Zone Fighter jumped out of the way just in time as a huge boulder nearly collided with him. Godzilla roared, then snorted before lowering his head and charging forward like a crazed bull ready to stamp the life out of his foe. There was no time to dodge. Zone Fighter stood his ground as the massive mutant slammed his bulk into him, sending him flying. As soon as the giant got back to his feet, he saw blue energy of death leaking out of Godzilla's mouth. Zone Fighter brought up his arms and made a cross to block the beam just as the byproduct of nuclear testing parted the monster's maw and let loose with a powerful blast more deadly then several atomic weapons!

The blast stabbed into his arms but he managed to still stand, digging his feet in the ground as he was pushed back. The pain was too intense to describe, so when the blast ceased, raining trees and dust everywhere, it was a relief. Zone Fighter's belt buckle had gone from light blue to yellow. He had to end this fight soon. He looked down at his hands which were burned even darker then the blackest coal. The glass of his belt buckle timer had actually cracked and melted in some places. He charged at Godzilla before the smoke could clear and traded blows with him, dodging Godzilla's the best he could. He may not be as powerful as the Monster King, but he was faster. Godzilla slashed his chest, sparks flying.

Godzilla then bit down on his shoulder. The alien hero cried out before he slammed his fists into the back of Godzilla's neck and head, forcing him to let go. Once free from the jaws of death he delivered an uppercut to Godzilla's face. A loud crack could be heard for miles as some of the nuclear leviathan's teeth were knocked out. Godzilla's spines flashed and his mouth was just about to open when Zone Fighter wrapped his elbow around his neck, holding him in a choke hold as he held his head down and punched him several times in the head with his free hand. Godzilla slashed at him with his claws but the giant hero refused to submit to his will.

Godzilla felt like his body was going to blow up. But it wouldn't, for his body had mutated a fail safe just in case he could not release the atomic energy that was now trapped in his body. A bright flash freed the dinosaur from the choke hold, as a nuclear pulse struck the area, as he took in a much needed gasp for air. Zone Fighter got up, having been thrown at least a mile away, and with horror noticed his belt buckle was flashing red. His energy was running low and he only had one hundred and ten seconds left. He had to finish this fight and quick!

Godzilla charged him again at full speed and collided once more with the alien, only this time Zone Fighter grabbed his shoulders, fell on his back, and used Godzilla's momentum to do a back roll and throw him away. Godzilla slammed into the ground like a small comet, chunks of earth sent everywhere, birds flying out of their trees to escape the danger. With speed that defied his size, Godzilla got back back on his feet, his face bleeding and charged once again. But this time he skidded to a stop as soon as he was near and spun, lifting his tail in an attempt to whack Zone Fighter with the limb. Zone braced for the impact and caught the tail, sliding on his feet in a nearly complete circle before he finally slid to a stop.

With a yelp of surprised horror, Godzilla was lifted off his feet as Zone spun around in circles faster and faster and faster until he let go. Godzilla crashed head-first into the ground as Zone Fighter took to the sky, ready to finish this fight. Godzilla got up but was too disoriented to know where where his foe had gone, giving Zone plenty of time to build up his speed. Godzilla finally got his equilibrium back and looked up just in time to see Zone Fighter nose diving at ungodly speeds. It was too late to react as Zone Fighter crashed into him head-first and sent him falling back with a thud that echoed like thunder.

Zone Fighter landed. Godzilla was struggling to get back to his feet when Zone offered a helping hand and pulled him back to a standing position, patting him on the shoulder. Godzilla nodded his head and Zone Fighter took to the sky and flew off. He had won another one of their fights. The two had been sparring partners for a long time - years, in fact - practicing fighting often to better themselves. They had to stay in shape. There was no telling when another monster would threaten the world.

At least, that was half the reason...

Most people saw all monsters as nothing more then evil, foul creatures that would cause the apocalypse. Others say that you reap what you sow and that's what the kaiju are. War, atomic weapons, genetic weapons, chemical weapons, sin, insanity and Man's destructive ways in general have been given flesh to some. The monsters living incarnations of our mistakes, sent to punish us like a plague.

To some extent, they were all right. But there were some that protect the world, like Mothra, or even humans themselves, like King Caesar. Even monsters who originally started off as a menace, like Rodan, have helped save the world from the likes of things much worse then themselves, like King Ghidorah. Monsters like Godzilla still cause the deaths of many, many lives but even he has saved the world as much as he has threatened it. Naturally, because of this, views of Godzilla and his follow mutants were mixed at best.

Zone couldn't blame them. He tried to picture a beast like Gigan turning into a hero and just couldn't do it. But in times when all seemed lost, it was the same monsters that man had tried countless times to destroy that ironically saved them after years of causing so much suffering and death. Zone knew that as much as the world hated to admit it, Godzilla and his fellow mutants were the lesser of two evils and were needed to fight off far worse monsters like Destoroyah if the world was to live and see another day. If the likes of Godzilla were brought into this world by the fates to punish the human race, then the likes of Destoroyah were brought into this world kill us all. Indeed, it seemed Earth's monsters were trying to give the world a second chance. That was the other reason he had been training with Earth's monsters.

Godzilla seemed to enjoy these friendly matches with Zone, just as much as the ones he held with Rodan, Anguirus or any other monster on the island. Zone Fighter had also practiced with the other kaiju of Monster Island, as well as Gamera, King Kong and even - in his opinion - his greatest rival, Ultraman. Lately he had been giving himself handicaps such as in his fight with Rodan, in which he would only use projectiles. Or a few days ago, he had to capture Baragon several times before he could dig underground. Today, he used only his melee and flight skills against Godzilla.

Just like his sparring partners, he felt himself getting stronger and faster. His aim improved, as well as his agility in flight. His fighting skills improved greatly, even inventing new fighting techniques and making far fewer mistakes. Sometimes he would win a match in mere seconds while his belt buckle was still blue. He felt great, like he could take on the whole world and come back for seconds.

He would need all this experience for his next encounter. For the next fight would not be practice...

* * * * *

Hikari Sakamori was walking by calmly down the rainy streets of Moscow while its panicked citizens ran past him, trying to flee the evil that had already leveled most of the city. He had originally planed on meeting Shin Hayata, secretly Ultraman, two days ago on one of Japan's many islands for a friendly match. After losing the last fight, he was looking forward to a rematch. Being that they had so much in common, both being alien protectors having disguised themselves among the natives of earth and fought off countless invading monsters, it only made sense they would become close friends once they knew who each other really were. However, those plans were now canceled.

Monsters started popping up all over the world and seemed to have declared war on mankind. Kiryu was fighting Gigan in London, Ultraman had engaged King Ghidorah in Washington D.C., Rodan was dealing with an army of Gyaos in Paris, Gamera was battling Iris in Hong Kong and Mechagodzilla was sent to stop Desghidorah near San Francisco.

Everyone was already in a fight, leaving no one to smite the evil in Moscow but him. For some reason, Japan wasn't attacked yet. It might have been a trap to lure him - the last defense of Japan - away, but he couldn't just sit around and do nothing while people needed him. The beast was spotted heading towards the city days ago, so he had hoped to get there before it did, but it seemed he got there too late. He would end this beast before it could destroy another city. He stopped and looked up at the beast who stared back at him, its body a mixture of bones on both the inside and out.

Monster X saw the man who dared stand before him and reached for him, ready to crush him into dust.

"Zone Double Fight!"

Monster X reeled back in shock. Where had the human gone? And where did this giant come from? It reminded him much of the two who beat him back in Tokyo, the silver and red ones who could change their size. But he knew this wasn't one of them. This one was blue. Nonetheless, he will find Ultraman and Jet Jaguar and have his revenge on them. Until then, he will kill this foolish being that dared get in his way of leveling this city.

Zone Fighter jumped up and delivered a kick to the space demon's face. Monster X staggered back as Zone Fighter then delivered several punches at a blinding speed to his stomach. Monster X slashed at him with his claws, but Zone Fighter jumped back before the space monster could hit him and responded in kind by striking a pose and aiming one of his arms at Monster X's face. Suddenly, several arrow-shaped energy projectiles flew out of his hand and stabbed into the beast's face before exploding. Zone was disturbed to see that the beam had so little effect. Not only had it failed to cut through the creature's bony armor, but had Monster X not seen the beams with his own eyes, he wouldn't have even known he had been shot. Zone charged forward, but Monster X suddenly jumped up and spun around, his tail and hand whacking Zone in the face. On his way down, Monster X grabbed him by the shoulders and swung his body so that both feet shot forward and slammed the giant hero in the stomach. The blow was so intense it sent the hero crashing face-first into the ground before he could regain his balance.

Zone got up first and grabbed Monster X by his legs and pulled. He started to spin faster and faster and faster before letting go. Monster X went flying head-first into some skyscrapers and was buried under tons of concrete and steel. Zone watched as Monster X exploded out of the rubble and fired several Gravity Bolts from his eyes. The blue comet hero screamed in pain as he was barraged by the golden beams, each time sliding back as he was hit. The blue giant struck several quick poses, summoning the power needed for his next attack.

"Meteor Proton Beam!"

His body glowed brightly before a thin blue beam fired from the gem on the tip of the crest sticking out of his head. Monster X screamed out as the beam hit him, vanishing in a mushroom cloud of fire as he slid back screaming. So it can be hurt, Zone realized. He just needed to weaken it in hand-to-hand combat before finishing it off. But the monster was too far away, he needed to force it to fight him up close. Zone's hands glowed as he moved them and formed a square in the air in front of him. With the flames no longer blocking his vision, Monster X spotted his foe. Chunks of bone armor were missing and blood was leaking out of his mouth. He fired Gravity Bolts from his demonic red eyes, but they stopped and vanished mere meters away from hitting Zone directly in the face. What was going on? Monster X blinked, then noticed that there was a square-shaped object made of colored light in front of Zone. Monster X bared his teeth once he knew that his beams were being blocked by the Zone-Barrier.

As Monster X rushed him, Zone Fighter fired another barrage of arrow-shaped energy blasts as soon as his shield vanished. Monster X jumped over the beams, both feet landing on Zone's head before he kicked off, using it as a spring board. The blue meteor hero turned around and lashed out with his fists, but met only empty air. Zone looked everywhere but couldn't spot the skeleton kaiju. Where was he? It was almost as if he never landed at all. That made no sense, but he didn't recall hearing him land, but even still he should have felt the ground shake. A low grumbling growl that sounded like a mocking laugh reached his ears. Zone looked up to see Monster X in the sky with his arms crossed, slowly floating down as if gravity had less effect on him, as if he was on the moon. Monster X fired a barrage of Gravity Bolts from his eyes as he used his levitation powers.

Zone's cries filled the city with unholy dread as fell to his knees, his belt buckle timer turned from a light blue to yellow. Monster X turned off whatever power source in his body allowed him to float slowly down and fell like a rock, kicking out with his feet, but Zone rolled out of the way as the space beast flew past him, grabbing his tail and pulling. Monster X staggered back and turned around only to have Zone elbow him in the face, sending him face-first into the ground. Zone pulled the forked tail with all his might and slammed Monster X into the ground over and over. Monster X lashed out with a kick from one of his legs, landing the blow right in Zone's stomach, forcing him to let go and grab his gut in pain. Monster X ran to Zone as soon as he was standing and lifted him up by the shoulder and midsection, holding him high in the air before getting one one knee and slamming Zone Fighter's back on his sharp bony knee.

Zone screamed out in horrid pain as he felt bones crack. The bone demon let the blue giant fall off his knees and slam into the earth with a dull thud. Zone struggled to get up. Every time he moved he felt a burning, stabbing pain that felt like it would last forever. Monster X was ready to deliver the finishing blow when several rockets and lasers struck the beast. Monster X looked up to see several F-15J jets fire their Sidewinder missiles and ASTOL-MB93's fire their masers as they did a fly-by. He fired a quick burst of his Gravity Bolts, coming close but missing as the aircraft made a swift turn, the beams melting the paint off several of the aircraft and the pilots feeling their cockpits heat up. Several more rockets and masers hit him. Monster X looked down to see several tanks and maser tanks. He fired his beams. They were not as lucky as the jets and ASTOL's as several were destroyed. Zone looked up and saw one was corned on a street that was a dead end. That one was about to be crushed and suddenly the pain didn't matter anymore as he ran forward, pushing the foul beast away with one hand and grabbing the maser tank with the other, setting it down gently on the road where it drove away. Zone Fighter turned around and the two giants stared each other down, neither one willing to back down. They charged each other, Zone's timer acting as a signal for the two to fight to the death. The two traded punches and kicks, blocking each other's attacks as best as they could. It felt like they had been at it for hours when in reality it had only been half a minute.

Zone had to recharge before he ran out of energy. And fast!

Monster X grabbed Zone by the head and ran in circles before throwing him forward, crashing into a building. He got back to his feet and ran at Monster X. The beast raised his hands as if ready for anything. He wasn't for this. Zone Fighter jumped up and elbowed the monster in the jaw at an angle, putting all of his weight into the blow, breaking Monster X's lower jaw off. He howled in pain but Zone wasn't done. He grabbed Monster X by his arms and pulled him forward while slamming one of his legs into the creature's knee, the action causing his leg to be broken, bent in the opposite direction. Monster X lashed out with his right arm, but Zone Fighter grabbed it with one hand and punched the elbow with the other, bending it in the other direction before jumping back and firing several more arrow-shaped beams. His armor was much weaker now from the Meteor Proton Beam earlier. The beams now stabbed into Monster X, causing blood to fly everywhere with each shot. Monster X tried to snap his arm back into place but the moment he did one of the stabbing rays hit him on the unarmored part of his arm and cut it clean in two at the elbow!

The lower arm shook the earth as it hit the ground with a loud thud that could be heard for miles. Zone Fighter ran forward and spun the beast around, grabbing him by the forked tail before flying upward, higher into the clouds that have been dropping heavy rain on the city all night, lighting flashing in the sky before they slammed back into the earth, Zone forcing him into the ground after flying at his max speed, crushing Monster X between the planet and his 55,000 ton mass. Zone Fighter ripped his tail off before jumping some distance away, writing the shape of a shield with his glowing hands. Monster X turned around and fired his Gravity Beams. They crashed into the glowing energy barrier known as the Hyper-Barrier. Just like the Zone-Barrier he had used before, they blocked energy attacks. But unlike the Zone-Barrier, the Hyper-Barrier also sends them back. Monster X learned this the hard way as a split second after the Gravity Bolts hit the shield-shaped energy, they were fired back at him. Zone Fighter stroke some quick posses as he summoned the energy to his second strongest attack.

"Meteor Missile Might!"

Bracelets filled with giant, super-powered missiles appeared on his wrists in a bright flash. Unlike most missiles made on Earth, these ripped into kaiju like giant bullets. He fired a barrage of missiles which tore into Monster X's body. The space demon screamed out as explosion after explosion rocked his body, blood and sinew spraying out of him. The heat was so intense that some of his wounds could not bleed for they were instantly cauterized. Zone Fighter made sure every shot counted, and once he used up all his ammo, he fired his strongest attack once again. The last time it had hurt the space monster badly, but didn't kill him. This time it was so weak from the fight that it will. He struck several short posses again, summoning energy for one more attack.

"Meteor Proton Beam!"

Once again a thin, dark blue beam fired from his crest and slammed into Monster X who vanished in a huge explosion. When the the fire and smoke cleared away, Monster X limped out towards him. Zone Fighter just stood there, staring at his foe. Monster X was confused. Why wasn't he fighting back? He limped even closer, charging up his energy, his eyes glowing yellow but quickly fading back to red. His vision began to blur. Monster X was in shock as everything grew more and more dark. He just wanted to get away now. He limped past the blue giant and after what felt like forever, he toppled onto his side. His glowing red eyes went dim, then dark. He let one last breath of steam escape his mouth before bloody foam spilled out. Then he exploded with the force of a miniature nuclear device, shaking the city.

Monster X was gone. Zone Fighter had won.

Suddenly, twin red jagged beams hit Zone Fighter in the back. He turned around to see Hedorah, the Smog Monster, staring back at him! Zone Fighter knew there was no way he could beat this creature. It was more then a monster, it was a super monster! Even Godzilla could not kill this thing on his own. He knew he would die, but he refused to leave. Godzilla, Gamera, Biollante, Mothra, Rodan and their monster brothers were too busy fighting other evil menaces in other parts of the world. Ultraman was nearly halfway around the world trying to slow down King Ghidorah and manmade anti-kaiju weapons like Mechagodzilla were already dealing with other insane beasts that would bring the world to ruin if not dealt with. Zone Fighter was the only one capable of defending Russia in its time of need. He just hoped Japan was still safe from any attacks and that one of the others got to it before someone vile like a swarm of Gyaos or Legion did.

Suddenly, a series of tanks, helicopters, jets and maser tanks came out and joined him in this fight. He had helped saved Mother Russia when no one else could. He answered a cry of help that others couldn't. They would do everything in their power to help this hero. Zone Fighter had thought about retreating, but decided not to. When Bagan had attacked, he was unable to join the fight. He had been in a car crash in his human form which left him in a hospital bed and cast for weeks. He could only sit and watch as the war with Bagan, King Ghidorah and all the other evil kaiju was broadcasted on every TV all over the world. He felt so useless. He never wanted to feel like that again.

He would stay and fight with these brave men and women in this suicide mission. His only regret was that he would never have that rematch with Ultraman.

His belt buckle turned from yellow to a flashing red. He had only one hundred and ten seconds left, but he would make sure to give Hedorah hell for every second. He fired his arrow beams before charging head-first into battle as the Russian army unleashed their payload of rockets, missiles and masers on the giant monster of pollution.

Zone Fighter was going to fight until he died.

And they would join him to the bitter end.