
Author: Tyler Trieschock | Banner: Tyler Trieschock & James Webster
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Gordon’s Gambit
Chapter 2: It Came from Beneath the Sea
Chapter 3: The Warrior from the Stars
Chapter 4: Of Xcellence & Xcitement
Chapter 5: The Hidden Enemy
Chapter 6: A Deal With A Devil
Chapter 7: Monster X vs. The Visitor
Chapter 8: Red King vs. Monster X
Chapter 9: Core of the Problem
Chapter 10: Bemular vs. Monster X
Chapter 11: Of Promises & Risk
Chapter 12: Monster X vs. The Visitor – Round 2
Chapter 13: King Cobra vs. Monster X
Chapter 14: It Fled Beneath the Sea
Chapter 15: Monster X vs. King Cobra – Round 2
Chapter 16: An Xcercise in Diplomacy
Chapter 17: Inflection Point
Chapter 18: In Name Only
Chapter 19: The Request
Thirty-Five Thousand Feet above sea level, Atlantic Ocean
The roar of dual engines was nothing more than a droning whisper for Miki Yamane as the private jet she occupied soared above sheets of clouds. While unsure of her ultimate destination, her husband’s latest published work detailing Ghidorah’s inner anatomy helped pass the innumerable hours. For even though the reading was bone-dry, the man’s enthusiasm poured through like sunlight, reminding Miki just how much she loved him- and why she’d left him behind, for his own protection. Flitting her eyes away from an exceptionally dull chapter on how the process of internal fission assisted in Ghidorah’s generation of artificial gravity, Miki glanced at the other passenger a few rows back.
Shinichi Ozaki watched the puffs of water vapor roll by, eyes glazed over. Seeming as rigid as stone, the man appeared lost in thought or as Miki knew, consumed by it.
Her desire for reading sated, Miki closed the book, placed it within the storage web in front of her seat, and relaxed into her chair’s synthetic leather with a quiet creak. To anyone passing by, she would seem to have drifted into a restful nap, relaxing her mind, but the assumption could not have been farther from the truth. She centered herself, power subtly suffusing her senses as she exercised her telepathy -gifted to her at birth- to clandestinely reach out to the pilot.
A tired sigh escaped Captain Douglas Gordon’s lips. He pondered his next move, fingers skimming mindlessly over the dozens of buttons, dials, and diodes that littered the dashboard, as he piloted the commercial aircraft he’d convinced Carl to loan him. Constantly inspecting the flight controls wasn’t exactly necessary, but one had to pass the time somehow, even with the little time that remained. Compared to the intricacy of the Gotengo, the vessel’s controls were plain and unassuming. Boring.
“Should have let Ozaki fly this thing…” Gordon groaned, scratching the bottom of his chin as he pondered what more he could do to pass the time.
‘Hel-lo,’ A foreign presence tapped at the glass window of his thoughts. ‘Would you mind if we spoke briefly?’
Gordon straightened in his seat at the mental intrusion, a slight smirk forming as the universe answered his request in the form of the feminine echo within his mind.
“About time; we’re about to land and you’ve been quiet the whole trip,” Gordon remarked aloud.
‘Instead of speaking, you can think of your response to my inquiries if you prefer. My telepathy allows me to hear your thoughts quite clearly.’
Gordon’s smile widened and leaned on his left arm, his knuckles digging into his cheek as he peered towards the horizon.
“We both know I enjoy the sound of my voice too much for that. Better question is why not prod my mind to answer where we’re going?”
There was a pregnant pause.
‘After what happened with Tsukuyomi, I would prefer I did not, for your safety and my own.’
Gordon’s vacant expression twitched ever so slightly with curiosity, noting the careful choice in words. Something to keep in mind for later.
“Fair enough,” Gordon said, letting it pass by unremarked, for now.
“We’re going to Site Omega. It’s a prison for monsters. It houses things too dangerous to let out and too… stubborn to die.”
‘Is the intention for me to communicate with one of them? My ability to commune with their kind, excluding Godzillas, is rather limited.’
“Why’s that?” Gordon asked, natural curiosity getting the better of him.
‘As I often tell my students, telepathy isn’t the only factor for such communication. A common trait is needed. This could be tied to one’s personality, a physical quirk; the possibilities are endless. A good example is Tristian a… risk averse telepath in our European institute who discovered he possessed a connection with the recluse and equally conflict averse, Titanosaurus. Without that shared trait, then even my best effort would probably fail.’
Another twitch coursed through Gordon’s burly mustache.
“I don’t expect you to do anything when we arrive,” Gordon said sternly. “It’s down to Ozaki. Creature we need has the same blood he does, so he should be able to control it.”
‘A monster that possesses M-Base?’ she said with enough surprise, Gordon wondered if Ozaki could detect it. ‘Which monster are we speaking of.’
Gordon hesitated to speak, building suspense before he finally let loose the truth. “Monster X. The one from New York.”
His mind rang with silence, something charging the edges of his consciousness like an electrical current. Possibly her best approximation of expressing shock? If Ozaki wasn’t aware of their conversation, he certainly was now.
‘Has Ozaki ever shown that ability? And how is Monster X alive?’
“No, he hasn’t. And the bastard was eaten, but Orga didn’t chew his food. Those with the M-Base seem to be quite stubborn. Death doesn’t stick,” he added dryly.
‘And you think he will help us? That Ozaki can control him?’ Doubt tinged her thoughts.
“What I know is that the enemy has been ahead of us at every turn because we keep making the obvious play. Meanwhile, their obvious plays the government refused to block, to believe.”
“Obvi-”
“Okinawa,” Gordon cut her off.
“Tokyo. Asagi. Ayana. Monster Island. Faro Island or Infant Island is obviously next.” He lamented, his tone curdling sourly with palpable frustration. “He’ll make his next play soon and everyone will sit back and watch. We’re losing the game. We need to take a serious risk at this stage to get ahead.”
‘We could tell others.’
“There are more shifters… a lot more. I’ve already warned those I trust or loath. But this? This is my gambit. My roll of the dice.”
‘Let us hope it is a risk we can afford.’
The near-endless sea of clouds parted in front of Gordon allowing him to see a clear sky, and the wall of dark clouds at its edge. He scowled, gaze fixed beyond the cloud layer to the conflict looming ahead.
“Prepare for a rough landing. As a word of caution, this gamble wasn’t the only one I took.”
Chapter 2: It Came from Beneath The Sea
Southern Beach, Site Omega
The heavens cackled in fury, unleashing bolts of lightning down upon Site Omega, and the armed soldiers running across its southern coastline. But the destructive maelstrom was the least of the soldiers’ worries. Tentacles slammed against the course sand, yellow energy detonated against distant defensive positions, and the roar of Kaishin Muba echoed for all of humanity to tremble. Even with its right eye heavily scarred from that young leviathan, the Lovecraftian horror could clearly admire the terror its presence inflicted upon all those which gazed upon him.
How he cherished these moments when he was let loose upon the weak, the mortal, the soon to be dying.
Kaishin Muba arched its immense body above the rolling waves, stretching out its tentacles like a thousand arms of vengeance, eager to reach down and cast judgment on the unworthy mortals below. Their attempts at stopping his wrath with explosive ordinance were meaningless! He was the embodiment of the sea, of the storm itself-
The ground behind the remaining human rabble fractured apart, revealing a jagged crevasse before an explosion of dust rocketed forth. Kaishin Muba’s full attention shifted to the unexpected phenomena merely to watch a monstrous reptilian creature drag itself from subterranean depths. Long claws raked the ground with ease, pulling the new arrival out of its burrow and allowing the reptile’s elongated head to gaze upon the tentacled terror.
Dorsal spines flashed emerald. A large, three clawed foot slammed into the dirt before the beast unleashed a hauntingly familiar roar at Kaishin Muba. The overwhelming presence of the terror melted away at that ear-splitting moment, as the horror’s mind flashed back to the harbor of Tokyo, and the juvenile nuclear behemoth which defied its destructive assault.
This new creature sounded the same. It even partly resembled the juvenile only this reptile was nearly double the other’s size! Was it a relative? A member of the same species? No matter… there was only one response Kaishin Muba could make at such a declaration of war…
Major General Anthony Hicks took a moment to catch his respective breath after an hour of relentless chaos as the creature which graced his proverbial doorstep enacted a rash tactical retreat. I’d been too long since he’d seen a monster turn tail and run, but with the creature’s opponent none other than Zilla, the American Godzilla, the option was undoubtedly a wise one. Not that it would escape Zilla’s wrath.
‘Whole damn Atlantic is his domain. Good luck finding a place to hide,’ Hicks thought, pessimistic on the sea creature’s chances.
With a bellowing roar that no doubt could be heard across the vast ocean, Zilla splintered the storm in two, sending raging winds and torrential rainfall fleeing in its wake. Two footfalls was all the creature needed before it dived in after the fleeing intruder, leaving the island’s garrison to celebrate the victory.
The Major’s gut churned painfully as he surveyed the scene before him – the carnage of death, bloodied bodies and shattered vehicles. He felt a deep ache in his chest as he sighed; there was no time to grieve, only clean up and investigations to be done with haste. With a searing sense of duty, he knew the first call he had to make – a call of thanks to the beast’s adopted father for the lives which had been spared from the leviathan’s cruel judgment.
Before he could make due on that promise, the buzz of an approaching aircraft drew the Major’s gaze to the sky. Without a moment of hesitation, he took off at a sprint towards a distant Humvee, signaling four men of his command to follow. Either foreign allies were landing to relieve some pressure, or a fresh kind of hell was about to grace Site Omega, the island’s garrison, and its six monstrous prisoners.
Chapter 3: The Warrior from The Stars
Monster X’s Containment Unit, Site Omega
Four crimson eyes widened with fresh wonder as the thunderous storm clouds ended their relentless combat. No longer did the patches of black vapor parry and block in a relentless duel; instead, it seemed as if a truce had been called, with all parties vacating toward their respective edge of the horizon. With the battlefield now open from the departing maelstroms, a new golden challenger quickly organized its reign, uncontested by the small, white clouds that floated in an endless turquoise sky.
The heavens of this world were truly a wonder to behold, whether at peace or in the midst of combat. And even if it existed beyond the constraints of his energy domed prison, the changing scenery was a far more pleasing sight than the monotonous darkness which comprised the past eons of his incarceration.
But for all the spectacle the sudden and unexpected performance had achieved, Monster X understood that something about the maelstrom, about the storm’s abrupt departure, was unnatural. Something was off here. Wherever here was.
A repetitive pounding briefly broke the alien warrior’s concentration as a mocking call began to echo from his right. The prisoner tilted his head ever so slightly in the sound’s direction to discover the long-necked brute he neighbored punching his own dome’s exterior. The obnoxious noise ceased when Red King realized the success of his pounding, brandishing a twisted smile.
With his left hand, the brute pointed to his right, bumpy arm and proceeded to grab a nearby tree. Like effortless pulling a weed, Red King ripped the vegetation from its roots and then grabbed the ends with each oversized hand. The tree shattered in two with a simple twist, raining fragments of wood upon a pile of fragmented trees that reached as high as the savage’s knees. The cackling brute then extended his index finger toward Monster X, howling of its threat with sadistic glee, but to the bone-cracking promise, the Demon of the Xiliens remained thoroughly uninterested, glancing back to instead watch the sun-filled wonder that was this world’s sky.
Focusing on his past thoughts of the dispersing maelstrom, the alien warrior’s mind raced with ideas of what or who could cause the phenomena. But only one reason made his heart pound and boiled his blood – the species he’d gladly slaughter without a second thought, even if they were to arrive to guarantee his escape.
The Xiliens.
Chapter 4: Of Xcellence and Xcitement
Planet X – 2 Months Prior to the Xilien Raid of New York
With a regal flourish and an air of pride, X, the new grand ruler of the Xiliens, strolled down his aging bastion. His long black cape billowed behind him like flames while his leather wardrobe glistened under the hallway’s golden lights.
He was the unstoppable force. A gifted Keizer. The spearhead that would lead his kind to claim what his ancestors failed to achieve eons ago – Earth.
He passed by statues and banners of those supposed great leaders whose ambitions proved too great. Those that were either too weak to conquer the Earth or celebrated for their cowardliness when they instead chose to strengthen the subterranean hellhole on the barren planet he now ruled. Everything that attempted to instill pride in him merely showed how far the Xiliens had fallen since their great invasion failed. Since his people were tasked with doing what an Empire could not.
Of course, now those which remained were lucky enough to have him overseeing their worthless lives. In just a few cycles, he was certain he’d bring the Xiliens to greatness once more. First… he just needed to deal with another decadent part of his species’ past.
He strolled without warning into a “sacred” room, catching a withered gray Xilien by surprise. The naked fool dropped to his knees. His body shivered in terror while his featureless prune shaped head focused on the cold metal beneath him.
An unimpressed chuckle echoed through the room as the ruler finally took notice of the amusing display. “Wow, aren’t you a sorry sight. You can stand, whelp.”
The alien gradually tilted his head up. Bones cracked as the elder arose, the ancient alien’s body still visibly shaking from his ruler’s divine presence.
“So what’s your name?”
The old Xilien kept his hands at his sides, mumbling words from a throat undoubtedly clogged with terror, causing the Keizer to moan in annoyance. “Look, I’ll call you Y because I’m asking that question every time I look at you.” The ruler’s brows tightened in disgust. “Not even wearing a skin… egh, hurry!” X ordered dispassionately. “Show me the monster. ”
Still groveling upon the floor, Y pointed to the left side of the room which faded from an orange wall with carved, circular hieroglyphics to a transparent window. A monstrous, pitch black room became visible with a skeletal, draconic being standing at its center. The creature’s stagnant stance ended as its gaze shifted to the rectangular light that beamed into his enclosure, gazing with its four crimson eyes at X who found great amusement in the intimidation display.
“The oldest and last of his kind. Herald of the Xilien Empire until our banishment eons ago. Monster X, Demon of the Galaxy. As its caretaker-”
“Yeah I get it,” X remarked before crossing his arms and tilting his head toward the immobile thing. “What makes this one better than the one my brother used? Your memory might be going but let me remind you… they died.”
“Your brother-”
“I mean I hated him, so I guess I can’t complain that it was a failure,” X remarked, wearing an enthused grin. “He was a worse version of me in every way.” A dreadful silence took hold of the room before X sighed. “Continue! Or do I need to force you to speak?”
Sparks cascaded across the Keizer’s palm, forcing words from the elder’s tongue. “Your brother took another, but he- he is the progenitor. Able to follow your direction with a mere thought.”
“Really? So I think jump and he’ll-” X waited a moment before any and all interest was thoroughly crushed. “Nope, still staring. How… boring.”
“You must first accept-”
“So, why is he any better? I’m planning on acquiring a Millennian. One that with a little M-Base will become a loyal, immortal puppet. How can this antiquated thing even compare?” The Keizer’s smile grew more sadistic as he took a single, malevolent step toward Y. “You wouldn’t be giving me a failure, a monster my brother even ignored would you?”
Y somehow managed to kneel even closer to the floor to X’s amusement before the elder began to ramble. “Born of the dragon’s blood millennias ago, he is the decisive weapon of all Xilien rulers. He is able to connect with Keizers and enact their directive. We can not create any more with our resources so depleted. The last of his kind, this Monster of X has defended this planet from countless invaders. He overcame a Ghidorah when I was far younger, allowing us to turn it against Earth with Godzilla and Rodan. Born and bred of combat, he is sacred to our-”
X yanked Y off the ground, allowing him to gaze upon the human skinned face of his leader. “I’m here for a monster, not a worthless history lesson! So, let’s do a test. I heard we collected a pest on the surface today. Let’s see how this guardian does against it.”
“The…Visitor?” Y mumbled before X dropped him on the metallic floor.
“Yeah, that thing. It’ll will make a great test. Whichever lives, I’ll take to raze Earth.”
The room suddenly trembled. X dragged his attention to the far wall where a single red eye encompassed the display port. X’s sadistic smile returned in force, radiating confidence as he openly waved his hands toward the decadent beast of his predecessors.
“Let’s see how powerful you really are. Try not to fail me!”
Confronted by the audacity of the particular Keizer before him, Monster X’s single visible right eye narrowed. Fury surged within the skeletal creature, persuading it to attempt to crush the conceited figure; however, this was just fantasy – an impossibility. The M-Base leash that shackled him from the moment of his origin would not permit any chance of an attack. Thus, even though this arrogant spec amounted to nothing compared with all those who preceded him, the mountain had no choice but to unwillingly bow down to a pebble.
Monster X reluctantly accepted the Keizer’s presence and fresh understanding passed through him with the connection. Even if the skeletal kaiju would not allow the Keizer to fully control him, at least not yet, he could at least understand the spec’s feelings, its actions, and the events soon to follow; a sixth sense in part to their shared biological adaptation known as the M-Base.
A test of strength would soon befall him. So many times he experienced the term, and so many times he walked away while his challengers… faded.
Would he shatter the bones of a creature of his own kind? He had not challenged a fellow member of his species in far too long.
Maybe he’d face a new type of creature, the thought brought with it a sense of excitement not felt in ages.
Monster X’s unyielding gaze finally gave way, and its skeletal frame inched back from the glowing wall, eager for the fight ahead. With a life dominated by violence and shrouded in darkness, was there anything greater than the thrill of combat? It was all the draconic titan possessed, all that he knew, and even if offered by a prideful spec, Monster X would accept the closest sensation to true freedom he could imagine.
For in a life filled with conflict, what mattered more than those moments of true risk to one’s own life?
Northern Runway, Site Omega
At a standstill on a nearly deserted dirt road, the black jet at the runway’s end stirred to life, its main door lowering to reveal a row of stairs and Captain Douglas Gordon standing proudly at the walkway’s peak like the return of a successful conqueror. The Captain’s triumphant descent led him to a group of men whose high-powered rifles appeared ready to gun him down without hesitation. For the marines which could possibly enact his execution, Gordon showed no fear, even as his heart began to race.
‘Finally some excitement,’ the Captain thought with relief.
Major Anthony Hicks’ familiar silhouette exited from the group of four men. He scanned the approaching Captain before the Major raised his right hand, signaling Gordon to stop in his tracks.
“I was warned by a friend to be on guard only to have a kraken show up on my door!” Hicks yelled with his right arm raised, the men behind him waiting for the signal to shoot. “He also said I might have to deal with intruders who can impersonate my men. Have anything to say to that?”
Gordon stood unfazed, placing his hands in his pockets causing the men behind Hicks to twitch their fingers on their weapons’ triggers. The stoic face he beamed forth switched to one with a smirk in a split second, before he retorted, “I was right, and if you read my books maybe you wouldn’t be caught on your ass as often you unlucky bastard.”
Seemingly amused, Hicks took a few steps forward and extended a warm greeting. “About time you arrived.”
Gordon looked back to the plane and gave a simple tilt of his head, causing the other occupants, Miki Yamane and Shinichi Ozaki, to begin their descent before the Captain shook Hick’s hand. Miki bowed slightly upon reaching Gordon’s right flank while Ozaki remained as rigid as stone to the Captain’s left.
“And they are?” Hicks inquired of Gordon.
“Miki Yamane. Telepath with past association to the Japanese Self Defense Force,” Miki interrupted as she formally introduced herself.
Hicks rubbed his brow in skepticism, unable to hold back his disbelief. “A psychic?”
As the Captain’s pupils dilated with unnatural fear, Gordon assumed a demonstration was well underway.
“Also, the marines behind you are all human and can be trusted,” Miki said aloud.
“Nah- noted,” Hick remarked, eyes wide in shock before he returned to his more emotionally reserved state. “Could have used you yesterday. Found seven things impersonating my men?”
“You’re welcome,” Gordon said aloud before he noticed Ozaki tense.
“How’d you find them?” Ozaki asked.
“My grandfather had a similar problem. Germans impersonating his men, hiding in his ranks. Bastards were clever, but ask them who won the world series or for my men, the Super Bowl, and all that confidence runs out of them like water.”
“That- that shouldn’t have worked,” Ozaki commented coldly.
“Well, I assure you it did. One hundred and seventeen loyal men are stationed on this island. I vetted them all personally and dealt with the seven shifters myself. I assume their beast attacked today from their failure, but he’s been driven away. I have another friend of mine to thank for that.”
Gordon tilted his head upward, watching the dark clouds recede. His eyes illuminated with life as a dark thought entered his mind and with it, he shifted his attention back to Hicks with his hands now out of his pockets.
“They’re all mentally connected,” Gordon explained. “I explained this yesterday. If one knows something, they all do. If seven died, they wanted to be found, to let your guard down.”
Hick’s brow furrowed, doubt creeping in where confidence once beamed forth.
“Still difficult. I’ve enacted other methods to minimize the risk of sabotage. Besides Captain,” Gordon noted, a growing anger in his friend’s words, “Why the attack if not a desperate measure?”
The answer was as obvious to Gordon as the now clear skies. “You suffered casualties from the attack, correct?” Gordon asked. “The shifters imitate the living, nothing excludes them from mimicking the dead. And every precaution you made I bet doesn’t cover that possibility.”
Hicks paused for a moment. His eyes twitched ever so slightly back and forth before he moved with renewed vigor, grabbing his radio to relay an order, but the echo of a distant explosion stopped his action. A fireball rose like a geyser in the distance and with its ascension, Hick’s left arm clutching the radio dropped to his side in defeat.
“The server room,” Hicks grunted angrily. “The AC used to cool the servers makes it the only place we can store the dead on the island.”
The plastic of Hick’s radio squeaked from the pressure of his grip, marking to Gordon the end of any conversation. There was no further time to discuss the matters at hand, for chaos would soon be unleashed by the monstrous prisoners across the isle, and they all needed to get to the one part of the island which held any hope of safety.
Chapter 6: A Deal with A Devil
King Cobra’s Containment Unit, Site Omega
The fiftieth follower of Tsukuyomi walked without fear into the cavernous den of a monstrous entity. Kaishin Muba’s distraction succeeded. The bomb he planted, ever more successful. Now it was his turn to enact his master’s plans.
His life, like all Fangs of Orochi, mattered little if he were to perish from the monstrous snake which tracked his every movement. The follower’s purpose was simple, the acquisition of beasts that would follow his progenitor’s path of destruction upon humanity and as he gazed upon the yellow, reptilian eyes in the darkness, he began to make his case in a dialect the serpent could understand.
“Great serpent, I am Juu-go. Long have you been imprisoned by those that fear your presence. My lord Orochi, he offers you all that you could covet. Food. Freedom. Vengeance. Follow in Orochi’s name, help him in ensuring humanities’ destruction and you will be rewarded with all your desires in a world ruled by titans. Will you accept my lord’s generous offer? Will you become a lesser god?”
A low growl shook the den before the great serpent moved its head into the sparse amount of light which entered the cavern. Long, knife-like fangs reflected the sun’s glow while a putrid odor filled the enclosed space from the snake’s fanged maw. King Cobra, the largest of all the monsters on Site Omega, flicked its long tongue around Juu-Go, tasting the air around him as it seemingly considered his offer. Moments of indecision finally came to an end as the beast fully extended its frill and bowed before the progeny of Orochi.
Juu-Go’s expression morphed into one of sadistic pleasure.
“Your acceptance is one step toward humanities’ end. Now, to ask your fellow imprisoned kind. But even if they reject my lord’s offer-”
King Cobra slithered past Juu-Go as fast as a bullet train, taking ten seconds for its full body to exit its cavernous home. The follower’s thin black hair blew in the wind before he looked to the outside world, watching with sinister delight the serpent slither toward the only bastion of human resistance upon the isle.
“-I feel pity for the foolish creature which dares to defy us.”
Chapter 7: Monster X vs. The Visitor
Monster X’s Enclosure, Planet X
Monster X’s eyes glowed with a feverish hunger as he crouched beneath the rectangular viewing port into his enclosure. His monstrous claws dug into his armored thighs, leaving deep grooves across white armor as he waited for his challenge to be unleashed.
Each breath was a growl of anticipation.
Each heartbeat a deafening thunderclap as he longed for the chance to test his strength in combat.
Surely the Keizer would bring him his challenge soon. He was no stranger to waiting, to long periods of dormancy between his creators’ so called tests, but on the eve of satisfying conflict, the seemingly endless passage of time tested even his indomitable patience.
A violent metal clang silenced excruciating anticipation. Monster X parted his crimson eyes, unleashing a burst of superheated steam from his nostrils.
The time for conflict, whether worthy of his lineage or simply a momentary distraction, had come.
The metallic wall separating Monster X’s enclosure from the new challenger reverberated from multiple strikes. Vicious snarling followed the repetitive beating before the wall began to slide open. Within the cover of darkness, Monster X heard his challenger pry open the door faster than was intended. The arrival screeched in horror, scraping the floor with razor-sharp claws and stomping serrated digits upon his metal floor.
Did this creature always cause such chaos? Or was it simply starved, as he was, for this battle to commence?
Monster X dismissed the mental inquiry, for now was not the time to think, but to live.
In the midst of his challenger’s raucous behavior, Monster X began to rise, stepping on the floor to push itself up merely for all noise within his den to swiftly and unexpectedly cease.
Monster X peered upward, staring into the darkness for some sign of his enemy, yet the blackness remained as void of life as always. The warrior’s crimson eyes narrowed and he rose to his full, imposing height. It seemed whatever he was fighting now knew it was not alone. With cautious steps, Monster X ventured away from the small beam of light and set out to find his contender.
Y looked into the enclosure, his body still trembling from the ruler who stood beside him. “Should we not activate the lights sir? Allow our great warrior to-”
“Of course not!” X looked on through the viewing wall, reveling at the chaos to unfold under his watch. “Do you think I want him to win? He needs to prove his worth to me. Either he’ll die pathetically in the dark, or he’ll fight with me on Earth. Either way, I still win,” he remarked with a pompous cackle. “Like I always do.”
Monster X peered through the darkness with vigilant intrigue. Even with his lack of sight, he knew his metallic home with meticulous precision after a millennia within its walls. He stood where his challenger entered his domain, but all was silent.
No raucous sounds.
No claws scraping across the floor.
Not even the slight tremors of his enemies’ movement.
All he could tell with his senses was that his opponent was close, as a putrid odor soured the air.
He took a cautious step forward, the sole of his left foot disturbing a small pool of oily liquid, causing the alien to halt his movement. The skeletal creature bent down, studying the viscous substance he’d unintentionally discovered. Denser than water with a similar odor which filled the air, the substance must have been left by-
A new droplet of the mysterious liquid fell upon his right arm.
The draconic being paused a moment, his mind racing to the inevitable conclusion which surged a burst of adrenaline through his body. The alien warrior lunged backward through the darkness, sliding across metal as eight separate impacts resounded through the enclosure where he once kneeled.
Even blind, Monster X gained an understanding of what he was up against. At least eight appendages, and three distinct sounds ensured three different types of limbs. His challenger also showed impressive agility by jumping off the ceiling to the floor in under a second which meant its next attack wouldn’t be long.
The skeletal arms of Monster X became a shield in front of his body just in time to block the follow up tackle of his opponent. The sound of joints contorting meant another strike was on its way, but what angle? Monster X assumed his sides and placed his arms accordingly to deflect the strike merely for a three clawed arm to swipe upward, clipping the bottom of his jaw. An annoyed growl echoed from the warrior only for two spike-tipped limbs to impale him in his left shoulder and abdomen.
Monster X recoiled, his eyes glowing gold in rage. He couldn’t guess any longer. He needed to see!
Destructive spirals of energy flowed from Monster X’s four eyes. Three Destroyed Thunder Beams illuminated the room, the first two attacks striking the metallic floor of the enclosure while the last clipped the unseen aggressor.
A horrendous, bone chilling wail filled the room, and as small fires and smoke lit up the creature for a mere second, Monster X gazed upon his challenger.
Serrated teeth lined the elongated jaws of the alien lifeform. Its head possessed no eyes, no ears, no nostrils, only spikes and teeth. Protruding from its back, four spider-like limbs jutted outward from its spine while its three-fingered claws writhed in agony. The skin not currently smoking shined a violet hue, interweaved with boney armor in the colors of cobalt and ivory all the way to its two-clawed extremities and spiked tail.
All this detail vanished into the darkness as Monster X took a moment to catch his breath.
This Visitor of his domain used cunning, surprise, and an unusual array of deadly physical abilities. His opponent certainly possessed an advantage in such a darkened environment. If not for that though, the battle would already be over, but that inevitability would play out in time. The Visitor proved itself intriguing so with cautious anticipation, Monster X awaited the darkness to bare its claws once more.
Chapter 8: Red King vs. Monster X
Red King’s Cell, Site Omega
Rock shattered into thousands of shards within Red King’s grasp, victim of his titanic strength. He’d been trapped in this cage, crafted by humans, for what had felt like an eternity. One foolish venture off Tartara Island, the island where he had reigned unchallenged while imposing terror on its monstrous inhabitants, resulted in his capture by the miniscule humans which piloted a white, shark-like vessel. But after so long, he could feel his bloodlust overwhelming him.
He wanted, no… needed something to fight, something to tear apart. An irritated growl emanated from the tyrant’s maw before he looked around his enclosure for another item to crush between his claws.
Then the universe answered his desire.
An electronic crackle attracted Red King’s gaze to the outer energy walls of his prison. The barrier contorted briefly, flickering chaotically, before a few strange hues flashed in rapid succession. The wall of light vanished from sight and with it the neighboring barrier. The only obstacle between himself and freedom removed, the tyrant’s eyes bulged with bloodlust and without wasting another moment, he charged, bellowing with excitement at the opportunity.
The mountain of wooden fragments, the result of his attempts to intimidate his neighbor, exploded into a cloud of particles as Red King burst through, retracting his right arm as he neared Monster X who rested on his knees in a meditative pose. The brute’s arm swung forward where his victim rested, yet his blow missed the alien warrior who lurched away at the last possible second.
Rock cracked with a thunderous report, and a fresh crater bloomed beneath his fist. The brute cared nothing for this of course, only concerned with where his opponent had gone. With the sound of a soft tap on stone, Red King twisted his head ninety degrees over to his left to discover Monster X a fair distance away, his gaze fixed to the sky, lost in thought. Cruel laughter erupted from the tyrant as he clenched his fists, each knuckle crackling with malicious intent. His yellow eyes burned bright with wrath as he raised his arms, pounding them together in a sinister rhythm – a macabre symphony of destruction that would soon befall his newest victim.
It was time for Monster X to suffer!
Red King surged forward with a fierce growl, clenching his fist as he swung it toward his victim. Yet for all the brutal power he possessed, the blow failed to connect as Monster X sidestepped the attack. As Red King spun to deliver a follow up, the draconic being plunged a lightning fast fist deep into his belly, eliciting a pained yelp from the tyrant and halting any further action. Red King stumbled back in response, desperately grasping at the flesh which had already started bruising from his victim’s cheap and lucky punch.
Rage boiled over in Red King’s veins. A single, burning intent echoed in his mind – destruction. He careened forward with his arms outstretched, slamming his claws into Monster X’s palms. The two locked hands in a clash of power, and the earth beneath their heels fractured violently in response. As Red King’s muscles bulged and veins popped from effort, he felt the alien beginning to give ground. He couldn’t help the prideful laughter that burst forth.
He was stronger! And soon he’d break every bone of-
Monster X plunged his right knee into Red King’s sternum. Bone crunched. Muscle tore. Bile spewed from between the tyrant’s teeth, and a guttural gasp followed, his strength melting away.
Without significant resistance to contest his victim, Red King was thrown and slammed down upon his backside. His body shuddered with the force of the impact, gasping for air as he lay on shattered earth. Instead of raining a volley of blows upon him, his victim looked down from above, abject disappointment radiating from those infuriating crimson eyes. With a bemused huff venting from Monster X’s nostrils, the alien warrior began to turn away, enraging the tyrant to his core.
Did- did he think he was finished? That the mighty Red King would be bested so easily? No… he’d rip and tear apart the puny alien, piece by piece!
Red King surged to his feet, loosing a war cry. His right and left hands curled inward then crashed together. An explosion of light erupted between his digits, ushering in the birth of twin stars, or more precisely, Red King’s most powerful technique – the Explosive Punch.
Tendrils of fire danced across Red King’s lower arms, bathing Monster X in an orange hue. Disinterest in those infuriating crimson eyes transformed into curiosity, drawing his victim back to the fight, yet as the alien warrior fully turned around, the skeletal being’s right index finger pointed at his center head’s right cheek.
The message was clear, and Red King’s malicious grin blossomed anew.
The ground shook and cracked with every thunderous footfall. The local flora was incinerated in an instant from the intense heat, but Monster X remained immobile to the tyrant’s delight, allowing an earth-shaking punch to connect and plow his victim’s face into the dirt.
The earth at ground zero fractured upon impact, rived into gaping caverns as raging fires filled the void. The landscape groaned as a twisting inferno roared into being, but the brute couldn’t stop there, so much more pain needed to be delivered!
The fires engulfing Monster X raced toward the sky as relentless blows careened into his victim until Red King could no longer see the helpless punching bag.
How he missed the carnage! The terror he unleashed tearing another apart. His reign would begin again with Monster X’s death!
Red King pulled back his right arm, setting it ablaze with such intense fire it brought him great agony, but a haunting laugh began to echo, stopping the tyrant’s attack mid-motion. Devilish orbs burned through the fire that shrouded Monster X’s heads. Like a nightmare, the skeletal creatures’ heads ascended through flame, mocking the tyrant’s murderous intentions.
The tyrant ground out a roar of defiance and plunged his right fist forward. Fiery curled digits met Monster X’s left palm which latched onto his fist with an iron grip. The armor on the warrior’s left hand blackened from the heat, skin sizzling from the intense assault, but the alien held him rooted in place while a bone-encased fist swung upward and struck Red King’s right extended elbow.
Bone split with a hideous crack. Blood, tendons, and muscle fibers protruded from the fractured arm which bent in an unnatural direction. Red King stared dumbly at his ruined limb, not quite able to comprehend what he was seeing.
The agony that followed, however, could not be ignored.
A cry of rage, anguish, and regret split the air; the brute could offer nothing more. He stumbled back, his eyes squeezed shut, holding the shattered ruin of his right arm with his left hand. When he opened his eyes again, it was to the sight of Monster X’s fist planting itself firmly between them.
The tyrant was standing one moment, and the next he found himself upon the ground, not quite sure how he’d gotten there. A dazed groan echoed off into the distance, before Monster X rudely brought him back to reality by latching onto his unbroken arm with an iron grip.
Muscles popped. Bones buckled and then with a sickening snap, the alien twisted his unbroken appendage farther than nature had ever intended.
Red King lay motionless in a puddle of his own blood, the full horror of the impossible state he now found himself in slowly dawning. His mutilated arms quaked with fear, each twitch sending ripples through the crimson liquid that pooled around him. The fires that once engulfed him were now only smoldering embers, guttering weakly in the wake of his tormentor’s dark presence. A thunderous challenge sounded from the skeletal figure, asking Red King one simple question that the fallen tyrant’s bloody jaws could only quiver to.
Did he wish to continue?
Chapter 9: Core of the Problem
Joint Base Nares-Stenz, Site Omega
Jeeps screeched to a halt in the courtyard of Site Omega, disgorging an army of soldiers like ants from a disturbed nest. Miki and her companions weaved through the throng of armed men and their heavily-armored vehicles. Yet even with their impressive armory, seemingly high morale, and chorus of orders barked out with military precision, she couldn’t help but feel it was all performative.
Because if the Anti-Kaiju Division of the Japanese Self Defense Force, sporting thousands of personnel and the technological marvel that was Mechagodzilla could fall, why couldn’t this bastion?
Hope that such doom would not repeat itself kept her quiet, kept her in line with the others as she left the flurry of action behind and vanished into the depths of the island’s central command structure. The echo of her footsteps accompanied her hope and her allies down the halls of the multi-storied structure until a door finally opened, revealing the aged heart of the facility.
A checkerboard ceiling of old plaster, some with cracks or pieces missing, lay above Miki’s head while an old, moldy smell hung heavy in the air. Tech officers worked the dozen cubicles within the room, their heads glued to their monitors as fresh video feed and data streamed to their unified displeasure. Upon the back wall six extra-large screens, each with its own specialized designation, whined a horrendous static, perfectly reflecting the uncertainty she knew the human lives upon the island now faced.
“Stay here while I find out if our five prisoners escaped,” Hicks ordered to the group before snaking his way from cubicle to cubicle, barking orders into more unfortunate ears. The guards around the trio dispersed, leaving Miki and her allies standing in silence.
Her placid stare at Hick’s disciplined scramble across the room shifted to the back of Shinichi’s head. Their mission, its goals, its risks, all that she discussed with Gordon, the flurry of information echoed within her mind, generating unbridled anxiety. Deciding it best to speak to Shinichi after a few minutes of rife indecision and anxiety, Miki relaxed against the aging wallpaper behind her and let her telepathic mind reach out.
‘Hel-lo’ her mental voice softly spoke to Shinichi, ‘I hope I’m not intruding but-‘
‘About time. You’ve been staring long enough,’ his voice chimed in, nearly sending Miki into a fall.
Blurry vision adjusted to perfect clarity. Clammy hands desperately clutched onto wallpaper. Her cheeks burned red and while Gordon’s amused smirk was testament to her visible embarrassment at being caught off-guard, Shinichi remained rigid in stature. The black hair on the back of his head was the only thing she could see and without any reflective surfaces nearby, she wondered how he’d known.
Launching her mental power toward Shinichi, she found a thought looping itself, as if he was waiting for her telepathic abilities to sync back up.
‘Sorry about that… Sorry-‘
‘How did you know?’ Miki inquired, ending the loop merely for Shinichi to respond, ‘You read minds. I read movement. And in both cases, we don’t need to see what we’re focusing on to get a good read.’
Miki’s eyes fluttered at the revelation. ‘Impressive, but if I may ask… what is your plan with Monster X?’
Shinichi’s rigid stature vanished as he scratched the back of his head in visual discomfort. ‘Huh- so that’s Gordon’s game?’ he mentally replied, causing Miki’s heart to flutter with worry.
‘You- you didn’t know?’
While her bewilderment lingered between them, he eventually responded, ‘Figured it was a monster. That’s typically his M.O. for problems. Didn’t know it was Monster X. I thought he died back in oh-four after he turned into grand… into des… a dragon. Turned into a dragon.’
‘The one Gordon wishes you to contact is actually another one,’ she corrected, drawing a mental sigh so vast from Shinichi that her own thoughts remained silent. ‘Of course it’s another one.’
‘Do you have a plan?’ Miki inquired, summoning another deafening mental sigh.
‘I’ll think of something,’ Shinichi remarked, his confidence unable to tame all of Miki’s anxiety.
‘Would you like me to help?’ she offered. ‘I may be able to guide you through your mental connection-‘
‘No… it’ll come back when I need it this time. I’m sure of it.’
Miki’s face scrunched up in confusion. ‘What will?’
‘Erg- ergo…’ his voice grew more temperamental with every attempt, ‘Energy manipulation. What I mentioned yesterday. If X could do it, and he was a Keizer , then this will come to me when I need it too. It has to this time. Just like it did on Nikko.’
Miki’s chest tightened at the thought of what occurred in those mountains; at the words that she was unable to give voice to, whether through her lips or her gift. Shinichi deserved all of the truth she could muster but to delve deeper, to expose the truth hidden within the truth was something she was not ready to face. With some small fortune, perhaps she never would.
‘Sh-should we not prepare in case it does not-”
Shinichi’s head finally began to turn and while the psychic expected assurance; instead, she saw only the eyes of a cornered animal. While his fake smile beamed confidence, with her mental hooks still attached to his psyche, there was no illusion to mask the growing turmoil within him. No ability for her to hide that she knew of that inner surge of emotions from her suggestion and without breaking his mask, Shinichi moved in one fluid motion to a distant door and vanished beyond its frame.
Once again, Miki found herself filled with anxiety. As she calmed herself with a deep breath, Gordon laid against the wall beside her.
“He’s frustrated,” Gordon remarked with a twitch of his head. “I have faith he’ll pull through. He always does.”
Even with the Captain’s positivity, Miki’s concern remained apparent, forcing Gordon to relent with a raised eyebrow. “What?”
‘While I can read thoughts, emotion is just as comprehensible in the human mind. Ozaki’s frustration is frightening in its clarity, but so too is his distrust. In what I am uncertain. If he’s unsure of himself then-”
’’Then talk to him so we don’t fail,’ Gordon countered, unveiling a glimpse of his own anxious emotional core, and taking Miki by surprise. ‘If you think there’s a problem, act on that instinct.’
The two shared a quick glance. An acknowledgment to the significance of Gordon’s telepathic remark before the Major walked into view, acutely aware of the missing party member.
“Where’s your friend,” Hicks asked no particular member of the party. He looked between Gordon and her, searching for some clue to Shinichi’s whereabouts. “We have incoming. Prisoners have escaped and my biggest headache is headed our way. I don’t need another one wandering around my base unsupervised.”
“He… needed some air,” Miki said on the fly, her false words unable to deter the skepticism of the Major. But with ever growing confidence that her skills could be of use, she continued, “I’ll go find him.”
Without another word, she left the Captain and Major General to their own devices, pushing through the same door that Shinichi disappeared into. Anxiety drained from her with every step, firming into resolve because she now had some grasp of why Gordon was insistent on her joining this venture halfway across the world; excluding the fact she could detect Orochi’s shifters.
She was a teacher, a guide to those with extraordinary abilities to control their gifts. For all this time, she’d considered Shinichi an equal if not her superior. An ally to fight the battles she herself wouldn’t, but in fact-
‘He needs my help,’ she finally admitted to herself.
As the last vestiges of her self-doubt melted away, Miki gave chase. Hopeful to assist Shinichi’s vortex of emotional strife before the approaching prisoner, whatever it was, repeated the doom which befell the Anti-Kaiju Division.
Chapter 10: Monster X vs. Bemular
Site Omega, Daigoro’s Cell
Fear, it was all Daigoro knew. It dominated his existence.
The juvenile creature, with its brown skin and eighty-meter length, crouched in terror next to a pile of hastily assembled boulders. Just a few minutes ago, he had happily resided within his enclosure, enjoying his daily meal when the walls that surrounded him inexplicably fell. Confusion morphed into pain as a nearby denizen descended upon him with malicious fury. Now that attacker, the merciless reptilian terror, skulked nearby and as the ground began to quake, Daigoro knew he would soon be discovered.
The hippopotamus-like creature stood, his arms covering his face as he squealed for mercy but strangely, he felt the monster causing the quakes sprint past him. Un-shielding his eyes for a brief moment, Daigoro spotted the newest arrival.
In the distance, Red King madly sprinted while his arms flailed without control. They seemed too loose for their size, almost… disjointed. As the fanged creature crested a far away hill before disappearing from sight, Daigoro let out a perplexed squawk, feeling a sudden urge to pursue him and potentially make a friend. But before he could act on the idea, he heard the sound of breathing behind him.
Daigoro’s body shuddered as he spun round, coming face to face with eyes that burned a deep, fiery crimson. A fresh scream caught in his throat, and his heart raced with terror as the familiar feeling of dread surged through his veins, squeezing what little courage he had left until it was nothing more than a distant memory.
Lacerations. That is what Monster X spotted first on the brown beast. Fresh, deep, haphazardly cauterized; the injuries suggested something attacked the juvenile creature in front of him. If the palpable fear wasn’t evident enough of the assumption, then the high pitched screech which followed removed any lingering doubt.
Crimson eyes swept away from Daigoro to a tall, reptilian beast which now entered his line of sight, its stride suggesting confidence. Sporting small arms, jagged teeth, an elongated neck, and multiple rows of spiked scutes on its back; Bemular howled at him to back away or he too would face his wrath.
Monster X’s charred left hand twitched in agitation as the alien warrior decided his next action.
He’d taken a worse beating from Red King than he would ever admit. With his left hand thoroughly burned and his head still ringing from the pounding the brute employed, the smart move would be to allow Bemular to murder the juvenile creature. It was not like he cared if it lived or died, but…
Monster X’s eyes narrowed on the alien before him.
Such disrespect, such an unworthy challenge… such an irritant he could not suffer. Not after tolerating Red King’s incessant, infantile displays of intimidation for far too long. Maybe this long necked thing would actually prove a challenge or maybe he’d break another arm. Either way, Monster X was eager for whatever would come next.
He raised his upper lip, exposing his canines in contempt, attracting Daigoro’s attention. But if the juvenile creature expected comfort, Monster X had none to give, nor the energy to spare if he could. A swift strike across the face sent the beast screaming in pain, and Daigoro took off in a direction the draconic being couldn’t be bothered to care about. Without any threat of interference, the Demon of the Xiliens growled at Bemular to attack if he dared.
Azure fire happily answered his call to arms.
Bemular unleashed a steady stream of his Pale Heat Beam upon Monster X who vanished within a cloud of azure smoke. A final explosion parted the fiery mist, revealing the alien warrior had fallen to his knees, clutching his scalding, primary head within the claws of his right hand.
It seemed the damn brute had done even more damage than he realized if such a meager blast could knock him off his feet.
Skeletal fingers parted. Crimson eyes pierced through the dissipating smoke to discover the reptilian now madly dashing toward him. The tips of the alien warrior’s fingers dug into his white armor while an annoyed growl rumbled from the back of its throat. There was no further doubt on what was to come.
Both. He would break both.
Monster X jumped into the air and spun, slamming his twin tails into the head of the rampaging alien reptile. Bemular hit the ground hard, rolling across the grass covered land before recovering, finding his feet with surprising skill. A wild screech resonated from the alien who charged once more merely for Monster X to side-step Bemular and drop him with a well placed closed fist to the back of the skull. He turned with glacial calm, expecting a new, bold strategy to take shape within the reptile’s mind, to finally prove a challenge…merely to discover Bemular recklessly bolting toward him. Again.
Monster X’s left eyes twitched in disbelief. Could this creature do nothing else?
Changing the terms of the engagement, Monster X forced the rampaging charger into a grapple. What paltry strength his foe could muster was easily overwhelmed with a single step, decisively turning the tables on the pitiful creature. Now it was time to make due on his promise and-
Bemular bashed his head against Monster X’s without warning, catching the skeletal creature off guard. Headbutt after headbutt followed, a repetitive onslaught of skull against white carapace and, coincidentally, sending his pulsing headache into overdrive.
What infuriated the warrior wasn’t the inconsequential pain as his armor was hammered away; pain was a natural consequence of battle, and battle was the truest arbiter of worth. No, what truly fueled his mounting fury was the undisciplined, berserker-like, one-track mind of his assailant. And the fact such tactics were. Somehow. Working.
Such mockery of combat could not last any longer!
Monster X unleashed his wrath, howling as he grabbed hold of Bemular’s head and delivered a savage headbutt of his own, the impact driving the alien down, delivering a taste of its own irritating technique. The petulant reptile let out an agonized screech as he flailed in the dirt. Monster X quickly silenced its cries with his right fist, cracking the earth beneath Bemular’s head from the ferocity of the impact. Instantly, blood spilled into the jagged crater as his foe lay motionless, with a skull that was clearly anything but intact. Sensing the conflict’s end, Monster X snarled in disappointment and turned away, his twin tails sweeping aside the crumpled form of Bemular, like dust in the wind.
Was this turquoise sky world filled with nothing but monsters who fought with strength or size alone? Would every challenger be as poor a fighter, as uninteresting and unskilled as the last? Black claws scraped against the armor encompassing his thigh and then…stubbornly… he forced himself to relax.
There were more worthy challengers on this world. The somewhat challenging reptile which spewed emerald fire was proof enough when he clashed with it years ago and yet, the confirmation did little to stem his ire.
Somewhere across the island, a highborn being with M-Base existed. Possibly two if the other diluted spec he sensed was indeed imbued with M-Base. Either way, the existence of such a being nearby ensured he was still a prisoner, even if freed from his energy dome. The spec, or both of them, would eventually sink the claws of their will into his soul, force him to fight their enemies whether they were worthy or-
Searing energy slammed into the back of Monster X like a thunderbolt, propelling him forward in a whirling tornado of dust and debris. He landed with a thud, ancient skeletal claws scratching furiously at the earth’s surface before he rebounded to his feet in an instant. Cracking his neck from side to side, Monster X gazed into the turquoise sky and watched a monstrous sapphire orb descend and hover menacingly in the distance.
It seemed Bemular was full of surprises. Perhaps one of them would prove enough to hold his interest for a time.
A thunderous roar ripped through the air as a powerful shockwave blasted outward from the sphere, tearing away layers of topsoil like a scythe and announcing the second round of conflict.
Monster X surged forward with lightning speed, his eyes blazing with luminous power. As he rapidly closed the distance between him and the orb, he released four bolts of spiraling fury – a single volley of his Destroyed Thunder Beams. The twisting golden rays struck Bemular’s orb, exploding upon impact, yet the sphere continued ahead undeterred. With little time to charge another volley, Monster X led with his shoulder and rammed into Bemular’s sapphire orb with all the force he could muster.
Armor clashed against energy. A shockwave of unmatched power cratered the land before flinging Monster X away. Twin heels carved through soil, digging trenches both long and deep. As he looked back to the pulsing sphere of raw power, he saw through its electric barrier to the bloody inhabitant inside. A piercing screech echoed across the battlefield from the creature within, displaying Bemular’s tenacious resolve; however, Monster X doubted that it would be enough to bestow the victory the reptile so desperately desired.
Instead of charging once more, Monster X merely parted his arms as if to coax the incoming sphere to hasten. Another few volleys of his Destroyed Thunder Beams could probably shatter Bemular’s orb, but thanks to the impact, he now knew the sphere possessed some type of mass. And if he could grab it-
Bemular’s orb collided without an ounce of resistance from the draconic being. His long, skeletal arms extended around the object, his claws digging into the super-heated shell, but even prepared Monster X skidded backward, unable to halt its built up momentum.
Scalding hot energy burned the warrior’s body. The Demon of the Xiliens refused to yield to the challenge and contested Bemular’s propulsion with every fiber of his being. The speed of the pair gradually slowed to a crawl. The alien warrior could feel his grip tighten at the cost of his near-impenetrable white armor slowly vaporizing away, but he knew his theory held true.
If he could grab the orb, then he could break it too!
With all the force he could bring to bear, Monster X slammed the monstrous orb against the ground. The sphere ruptured like an egg, a network of cracks radiating outwards like spiderwebs before bursting in a blinding flash.
The battlefield grew quiet. Dust-filled air gradually stilled. Monster X’s crimson eyes gazed through the smoke, discovering the dead body of the alien that dared to threaten him. He could not deny Bemular impressed him far more than he thought but only the most foolish of creatures would transform into a physically weaker state for the sake of power.
Regardless, at least the reptile made their skirmish more interesting at the cost of its own life.
The thought prompted the Demon of the Xiliens to let out a beleaguered sigh. While it was true he was forced to fight countless monsters over his staggering long life, it was a lifestyle he grew to appreciate. Combat was where he found his freedom and the greater the challenger proved to be, the greater the satisfaction in overcoming that obstacle.
Perhaps something on this island would prove more interesting than the two ‘challengers’ that he’d faced so far.
Daigoro watched from afar, unseen and unheard, his eyes trained upon the monstrous warrior who bested his tormentor. Gleeful eyes widened and then quickly narrowed as the creature’s doubts of his savior kept his emotions in check. As overjoyed as he was with Monster X’s intervention, it still had attacked him, scared him away just like the reptilian bully.
How could they be friends?
The air suddenly grew sour. An oppressive shadow descended over Daigoro, drawing his gaze to a black silhouette marked only by twin white fangs and piercing yellow eyes. Latching onto the single spec of courage inspired by his draconic savior, Daigoro extended a warm hand toward the imposing serpent.
Perhaps… they could be friends?
Chapter 11: Of Promises and Risk
Join Base Nares-Stenz, Site Omega
An invisible trail of emotional turmoil guided Miki’s senses through a seemingly endless maze of hallways, leading her to the man trapped in solitude with his own misgivings. As she drew close, she noticed his stare, vacantly affixed to the wall, as though he weren’t truly there. Knuckles flexed and cracked involuntarily as his self-reflections tormented him; the rest of his body as still as any famed work of marble. To help and truly understand what Shinichi felt, Miki cast forth her mental power into the mind which needed her help, hearing echoes of uncertainty that affirmed what she had feared. Deciding it best not to linger in the shadows, she made her telepathic presence known with a proverbial knock.
‘I’d like to help you Shinichi.’
Shinichi flashed a faux-smile toward her as she approached, no doubt keenly aware of her presence the moment she had given pursuit.
‘I’m sure you think you can.’ he snapped, the verbal jab deflecting off Miki like so many she’d encountered.
‘I’ve helped many understand their gifts,’ she assured him. ‘You’re not the first to believe otherwise and certainly you will not be the last.’
‘I don’t need a teacher,’ he sneered once more, his hostility increasing. ‘You want to know why I’m on edge? It’s because I’m not currently beating Orochi like a punching bag.’ Ozaki leaned in close; eyes narrowed. ‘The bastard that caused this mess, he’s why-‘
He cut himself off, his gaze locking with Miki’s own and while every scrap of her wanted to turn away from the conflict, to accept the lie and gradually work through it, some piece of her that she abhorred kept her locked in place. Her indifferent reaction to his lie seemed to cut through the defenses Shinichi had built, dousing his anger like a hose. A tinge of regret colored his thoughts and he pursed his lips in self-recrimination. She sensed the ebbing of his emotional torrent, relieving the tension between them somewhat.
“Sorry,” he spoke softly to which Miki merely nodded, giving her newest pupil all the time he needed to continue, ‘So… how exactly…?”
‘Ergokinesis-‘ Shinichi’s acceptance wavered at the hint of the word forcing Miki to quickly correct, ‘your ability to manipulate energy is rare, but I have seen it in some of my students. I can give no certainty in success. All that I know is that nothing changes if you do not act. If you do not try.’
She could feel his thoughts calming as they conversed, becoming more receptive to her input. He just needed a little push.
‘You are more than a Keizer. More than the abilities the M-Base in your blood gifts you,’ she assured him. ‘You are Shinichi Ozaki. Accept this, accept your limits, and I believe all will become clear in time.’
The maelstrom still hovered, waiting in the wings to re-emerge, but for now he was the center of the storm. The doubt, the fear, the frustration from before had been reforged, crystallizing into a greater determination that could spur him onwards. Only one thing remained, a single emotion that flowed through his mind like a branching river – his guilt. It was entrenched and would take more than a single moment of encouragement and inspiration to untangle. She could not heal that portion of Shinichi, at least not yet.
“Alright, two things,” he remarked aloud, lifting his right index and center fingers. “First, just call me Ozaki.”
A light chuckle escaped Miki’s lips. “I will try.”
“Good enough. Second,” he remarked with a trademark confident grin. “We’ll start tomorrow and no pupil-master thing. We’re keeping things even.”
Miki’s eyes rapidly fluttered upon processing the final portion of the line, causing her to spurt out, “Sorry, what?”
The man began to walk away merely to lean his head back, clearly enjoying the reversal.
“You’re not the only teacher here. I can teach you a few things on how to defend yourself. Even trade in my book. I can’t give any certainty in success…” he waved his left hand dismissively. “I think you know the rest.”
Miki moved to counter merely for her eyes to widen in sudden urgency as her link with Gordon’s mind pulsed with alarm.
‘Don’t care where your session’s at. Get to the roof, pronto. Trouble just arrived.’
A trail of dust loomed high in the distance, on the eastern horizon of Captain Gordon’s position. Even standing atop the military installations’ roof, the row of hills surrounding the facility blocked any direct line of sight to the anomaly. Even with their sight obscured however, it was clear something was on approach. Soldiers with heavy ordinance arrayed themselves along the perimeter of the building behind him. Heavy guns were being towed into position and trucks mounting 610mm rocket batteries likewise trained their weapons towards the dust, but from the rhythmic tremors, it was likely that whatever was coming wouldn’t be deterred by such paltry weapons.
“Scouts confirm it’s King Cobra,” Major General Anthony Hicks remarked as he walked to the right hand side of Gordon. The military officer offered a pair of binoculars to confirm, but Gordon simply waved the other man off. “He’s never been this direct in the past,” the Major lamented, a slight scowl tugging at the edges of his lips.
“Probably due to our lone survivor,” Gordon retorted, causing Hick’s head to incline to a nod.
“Over three hundred meters long by our last measurements. Our best plan is to hold him off long enough for Zilla to return.”
“Not necessary,” Gordon noted before uncrossing his arms and pointing with two fingers to the north. “Inconsistent, but there’s been activity to the north. Dust trailing in the wind and it’s been getting closer. I believe it’s my target.”
“You think that thing from New York would really help us?”
“With the right encouragement, yes. But even if I’m wrong,” Gordon noted, finally shifting his attention to the Major with a grim smile, “…does it really change anything?”
Hicks’ lip quirked upwards, acknowledging the grim reality they faced. “I suppose not. I’m under orders to hold this facility at all costs. Either we receive reinforcements or we’re just another group of unlucky-”
An unexpected quake silenced the worried military officer. The head of King Cobra rose ominously into the clear sky. The spiked frill on its upper neck unfurled to its full extent, eclipsing the sun and casting a pall on all those within its shadow. Its monstrous size unveiled for all to see, the gargantuan serpent announced its presence with a vehement hiss, bordering on a roar, which echoed across the island – a king ready to begin his cruel reign.
“Only three hundred?” Gordon skeptically inquired of the Major, drawing a look of ire.
Hicks raised his right hand in preparation to signal his men to fire. “It’s our initial measurement. Did you know snakes grow their whole lives? Damn thing has been growing here for nearly twenty years.”
The hulking serpent descended from on high, eclipsing even Gordon’s best guess. A few men on the edge of the facilities’ perimeter fired their automatic weapons in terror merely for King Cobra to effortlessly bulldoze them beneath his vast bulk. Gordon flicked his gaze to the soldiers on the roof reluctantly holding their fire, awaiting the command they so desperately wanted as the serpent encircled the structure twice and raised its head over its recent captors. Twin fangs reflected the light of the sun while an odorous breath finally cracked Gordon’s calm exterior. His heart quicked, blood pounding in his ears like a drum.
Hicks held his right hand high, the appendage trembling. Gordon knew the moment he dropped it, the Major’s men would enact their counterattack and ensure the death of every service member under his command. So even as the serpents’ head slowly neared, its forked tongue twisting menacingly around its fangs, Hicks’s hand remained frozen in place.
“Smart move,” the Captain complimented his friend before he noticed the Major’s eyes widen with hope. Following the officer’s gaze, Gordon looked to the northern hills and was filled with a familiar, thrilling sensation – he’d been right.
‘Now let’s see if my gamble pays off.’
Chapter 12: Monster X vs. The Visitor – Round 2
Monster X’s Enclosure, Planet X
Monster X scanned the pitch black space which surrounded him on all sides. The Visitor stalked somewhere in his domain, but where? It had been far too long since it last attacked. The beast was surely biding its time, waiting for an opportunity to pounce. Monster X flexed his claws in contemplation.
A silent predator.
No eyes.
Precisely calculated ambush tactics within a darkened environment.
It was unwise to allow such an opponent to dictate the pace of the engagement. But how to proceed…?
Monster X carefully drew his left leg up off of the ground with silent grace, then quickly leaned back as if to strike. His right hand snapped open like the jaws of a viper before his left leg slammed down like a pneumatic hammer, shaking the floor with a thunderous boom that reverberated through his metallic den. The resulting cacophony resonated, almost masking the near silent clink directly above the warrior that made the skin around his eyes tighten with vindication.
The skeletal arm of the titan thrust upwards into the darkness, catching the creature’s upper jaw in his grasp, and halting the fangs which desired to consume him. In a single, smooth motion, he slammed the Visitor down upon the metalled floor of the chamber. Another deafening crash shook the room and light seared the area as Monster X unleashed a barrage of his Destroyed Thunder Beams. A horrific screeching filled the air as the electric beams bored into the Visitor’s durable armor, superheated plasma at the points of impact illuminating the creature ever so slightly.
Monster X backed away from the fallen beast and allowed it to stand unabated. Alight from the flames guttering within the gouges in its plated armor, he witnessed an elongated maw part, revealing rows of serrated teeth which no doubt longed to sink into his inky flesh. A bone-chilling cry followed, the spiked claws along the beast’s body flexing before the Visitor burst forward in a flurry of motion. Four arachnid-like appendages shot forth only for Monster X to side-step all four spiked limbs. The slight clang of his footsteps immediately caused the alien to spin, the two arachnid-like legs of its left side whipping through the air until they struck white armor. White-plates upon his shoulder withstood the blow, but as the beast followed up with a slash of its right, elongated finger-claws upon the lower part of Monster X’s left arm, the ambush predator struck softer, black flesh. As it detected the warmth of his prey’s blood, the Visitor lunged forth with a blood curdling roar, sensing victory.
It would prove to be short-lived.
The top of Monster X’s body dropped with shocking speed as he evaded the bite, retracting his left leg in preparation. He countered swiftly and struck with precision, his foot reducing the abdomen of his target to mush, crunching through bone and compressing internal organs. The vicious impact launched the Visitor into the opposing wall with a sickening squelch. The alien warrior slowly righted itself upon hearing the sounds of his enemies’ folly end in the darkness, wiping the meager blood his foe was able to draw off the armor coating his left arm.
Satisfaction cooled the fire of his crimson eyes to a dim hue. He basked in his victory but with it, Monster X’s momentary rush of excitement began to fade. It seemed the challenge was not quite as enticing as promised, despite its effective use of hit and fade tactics.
The Visitor was both interesting… and a disappointment.
Monster X’s body slouched forward, no longer as invested in the outcome, assured as it was. As the skeletal creature awaited the Visitor to charge him once more, a vibrant pink hue swelled before him. Eyes drawn by the glare, the warrior looked upon the source, emitting from the Visitor’s forehead. Crimson eyes dilated, realizing the innate danger, but the warrior’s abortive reaction was too little, too late.
Searing mauve power exploded from the Visitor’s head, engulfing Monster X in a boiling wave of pure pain. The predator’s Brainspasm proved ineffectual in scorching his white armor or piercing through black flesh, but beneath alien skin, every vein and tendon felt as though they were being boiled alive at once. Convulsions rocked the Demon of the Xiliens, forcing it to all fours as he desperately tried to control his nervous system as it rebelled against him.
Then the ray subsided. Eight limbs crashed on metal, reminding Monster X that time was not something he possessed.
Pure darkness consumed the void once more. Metal rang like a drum as the Visitor pounced. With the warrior helpless on his back, the predator pinned Monster X’s arms with its clawed appendages and retracted its spider-like blades backward.
Strike after strike rained down with frenetic energy. Those which struck chitinous plate, were deflected by Monster X’s natural defenses, but flesh yielded under the onslaught. For every blow that glanced off, two more struck true. Flesh tore, blood oozed, nerves shrieked; the pain from such injuries stoked him into a blood-rage and with it, Monster X felt the effects of the Brainspasm finally begin to wane.
Golden energy surged. A momentary wave of explosive power washed over the Visitor’s upper torso. The alien’s assault paused for a crucial moment, the Visitor parting its jaws to loose a scream, its iron grip slipping for just an instant.
An instant was all that Monster X needed.
Monster X hurtled upward to slam his body into his opponent, sending the two alien titans rolling across blood splattered metal. The confused tumble ended with the alien warrior atop the Visitor, holding it in place with all its strength. Monster X felt momentary success at pinning the enraged beast, but stiffened in agony as the Visitor’s four appendages speared him from behind, finding purchase in his back.
Every passing second the armor coated limbs pushed deeper into darkened flesh. The clash had reached its tipping point; time was running out and Monster X knew he had to go all-in. He drew upon every ounce of strength that remained, reaching deep within himself to conjure a force that would tip the scales of the battle to his favor – gravity.
Cries of rage from the Visitor morphed into terror. Armor designed to blunt claws and survive the vacuum of space compressed under Monster X’s exponentially increasing mass until a sickening crunch finally silenced the creatures’ wails.
Chapter 13: King Cobra vs. Monster X
Join Base Nares-Stenz, Site Omega
A chilling hiss pierced the air, subsonic rumbles shaking the earth as serpentine eyes narrowed in on the terror-stricken humans. He had suffered nearly twenty years of confinement to these lesser beings. Twenty years he had bided his time, waiting patiently, growing in size and power under their foolish noses. Now he was free. Now he could finally taste the scent of the terror of his captors; it was sweeter than he had ever imagined, almost saccharine.
It was intoxicating.
His reign would begin with the consumption of all lower life. Humanity, fellow prisoners, all were beneath him – the Serpentine Emperor of Site Omega. After his kingdom had been established, his ambition would stretch out across the Atlantic. He’d squeeze the life out of the cursed reptile that defeated him all those years ago and take its realm for his own.
As large and powerful as he was now, not even Zilla could stop him now.
“Monster X, hear my offer!”
The cultist’s words were distant, faint whispers carried on far flung winds, but the meaning behind the offer meant another prisoner was close by. The malevolent gaze of King Cobra peered away from the meager humans to the northern hills where the being that freed him now extended an offer to something new.
It was an armored titan with four, peering crimson eyes. Every orb stared at Orochi’s follower. Its white claws twitched in anticipation, the only sign of movement the draconic bi-ped displayed.
“I am Juu-go. Long have you been imprisoned by those far weaker than yourself,” the cultist proclaimed with undeserved reverence. “My lord Orochi, he offers you all that you could covet. Combat. Freedom. Vengeance. Follow in Orochi’s name, help him in crushing the pathetic species of this world and you will be rewarded with all your desires. A world ruled by-”
Monster X’s left heel slid across the hilltop in a shower of dirt, smearing the zealot across its summit before he could finish his sermon and alerting King Cobra to the threat this new arrival posed.
The battle for his kingdom loomed large, and while it was one he would win, first he needed to shed some dead weight.
A familiar feeling captured Monster X’s undivided attention. Within the structure surrounded by the massive serpent, two specks existed. One was a Keizer, unable or unwilling to reach out and connect to him while the other was… different. Diluted or evolved compared to the first, this other being was still imbued with immense potential, perhaps even greater than than the pure-blooded original.
Had the two specks worked with this Orochi to free him?
Had they started this series of events to make up for their betrayal?
Whether they were the cause or not, a troubling, wyrm-shaped dilemma literally enveloped the human dwelling they resided within, which he would not permit.
Monster X methodically approached the wary beast, arms tensed in case the gargantuan reptile were to strike, but the serpent seemed content to remain in place, flicking its forked tongue and vibrating its frill as if to intimidate him. The interstellar being felt no such fear and continued gamely onward. He strode forward until barely a hundred meters separated the two of them. As the titan came to a halt, the skeletal head of Monster X tilted to the left. The command was silent, but the message was clear.
Move.
Serpentine jaws parted in fury. Teeth far larger than any man and sharper than blades gleaned in the sunlight, yet Monster X remained still, its crimson eyes unwavering.
At this point conflict was inevitable, the warrior felt certain of it, but the recoil of the serpent took the alien off guard. What came next made even the Demon of the Xilien’s gut twist with revulsion.
The serpent uncoiled itself from the complex; seemingly giving ground. That is, until its gargantuan body convulsed and from its jaws drooled vast amounts of unknown liquid, filling the air with putrid acid. Then the snake’s jaws opened wide, and a literal monster slid out.
While the specks revolted in mass atop their structure, Monster X remained still, eyeing the familiar dead kaiju with equal amounts revulsion and anger. Strong stomach acids had removed the earthy epidermis the corpse had once possessed yet its shape, horribly mangled, was still discernible.
It was the juvenile creature which fled from Bemular – Daigoro.
The revelation, revolting as it was, steeled Monster X for what was to come. He was no stranger to death. But crimson eyes could not seem to look away from the steaming, mouldering lump of flesh-that is, until a serpentine tail lashed across white, dermal armor on the alien’s cheek. The strike snapped his head to the side like a cracking whip, bringing Monster X out of his daze. His eyes affixed themselves to his next target.
The would-be King had taken away a possible future challenge. Now the serpent would provide the sport of a worthy foe, or it would die. There could be no other outcome.
Rebounding with incredible agility, Monster X surged across the ragged terrain like a lightning bolt. King Cobra did not expect such decisive action, allowing glistening armor to smash against abdominal scutes. With a quick follow-up kick, Monster X surged backward, avoiding a retaliatory bite.
Even with the juvenile’s expulsion, the serpent easily outclassed him in size. Overestimating his own speed or strength would only end poorly-
King Cobra’s armored tail smashed once more across Monster X’s face, disorienting him. The thundercrack of the impact echoed over the hills, before the tail reared back and swung upward. Sixty thousand tons of flesh left the ground upon collision and as Monster X neared the apex of his arc, King Cobra’s tail crashed down upon him once more – a wall of muscle and scales. A geyser of rock, dirt, and vegetation soared skywards before crashing back down to earth, entombing the alien warrior in a freshly dug grave.
King Cobra’s forked tongue slid along razor sharp teeth, relishing the punishment he’d dished out. Battering his food always satiated a part of him that raw flesh never could. Watching the white titan arise, a part of him relished the resilience of his prey, even as it foolishly surged forth toward him.
He’d subdue the stubborn creature’s mind, body, and soul, break it down piece by piece before he consumed it.
Globs of brown ooze erupted from the serpent’s throat in rapid succession, turning Monster X’s straight forward dash into an evasive series of jolts to the left and right. Blobs which proved too cumbersome to evade the alien blocked with his left and right hands, a foolish move for the white titan, but one which it did not realize to be as he closed the distance, launched into the air, and crashed his heel into the serpent’s skull.
The impact hurt like hell, ringing like a bell between the serpent’s temples. His contender was not one to take lightly, but then again, neither was he.
As he used the impact’s force to yank his head to the side, King Cobra drove its wall of a tail straight into the titan’s body. Monster X’s airborne form became a blur; a meteor of armor and flesh that struck the isle with explosive force. Dust and debris clogged the air a moment before the contender reappeared, crimson orbs locked on its own arms.
To King Cobra’s dismay, the contender wasn’t hurt by the impact. No fresh blood oozed nor did any of that stubborn white armor seemed chipped. Fangs would need to bypass that sturdy carapace in time, but for now, the Serpentine Emperor merely appreciated the twitching alien as it attempted to pull its arms apart. Whether it had shielded itself with its arms or they had attached during the impact, the serpent’s natural bonding agent had succeeded.
Monster X couldn’t free itself of the glue; his arms were thoroughly locked together.
A satisfied hiss left King Cobra’s jaws, and he demonstrated his own terrifying speed as he glided forward. A high kick struck hardy scales, but the simple blow could not dissuade King Cobra’s actions as its body wrapped round and round Monster X’s own. Coiled muscles bunched and squeezed, contracting ever tighter. Pressure exponentially increased, buckling the inner bones of the alien warrior, turning its greatest asset, white unbreakable dermal armor, into a crushing device. Every second a new pop came from within Monster X until a vicious bite from the snake finally broke the alien’s will.
A scream of anguish made itself known across the isle.
King Cobra withdrew its blood coated jaws and leaned in close to Monster X’s face, wishing to notice the moment his prey realized it was conquered; instead, golden light engrossed the small crimson dots.
Explosions detonated across King Cobra’s head and neck, loosening his grip upon his constricted prey. Snake-skin smoked from the Destroyed Thunder barrage, but that durable hide ensured that his life would not be taken so easily, even from such a mighty onslaught King Cobra shook his head to calm the fresh wounds, opening his piercing yellow eyes to gaze upon the spinning, airborne form of Monster X whose own eyes burned with pure, murderous intent.
Its two arms still bound by the snake’s glue, Monster X ruthlessly spiked the serpent’s head into the ground, fracturing the earth wide open.
Another stinging blow.
The ringing faded in seconds, but as the serpent recovered, it noticed the white titan far, far away. It was looking over its body, registering the injuries their meager battle had enacted so far.
King Cobra hissed in delight, slowly circling his injured prey from a distance. Soon it would realize the hopelessness of its position. His prey would be consumed with fright, or maybe it would fight on to its bitter end. Either way, terror always consumed his prey and King Cobra reveled in watching it take hold. As Monster X’s head tilted upward, the Serpentine Emperor waited for the moment where his meal was spiced with that most flavorful of seasoning, but it was not to be.
As Monster X twisted his head, a haunting grin was the only expression splattered across its skeletal mug.
Organ damage.
Multiple cracked bones.
Blood loss.
Even his left hand, burned raw from Red King and glued to his right hand, felt numb indicating the severity of his position. This serpent, his enemy, was winning in a fair fight. No doubt existed within the warrior’s mind of this undeniable truth and accepting that reality, he roared not out of fear, but of exhilaration, eyes wide with passion. It had been far too long since he was pushed this close to death. In front of him slithered a true challenge, and he couldn’t wait to push himself to his limit to kill the Serpentine Competitor.
For in a life filled with conflict, what mattered more than those moments of true risk to one’s own life?
Chapter 14: It Fled Beneath the Sea
Western Coastline, Site Omega
At his peak speed, Kaishin Muba was a fast-moving blur beneath the waters of Site Omega’s coast. His tendrils flowed rhythmically, kicking up silica as he raced just above the ocean floor, searching for a location to create a portal to leave this realm and return to his own otherworldly sea. Though at the moment, the leviathan dared not to slow, dared not to look back or he’d risk allowing the persistent creature chasing him to thrash him about once more.
An encounter he’d surely not survive.
Spotting a nearby trench, Kaishin Muba felt his immense panic lessen as he banked hard left, launching its body into the crevice while its pursuer swam overhead.
An annoyed roar bellowed through the water. Zilla’s elongated claws on his hands and feet snapped to the basaltic ocean floor, tearing apart the settled rock so the beast could slow itself. A cloud of loose sand rapidly filled the translucent sea. In its sandy wake, Zilla vanished only a moment before bursting forth and diving into the trench after the creature which had dared to enter his domain.
Floating at the bottom of the trench, reptilian eyes scanned the natural formation for any sign of the trespasser. In the jagged edges of the darkness, he found no movement, nothing more than small aquatic life. Snarling in rage that he allowed the leviathan to somehow escape, Zilla shook the undersea formation with its enraged scream.
Annoyed yet undeterred, Zilla smashed into the nearby trench wall and tore it asunder.
He still sensed something off on the island.
Another intruder?
Maybe the island’s cells were broken?
Either way, humans he recognized were endangered and anything which harmed them would find themselves in his jaws soon enough.
Chapter 15: Monster X vs. King Cobra – Round 2
Join Base Nares-Stenz, Site Omega
Obsidian muscles flexed with renewed vigor. Monster X stared at the viscous, brown glue which bonded his appendages together in a bulbous mass. If he was to secure victory this day, then this handicap couldn’t be allowed.
With a jolt, the alien yanked his hands apart with all his strength. The irritable bond held strong, clinging to the alien’s durable hide and bony armor, but he pressed on until both ripped apart with a sickening tear, forcing the alien to unleash a horrid, guttural moan of true anguish.
He panted as flesh and bone hung from the adhesive material like an insect caught in a web. Great pain coursed through the Demon of the Xilien’s lower appendages, yet his focus was on the results. While the adhesive venom still coated his hands, he could flex his fingers so long as he kept them apart. Satisfied of the grisly display, the alien slammed his right foot down, extended his arms, and bellowed a roar at the somewhat stunned serpent.
Heart racing, adrenaline pumping, Monster X burst forth with an explosion beneath his right heel from the pressure. But as he took a few steps at tremendous speed, his right and left arm plunged into the ground, forming two deep trenches which barely slowed the charging warrior.
King Cobra flicked his forked tongue in discontent. Then the serpentine juggernaut burst forward, seemingly accepting the challenge to his reign.
The Serpentine Emperor lunged forward, intent on sinking its envenomed fangs into Monster X’s vulnerable flesh, ready to deliver a fatal blow. But before it could strike, Monster X shot his arms up with lightning speed. Like a volleyball player performing a platform, the two rock encased appendages struck the lower jaw of King Cobra and launched its head skyward as a cloud of dust exploded in the wake of the impact.
The top half of the serpent’s body exited the cloud like a bullet train passing an onlooker. Serpentine eyes eventually bulged open in rage, the snake’s arrested its momentum before it gazed down upon Monster X and charged head-first back with its maw agape, blood dripping from his lower jaw. The serpent’s collision dispersed the brown cloud from sheer force and propelled the alien warrior backward without any trace of resistance.
If he didn’t apply all his strength just to stay upright, if he didn’t keep his stance perfect, then Monster X knew he would really become this creature’s prey…
Holding the upper and lower half of the monumental serpent’s jaws, the alien warrior slid backward at high speed. Yet through the relentless test of strength, he remained stubbornly upright until he felt each of his legs fall into the trenches he carved just moments ago with his arms.
Now it was time for his counterattack.
Golden energy illuminated Monster X’s crimson eyes. The alien took an extra second to charge his shot, sparking energy arcing around his orbs before firing a single volley of his Destroyed Thunder Beam down the raging serpent’s throat. A mangled screech and red ichor rocketed out of King Cobra’s bloody jaws just as the trench ended, allowing Monster X to pivot the momentum of the beast and whip the monumental creature into the air.
King Cobra soared into the sky like a human tower, stretching up towards the heavens and then falling back to the landscape. For the serpent’s head, Monster X applied all the strength he possessed and smashed it with earth shattering force into the dirt. The resulting shockwave displaced the air in the immediate vicinity and cast away the dust from the impact. The rest of the snake’s body followed suit, splitting open the battlefield until the end of the creature’s tail grazed the edge of the human construct upon Site Omega.
With shredded hands twitching, body quaking from the exertion, Monster X slowly backed away from the stagnant snake.
His breath became ragged and deep as he surveyed his surroundings with vigilant eyes, desperately searching for any sign of danger.
Was their battle truly at an end?
Had his one decisive blow been enough to vanquish the beast?
The truth cut through him like a beam of light through darkness; his hopes thoroughly extinguished as serpentine eyes parted, revealing a vast trove of hate.
King Cobra’s body lanced forward with blinding speed. Its maw was agape, spurring Monster X to lunge backward, yet the distance was not far enough, his reflexes proving too sluggish after a long day of combat. Twin fangs punched into Monster X’s chest and shoulder respectively, soaking his armor with vast quantities of blood. With a heave King Cobra ripped Monster X off of his feet, whipping its head through the air before slamming his prey into the ground, rattling the island as if the snake had struck a drum. Coughing blood, Monster X took a moment to gain awareness of his situation and spotted the serpent’s right eye. Three fingers moved like lightning, piercing the orb without hesitation.
A bone-chilling wail cleaved through the land and any sense of self control the beast possessed seemingly departed with that bellow.
The Serpentine Emperor reared back and slammed him into the ground once more, but instead of stopping, the serpent barreled through all in its way. Monster X dug its hand deeper into the socket, hoping the pain would quell the rage, but it only intensified King Cobra’s movement. As the earth fractured beneath him, the alien warrior was thrust through broken earth, traveling under the ground before exploding out of the fresh subterranean burrow in a cloud of rock and dust. A few stray boulders managed to dislodge the alien warrior’s hand from the eye socket, to which he condensed his appendage into a fist and slammed it against King Cobra’s right fang. A sickening crack echoed and the serpent released his grip, allowing Monster X to hit the ground at high speed and roll across the battlefield while the reptile writhed in fresh anguish.
Monster X lay dazed, claws twitching, enraged at his body’s failure to move. Now he bore the consequences of his inaction – severe, unavoidable blood loss. Surely death could accept the broken being if he wished, but such an easy path Monster X refused to take or even acknowledge. There was only one type of death he would embrace, and he would not accept anything less.
Unrivaled stubbornness gave the alien strength to push against the black blood covered ground. Gore and saliva leaked from his open maw before he grabbed the fang still embedded in his body. With a violent pull, Monster X removed the serrated, ichor covered tooth and glanced at it before flicking his blurry gaze to his worthy challenger.
The alien warrior didn’t know how much longer he’d be conscious. Enough for one last charge, maybe two, but at least he possessed a weapon this time. A simple flick of his dirt covered fingers spun the tooth just above his hand before he clutched it with all his remaining strength. As he formed a plan on his path forward, a dark thought entered the recesses of the warrior’s mind.
He could always give in to the power within him. Allow himself to be fully engulfed by the draconic presence that burned through his blood. It’d take a few moments, but once he transformed into a Ghidorah above all others, he’d be able to annihilate the pompous snake without a second thought.
The draconic presence which coursed through his blood hungered for such a path, to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting world, and just as he felt his thoughts begin to pull toward that maddening voice, Monster X sealed that part of himself off completely.
The choice derived not from pride, but reason.
While he’d certainly possess ample power, to transform into that draconic state would take more time than King Cobra would ever allow. Without his white armor, he’d be shredded to his bones by the time his other self, Keizer Ghidorah, would be able to grace the battlefield.
It was a mistake he would never make again.
The only thing more foolish than a creature that would allow the transformation was a being foolish enough to transform into a physically weaker state for the sake of power.
And power, for all its undeniable advantages, wasn’t the key to every fight.
Muscle tensed. Adrenaline coursed through Monster X’s body, stoking flames within its dark heart. On death’s door, fighting an exceptional opponent which possessed the uncompromising desire of death; he felt a sensation not experienced in eons. Not since the tentacled phoenix did such grand ecstasy surge through him.
As the Serpentine Competitor’s shadow enveloped him, the Demon of the Xiliens braced himself and launched his left hand forward. King Cobra’s right fang punctured through the skeletal warrior’s left palm, the pain bringing a moment of absolute clarity to Monster X who tightened his grip around the serpent’s upper lip.
He’d found it once again.
The sensation of a true fight!
Monster X lunged without fear and encircled his legs around the serpent’s elongated body. With nowhere for King Cobra to evade, the warrior from the stars plunged the serrated tooth into the reptilian hide of his opponent. A sickening cry roared from the serpent merely to evolve into a booming screech as skeletal fingers pulled down, tearing through snake-skin and exposing red flesh. The serpent slammed against the broken earth, against Monster X’s grisly intent, but the alien’s stubborn will pushed through until the grave wound sapped the last vestiges of meager willpower from his Serpentine Competitor.
The island visibly shook from King Cobra’s collapse. Great pools of red ichor soaked the upper half of the snake while Monster X staggered to the beast’s head, meeting it’s defeated one eyed gaze with his own four-eyed stare.
Monster X uttered no roar of victory, no physical display of his thrilling achievement; instead, the skeletal warrior simply breathed deeply and gazed upon his worthy competitor. It was a moment to cherish, a fight to remember in its entirety. And then with swiftness, he brought the serrated fang down for his final blow.
Rock shattered. Blood soaked the make-shift weapon and as a serpentine eye traced the outline of a blade jutting through stone, Monster X shifted his focus away from the defeated beast.
The wounds plaguing the snake were immense and deep. Perhaps it would die, perhaps not, but to kill a worthy competitor, especially when not ordered too, was nothing but a waste in the alien’s eyes. Death meant a future battle decisively killed and such a fate was only for the relentless, the arrogant, or the truly broken.
As crimson eyes narrowed upon the human construct in the distance, Monster X prepared to bestow such a fate to the no-doubt prideful specks before they attempted to take his freedom once more.
Chapter 16: An Xcercise in Diplomacy
Monster X’s Enclosure, Planet X
Violet blood dripped off Monster X’s body, sizzling into the barely lit void of the thing’s enclosure.
The Visitor lay motionless on the ground – whether dead or merely unconscious was not something that mattered to X. His attention now rested on the sacred monster of the Xiliens, killing intent within those crimson orbs.
“Oh, please. If you want to kill me, by all means,” X ordered his newest lackey. “Come and try.”
Growing tremors shook the room. The Keizer peered for a moment at Y, noticing him cowering on the ground in an obvious sign he recognized the fury of his so-called sacred creature, but with a bolt of lightning from his human palm, X ended the old nuisance. Now he could communicate alone with the winner of his test.
“But a congratulations is in order. You beat the speck of trash we found on the surface of this planet! Do you feel accomplished? Proud?”
Monster X stopped, aligning one of his eyes to the transparent window. If the creature expected fear, X instead only beamed pride.
“Where I’m going it would die just as quickly. A planet filled with threats and a worthless species that refuses to bend to the will of the Xiliens – to me.”
Monster X tilted his head every so slightly. The pupil of its crimson eye dilated with interest.
“So follow me! Follow the last of the Xiliens to Earth and you’ll have your challenges! Your purpose! Kill their guardians! Kill the one who killed your own kind! Or remain bored in this pointless room on this worthless planet!” X grinned ear to ear. “What is your answer O’ sacred one?”
Join Base Nares-Stenz, Site Omega
The footsteps of the nearing, bloody titan shook every human upon the command structure, but none felt the impending doom of the nearing confrontation like Ozaki.
Lives of every man and woman in the headquarters rested on his innate ability to communicate with the approaching creature. Any error or fault in his approach would surely result in the deaths of everyone, and a guilt ridden conscious Ozaki doubted even he could bear.
‘Clear your mind and focus upon your inner essence, your inner you,’ a familiar feminine voice echoed. ‘Once you find your truest self, extend it as if reaching out for a handshake with an equal. If there is a connection, it will be based on a mutual trait.’
As Monster X continued his approach, the mutant vented a long-held breath, closed his eyes, and allowed the urgency of the connection to be his guide.
The frantic thoughts that had been racing through Ozaki’s mind suddenly came to a halt. He pushed away any lingering doubts and fears that threatened to overwhelm him earlier, allowing a feeling of clarity and self-assurance to take their place. In the moment of calm, he felt his inner truth wash over him, allowing him to access his truest self stripped of all guilt, pride, and uncertainty.
Regardless of if the full powers of a Keizer returned, regardless of all the horrific events that transpired, he was simply a man that would never turn away from a fight.
Not when people needed him, not against impossible odds, and not even against himself.
Embracing that unbreakable spark of his essence, Ozaki extended his true self outward and felt a goliath of power reluctantly accept that meager offering.
A tidal wave of information accompanied the fresh bond, and it took all of Ozaki’s willpower to remain standing. Vivid memories of the recent battle bombarded his psyche while lingering pain from the wounds now dotting the creature felt like they’d tear themselves open upon the man’s body. While at first he wondered if this was an unintentional side effect of the connection, the almost paranormal cackle down the bond quickly clarified that this wasn’t an unintended side-effect, but an amusement manifested by the nearing skeletal titan.
Fighting past the overload, Ozaki prepared a counter attack as he used what mental power he could summon to construct an order. Then his command was rushing down the bond with his will in support, yet as it struck the presence of the nearing goliath, a guttural roar bellowed, assaulting the man’s ears. Ozaki’s eyes parted to the creature physically struggling to continue forward.
Black heels crashed into the soil. Crimson eyes burned with fury. A wave of emotion struck the mutant, imbuing him with the creature’s own demand.
It wanted him dead.
‘You want a fight. Fine by me!’
Ozaki extended his will once more. Every shred of his being demanded the creature to halt, to submit, yet even as battered as it was, the alien titan refused to give in. Its own will pushed back, thrusting a relentless onslaught of power down the bond as it stubbornly refused the order while it pushed itself closer to the headquarters. An unstoppable force inching ever closer to Ozaki’s immovable stance.
“That thing gets any closer and my men are opening fire!” Hicks yelled.
“Working… on… that!” Ozaki groaned through gritted teeth, his muscles tensing from the sheer strain on his body and will.
“Listen you white bastard, I said stop. I-” the mutant momentarily glanced toward Miki who seemed calm amidst the nearing chaos. She held faith in him that he would find a solution. But how? Remembering her last snippet of advice, he snapped his gaze back to Monster X.
If they were alike then why wasn’t this working? Why couldn’t he order Monster X around? Realization struck him with strength only Kazuma ever displayed.
‘Because I’d never turn down a fight,’ he realized before he parted a long breath.
Thinking of Miki, his will to press on softened. While he was more than willing to continue the fight, perhaps this wasn’t a fight that needed to happen in the first place.
Relinquishing his hold over the creature, the defiance Monster X showed also vanished. The hulking, albeit skewered, silhouette of the goliath stood tall and encompassed the building while four unimpressed eyes burned a hole into the man’s soul.
Clutching the bond once more, Ozaki channeled his thoughts to the titan who’d probably kill him if his newest gamble didn’t pay off.
‘I’ll cut right to the chase. Judging by that glare, I’d say you’re not too fond of getting pulled around on that leash in your blood. I wouldn’t.’
Monster X emitted no growl or audible sound in response. Fury still burned within its eyes, but at the edges tugged curiosity, as if staring at an anomaly never before seen.
‘I’m not going to mislead you. I need you to fight,’ Ozaki tilted his head toward the northern hills. ‘That thing you smeared with your foot… Well, I’m going for his boss. He’s called Orochi. That serpent is nothing compared to what else he has on his side. He picked a fight with me, and now he’s picked a fight with you.’ The head of Monster X shifted to the side, now clearly more intrigued than furious by what it was hearing. ‘If you’re anything like me, then I’d wager you’re not one to turn down a fight?’
The wrath the creature emanated in its soul dulled across the bond. Ozaki was on the right path forward it seemed, now he just needed to cross the finish line.
‘I’m not interested in giving you orders. I’m not interested in controlling you. Where you fight, I’ll fight. Just follow me from here on out.’ Ozaki then hitched a thumb to the humans behind him. ‘Just no killing weaklings like them,’ he mentally joked with a smirk. ‘No fun in punching down, right?’
Monster X tilted his head every so slightly forward, deciding what path he would venture.
Unlike any of the Xilien Elite which came before, this diluted speck was tempting to say the least.
The speck lacked power.
The speck lacked the usual self-aggrandizing pride and yet here it stood, another boulder bargaining with a mountain for the strength he possessed.
Skeletal jaws parted yet no roar or screech exited the toothy maw. A hauntingly brief laugh, as dark as it was twisted, graced the ears of every living being within proximity.
Once again, instead of an act of will, a rock offered a trade for the mountain’s service. Better judgment would dictate the death of the speck, the Keizer, and every human in the facility after his previous betrayal by the Xiliens, but the tempting hope of a fulfilled purpose kept Monster X’s actions subdued. Maybe this speck would prove to be something different. Only time would tell, and it was a risk Monster X felt confident to take.
With a subtle head movement, Monster X affirmed its services. Not without hesitation, and a willingness to attempt to resist and purge the speck if he even sensed betrayal, but for the moment, such drastic action need not be taken.
The mountain would accept the pebble’s offer.
Relief and triumph.
The dual emotions swelled within Ozaki upon feeling the monster affirm the offer through their bond. Even as the creature stepped away, he still needed to convince himself of the relatively minor victory.
For far too long, disappointment, failure, and loss haunted his every movement, but now, as he smiled toward Gordon and Miki, it seemed things were finally different.
The cracking earth silenced the man’s fleeting surge of jubilation. Ozaki’s eyes bolted to the distant hills where a cloud of fresh dust filled the air.
Massive dorsal spines pierced the back of the shroud while an elongated jaw, open and filled with teeth, emerged from the front. The reptilian creature at first shook the dirt from his scales before locking onto the goliath’s position and emitting a hostile war cry. Ozaki could feel fragments of memories from Monster X as it turned to face the new arrival.
They knew each other.
They’d fought each other in New York.
And now, round two was about to begin with both parties seemingly ready to end the feud between them once and for all.
Ozaki reached his hand out to force Monster X to hold back, but halted before he tugged on that proverbial leash.
‘I try to control him, and he’ll think I’m backstabbing him. Maybe he can win this-‘
Massive punctures, excessive blood loss, charred flesh; the full, battered state of Monster X became overwhelmingly apparent. So much so Ozaki questioned how it was still standing. The stubborn creature couldn’t win this fight, not even against a lizard Godzilla killed without a second thought back in oh-four. But something told Ozaki this charging reptile would certainly be no pushover like the one which the Xiliens controlled all those years ago.
“Gordon!?” Ozaki yelled out of desperation for a plan of action merely for the Major General to answer instead.
“If Monster X is on our side, tell it to high tail it out of here!” Hicks ordered.
A quick glance at Monster X made Ozaki doubt that idea as he watched the alien raise its arms into a fighting pose.
‘Like hell he’d run. I sure as hell wouldn’t from… from… what the hell is this thing called again?’
With the reptile charging at full speed, the clash of the two titans seemed inevitable. Monster X, wheezing with every breath, pulled back his right fist to deliver a knockout blow. The lizard opened its jaws to clamp onto the alien’s hide yet just as he neared the warrior, the reptile halted in its tracks. Its eyes grew extremely wide, its maw clamped shut, and a look of confusion overtook the emotive lizard. Monster X lowered his arms in response, visibly taken aback by the sudden pacifism, but as the reptilian creature looked at the human structure, Ozaki realized the cause of the ceasefire between monsters.
A breath of relief left Ozaki’s lungs and gratitude filled his mind. ‘Nice job Miki.’
‘Zilla seems willing to a truce so long as Monster X does not hurt anyone,’ Miki assured him and by the look of relief on others, the group as a whole. ‘I believe we have another ally to call upon.’
Moneron Island, Sea of Japan
Little light struck Tsukuyomi while he peacefully meditated upon a throne of stone. If discovered by an outsider venturing onto his island and into the hidden temple created by his followers, they may assume him a forgotten relic wrapped in black robes, but the observation couldn’t have been farther from the truth. The primordial thoughts of the god stretched across the globe. Mentally connected to all of his followers, the loss of eight on Site Omega barely registered. Hundreds still carried his will and through their eyes, he knew his plan of eradication remained assured.
Shifting from the eyes of each follower, Tsukuyomi confidently grinned upon sharing the gaze of the seemingly lowly cartographer. Once an unremarkable man in Shanghai now replaced by his follower, Nain, the cultist scanned fresh satellite data courtesy of the Chinese government. At the image’s center lay a lowly island in the pacific, reduced to a smoldering radioactive domain of boiling ocean water with no sign of any of its inhabitants. Illogical data for any human eyes, but for Tsukuyomi, it assured Destoroyah’s success which meant Faro Island’s cleansing could not be far behind. Perhaps then humanity would recognize the skull shaped isle for its true name, and not continually refer to the arrogant Spanish explorer who proclaimed it his own.
‘The timeless hubris of man,’ he internally reflected before he turned his attention to more assuring thoughts.
What did it matter if his supremacy over Site Omega was delayed?
Infant and Skull Island would soon suffer a similar fate and with their demise, the Earth would at last be stripped of the last of its defenses, ripe for its impending purification. Through his tireless effort, the planet would become a barren Earth – a perfect world.
An iota of doubt crept into the god’s mind, even if he didn’t acknowledge its presence. Destoroyah, unstoppable as it may be, could always use support in his destruction of Infant and Skull Island.
‘Kumasogami perhaps?’ Tsukuyomi pondered.
Remembering its battle with the humans and King Caesar on Okinawa, Tsukuyomi banished the thought, deciding it best to keep the demon guarding the tomb of the so-called Guardian of the Universe.
‘No, another will suffice,’ he assured himself.
The god’s mind switched his connection from Nain to another cultist who stood beneath the tall hills of Hokkaido.
Through San’s eyes, Tsukuyomi bore witness to a stone-encrusted seal created mere decades ago through the sorcery of Elias to hold a fire-breathing beast of death. A Ghidorah in name, but far deadlier than any earthly mind dared think possible.
For millennia, the wrath of Orochi spanned the cosmos, returning worlds to their barren, pre-life infested state. While advanced civilizations of life were rare, the few which Orochi reduced to forgotten memory did not fade away without inflicting damage.
A lost head.
A chunk of flesh.
A severed tail.
Such debilitating injuries for a mortal creature were negligible to his true godly form and easily repaired given time, but the severed parts were not so easy to die and prospered into lifeforms of their own identity. And as fate would have it, two resided on Earth, locked away in cages of stone and ice in Japan and Canada respectively.
‘Desghidorah… another foolish name from humanities’ arrogance.’ A twisted mental laugh echoed for all his followers to reverently admire. ‘But as my true progeny, you will suffice for the task at hand.’
Major General Anthony Hick’s Office, Site Omega
Sitting upon a worn out black office chair, Major General Anthony Hicks took the precious moment of tranquility given to him by the grace of God to rest his battered spirit.
The usually cramped office space with nothing more than him, a cracked table in place of his desk, an assortment of office supplies, a dated computer, and his lucky chair now provided an enclosure where the outside world could no longer throw him a curve ball. In his long military life, he’d be given the honor of living through far more hellish days, but experience did not mitigate the pain and exhaustion which accompanied even lesser events.
Men needed to be shipped back to the states for burial. Families needed to be informed in-so-much as he could with the facility’s classified nature. Superiors needed to be briefed, with the accompanying paperwork. Reports needed to be filed. And all this excluded the three prisoners freely roaming the island, and the demise of two others which would need to be dealt with eventually.
‘Four out of six left ain’t bad,’ Hicks grimly thought. ‘And Zilla can wrangle Red King and King Cobra back into their cells.’
Monster X, usually a top concern for its involvement in New York, at least needed no immediate action with the new arrivals controlling it.
A bright spot amidst the mess.
But with Zilla’s arrival… H.E.A.T. wouldn’t be too far behind. Depending on the members which arrived, it could go smoothly or as painful as a root canal. All those matters aside, the only items left would be dealing with the three guests of his island. Miki Yamane, Shinichi Ozaki and-
The creak of the office entrance forced Hicks to straighten his posture and strain his eyes open. To his immediate displeasure, Captain Douglas Gordon stepped through the open door.
‘So much for that moment of tranquility,’ Hicks thought, resigning himself to the fact that God might very well hate him.
With no chair to sit, Gordon stood across the table, bending forward to allow the door enough room to close.
“Need to acquire a spare chair. God knows I rarely use this space.”
Gordon acknowledged the awkwardness with a brief nod and stated, “I’ll keep it brief. I want to talk with what you’re keeping beneath the facility.”
The somewhat accommodating nature Hicks presented vanished in an instant. The military officer considered denial, maybe simply ignoring the request, but a lingering curiosity brought forth his response.
“Was this your intention the entire time?”
Gordon physically dismissed the assessment with a slight twitch of the head. “Not in the slightest. I grew aware of him over the course of the day. Considering Ozaki, it’s a conversation I feel is relevant.”
Hicks weighed the supposed benefit with the ramifications from his superiors. He’d easily be lambasted for such an action, but after such a day of loss, if this meeting could effect a positive outcome, how could he refuse? It was a gamble, but one the Major General couldn’t turn down. Accepting the pain this choice would bring, Hicks rose from his chair and maneuvered his way to the door.
“It’ll be brief and occur tomorrow.” Gordon raised a brow in protest. Hicks effortlessly batted it aside with a dismissive wave. “You’ll get your conversation. The fact you were involved in its brother’s death back in oh-four may gain you some favor. You’ll sure as hell need whatever you can get.”
Winner: Monster X
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