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Chapter Text

I can remember it like it was yesterday.

The Cosmos had said that their goddess Mothra would stop the meteor. That she would keep the planet safe.

The Cosmos lied.

It showed up in the sky like another star and got brighter and brighter each night. It had been named Gorath, and the government said it would just pass by the Earth. Then later on, they said that our weapons would be more than enough to blow it out of the sky before it hit.

They weren't. 

The impact site was projected to be in Brazil, but the earthquakes shook the entire planet. So many dead. Industry itself drew to a complete stop when people went home to be with their families. But only humans were hurt by Gorath.

The kaiju goddamn thrived.

Meganula poured out of every well, every burrow, every place where nobody would think to look. They overran entire cities. Made them into giant hives. The Gyaos were worse. They already bred like rabbits, but after Gorath? Their numbers grew enough to blot out the sun.

The sun. It's been so long since I've seen the sun. Something about the rapid cooling of Gorath as it entered the atmosphere... who cares why. Point is, the whole world's covered in mist at this point.

Right. The kaiju. The ones from the Breach came out faster than ever. Entire legions of them. At least they're not heading for us- Gorath hit so hard it shook the world and knocked the Breach over to Africa. (not literally)

And the ones on our side, they're [illegible]

[illegible]

They're dead. Godzilla went down against a Breach Kaiju, dragging it underwater. All the mutates from his cells vanished. No idea what happened to them. And Gamera... the last our satellites showed was him flying towards a Gyaos flock the size of a city over in Hawaii. 

Global comms went down not too long after that. We're alone.

I fought in the defense of Tokyo. The top brass says we succeeded. I say there's still Meganulon hiding in buildings, Gyaos still come by to eat entire districts, and if a Breach Kaiju shows up, all we can do is die.

Marshall Pentecost says the world isn't lost. If there's anyone who I'd believe, it's him.

Goodbye.

-Recorded circa 6/16/05

Chapter Text

Focus.

Each block kept in its own sphere of mental effort.

None of them dropping.

All three remaining in the air.

Just focus.

Fo-

"Miki!"

The three blocks fell to the floor with a clatter.

Miki Saegusa sighed. Her telekinesis was good, but not as good as in her youth. She had to be better. Especially now.

"What is it, Raleigh?" she said.

"Dispatch is prepping for a recovery mission," Raleigh Becket said in slightly accented Japanese. "We'll probably both be on it, so I thought I'd tell you ahead of time."

"Well, I suppose there's no point to continuing now," Miki shrugged as she got up and walked past Raleigh out of her quarters.

Not an apartment. Quarters.

Miki had been glad to give up her apartment to the refugees, and her quarters in the Shatterdome weren't too different from her original drab home.

Even so, it still hurt a bit to know she no longer lived in the place she had spent her last twenty years in.

People hurried and bustled through the halls of the Shatterdome. No one wanted to spend too long in the same place, it seemed.

Miki calmly walked through the crowds, the ever-present hum from their thoughts and desires gnawing at her ears. She didn't focus on a single thought, but instead let them all roll over her.

Raleigh hurried behind her, struggling to keep her in sight. She sighed. The ex-Jaeger pilot was quite fixated on her, but she had no need for friends.

Not when the world had ended.

Miki walked into the Jaeger hanger, filled, like the rest of the Shatterdome, with dozens of people rushing off to their next task. But this room held more than that: it held the Jaegers.

Gargantuan robots, taller than many buildings, Miki had to strain her eyes just to look up at one. A testament to what mankind was capable of, the powerful war machines had killed countless Breach Kaiju in the past.

It'd be more impressive if there was enough power to activate them.

Well, no use dwelling on the past. (a side of her twinged at that, reminding her of- no. no time for that) Miki walked up to the War Clock to find Mitsuo Katagiri giving the briefing.

Miki sighed internally. Every conversation she had with Katagiri was a bit like banging her head against a brick wall, and ended with the same result: a headache.

"Now, all technology we can find is imperative to the survival of Tokyo," he was saying. "And our boys have just found the jackpot!" He projected a hologram. "The Dimension Tide."

There were gasps throughout the Jaeger hanger, Miki among them. Katagiri's hologram showed a large satellite terminating in a flower-like cannon. The Dimension Tide satellite.

Invented in the first year of the new millennium by Hajime Kujo, it fired collapsing matter cores that expanded into black holes which instantly killed the target. Or at least, that was the intention. The Dimension Tide had turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, creating the Meganulon and failing to kill Godzilla- twice!

No, don't think about Godzilla, don't think about Godzilla, think about something safe.

The satellite had proved somewhat effective against Breach Kaiju, however, and its shots gave off massive amounts of energy. There were plans to look into harnessing that before… Gorath. Now it seemed Katagiri wanted to try harnessing that again.

Well, if it meant they could turn the heat higher than "survivable" in the residential district, Miki was more than willing to go on this mission.

Katagiri was still talking. Miki considered listening, and eventually decided there might be some point to what he was saying.

"-Major Kuroki will be taking charge of this mission," he was saying. That was good. Miki liked Sho Kuroki. He had flown the Super-X2 against… he had flown the Super-X2. Good in combat, and a nice person out of uniform.

"Now, the psychic over there-" Katagiri gestured to Miki- "will be accompanying you all. However, while she is skilled in the ranges of telepathy and telekinesis, her precognition skills are noticeably... lacking."

That one stung, even if it was true.

"So, to ensure that nothing can go wrong with this absolutely vital operation, we will be sending you with a new asset," Katagiri continued. "Miss Kusanagi? Would you please come forward?"

Miki looked around Mitsuo to see who this Ms. Kusanagi was. It was always good to meet a fellow psychic. She strained and heard light footsteps behind Katagiri, as if from slippers. A short figure framed in shadow slowly came forward, flanked by two Strike Troopers. When Kusanagi hung back, they roughly jostled her forward into clear light.

Any rebuke Miki might have given to the Troopers died on her lips as she beheld Ms. Kusanagi. Standing between them was a small teenage girl wearing a loose-fitting gray jumpsuit and a red-and-black comma-shaped pendant around her neck. "This is Asagi Kusanagi," Katagiri spoke. "She was linked to Gamera at the time of his awakening, and though the turtle may be gone, his spirit lives on, giving her guidance through that orichalcum bead. And she will give that advice to you!"

"So what, we're using child soldiers now!"

Miki was surprised to hear the voice snap at Katagiri, and was even more surprised to realize it was her own voice.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Katagiri said eventually. "Now, Miss Kusanagi here will be accompanying you, and you will not be-"

"If we need guidance, fine. But why does she have to come with us? Can't she just remain in contact with comms? Why do we have to take a kid out of controlled territory?" Miki probed.

"It is possible that the precognition will not function successfully unless she is in direct danger," said Katagiri. "Now, if we could-"

"Possible?! You're risking a kid's life for a possibility?!"

"YOU WILL BE SILENT!" Katagiri roared. "Do I need to remind you I am your superior?! If you cannot do what needs to be done, return to K-Science!"

Red in the face, Miki turned away. Katagiri turned back to the rest of the Troopers, all business again. "The Dimension Tide is believed to be located inside a ruined warehouse, about half a klick outside of controlled territory. Our sentries have been chased off from the area by massed Meganuloun and Meganula. Your task is to secure the warehouse and then call in a chopper to retrieve the Dimension Tide."

More footsteps sounded behind Katagiri as an affable-looking man in his late forties emerged from an elevator. "Ah, Sub-Marshal," he said. "I trust they're ready?"

"They are, Major Kuroki," said Katagiri.

"Alright, Strike Troopers," said Kuroki. "Let's move out!"

Strike Troopers didn't have anything uniform these days. When a good chunk of the population had to worry about having any clothes or weapons at all, standardizing decreased in importance.

As a result, while they all wore the standard-issue gray shirts, Miki wore yellow rubber rainboots and a scarf. Raleigh carried several guns from various designers and countries. Kuroki wore a G-Force cap.

As the Troopers marched out of the armory, fully equipped, Miki turned to see Asagi Kusanagi emerging in the same state as she entered. "You don't have a weapon!?" Miki whispered to her.

For the first time, Asagi spoke. Her voice was quiet, yet held no hint of fear. "The Sub-Marshal told me I couldn't use weapons. Too much of a liability. He said if he saw me with a gun he'd shoot me."

Appalled, Miki spun and marched to Kuroki. "It's one thing," she told him, "To send a kid on a mission. But sending that kid on a mission without a weapon?! What is wrong with you people?!"

Kuroki sighed grimly. "I don't like it, and neither does Stacker. But Katagiri pulled some strings with the Civilian Recovery Council. He's got some idea that the kid's gonna get possessed by a giant turtle the second we turn our backs, and if we give her any weapon she'll use it on us. That suit she's wearing is designed to inhibit Gamera's influence on her."

"He's a moron," said Miki thickly.

"Yep," Kuroki agreed.

The team walked out of the Shatterdome through the streets of Tokyo. It had been a while since any of them had been in the city, and Miki at least didn't like the feeling.

That ever-present mist permeated through every nook and cranny of Tokyo, making it hard to see too far. Even so, Miki knew what she'd see. Rubble strewn about everywhere. Cracks covering the ground, with the land at times shifted out of proportion, so you had to climb up from pavement to pavement. Once-towering skyscrapers with the top simply cut off. Raggedy-looking children clothed in scraps hurrying back to the barely-even-wrecked apartment complexes before "they" come in the night. A skittering shape in the mist, quickly vanishing before you could get a good look at it.

Well, except Miki didn't need a good look. She only needed the noise of its thoughts to put a round from her pistol between its mandibles.

There was a clicking screech, and a thump as the Meganulon collapsed to the ground. A couple Strike Troopers halted, stunned.

"Keep moving," grunted Raleigh. They hastened to do so.

With Kuroki in the lead, the group eventually stepped beyond controlled territory. You could start to tell, by how the ground was even more uneven, the mist even thicker, the buildings more damaged. One could see it as ominous, but Miki took it as encouragement. It showed that there was something worse than the terrified children hiding in the slums, that they were doing some good.

And they could do more.

After maybe an hour more of marching, Kuroki held up a closed fist. The group instantly halted. "That's the place," he said, gesturing to a large building. It looked to be in remarkably good condition, barely any cracks in the facade or holes in the walls, although the mist did make it a bit difficult to make an accurate judgment.

Everyone turned to look at Asagi Kusanagi.

"Okay, kid," Kuroki began, "We have twelve available entrances to this warehouse. We need you to find the one with the least amount of bugs nearby so we can get to the Tide with as little resistance as possible."

Her fingers trembling, Asagi clutched her pendant to her chest. She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," said Raleigh Becket. "It'll be alright if you fail."

Miki nodded stoically. "Just remember to focus."

No longer trembling, Asagi closed her eyes and began to hum a strange melody. It sounded quite similar to certain islander songs, especially the ones Miki had heard the Cosmos sing.

The jumpsuit began to heat up. Asagi opened her eyes and motioned to the building. "That first entrance has several Meganulon nearby, but after them it's an almost entirely clear path through the warehouse. Several entrances on the left have been buried under debris, and the right side of the building is nothing but Meganulon. I would suggest this entrance."

"Suggestion accepted," said Kuroki. "Alright, everyone, get ready for a fight! Better the devil you know!"

He drew a Howa Type 89 assault rifle, as did several other Strike Troopers. Miki took out her pistol, and Raleigh shouldered an AK47. "Stay close to me," Miki hissed to Asagi.

Slowly, the group approached the door. Kuroki would have liked to open with a grenade or two, but unfortunately they were in short supply. So instead, he simply kicked in the door.

The Meganulon were on them almost instantly, springing out with their pincers ready and mandibles bared. Maddening chirps filled the air as the huge dragonfly larvae poured out of the warehouse upon the group.

Their cries were suddenly silenced by the singing of gunshots. Kuroki fired first, squeezing the trigger at the door. The first Meganulon collapsed immediately, green blood pooling out of the holes the bullets had left. Several more rushed to the sides, taking little more than flesh wounds.

The kaijin surrounded the group, around a dozen or so of them. It seemed to last hours, but it was really only a few seconds before they sprang.

One came at Miki, lunging out with its barbed legs to try to pin her down. She jumped back to avoid the first strike, lining up a clear shot with her pistol, and fired straight into its eye at point-blank range. It fell back, screaming, as she followed up with a shot through the carapace into the heart. Sensing its thoughts, she realized it would be dead in seconds. No need to make sure. Her own thoughts were interrupted by Asagi's scream. Another Meganulon had circled behind Miki and was trying to rip into her with its mandibles. The girl was desperately trying to hold them apart, but they were quickly closing around her stomach. Squeezing the trigger, Miki fired at its antennae. In a green spray, the feelers vanished from its head. The Meganulon screeched in rage and turned on her. Miki took aim at its eye, but never needed to fire.

In a cacophony of lead, Raleigh blasted the Meganulon attacking Miki into oblivion with his AK47. Smirking, he kicked away a Meganulon that lunged for him before finishing it off with two headshots from his sidearm. More Meganulon began climbing up the warehouse wall, hoping to jump down and kill them from above. Raleigh aimed the AK47 and simply emptied the clip in their direction. No time for precise aiming- not in combat. The kaijin on the wall fell in a few seconds as another sprang for Raleigh. He slammed the AK47 into its head, ejecting the empty clip as he did so. A few sidearm shots finished off that Meganulon.

Asagi's eyes widened. "Duck!" she shouted to a soldier as he finished off a Meganulon Raleigh had shot. The man did so just before another creature lunged at his head from behind. Rolling out of the way, he stabbed it in the neck with his combat knife. It collapsed as the gunfire died down and the last of the Meganulon fell.

"Everyone all right?" said Kuroki.

"Bit winded, but the most we've got is some scratches from their teeth," said Miki.

"Alright," said Kuroki. "Asagi? Any more bugs in there?"

Asagi clutched her pendant and closed her eyes for a second, before opening them. "No. No, there's no more."

"Good," said Kuroki. "Alright, everyone- we're going in."

The warehouse was cold and damp. Everything was, but this place was more unfamiliar. Boxes and pieces of boxes were scattered haphazardly through the place. Water saturated the floor, condensed out of the ever-present mist. And everywhere could be heard the skittering and chirping of Meganulon.

"Lovely place," said Raleigh dryly. "We sure the bugs didn't just eat the Tide?"

"Our instruments detected the distinct radiation the Tide generates," said Kuroki.

"And we're walking towards that radiation?" someone yelled.

"It's harmless, although I wouldn't put a microwave anywhere in here."

"Aw, but what about my pizza?" Raleigh joked.

There were laughs from most of the Strike Troopers. Even the corners of Asagi's mouth turned upwards into what could be called a rather hesitant smile.

Miki remained silent.

Asagi looked over to the psychic. She seemed nice enough, if quiet, although she wasn't one to judge on that front. But she knew that face. That was the face that you held to hide all the fear behind, the one where you tried to hide everything from your past inside. Asagi saw that face every time she looked in the mirror. Miki…was like her.

Her smile became a bit less hesitant-

Danger! Hurt you! Kill you! Kill all gathered here!

Asagi's suit began to heat up and she quickly shut out Gamera's voice before it could get worse. "Gamera says there's danger!" she spoke up.

The Troopers immediately swiveled outwards, aiming their guns in all directions. "I can't detect any Meganulon close by," said Miki.

"Can you ask him to elaborate?" said Kuroki.

The suit had calmed down now… one question. One question couldn't hurt.

Holding the talisman and closing her eyes, she thought, Gamera, what is the danger?

Nest is unstable. Falls on you soon.

Asagi gasped. The whole building?

No. Just this area. Falls-

He was cut off as her suit began growing warmer still. She had to remember not to talk to him too much. It just came naturally now. "This room's going to collapse," she said. "We need to move!"

"WE NEED TO MOVE!" Kuroki yelled.

Everyone moved.

They ran for the door, but as they did so, one soldier stomped on a fallen metal bar. It struck the wall and a crack began to run over it. The room trembled and chunks began to fall over the doorway. Asagi stumbled and fell behind. Her suit wouldn't stop heating up.

No… no… I'm not talking to him anymore… I'm doing what you want… Why isn't that enough?

The chunks of rubble became larger and larger-

One was heading for her.

She had to get up.

Why couldn't she get up?

The rubble plummeted towards her, big enough to crush a car. "No!" shouted Miki.

Focus…

Miki seized the chunk of rubble in a telekinetic grip. Held it in place, above Asagi. Almost instantly, her brain went taught with strain. It was too much… too big… she couldn't hold it…

Raleigh rushed over and pulled Asagi out of the way. With a cry of effort, Miki finally released the rubble.

We saved her… she thought.

Then she looked around. The door was completely blocked off by a pile of rubble, and they were the only ones in the room.

They were trapped.

"You all right?" Raleigh said to Asagi.

Finally, the suit had apparently decided that Asagi had learned her lesson. "I'm… okay… one minute."

Asagi crawled to a large puddle of water and began splashing it on her red face.

Raleigh took out a radio. "Hello? Major? Do you read us? Over."

"I read you. Over." came the staticky reply.

"Can you see any way to get us out? Over."

"It all seems balanced on one big rock. If we take it out, we could-"

"Negative." Mitsuo Katagiri's voice came over the radio. "The Tide takes top priority over all else. Continue on your way. Over."

Asagi paled at the sound of his voice. Raleigh held the radio, stunned- he had no idea the radios were still linked to the Shatterdome.

"Sir, they are in a very dangerous place. There may be another collapse, and that's saying nothing of the Meganulon-"

"If you must risk the mission for soldiers, you will not risk it for a psychic, a washed-up ex-Jaeger-pilot, and a kaiju priestess. That is an order. Am. I. Clear? Over."

Kuroki glared at the radio like he wanted to shoot the Dimension Tide at it. "Crystal, sir. Miki, Raleigh, Asagi- after we've got the Tide, we'll be back for you. Over."

Raleigh stared at the radio for a second, then shook his head and said "Understood, Major. Over and out."

He turned back to Miki and Asagi. Asagi bit her lip. Miki seemed unfazed, as if she expected this. Raleigh shrugged and sat on a large piece of rubble.

"Well," he said. "I know what we can do to pass the time. We can tell war stories."

Asagi, at least, looked a bit intrigued. Anything to take her mind off their current predicament. Miki shrugged and sat down. Not like she had anything better to do.

"I'll start," said Raleigh, "And have I got some stories to tell…"

Chapter Text

The group gathered around each other, huddling close. There was little point: coming close together couldn't stop the ceiling from falling on them, nor could it thwart Meganulon from catching their scent and coming to rip them apart.

Even so, it felt comforting. Simple human nature.

Raleigh began to speak. "When I was still a Jaeger pilot, my copilot was my brother, Yancy Becket. Or should I say, I was his copilot. He was always wiser, less headstrong. Together, we drove Gypsy Danger against the Breach Kaiju."

"I've seen her in the Shatterdome," Miki said. "Powerful machine."

"You have no idea," Raleigh sighed. "Piloting a Jaeger is… how do I describe it? It's unlike anything you've ever felt before. You feel everything. You can feel being hundreds of meters tall and closing a metal fist. You can feel your hand turn into a plasma cannon and fire. And you can feel it when the Kaiju tear the plating off your armor or rip off a limb. There's really nothing you can compare it to."

"Actually, there is," Miki spoke up suddenly. "I operated the G-Crusher in the Mechagodzilla project. It was a while ago, but you never really forget what it's like to drive a giant robot."

"And I've been inside Gamera's head when he was fighting," Asagi added, then immediately hunched up as though wishing she had said nothing.

Raleigh appeared not to notice. "Well then, I guess there is something you can compare it to, so forget I said anything." He flashed a winning smirk, which Asagi mirrored hesitantly. "Anyway, this would've been a month or so after Gorath. Power was going on and off like some moron kept flipping a giant light switch on the Earth. Kaiju and kaijin everywhere-"

"We were there," Miki said.

"Just checking to make sure you weren't on Mars by mistake. Yancy and I were sent on… I guess it was the last time a Jaeger's been on a combat mission. The techies had detected a Breach Kaiju coming, Cat 3. The boys in the back called it "Knifehead" because its head looked like a knife. Guess the apocalypse kinda messes with creativity. Now, we were wading out into the bay. The storm was getting real bad, and we were up to our waist in the ocean…"

Gypsy Danger waded out into Tokyo Bay. The Jaeger was humanoid in shape, as it was incredibly easier for pilots to Drift with something similar in shape to them. Painted a royal blue, it had a somewhat feminine frame, with lithe limbs built for speed and a large chestplate with a glowing orange turbine in the center. The head held the conn-pod, where the pilots stood behind a green visor.

"Alright, let's kill us a giant monster, eh?" Raleigh grinned as he and Yancy marched in one place in unison. Gypsy mimicked their movements perfectly.

"Raleigh, there is such a thing as losing," Yancy cautioned. Raleigh opened his mouth to argue, but Yancy cut him off. "I'm inside your head right now. I know you think we can't lose. These past few months humanity's been doing nothing but lose, so try not to get cocky."

"Cocky? Me? I'm hurt, brother mine," said Raleigh, exaggeratedly clutching at his chest. A howling screech suddenly carried over the waves. "Target close," said Yancy as they approached the source of the noise, ready for battle.

"It was supposed to be easy. Breach Kaiju do nothing but attack. They don't strategise or wait, and they're not that powerful. Killing a Cat 3 should've been a snap.

"Unfortunately, it didn't want to play along."

Gypsy Danger stood waist-deep in the ocean, surrounded by dark clouds. Light came only from the occasional flash of lightning.

"Here, kaiju-kaiju-kaiju-kaiju-kaiju…" Raleigh hummed as they strode through the ocean.

"It might not even be here-" Yancy started, only to be cut off by a tremendous roar as a massive weight suddenly slammed into their back with the force of a freight train. Gypsy stumbled around, trying desperately to throw the beast off. Its shrieking continued as it clung on, digging its claws into their plating and beginning to tear metal chunks out of their back. Raleigh and Yancy screamed at the same time as they felt those gargantuan claws creep their way towards Gypsy's head.

What do we do, what do we do, what do we do, Raleigh's brain spiraled endlessly. He wouldn't go down like this! He couldn't-

Suddenly, he felt a wave of clarity wash over him as Yancy's influence spread through the Drift, quickly forming a strategy. Raleigh followed his brother's lead.

Gypsy fell backwards, slamming the Breach Kaiju against the seafloor. As its fingers were momentarily dislodged, Gypsy activated its elbow rockets. Thrust roared out of the Jaeger's forearms, burning the Breach Kaiju and forcing it to writhe in pain as Gypsy was pushed upwards by the rockets. She immediately spun around into a punch, sending the Breach Kaiju sprawling away. Recovering, it stood up and roared at them, and that was when they got a good look at Knifehead.

It was predominately black in color, with orange bioluminescent strips crisscrossing its form. Its head was indeed shaped like a blade, jutting forward like that of a goblin shark. It had four yellow eyes, two sets on each side of the blade-snout, and an equal number of arms, the second pair smaller than the first.

Roaring, Knifehead rushed at Gypsy, leveling its blade to impale the Jaeger. "Deploy left plasmacaster!" Yancy shouted. Gypsy's left hand began to unfold into a glowing blue flower-like weapon. Knifehead closed the distance before the transformation could be completed, but Raleigh seized its blade in Gypsy's right hand and turned the Kaiju's charge away. However, Knifehead extended its talons as it ran past, slashing at Gypsy's midsection.

Yancy turned Gypsy at Knifehead as the plasmacaster automatically loaded a clip. With an effort of will, Yancy fired a sizzling blue blast at the Breach Kaiju. Hitting its shoulder, it tore off a chunk of Knifehead's flesh in a spray of kaiju blue, the toxic blue blood that ran through the veins of everything that came out of the Breach. Screeching in pain, Knifehead jumped backwards. "Fire two!" Yancy yelled. Another blue blast, this one hitting Knifehead right in the center of its torso. With a final screech, it fell into the waves.

Gypsy Danger turned its back and began to walk back towards Tokyo. "Howzabout drinks on me, eh, Yancy?" Raleigh said with a grin.

"He turned towards me, and looked like he was about to say something. I don't know what it was, the Drift was glitching a bit after the blows. His face… he looked sad, I think. Or maybe he was about to laugh?

"I wish I knew.

"Because that was when Knifehead decided to stop playing dead… and the last time I would ever see my brother's face."

With a horrid screech, Knifehead leapt out of the water and rammed its blade through Gypsy's chassis. In the cockpit, Raleigh screamed in agony, descending into a world of pain as his eyes squeezed shut. Knifehead twisted its snout, and the entire robot spasmed in agony. Suddenly, the plasmacaster began to unfold again, Yancy once more taking charge of the situation. Two of Knifehead's arms seized the plasmacaster, forcing it away, as its third hand rushed for the conn-pod.

Immense black fingers rammed through the metal like tissue paper, seizing a chunk of machinery and yanking it out before hurling it miles away into the ocean.

And Yancy was part of it.

Raleigh felt his brother be crushed in Knifehead's claws, felt his heart stop, his lungs cease breathing, his body be ground into paste. Or was that happening to him? With Yancy gone, it should be.

But rational thought was immediately cut off as Raleigh immediately felt the strain of piloting a Jaeger solo. He might have been screaming, or he might have been entirely silent. He didn't know anymore. Lost in the great metal behemoth, his mind scattered throughout its limbs, the tension straining, pulling it apart-

-had to eject, get out-

-two great beasts, roaring, ripping each other apart-

-a flash of blue from one beast-

-heat, such heat, turning the water to steam-

"And that's really all I remember," said Raleigh. "I got Gypsy back to shore somehow, but if you're begging me for details about Godzilla's last stand, I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed."

Miki bit her lip. She had actually hoped for that, but no matter. It was in the past anyway.

"You drove a Jaeger on your own?" Asagi was asking. "But only Pentecost's done that!"

"Well, he actually killed Onibaba like that, whereas I just walked. And I am not doing it again. No more Jaegers for me, thanks," Raleigh concluded in a joking manner.

"But couldn't you just find another copilot?" Miki asked.

"First, we'd need to actually be able to power the Jaegers for that. Second, I was never that great a pilot. Yancy was the real brains behind the operation, and there's no replacing him," Raleigh said. A note of bitterness briefly entered his voice, but he quickly recovered. "So yeah, that's my horrific trauma right out there! How about you two?"

Asagi gave a faint smile. "Well, I suppose I could tell you about how I went from 'average fishing village girl' to 'prophet of Gamera'."

"Katagiri told us," Miki spoke up. "Your amulet is what provides the link between you and Gamera."

"Yeah. I got it in '95. Everyone wanted an interview back then," Asagi said. "My family and I eventually moved to the country just to avoid them."

"You were so young back then," Miki mused.

"Well, I'll be staying that way," said Asagi bitterly, then immediately clapped her hands to her mouth.

"What do you mean by that?" said Miki. She sensed discomfort from Asagi. Too much.

Asagi shrank back. "The amulet… kinda stopped my aging. I've been 15, physically and mentally, for years. I don't know if I'll even ever die."

"Oh," said Raleigh. "Well, any interest in patenting that? I'd love to retain this youthful complexion."

Asagi stared in disbelief. "You… I tell you I'm an undying priestess of a monster, and you make a joke about it?!"

"That about sums me up in one sentence," said Raleigh calmly.

"I agree," said Miki. "No matter what you would become, so long as you remained human at heart, I would not fear you."

Asagi paused for a moment, unsure of what to say. She settled on smiling, fully this time.

With a crash, the battering ram finally broke down the metal door. Kuroki strode in first, followed by the strike troopers. They slowly scanned the room with flashlight and gun, ready to open fire at the slightest hint of Meganulon.

Finally, they appeared satisfied and walked towards the center of the room.

A massive metal box sat there, with numerous warnings not to open. Radioactive, government property, the usual. There was no humming, so Kuroki surmised that Gorath had knocked out the electric defense, so it wouldn't kill anyone who touched it. That was the good news. The bad news was that this meant the keypad was shorted out too, so they would have to open it by hand.

As a couple men went to work with buzzsaws, Kuroki took out the radio again. "We've located the Tide," he said into it.

"About time," Katagiri's voice came over. "I expect you to return to the Shatterdome with it immediately."

"But what about Miki, Asagi, and Raleigh?" Kuroki asked, already knowing the answer.

"You were told when the team left that the Dimension Tide takes priority above everything. They were trained for this scenario and can be retrieved once the primary objective is secure. I do not expect further insubordination, Major."

Kuroki wanted to argue. He wanted to say that the kid wasn't trained for it, that they had told them they would be back, that in these days every life counted.

But he had a duty.

So he said, "Over and out," and went to help his men cut through the box.

"Now then, I believe I was supposed to share my horrific trauma," said Asagi.

"That was, like most things I say, a joke," said Raleigh. "What you endure is your business, not ours."

"I'd like it to be yours," said Asagi. "It's easier than carrying it around everywhere." She took a deep breath, then began.

Asagi Kusanagi walked out into her garden, squatting before a bush of roses. She wore a schoolgirl's outfit, not her deathtrap of a jumpsuit.

Absently, she reached to touch her pendant and felt the familiar sensation of Gamera's voice filling her brain. Cosmo, he said. It was always difficult for Asagi to place his voice. It wasn't deafening, it didn't fill her head like his war shriek, but it was still loud, somehow. His inflection was off, like someone still learning Japanese. It sounded raspy, but if she strained, she could hear the voices of many people she knew in his words, as if he had taken all of them and mashed them all together to speak through.

Hello, Gamera, she thought. And how was your day today?

An enemy came from the Bright Gate, he intoned, using his word for the Breach. She wondered if other kaiju used it too, but she had never managed to read any mind but his. It threatened the Lands I Must Protect, so I burned it dead.

The Deep One did not assist you? she asked.

He would have been no help, Gamera hissed. He is bound to Failure by his pride, his pretensions of being a King.

And yet you bow to him, Asagi thought in what she hoped would convey a wry tone.

Gamera hissed in distaste. He does not threaten the Fire, nor the Land. Only those who would lay claim to it. For this I do not challenge him.

And he'd kick your ass, Asagi added.

I assume this is another of your expressions, Gamera said in what someone unfamiliar with him would mistake for humor.

"Gamera was basically my best friend-slash-brother-slash-mentor. I didn't get close to many others besides my parents, but him I spilled all my deepest secrets to. He never really understood what humans were like, but he always tried. And I never really understood what it was like to be a kaiju, although I was inside his head through all his battles. Whenever he got hurt, I'd feel it.

"I never imagined it would end. Not until Hawaii."

Asagi screamed in agony as her parents dragged her towards the car. She felt the sonic scalpels of Gyaos falling upon her skin, felt them as they bit into her flesh. She could feel the rage of Gamera as he fought valiantly, slashing Gyaos to pieces and incinerating them with fireballs.

But for every Gyaos that would die, twenty more would besiege her.

She barely registered her parents desperately telling her- or perhaps themselves- that it would be alright as they drove at the top speed they could manage. She knew, at some level, that the chirps barely behind them were from Meganulon, that their house, their neighborhood, everything they'd known had been overrun by the dragonflies.

But mostly, she was above Hawaii, doing everything she could to protect what must be protected, yet knowing there was no way to win.

Suddenly, she was shaken out of Gamera's head by his voice.

I am sorry.

She begged him in her mind, in the car, with words, emotions, everything she had. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't.

But nothing would deter him as he began to weave mana into the air and suck in fire. One last mighty shriek would echo above Hawaii before Gamera erupted, a massive fireball consuming him and the Gyaos both.

Asagi felt it.

"I blacked out for a while at that point. Not sure how long it lasted, maybe a few hours, maybe a few years. I think it might've been that one. No one told me."

"It'll be alright, my little girl. Everything's gonna be alright."

"All gonna be okay."

"You'll be okay."

Asagi's eyes opened to see her parents, gray in the hair, cradling her, squeezing her tight like she would float off into the sky if they let go. They whispered endless sweet platitudes to her, telling her that she would be okay, alright, fine, alive, wonderful.

They were in some kind of camp, with dirty tents everywhere she looked. It was all behind tall walls with machine guns balanced on top. A cacophony of screams filled the air as smoke reached her nose and maddening, familiar, chirps began to eclipse the human cries.

They told her she had to run, to be smart, to be brave, and to get to somewhere safe. Asagi didn't know what was happening, she just ran.

She heard the chirping becoming louder, the clicking of claws behind her.

"Hey! Over here!"

"You'd rather have a bigger meal than a skinny kid like her!"

Her parents' voices rose above the din. The clicking and chirping turned frenzied and faded. Asagi didn't ever look back as she ran. She didn't look back as bloodcurdling screams and the noise of tearing meat filled the air.

Asagi Kusanagi ran for a long time. She wasn't going anywhere, just knew that she had to run. The landscape rushed past her, mist and the outlines of destroyed cities.

Eventually, she collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. Asagi felt a weight tug on her neck, and she looked to see she still wore her pendant.

And as she gazed at the one thing that remained of her life, a familiar voice flooded her head.

Hello, my Cosmo.

"You can still hear him?" Miki asked. "But… he's dead."

"No. He is tied to fire and hope, like the Gyaos are tied to corruption and hunger," said Asagi. "Fire still exists, so Gamera does too. He is reincarnating somewhere, inside an egg. He doesn't know where. But he still guides me."

"I'm sorry to hear about your parents," said Raleigh. "I know I can't start to understand it, but you have my deepest sympathies."

"I lost mine in '84," said Miki. "Godzilla destroyed our apartment, and I was the only one to make it out. It feels horrible, I know. But it does get better eventually."

"I'm not sure anything gets better nowadays," said Asagi.

Asagi had no one but Gamera for company for a long time. He guided her to the safest place he knew of: Tokyo. She had a few encounters with Meganulon, but Gamera guided her away from the most dangerous spots.

Eventually, she arrived in Tokyo. The scouting patrols found her quickly and brought her to the Civilian Recovery Council. It was a committee of civilians with the populace's backing, put in charge of all non-military operations in Tokyo. Their ranks included Yuji Shinoda, founder of the Godzilla Prediction Network, Yasuaki Shindo, CEO of the Taiyo Group, Kenichi Watanabe, head of the Tohto Times, and several others.

Asagi told them her story, and most of them were moved to sympathy. But one was skeptical.

Mitsuo Katagiri held a seat on the Council. It was unethical and likely illegal, but the laws hadn't been decided on yet, and at that point they had been too busy trying to reclaim territory from the Meganulon to enforce order.

"So, you are telling us that you can communicate with a kaiju, one we know cares more about the land we live on than us, and you want to be brought inside our safe haven to learn our secrets?" he had said.

"I don't want to learn anything!" she hastily replied. "I don't care about whatever secrets you might have! I just want a place to live!"

"And how do we know we can trust her?" Katagiri pressed. "How do we know it's not Gamera, speaking through her?"

"Mitsuo, be reasonable!" Shinoda snapped. "She's just a child!"

"A child with a kaiju inside her mind! I repeat, if there is any way Gamera could gain knowledge about Tokyo it is a security risk! She is a danger to the safety of humanity and I recommend she be turned away, if not terminated!"

Faces slowly turned mistrustful and suspicious as they gazed at Asagi. Shinoda was desperately arguing with them, but there were so many. Asagi began hyperventilating.

This place was supposed to be safe…

At that moment, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Asagi looked up to see him.

Marshall Stacker Pentecost.

"So tell me again, Mitsuo," he said coolly. His voice was quiet, but at the sound of it, everyone stopped shouting. "Are you seriously advocating we kill a frightened child who came to us for help because she's linked to a kaiju? In the name of 'the greater good of humanity'? Well, tell me, how human will we be after we've killed a little girl because she might be a danger?"

Faces fell and murmurs spread through the room. Katagiri recovered first. "And if she is a danger and we are all killed?"

"Then we die human," said Pentecost.

"I call for a vote," said Shinoda. "All in favor of Asagi Kusanagi being allowed to stay in Tokyo?"

One by one, hands began to raise and the room slipped away from Katagiri. Asagi couldn't believe it. With just a few words, Pentecost had saved her life.

Finally, Mitsuo himself raised his hand, and it was unanimous. Asagi saw the cold look in his eyes and realized he wasn't convinced by the Marshall's words. He began to speak again. "Well, we need some method of control, at least," Katagiri said. "To, if nothing else, stop her from agitating Gamera into an attack when she gets moody."

That was something Asagi had sometimes worried about. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad?

The Council agreed that a method would be used to maintain a level of control on her, and until that was implemented, she would be watched in the Shatterdome.

Her room there- or perhaps her cell- was rather drab, although she didn't have anything to make it familiar. She had remained there, doing nothing but talking to Gamera, for several weeks.

"You lived in the Shatterdome? Why weren't we told this?" asked Miki.

"The Marshall thought I was entitled to my privacy," Asagi replied. "He didn't ever think I'd be in the PPDC."

Finally, one day, guards entered her room. She was escorted to the K-Science division and brought to a laboratory where Katagiri stood.

They showed her the suit, on a table. She was told to strip naked and put it on.

She did so, in front of them, with no coverings or privacy. Then she was allowed to put her pendant back on, and was told to speak to Gamera.

Well, we're finally here, she had said.

You are finally safe, he had replied. She was beginning to get a bit hot, but she was sure that was just the suit.

And soon enough, I'll come and find you. Even hotter now. She could get some water in a minute. And then we'll fix the world.

Asagi-

That was all he could say before the heat doubled. She screamed. It was burning. She tore at the fabric, struggling to get it off, but at that moment, there was a clicking, and she saw Katagiri pointing a gun at her.

"Ah, ah," he said. "No taking it off. Let it run its course."

She collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain, as her flesh sizzled and smoke raised. Eventually, the heat began to lessen and she curled up into a ball, twitching.

"That will happen whenever you make contact with the kaiju," said Katagiri. "Unless you are specifically instructed to do so by someone of the minimum rank of Major, you are not to make contact with Gamera again."

She was led back to her cell, and not removed until the Dimension Tide was found.

There was a frozen silence, broken only by Miki's snarl of rage as several small pieces of rubble around her levitated and began to crack under telekinetic pressure.

"That monster," she hissed. "He dares to treat you like that?! Like you weren't human, and couldn't be trusted?! I wish I could kill him, right here!"

"Well now, that's too simple," said Raleigh in a calm voice that betrayed the raging hatred in his eyes. "Maybe if we stuck him in a Jaeger solo…"

"No," Asagi muttered, curling into a ball. "Don't turn on him just because of me. He's right, I'm not worth the PPDC's stability."

Miki screamed in rage and ground the chunks of rubble to dust. She stood there, panting. "I hate… that we have to ally with people like him to ensure we don't go extinct."

"Well, once the population hits five digits, we can kill him as much as we want," said Raleigh. "But right now… right now, I am going to do everything in my power to have that suit destroyed."

Asagi didn't know what to say. She settled on smiling. "Well, how about you, Miki? We've shared our traumas, you wanna join the misery board?"

Miki swallowed. "I…

Ever-blossoming, ever-evolving, golden death-light.

An accord reached. A deal struck.

Screaming as the ages wound back and…

"No," said Miki. "Not today."

The buzzsaws finally cut through the box, and the Dimension Tide was revealed. The satellite was covered in dust, but still looked operational. "Nobody touch anything," Kuroki ordered. "We'll have transport ready soon."

The Strike Troopers backed off and began to prepare the area for the Tide to be airlifted out. Kuroki went to the radio, but stopped when he saw one Trooper standing stock-still. "Private Miki!" he yelled. "What do you think you're doing! Get to work clearing the boxes!"

Slowly, Ichiro Miki turned to look at Kuroki. The major's eyes widened as he beheld what had seconds ago been an ordinary man.

His eyes were slitted, like those of a cat. He twitched and shivered constantly, and his mouth was turned up into a smile filled with malice, almost too wide for the human face to make. He was muttering something under his breath. "-ara…" Kuroki could make out. "-ab-ara…"

With a sudden shriek, he lunged for the Tide and began hammering at buttons. "Stop him!" Kuroki shouted as what was once Ichiro Miki pulled a lever and the Dimension Tide began to glow black.

"EVERYONE DOWN!" yelled Kuroki. Everyone in the room leapt for cover before, with a clicking of machinery and a woosh, the Dimension Tide fired.

A massive wave of black energy was unleashed and spread quickly through the room. Then the warehouse. Then Tokyo. Before the satellite, space seemed to get caught on a corner as, out of nowhere, a charred hunk of metal covered in plants appeared out of thin air. It slammed into the ground, shaking the building.

Miki, Raleigh, and Asagi jumped as the black wave passed over them. The crash rattled the rubble blocking the exit, and it fell over, revealing an opening. "Any injuries?" asked Miki, recovering first.

"Not that I can tell," said Raleigh. "I think that light- whatever it was- was harmless. I just wanna know where it came from."

Miki sighed. "I think… it might have come from the Tide. Some sort of misfiring."

"And that's bad, yes?" said Raleigh.

"Indeed," said Miki. "It spreads radiation everywhere it passes. It won't hurt anyone… well, it may hurt some people, but they are few and far between. But the real danger is from the kaiju. The rays will attract them."

"What sort of kaiju?" said Asagi nervously.

"Like…" Miki began before being interrupted by a thunderous screech. In horror, they all rushed out of the room, knowing what they would see but unwilling to believe it.

A Hyper Gyaos soared over Tokyo. The massive creature was the size of a battleship, easily ninety meters tall. Its leathery bat wings made up most of its body, reaching two hundred meters when fully spread. Its head resembled an arrow, and its skin was a rough red-brown. Despite its size, it looked incredibly malnourished, its ribcage visible through its skin. Its eyes were mad, feral and ravenous. Letting out a shrill shriek that filled the city, it declared its intention to feast.

"It's heading for the civilian district!" Raleigh realized in horror.

"We have to deploy the defenses!" Miki yelled. "We may not have much electricity, but we can still use the masers and jets!"

"Wait a minute," Asagi said. "Does it feel… a bit cold to you?"

Miki figured it out in an instant. She could no longer feel the warmth from the civilian district's heating grid, nor could she hear any sirens. "That wave… it had the properties of an EMP. All our electricity is down. We can't leave the Shatterdome to attack."

The Gyaos shrieked and plowed into a building, which collapsed in a thunderous crash.

"Then… what do we do?" said Asagi nervously.

"I…" For the first time, Miki saw Raleigh without a joke, or at least an attempt to make one. "I don't know."

Inside the Shatterdome, Katagiri could hear the commotion of the soldiers trying desperately to open the doors. Their computers seemed unharmed, but their vehicles, their weapons? Not as much.

He knew there was no hope they'd manage to mobilize in time to save anyone. There was one person he had to find right there, and he knew where he'd be. In the center of it all, taking control of the situation.

"Marshall!" Katagiri yelled. "We can't last against that thing. We've got to evacuate Tokyo!"

Pentecost turned to him. "No need, Sub-Marshal. The situation is under control."

"Are you serious?!" Katagiri exclaimed. "We cannot stand against a Hyper Gyaos as we are! We need to flee! We might be leaving our secured areas, but at least-"

"Marshall!" a techie yelled. "There's something moving in the bay."

Pentecost smiled.

The seafloor began to tremble. Waves leapt up, higher than ever before, crashing against the shore.

"Increasing tremor activity-"

"Radiation levels rising-"

"Sonar detects a large entity moving underground-"

Katagiri stood speechless as scientists spilled out reports on the bay.

"You didn't think that Gyaos was the only thing that blast woke up, did you?" said Pentecost.

Below the water, the ground began to rupture as an unimaginably vast form moved. Finally giving way, a mass of black scales and spikes surged forth.

"Entity has breached the seafloor and is approaching Tokyo at 20 knots-"

"Oh God, it's not him, it can't be-"

"Radiation at 37% above average-"

"-rather have the Gyaos than-"

"Subject approaching 45 knots, sir!"

Katagiri watched the scene in horror. "What do we do?" he begged Pentecost.

Pentecost stood calmly. "It's him. There's nothing we can do. We just have to trust he'll be benevolent today."

He breached the surface of the water. One hundred meters tall, and twice as long thanks to his tail. Charcoal-black scales covering his form. Sharp spikes running down his back. A proud countenance, with intelligence and fury in his eyes.

He had been buried for so long, but now he returned.

Emerging from the water, he at last stood on his feet. So, a challenger would lay claim to his territory. He would rectify that.

"He's back," Miki said, looking up with tears in her eyes at the gargantuan form, visible even through the mist.

The King of the Monsters. The Deep One. The Atomic Leviathan.

Godzilla.

He threw back his head and let out a mighty roar.

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOONNK!"

The Hyper Gyaos did not understand the power before it. It only saw food. And so, with a thunderous shriek, it rushed towards Godzilla, causing a sonic boom with a single flap of its wings. Godzilla's dorsal plates began to glow blue… but the glow died out quickly and the Hyper Gyaos slammed into him, knocking him to the ground with a massive crash.

"He hasn't absorbed enough radiation to fire his atomic breath!" Miki realized.

The Hyper Gyaos dug its taloned feet into Godzilla's chest, trying to bite into his neck. With astonishing speed for a creature of his size, Godzilla delivered a punch to the Gyaos' face, knocking it off him. He seized his stunned foe's foot with his tail as he climbed to his feet, then swung it into a building. With a mighty crash, the building collapsed, burying the Gyaos.

Desperately, it struggled its way out of the rubble, only for Godzilla to seize it by its head, pinning it down. With the slightest movement, he could snap its neck.

"SKREEEEOONNK!" Godzilla roared in the Hyper Gyaos' face. The message was clear. I am king. Bow to me or die.

The Hyper Gyaos, however, still saw only food. With a high-pitched shriek, it fired its sonic scalpel into Godzilla's hand. Godzilla recoiled as the thin yellow beam cut through his scales. The Gyaos used the opportunity to take flight again. It circled back around and struck at Godzilla's head with its talons. Godzilla lashed at it with his tail, knocking it to the ground again.

The Hyper Gyaos slapped Godzilla with its wing, but he bit into it and tore into the flesh, ripping a hole into the limb. It spurted yellow blood as the Gyaos shrieked in agony. Godzilla followed up by kicking it in the chest, knocking it backwards.

Distance. Just what the Hyper Gyaos needed. It fired its sonic scalpel again and again, slashing at Godzilla's flesh with yellow rays. Godzilla let out a roar of pain and frustration. His healing factor immediately went to work, regenerating the damage, but doing so was burning through what little radiation he had managed to absorb. He needed some breathing room.

Seizing a bus, Godzilla hurled the vehicle at the Hyper Gyaos' face. It cried out as it was knocked back. Godzilla lunged, tackling the Gyaos through several buildings. His foe bit into one of the wounds its sonic scalpel had left, draining out the blood. Godzilla screeched in pain and began punching the Hyper Gyaos in the face. It promptly fired its scalpel through his eye.

"KRAAAA!" Godzilla let out a roar of agony, stumbling backward as his body tried desperately to absorb enough radiation from the air to regenerate. The Hyper Gyaos, meanwhile, began using one of its stranger abilities. One of the reasons the Gyaos had become so powerful was their ability to manipulate their DNA. By eating continuously, they could develop adaptations to counter previous disadvantages. Normally, it was a slow process, but by assimilating Gozilla's DNA from his blood, the Hyper Gyaos began evolving instantly. It began to regenerate from the wounds Godzilla had given it, repairing the hole in its wing. Once more, it took flight.

The Hyper Gyaos soared into the air, then slashed its sonic scalpel across Godzilla's flesh. While he cried out in agony, it flew past his blind side, leaving a shallow slash from its talons. Godzilla lashed out with a punch, but it was already gone. It spun around and slashed at his back, then shot upward and kicked him in the head. Godzilla hurled a car, but couldn't see the Gyaos and missed. It dropped into a diving kick and slammed him through a building, then forced him further back with its sonic scalpel.

"He's getting his ass kicked!" Raleigh yelled.

"No, wait," said Miki, realizing what was happening.

As the Hyper Gyaos took flight again, it went for Godzilla's blind side. The King of the Monsters seemed weakened, slower. The Gyaos let out a gleeful screech, eager to feast. It couldn't imagine how the tide would turn.

With lightning speed, Godzilla's tail lifted into the air and slammed into the Hyper Gyaos as it dove. There was a crack like thunder as it was sent sprawling, slamming into the ground and skidding away.

"But how?" Raleigh asked. "He couldn't have seen it coming!"

Miki grinned. "He memorized its attack pattern. And he can heal anytime. He's just saving up the radiation."

A blue charge rushed up Godzilla's dorsal plates, but didn't die this time. It gathered in his mouth with an incandescent blue glow.

The Hyper Gyaos climbed shakily to its feet. It still hungered, still desired to feast. But that desire would never be sated.

With a mighty "SKREEEEOONNK!", Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath. A glowing blue column of power shot from his mouth straight at the Hyper Gyaos. The Gyaos had no time to let out a final cry as, in a massive conflagration of flame, its head was blasted off.

Godzilla let out a huff of disapproval as he allowed his wounds to heal at last. Sight in his left eye was restored, and through it he beheld humans cowering in terror behind a window.

What had they done to the world now? He had given them a chance, and they had squandered it. Perhaps it was time to wipe them out for good. He began to charge up another blast.

"Power's reactivating!" a scientist in the Shatterdome shouted.

Pentecost had known exactly how long it would take, but feigned surprise and joy. Covertly, he reached for a remote and activated the Hayashida Transmitter in the bay.

Godzilla could hear the cries. It couldn't be… not her?

But perhaps his son, or another of his kind. Any would be welcome.

With a grunt, he stomped away from the building. Godzilla marched through Tokyo, towards the bay.

Everyone beheld him. Some cheered. Some screamed. Most were silent.

But all knew one thing.

The King of the Monsters had returned.

Miki, Asagi, and Raleigh walked back into the warehouse. Asagi guided them to the room containing the Tide.

All three of them stopped in shock at what they beheld.

Ichiro Miki lay before them, curled into a ball. He clawed at his head, muttering constantly to himself and occasionally letting loose with a mad scream. Sho Kuroki stood above him, one hand on his back, the second on his gun.

In the center of the room lay a charred hunk of metal. Various plants grew out of it, some roses, some unlike anything Miki had seen before.

She took a closer look at the object. A G-Force insignia, faded and marred, but still there, could be seen on a part that jutted out from the rest.

Wait, no- that was a wing.

The metal hunk was a G-Force jet.

As Kuroki turned to greet them, soldiers had turned their buzzsaws on the jet, cutting a hole through the side.

Footsteps sounded as a silhouette emerged. He immediately collapsed as he entered the light, and a soldier caught him.

He was an old man in a lab coat. He looked malnourished and pale. Miki immediately considered how long he had been in the jet.

An ID fell out of his pocket, and she picked it up.

It was faded, but she could make out a few words.

Dr. Genichiro Shiragami

終わり

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.

Chapter Text

The Strike Troopers had assembled in the briefing room. Several Strike Groups had all been mobilized, more than had been assembled over the past year. The last time Miki had seen this many soldiers ready for combat had been during the defense of Tokyo in those harrowing days after Gorath. They’d needed as many people as possible to hold back the Meganula, and still the insects had claimed many lives.

Had it really been a year since then? A whole year of mist and rubble. 

Katagiri stepped onto the stage, the emblem of the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps hanging behind him. “Soldiers of the PPDC! A great upheaval has come over these past few weeks. We have reclaimed the Dimension Tide and begun studies on its reactivation. According to the esteemed scientists of G-Team, we will soon have a power source billions of times more efficient than gasoline or electricity. But this new gift came at a terrible cost: the revival of our greatest threat. Godzilla.”

Miki was surprised to realize that she wasn’t the only one with a look of distaste at that. Perhaps some people had taken Godzilla’s disinterest in them after killing the Hyper Gyaos to heart.

“Now of course, all of you know this. What you don’t know is why it happened. No mechanical malfunction caused this. No. One of our own soldiers was, against countless psychic regulation laws, psionically compelled to to activate the Dimension Tide in a maneuver that could have killed thousands.”

A wave of surprise and anger rippled through the room. Katagiri called for order, then continued: “Through the efforts of one of our own psychics, we have determined the man who ordered such a crime. A man who has beset our operations many times in the past. Tayuka Fujito.” A projector showed an image of Fujito. “For too long he has been allowed to run free in the ruins of the outer city, selling resources we need at prices we cannot afford!” 

This was an exaggeration- they could very easily afford Fujito’s prices. However, it got the soldiers riled up. “And now he has committed such a crime, unleashing yet another deadly threat to mankind! This will not stand! Strike Teams are being sent to invade his complex and bring him to justice!”

The soldiers saluted. Miki sighed. She wished she didn’t have to attack her once-friend. But she had seen the state of Ichiro Miki. That sort of crime was irredeemable, for both the psychic who had done it and the man who had ordered it. She steeled herself and sighed. Time to bury another friend.

“Now as we know, the outer city is far beyond our controlled territory. That is why you will be guided by a specialist. One with experience with Fujito.” An old man stepped up onstage, wearing a lab coat emblazoned with the PPDC logo. “Meet Dr. Genichirou Shiragami! Emerged from the depths of space to assist us!”

46 hours ago

Pentecost arched his eyebrows. “The public records say that your daughter was killed in the 1984 attack, by falling rubble. You say Fujito killed her?”

“That was what I told the press,” said Shiragami. “In truth- well, you should know of my studies on Godzilla’s cells in Saradia. Erika in fact lived long enough to assist me there, but of course, no one in Japan saw her, so people could believe she died in the attack.” He paused, took a moment to collect himself, and managed to continue. “It was terrorists. Bio-Major, they were called. They wanted the cells, and… January, I believe, of ‘85. They blew up my lab to get them. Erika died in the explosion, and Fujito… he was the one who told Bio-Major where to find us.” His jaw tightened in fury. “He wasn’t the one to kill her, but he might as well have been.”

His expression softened. “Well, of course, my Erika didn’t die. I made sure of that. But before I saw her new form, I tell you, I nearly went mad with my sorrow. I lied to the papers because it was easier than admitting she was gone.”

Pentecost sighed, a note of sympathy entering his voice. “No father should have to see his daughter die. If I could-” he stopped. “Well, I can’t. But enough about the past. Right now, Fujito has done something that cannot be tolerated, and I know you’ve had some contact with him. Now I know why. So what would you say to finally get some revenge for your daughter?”

Shiragami paused, and slowly, he smiled. There was no kindness or joy in it, only a steely glint. “If you weren’t a commander of soldiers, Marshal, you could be a salesman.” He saluted. “Scientific Advisor Shiragami, reporting for duty sir!”

Pentecost echoed the smile. “Glad to have you on board, Advisor. I’ll send a man for you in the morning. Get some sleep.” 

“Believe me, I shall sleep better tonight than I have in years,” said Shiragami, climbing into his cot. 

Pentecost stepped out of the room and motioned to the two Strike Troopers at the door. They marched off with him.

The face of one of them was screwed in concentration. Finally, he turned to the other Strike Trooper. “My daughter is 24. I remember reading in the Times that his daughter was born in January of ‘65, so she would’ve been the same age as her when she died.”

“A bit older,” interjected Pentecost.

The Strike Troopers turned back to the Marshal in surprise. “Sir?” the other questioned.

“Dr. Shiragami remembered it wrong. Bio-Major bombed his lab in March, not January.”

Silence fell briefly. “But he told the papers…” one began.

“Saradia isn’t as remote as most people think. At least not to me,” said Pentecost.

Now

Genichirou Shiragami stepped onto the stage as the room filled with applause. “Thank you, everyone! I’m not much one for speeches, so I’ll keep this short. I have had some experience looking for our target, and in addition, I am quite knowledgeable on kaiju behavior. After all, I made one!” Laughter came. “So, I should be able to guide our way through the outskirts of Tokyo and to his camp. I look forward to working with the lot of you once again!”

Once more, applause filled the room as Katagiri took center stage once again and began to go over the mission plan. Miki’s eyes scanned the room and saw Asagi Kusanagi, flanked by harsh-looking Strike Troopers, sitting at the edge of the room in her gray jumpsuit. A pang touched Miki’s heart as she vowed to ensure that Asagi made it back from this mission.

She met Raleigh’s eyes from across the room and subtly tilted her head at Asagi. He nodded.

Soon enough, Miki was once more among a Strike Group marching through the ruined streets of Tokyo, mist cutting off the tops of ruined skyscrapers. Miki would’ve killed to be able to just take a jeep, but unfortunately there was too much debris covering the streets. Asagi was taking point, guiding the CO. Raleigh marched next to her, and Shiragami behind him. Miki had been assigned to bring up the rear.

She gritted her teeth and continued to train her pistol at corners. Killing Meganula was at least one way of keeping Asagi safe.

Ahead, Raleigh turned over to Shiragami. “So, in space for over fifteen years, eh? What’s it like to be back?”

“Still getting used to gravity,” the doctor confessed. “And there’s more Americans than there used to be.” Raleigh grinned at this, a bit too broadly. “Plus lots of mist. But the rubble and devastation is about normal.”

“We have very high real estate values here,” Raleigh agreed with a broad grin.

Asagi suddenly held up her hand. The entire Strike Group froze and the chatter ceased instantly. The Strike Troopers silently drew their guns, ready for anything. 

Asagi took a moment to remember the code and made several hand signals. Meganula passing overhead. Get into cover. The Troopers nodded and, in unison, fell in towards nearby buildings and car wrecks. They scrambled to hide away in the ruins.

Miki crouched behind a shattered wall and watched as Raleigh grabbed Asagi and Shiragami into a building, followed by the CO. She wished she could be there to help protect Asagi, but that would take too long.

A droning filled the air. High above, a swarm of massive dragonflies, each the size of a man, flew through the skies. The humans below could barely make out the creatures’ shadows through the mist.

Eventually, the droning faded away. The CO moved to stand up, but Asagi desperately grabbed his arm and pulled him back as droning filled the air once more. Another flight of Meganula… or possibly the same one, swooping back. It was impossible to tell.

Once more the droning faded, and Asagi pointed upwards with her index and second finger. The all-clear. The Strike Troopers filed out of their various hiding spots. Slowly, the group continued on their way. Talk resumed, but quieter. Meganula were not to be taken lightly.

The Strike Troopers marched through the rubble and voices sounded up ahead. They were approaching Fujito’s camp. Two more Strike Groups should be circling around the encampment right now. They’d attack when the CO gave the order. Shiragami had come up with the strategy, knowing how Fujito maintained numerous escape routes.

People, dirty and wet, hurried through a couple of city blocks. Large tarps covered holes in buildings, forming makeshift shelters. Fujito didn’t have enough materials to try to rebuild yet, not like the PPDC did. Whenever they came to trade, he wanted bricks and plaster. But they didn’t come to trade now.

Miki grimaced, touching her forehead. A migraine had blossomed out of nowhere. Untrained psychics usually got them when they were learning to control their powers, but she hadn’t gotten one in years. Might mean high levels of emotion, but there weren’t enough people in the camp to damage her training.

A half-dozen men walked up to them, carrying machine guns. Fujito’s guards and police. “You’ll need to leave those behind,” said the man at front, motioning to their guns.

“Not this time,” said the CO. “This time your boss is gonna pay for what he’s done.”

The men tensed and gripped their weapons tighter. “You wanna rephrase that?” one barked.

“No, I don’t think we do,” said Raleigh. The CO tapped his radio, giving a quick signal to the second Strike Group. They melted out of the mist, appearing behind Fujito’s enforcers with their AK47s at the ready. The men looked back and forth at the two squads at their backs and front, and immediately dropped their weapons.

“Good answer,” Raleigh muttered as the Strike Troopers quickly gathered the machine guns. Miki let out a breath of relief. Her migraine was worsening, and that could prove lethal in a gunfight. Not to mention that it meant as few people would have to die as possible.

 The CO of the second Group stepped towards the men. “Stay out of this. Try anything and we shoot. Your little crew belongs to the Pan-Pacific Defense Corps now,” she said.

Their Strike Group CO gave her a startled look. “No need for that, Major Tsujimori-” he started. 

“Yes, there is,” she cut him off. “If there wasn’t a need for it, one of our men wouldn’t be going mad. Now. Let’s get that crook.”

The two Strike Groups marched through the camp. Upon seeing them, most people in the camp rushed into the shelters. 

They approached the largest shelter in the area. Various papers and art pieces lay scattered around it, and two more men with machine guns stood at the entrance. They took one look at the massive platoon and ran, throwing their guns aside. 

“He won’t have any traps,” said Shiragami. “Too confident in his men. Go ahead.”

Tsujimori took point and a group of soldier marched into the shelter. Shiragami stayed outside with another group. He’d be no use in a firefight.

Pieces of art- paintings, statuettes, relics- hung strategically throughout, most stolen from museums. In a comfortable leather chair in the center of the room sat Tayuka Fujito. He stood up in surprise.

“The soldiers of the PPDC,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting-”

“Save it,” Tsujimori cut him off, leveling a pistol at his chest. He slowly raised his hands above his head. “Fujito, you’re under arrest. This little complex of yours is ours now. And believe me when I tell you that you’re gonna pay for everything you’ve done.” 

Other Strike Troopers began to file in, aiming guns at him. Miki steeled herself and raised her own pistol at her once-friend. “And,” said Fujito slowly, “Just what is it that I have done?”

“Don’t play innocent with me!” Tsujimori barked. “Your psychic drove one of our soldiers insane, and he activated the Tide! I don’t know what game you’re playing, but you won’t be allowed to run rampant any longer!”

Fujito took a moment to respond. “I don’t have any psychics in my camp. Only about one in ten thousand people is a psychic, and my powerbase is nowhere near that large. I couldn’t have done what you claim.”

Surprise rippled through the Strike Troopers. Miki was barely conscious of what was said, her head was pounding like a drum. “We have had confirmation-” Tsujimori began.

“He’s telling the truth!” Asagi burst out. “I can sense it.”

Tsujimori whirled on Miki. “You were the one who said he was responsible! What is going on!”

“I- don’t-” Miki tried to speak, but she could barely string two words together. She could feel hands on her shoulders, hands covered in scales and warts. Something was wrong, this was no ordinary headache.

A hand touched a couple buttons and the Dimension Tide roared to life. A miniature black hole came into existence, then immediately vanished as the Tide shut down. But the deed was done. 

He just hoped it was enough.

Miki screamed and something screamed with her. Her mind rushed outward, passing through the thoughts of all those around her. Tayuka’s fear and betrayal, Tsujimori’s loss and anger, Gamera pressing into Asagi’s mind. Telekinesis seized the paintings and statues around her, crushing them and hurling them through the room. The soldiers dove for cover, Raleigh covering Asagi with his own body.

Telekinetic force shoved its way out of her mouth. She vomited out pure psychic energy into the world and into his hands for him to shape, to finally have form and power and blood and all he had spent so long seeking and I am free at last-

Shiragami gazed in horror through the wall of the shelter, shattered by Miki’s power. The air was blurred by pure telekinetic force. Yet slowly, that blur began to take a shape. A vaguely humanoid blob of telekinetic mass appeared out of thin air, standing around four meters tall. As he watched, Miki collapsed to the ground, spent. Then it solidified, in a ripple of force.

Its skin was covered in scales of a blue-green color. Warts dotted its body, and its chest was a yellowish-white. It was quite muscular, yet extremely thin for its frame. Its mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth, and a red mane of hair hung from its head. Its face was of a catlike countenance.

“ Well ,” it said in a voice that was not made for the human tongue, “ The world has certainly changed much since Atlantis’ fall .” It turned to look at the soldiers, a crazed grin spreading across its face. “ But war remains the same, no matter the weapon .”

With a mad cackle, he rushed upon them. A single blow from his mighty fist sent one soldier flying away. The others opened fire with their machine guns, but he continued to laugh as he seized one and, in a splatter of blood, tore off both his arms.

Miki lay on the ground, unable to move a muscle. But knowledge was rushing into her head, and she now knew her foe’s name.

Gabara, Demon of Dreams and Spirit of War.