror to arise toward the surface, devilish eyes glazed over in rage.
His desired feast of flesh could wait. Something else courted his wrath.
Haneda Airport, Tokyo
Like all of Tokyo, the passengers on board flights with destinations ranging across Japan and the world surely were shuddering in terror from the sudden typhoon. No plane would dare chance a take-off with such vicious winds, nor would any staff of the airport attempt to continue their duties outside. With humanity’s aerial vehicles of transport docked, the runways lay barren for only the rain to barrage and lightning to strike.
Just as his master planned.
Water soaked clothing clung to a young man who looked into the chaotic heavens with a nebulous grin. He possessed no fear, no inkling of worry toward the unnatural phenomena as it was just another creation of his god’s power, as he was. To be precise, he was the fifteenth to be spawned from his lord’s divine flesh and honored by the designation Juu-Go. But such trivial things like a name mattered little to the soaked follower. All that did was acquire a tool for his lord, Orochi, to command.
Pausing a moment, he removed a miniscule metal box from within his pocket, removed the steel lid, and knelt upon his knees. He was exactly where he needed to be, and hidden within the storm’s wrath, no human would ever notice its rebirth.
Primordial words escaped Juu-Go’s lips. Essence bestowed upon the creation by his creator swirled in front of his presence, prying a soul from a grave long undisturbed. Crimson flesh and exoskeleton fazed into reality, allowing a creature no larger than an ant to return to the world of the living, but just as its summoning ended, he hurriedly placed it into the metal container at his side.
It would need time to evolve, to convince, but he knew in his possession lay the perfect counter to life itself. A destroyer, his god and creator would happily unleash upon the world to return it to its proper state.
A barren Earth; a perfect world.
“Welcome Destoroyah,” Juu-Go whispered with a voice as soothing as it sounded vile. “May you accept my lord’s offer of fealty and accept your place among the new world.”
Chapter 8: Kaishin Muba vs. The Gotengo
Tokyo Bay
Ravenous jaws pierced the distorted surface, belching a maddening wail for whatever dare attack the mighty Kaishin Muba. Four excessively long, squid-like tentacles whipped the already thrashing waves, allowing the leviathan to thrust itself from side to side in its wrathful search until the air above him buzzed an unusual noise. Yanking its elongated neck back, unholy energy flashed toward the darkened heavens, birthed from the green gem on the monster’s forehead. Kaishin Muba’s Water Mirror Ray engulfed the ten missiles, melting their titanium outer shells and igniting their payloads early. A cascade of fire engulfed the dark sky in orange light, revealing to the leviathan the source of the deadly projectiles, a human ship unlike any he’d destroyed in the past.
A mile out from Kaishin Muba’s position and hundreds of meters above the harbor’s surface, a human vessel hovered in protest of the winds which battered its black hull. Exceeding one hundred meters in length with slanted armor, a command center like a battleship at its center, and an enormous drill on its bow; the Gotengo prepared to end the reign of the creature which plagued the crew’s homeland. Cerulean light swirled around its spinning drill and with its deadly intent apparent, the undersea horror watched with as much intrigue as he did arrogance over the new threat.
Rain drops falling from the chaotic sky transformed into flakes of snow upon contact with the colossal ray of blue light blossoming from the war machine’s drill. Beastly eyes went wide in momentary terror before instinct screamed for Kaishin Muba to flee with all his available strength. Tentacles swung upward, thrusting the sea demon beneath the thrashing waves and launching columns of water into the air just as the deathly beam of energy struck where the tentacled horror once existed.
In a blinding flash, waves turned to solid ice. Pillars which moments prior were nothing more than momentary columns of water dotted a sheet of ice spanning thousands of meters in circumference. An iceberg of immense proportion now floated within Tokyo’s harbor thanks in part to the Gotengo’s Zero Cannon, but whether the beast was dead or simply trapped within it remained a mystery to the crew, leaving only one option for those piloting humanity’s war machine.
Missiles launched into the sky, arching into the center of the cracking ice formation while miniature electron particle lasers fired broadside of the Gotengo. Even as the missiles detonated their payloads, ejecting great columns of fire into the rain filled sky and vaporizing the fracturing ice. The broadside barrage continued to lay waste where Kaishin Muba once resided, hoping to ensure the kill with the machine’s dwindling energy reserves, only for a watery explosion to detonate beneath the vessel.
A gargantuan mass composed of tentacles, teeth, and fury burst forth from the harbor with the clear intention of sinking its jaws into the man-made war machine. Patches of fishlike skin peeled from intense cold while other spots were burned raw. If those jaws snapped shut upon the ship’s exterior, every soul aboard knew the beast’s retribution would be swift and decisive.
Anti-gravity engines roared, pushing the vessel higher in an act to avoid collision and just as Kaishin Muba reached the peak of his ascent, teeth slammed shut upon open air. The Gotengo successfully evaded the horror’s bite, but the creature showed no displeasure in missing its prey, only momentary restlessness. Four squid-like tentacles sprang upward, ensnaring the Gotengo’s hull before gravity’s constant presence brought both machine and monster down upon the harbor with a colossal detonation.
For a moment each combatant sunk beneath the chaotic surface. The bow of the Gotengo immediately burst back out of the water, the last burst of its engines until lights across the vessel began to flicker, sending it crashing back onto the harbor. Waves slammed into its visibly bent, yet uncracked, hull. The ship rocked violently as the crew trembled in terror, the crew now painfully aware they were not only helpless to combat the typhoon, but also the devilish eyes that slowly arose beside their crippled war-machine.
Kaishin Muba roared with deafening rage as he sensed the presence of human souls and hungered for retaliation. Swooping down, the creature clamped his large, razor-sharp jaws around the command center of the ship, slicing through metal as if it were butter. The Gotengo shook under the force of Kaishin Muba’s jaws while a mix of oil, blood, and screams flooded out of the jagged incision. The demon savored the taste of revenge as its mouth filled with a river of human suffering before a swift snap ended the torturous existence of its victims.
Swallowing the deformed hunk of metal littered with crushed corpses, the horror’s eyes moved to the rest of the hull of the Gotengo where countless crew still remained. Unleashing a haunting screech of death to the helpless before him, Kaishin Muba let all poor souls beneath his shadow know what fate would soon befall them. Parting its maw to draw another chunk from the crippled vessel, Kaishin Muba launched his head forward, merely for unnatural thunder to echo and strike his flesh.
The immense leviathan felt five distinct pricks in its back, provoking an unholy roar of rage that reverberated across the sea. His neck arched towards the mainland, trailing a wake of boiling fury and frothing rage as his devilish eyes burned into the horizon.
What foolish soul now dared to court his wrath?
New York City, U.S.A. – 2016, Three weeks after the Xilien Invasion
Life echoed within the city which never slept as the moon beamed white light upon it. In a district filled with life, pieces of rubble dotted the sidewalk yet hundreds walked by without care, pushing a return to normalcy as the flow of traffic dispersed into clubs, bars, and restaurants. Among the river of people hoping to find relief, Douglas Gordon readied to complete his own mission. Maybe tonight, he’d discover what he desperately desired.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gordon’s target came into view. His eyes burned with a fiery intensity and his feet seemed to move of their own accord, leading him towards the bar by the name of Tank Killers.
The dingy army pub seemed almost deserted, with its lone bar counter and a few scattered tables. Was it lack of popularity, or the late hour that left the place devoid of any servicemen? Whatever the reason, Gordon’s mission was made easy by the absence of people. He scanned the dimly lit room, picking through the late-night stragglers until a lone figure caught his eye.
The person of interest sat at the bar, downing the last of his whiskey with a clink. His military uniform, decorated with medals, stretched across his broad chest, and his salt-and-pepper hair had been cropped short in an unmistakable style. He paused to savor the last few drops of the drink, when suddenly Gordon took a seat beside him. The man seemed ready to protest, his features hardening for a moment, but then softening as Gordon said to the young bartender, “I’ll need two of what he just finished.”
“It’s a terrible bourbon,” the military official noted, rattling the ice in his glass. “But, I assume you’re not here for the drink.”
Gordon’s face revealed a somewhat hesitant smile as he stared at his target. A blocky face, well defined chin, and brown eyes affirmed Gordon’s initial assumption, he’d found the hero of New York, the man who led American forces to victory against the Xilien invaders, Major General Anthony Hicks. A hero who filled him with admiration and, worst of all, envy.
“Good job,” Gordon noted, his voice laced with the faintest hint of sincerity, drawing a look of skepticism and mild appreciation from Hicks. “With what you possessed, I wouldn’t have done things differently.”
Hicks scanned Gordon as if to decipher the man’s intentions. Wielding a stare which beamed that he knew something about the new arrival’s tone felt… off, he replied, “Appreciate the sentiment, but there are others who deserve greater recognition for their service.”
“You’re the last on my list,” Gordon conveyed with pure honesty. “The rest I’ll tell face to face when I’m dead.”
A single huff of air vented from Hick’s nostrils, finding humor in the comment. “Plan for us both. Well, I’d take the compliment better if I knew who I was talking to.”
“Douglas Gordon, Captain-” Silence reverberated with swiftness and palpable weight between the two men, making anyone in earshot fully aware of the significance of the previously held position. “Former Captain of the Gotengo,” Gordon corrected, a hint of a frown creasing his lips.
“I thought you seemed familiar,” the Major remarked, shifting his attention back to the empty glass. “Two thousand and four, right? Pulled that AWOL stunt to lure in Godzilla?”
The once stoic expression Gordon wielded with precision melted away to one of weariness and lacking. “Knew they’d be back, always planned and prepared. And yet–” ‘I wasn’t needed’, Gordon thought, unable to bring the words to his lips. Even with his thoughts trapped within his mind, the former captain knew the man beside him could surely infer his previous remark’s true intentions or simply see through the growing cracks in his expression, a look only one man would find to his benefit.
‘I wonder, where are you now Carl?’ Gordon mused.
“Well the unlucky role you wanted went to another this time round and she, and her co-pilot, didn’t make it.” The Major spoke with a tone that showed his mild interest in Gordon’s views had shifted to scorn. “If you flew halfway round the planet to give me a thumbs up and say you wanted to switch places with the dead, I think you’ve made your point.”
Gordon scoffed at the statement, dismissing the assumption for the failed theory it was.
What drove the former captain was not a desire to be the sole Xilien vanquisher or a praised champion, but Carl’s words after a decade and a half proving true. Gordon gazed over the memories of the last twelve years and found the familiar path set in place by his inflexibility. A trail of isolation, inactivity, and dwindling passion.
“Flew halfway round the world because I planned for twelve years on besting an impossible puzzle, only for some other bastard to do it better by the seat of his pants.” The former captain’s head dropped closer to the bar. “Don’t care for headlines or glory. I’m just looking–” words failed to materialize out of stubbornness or pride, but the thought echoed with deafening clarity, ‘–to be needed. For my next step.’
The Major’s expression softened as he studied the captain’s demeanor. “Well, you were unlucky in oh-four,” Hicks remarked in an attempt to understand the man’s turmoil. “If you truly want to make a difference, find your puzzle, save some lives, maybe fix that former captain problem of yours.”
A smile once again crept onto Gordon’s face, perfectly timed with the bartender placing his newly created drink in front of him. “Sounds overdue,” Gordon agreed, grabbing the fresh whiskey on the rocks with his right hand. With a swift turn, Gordon raised it toward Hicks. “To us unlucky bastards. Alive or dead.”
The clink of the men’s glasses rang like a bell in Gordon’s mind, sending an electric shock through his veins. He greedily gulped his drink, feeling something deep inside him awaken – a wild flame that hadn’t burned for years. Maybe it was the alcohol, or the plan coming together in his mind. Either way, in the end it didn’t matter where the fire in his blood originated, his next step, unlike his life for so many years, was set in stone.
He needed to make a call.
Chapter 10: Of Legacy & Memory
Monster Island – 2016, One day prior to SpaceGodzilla’s attack
Upon an island located in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean, where its diameter stretched across twenty square miles of irradiated land, two beasts stood side by side, unleashing their respective power upon a meager hillside. Azure energy incinerated foliage and melted stone, sparking slightly upon striking the crimson, irradiated mineral deposits beneath the surface. At the blasts’ end, the imposing figure of Godzilla, the King of the Monsters since his reign began in nineteen ninety five, gazed at his adopted son and let out a grunt, impressed by the atomic ray of Junior. If it was the only lesson to be taught, Junior easily passed, but the young saurian instinctively realized more was on the table today.
A reptilian heel crashed into the dirt, planting Godzilla in place as his spines shined a familiar, azure hue. Unlike their previous lesson, blue bolts of energy cascaded across the King’s dorsal plates, taking Junior by surprise before he noticed dots of light materialize in front of his father’s face, swirling into the back of his open maw. As if swallowing the small blips which shined in the night sky, hundreds flowed into Godzilla’s jaws until he clamped his mouth shut, focusing the immense plasma until an atomic ray, unlike any Junior witnessed before, unleashed from his father’s maw.
A cerulean beam of light soared through the air at a speed surely no creature could dodge. Its size easily dwarfed any atomic ray Junior previously witnessed his father create, yet its most dominant feature lay in the swirling, violet bolts of energy dancing around it like water. Upon impacting a cliffside which could cast its shadow upon father and son alike, tremors rattled the land and fire blossomed out from the impact site. With a snap of his jaws, Godzilla ceased the attack, revealing the freshly burned hole allowing light to travel from one side of the feature to the other. Then Junior noticed his father’s eyes fall upon him, wishing for the young saurian to replicate the technique.
Without hesitation, Junior planted his right foot into the rocky terrain and readied to imitate the Spiral Atomic Ray. Azure energy illuminated the young saurian’s small dorsal spines and instinct pushed Junior to focus all the remaining power he could muster, yet no bolts danced behind him. Feeling the strain of channeling so much energy, Junior held back using his reserves and took aim at the hillside, deciding it best to use what he could reasonably control. Reptilian lungs pulled immense air down Junior’s throat, sucking in similar blue specs of light he witnessed moments before, but the juvenile reptile felt something amiss as he closed his maw. A muffled screech mixed with unfocused atomic energy burst forth, knocking Junior off his feet from the kickback of the unexpected discharge.
Reptilian eyes slammed shut, expecting brown skin to slam against rock; instead, something long with the diameter of the saurian’s arm stopped his descent. Unsure eyes allowed sunlight to wash over them, giving Junior the answer to what caught him. With a heave, the long tail of Godzilla knocked him upright, allowing the saurian to come face to face with his parent once more.
If a seventy meter irradiated dinosaur possessed the ability to be ashamed, Junior demonstrated the closest thing as his head hung low. With little power remaining in his reserves, Junior held no hope of replicating the technique this day, but the grunt of his parent returned his distraught gaze to Godzilla. Truly inspecting his father’s expression, Junior discovered no hint of fury or disappointment, only concern which vanished as Godzilla turned and gave a grunt to follow.
Tremors rattled Junior who remained in place, watching the departure of his father across the rocky terrain of Monster Island. Memories of events to transpire rushed into the saurian’s mind, informing it of the future to take place just after he followed. He’d sense a kindred spirit in peril, Godzilla would heed the call and venture off the island to combat the unforeseen threat and then–his father would vanish.
Azure light began to engulf the memory, filling Junior with unexplainable vigor which clashed against the sorrow. Ignoring the strange new sensation, Junior looked to the rocky terrain in front of him, spotted a footprint, and placed his own right heel into the cracked earth. His left clawed foot barely filled in half the space, but the juvenile saurian felt the sorrow dissipate within him.
He was a mere shadow of the creature which cared for him, which protected all within his domain. A miniscule flame to a raging fire, but he would have to suffice. The void needed to be filled, the land of his father needed to be protected from the horror which raged within it.
Junior had to try.
As light engulfed the memory, Junior departed the comforting dream which he longed to reside in. In a flash of azure color, he opened his eyes and bellowed violently as a hellish reality engulfed every fiber of his body.
Chapter 11: Gordon’s Gambit – Kaishin Muba vs. Godzilla Junior: Round 2
Chiba District, Tokyo Harbor – A few moments earlier
Clunk.
The recoil of the Type 10’s one hundred and twenty millimeter gun rattled the modern main battle tank’s crew. Echoes of the fired shell would normally never reach the gunner, commander or driver, nor would the thunder of the typhoon which ravaged outside their steel shell; the constant roar of their Mitsubishi engine could eliminate all other distractions if properly sealed, but unlike the four other tanks by its side, the center armored vehicle possessed an open top. Poking out with the subtlety of a groundhog, a man dressed in military uniform watched through binoculars his demonic target. The man’s burly mustache twitched, eager as the devil’s eyes focused back on Chiba.
“Good start,” the man noted as he pulled a flare gun from his back pocket and struggled to raise his arm into the rushing air.
With gusts exceeding one hundred miles per hour, every ounce of strength was needed to perform the basic task, impossible if his body wasn’t grounded inside the tank, yet eventually with the gun pointed up, the man pulled the trigger and launched the ball of burning red skyward.
Wind played with the crimson ball like a cat would prey. For a second it existed above the five M10s, a beacon which would give Kaishin Muba the exact position of its attackers. Now it needed another reminder.
Clunk.
Five shells soared forth over a mile across raging waters. Depleted uranium rounds which could rip through titanium like tissue paper struck the leviathan, yet it showed no sign of pain, merely disdain.
The Type 10 Main Battle Tank was merely an insect pestering a giant. A giant which moments ago seemingly vanquished a Godzilla and played with the helpless Gotengo like a child ripping the wings off a captured butterfly. If nothing changed, the murderous child would descend upon the Type 10s; fifteen men, destined to die within pre-made steel coffins. A fate all but certain if anything deviated from Captain Douglas Gordon of the 24th Japanese Self Defense Force Company’s plan.
Clunk.
Earbuds subdued the stress placed on Gordon’s ears, yet through their shields he could hear the wails of horror which rocked the heavens from the charging leviathan. Eighty thousands tons of flesh plowed through crashing waves, anticipating the moment it could crush whatever pests dared challenge the mighty Kaishin Muba. Halfway to Gordon’s position, another boom echoed across the storm.
Fire alit the miniscule hull of the Gotengo. A final salvo of ten missiles arced into the sky, flying toward Kaishin Muba’s position, yet to Gordon’s surprise the trajectory of the creature showed no deviation in its path. The monster’s choice from a state of rage proved correct as the salvo veered right, plunged into the depths and detonated far from the horror.
Clunk.
Gordon loaded another flare into the gun’s cylinder. The tanks flanking his own vehicle pulled back at high speed, ensuring Kaishin Muba’s entire focus would fall upon him. He wished the good men beneath him could retreat, but they still served a purpose.
‘Just another gambit,’ the captain assured himself, unwilling to say the words aloud in case the men below him heard and panicked. A result that would only get more people killed.
An explosion of water attracted Gordon’s gaze to the rising, tentacled monstrosity. Kaishin Muba’s devilish eyes were fully locked on the M10, roaring at the captain with such intensity Gordon needed to clutch his ears. Tentacles whipped forward to crush the vehicle, but Gordon pulled the trigger first.
Red light for a brief moment illuminated Gordon’s figure and the tentacles which moved with immense speed came to a complete halt. Gordon’s steadfast expression cracked a smile, watching in delight Kaishin Muba move its head within meters of the tank. Lips peeled back to reveal rows of shark teeth, a growl of anger escaped the beast’s jaws, but Gordon remained steadfast in his gaze.
“You’re a sadistic fish, aren’t you?!” Gordon yelled, noting the frustration of the creature from human’s lack of fright. “That’s going to cost you dearly.”
As if it understood, Kaishin Muba surged forward, maw agape to swallow the M10 whole. An azure flash behind the horror and cascading explosion of sparks turned the chomp into a horrifying wail, alerting the driver of Gordon’s M10 to reverse at full speed. Gordon tucked the flare gun into his pocket and continued to watch the unfolding chaos set about by his actions.
Kaishin Muba screeched and withered, his sight purely focused on a region of bay boiling and glowing as if a portal to a hellish sea had opened while it was distracted. Unexpected in its display, but a sign the final piece of Gordon’s puzzle had fallen into place.
He had saved the Gotengo with an M10 barrage. He had radioed the war vessel, convincing enough crew that once served under him to irradiate Junior with a missile salvo laced with radioactive material from the machine’s core to ensure even death wouldn’t stick. And now the two would fight once more, a clash Gordon honestly remained unsure of how it would play out, but deep down, the captain knew it was the only path that could lead to lives being saved.
‘One final gambit for Tokyo’s future,’ he mused, stoic in the face of uncertainty. ‘How… nostalgic.’
Sapphire lightning cascaded up from the chaotic sea, clashing with the storm’s natural bolts of gold as Junior’s body rose through the boiling waves, every cell across his body surging with radiation. Kaishin Muba’s head swayed side to side, eyes furrowed, seemingly unimpressed by the display. Bellowing at the rejuvenated creature a high pitch wail of fury, Kaishin Muba’s emerald gem illuminated, foreshadowing his deadly intent with brilliant light.
Flesh burned and tore, rapidly growing as Junior sapped every irradiated molecule from the sea. He possessed no doubt that his adolescent body could evolve into one mimicking his adopted parent, a size increase that would allow him to tear the sea demon apart with physical parity; however, Junior possessed other intentions with his freshly siphoned power.
The heavens birthed destructive energy, crashing electrified bolts upon enlarging dorsal spines. Specs of light spiraled into Junior’s maw just as Kaishin Muba unleashed an all encompassing Water Mirror Ray. The nearing beam of death mattered little to Junior who solely focused his reserves. Open jaws snapped shut, building pressure for his sole shot at success. He couldn’t rush the technique, not like his previous attempt.
The Water Mirror Ray illuminated Junior in ominous light, though the creature showed no inkling of fear toward the attack, merely terror at falling short of his predecessor. Unable to suppress his power any further, Junior parted his maw to unleash an unrivaled blast in the face of overwhelming annihilation.
Junior was engulfed in a brilliant, white light as a beam of lethal plasma blasted through the Water Mirror Ray, splitting it apart with sheer force. Trails of violet power swirled around the atomic ray, encircling it like water as it effortlessly burrowed through Kaishin Muba’s grand attack. Viridescent light seemingly vaporized in the face of the Spiral Atomic Ray, leaving only terror upon the once indomitable Lovecraftian horror.
Kaishin Muba jerked his head desperately to the side, barely avoiding the fatal blast of the Spiral Atomic Ray. But the ray still seared away Kaishin Muba’s right eye and all skin across half his face, instantly dissolving it into a wave of tortured screams and spurting blood. The heavens split open in a cacophony of thunder, a jagged scar tearing through the sky to let in a ray of breathtaking sunlight that seemed to both mimic Kaishin Muba’s wound and envelop Junior in its divine embrace.
Kaishin Muba’s screams bellowed into the heavens. Crippling anguish paralyzed the demon, yet a desire for retribution kept him glaring toward Junior. His single eye then parted, watching a mountainous silhouette flex behind the visibly exhausted saurian. All lust for vengeance evaporated inside Kaishin Muba’s twisted heart and with a desperate heave he dove under the waves, fleeing for open water to avoid the shadow that would surely eviscerate the cursed reptile.
The terror’s retreat birthed a minor howl of victory from Junior’s jaws, even as his lungs ached from the Spiral Atomic Ray. This realm was safe, yet something felt amiss. Clouds were fading, the storm retreating seemingly in tandem with the sea beast’s retreat, yet instinct still urged caution. Raking his snout side to side, nostrils flared, picking up a fresh scent in the clean air. Casually turning around to investigate, a cry of surprise followed and tired muscles tensed in preparation of another fight.
He was not alone.
Any trace of equilibrium evaporated from Junior’s body as he stumbled back, bellowing a roar of defiance to the overwhelming newcomer. His resources were nearly depleted, and his shoulder throbbed in pain, yet he refused to back down. It was an act of desperation, and more than likely, a final bluff—for even at full strength, Junior doubted his odds of success, for what he faced was another Godzilla, unafraid and far larger than his adopted father.
The legendary titan vented air from his scaly nostrils, impressed yet unswayed. Considering this Godzilla’s small size and immaturity, this strange looking member of his species proved himself worthy of his heritage. He defeated the storm bringer, chased it into the black depths of the sea; however, if the young reptile believed he could match his own legendary strength and power, the juvenile creature would learn quickly of the folly.
Bearing teeth and lifting his head to its maximum height of one hundred and twenty meters, Godzilla bellowed a growl to cease the defiant behavior. With Junior remaining headstrong in his stance, Godzilla lifted his immense right heel and slammed it against the harbor floor. Tremors rattled structures of man a mile out and spurred chaos in the bay. Any façade of confrontation vanished as Junior backed away toward the mainland, yet instead of moving past, Godzilla sank into the waves and swam toward the opposing coastline of Tokyo.
If he could not vent its rage on the bringer of storms, then all that remained was finding her.
Standing vigilantly where he faced off with Kaishin Muba, Captain Douglas Gordon watched the new Godzilla form immense wakes in its drive toward Tokyo. Clearing, almost impossibly sunny skies allowed him to watch the immense beast’s every movement and calculate its landfall in a handful of minutes.
“Damn fast for something that large,” Gordon noted though his mind quickly moved to another topic as he searched for the answers to the question: why was it here?
Allowing Kaishin Muba to escape alive and Junior to slink away indicated it wasn’t the monsters. Gordon’s brows furrowed, contemplating the first puzzle piece. ‘Something? No…’ Gordon’s head reared back, glancing at Junior who skulked at a distance from the other Godzilla. The first piece wasn’t Godzilla’s intention, it was Junior’s arrival. ‘Someone… in Tokyo.’
Intercepting Godzilla prior to his arrival couldn’t be done. Maybe if he were given authorization to open fire, landfall could be postponed, not that Gordon desired to piss off a Godzilla without reason nor would any sane individual, but fear could make any man irrational enough to green light such an assault.
Gordon grinned, finding the humor of fearing an irrational act while he just minutes prior requested his old crew to launch nuclear waste tipped missiles into the harbor to revive Junior. Aso would surely have his head for such an act, for only a stupid, unlucky bastard would dare try such a move. Glancing back to Tokyo, and the nuclear leviathan surging toward it, Gordon’s grin allowed a hardy chuckle to pass through. He wasn’t the one to be unlucky this day.
Tokyo
Capsized vessels and thousands of gallons of saltwater rolled off the black, scaly hide of Godzilla upon reaching the damaged storm walls of Tokyo. Raising his right heel, the primordial reptile stepped onto the perimeter of the metropolitan area, compressing steel and cement as if it were sand. Godzilla flexed his muscles as he stood tall, shaking any loose debris from his body onto the street below and gazing into the endless range of human structures. Heightened senses pulled the leviathan’s gaze to the tall, human construct she resided within; however, the appearance of tanks down the city’s streets, with humans running beside, warned any further advance would be met with conflict. The battle would barely register as a nuisance to the titan, yet a reluctance to recklessly kill a human settlement compelled Godzilla to perform another action.
Lurching back momentarily, immense volumes of atmosphere flowed into the nuclear titan’s maw and from it burst a roar incomparable in its intensity. Humans, whether civilian or enlisted, knelt clutching their stinging ears while quakes rocked the metropolitan area. For half a minute, the display of animosity rattled Tokyo, terrifying the populace with a bellow that could signal destruction greater than any storm could bring, but their fears revealed themselves to be only theoretical. Godzilla pulled back, ceasing the warning, and whipped himself back toward the water. The goliath’s tail soared over low-rise structures, shaking them one final time before Godzilla descended into the harbor, content its message was clear to her.
No Alpha, whether it be monster or human, would ever compel him to obey. If she dared attempt such an Alpha call again, no amount of reluctance would compel the titan to withhold his wrath.
Miki stared out the window of Tsuchi Tower, her heart pounding in her chest as the new Godzilla swam toward the open ocean. Alone, in a room without power much like the rest of the building to her best guess, her thoughts were her only company and they raged just like the vanquished typhoon in its prime.
She’d called her city’s savior with her gift, saving the metropolitan area, and yet in that same act nearly caused Tokyo’s very destruction. Even if the ends justified the reckless use of her telepathic power, that this in fact wasn’t another warning to restrict her immense abilities, would she be so lucky the next time? So many other questions rattled her core while Miki failed to answer her ethical dilemma. Where did this Godzilla come from? Why react so aggressively to her abilities? Was it connected to Orochi, the prophecy given to her by Tatsunari, or was this new Godzilla simply a bystander like her, swept up in the unfolding chaos?
Miki’s right hand pressed against the glass and she soon followed up by pressing her head against the same transparent object. Droplets of water ran down the window panel from her drenched body, reaching the bottom after the psychic rested for a minute in thought. The familiar ache of uncertainty took control of Miki until she lifted her wary gaze and spotted Junior’s head at the corner of the harbor, drawing a miniature smile upon the psychic. The juvenile creature still monitored the new Godzilla while it swam for deeper waters, protecting Tokyo just as she requested, just like he had against the horrifying sea creature.
Miki retracted her head off the panel stained with water and telepathically beamed forth toward the creature, a feeling it deserved to know: gratitude.
The spec of brown representing Junior spun its head toward Tsuchi Tower, indicating to Miki the message was received. Suddenly, it shifted its gaze upward, beckoning Miki to look as well. Her eyes bulged in shock and astonishment at what was soaring miles high in the sun-filled sky with twin trails of smoke in its flight. Words failed to materialize; the psychic simply stared in disbelief.
Features blurred into an indiscernible sphere, but the energy and emotion which emanated from it were immense. Miki held no doubt about the creature’s identity, which meant the deceased now flew over Tokyo, or at least a guardian long thought dead since nineteen ninety-nine. The guardian of Earth, Gamera.
Regaining her composure, Miki took a few steps away from the window and scanned the cubicle filled room around her for the best spot to meditate. The guardian’s return signaled some event was or was about to transpire. If Asagi was at its center, she’d need her assistance.
Finding a suitable space between two cubicles, Miki tossed her mat down, sat upon its water coated padding and closed her eyes to allow for sensory deprivation. Projecting her ethereal self from her body, Miki focused on locating her friend, but the weights of guilt and fear still clung to her as she avoided the obvious question her involvement would force her to answer.
What would she do? The answer was purposely elusive, yet she knew deep down that a decision had to be made, whether she desired it or not.
Winner: Godzilla Junior
A very special thanks to dopepope for some of the assets used in this banner for the K.W.C. Be sure to follow him on DeviantART, ArtStation, and Instagram.
