[Continued from Match 200]

Dr. Nick Tatopoulos rushed out of a fog filled tree line, falling to the shattered pavement before bolting back on his feet. He couldn’t stop moving in the apocalyptic San Francisco he found himself in, or he would face certain death from the two-legged beasts that hounded his every movement. For five days he evaded death in the new world, scavenging the homes around him for food, water, and medicine. Pain relievers suppressed the severely sprained leg he ran on. Bandages and crude stitches held together a torn right shoulder blade. As he dived into an abandoned military base, he felt every wound flare, but like his previous altercations he ignored the agony, turned around, and laid down suppressing fire.

Explosions detonated across the parking lot from Nick’s energy rifle, scaring away the trio of car sized bi-pedal beasts. As the echoes of their heels dissipated, Nick let loose a sigh of relief before slowly pulling himself up. He had an hour, maybe two to find what he needed before the trio returned. The scientist for a brief second looked to the crimson sky and the portal in the distance before he ventured into the complex.

The skeletons of American soldiers randomly lined the hallways of the facility, their flesh long since perished from their bodies. A flashlight illuminated the corpses whose skulls held one self-inflicted bullet wound. As Nick inspected the rifles, he discovered their ammunition reserves depleted. He couldn’t help but wonder the circumstances. Were the men out of supplies and could no longer fight, wishing to exit the world on their own terms or did they simply wish to leave a world they no longer recognized? A world which possessed something more fearful than death itself? With an uncertain mind, Nick ventured further until a bright light attracted his attention.

“Hello!” Nick instinctively called out.

The scientist ran down hall, bolting into the illuminated room. There Nick found the heart of the facility, a room filled to the brim with computers, lights and equipment. Water purifiers fed into the wall, collecting rain water from the roof. A miniature garden lay spread across a nearby table, its produce growing over the edges. Nick searched for any sign of recent human activity merely to discover none as he sat upon a chair in front of a computer.

For a brief second, he took a deep breath, focusing on the situation he found himself in before looking at the computer’s screen. The scientist tapped the mouse, bringing the device online with no password to protect its trove of information.

“Convenient,” Nick commented aloud.

Immediately, Nick’s eyes widened and the scientist accessed the facilities’ database. Would the contents of the computer reveal to him the horrors outside the facility? The source of the creatures which scavenged the desolate landscape? It might hold a key to helping the few remaining stragglers, to ignite a beacon of hope and help save the world he found himself residing in. These questions and hopes flooded Nick’s mind until a particular file caught his eye.

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San Francisco – May 16, 2014

Dust poured off the behemoth as it arose from the rubble. The mountains made by men laid scattered around him in a state of ruin from his battle with the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms. As the ancient leviathan turned its head for a brief second, it noticed the floating corpse of the female M.U.T.O. in the San Francisco bay. As its decapitated head receded back into the waves, Godzilla returned its attention to the sea. Pride and satisfaction of a well fought victory fueled its staggered walk. As gravity finally strained its ancient muscles, Godzilla plunged into the waters of the irradiated bay.

Dust clouded the bay immediately from Godzilla’s entry due to the debris coating his hide. A blanket silence also greeted the beast’s ears, allowing the behemoth to enter a serene state as it descended into deeper waters. Godzilla nearly fell a slumber until a call immediately caused its eyes to bolt open.

The echo reverberated across the water at a frequency unheard of by most creatures. It called for a response, a companion, a fellow member of its species yet nothing responded. Bubbles exited Godzilla’s maw from a tired breath. For the time being, he needed to recover from his exhausting battle. He would kill the new parasite in time, but first he needed to rest.

------

Nick studied the familiar yet stark differences of the Godzilla and the M.U.T.O.s as both species flashed upon the screen. Godzilla proved similar to his own world’s counterpart, but the M.U.T.O.s fascinated him. Their physiology,adaptations, and even their appearance, compared to the dozens of monsters he discovered in his life, were truly unique.

“Minus the name,” Nick quipped before he discovered another file on Godzilla. As images flashed open, a red hue flickered across the scientist’s body. Nick’s eyes widened with horror at the sight. This creature did not represent the defender of earth but an abomination of dread.

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Tokyo – October 1, 2017

An icon of fear stood frozen by its very creators, humanity. Its eyes fixated over the landscape of Tokyo. Occasionally, the mutation caught a glimpse of a human gazing upon his presence. A look of terror would envelop them, acceptance would follow and the insect would scatter away to join its pathetic kind. It, like every action, caused no response for Shin Gojira, for why would it care about the insects scurrying beneath its shadow?

Humanity did not matter, nor did their constructions of refined rock. They were mortal in their existence, unlike himself. Soon his body would adapt to the stone like prison they encased him in and his wrath would be unleashed. Not of vengeance, for how could he bring fury upon insects, but one to demonstrate its superiority. It was a god to them and…

Humans began to scatter in terror, catching Shin’s attention. Soon the land lay barren with no movement in sight, but the familiar sound of human weapons detonated in the distance. Gradually, the explosions and impacts continued to grow in volume until they were silenced by the repetitive hum of footsteps. Steps which began to even rattle Shin. A massive shadow rapidly revealed a hulking behemoth to Shin. The mutation’s eyes gazed with curiosity at the sight before Shin watched the beast turn to face him. Shin Gojira immediately assured itself it could not be killed, even by another creature, but a thunderous roar then echoed from the behemoth’s jaws.

Godzilla sensed the abomination in front of him since its creation. A rogue beast which believed it was the apex of evolution, but it would soon face the same legend which all others of the same belief fell to. Nature could only support one apex predator, and in a few seconds, there would only be one predator remaining.

--------

Nick studied the reports of the battle with fascination. On that day, Godzilla shattered the petrified Shin Gojira. Like glass, the beast’s impenetrable armor cracked from Godzilla’s legendary strength. The statue like creature’s flesh vaporized instantly from the ancient creature’s breath, leaving nothing but ashes in the ruins of Tokyo.

Nick sat back in his creaking chair as he thought about the data. Pieces were still missing to satisfy his understanding of the world around him. How was this Shin Gojira connected to the apocalyptic scenes around him? If Godzilla was still alive, then did he cause the destruction and was he somehow connected to the two-legged beasts that stalked the city?

Dr. Tatopoulos leaned forward and searched for any files, videos or images to solve his question. Upon opening a final file, he discovered a written report of an investigator from an organization he hadn’t heard of beforehand.

Monarch.

He opened and scanned the document to discover the cause. As he read it over, he realized he’d been asking the wrong question. He did not need to know what caused the apocalypse around him, but more importantly, who.

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Fifty miles off the coast of Vladivostok – October 29, 2017

A harsh arctic wind blew across a remote island off the coast of eastern Russia. Ice covered its surface with trees and a single Russian facility doting the landscape to break the unending fields of snow. The hostile isle appeared as deadly as the dangers below which ranged from highly radioactive elements to massive catacombs which housed a variety of giant beasts. All of which was known to the man leading the facility, one that currently contended with a battle against his own kind.

An elderly man of Japanese heritage stared blankly at the group of Russian men on the monitor in front of him. They all spoke in Russian, arrogantly believing he could not understand or maybe disregarding the fact he could completely. He was nothing more than a tool to the group. An ally to gather rare resources and like a parent to a child, acquire the next toy for them to threaten the world with. From the valuable tectonic information of his time at Monarch, to the radioactive mineral known as Element X; Dr. Who loathed the men he worked for with every fiber in his being, but he knew the cost of not delivering the gifts the Russian government requested. Today though, a new rage coursed through his aging veins and like always, he expressed his anger with a sly grin.

“Gentleman!” Dr. Who exclaimed, grabbing the group’s attention. “All of my life I’ve given you the tools to do great things. You wanted information on Monarch, and I gave you all of their tectonic data. You asked for the most powerful radioactive element in the world, and I gave you Element X. You asked for a monster, and I found you a M.U.T.O. in its cocooned state. All three of those things now sit under this facility...”

“For good reason,” the Russian President countered. “But please, go on doctor.”

A bead of sweat dropped from the elderly figure. “Now I acquire the blood of Shin Gojira, the last in the world, and you wish for me to destroy it?”

“And the group you used to acquire it,” the Russian leader commented. “As with everything you’ve given to us, you lack a way to control it.”

Dr. Who moved to respond, but the leader’s hand rose to silence him for good. “Besides doctor, Godzilla just destroyed Shin Gojira in the heart of Tokyo. I will not have that thing attack Russian soil. You have 24 hours to destroy the substance, or I’ll have you permanently removed and the substance will perish. Do we have an understanding?”

Before the doctor could answer, the screen fell black leaving Dr. Who alone. The elderly man immediately slammed his fist into the table in front of him in frustration. With a deep breath, he let loose his anger and stood.

“Without a doubt.”

------

Two scythes retracted from Ebirah’s stagnant form. An odorous ooze fell from the black dagger-like appendages into the waves below as the crawfish’s killer gradually walked off the back of its fresh kill. Sand burst into the air as the creature touched down before the sound of gunfire filled the air. Rockets detonated across the monster’s form, infuriating the beast.

For three years, the large parasite fought off other monsters, humanity, and his nemesis, the Alpha. In that time, he searched relentlessly for a mate or any other member of its kind to no avail. As the volley of explosives intensified, the creature stood on its back two legs and let loose an unparalleled screech. Its wings extended to reveals its size before it smashed the beach with its front two scythe-like arms. A whirlwind of sand exploded into the air as the weapons of humanity fell silent. The creature’s singular flat red eye watched as the humans within fled their base in terror. A wise move against the male M.U.T.O.

As the terrorists fled, the M.U.T.O. smashed the Red Bamboo base with ease. Metal bent like wet paper against the strength of the creature, exposing the radioactive elements within the base. Fuel rods slid down the beast’s throat by the dozens, satiating its hunger with every bite. As the M.U.T.O. finished feasting upon the nuclear reactor, the beast gradually turned to a small storage facility next to it.

With a simple swipe the roof of the building flew off, revealing a human sized vile of red liquid. Radiation emanated from the container, drawing in the M.U.T.O.’s attention. The beast carefully grabbed the substance and tossed it into its jaws. Red liquid exploded from the vile before the beast gulped it down, allowing its incorruptible digestive system to absorb its radioactive properties.  

The M.U.T.O. scanned the immediate area for any more nuclear materials. The creature ripped open corresponding structures in search of more food merely for a large shadow to overtake it. The M.U.T.O.’s movements slowed as it realized something hovered above it. As the beast looked upward, it discovered not a creation of man or nature. What flew hundreds of feet above the male did not even originate on the very planet the parasite stood upon.

For millennia, the life form within the pear-shaped silver saucer flew across the galaxy in search of an organism to repair its broken DNA. For eons, it searched until it found Earth, and detected the precious DNA it required to once again exist beyond the barriers of its ship. At least, until the pest below consumed it...

Circular concussive waves descended from the flying vessel, striking the M.U.T.O. The base around the creature exploded as the waves continued to slam the beast against the ground, throwing a cloud of dust and sand into the air. As the screeches of the creature below subsided, the vessel ended the attack and made its descent upon the wreckage. Although invisible to the naked eye, energy tentacles laced and weaved through the rubble until it came across the Red Bamboo’s mainframe. Even though it was fried by the M.U.T.O.’s electromagnetic pulse, this did not hinder it in the slightest. All the computers within the Red Bamboo facility booted to life, the damaged and cracked monitors yielded the classified contents of the Japanese terrorists. Well over a googolplex of yottabytes absorbed into the saucer, feeding the entity that thrived within a wealth of information…

For the M.U.T.O., stirring from the impact of the blast, this was a sight to behold. His vision allowed him to see things that humans and mammals could never fully comprehend. Electronic frequencies and radiation stuck out to his kind like a flashing beacon, guiding them to where they needed to be. So while the squabble of survivors only saw the UFO hovering in place, the male could see the entire process. The brilliant orb of light underneath the pear-shaped saucer, the tentacles sipping the digital information in the form of electric currents… It was all so strange to him.

The M.U.T.O. snapped out of his trance. His primal fury returned, ready to retaliate against the spacecraft and press the assault. Although their encounter was brief, he would be more than prepared for the concussive cannon should the ship use it again. Beating his fleshy wings, the parasitic monster charged in flight, raising his scythe-like hooks to slam down against it.

The alien had other plans, though.

Light generated from atop the bump on the UFO, and then just as quickly, discharged a series of shockwaves. Before he could even react, the concussive bursts slammed against the male M.U.T.O., hurtling the airborne creature to the earth below. Withdrawing the tentacles and the information that came with, the saucer ascended.

Processing the data it obtained, the alien could detect the one final reserve of the DNA it so desperately desired; and no earthly creature would halt its rebirth.

-----

Deep under the Pacific Ocean’s waters, an ancient behemoth stirred from its slumber. The legendary creature did not hear the calls of the parasite which eluded its grasp for years, nor did it detect the radiation of humanity’s warfare, but something else… Something that the beast never sensed in his millions of years of existence.

The water shifted as the behemoth began to move, plowing through columns of rocks as it swam toward the new anomaly. The legendary beast, known as Godzilla to the world, did not know what he would find at the end of his trek, but if threatened the world, its existence would be a short one.

Dr. Who marveled at the giant glass cylinder that housed the last remaining blood of Shin Gojira. If it were unleashed, it could topple any conceivable power on the planet, even the one that kept him under his thumb. The doctor looked at the emergency release, his mind raising the possibility of dumping the liquid into the catacombs beneath the research facility where it would surely form Shin Gojira once again. Suddenly, the computer in front of him began to flash, striking Dr. Who’s curiosity. Unable to access the damaged control panel, the doctor let out an annoyed sigh. As he began to walk away, screams of terror echoed throughout the facility. Dr. Who immediately stopped, listening to the painful cries of his staff before he heard the sound of metal tearing.

Black wires slithered into the room, tearing apart the walls they originated from. Dr. Who scrambled back to the control panel as the blood covered wires entered, blocking the only escape route and surrounding the doctor before the wires seemed to focus on the large container behind him.

The wires slid past the insignificant life form and focused on the glowing, crimson container. The alien life form controlling the wires sensed the DNA inside. Finally, after searching for so long it finally could exist again. To exit out of its craft and li—

Dr. Who smashed the emergency release button for the blood of Shin Gojira. The one-ton of liquid vented from its container, the facility shaking as the blood maneuvered through ventilation pipes. In seconds, the liquid disappeared into the catacombs beneath the facility while Dr. Who began to laugh.

“Whatever you are, listen well!” the doctor yelled. “If you want the blood, then you’ll allow me to leave. I am the only person who knows where it is and I’ll ensure you can retrieve it in exchange for my life. Kill me, and you’ll never acquire it!”

The wires encircled Dr. Who, briefly encasing him before they quickly retracted. An arrogant smile took hold of the doctor. He didn’t know what he faced, but this thing would obey his commands. Like all that met him, they all possessed a desire and their greed would allow him to live another day. The doctor began to walk toward the exit before screens across the room flashed to life. Images appeared simultaneously on every computer, revealing schematics of the facility, images of Dr. Who, and the massive mining mech underneath the facility. Dr. Who’s eyes widened with terror and the scientist sprinted for the exit. In seconds, the wires pierced every inch of the human, ripping him to shreds.

The Millennian contemplated its next move as it hovered above the facility in its spacecraft. The blood would flow into a sealed underground compound. To enter this void, it would need to break the frozen earth through the caverns surrounding it. The ship lacked such capabilities, but humanity would provide another. One in the design of a King long since dead by the creatures that plagued the underground void.

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The pipes of the facility melted as the superheated blood of Shin Gojira flowed beneath the frozen compound. The ground around the pipe work steamed, cracking as the liquid made its way deeper before finally ejecting into a sealed chamber. The walls glowed with a blueish hue, blanketing the cave with light and deadly radiation. Immediately, the blood boiled as it basked under the intense radioactive glow, rapidly developing into a nightmare the world could never forget.

Flesh bubbled to the surface while bone aggressively extended from the pool. The blood retracted as a brown skin surrounded it, making way for more animalistic features. Dorsal spines burst from its backside. Large, fish like eyes developed on its head while the beast opened its maw to reveal jagged teeth. Two oversized legs sprouted from the mass, flimsily supported by fin-like feet, while a long tail balanced the creature.

The Element X began to dim, its radioactive properties diminishing as the growing creature absorbed all of its energy, but the beast desired far more. Its eyes then focused on a glowing, red cocoon. With the excess radiation lurking in its body, the beige creature forced itself to adapt and mutate without compromise. The once fin-like feet began to shift, and its body length increased, becoming more land adept. Its feet now resembling more like that of a theropod, Shin Gojira began to move.

Its jaws opened wide. Time to feed.

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Mechani-Kong’s head rose as the Millennian gained full control of Dr. Who’s greatest tool. Its eyes activated as the metal walls in front of the mechanical doppelganger rose. As the steel wall disappeared into the ceiling, Mechani-Kong stared into the depths of hellish landscape in front of him.

Mechani-Kong stood motionless, scanning the catacombs that lay before him. Had the circumstances been any different, the nature of the radioactive Element X’s magnetic disturbances would have fried his interior circuits, rendering him useless. But he was no longer prone to those technological limitations; his systems compromised by the alien, granting Mechani-Kong the capacity to overcome electronic interference. Taking a solid step forward, Mechani-Kong made his descent into caves in search of the DNA its new master craved so desperately.

Thick sheets of snow shuffled as the large, silver gorilla’s feet plowed through. His mechanical workings detected the pitter-patter of scurrying legs slipping through the frost. The darkness of the chamber made it hard for even the mechanical ape to see with utmost clarity.  To fix that, Mechani-Kong’s orbs flashed, illuminating the cavern with an illustrious light. Only for a fraction of a second did the subterranean dwellers, large, lizard-like cretins with a skull-like casing around its pointed muzzle, simultaneous point in the direction of the light before scattering.

Amidst the temporary chaos, Mechani-Kong scanned for the location of the substance that his master demanded. But the examination held little results; the blood wasn’t here. Yet before he could move on, he had to settle with the infestation that bred within these subterranean pockets. The alien controlling the robot could not stand the infestation of life that dwelled on this planet any longer. These creatures, aptly called Skullcrawlers after Monarch’s expedition to Skull Island in the 1970s, would be no different.

The first among the pests, a small one, lunged to kill the mechanical ape.

Pistons locked and gears turned as Mechani-Kong pulled his right arm back, preparing to throw a cross.
The moment the Skullcrawler came into arm’s reach, Mechani-Kong threw his fist out, releasing all the pressure into one, concentrated strike. Upon contact, the fragile bones of the young lizard shattered, even the exoskeleton cracked from the blunt force. Careening to the back wall, the Skullcrawler splattered against it with such force, it was reduced to paste.

The death signaled the others to lunge with fury, the battle was on!

The first wave of Skullcrawlers awkwardly fumbled amongst each other on their two legs in their effort to slay the armored ape. It didn’t take long for three of the lizards to leap upon the emotionless hominid, nor did it take long for Mechani-Kong to backhand two Skullcrawlers to the side of the cavern. The third lashed out its whip-like tongue, constricting it and its body around the mechanical replica of Skull Island’s deity. Under normal conditions, this tactic would have proved more than effective on regular prey. But the dense metal of the ape proved to be different altogether. Slipping his metal fingers around the Skullcrawler’s neck and the base of the tail, Mechani-Kong applied an unyielding pressure that shattered the bones within the lizard’s soft flesh. The reptile loosened its grip, allowing Mechani-Kong to discard its husk.

There were more to deal with.

Another set of four took a low approach, slithering through the frost-covered stalagmites effortlessly. Two of them aimed for the legs, while the other two circled around to crawl up the arms. Mechani-Kong’s sensors picked up on the inbound critters, and calculated his plan of attack. Bringing the right foot up, he didn’t have to wait long for one of the Skullcrawlers to slip underneath the foot’s shadow. With concise timing, the metal-plated foot slammed against the Skullcrawler’s head. The hard exoskeleton exploded with a loud crunch, splattering a mixture of fluids, gray matter, eyeballs, and shrapnel, staining his titanium-enforced leg. Its body initially stiffened from the shock, but fell limp soon after.

The other one found a firm place to clamp down on Mechani-Kong’s left thigh, sinking its inward teeth into the thick, iron skin. Even with all of its might, the Skullcrawler found itself only piercing a marginal amount of plating with every tug. Correspondingly, two latched onto Mechani-Kong’s arms with their claws, alternating hands as they scaled the appendages. Mechani-Kong prioritized the two coming up to his head, but the rest of the pack continued to advance. The two he smashed earlier wrapped themselves around the upper torso and lower legs of the mech, bringing the colossal machine down into the thick layer of snow and rock. An indiscernible amount of Skullcrawlers flooded into the cavern, trying to satiate their eternal hunger with Mechani-Kong’s form.

Although Mechani-Kong’s mechanical nature omitted him from experiencing neural pain, his sensors alerted him of the damages being committed. As the lizard horde slowly and painstakingly stripped the metal from his being, Mechani-Kong’s cybernetic brain and new conscious formulated a plan.

The metal plating that formed Mechani-Kong’s maw unsheathed, revealing a pair of enormous speakers hidden within. Their original purpose served as external speakers for Dr. Who to communicate with, but for the alien, its purpose could be modified. Loud noise echoed from the speakers, ceaselessly bellowing at maximum volume. The Skullcrawlers within range of the ape’s face were taken aback and simultaneously becoming deaf after their developing auditory receptors were destroyed. Those farther from the source were startled, scattering and retreating into the depths of the cavern. And even deeper in, the rest directed their attention to the source.

Then the reverb kicked in.

With the sound bouncing off the back wall, the roar returned and amplified, rattling some of the icy stalactites hanging above. Chaos ensued en masse as the Skullcrawlers trampled over each other in the confusion. With the crafty devils off of him, Mechani-Kong reached for his belt and pulled out a grenade. With precise aim, the mech catapulted it from his hand and into the infestation of lizard creatures. The darkness enveloped by a bright light and a thunderous boom rocked the cavern. The combined force of sweltering heat and powerful shockwaves melted and broke the stalactites and stalagmites. Chaos became havoc as the surviving Skullcrawlers retreated into their burrows in the cavern. Those that didn’t make it were either entirely incinerated or roasted alive, barely holding on to life. The roof of the cavern collapsed in on itself, burying those incapable of escape and allowing light to shine through the bleak darkness. When the dust settled and the noises died, Mechani-Kong immediately began shoveling through the rock and ice in his path with his metal ape-hands. For every rock, every clump of ice, every Skullcrawler corpse, he dug deeper until he found the wall. Backing out of the hole he made, he tossed another grenade into it. Another plume of smoke and fire erupted from the hole, bathing Mechani-Kong’s metal skin with fire. The entire wall caved in, revealing another pocket in this complex catacomb.

But unlike the dark cavern he entered, this chasm was well lit with a bluish light. The rocks in this cave radiated with a beautiful glow, almost hypnotic to gaze upon.

Element X.

And within the same domain, a large, living organism stalked around, observing the mechanical ape ever since he blew the hole in the wall—and by proxy, the hell brought about in the previous chamber.

A Skullcrawler; the big one.

Using the schematics from the facility, the Millennian calculated it needed to blow open the wall behind the new monstrosity to achieve its goal. Even if large, this Skullcrawler would flee like the rest of its kind or die by the machine’s hands. Or perhaps, it could be of use to him.

Wasting no time, the mature Skullcrawler lunged for Mechani-Kong, clamping his inward teeth on the metal-plated shoulders. His body wrapped around the mechanical ape’s upper torso, crushing it with immense strength, denting the armor. Mechani-Kong needed to act fast; he would be torn to shreds if he waited a second longer.

Atop Mechani-Kong’s head, a small, pinkish light blazed to life. Its hypnotic luminance caught the eyes of the large Skullcrawler. The metal plates unsheathed to reveal the speakers, emanating static. It would fall deaf on human ears, but the kaiju crushing the mech took notice Following orders, the Skullcrawler loosened his grip and let Mechani-Kong go, still entranced by the light.

Thousands of feet above the ground, the Male M.U.T.O. hunted. It did not seek to consume its target, but bring vengeance on its attacker. Instinct countered this move, a force that subconsciously instructed the beast to retreat, but what would be the point? For years he merely survived with no purpose and for the first time, it held a goal within its reach. The challenge excited the M.U.T.O. to its very core.

Sound waves echoed from the parasite, allowing the beast to track its attacker using echolocation while using the dark clouds above as cover. As he realized the UFO now floated beneath him, the M.U.T.O. fell into free fall.

No sound emanated from its descent. The M.U.T.O. ensured of this as it zeroed in on its target. The beast dived through the upper layers of clouds before bursting forth to discover a bright, golden light. The parasite immediately spun to the right, evading a golden beam of concussive power. The clouds behind the beast parted from the shockwave allowing light to shine off the spaceship below. The M.U.T.O. let loose an irritated crackle, unsure how the ship sensed him coming, but it wouldn’t matter in a few seconds!

The M.U.T.O. closed in on its target, red lines glowing across its scythe like appendages. The spacecraft charged another focused blast, the port on its side shining with unfathomable amounts of power. Scanning its opponent, the vessel could detect the conversion of radiation into electromagnetism—something that, if left be, could affect its operations and mobility. To prevent this from happening, the pear-shaped craft fired off the golden beam of concussive energy. Once more, the winged parasite swirled around the blast, narrowly avoiding it. The gap between the two closed drastically. Bringing up his glowing hook-like arm, the M.U.T.O. prepared to slam it against the extraterrestrial ship.

The Millennian vessel was quick to counter this. The bump atop its shape burst with waves of concussive shockwaves, throwing the Male M.U.T.O. into a spiraling, downward free fall. The attack ripped through the thick, gray clouds, allowing the Male to discover the ice-covered land and the vastness of the cold ocean below them. Fluttering his wings to regain his air equilibrium, the Male circled around to gain momentum. During the fall, he had lost focus on generating an EMP, a technique originally employed for far-distance communication with others of his kind. But it seemed that in this new age, the EMP could be used offensively against the flying constructs of man, just like what he faced today! Directing his internal radiation through his long appendages, the right hook blared red with the conversion of radiation into electromagnetism. He hoped to clap his outer arms together, igniting the EMP as he had done in the past.

But lo, for not all would come to fruition.

Dropping from the sky with little turbulence, the Millennian ship halted when it reached the M.U.T.O.’s altitude, banking a hard left and driving straight into the parasite’s sternum. A pained and irritated series of chirps escape from the winged creature, all the while the UFO pressed onward. They were falling at a slope, and would inevitably hit the earth and snow. The port hosting the cannon illuminated with a golden hue, indicating a soon to be quick death for the M. U. T. O. if he did not act fast.

As the seconds tick, the Millennian’s software analyzed this organism’s cellular structure. There were some quirks and benefits if this was chosen as their genetic template. The hard armor, echolocation, and electromagnetic pulse could serve some use. With these powers, it could easily render the technology of this world utterly useless, allowing it to roam unabated. The only drawback from taking from this organism, as is the case with nearly all other life forms on this planet, is the lack of the magnificent miracle it needed. While Earth hosted many animals more than capable of tissue regeneration, very few of them could have the power to repair its broken DNA, having lost their individual forms in eons past.

But even more than that, from all the extracted data, it understood the miracle that Shin Gojira was. A creature that could adapt to an environment through self-mutation and perform vast regeneration at a pace no Earthly creature could match.

Why waste time absorbing from many different creatures, when all it needed was a template that would allow it to bend the rules for its own gain?

Even with the pain pressuring on his sternum, the Male M.U.T.O. kept his sense of composure and focus. He hadn’t lost the EMP generating in his arm. With death’s door seemingly imminent, there was no time to process how things would turn out. He needed to act now, or die. Lifting his glowing arm up once more, he didn’t hesitate for a moment.

The cannon readied for discharge.

The fragile wall leading to the next chamber didn’t even need a grenade to push through. Shoveling his hands through the ice and rock with effortless ease, a gaping hole in the wall allowed Mechani-Kong to peer within the darkened room. Although trace amounts of Element X lingered, it was almost all but absorbed.

Even before shining light from his bulbous eyes, the dull illumination of Element X and some faint bioluminescence helped shed light on what stirred inside the chamber. Inside the chasm a large, eight-armed monstrosity, layered in a viscous fluid,lit up by the narrow, red visor for eyes and an orange-yellow hue from her abdominal region. Beneath one of her hook-like claws a creature, a strange monster half its size and reminiscent to a moray eel with digitigrade legs and maple-leaf dorsal fins, lingered. It sprawled under her wrath, and would have been as good as dead had the wall not suddenly collapsed.

When Mechani-Kong’s eyes burst with illustrious light, it revealed more of the scenario at hand. Behind the M.U.T.O. was her chrysalis, broken and in ruin. Evidently, Shin Gojira suffered mortal wounds, oozing with hot blood and steam. Its mouth was lined with remnants of the M.U.T.O.’s cocoon, which painted the perfect mental image in Mechani-Kong’s digital consciousness.

For a brief moment, the ape’s system abruptly halted before rebooting back to normality. Although the Millennian’s upgrades had allowed Mechani-Kong to be impervious to Element X’s magnetism in normal circumstances, the magnetic properties in conjuncture with the M.U.T.O.’s EMP tested the limits of Mechani-Kong’s enhancements. Had he been shut off for any longer, the induced hypnotic state of the big Skullcrawler would have worn off. Fortunately, this was not the case.

The Female peered at Mechani-Kong, growling with contempt. It was bad enough that a pest had tried to eat her from within her resting place, but now two more had come!She took note of the primate’s unique signature; it was clearly inorganic by nature. Not only that, she could see electronic tentacles phasing through the walls, tethered to the machine, like a puppet. Much to her delight, the gleaming hominid began to take several steps back, away from her. The other lizard-like one just stood still. She chattered at them as a warning cry. Any closer and she would not hesitate to fight them. When Mechani-Kong stopped, his mouthpiece opened to reveal the speakers. Emitting white noise, his orders were clear to the Skullcrawler.

Attack.

The Skullcrawler made a mad dash toward her. Deciding to feed on its carcass later, the Female M.U.T.O. swiped the small Shin Gojira aside, hitting the wall and burying the mutation under a pile of large rocks and siphoned Element X crystals. Bringing her two large outer arms up, she raked at the large Skullcrawler to keep him at bay. The sharp, hook-like claws scraped against the bony exoskeleton of the lizard’s muzzle, keeping the Skullcrawler away as predicted. But the lizard-like creature had a different tactic up its sleeve.

Throwing his long tail out, it wrapped around the Female’s two large left arms, binding them together. With immense flexibility, the rest of the Skullcrawler’s body lunged toward her with precise accuracy. Before she even had time to protect herself, the big one’s mouth opened wide, clamping around her windpipe. Any and all movement only resulted in the inward teeth sinking in deeper, putting her life at stake. The reptile devil’s left hand firmly clutched on the upper arm near her head, cracking the viscous armor. The right hand navigated its way toward her glowing sack, hosting her brood, hoping to slice it open with his claws. But the M.U.T.O.’s small, inner arms grasped onto the incoming threat, protecting herself in any way she could.

A hard exoskeleton slammed against the smooth surface of an alien metal. An electromagnetic interference burst from the hook-like claw, now losing the vibrant, red bioluminescence. A pulse ran over the two, and electromagnetism reverberated within the alien spacecraft. Losing all of its functions, the light source from the port cannon diminished and the tentacles dissipated. Its speed decelerated drastically, and then lost its aerial prowess. The M.U.T.O.’s punch sent the vessel flipping down, with nothing to help it regain balance. Only the sloshing of liquids within the vessel could be heard as it made its silent descent into the cold, merciless ocean.

Although the M.U.T.O. fared better, he was in no state to claim aerial dominance. The momentum from his attack brought the Male flipping frontward, losing nearly any chance of him stabilizing. Although this awkward motion allowed him to drag himself out of his original trajectory, his vain attempts at regaining flight proved to be naught.

With enough airtime to rotate and land on his greater arms and legs, the actual impact proved to be rough. Pressure built from terminal velocity weighed down on him, forcing him to nearly collapse on the rocky shores. The explosion of rock and shallow, iced water erupted from the landing area. After standing idly from the shock, the Male folded his wings and trekked inland.

Clicking with his tongue, the M.U.T.O. investigated the premises via echolocation. The nearby vibrations told him that intense activity brewed beneath the ground. Feeling the earth with his outer arms, he honed in on the fight ensuing beneath him. The beast prepared to take flight,unconcerned with the battle until something else caught his attention.

Slight creaks from under the earth. Familiar, yet deranged as if its source wasn’t communicating, but screaming! The M.U.T.O. curiosity took hold once more and he searched for a path into the void below before he found the very spot he needed.

Mounds of rock and dirt piled up from an underground force. The first among them poked its head out, with its narrow, skull-encased muzzle and diminutive size. A pink tongue flicked from its snout, letting the crisp, brutally cold air alert its senses that it’s no longer confined to the warmth of the catacombs. The lizard-like creature gasped for fresh air, even if the contrast in temperature made it uncomfortable to even breathe.
Then more began to pop up.

----

Nick paused as his cursor moved across a subtle link. With a swift click, a diagram formed of an abomination formed from Shin’s genes. Sonar scans from nearby Russian subs revealed the alien’s rapid growth through multiple forms. Images of the beast were caught, and while similar to Shin, Nick easily spotted the differences. The mutations arms were massive with three long claws for hands. Shin’s bloated legs were slimmed to allow faster movement while a large hump protruded from the beast’s left shoulder. Nick easily understood the new name for the creature as this beast was not Shin Gojira or the alien, but a new organism to challenge the world.

“Shin Orga huh?” Nick noted while glancing at the few last pages of the report. “Well then, let’s see how you ended the world.”

Artur Beach, Vladivostok – October 31, 2017

The tooting blare of sirens rang throughout Vladivostok. Its denizens flooded the streets and intersections, trampling over each other just to escape. The bay rattled with constant explosions, fire encompassing all within its path. Windows shattered from the immense force detonating while people’s screams were drowned out, blood flowing from their ears. For an hour the barrage lasted until a purple light engulfed the Russian military, navy and air force. A new inferno engulfed the edges of the bay where the military forces once stood, a blaze unable to hide the insidious organism which made landfall on Vladivostok’s shores and the UFO hovering just above it.

The mutation towered over all as it stood upon the city’s peninsula. Immobile, yellow eyes scanned the fiery landscape as the mutation turned its head to gaze upon its destruction. It remembered the constructs of man and the machines they used. How their weapons were useless against its impenetrable hide. The city in front of him would be the first of many to fall. His rule was absolute and he would finally judge mankind for their sins. Humanity only needed time to comprehend its superiority.

Shin Orga took a step upon the world, shaking the very city with its challenge as the dominator of all. As a tremor shook the mutation, the beast stopped in its tracks. Shin’s head gradually turned, glancing toward a reflective object in the distance.

Yellow sparks cascaded from the shattered UFO while smoke billowed from the impact crater. Two scythe like arms retracted from the crippled alien construct, allowing the ship’s controller to discover the vessel’s destroyer. With a flap of its wings, the M.U.T.O. lunged atop a nearby skyscraper; a parasite testing the patience of mankind’s executioner.

The Male’s wings flexed, its scythe like appendages slammed against the building it rested upon and the M.U.T.O. echoed a war cry to the abomination, which noticed its existence. Did the mutation think it would escape? Did it think he would allow it to live for killing the only other of its kind? For the last two days, the Male tracked its movements, waiting for the mutation to finally exit from the ocean’s depths to face him. Even if it stood as tall at the Alpha, it would be slain;there was no other option for the mutation.

The Male rocketed forward, destroying the building he rested upon from the shockwaves, and flew toward Shin Orga. The parasite stayed low, a sonic trail rattling the streets below him as it prepared to assault the abomination. Yet as he approached, Shin Orga remained still. Its body unflinching even as the parasite spun and slammed its two feet into the mutation.

The Male spun atop the mutation, grabbing ahold of its spines and using them to pelt the backside of Shin Orga with its scythe like appendages. A dozen strikes struck the abomination’s neck, each with all the force the Male could muster, but as the M.U.T.O. took a moment to catch its breath, it found no wounds from its assault.  The parasite looked up in surprise merely to discover a singular eye staring at him, unfazed by the winged creature’s attack.

The Male let loose an irritated screech and thrusted his right arm toward Shin Orga’s eye. As the appendage reached inches in front of the unmoving nerve, Shin Orga’s tail slammed the parasite into the earth beside him. A wall of earth skyrocketed upward, shrouding the Male for a few moments until it burst forth once more with fury. Shin Orga’s oversized claws collided with the parasite, backhanding the creature through a series of man-made structures. The male’s movement ended as its body struck the sides of an orthodox church, its bell falling and striking the head of the parasite.

A daze overtook the M.U.T.O., its body pulsating with agony, but to its own surprise, the parasite forced itself to its stand. A war cry echoed from its maw, a testament to the Male’s unrelenting drive against the abomination before it.

Shin Orga’s eyes remained unchanged from the act. No matter how persistent, an insect could not harm him, not in his perfected state. Why it would not accept this, Shin Orga could not understand. But maybe it would recognize its futility with a demonstration.

A bright, purplish glow overtook the crimson hue of Shin Orga. Its body hunched over, its maw parting to prepare for the energy that would soon discharge from its form while his shoulder sparked with power. Energy swirled within the opening of Shin Orga’s hump, entrancing the M.U.T.O. for a brief moment. From Shin Orga’s unhinged maw, a fleshy, bulbous protrusion emerged. Then the second mouth, unfurling like a blossoming flower and tipped with feelers, unleashed a shockwave burst of gas from Shin Orga’s jaws.

The exhaust encompassed all, overtaking every man-made structure within the city’s limits. The black gas infiltrated the underground tunnels, homes, and lungs of all stragglers within the city. The Male at first stood strong against the gas, flapping its wings to steady itself, but soon its own lungs were filling with the substance. The parasite took the air, halting its ascendance a hundred meters above the gas until Shin Orga fired its shoulder canon where the parasite once resided.

As the ball of concussive, atomic energy struck the ground, the gas instantly burst hundreds of meters into the sky. A grand purple light glowed within the uplifted substance before the smoke burst into an inferno. Waves of fire reaching hundreds of meters in height burst forth in every direction, easily overtaking the M. U. T. O. The blaze vaporized all within its path, even overcoming Shin Orga for a few moments in its destructive output. When the waves of fire fell upon the earth, small fires surged around Shin Orga as he scanned the purified landscape. Nothing remained, as expected…

A sudden cold surge from his toes prompted the hybrid to look downward to discover water, dozens of meters high, flowing from behind him. The fires he created just moments ago were rapidly extinguished, darkening the landscape. As a tremor shook Shin Orga, the abomination turned its head to the left. Its eye focused on Godzilla who now stood before him ready to engage in combat.

For a few moments, Shin Orga continued to stare at the beast with contempt. In another life, Godzilla proved successful in silencing him, but unlike before, he would not stand stagnant. Shin Aerologists faced Godzilla, an annoyed growl resonating from its jaws. If he needed to kill the behemoth to prove its superiority, then he would reluctantly oblige. 

With a fierce right swipe, Godzilla initiated the assault. Claws grazed upon Shin Orga’s armored skin, illuminated with sparks and flashes. Although claw marks were left in its wake, it proved not enough to pierce the obsidian-like flesh and draw blood. Before Godzilla could press on with another slash, Shin Orga’s enlarged fingers wrapped around Godzilla’s shoulders and side. The fingers applied immense pressure in an effort to crush the legendary titan’s rocky armor.

Pushing forward, the magnificent life form shoved the apex predator, Godzilla’s soles dragging along the charred pavement. Black dust and water kicked up for every step the organism took or for each passing moment it pushed the ancient reptile. Godzilla sneered, willing to test his own might. Planting his trunk-like feet firmly into the ruins, Godzilla gripped his claws onto Shin Orga’s hand. Summoning his legendary strength, Godzilla began to propel against his opponent’s force, turning the battle into a war of attrition; to see who would tire first.

A harsh breathing escaped from between Shin Orga’s many teeth, specs of purple energy releasing with every breath. The abomination opened its maw, its lower mandibles splitting apart and the protrusion sprouting out. The mutation’s crimson covered body turned into a translucent, purple hue that illuminated the darkest recesses of its form with a shimmering light.

Godzilla immediately sensed the building radiation, memories of past battles flashing before its eyes. Whether against the M.U.T.O., Shinomura, or other past terrors, he knew a horrifying attack awaited him if he did not react. A brilliant blue flash illuminated from the leviathan’s tail, hastily traveling up his jagged fins.

Orga was ready, but Godzilla fired first.

A volley of atomic napalm exploded from the behemoth’s maw and traveled straight into Shin Orga’s exposed mouth. Any screams of agony were muffled by the flames inhabiting his palate. More than that, a disgusting pop shot through Shin Orga’s mouth, with black smoke, hot fire, and gallons of blood following soon after. Had it not been for the incredible resilience of his outer shell, he would have lost his head from the explosion of atomic energy within his throat. But even that couldn’t have saved the burnt and ruptured throat from the contained explosion. The large fingers unraveled and let Godzilla go as ShinOrga backed off to allow his inner workings to recuperate the damage done. For the prehistoric reptile, he would use this opportunity to get in what he could.

Thrusting his upper body, Godzilla charged at Orga and tackled right into him. Toppling over to the earth below, Shin Orga found himself on his side, with his shoulder cannon unable to hit its target. The super regenerative properties would not take long to restore him to full health, but every moment counted. The mutation tried to support himself back to his feet with his oversized hands, but Godzilla’s firmly pressed foot kept the abomination pinned to the ground. The ancient reptile curled his lips, baring his teeth and growling with frustration. He would finish this, and see it through to the end.

Suddenly, Shin Orga’s body began to shine a brilliant mauve. The light blinded Godzilla, but the Alpha kept pressure on his heel. He was clear of any chance of the atomic ray striking him, so what was…

A surge of fiery agony forced a painful shrill to escape from Godzilla’s lungs as a purple laser lanced into his posterior armor. Gritting his teeth, Godzilla tripped over Shin Orga’s prone form and collapsed onto the ruins beneath him. Trying to discern the source of the blast, Godzilla turned his head and relied on his peripheral vision. At first, he misattributed it as another life form who intervened on ShinOrga’s behalf, only to realize that wasn’t the case. The perpetrator had actually been the lithe tail!

The lengthy appendage, tipped with an unprotected cluster of meat and bones, charged with the same purple hue of Shin Orga’s body. With no wait, the appendage fired another narrow beam, scourging Godzilla with streaks of atomic light; each one forcing Godzilla to cry out in pain. Seeing Godzilla suffer pleased Shin Orga greatly. Supporting himself to his feet, Shin Orga began to assail the downed behemoth with a series of beams and blasts from his maw and tail tip. For every hit Godzilla took, he would lose a piece of his armor, his skin blackening from the onslaught.

The only thing that kept Godzilla from being skinned alive by atomic projectiles was a sudden pinch to Shin Orga’s nerves, originating from the tail’s tip. Part of Shin Orga knew that it lurked behind him the entire time, all thanks to his phased-array radar which naturally emanated from his form. But to challenge him again, even after witnessing its superiority…

Atomic fire continued to scorch Godzilla’s hide while Shin stared blankly at the Alpha. He never expected the parasite to attack him in this fashion, even when in the middle of using his atomic rays, but would it change anything? Against him, the M.U.T.O. couldn’t posse any challenge. A fly angrily trying to defy a god. 

The intense radioactive heat burnt and dried out the saliva in the M.U.T.O.’s mouth, but he cared little of how much it hurt. He sunk his teeth deeper into the relatively unarmored part of Shin Orga’s body, caring little of the risk of death or impairment.  Red blood infused with purple energy began to seep out from the wound, and even more flowed out by the passing second. Then as the parasite pulled back with all of his might, the M.U.T.O. tore off a chunk of flesh! Consuming the pieces and flapping his fleshy wings, the Male darted away from the tail and began to circle around Shin Orga.

The M.U.T.O. held no strong inclination to save the life of the Alpha. As far as he was concerned, Godzilla would always signify the unrelenting hunter that nearly killed him over a dozen times through the years. The leviathan tried to end his existence on the world, always barely failing, but the abomination succeeded in taking his reason for existence and with it, a fury coursed through the Male. He could not fight to protect his kind, and after witnessing the female perish, he could no longer retreat in the hopes of a better future. Instinct fell to the wayside as rage led the M.U.T.O. to war. It would either die to the abomination or to his nemesis!

Amidst his blind rage, the Male M.U.T.O.’s hook-claw flashed a brilliant red, charging an EMP. Closing the gap faster than what Shin Orga initially predicted, the glowing claw found its mark smack-dab on the head of the alien amalgamate. Despite the Male putting his all into it, it did no physical harm against the thick armor.  The electromagnetic burst that detonated, however, found another target.

The mutation’s neural network, a sixth sense developed to alert the beast on incoming threats, burst with activity at every nerve ending. A wave of static flowed across Shin Orga’s form, immediately overloading his phased-array radar. Sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell disappeared from Shin Orga for a few seconds, its brain overwhelmed from the feedback of its defensive system.

The Male hadn’t realized the nature of his actions, nor could he fully comprehend them. But what he did understand directed him to attack!

Lunging himself onto Shin Orga’s form, the M.U.T.O. crawled atop the mutant beast’s head. Using his inner arms, the parasite reached for Shin Orga’s yellow eyes. Even in his stunned state, hardened, silver membranes reactively protected the eyes from any damage. But this wouldn’t stop the parasite. Prying the protection membranes of the mutation’s left eye open with his hook-like fingers, the M.U.T.O. lunged its arms toward the nerve. The abomination’s senses returned in time to discover an unfathomable agony from its left eye. Shin Orga elicited an agonizing scream that echoed across the battlefield.

Even while the alien shrieked, the M.U.T.O. pressed the assault. The winged creature repeatedly slammed his longer claws, each one discharging an EMP, disorienting Shin Orga even more so. He needed time to recalibrate his defensive system, but Male wouldn’t relent. Fortunately, he didn’t need his senses to destroy the M.U.T.O.

Shin Orga redirected his atomic energies from his mouth down through his body, traveling down the spinal radiation organ and the fins and through the tail. The unarmored cluster at the tail tip pointed in the general direction of the Male M.U.T.O., surging with atomic power. But alas, it was this sudden spike in radiation that caught the M.U.T.O.’s attention. With only a moment to spare, the winged cretin pushed off of Shin Orga’s head and steered clear from Orga’s surprise attack.

Still holding the purple glow, Shin Orga’s dorsal fins and spinal radiation flashed with an even brighter illumination than previously as he redirected the unused power. When the M.U.T.O. realized what was to transpire, there was little room for error. From nearly twenty different points along his backside, Shin Orga discharged photon columns. The strength of the beams proved to be weaker than the lasers from the mouth, cannon, or tail, but they were not to be trifled with. The Male diverted his direction and tucked himself beneath his wings. The beast spun through the onslaught of beams, only allowing the purple rays to graze him. As the parasite recovered, he flew to gain a higher elevation against his foe.

The photons dissipated from the abomination’s fins as Shin Orga slowly reverted back to the bright, crimson hue, its secondary mouth receding inward. The beast raised its right arm, a slight cracking sound emanating from his joint as it moved, attracting the mutation’s attention. Even with the alien’s DNA, his body could not withstand its own power… With a growing sense of frustration, the black giant observed the M.U.T.O.’s flight path with a regenerated left eye. Moving on his large, stocky legs, Shin Orga headed toward the Male M.U.T.O.
To Shin Orga’s displeasure, the insect proved more trouble than he foresaw, but it would perish none the less. If bathing the insect in atomic fire would not suffice, he would enact a different approach.

A shriek escaped from the super organism, calling for the M.U.T.O.’s attention. The winged parasite noticed its call, and his vision detected the lack of radioactive intensity. The assurance however did not halt any of the Male’s fears. He couldn’t underestimate the mutation for a second, or risk certain death, but to kill the abomination, he could not pass such an opening. If there was a small chance the mutation would pull a fast one, it would be nothing the M.U.T.O. couldn’t avoid with his maneuverability. His mind certain, the Male redirected himself toward the mutated abomination once more.

Shin Orga observed the winged creature change course toward him, determined to tear him to shreds.

Perfect.

As the parasite neared, the enormous, wormy tail of Shin Orga slammed against the little that remained of Vladivostok. Simultaneously, Shin Orga performed a small hop. With his body supported by the thick base of the tail, the organism brought his extended right arm downward.

The immense force behind Orga’s mass cracked some of the Male’s exoskeleton and bones, violently thrusting him out of flight as it screeched in surprise. As the M.U.T.O. crashed into the earth, creating a trail of destruction in its wake, Shin Orga descended onto the ground.  Part of the alien mutation wanted to rush at the downed parasite, to crush it beneath its heels; but that would have to be put on hold. His recalibrated radar detected a determined foe that also needed to learn his place in the mutation’s new world.

Shin Orga gradually turned around to face his opponent merely to discover the beast charging toward him. Even after being torched and some of his armor stripped, Godzilla moved with unparalleled ferocity. The judge of man shrieked a war cry and began a slow trek toward the leviathan. With every passing step, Shin Orga’s increased his movement speed, determined to tackle the Alpha down. Godzilla had other plans.

Twisting his body around at the last second, the ancient reptile whipped around his massive tail. As ShinOrga approached, the momentum applied to Godzilla’s tail began to carry its immense weight. Finally, in one fell swoop, Godzilla slammed the heavyset tail against the charging Orga! A sickening crack ruptured from Shin Orga’s right arm and all across his side, spraying the landscape with fragmented pieces of armor. The mutation skidded across the battlefield, a trail of dust rattling behind him, but the beast would not fall.

Godzilla sneered in anger, a low growl echoing from its jaws as it once again charged. In seconds, the distance between the pair disappeared and Godzilla snapped its jaws across the abomination’s right arm. Teeth pierced the cracked armor, drawing the first ounce of blood from Shin Orga who bellowed a mighty cry of agony.
If the Alpha wished to inflict pain, Shin Orga could return it in kind!

The mutation’s body amplified with movement, the anguish fueling an energy Shin Orga rarely displayed. The abomination’s jaws parted, its mandibles flexing, allowing it to clamp down upon Godzilla’s neck. Claws pierced the impaired armor of Godzilla, drawing a low cry from the leviathan, but it refused to let go. Its own arms grasped Shin’s arms in return and using all the strength he could muster, Godzilla snapped his jaws.

Shin Orga’s body left the ground for a few brief moments, soaring over Godzilla until the ancient behemoth slammed the mutation against the ruins of Vladivostok. Ash, smoke and dust clouded the King of the Monsters vision, but he didn’t need to see his opponent to twist his jaws again and pull upward. A sickening snap reverberated across the destroyed city, and as Godzilla retreated backward, between his jaws lay the right arm of Shin Orga, spilling crimson blood onto the battlefield.

The howl of an infuriated creature echoed from the smoke, a sphere of purple concussive energy following the cry. Too slow to evade, the ball of superheated energy struck Godzilla’s chest, engulfing the behemoth and launching him backward for hundreds of meters. As Godzilla came to a grinding halt, he refocused on the threat recovering underneath a layer of floating ash.

Deep breathes exited the leviathan. His muscles ached. His skin still sizzled from the atomic hellfire breathed upon him while fresh blood now flowed down his neck from a ripped piece of flesh the mutation tore off. To the beast’s dismay, Godzilla awaited Shin Orga’s resurgence onto the battlefield, hoping to discover his enemy crippled. As the smoke cleared, Godzilla found only horror.  

Shin Orga arose from the smoke uninterested in Godzilla, its eyes now scanning its own body in fascination. Once torn asunder, the mutation’s right arm flexed from a fresh regeneration; however, no longer did it resemble long claws but shorter, multi-finger appendages like that of his opponent. Across his backside, spines contorted to resembled blades while its tail reduced in size and lost its jagged end. Most importantly, Shin Orga returned its attention to its arms where it discovered the cracked armor somewhat repaired.

Shin Orga could not explain why, but as it felt the flesh of Godzilla dissipate down its throat, it realized the source of its newest evolution. If he could acquire more, then no longer would he fear imprisonment. No longer would he worry about the limitations even his body could not adapt to. With the DNA of Godzilla, his superiority would be assured. With an unquenchable thirst, Shin Orga charged toward the source of its immortality.

The red line across the Male’s face surged with energy as he awakened from his slumber. Agony flared across his body from his sustained injuries, but the parasite pressed on. With resistance from his aching appendages, the creature pulled itself upright to discovert he ensuring battle.

Godzilla and Shin Orga clashed, each monster striking the other with claw, tooth and tail. Neither retreated from the either. Each trying to gain the upper hand in their battle, even for the briefest moment. Blood spilled from both nuclear creatures in their respective duel, yet as Shin Orga’s rapidly healed, Godzilla’s continued to bleed. Almost in unison, the creature’s unleashed their own atomic breath at point blank range. The orange radioactive stream enveloped Shin Orga while Godzilla’s own atomic breath consumed himself. Both disappeared in a cloud of radioactive fire which soon detonated with unimaginable power.

Each titan launched away from the other in the ensuing blast, propelling Godzilla past the M.U.T.O. into a nearby river. Water rocketed upward, hiding Godzilla for a few brief seconds. Through sheer willpower, Godzilla arose to witness Shin Orga stand in its own sea of orange flames. Mustering his strength, Godzilla pulled himself out of the waters. Half of his reptilian face had been charred by Shin Orga’s relentless assault, alongside the rest of his body. His breathing erratically occurred, suffering every time he inhaled. His piercing orange eyes opened to stare down his relentless foe, but a movement from the corner of its eye took its focus for a brief moment. Godzilla stared at the M.U.T.O. The parasite looked back at him with his red visor-like eyes and saw something he hadn’t seen before.

His nemesis, a beast of legendary strength and determination, beaten to a point of no comparison.

Nothing except pure willpower allowed Godzilla to keep standing. Never had the M.U.T.O. seen the Alpha in such a state of desperation. Crippled, exhausted, but a look of defiance in its eyes. A creature ready to fight until it could no longer draw breath against a foe he held no chance of defeating.

A purple explosion from Godzilla’s right leg suddenly drew the M.U.T.O.’s attention away, forcing the parasite to lunge away as the mighty leviathan fell before him. The city shook from the titan’s collapse. A wave of ash burst forth from the impact zone while debris flew in every direction. A weary growl emanated from Godzilla’s jaws as blood and bone flowed from its crippled right knee cap. The behemoth for a brief moment used its remaining strength to push itself upward, but as it collapsed back to the ground, Godzilla let loose a defeated breath.

He could not stand. He could not win…

Shin Orga celebrated its victory with a resounding roar, one that all of Siberia could hear. All that remained to challenge him scurried around the fallen Alpha like the insect it was and it could do him no real harm. With Godzilla out of the picture, Shin Orga would be left unopposed. He would judge mankind for their sins, and he would prove to the world the presence of a god incarnate. The M. U. T. O. would be the first to receive its wrath.

A consistent tremor shook the M.U.T.O., one signifying an impending death, but his attention remained on Godzilla. The leviathan’s eyes were devoid of the defiance that flared just moments ago. Now they watched Shin Orga approach, awaiting an end to life that spanned millions of years.

A crimson glow caught the attention of Godzilla and Shin Orga, causing both to turn to the Male as it rose both of its arms. Radiation funneled into both appendages, overflowing the natural limits of the M.U.T.O.’s usual burst. With all its strength, the Male slammed its arms into the ground. An electromagnetic pulse exploded outward, freezing Shin Orga in its tracks once more, but the Male refused to focus on the mutation. Instead, a constant war cry echoed toward Godzilla.

How could the Alpha surrender? Could it not move? Breath? Then surely it would fight! Even the female, alone and outnumbered, fought on to the last breath! Defying its killers until death finally overtook it. As long as he could move, the M.U.T.O. wouldn’t give in either and like hell would Godzilla!

The Male jumped atop the fallen behemoth, hooking its front scythes around the Alpha’s large spines. The look of defeat that once possessed Godzilla immediately disappeared from the parasite’s actions and rage fired back, a roar aimed at the M.U.T.O. that crawled across its spines. Godzilla snapped his jaws at the parasite merely for a gust of wind from the creature’s wings to pull the leviathan upward. To balance itself, Godzilla slammed his right leg down, a shockwave of pain immediately causing the leg to give way before another gust of wind brought the creature upright again.

Godzilla balanced itself, placing immense pressure on its left leg and turned its head to look at the M.U.T.O., noticing the creature struggling to keep the behemoth upright. A sudden yank forced Godzilla forward onto his right leg, an angry growl echoing from its jaws, but as the behemoth took another step the beast used the rage to endure. One after the other, Godzilla gained in momentum, and the M.U.T.O. increased its wings’ movements.

Color returned to Shin Orga’s yellow eyes, but as his sight focused, it discovered the charging form of Godzilla and the M.U.T.O. A screech of surprise echoed from Shin Orga’s jaws as Godzilla slammed his left leg into frozen earth, thrusting himself forward as the Male catapulted onto the mutation’s backside.

Godzilla clamped his jaws onto the abominations throat, piercing the thick hide while his arms grabbed ahold of Shin’s appendages. Using the mutation for leverage, Shin Orga bent forward as Godzilla held the beast in place, allowing the M.U.T.O. to crawl unabated onto Shin Orga’s backside.  

The parasite hammered its scythe like arms across the red flesh between Shin Orga’s dorsal spines, spewing molten blood in all directions. Holes formed as rapidly as they healed, drawing more liquid with every puncture, but the parasite knew this wouldn’t suffice. He needed a vital organ, muscle or something! The parasite lifted its right arm, aiming for an open sore merely for a shadow to overcome him. The winged beast glanced upward merely to discover Shin Orga’s tail as it smashed against the Male’s right wing.

The parasite cried in anguish as a few spines of ShinOrga burst through the wing, distracting Godzilla long enough for Shin Orga to break his right arm free and plunge his claws into the leviathan’s gills. Blood flowed down the behemoth’s neck, but Godzilla refused to let go even as blood began to spill into his lungs.

Shin Orga watched both monsters struggle in vain against him. Didn’t they both understand, they were inferior! No pitiful action would halt him from silencing them both! 

Shin Orga’s tail snapped backward, gaining momentum as it prepared to strike the M.U.T.O. again. The parasite plunged its arms into Shin Orga’s backside in defiance, causing the mutation to roar agony as it brought its tail back down upon the Male. A dark shadow overtook the M.U.T.O., but the winged creature would not fall!

A large gust of wind propelled the parasite skyward, barely dodging the tail strike as the appendage slammed against Shin Orga’s spines, impaling it on the mutation’s lower backside. Crimson blood poured around the abomination’s feet as a roar of agony echoed into the heavens. As the M.U.T.O. descended, it brought its scythes down, imbedding them deep into the crimson flesh beneath two dorsal spines. The ends of the claws turned within the mutation, clutching the boney protrusions. 

The M.U.T.O. swayed side to side, yanking the dorsal spines with all its might. The boney protrusions cracked, splintered and finally gave way, allowing blood to explode like a volcanic reaction. With a clear opening, the Male tossed the fractured spines and drove his right arm into the mutation’s backside. The appendage pierced through ShinOrga with ease, but the Male couldn’t feel the piercing of any organ, just the endless flow of molten blood. A screech of annoyance echoed from the parasite as it removed its arm and studied the opening.

Was this creature truly nothing except radioactive blood? With no organ to impair what could he puncture to kill…

Shin Orga’s crimson hued body sparked with radiation, converting the beast to a purple glow. Sparks began to cascade across its undamaged spines while its shoulder canon and maw summoned atomic fire in preparation to vaporize his enemies. No longer would he allow them to desecrate his presence. They both would burn in an atomic burst.

The M.U.T.O. glanced to Godzilla, noticing that even as the leviathan watched Shin Orga prepare to unleash its atomic fury, he wouldn’t let go. The Male screeched in support, reaffirming he would not go either, but with little options what could he do?

The Male couldn’t impale the mutation’s brain, its skin in all areas except its backside proved too strong. Even when penetrated, it held no weak point in the region. The M.U.T.O. glanced to the slowly regenerating hole, watching the continuous liquid pool from the opening. The radioactive lifeblood which fueled…

The M.U.T.O. screeched from the epiphany and crawled toward the opening. Without any hesitation, the parasite dove its head into the wound, plunging its face into Shin Orga’s molten blood.

Shin Orga felt a strange sensation across his backside, and immediately unleashed atomic fire. A neon blast of atomic energy scorched Godzilla’s hide while the hump on the mutation’s shoulder discharged waves of concussive energy at the leviathan. A defiant cry resonated from Godzilla’s jaws as the beast finally fell, too weak to hold on any longer. The atomic barrage continued to engulf the Alpha, encompassing its form in a purple hellfire, but slowly, Shin Orga witnessed its flames change to that of orange and finally to smoke. Shin Orga ended the blast in confusion and turned its head, its left eye glancing at its backside to discover the M.U.T.O., its head still inside of his body. Shin Orga moved his right hand to swat the insect away yet as it moved, the appendage gradually halted, freezing in place as its armor hardened. In a desperate act of self-preservation, Shin Orga forced his body to scramble and shut down his functions as his blood was slowly sapped away. Even in his slowly petrifying state, he could feel his body shift and mutate, to adapt to the current circumstances… But unlike before, it was not of his volition.

Thousands of gallons of radioactive material flowed down the Male’s gullet, slowly engorging the winged creature. He could feel his stomach channel the abundant radiation, fueling an uncontrollable red glow that encompassed the M.U.T.O. EMPs spontaneously detonated from the Male, trapping Shin Orga in his mind as its body began to wither. Soon, even the long trunk like legs of Shin Orga fell victim to the lack of life bringing blood, breaking beneath the force of gravity and forcing Shin Orga to the frozen earth.

As the mutation struck the ground, the M.U.T.O. retracted its head, taking deep, long breathes only to discover a bright, blue glow emanating from its side. The steamy, bloodied parasite jumped back onto the leviathan with the last of its strength as Godzilla discharged his atomic fire, engulfing the weakened mutation in an inferno.

And to dust, Shin Orga returned.

The blue blaze reached to the skies, with billowing smoke endlessly drifting upward. For the world, the threat of Shin Orga—or perhaps, Shin Gojira—had perished. Even long after the legendary apex predator ceased discharging his atomic ray, the body continued to burn, unmoving and alone.

Godzilla and the M.U.T.O. gasped for air after the endless combat. Exhaustion gradually took hold as both monsters felt their respective adrenaline fade with their victory achieved. The parasite screeched in surprise as Godzilla staggered forward,swaying with every step until it crashed to the ground at the water’s edge. A plume of ash rose around the pair from the thunderous impact. With one last chirp, the lights along the M.U.T.O.’s optic nerve dimmed as exhaustion overtook him. Godzilla too took rest, taking one last look at the burning blue flames, the rising smoke, and the stars that lit the night sky before unconsciousness took hold.

Unsure if it had been minutes, hours, or even days, Godzilla awoke. The stars he saw had been mostly vanquished; the flames long since ceased, with only the husk of Shin Orga remaining; and the black sky now radiating with a violet hue. His internal instincts told him that it was morning, but the sun had yet to peak over the horizon. He turned his head to see the M.U.T.O. still resting where he last was, its wing still shattered from the battle. For the first time, Godzilla contemplated and reflected.

He and the M.U.T.O. were nemesis species, and for eons he carried out their execution. A right held as the last of his kind after the species wiped out all that Godzilla had once held dear. He had not forgotten the agony of that loss, and for that he held contempt, even if it was his duty to keep a balance to the world he resided upon.

But there was a key, solitary difference between the parasites from millions of years ago and the one that rested upon him.

This one saved his life and pushed on, even when all seemed lost. He would not leave it die, stranded in the frozen landscape around him, and he would not forget the parasite’s actions.

Godzilla could feel his strength return to him, and knew full well he had the ability to move on his own accord. Crawling on his stomach, Godzilla made its way to the ocean, keeping his backside above water to protect his ally from the frozen waters. Gradually, the two victorious creatures left the ruins of Vladivostok. Disappearing into light of the rising sun.

----

Hours thereafter, through the ash of Vladivostok and Shin Orga’s husk, humanoid forms began to take shape. In the radiation soaked landscape, the creature’s used the energy to fuel their growth. Like young children, they crawled forth from the black earth before taking steps to rise and stare at the golden star that illuminated them and the wasteland around them.

Charcoal skin glowed from red veins that swirled beneath their skin. From their maws, jagged teeth protruded as the one-eyed beasts continued to stare with their jaws held open in amazement. Their arms and tentacle like appendages extended toward the warmth which basked over them.

Through hell the Millennian traveled to gain a body, and now it felt it’s conscious fully in control. The influences of Shin Gojira were gone and now the alien possessed a race which could spread its influence across the globe. Humanity would counter its movements, but the Millennian let those thoughts sink into the back of its mind. For the moment, it and the hundreds of others were still rising, continuing to stare at the sun, and enjoying the warmth from its glow.

At last, its eon old mission, finally accomplished.

-----

Nick scanned through the epilogue with a sense of dread as he read the world fall before him. Nuclear fire washed across the globe while an alien horde descended across the continent. Asia, Europe and Africa fell beneath the heels of the Millennian horde while the weapons mankind used cracked open the earth, unleashing hordes of creatures humanity once thought nothing but legend. Clips revealed the humanoids battling a pterosaur in Moscow, an emerald leviathan in Rio De Janeiro, a monolithic moth in Beijing, an orange titanosaur in the Sea of Japan, and a three-headed dragon in Cairo. The report lacked details on the victors, though considering the apocalyptic state of the world around him, Nick could only assume it was not humanity.

Nick rose from his computer, his eyes glowing with a new-found fire. One human with a lust for power and a weapon he could never truly control plummeted the world into chaos, and the same could always happen to his own. Almost instinctively, Nick pressed his hand against his forehead, feeling the deep gash of the gun shot that nearly killed him beneath the bandage which covered it.

As he slowly removed his hand, a sudden tremor shook Nick off his feet. A pained cry echoed from Nick as he hit the floor, dust falling upon him from the quake. Nick gradually shook off the fall and grabbed his energy rifle, slowly walking back through the death encompassed hallways to discover the cause.

The red atmospheres illuminated the hallway of the military outpost’s entrance, revealing Nick from the darkness as he turned the corner. Cautiously, he moved toward the broken windows that exposed the parking lot. His hands gripped the trigger, ready to engage the threat merely for a mass to fall upon a rusted car.

Metal crunched and Nick brought his weapon to engage yet as a monstrous mass overtook the light, he yielded his weapon. A long tongue descended from out of view, encircling the fallen Skullcrawler before yanking it upward. A mist of red fell from the monstrous creature, keeping Nick on his guard until a large heel smashed into the parking lot, creating another tremor.

Nick glanced at the scarred leg, recognizing its features and confirming the monster’s identity as its maw moved close to the ground to find its next prey’s scent. The monstrous creature’s maw opened as the beast turned toward the outpost. Nick ducked beneath the window, ceasing his breathing and movement as a shadow enveloped the room.

Off a broken shard on the floor, Nick watched the creature move its left eye parallel to the entrance. Three deep scars peppered the beast’s skull-like face while old battle scars covered the rest of its body. Easily dwarfing that of Zilla, this monstrosity echoed a deep roar as if to notify its prey it knew of its existence. To halt all hope of surviving in its domain any longer.

A Skullcrawler; the big one.