Chapter Text
The Breach pulsed. A massive fissure in the world sitting in a misty gray ocean in the place of an island. Impossibly vast shapes, capable of snuffing out hundreds of lives with a single aimless swipe of a claw, circled inside the expanse of still, eerie, blue light. What did they wait for? Why not emerge?
With a sudden surge of movement, one did. It was as if a mountain had suddenly risen from the ground as the creature climbed out of the Breach. The dark waters surrounding the Breach churned into white foam and leapt into towering waves as that gargantuan bulk stepped into it, but the Breach retained ever the same stillness and no more shapes climbed out, as if entirely unperturbed by what had come into the world.
The Breach Kaiju stood up onto its hind legs and roared. It had six black limbs, four arms and two legs. Blue bioluminescent patterns crisscrossed across its body. Its head seemed to be split in half, two conical protrusions jutting out of its face, with countless eyes running down the slopes. A crack opened up between the two protrusions and grew wider and wider as it opened a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth and let out a thunderous roar, a tinkling screech unlike anything natural to Earth.
And that roar was answered by another.
"SKREEEEEOOONGK!" came the cry, a deep bellowing from massive lungs. It was a primal noise, horrifically powerful yet comfortingly earthly in comparison to the Breach Kaiju's alien cries.
Godzilla rushed through the water like a torpedo. He slammed into the Breach Kaiju in a tackle that tore it off its feet and sent it to the seafloor in a massive upheaval of water. Its claws scrabbled at his hide, desperately trying to find purchase, but failing.
Godzilla's teeth tore into its throat in a spray of kaiju blue. The beast let out one last otherworldly cry, gasping for breath, then all was silent.
But only for a moment.
The cries of the dead Breach Kaiju were suddenly echoed all around Godzilla as immense shapes began to move through the mist. The first creature came running at Godzilla as it cried, a mass of shell and spikes and insect legs. Godzilla caught it with a punch, caving in its face in a splatter of kaiju blue. At the same time, his tail swiped through the air behind him and struck two more behind him, plates piercing their flesh. He lunged at a remarkably humanoid Breach Kaiju and bit into its arm, then twisted his jaws and tore off the limb with meager effort. It let out a cry of agony, but Godzilla had no time to continue as he spun around again and struck a centaurian Breach Kaiju with the arm. It staggered away as his tail seized the humanoid beast's partner and slammed it to the ground. Godzilla crushed its reptilian head with a stomp, then struck at the centaur again. It caught the arm and yanked it away from Godzilla, then reared onto its hind legs and kicked him away.
With a massive splash, Godzilla landed in the waves and climbed to his feet again. The humanoid was clearly about to expire from blood loss, but the centaur only looked mildly dazed and was now flanked by a pair of shelled Breach Kaiju with long spikes extending from their hands.
Not a concern. Godzilla's dorsal plates flashed blue as he opened his mouth and unleashed a column of azure atomic energy. His atomic breath slammed into the first crustacean, blasting a hole through its chest in a splatter of kaiju blue. He swept the beam across the remaining two, slicing the centaur in half at the waste and burning the second crustacean alive.
More alien roars echoed around him. Godzilla did not care if there were a hundred or a thousand Breach Kaiju. He would kill them all.
Letting out a thunderous roar, he rushed forwards to meet his foes' charge head-on.
Miki gazed at the carnage on the screen. She was vaguely aware of her hand over her mouth, but kept staring at the battle without complaint.
The mood in the Shatterdome had changed since Godzilla's return. There was tension in almost everyone else as they all guessed at what he might do next. Normally the Recovery Council would debate for months if the energy was well-spent, but Pentecost barely had to suggest it before a unanimous vote was given to track the King of the Monsters by satellite. And thus, the massive screen showing Godzilla's battle in the Jaeger Hanger.
"He's certainly making up for lost time," came a voice beside her. The thought-noise told her it was Raleigh, not that she expected anyone else.
"He's never seen this many other kaiju before," said Miki. "He'll keep fighting until they're all dead, but they'll never stop coming at him." She wasn't sure how she knew that was what would happen, but know it she did.
"He's retreated from battles before," said Raleigh. His words were meant to reassure her, she realized.
"Not like this. Then he was overpowered by a superior opponent. Here he's not facing something stronger than him, just lots of weak kaiju at once, and that confuses his survival instinct," said Miki.
"Who knows? Maybe he'll kill 'em all," said Raleigh. Even he didn't sound too sure.
Miki turned to look at him. "I never said I thought he'd lose. Just that he was confused." With that, she turned and walked out of the Jaeger hanger, jostling through crowds of anxious technicians.
"He's not the only one who's confused," Raleigh muttered.
The room was cold and wet. That seemed to be a constant around here, but that didn't mean Dr. Shiragami had to like it. Still. The bed was comfortable enough and the food they brought him was not vegetables. After all these months, he wouldn't have complained if it was still alive.
The door opened. He had already received the injections of the day- strength boosters, he supposed, or vaccines- and been fed, so now it was time for his questioning.
This time, though, it wasn't a Japanese person, but an African-American. "It's been a long time since I've practiced my English," he said through what he hoped was a comprehensible accent.
"No need for that," said the man in impeccable Japanese. Shiragami blinked in surprise. "I am Marshall Stacker Pentecost, the commanding officer of this Shatterdome. State your name, please."
"Doctor Genichiro Shiragami," said Shiragami.
"You were last seen in 1988, thirty years ago, boarding a Mitsubishi F-15J jet to escape Saradian terrorists. The jet was dragged into space by the spores of the kaiju Biollante, at a speed low enough to survive atmospheric exit. However, it lacked an oxygen supply and you were presumed dead. Care to tell us how you survived?" said Marshall Pentecost.
"It was Erika," said Shiragami. "She filled the jet with so many strange plants. They plugged the cracks and made enough oxygen for me to breathe. Miraculous, isn't it?"
"By Erika I assume you mean Biollante," said Marshall Pentecost. There was no malice or condescension in his voice, merely a statement of fact. "I don't know of any plants that can produce oxygen at such a rate."
"Nor I, but there it is. I supposed she created some new variety, but without equipment I could never understand it fully," replied Shiragami.
"And do you have any idea as to why Biollante would do such a thing?" asked Marshall Pentecost.
"What else would a daughter do for her father?" said Shiragami.
Pentecost gave a nod and continued. "Your physical and mental health are exceptional for a man who was trapped in a small space, alone, for seventeen years. Any reasons why?"
"I was not alone," said Shiragami. "Erika came to me and we spoke on many things. It was honestly quite enjoyable. As for my body… I supposed it was something about plants and spores, regulating my development. Of course, I can't be sure."
"You say that your daughter came to you?" said Pentecost, consulting his notes.
"Oh, yes. In roses, in spores, she existed in the whole plane," said Shiragami.
Pentecost raised an eyebrow at this, but pressed on. "You were fifty-four at the time you left Earth, yet don't look much older. Blood tests have been inconclusive. Please explain your age."
"I don't know how long I was in the jet. A year, or around such? But just before you cut me out, I could feel it being pulled, with incredible force. And then… I don't know how to describe it. The jet was thrown around, shaking like mad. I'm surprised it wasn't destroyed completely. Erika was screaming, and then she was gone. And then here I am. I don't know what happened," said Shiragami sadly.
Pentecost sighed. "For some time, we believed that Biollante's spores were sucked into a black hole. Your description matches this. What seems to have happened- although I am by no means an expert- is that your jet was sent thirty years forward in time in a few seconds, emerging through a misfiring of the Dimension Tide."
"...I see," said Shiragami. "If I may, what is the Dimension Tide?"
"An experiment involving artificial black holes," said Pentecost. "I'm afraid that's all you're cleared to know."
"Of course. Well, I thank you for that, no matter how little it is," said Shiragami. Pentecost nodded and stood up to leave, but Shiragami held up his hand. "Wait. You said her spores were sucked into the black hole too. Do you know what happened to them?"
Pentecost paused for a moment, then spoke. "The plant cells were destroyed by the extreme gravity, and the Godzilla cells were fused with what we believe to have been a living crystalline lifeform. The resultant being emerged in '94 and caused massive damage to Tokyo."
"Biollante was always docile, for a kaiju," said Shiragami.
"Apparently, having her entire body torn apart and rearranged did a number on her. And we don't know how much control the crystalline lifeform had. Whatever the case, she killed thousands of people until Godzilla killed her for good." Pentecost seemed to think for a minute, then said, "I am sorry."
"For good?" said Shiragami. "Oh, no. If there's anything I've learned about Biollante, it's that she never dies. Not ever."
Pentecost nodded for the last time, then turned and walked out of the room.
An atomic blast sliced through a Breach Kaiju in a spray of kaiju blue. Godzilla was starting to feel fatigue, but he did not fear foes as pathetic as this. The humans had given him more of a challenge.
With a roar, he knocked a fish-headed Breach Kaiju to the seafloor with a blow from his tail, then crushed it under his foot. A reptilian beast leapt onto his back and he staggered, screeching in pain as its claws tore through his scales. His plates flashed blue, then erupted in a shockwave of azure energy. The Breach Kaiju was splattered into blue pulp.
He had no time to react as another Breach Kaiju resembling a monkey rushed at him, shoving him backwards. Its paws clutched at his neck and began to squeeze. Godzilla seized its wrists and, with a jerk of his claws, snapped them like twigs. The Breach Kaiju let out a shriek of pain and threw itself at him. He merely sidestepped and it fell…
…straight into the Breach. Well. Godzilla was closer to it than he thought. Just one step backwards and he'd be plunged into another universe.
With a snarl, he charged forwards, back into the battle.
Miki walked through the Shatterdome, choruses of thoughts washing over her. Almost all of them were about Godzilla.
…we can't survive an attack from him…
This could be the end of everything we've built…
…we've got to strike first…
…he'll pay for what he took from me…
After he had saved them, and then left without attacking. She shouldn't have been surprised; even now people denied that he might be more than a dumb animal.
Still. She hurt on his behalf.
"And where are you going, private?" barked a voice. Miki turned to see the origin of the last thought.
Perject. Major Kiriko Tsujimori.
"I was going to check on Miss Kusanagi," said Miki.
"You're sure?" probed Tsujimori. "Because you've always had sympathies for Godzilla. Now it's back and you just don't care?"
Miki bit down on the correction that Godzilla was a he, not an it, and instead calmly said, "He's in Africa right now. What can I do about him?"
Major Tsujimori gave her a hard look. "As a major, I order you not to go near Asagi Kusanagi for the next twenty-four hours," she said. "Do not backtalk your superiors."
Miki nodded stiffly. "Yes, ma'am," she said.
The major walked away and Miki tugged at her hair. She had promised to visit Asagi, and now she was breaking that promise. And all out of spite from Kiriko Tsujimori.
In another time, she might have protested this. She might have reported it to one of Kiriko's superiors, and the major might have been admonished for unprofessionalism. But now there were more important things than punishing officers for denying visiting hours to a child.
Or at least, there were supposed to be.
A man with an islander's complexion hurried up to her. "Oh! Miss Saegusa! I've been looking everywhere for you! We need your help."
Miki nodded and followed him wordlessly.
Ichiro Miki screamed wordlessly as he threw himself against the wall of his cell. He fell to the ground with a thud and lay there, giggling, as orderlies rushed in and clamped his restraints back on.
"He's been like this since the Tide," said Sho Kuroki, gazing at what had once been an eager young soldier through a two-way mirror. "I had Miss Ozawa try to examine him-" he gestured to a nervous-looking psychic woman beside both of them- "but she couldn't get through."
"His mind was so chaotic, I couldn't understand a single one of his thoughts," said Meru Ozawa, biting her lip.
"I figured if you couldn't do it, nobody could," said Kuroki.
"And you're sure he snapped before the Tide was fired?" Miki asked.
"He fired it himself," Kuroki replied.
"So he managed to operate a complex machine like the Tide while in this condition?" said Miki incredulously.
"Hence why we want you to read his mind," said Kuroki.
"I'm not the psychic I was twenty years ago," said Miki. "I can't promise you wonders."
"You've improved, though," said Meru quietly. She was always bashful when talking to Miki. "I can feel the power coming off you."
"Very well then," said Miki. She walked over to the door and unhesitantly stepped into the room.
Ichiro's head snapped to look at her, his eyes rotating away independently. "Hello, Private," said Miki. "I need to look at your thoughts for a minute."
"Sae. Gu. Sa," he hissed in a voice hoarse from screaming.
She nodded. "Yes, that's me." With that, Miki drew up her energy into her mind and sent her thoughts rushing into him.
Any psychic heard the background chatter of surface thoughts constantly. However, actually looking around in someone's brain was a different matter entirely. It took a conscious effort to penetrate through those surface thoughts and locate deeper cognitions, and even then the target could resist.
Plunging into Ichiro Miki's mind was like plunging into a storm-tossed sea. Miki felt chaos, absolute unrelenting chaos whirling and revolving and screaming in incomprehensible tides. His insanity ran rampant, preventing her from piercing through to his innermost thoughts. Her hands shook as the insanity tugged at her own thoughts, enticing her to join him in madness.
She closed her eyes. No, she thought. I will not be deterred. Show me the truth.
Mental energy seemed to course into her and she shoved it into Ichiro's mind, forming a mental spike that burrowed through the insanity and into his subconscious. Miki's eyes opened as she beheld the madman's innermost thoughts.
She saw the thoughts of Ichiro Miki, terrified by the horrors Gorath had brought to the Earth, yet determined to make things right. And she saw another side of the mind, thoughts that were entirely alien and slippery and strange, similar to but distinct from the thoughts of kaiju.
It was full of glee and gore, an overwhelming need to make war against all that stood. It loved to see fear, brought by itself and by anything else. Mirth was everywhere in that alien presence, taking joy in shedding blood.
Suddenly, the alien thoughts and emotions all went still. They brought up images, faces- no, one face- a face that Miki knew.
With a gasp, she withdrew from the mind of Ichiro Miki. The man bound before her gave a far-too-wide smile and a chuckle.
Meru rushed in. "Are you alright?" she asked, taking Miki by the arm to help keep balance.
"His madness is indeed pervasive," said Miki. "It's no wonder you couldn't penetrate it. Just by trying you did well."
Meru beamed. "Thank you, teacher," she said. Miki gave a small smile. It had been a long time since she mentored Meru, but the younger psychic still looked up to her.
"Nevertheless, I managed to break through. There seemed to be some sort of contagion in his mind, foreign to him. Eventually, he thought of a face. Our old friend Tayuka Fujito."
Kuroki sighed and pinched his brow. "What's that criminal up to now? Raiding shrines again?"
"He spent years trying to go straight!" hissed Miki.
"And once Onibaba stepped on his daughter, it took him twenty minutes to make all that null and void!" said Kuroki hotly.
Miki sighed. "You're… right. I'm sorry. I just…" she averted her gaze, "We were friends once."
There was an uncomfortable silence broken by Meru. "So, did he do this?" she asked, more so it could be said than out of curiosity.
"It would seem so," said Miki. "With the aid of a psychic ally, I suppose it could be done."
"But why?" said Meru.
"We can ask him that," said Kuroki. "I'll go to Katagiri and assemble a Strike Group. We'll track him down and-"
Several men burst in, out of breath. "Sir," one of them panted, out of breath, "You should see this."
Miki, Meru, and Kuroki exchanged glances and rushed through the hallways of the Shatterdome into the Jaeger hanger. Most of the Shatterdome's personnel were there, watching the carnage unfold. Upon the massive screen, Godzilla still fought the Breach Kaiju.
Countless massive carcasses lay scattered through the ocean. But still more Breach Kaiju rushed at Godzilla. His hide bore countless wounds from fangs and claws, his proud walk had been reduced to a stagger, and his tail dragged limply through the sea. Breach Kaiju surrounded him, and as the humans in Tokyo watched, they rushed at him, piling on him and pummeling his scales.
Godzilla's plates flashed blue and unleashed a nuclear pulse, scattering the Breach Kaiju away from him. He gave a weak groan and beheld the foes before him.
"SKREEEOONGK!" roared Godzilla, and the Breach Kaiju drew back from him. He gave a chuff, seeming resigned, then dove into the water. With a thrash of his tail, he swam away from the Breach. Its alien guardians watched him retreat, but none moved to pursue him.
In the Shatterdome, there was a moment of silence. Then Miki began clapping. He didn't die, he escaped, she thought happily, then opened her eyes to see everyone staring at her.
Then Raleigh started clapping. Then a few more. Then Kuroki and Meru. And then everyone was applauding Godzilla.
Miki looked up to the LOCCENT terminal, and saw Stacker Pentecost slowly clapping. She smiled ear to ear.
Dr. Shiragami's cell door opened. "Back so soon? I don't think another checkup will have much difference," he said without turning around.
"I'm not here for a checkup," came Stacker Pentecost's voice.
Shiragami turned quickly. "Marshall," he said.
"We need your help," said Pentecost.
"What can a relic of the past like me offer you?" asked Dr. Shiragami.
"We need to know where Tayuka Fujito might be hiding," said Pentecost grimly.
Shiragami froze and turned to look at the Marshall slowly. "What do you want with the man who killed my daughter?" he said.