The date was many, many millions of years before the dawn of mankind. Long before the first mammal even stepped foot upon the earth, in fact.

On this day, a predator was closing the distance between himself and his prey. A tyrannosaurus rex, otherwise known as the Tyrant King, had been stalking a small herd of triceratops for a good part of the afternoon. His best shot was an adolescent male on the outskirts of the group. He was just learning how to help protect the herd and had grown into a proper size for feasting on. Finally making his move, the rex burst out of the foliage, terrifying jaws agape. The young bull triceratops barely had time to turn his head, the only thing he was able to see was the endless void of the rex's mouth.

Fortunately for the triceratops, the rex was not the only predator on the hunt.

The ground shook, throwing all the dinosaurs off balance. The trees all around them broke into splinters as, with a thunderous roar, the mighty reptile known as Godzillasaurus lunged in. The tyrannosaurus tried to roar in defiance at the much larger reptile, but his defiance only lasted mere seconds before Godzillasaurus' teeth closed down around him, very nearly biting the fearsome predator in half. The triceratops herd quickly made their escape as Godzillasaurus devoured the kill, growling contently. Another few bites and the meal was finished. Standing back up, Godzillasaurus scanned the area for any more potential food. Spotting none, the reptile turned and began her trek back home.

* * * * *

Yes, this Godzillasaurus was a female. And not just a female, but a mother at that. As she returned to the territory she called hers, she was greeted by the familiar sight of her nest, and of the single white egg that lay in its center. Godzillasaurus did her species' equivalent of a warm smile as she looked down at the orb, knowing that one day it would crack and give birth to her offspring. Of course, she wished the child's father would be here, but that obviously could not happen. Godzillasaurus shuddered as the memories came rushing back... Her mate staying behind to give her time to escape... Trying to take on both of the vicious gray beasts alone... Failing to do so and falling, skewered by their spiked limbs over and over...

Godzillasaurus let out a sad rumble. She had lost her mate, but at least he succeeded in letting her get away, living to see another day, and now she had her egg. Just like her mate, she would tear apart anyone who even came close to it.

Feeling a gust of wind and a presence circling overhead, Godzillasaurus bared her teeth, ready to do just that. When she saw the source of the disturbance, however, her face dropped and she merely let out a growl of annoyance.

Circling back around, Rodan landed on a nearby cliffside, letting out his familiar cackle, almost as if greeting Godzillasaurus. But instead of paying the giant pteranodon any attention, Godzillasaurus simply turned back around, tending to her egg.

Rodan tilted his head as he watched the mother guard her unborn child. With her back turned to him, Rodan couldn't see what she was doing, and so he lifted up off the cliff and landed nearby. Hopping a little closer on his short legs, Rodan tried to get a better look at the nest when Godzillasaurus spun around, letting out a fearsome roar, ready to give Rodan the same treatment she'd given the tyrannosaurus earlier. Not entirely surprised by the attempt, Rodan leapt back, flapping his wings until there was a good distance between the two reptiles. He cackled at Godzillasaurus. He enjoyed this game.

Godzillasaurus' eyes narrowed in frustration. This Rodan had shown up near her and her mate's territory some time ago and began this same, tiresome behavior. Her mate usually did a good job at keeping the pterodactyl at bay - Even though they were both fairly certain that this Rodan harbored no malicious intent toward them or their egg, he was still highly aggravating. Not two days ago had he landed down behind Godzillasaurus and playfully bit and tugged on the end of her tail, receiving a claw swipe to his face for his effort. Nevertheless, he persisted with his foolish behavior. Not that he was entirely without use. On occasion, he brought the Godzillasaurus gifts of dinosaur or shark, especially after the male had died. But Godzillasaurus would be willing to forego all the delivered food in the world if she could just be rid of the annoying flying beast.

Rodan's talons met with and left the earth repeatedly as he hopped around Godzillasaurus, waving his wings at her. Godzillasaurus' expression soon turned from annoyance to one of anger. Malicious intent or not, she would have no problem with slaying this flying pest. With his size Godzillasaurus wouldn't have to hunt again for nearly a month. She turned to keep an eye on Rodan as he leapt around her, but even with this lazy, playful action he was noticeably faster than she was. Just as she'd started to turn around to keep up with him, the pteranodon had already flown over and latched his talons down onto her tail, shaking it back and forth.

That was the last straw.

Wrenching her tail away from Rodan's grip, Godzillasaurus lunged forward, jaws open wide. Rodan squawked in surprise, leaping away from the predator. As much as he enjoyed playing with her, her teeth were rather sharp, and he had no desire to have them lodged in his flesh. But Godzillasaurus was barely giving him a moment to react, snapping her powerful jaws each time he came within reach. His playing around would eventually cost the pterosaur, though, as Godzillasaurus' jaws finally found their target, chomping down on Rodan's beak.

Letting out a muffled cry, Rodan panicked, writhing and jumping about, trying to pull his beak free. Godzillasaurus would have none of it, though, shaking her head back and forth. Her teeth gashed against the bone of Rodan's beak, threatening to splinter it if she bit down any harder. Rodan flapped his wings, but couldn't gain any altitude due to Godzillasaurus' toothy grip. He was completely at her mercy.

Finally, with a mighty heave, Godzillasaurus swung her entire body to the side, taking Rodan with her. Opening her jaws, she sent Rodan careening into the cliffside, stunning the flying reptile. With an angry growl, Godzillasaurus advanced, ready to finish this pest once and for all. As Rodan lay on his back, Godzillasaurus brought her foot down upon the Pteranodon’s chest, eliciting a painful cry. Opening her mouth, Godzillasaurus leaned down, ready to tear into Rodan's throat.

...Only for Rodan to thrust his head upward, gashing his beak between Godzillasaurus' eyes!

The mighty predator stumbled back, howling in pain as blood ran down her face. With a flap of his wings, Rodan got back to his feet and cackled in fury. This wasn't what he came here for, but if Godzillasaurus wanted a fight, then she'd get one. Flapping his wings back and forth, Rodan created a gust of wind, blowing the reptile back. Once she was far enough away, Rodan took to the skies and began circling her.

Godzillasaurus growled as she felt her blood flow. Despite this, it was a superficial wound, and she knew to focus on the matter at hand. Looking at where Rodan was, she found the beast was no longer where she left him. Hearing his familiar cry, she looked up just in time to see Rodan slam into her, flooring her. The impact sent a cloud of dust into the air, but Godzillasaurus was already rising back to her feet. Unfortunately, Rodan had circled back around, and with another powerful slam, sent Godzillasaurus crashing back to the dirt. Growling, Godzillasaurus rose again. This time, when Rodan tried the maneuver a third time, she dodged the attack, then lashed out, clamping her jaws down on Rodan's leg and bringing his flight to a screeching halt. She sank her teeth in deep, drawing blood, then slammed the pteranodon down against the earth.

Momentarily releasing her foe, Godzillasaurus flexed her jaws and prepared to tear off his leg entirely, but this brief second was all Rodan needed, speeding off into the air. Godzillasaurus roared in fury at the flying beast, who quickly circled back toward her. Godzillasaurus braced herself for another body slam, but this time Rodan had a different tactic in mind. Getting close enough to her, Rodan's talons clutched her head and brought her along with him. Godzillasaurus barely had enough time to register what was happening before Rodan slammed her head-first into the same cliffside he had struck earlier. The blow was enough to knock Godzillasaurus silly, who stumbled for a moment before toppling over onto her side, grumbling dizzily as she tried to recollect herself.

Rodan landed nearby for a moment, making sure his leg wasn't seriously injured. It was bleeding and he'd definitely have scars, but he luckily managed to avoid any serious damage. Turning his head to the subdued Godzillasaurus, he let out a low, annoyed cackle. He hadn't come to start a fight, but he wouldn't let the tyrannosauroid reptile push him around, either.

Taking a moment to breath, Rodan let out a sharp caw at Godzillasaurus, who responded with a low, angry growl. Finally, Rodan took to the air, disappearing over the horizon.

* * * * *

Nearly a week had passed. Godzillasaurus had not heard from the irritating Rodan since that day, not even a fly by over the area, a fact that the dinosaur was more than happy with. She had spent that time in peace, hunting and tending to her egg.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans for Godzillasaurus.

As she lay a dead stegosaurus down by her nest, the scent struck her. She immediately stood up to her full height and began scanning the area, sniffing for the source. She hadn't encountered this particular scent since... That day.

Godzillasaurus' fears were confirmed when she heard that same otherworldly howl echo across the area. She would never forget the sound of the murderers that slayed her mate.

The ground shook as the creature's spindly legs connected with the dirt below. Pterodactyls took to the sky and countless other dinosaurs scattered about as the beast made its way toward Godzillasaurus and her nest. Trees were splintered and torn from the ground as the killer made its way through them. Finally, the monster burst from the trees, emitting a shriek of death at Godzillasaurus, letting her know her time had come.

Godzillasaurus stood her ground and readied herself for a fight, but despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a hint of fear in the face of the female M.U.T.O.

Despite the triangular, almost alien-like shape of her head, the female M.U.T.O. was undeniably grinning. She remembered this creature from before, when the M.U.T.O. and her mate had slain the male reptile. While she hadn't intentionally sought Godzillasaurus out, now that she had encountered her again, she would be more than happy to reunite her with her mate.

With a sharp cry, the female charged, all six legs moving at full strength.

Godzillasaurus growled. She would not fall like her mate. She would not leave her egg in danger. With a mighty roar, she lunged forward, ready to meet the M.U.T.O. in battle.

The ground quaked as the two beasts collided, immediately biting and clawing at one another. The M.U.T.O. reached out with her arms, trying to grab the dinosaur, but Godzillasaurus would have none of it, slamming her bulk into the female, knocking her back. Before the M.U.T.O. could counterattack, Godzillasaurus thrust forward and sank her teeth between the parasite's neck and shoulder. The M.U.T.O. squealed in pain as Godzillasaurus pierced her flesh, black blood spilling from the wound. Bringing up her left foreleg, the female slammed it into Godzillasaurus' side, dislodging her teeth and causing her to stumble away. The M.U.T.O. brought down her right leg in an attempt to impale the dinosaur, but Godzillasaurus acted fast, lunging forth and biting down on the limb. The female cried out in pain once more, swinging her left leg toward the reptile. Godzillasaurus reacted quickly once more, pulling away from the leg, causing the M.U.T.O. to strike itself, sweeping its foreleg out from under it and tumbling face first into the dirt.

Before the M.U.T.O. could pull herself up from the soil, she found her head slammed back into the earth, courtesy of Godzillasaurus' foot. The dinosaur stomped down again, doing her best to crush the parasite's skull and end this fight as quickly as possible. Godzillasaurus flexed her claws, piercing the creature's head with them. The M.U.T.O. thrashed, trying desperately to escape the dinosaur's assault. Finally, one of her legs connected with Godzillasaurus' face, knocking her aside. Blood dripped from Godzillasaurus' mouth thanks to the blow and she growled angrily. Just as the M.U.T.O. got back to her feet, Godzillasaurus charged, slamming the full weight of her bulk into the gray skinned beast. Her crimson eyes widening in surprise, the female M.U.T.O. was helpless to react as the impact sent her careening over onto her back.

The M.U.T.O. panicked, thrashing her legs as she attempted to get herself upright. It wouldn't be the easiest of tasks, especially not with an angry predator attacking her all the while. And attack her Godzillasaurus did, biting and clawing at the parasite's many appendages. Finally, her jaws latched down onto the M.U.T.O.'s right foreleg, eliciting another cry of pain from the beast. Godzillasaurus began to shake her head back and forth, worsening the wounds and tearing the M.U.T.O.'s flesh, spilling blood down the limb.

Despite the fact that the fight seemed to be hers, a nagging feeling was plaguing Godzillasaurus' mind. This evil beast, as strong as she was, was not able to overpower Godzillasaurus' mate by herself. In fact, it was quite strange that she was here alone, for as vile as her kind was, they were never known to be without their--

Godzillasaurus howled in pain as the hooked claws of the male M.U.T.O. caught her in the side, tugging her away from the female M.U.T.O. as he flew by overhead. With a mighty toss, he sent Godzillasaurus tumbling to the ground and rolling away, groaning in pain.

Circling around, the male M.U.T.O. landed beside the female, chittering in worry. By now, she had managed to get back to her feet, though her right foreleg was badly hurt. She'd have a limp for some time after this. The male leaned in, nuzzling his snout against her as he helped her stand. Together, the two of them turned, narrowing their eyes at Godzillasaurus.

If Godzillasaurus wasn't worried before, she was now. She was fully prepared to defend her egg to the very end... But she couldn't help but recall how the male Godzillasaurus had met his fate.

The female M.U.T.O. charged, though she was noticeably slower now thanks to her obvious limp. The male flapped his wings and took to the air, following his mate closely. Lifting her left foreleg, the female brought her clawed foot down hard, trying to impale Godzillasaurus. The dinosaur avoided the attack, only to receive a whack to the face by the male, causing her to stumble. With Godzillasaurus distracted, the female lunged forward and sank her fangs into the reptile's neck. Godzillasaurus cried out as her blood was drawn, the M.U.T.O. biting down hard as she forced the dinosaur back. Releasing her toothy grip, the female swung her left middle leg forward, stabbing the reptile in the ribs. Godzillasaurus howled in pain, but her cry was cut short as the male slammed his arms down onto her face, instantly bringing her to the ground.

Groaning in pain, Godzillasaurus began to rise, only to receive a powerful slap to the face by the female M.U.T.O., sending her rolling across the earth once again. The male M.U.T.O. landed nearby and raised his arms, then began to rake Godzillasaurus' flesh with his claws. The dinosaur howled in pain with each blow, but managed to focus just enough to swing her tail forward, striking the male and sending him stumbling into the female, tripping her up and causing her to fall onto her companion.

With her two foes distracted, Godzillasaurus weakly managed to pull herself upright. She had a choice to make: Stay and try to finish this fight, which was looking less and less likely, or gather her egg and retreat, and hope these foul beasts don't follow her.

Unfortunately, Godzillasaurus' choice was quickly made for her as the male M.U.T.O. landed on her back and began hammering away at her with his clawed arms. Godzillasaurus roared in anger and began to shake about, trying to dislodge the flying pest, but thanks to his hooked claws the M.U.T.O. was able to hold on rather securely. Reaching downward, the male managed to hook Godzillasaurus in the mouth like a fish, trying to tear through her face as he rode her back. Despite his malicious intent, this fortunately gave Godzillasaurus a much-needed opening. Clamping her jaws together hard, she bit the end of his arm clean off, violently declawing the parasite. Reeling backward, the male screamed in agony as black blood spewed from his open limb. Screaming in anger, the female M.U.T.O. charged and slammed into Godzillasaurus' side as hard as she could, sending the dinosaur spinning through the air and crashing to the ground as the male M.U.T.O. landed nearby.

Woozy and bleeding, Godzillasaurus tried to get to her feet, but found that a very difficult task. Looking to her right, she realized she was beside her nest. Her egg was thankfully undisturbed from all the chaos that was taking place, but she knew if she fell here and now that it wouldn't remain that way. Godzillasaurus growled in despair. She had already lost her mate. She couldn't lose her child as well.

With the best effort she could muster, Godzillasaurus managed to pull herself to her feet, facing the two M.U.T.O.s. Roaring in defiance, the mighty reptile charged the evil creatures.

The female M.U.T.O. growled as the male once again took to the skies. Lifting her left foreleg, she brought it down hard. This time she was not aiming for Godzillasaurus, but the ground itself. Her curved hook claw struck the ground with incredible force, generating a powerful shockwave that shot out in every direction. Though the shockwave passed over Godzillasaurus harmlessly, a fact which surprised the dinosaur, the impact was enough to buckle the ground, sending cracks through the soil, tripping Godzillasaurus and halting her charge. It was a brief distraction, but it was all the female M.U.T.O. needed before swinging her left foreleg down and gashing Godzillasaurus' side. Her flesh torn and bleeding, Godzillasaurus fell backward, crashing to the ground. Pain overwhelmed the dinosaur, leaving her defeated.

The male landed beside the female, watching Godzillasaurus for a moment before turning to his mate. Letting out an affectionate chirp, the male nuzzled against her. The female responded in kind, caressing his head with her snout. After taking a moment to make sure that they were both alright, they decided to finish this reptilian creature off. But first, they would smash her unborn child in front of her to make her regret wounding the two. Flapping his wings, the male took to the air, making his way over toward the nest.

As the two approached the egg, a strange cackle filled the sky. The M.U.T.O.s looked at one another, uncertain as to what had made the sound.

Something flew by. A blur, it looked like.

The blur zoomed past the male M.U.T.O., knocking him out of the air. The impact shot the male toward the ground at incredible speed, smashing into and then skidding across the ground. The female turned to look at her mate, who was clearly very badly hurt by the sudden attack. He managed to shakily get to his feet, but his left wing was very noticeably crumpled. It would be quite some time before he flew again, if ever.

Finally, the mysterious blur slowed down enough to be visible as it landed in front of Godzillasaurus, blocking her from the M.U.T.O.s.

Raising his wings and cackling at the evil duo, Rodan challenged the M.U.T.O.s to a fight!

When he first spotted the battle as he flew high above, Rodan was almost inclined to continue on his way and let Godzillasaurus take care of this herself. He still had the scars from when she had overreacted to a simple prank. But then the male creature joined in, and Rodan realized that Godzillasaurus was no longer capable of handling this fight on her own, and that even if she survived, her egg might not. In spite of himself, Rodan couldn't just leave a defenseless mother to die without doing anything to help.

The female M.U.T.O. narrowed her eyes and howled angrily at the pterodactyl. Forcing herself to ignore the pain shooting from her right foreleg, she charged forward, ready to tear the flying reptile apart. Before she could reach him, though, Rodan leapt into the air and began to peck at her face. The female parasite cried out as Rodan's beak collided with her skull again and again. The M.U.T.O. cried out, trying to back away, swatting at Rodan with her claws. Rodan avoided the attacks and slammed his beak against the female's skull once more. Finally, she backed away, only for the male to charge forward, swiping at Rodan with his claws. The pteranodon barely managed to dodge the initial attack, but wasn't as lucky with the second, the softer flesh down the side of his armored chest receiving a nasty slash. Cackling angrily, Rodan lunged forward, body slamming the male and knocking him away.

With Rodan distracted, the female M.U.T.O. advanced on Godzillasaurus, ready to finish her off. Raising her left foreleg, she prepared to drive her claw down through the dinosaur's head. But when she tried to bring her leg down, she found herself unable to do so. Rodan had latched onto it with his talons, keeping her from slaying the dinosaur. The female shook her leg and tried to dislodge Rodan, but the pterosaur would not let go. Flapping his wings, he managed to turn her around and began pulling her away from Godzillasaurus. Hearing noise behind him, Rodan quickly released the female's leg and flew out of range... causing her to slam her leg down on the male's head, who had jumped in to attack Rodan from behind. The male grunted as he was flattened by the blow, as the female cried out in shock.

Rodan landed by Godzillasaurus, looking over the fallen dinosaur. She was still alive, but the fight was clearly out of her. Looking up, Godzillasaurus saw Rodan for the first time and let out a frustrated roar. She hated to admit it, but this was one time she was glad to see the pterodactyl.

The female M.U.T.O. placed her left foreleg under the male, helping him up to his feet. She nuzzled her face against his, chittering an apology. Together, the two turned to face Rodan and charged. Catching sight of them, Rodan turned and began to flap his wings, generating a hurricane wind that stopped their advance cold. Rodan continue to send gusts of wind at them until they were far enough away, then took to the air, heading straight for them. He headed straight for the female, planning to strike her as hard as possible with his beak.

The male M.U.T.O., however, was not about to allow that. Leaping high into the air, his arms outstretched, he prepared to bring Rodan to the ground. Rodan swerved to the right, easily avoiding the attack, but this failed attempt by the male was all part of the female's plan. Lashing out with her left leg, she caught Rodan midair, striking him and sending him spiraling out of control, crashing to the ground. Rodan squawked roughly as his stomach slammed into the earth, stunning the pterosaur.

The M.U.T.O.s looked at one another, grinning at their foe's misfortune. The two quickly advanced on Rodan. The female stood back and watched as the male began to gash Rodan's back with his claws, eliciting a pained cry from the pterodactyl. Rodan's blood flowed freely as the male gashed him over and over. Turning to the female, the male chittered to her, inviting her to strike the final blow.

The female M.U.T.O. grinned, kicking Rodan in the ribs as she approached him, forcing the reptile to cough up blood. Raising her foreleg, the parasite prepared to skewer Rodan on her claw.

Sharp, burning pain. That's all the female M.U.T.O. felt as Godzillasaurus sank her teeth into the M.U.T.O.'s hind leg, tearing at her flesh. The gray skinned beast tried to reach behind with her middle legs, but Godzillasaurus managed to avoid her reach as she tore into the M.U.T.O.'s limb. The male M.U.T.O. rushed in to rescue his mate, but Godzillasaurus swung her tail toward him, swatting him aside and sending him rolling across the ground. Finally, one of the female's legs found their mark, smacking Godzillasaurus in the neck and knocking her away. Just as the female M.U.T.O. turned to face Godzillasaurus, the dinosaur lunged forward, clamping her jaws down around the M.U.T.O.'s throat.

* * * * *

High overhead, a fifth party had taken notice of the raging battle. His red, visor-like eyes spotted the warring beasts down below, and while he had no desire to join in the carnage, he was very interested in one combatant in particular: The female M.U.T.O.

This flying observer was another male M.U.T.O. One who had been seeking a mate of his own. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done, as thanks to a particular reptilian alpha predator, finding others of his kind, even other males, was becoming more and more difficult.

At first, he hadn't been sure if he was going to do anything. This female clearly already had a mate. But this new male was noticeably larger than the female's companion, who was currently badly hurt. The male chittered to himself. It would be a cinch to fly in and finish the other male off, claiming the female as his own. The chaos and confusion of the battle may even work to his advantage. Spreading his wings and diving down, this new contender headed straight for the male M.U.T.O.

* * * * *

Godzillasaurus spat out tooth and blood thanks to another blow to the snout from the female M.U.T.O., who advanced upon the dinosaur. Angrily, Godzillasaurus spun around, sweeping the M.U.T.O.'s many legs out from under her with her powerful tail. Howling her rage at Godzillasaurus, the female M.U.T.O. scrambled to untangle her legs and get herself upright once again.

Behind them, the male M.U.T.O. was finally getting back to his feet, shaking his head briefly to regain his wits. Seeing that his mate had been upturned, he began to make his way toward her. Suddenly, the new male landed down in front of him, howling a challenge as he raised his arms.

The first male backed up, surprised by the sudden arrival. He roared in response, but he knew was in no condition to take on a larger rival who happened to be at full strength. But he couldn't let this new challenger achieve whatever it was he wanted - The female, most likely. He lunged in to attack, but the new male swiped his right arm to the side, knocking the smaller male flat. He quickly lifted his head and roared in defiance, but the new male plunged his claw down, stabbing it through the male M.U.T.O.'s neck.

Pulling his claw away, the new male M.U.T.O. watched as the light faded from the first male's visor eyes, black blood gushing from his torn throat. Within seconds, the male M.U.T.O. was dead.

Satisfied, this new male turned and spotted the female battling one of this land's dinosaurs. She seemed injured, but nothing serious. He prepared to make a good first impression and flapped his wings, speeding toward Godzillasaurus and punching her in the ribs with a powerful headbutt. Groaning in pain, the reptile toppled over onto her back.

The female M.U.T.O. turned and looked at what she thought was her mate. He approached, nuzzling against her.

She immediately knew something was wrong.

Her "mate" was now noticeably larger than before and his wing and leg were no longer damaged. His scent was notably different as well. Not only that, but she could smell blood on him. M.U.T.O. blood. And not his own. Turning back to where she had last seen her mate, she saw the body of the slain male M.U.T.O. laying on the ground, his blood having pooled around him.

The female let out a pained howl as she realized her mate, her provider, the guardian of her brood, was gone. The two of them had been together for a very long time, and now he had been taken away from her, thanks to this treacherous beast who sought to take his place. Her eyes brightened as she turned and looked at this new male, howling her pain and fury. In a speed that belied her size, she charged.

The male M.U.T.O.'s eyes would've widened if they were capable of doing so. He flapped his wings and tried to gain altitude, but the female M.U.T.O. reached up with her claws and attacked, finding and shredding the male's wings. The male M.U.T.O. shrieked in pain as he fell back to the earth, but the female M.U.T.O. wasn't done yet. Lifting her left leg, she plunged her claw into the male, drawing a large amount of blood. The male began to lift himself up, reaching out to attack the female, only to be pierced by her right claw. Using her right, injured leg pained the female, but at this particular moment, she didn't care. She brought her claws down on the male over and over, gashing him, spreading his blood. The creature roared in defiance with every strike, but soon his cries were replaced with wet gurgling noises. Soon, there wasn't much left of the second, murderous M.U.T.O. for the female to stab.

Nearby, Rodan finally began to stir. His eyelids fluttered as he regained consciousness and began to try and get himself back to his feet. It hurt to even move. His wounds were still fresh. Looking up, he saw Godzillasaurus looking over him. Rodan let out a quiet cackle, to which Godzillasaurus responded with a roar, then nodded over to the right. Managing to get himself to his feet, Rodan looked where Godzillasaurus had directed him, toward the female M.U.T.O.

Her claws stained with the dark blood of her mate's murderer, the female M.U.T.O. remembered what had been going on beforehand and turned, snarling in rage as she saw Godzillasaurus and Rodan standing together.

Godzillasaurus and the female M.U.T.O. locked eyes. It was brief, but plenty was communicated with just that brief glance. Godzillasaurus confirmed that, yes, this is exactly how she felt when her mate had been slaughtered by the M.U.T.O.s on that fateful day, so long ago. The female M.U.T.O. didn't care. At this point, all she wanted was death, and the death of these two reptiles in front of her would suit her just fine.

Far off in the distance, a volcano erupted.

As if taking that noise as the signal for the final round, the three monsters charged.

Rodan reached the female first, battering her with his wings, pecking at her head. The M.U.T.O. reared up on her middle and hind legs, lashing out with her forelegs as she attempted to swat the pterodactyl away, but this only left her open to attack from Godzillasaurus, who lunged forward, biting down on her neck, causing her to scream in pain. Swinging her right leg forward, the M.U.T.O. gashed Godzillasaurus across her belly, spilling blood. The dinosaur released her toothy grip and stumbled back, howling in pain. Rodan struck hard, slamming his beak against the M.U.T.O.'s cranium. The parasite cried out as she felt her skull crack from the blow, stepping away from the flying beast. With a strong flap of his wings, Rodan surged forward, smashing his armored chest into the six-legged creature's side, sending her crashing to the ground.

Ready to finish this, Godzillasaurus stepped forward and locked her jaws onto the M.U.T.O.'s injured foreleg. Biting down as hard as she could, Godzillasaurus thrashed her head from side to side, then pulled with all her strength. With a sickening crunch, the M.U.T.O.'s leg was severed and torn away just underneath the shoulder. Tossing the dismembered limb to the side, Godzillasaurus roared in satisfaction. This fight was all but won.

The female M.U.T.O. thrust her left leg forward, her claw piercing Godzillasaurus' gut and bursting out her back.

Rodan watched in shock as the M.U.T.O. withdrew her claw, letting the fatally wounded Godzillasaurus utter a weakened cry before collapsing to the ground. The M.U.T.O. laughed, shakily returning to her feet. As much pain as she was in, she was not going to let this reptile win the day. Godzillasaurus clawed at the ground, trying to move away from the M.U.T.O. Not for her own sake. All she was worried about was reaching her egg. Protecting her child.

Moving fast, Rodan took to the air and flew away from the scene, putting as much distance between him and the female monsters as quickly as possible.

The M.U.T.O. grinned, an evil glee coming over her as she watched her dying prey try to escape her. She decided she'd follow Godzillasaurus to her nest, then make the last thing the dinosaur saw before she died being the M.U.T.O. crushing her egg underneath her hooked claw, just as she and her mate had decided upon before.

Godzillasaurus was almost to her nest. She whimpered as she looked upon her precious egg, her life force rapidly ebbing away. Already her arms and legs were useless, her vision going dark.

The last thing Godzillasaurus saw was her egg, sitting within its nest.

The female M.U.T.O. looked down at the lifeless dinosaur, nudging her with her left foreleg. The body shook from her prodding, but that was all. The M.U.T.O. frowned. She had hoped to smash the egg in front of its mother before she died, but at least she'd be able to smash it all the same. Stepping over the slain reptile's body, the M.U.T.O. approached the nest, ready to send her claw punching through the orb's shell.

The sharp caw of Rodan grabbed her attention.

Looking up, the female caught sight of the pteranodon just in time for him to rocket into her at neck breaking speed. His sharp beak punched through her flesh and shattered her rib cage, essentially caving her torso in as the impact sent her rolling across the earth. Rodan crashed to the ground, dazed from the heavy blow to the head. Gushing blood from her massive wound, the female M.U.T.O. tried to get to her feet, but her legs were quickly turning into jelly, no longer possessing the strength to hold her up. Collapsing to the ground, the female writhed about, refusing to allow death to claim her. However, she soon found she had little say in the matter. Thrashing about in her own blood, the M.U.T.O.'s movements became weaker and weaker, until they stopped completely.

At last, the female M.U.T.O. was dead.

With a pained grunt, Rodan managed to pull himself upright. He looked over to the gray skinned parasite and confirmed that she was, in fact, defeated. Sadly, he turned back to look at Godzillasaurus. Flapping his wings, he landed by her and her nest. Letting out a low rumble, he voiced his sorrow at the dinosaur's death. Though he killed the M.U.T.O., he wished it had been in time to save Godzillasaurus. In all the time he had spent teasing her and her mate, he had almost come to see them as something resembling friends, even though she may have felt otherwise. But now she was gone, slain by the two vile creatures, leaving her egg behind.

Rodan stopped, realizing.

Her egg.

Making his way to the nest, Rodan inspected the orb. The little Godzillasaurus that slumbered within no longer had any parents to raise it, to fend for it, to even make sure it hatched at all. Rodan thought for a moment, then nodded, making a choice then and there. Stepping up to the egg, the pterodactyl wrapped his wings around it, encasing it within. He may not have been the child's parent, or even the same species, but he would personally see to it that the reptile within this egg would see life.

It was the least he could do for Godzillasaurus.