Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
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LegendZilla
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Re: Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
^Nice ideas regarding Ultraman Jack. I also like to imagine him as a modifed clone of the original Ultraman, at least that's what I expect the Shin version of him being.
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GodzillavsRayquaza
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Re: Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
Really cool take on AstroGodzilla, love the powers and how weird they get.
More very interesting takes on Ultra lore, good stuff. Looking forward to Ace and Taro.
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ShinGojira14 wrote: Neither. Hideki Anno wins because he writes a hilarious comedic satire movie where Shin and Legendary have to team up to destroy a grotesque crap-monster created by the constant toxic bickering of Shin fans and Legendary fans.
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SoggyNoodles2016
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Re: Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
June 7th, 1984.
It has been a year since the Garasharp incident and things are on edge. The USSR and US are getting more and more heated, now worried about the possibility of other such monsters appearing on their doorstep…or god forbid, be weaponized by the other side! The public and G.I.A.N.T also worry; Garasharp still has not been found since her defeat at the claws of Gamera.. And if all this wasn’t enough, a rash of devastated villages in the Philippines have confirmed a long lost fear.
Gyaos is back.
The ravenous devil returned to the center of Osaka Bay with a screech and a rolling smog, blotting out the sun and starting a panicked evacuation. As she tears through the city angrily, eyes narrowed, a screech answers. Gamera zooms in and slams into his old nemesis, quickly trading blows. Firing a Sonic Scalpel, Gyaos sliced into Gamera’s shell, creating a nick that allowed her to quickly continue to ravage the area she had found…until! A flash of green swirling light as Gamera swung his fiery fist, a flaming pinwheel which sliced her hand straight off! Howling, Gyaos flapped up to lunge at Gamera, letting her hand bleed until slowly, a malformed half Gyaos awkwardly glided to join it’s successor, the blood stain all but forgotten in the ever increasing battle…
September 17th, 1984.
Toru Yuasa, 13, works on his math homework, school long over but waiting for his sister to get out so they could go home together, taking his time with each answer. Not because it’s hard. No, it’s actually not that bad now. But because the more time he spends here the less time he has to meet..
“Turtle Boy!”
Shit.
Shusuke Higuchi, 14, wrapped a arm around Toru’s neck, making him choke and cough as the older boy laughed from behind his greased hair and baggy shirt.
“Come on, Toru! Call for Gamera, I want him to burn my homework before the teacher fails me! I mean, I’m sure you can do it, he’s your best buddy, ain’t he?”
Yuasa finally gained enough leverage and broke free, coughing and spitting. “I can’t call him, he ju-”
“Aw, does he not wike you anymore, Towu?”
“No, he’s busy, did you see the latest Gyaos attack, he would have-”
“Oh, so you’re friends with Gyaos? I guess that makes more sense, you both eat the same.”
“Suke, would you stop being an asshole and just leave me alone for five minutes? Please-”
He regretted it the minute he said it, and even more when the punch was flung. He whimpered and held his nose, already feeling blood trickle. He shut his eyes and tried to stop himself from crying as the older boy leaned in.
“You talking back to me, Yuasa? You think just because you’re some kind of gifted freak connected to a monster, you’re special? Newsflash. You’re not. You’re just a mouthy nerd who needs to learn his place. You got that?”
He knew the routine. It had been almost consistent since they had started the spring semester (after mandated therapy with one of Dr. Kusanagi’s old friends) and he knew he should say something but this was always the part that stopped him; being reminded how alone he was. How only he knew Gamera. How more and more people looked up at his savior with fear, especially as Gyaos kept popping back up, always. How he didn’t know why he was there sometimes and then others, he was gone. And it made him feel like the outcast Shusuke had made clear he was.
And so he nodded quietly.
“Good.” Shoving the boy’s chair, Higuchi grabbed his moth-eaten coat, threw it over his head and walked out the door down the road as Toru watched and tried to stem the blood.
–
Eventually the time came for Fumi to be picked up and the two siblings made their way home, hoods over their heads as rain began to pour. The young girl babbled as she walked, talking about her studies, her classmates, her favorite of the class pets (it was Irikasu, he was the best snake, much better then nasty Garasharp), and so on as Toru tried to think of an explanation for his swollen nose for Mom and Dad. A trip? No, they’d try to get him new shoes and then Higuchi would start talking about how Yuasa got new shoes for letting Gamera crush all the buildings that G.I.A.N.T would rebuild. Just a fight? That might work. Mom was a die hard pacifist but dad always liked to see Toru standing up for himself…
Something jostled behind the alley they walked past.
Fumiko stopped and turned as Toru walked by, practicing an apology.
“Toru? What was that?”
“A cat, Fumi. Come on, we need to get home.”
“A kitty! I want a kitty! I can have a cat at home and then I can go to school and hang with Irakasu then we can have him for a weekend and the cat and Irakasu can be friends-”
“We’ll get you an actual cat, not an alley freak, okay?”
“No! I want to be the cat’s friend, and he’ll really like me if I save him.” Fumi said as if it made perfect sense and darted off, making Toru swear and rush to her as she ran into the trash filled alley.
“Fumi, come on, I can tell Mom to get an actual kitten from her vet job before you get rabies from whatever is back here.” Toru tripped as he turned in, calling out and avoiding a puddle. He looked to Fumiko standing behind the dumpster and went to reprimand her when he noticed the way she was standing, huddled trying to look small, eyes closed. Terrified.
Toru felt a chill as he looked to the end of the alley…
And locked eyes with the monster there. Hunchbacked, naked skin rippling, beady eyes narrowing as it stopped tearing into the tabby striped bit of gore it had been feeding upon to sniff a deep snotty growl at the boy. It lowered its head and let out a low chattering sound.
“.....run.”
The Yuasas darted off as the creature screeched and darted after them, dropping its meal as claws tapped and ripped into pavement. Toru held Fumiko’s arm and kept running, faster and faster, trying to keep his breath steady as she screamed, hearing the wheezing huff as the creature pounded along, getting so close, god, it must be right behind them, they had to keep going, now, on this street, run past the road and keep going until home, come on, come on, where was everyone?, go, go, g-!
A horn and a light in the corner of his eyes, it set him into overdrive making him jump, gripping his sister and moving aside as they dodged the truck speeding down the slippery road, just missing it, but not fast enough for the monster which screeched as the truck slammed into it, causing the machine to buckle to a stop and it’s body to crash down.
Fumi broke free and kept running as Toru stood, heart beating in his ears, breath catching as he locked eyes with the monster as it squealed a death rattle and crashed down dead. Other voices soon caught his ear. His father, running forward, Fumi dragging his hand, and the Inspector and Kusanagi even further down, arguing quietly. The old goateed man jumped out of the truck and gasped, mumbling an apology and gesturing at the creature in awe in the same breath. Toru took another shuddering breath and then held it.
He was ok. They were ok.
Things were going to b-
“Holy shit! Pops, what was that thing, I didn’t even-.....Turtle Boy?”
…..are you kidding me?
~~
Toru did his best to not look at the scowling Shusuke as he tried to understand the best of the briefing from the GIANT meeting. These creatures- Nezura they were calling them- apparently had been appearing all around town. Starting small at the edges to more and more all over. Hurting people…apparently twenty people were in the hospital already.
“This is the fifth one on this street alone.” the Inspector sighed, a cigarette trailing ash as he rubbed circles in his head.
“There has to be a connection to where they emerged from. This is too consistent to JUST be one outbreak.” Kusanagi said, scribbling in her journal as hazmat suited GIANT soldiers pulled the pieces of the sibling’s pursuers out of the grille of the elder Higuchi’s truck. “But this doesn’t make sense, why this area?”
“Why don’t you check. Turtle Boy? If those rats try to eat you, you can call Gamera to burn ‘em to ash.”
Ignoring the taunt, Toru spoke. “Dr. Kusanagi, Mr. Osako. Where did you say they came out of?”
Toru’s father moved to stop his son but the GIANT commanders already turned to talk to him, kneeling down to an exasperated gesture. (“Why does my son have more sway with the government then I do…?”)
“About the middle of Tengachaya, son.” Osako dragged his cigarette. “But before you ask, no, probably didn’t burrow in from underground despite the rattyness.. Some of our guys fought them in the tunnels and…they’re pretty shit diggers. SORRY, UH, bad.”
“I don’t think they did, Mr. Osako.”
“What do you mean, Toru?”
Looking suddenly uncomfortable, Toru held up a finger and ran to his bag. Making his way back (and missing a trip from Higuchi like an expert) returned with a well worn geography book.
“I’ve been…keeping track of Gamera and Gyaos. Just…seeing where they’ve been. What they’ve done….”
Flipping through pages, Toru flipped to his Osaka page and pointed.
“Isn’t this where Gamera and Gyaos had their first fight since she came back? The one where she splattered blood everywhere?”
“Yeah, that’s….that’s where but I don’t..?”
“Oh my god. Ken.” Ayana grabbed the book, gently and held it. “Port Island. It was Port Island!”
“I…oh….”
Mr. Yuasa covered his hand as Toru nodded numbly, pointing from the Port to the Bay surrounding it…..
~~
Toru sat dutifully in the back of the car as his mother fussed over him and his sister, the long line of evacuees a constant background noise. They were all heading to the recent permanent shelter set at the very outskirts of the city. Not the Yuasas however, they were being brought to GIANT HQ in the center of the city. On the one hand, part of Toru was glad to be safe from that twisted monster, especially if it was one of dozens. On the other, he felt wrong leaving his father and his friends to clear out the devils alone. As he often did, he quietly shut his eyes and tried to call Gamera. The same way he was told he did when he first showed up. The incident at the temple that preceded Gamera’s “sudden appearance” GIANT had said. That he would appear when they needed him.
“Why do you always make that face when you’re in a evacshun, Toru?”
“Evacuation, honey.”
“I know. I like mine better.”
As his mother laughs and heads to sit up front, the other door opens and Toru went to speak to his father..and balk as Shusuke entered with a grin.
“You??!?!”
“Me.”
“Wh-”
“Oh, Toru, why didn’t you tell me about your friend Higuchi? He’s so sweet! His father has to stay to help with a plan your father has so I agreed to take him with us. You don’t mind, right?”
Toru looks at his bullies smug face and suddenly finds himself wishing to face the monster rats again.
–
“You sure about this, Yuasa?” Kusanagi’s voice was clipped and cold as ever from behind her gas mask. “This is a lot…”
“Sure of it. Ayana. These things can’t burrow so they’re clearly hiding in places that they can fit and hide. So…”
“Gasoline?”
Dr. Yuasa nodded as more tanks and trucks moved by to dump gas in randoms holes, barely missing a sign for “Port Island Sewage”.
“Gas them out, they flee, we take them down. And if they try and flee to the bay, we have a perimeter set. This should be foolproof….key word being should.” The archaeologist turned monster hunter nodded and went back to planning, leaving the heads of GIANT alone.
“He’s getting pretty good at this.”
“Aren’t we all?” Kusanagi said distractedly as she dug through her bag. “Damn it, I left my journal back at base. Think you guys can handle this while I head back?”
Ken nodded distractedly as she quickly took off. Call him crazy but this should actually work. I mean, after all they WERE smaller then the other monsters that had been popping up in Osaka.
He was going to regret those words, he realized by his next drag.
~~
Toru tried to avoid getting up and screaming. Sitting in the in theory well furnished living room of the shelter, he watched his mother and Fumiko play some ridiculous game about monkeys and watched the city skyline from their placement. Normally, he’d city watch, trying to spot Gamera when he arrived, or playing with cards. But he had another irritant shoving a elbow in his side every five seconds keeping him distracted. Eventually, it grew to be too much and he turned to snap in a whisper.
“Look, Shusuke, I get it, you got your way in to a nice place by pretending to be my friend, but if you think they won’t throw your ass out if you try anything-”
“Woah, relax, Turtle Boy. I would never even dream of it. I am here for reasons besides you. Geez, man, ego much?”
Toru rolled his eyes at the dig but looked perplexed. “What do you mean?”
The scruffy bully leaned in further to speak. “I wanted to get in here because…I think I have a theory on where Gamera is, really.”
The young Yuasa blinked. “The..sea?”
“No, dumbass! I think GIANT knows where he really is. And they’re trying to hide it for their own reason. Think about it…Gamera Investigation and Neutralization…they probably have him right where they want him but they’re too distracted to do anything. I want to find out. Maybe we can even call him to help get rid of the rats!“
Toru sat on this, quiet and unsure. He didn’t want to trust Higuchi. The guy was a jerk but…what he was saying was interesting. Could his father and GIANT know more then they let on? It would explain how they always seemed more ready then anyone else. Also, he hated to say it but…it was nice to have Higuchi actually talking to him like a person. And most of all, it bothered him. That even after this long, he still didn’t know where his friend was. Why he appeared and disappeared, only coming at the randomest times. Maybe he should take this chance. But before he did….
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you want to know, Higuchi? You make fun of me all the time for caring about Gamera and the monsters. Why do you care now?”
Higuchi was silent but eventually spoke.
“I have my reasons. Now we moving or what, Turtle Boy?”
__
It took some time for the two boys to get a reason to leave the bunker. Admittedly, Toru was probably going to eventually feel some pain from the punch immediately tossed in his gut but he was too busy smiling at “Higuchi has a rare toilet disease he needs help with” for that right now. The two youths snuck through the concrete and sheet metal that made up the government building. Occasionally, they hid, as soldiers walked by mentioning “the operation” and “another civ passed out, they took him to the medical wing, wonder what’s-” before moving on. Eventually, they found themselves at a small door as Higuchi shook his head.
“You sure about this? There’s got to be somewhere else, like, a lab or a observation place or-”
“Positive. Dr. Kusanagi is the one who mainly researches the kaiju. If anyone knows anything, it’s her.” Toru said as he stepped towards the office. He took a shaky breath and tried the lock. Bingo. They quickly entered, eyes adjusting from the well lit hallways to the more orange of the lamp in the lab. The room was cramped and small, a table of files and scribbles, a few coffee cup stains. Toru reached out a hand and began to comb through, curiosity getting the better of him. Higuchi pulled through files and sighed as he saw more and more redacted words. Toru was feeling embarrassed, wondering if he made a mistake when he noticed something. Right at the edge of the desk, a ruined looking book. He heard Higuchi let out a gasp as he saw it too and the two reached for it.
Toru felt like a man possessed as he tore open the book and began to flip through it. It was a mix of information, some pages being carefully hand pressed documents stapled in, others photographed artifacts with marker notes scribbled underneath. A work journal but one carefully cultivated after years of work….
HISTORY OF MONSTERS
DR. AYANA Kusanagi
Each page held a new strange shape.
1940 Garrison. “Report of monster?”
DEVIL OF THE SOUTH SEAS: SEA MONSTER BLAMED FOR TYPHOON
“The ancient three?”
A great illuminated figure.
Saurian forms that held proportions of no dinosaur Toru ever remembered.
A strange shape blurred into a camera.
Cracked egg shells, pressed in plastic into the page.
A blurred image of a man but with bulging eyes and a twisted face.
Radiation readings dropping and rising and a note saying “He keeps coming back, set up further mines”
A drawing of a devil, and another, and an-
“Oh my god. That’s…That’s Gamera! And…Gyaos!” Higuchi called, pointing at the petroglyph adorning the next page Toru had to hold back his voice as he looked at the image. Toru was right. Clear as day, it was the two feuding monsters. The green and blue were faded but Toru saw them well. The note read “More ancient rivals? Double check. 3/7/74.”
“Wait, but…this means…the temple…it wasn’t a coincidence…they’ve been here for years.”
“No, no, no…” Higuchi said as he covered his head. “That…that can’t be possible.”
“It is… I…I thought he was ancient but I didn’t know he was..he was doing things while-”
His thoughts were interrupted as Shusuke shoved him.
“Worthless. Thanks for nothing, Turtle Boy.”
“W-What do you mean, worthless?!?!?! I thought you wanted to find Gamera! This helps us find him. We know he’s been here fighting to-”
“Oh don’t even! That’s your problem, Turtle Boy! You don’t realize that stupid reptile is a monster too!”
“HE’S NOT STUPID! What is with you, why are you so angry about Gamera??!?!”
“Because he ruined my life!” The boy screamed and Toru let his anger fall as he backed off, suddenly concerned. “I…I was happy. I had a great life with me and my dad in Umeda and then, over night, I have to move to some bum hole town because this ice monster destroys everything. Because this monster suddenly shows up and changes everything. I don’t even know what my life is going to be. Every day, I wake up and it’s a new monster. And you, you keep watching him…defending him. I wanted to find him because I thought. I thought they knew. They knew where he came from and could send him back. But I guess he’s here to fucking st-”
“Toru.”
The boys jumped. Dr. Kusanagi stood in the door, her eyes glassy and her mouth hard as she glared at them.
“Put that down, now. “
Toru, feeling suddenly small, wrong, as if he was the monster, shook as he gripped the book. As he did, Shusuke turned, his face turning beet red.
“You!” Higuchi screamed. “You knew all about this! Gamera, Gyaos, Barugon! You knew these things were coming and you did nothing! You could have stopped it! You-”
“I don’t know who you are but I can have you tried for trespassing if you don’t leave automatically. Toru, put it down.”
“Dr. Kusanagi…how…..you said I couldn’t trust him. That he was a monster, but he’s- he’s not like the others that appeared! He’s been here! He’s been defending us forever! How could you…”
“Toru, I am an adult, and I am asking you to put that down now. You need to return to the shelter until this is all over and we are safe from all the mons-”
Toru suddenly got angry, and he turned, the book still in one hand.
“No! Why should I trust you? You lied about Gamera! You knew what he’s like an-”
“What he’s like?” Dr. Kusanagi laughed mirthlessly as she walked forward. “You mean a monster fighting another monster? He’s not your friend, goddamnit, why do you not get that?!?! He just hasn’t had a reason to hurt us yet, now let go and give me that!”
The doctor strode across the room, and Toru bolted, trying to get past but in such a small place, there was nowhere to turn, causing him to collide as Ayana turned and grabbed the book, making Toru stumble and try to pull it back, as they stood there, struggling. Toru felt his heartbeat, as he heard Higuchi yell from his pale faced stupor, felt the book slipping, briefly became aware of the surreality of what he was doing and…
The doctor stumbled and Toru yanked the book, the momentum causing it to crash down, spilling open its contents as the tape and paperclips that kept it there came apart, causing the pages to spill. Most of them were of monsters but one…one floated down near the top. A well worn one, that fell right on the edge of the pile. Dr. Kusanagi jumped back, as if she had been burned as she looked at the mess, a hitch in her breath and a sudden look of horror in her eyes.
Toru suddenly snapped back and looked up and down at the pile.
“I…I’m sorry. I’ll fix it. Let me…”
“No.” Kusanagi whispered.
“No, I..I should…” and he stopped as he noticed the way she looked down. The well worn page near the top. Slightly torn. Something in Toru moved to grab it. To hold it and see it. He felt like autopilot as his hand reached out and picked it up.
An old picture. Of a younger Kusanagi, a smiling older man, a grinning middle aged gentleman that almost looked like the Inspector and a small girl…stapled to a file.
INCIDENT REPORT: U-6501
6/12/1978
Report: ███████ ███████ ███████ at Obae Mine, was driven back with the efforts of local researchers and █████ █████. Unconfirmed kill. Heavy casualties.
Cover: Mining Accident.
Process: Move in, exchange apologies, move out. Keep it simple. No need for opening questions…or wounds.
Casualty list:
Okja Sae-Jin, 46.
Ishiro Yamakura, 27.
Akira Mori, 35
Daisuke Ifukube, 38
Koji Oishi, 47.
Yukio Shingu, 34,
Dan Fuyashi, 50.
Toma Kato, 54
Iris Kusanagi, 5
And then the document ended, ripped from where it had been originally made.
Toru held it for a long time, reading the words and trying to absorb their meaning, feeling Shusuke join him as he leaned, at first to read, and then to help the boy up, all while not looking him in the eye. Toru eventually looked at Dr. Kusanagi, eyes still locked on the floor, until eventually, the older woman looked up, tears at the edge of her eyes as she shook her head morosely.
“Like I said. You can’t trust monsters.”
Toru’s response was drowned out as windows shattered.
~~
Yeah, Ken was definitely regretting those words.
The gasoline plan had seemingly gone off without a hitch. Nezura slowly rose from the Earth, snarling and spitting from their gnarled jaws, where GIANT and GDF soldiers met them with a hail of gunfire and artillery that sent them to Monster Mousey Heaven. The corporal in charge had even taken some men underground and try and confront them directly, with his okay. Back then, the only thing bothering him was why some of the men had suddenly disengaged to meet with the medic tent. It seemed some kind of bug was going around but he was more concerned with not catching it then anything else.
Key word for all that was “back then.”
Before the corporal’s screams hit the radio.
Before the cries of the rats got louder..like calling for help.
Before the nearest gasoline tank flipped and exploded in an explosion.
And before his head started ringing with the screams and screeches.
Dr. Yuasa tried his best to drag the half conscious Inspector along as chaos enveloped the area. The Nezura had been joined by an unexpected ally, a grotesque bat winged variant. The screeching giants, the next form of the deadly swarm, began to swoop through and pick off soldiers, as waves of their brothers joined them. It was pandemonium, body on body, warped shapes running past with men that the Doctor knew, now nothing more then meat. In the chaos, the beasts hadn’t noticed him yet, in their fevered frenzy of feasting and in fighting but he knew time wasn’t on his side. He dropped Osako on the ground and began trying to bandage him, looking around desperately when…
An unholy chitter.
He froze and looked as a Bat Nezura, walking on it’s spiked and torn wings, cocked a massive eared head to look down on him from it’s perch upon a surviving gasoline truck. The creature chittered curiously as it observed the two humans. Koichi froze, trying to not alert the creature’s prey instinct, as his heart pounded. That was enough for the beasts sensitive hearing though. It screeched, unfurling it’s wings as it leapt.
Koichi wanted to scream but he couldn’t. He simply thought of his family as the fangs lunged. Mariko. Fumiko. Toru….
Just as the jaws of death were almost upon him, they were gone in a flash of emerald..and another…and another.
~~
Toru felt his feet pound on the concrete as the screeches grew. Just after their confrontation in the doctor’s office, some sort of Bat Nezura had appeared, a whole swarm that tore through the building. He had taken off with Higuchi, Kusanagi following but joining the soldiers to order them. The boys rushed to the shelter room Fumiko and Mrs. Yuasa were, trying to ignore the sounds of screams and flesh tearing.
Toru shook his head, lost in thought even with adrenaline pumping in his ear. Monsters. They were horrible, but..could Gamera really be like them? And how long had these been here? Had they been called? Had he called them here with the gem? Was this his fault? He felt awful….but his thoughts were interrupted.
With a crash, a small Bat Nezura crashed between the boys. The man sized monstrosity hissed and screeched as it flapped it’s fledgling wings, turning to seemingly snarl a twisted grin at Toru before it lunged. The boy screamed as it lunged, just barely missing the teeth as he ducked. He tried to run past but the creature’s tail whipped out, knocking him to the ground. Toru panted, winded and fear taking over. He was dead. There was nothing he could do to stop it. It would kill him. He shut his eyes as stinking jaws hung above his and…
A thick wack of metal and a squeal.
Toru opened his eyes as a hand entered his gaze, Higuchi bending over while a piece of rebar hung in his other hand as an impromptu bat.
“Come on, Turtle Boy!”
He didn’t wait.
The two boys burst into the room, Toru running into his mother’s grateful embrace and his sister’s teary. The two were about to leave the room as suddenly, a bright green flash lit their peripheral vision. Almost the entire room shielded their eyes…all but one. Toru turned, watching the burst settle. Osaka Bay lay aflame, the gasoline that had leaked into the river now lighting up patches as if an old school arena ringed by fire. The fire had burst through the water, following the gas trails to blow through the holes, blowing up rats and saving those in the crossfire. A chill went down Yuasa’s spine as he saw green slowly rise from the depths.
“He’s here.”
~~
Water boiled and steamed as Gamera arose from the depths. The terrapin scanned his handiwork, seeing the scattered and burnt bodies of many Nezura. Just as he pulled himself out of the water to check further though, a chorus of screeches hit his ears! The rest of the Bat Nezura swung forward to attack, screeching and snapping. The guardian howled as he stumbled back into the bay, holding up a flaming defense as the monsters swung by. Narrowing his eyes, he lowered his fist and held it, till it glowed like a star. Then, he threw it forward like a punch, but instead, it acted as a great flamethrower, shooting forward to blast through the flying beasts. As they plopped into the water, the great hero grunted. Seemed like that was wrapped up.
It was then he suddenly felt himself get dragged, a howl of surprise exiting his maw as he was pulled along. On the ground, Koichi Yuasa and Haruo Higuchi turned from where they were pulling along the Inspector to a medevac chopper as they watched their savior turn and slash at the thing pulling his tail along. Eventually, with a splash of water, a tusked face broke the water and made Yuasa gasp.
“My god! Another Nezura?!?!”
Indeed, a massive Nezura floated atop the bay, screeching at the slayer of its nest. Snarling, Gamera lunged forward, grappling with the fleshy monster as it snapped its warped jaws at him. Eventually, the tussling reached a point he could move, the great terrapin lunging forward to grab a flaming fist around the head of the creature. He strained to break his foe’s neck as it thrashed and screeched until-
With a scream, the remains of the Port Island building exploded as another massive Nezura jumped from the Earth within! Shaking it’s wrinkly skin of debris, it leaped from the water atop Gamera’s shell, causing the reptile to screech and drop it’s compatriot. Beneath the waves, the quicker swimmer slashed and bit at the rocky scales, soon joined by his ally. Shaking his head, at the unexpected assault, Gamera quickly withdrew into his shell, igniting his jets to flip himself upwards so the ravenous rats slashed at the most protected part of his body. New plan.
Just as the med-vac chopper took off, the ocean exploded as the shelled form of Gamera rocketed out of the water, the screeching forms of the Mammoth Nezura now desperately clinging to his shell. Zooming above the island, the flaming hero began to spin, to greater and greater speeds until left with no choice, the scarred mammals were sent flying to the Earth in a crash of dirt and dust. At this point, Gamera angled his spin down to join them, landing and roaring a challenge.
Within minutes it was answered as the Rats lunged. A desperate brawl took over the island as the three kaiju clashed, desperate mad slashes meeting practiced heavy blows. As his brother lunged forward to clamp teeth around Gamera’s neck (to no avail), the other Nezura began to dig. Just as the turtle yanked the fanged jaws out of his neck, the second struck, leaping from the dirt!
A very bad idea, it realized as Gamera turned, flaming fist ready.
With a squeak of horror, the rat was sent flying back to the sea, crashing into the waves in a sea of foam.
One down, one to go. Gamera roared as he leapt once more at the other. His heavy flaming claw marks kept finding ground in the red flesh of the Nezura but it didn’t seem to take; the ugly intruder kept getting back up. He needed something more permanent…and an idea came to him. The great turtle stepped back, watching the snarling rodent as it paced, mad rage to maul this foe filling it’s mind. He waited for the right moment, his flames and runes glowing as his foe eventually stood and squealed. It leapt forward, jaws wide to rip off Gamera’s head….
Clamping it right on the plasma fist.
The green glow grew from yellow fangs, and grew, and grew, and GREW, until with a sickening pop, the Nezura’s head splattered to pieces. The thick spiked body collapsed to the ground as the champion let out a roar of triumph.
A roar soon followed by a screech.
Gamera turned to see the other Mammoth Nezura, paddling for him and growled in annoyance. He steadied himself to fight it when he noticed. The screeches the paddling tusked monster were making didn’t seem to be further mad declarations of war.
They seem panicked.
Slowly, even through the flames, Gamera spotted a shape moving just underneath the Nezura. A massive dark shape, which dwarfed it. The naked beast suddenly stopped it’s desperate swim to scream, it’s head reeling in the water just as it was pulled below. The guardian’s eyes watched as the water filled with red…and then widened even more as the shape returned beelining for the island.
It seemed this fight was just getting started…..
—
Nezura: Savage Swarm ネズラ
Length:
Rat: 4 meters
Bat: 6 meters
Mammoth: 20 meters
Height:
Rat: Between 3 to 2 meters depending on the stance.
Bat: 3 meters
Mammoth: 18 meters
Weight:
Rat: 30 pounds
Bat: 20 pounds
Mammoth: 40 tons
Description: The Nezura are an unprecedented form. This species is seen in swarms, actively searching for any available food and resources, perhaps due to the presence of Gyaos DNA in their complicated systems. As this new species evolves, some things can be noted however as staying similar between the different morphs. Thick padded paws which they use to move quickly and silently, fangs born from buck like teeth leaving them with tell tale curves, shivering naked red skin (perhaps even exposed flesh) covers their body, all hair having long fallen out. In its place, quilly protrusions stick out like porcupines from certain areas, combined with actual spikes of bone.
Noted morphs:
Rat: The most common of the Nezura “family”, Rats are the base form. Resembling their original mouse origins, they have long curving tails on top of their gangly bodies; their lower limbs are squat and barely usable while their arms are significantly more developed, allowing them brachiation, galloping, and even gripping. As a cost, this leaves your average Nezura with a distinct hunchbacked look when not sprinting on all fours, further exposing the long row of spikes covering their back, bones growing directly out of their spines. Their fangs wrap around the lower jaw, self made gouges keeping them at rest in the lower jaw when not in use, its long face tilted as it watches.
Bat: This specialized form has learned to take to the air…but it has taken some disturbing evolutionary forms. The Nezura has excised almost its entire body aside from the long pair of ragged wings its arms have become, much like a bat but more tapered and torn from attempted flights. Their lower jaw has become long and slung, multiple fangs sticking out from the bottom, while its top muzzle has shrunk so much it is nothing but the top fangs and a pair of ears, the rest shriveled skin. Spines cover its almost entire body, from the spine spikes to its thick rib cage armor, and quills cover its extended tail which ends in a long barb.
Mammoth: The most impressive morph. Mammoth Nezura are ... .well, mammoth. These creatures have become the alphas of the group, growing to massive size. Their spines cover their body, creating an osteoderm shell, topped by both the species familiar spiked spine and a thick thagomizer at the very end of the tail. Spines cover the limbs which have now grown into thick mole-like claws at each appendage, twitching and flexing when not in use. Their size has also allowed the Nezrua to become fully bipedal, though it will occasionally get on all fours and sprint when it needs to. The Nezura’s head has become thick and reinforced, a massive black eye twisting on each side of the head (and on the back of the head in smaller random groupings). The fangs have begun growing exponentially, covering not only the top mouth in a thick series of teeth like protrusions (similar to the prehistoric fish Dunkleosteus, these aren’t true teeth but a shearing plate of sheer bone that’s natural configuration as it shears and tears has made it resemble a working pair of teeth) but have begun to grow out of the opposite end, through the creature’s nose, creating a pair of long curved tusks. While (thankfully) no specimen has lived long enough for it to be seen in action, it has been theorized by G.I.A.N.T scientists that similar to the babirusa, these tusks will continue to grow unless the animals die/they are shorn, eventually causing them to rip through the mouth or piece it’s own brain.
Notable features:
- Deadly sharp talons, fangs, spikes, and quills. Even a passing glance is a ICU visit.
- Ravenously hungry. They will devour each other if food is not found.
- Pain tolerance: when your very existence hurts, there’s nothing you can do to deter them for long
- Bats can fly and have enhanced hearing
- Stronger forms have stronger durability from further bone mutations
- Mammoths are excellent burrowers and swimmers, leading their brethren to safe hiding places and new horizons
- Septic secretion. Something the Nezura carries makes people sick, especially after a bite or scratch. Keep looking into this, I don’t like this…..
To be continued(hopefully not in another year) in Zedus
It has been a year since the Garasharp incident and things are on edge. The USSR and US are getting more and more heated, now worried about the possibility of other such monsters appearing on their doorstep…or god forbid, be weaponized by the other side! The public and G.I.A.N.T also worry; Garasharp still has not been found since her defeat at the claws of Gamera.. And if all this wasn’t enough, a rash of devastated villages in the Philippines have confirmed a long lost fear.
Gyaos is back.
The ravenous devil returned to the center of Osaka Bay with a screech and a rolling smog, blotting out the sun and starting a panicked evacuation. As she tears through the city angrily, eyes narrowed, a screech answers. Gamera zooms in and slams into his old nemesis, quickly trading blows. Firing a Sonic Scalpel, Gyaos sliced into Gamera’s shell, creating a nick that allowed her to quickly continue to ravage the area she had found…until! A flash of green swirling light as Gamera swung his fiery fist, a flaming pinwheel which sliced her hand straight off! Howling, Gyaos flapped up to lunge at Gamera, letting her hand bleed until slowly, a malformed half Gyaos awkwardly glided to join it’s successor, the blood stain all but forgotten in the ever increasing battle…
September 17th, 1984.
Toru Yuasa, 13, works on his math homework, school long over but waiting for his sister to get out so they could go home together, taking his time with each answer. Not because it’s hard. No, it’s actually not that bad now. But because the more time he spends here the less time he has to meet..
“Turtle Boy!”
Shit.
Shusuke Higuchi, 14, wrapped a arm around Toru’s neck, making him choke and cough as the older boy laughed from behind his greased hair and baggy shirt.
“Come on, Toru! Call for Gamera, I want him to burn my homework before the teacher fails me! I mean, I’m sure you can do it, he’s your best buddy, ain’t he?”
Yuasa finally gained enough leverage and broke free, coughing and spitting. “I can’t call him, he ju-”
“Aw, does he not wike you anymore, Towu?”
“No, he’s busy, did you see the latest Gyaos attack, he would have-”
“Oh, so you’re friends with Gyaos? I guess that makes more sense, you both eat the same.”
“Suke, would you stop being an asshole and just leave me alone for five minutes? Please-”
He regretted it the minute he said it, and even more when the punch was flung. He whimpered and held his nose, already feeling blood trickle. He shut his eyes and tried to stop himself from crying as the older boy leaned in.
“You talking back to me, Yuasa? You think just because you’re some kind of gifted freak connected to a monster, you’re special? Newsflash. You’re not. You’re just a mouthy nerd who needs to learn his place. You got that?”
He knew the routine. It had been almost consistent since they had started the spring semester (after mandated therapy with one of Dr. Kusanagi’s old friends) and he knew he should say something but this was always the part that stopped him; being reminded how alone he was. How only he knew Gamera. How more and more people looked up at his savior with fear, especially as Gyaos kept popping back up, always. How he didn’t know why he was there sometimes and then others, he was gone. And it made him feel like the outcast Shusuke had made clear he was.
And so he nodded quietly.
“Good.” Shoving the boy’s chair, Higuchi grabbed his moth-eaten coat, threw it over his head and walked out the door down the road as Toru watched and tried to stem the blood.
–
Eventually the time came for Fumi to be picked up and the two siblings made their way home, hoods over their heads as rain began to pour. The young girl babbled as she walked, talking about her studies, her classmates, her favorite of the class pets (it was Irikasu, he was the best snake, much better then nasty Garasharp), and so on as Toru tried to think of an explanation for his swollen nose for Mom and Dad. A trip? No, they’d try to get him new shoes and then Higuchi would start talking about how Yuasa got new shoes for letting Gamera crush all the buildings that G.I.A.N.T would rebuild. Just a fight? That might work. Mom was a die hard pacifist but dad always liked to see Toru standing up for himself…
Something jostled behind the alley they walked past.
Fumiko stopped and turned as Toru walked by, practicing an apology.
“Toru? What was that?”
“A cat, Fumi. Come on, we need to get home.”
“A kitty! I want a kitty! I can have a cat at home and then I can go to school and hang with Irakasu then we can have him for a weekend and the cat and Irakasu can be friends-”
“We’ll get you an actual cat, not an alley freak, okay?”
“No! I want to be the cat’s friend, and he’ll really like me if I save him.” Fumi said as if it made perfect sense and darted off, making Toru swear and rush to her as she ran into the trash filled alley.
“Fumi, come on, I can tell Mom to get an actual kitten from her vet job before you get rabies from whatever is back here.” Toru tripped as he turned in, calling out and avoiding a puddle. He looked to Fumiko standing behind the dumpster and went to reprimand her when he noticed the way she was standing, huddled trying to look small, eyes closed. Terrified.
Toru felt a chill as he looked to the end of the alley…
And locked eyes with the monster there. Hunchbacked, naked skin rippling, beady eyes narrowing as it stopped tearing into the tabby striped bit of gore it had been feeding upon to sniff a deep snotty growl at the boy. It lowered its head and let out a low chattering sound.
“.....run.”
The Yuasas darted off as the creature screeched and darted after them, dropping its meal as claws tapped and ripped into pavement. Toru held Fumiko’s arm and kept running, faster and faster, trying to keep his breath steady as she screamed, hearing the wheezing huff as the creature pounded along, getting so close, god, it must be right behind them, they had to keep going, now, on this street, run past the road and keep going until home, come on, come on, where was everyone?, go, go, g-!
A horn and a light in the corner of his eyes, it set him into overdrive making him jump, gripping his sister and moving aside as they dodged the truck speeding down the slippery road, just missing it, but not fast enough for the monster which screeched as the truck slammed into it, causing the machine to buckle to a stop and it’s body to crash down.
Fumi broke free and kept running as Toru stood, heart beating in his ears, breath catching as he locked eyes with the monster as it squealed a death rattle and crashed down dead. Other voices soon caught his ear. His father, running forward, Fumi dragging his hand, and the Inspector and Kusanagi even further down, arguing quietly. The old goateed man jumped out of the truck and gasped, mumbling an apology and gesturing at the creature in awe in the same breath. Toru took another shuddering breath and then held it.
He was ok. They were ok.
Things were going to b-
“Holy shit! Pops, what was that thing, I didn’t even-.....Turtle Boy?”
…..are you kidding me?
~~
Toru did his best to not look at the scowling Shusuke as he tried to understand the best of the briefing from the GIANT meeting. These creatures- Nezura they were calling them- apparently had been appearing all around town. Starting small at the edges to more and more all over. Hurting people…apparently twenty people were in the hospital already.
“This is the fifth one on this street alone.” the Inspector sighed, a cigarette trailing ash as he rubbed circles in his head.
“There has to be a connection to where they emerged from. This is too consistent to JUST be one outbreak.” Kusanagi said, scribbling in her journal as hazmat suited GIANT soldiers pulled the pieces of the sibling’s pursuers out of the grille of the elder Higuchi’s truck. “But this doesn’t make sense, why this area?”
“Why don’t you check. Turtle Boy? If those rats try to eat you, you can call Gamera to burn ‘em to ash.”
Ignoring the taunt, Toru spoke. “Dr. Kusanagi, Mr. Osako. Where did you say they came out of?”
Toru’s father moved to stop his son but the GIANT commanders already turned to talk to him, kneeling down to an exasperated gesture. (“Why does my son have more sway with the government then I do…?”)
“About the middle of Tengachaya, son.” Osako dragged his cigarette. “But before you ask, no, probably didn’t burrow in from underground despite the rattyness.. Some of our guys fought them in the tunnels and…they’re pretty shit diggers. SORRY, UH, bad.”
“I don’t think they did, Mr. Osako.”
“What do you mean, Toru?”
Looking suddenly uncomfortable, Toru held up a finger and ran to his bag. Making his way back (and missing a trip from Higuchi like an expert) returned with a well worn geography book.
“I’ve been…keeping track of Gamera and Gyaos. Just…seeing where they’ve been. What they’ve done….”
Flipping through pages, Toru flipped to his Osaka page and pointed.
“Isn’t this where Gamera and Gyaos had their first fight since she came back? The one where she splattered blood everywhere?”
“Yeah, that’s….that’s where but I don’t..?”
“Oh my god. Ken.” Ayana grabbed the book, gently and held it. “Port Island. It was Port Island!”
“I…oh….”
Mr. Yuasa covered his hand as Toru nodded numbly, pointing from the Port to the Bay surrounding it…..
~~
Toru sat dutifully in the back of the car as his mother fussed over him and his sister, the long line of evacuees a constant background noise. They were all heading to the recent permanent shelter set at the very outskirts of the city. Not the Yuasas however, they were being brought to GIANT HQ in the center of the city. On the one hand, part of Toru was glad to be safe from that twisted monster, especially if it was one of dozens. On the other, he felt wrong leaving his father and his friends to clear out the devils alone. As he often did, he quietly shut his eyes and tried to call Gamera. The same way he was told he did when he first showed up. The incident at the temple that preceded Gamera’s “sudden appearance” GIANT had said. That he would appear when they needed him.
“Why do you always make that face when you’re in a evacshun, Toru?”
“Evacuation, honey.”
“I know. I like mine better.”
As his mother laughs and heads to sit up front, the other door opens and Toru went to speak to his father..and balk as Shusuke entered with a grin.
“You??!?!”
“Me.”
“Wh-”
“Oh, Toru, why didn’t you tell me about your friend Higuchi? He’s so sweet! His father has to stay to help with a plan your father has so I agreed to take him with us. You don’t mind, right?”
Toru looks at his bullies smug face and suddenly finds himself wishing to face the monster rats again.
–
“You sure about this, Yuasa?” Kusanagi’s voice was clipped and cold as ever from behind her gas mask. “This is a lot…”
“Sure of it. Ayana. These things can’t burrow so they’re clearly hiding in places that they can fit and hide. So…”
“Gasoline?”
Dr. Yuasa nodded as more tanks and trucks moved by to dump gas in randoms holes, barely missing a sign for “Port Island Sewage”.
“Gas them out, they flee, we take them down. And if they try and flee to the bay, we have a perimeter set. This should be foolproof….key word being should.” The archaeologist turned monster hunter nodded and went back to planning, leaving the heads of GIANT alone.
“He’s getting pretty good at this.”
“Aren’t we all?” Kusanagi said distractedly as she dug through her bag. “Damn it, I left my journal back at base. Think you guys can handle this while I head back?”
Ken nodded distractedly as she quickly took off. Call him crazy but this should actually work. I mean, after all they WERE smaller then the other monsters that had been popping up in Osaka.
He was going to regret those words, he realized by his next drag.
~~
Toru tried to avoid getting up and screaming. Sitting in the in theory well furnished living room of the shelter, he watched his mother and Fumiko play some ridiculous game about monkeys and watched the city skyline from their placement. Normally, he’d city watch, trying to spot Gamera when he arrived, or playing with cards. But he had another irritant shoving a elbow in his side every five seconds keeping him distracted. Eventually, it grew to be too much and he turned to snap in a whisper.
“Look, Shusuke, I get it, you got your way in to a nice place by pretending to be my friend, but if you think they won’t throw your ass out if you try anything-”
“Woah, relax, Turtle Boy. I would never even dream of it. I am here for reasons besides you. Geez, man, ego much?”
Toru rolled his eyes at the dig but looked perplexed. “What do you mean?”
The scruffy bully leaned in further to speak. “I wanted to get in here because…I think I have a theory on where Gamera is, really.”
The young Yuasa blinked. “The..sea?”
“No, dumbass! I think GIANT knows where he really is. And they’re trying to hide it for their own reason. Think about it…Gamera Investigation and Neutralization…they probably have him right where they want him but they’re too distracted to do anything. I want to find out. Maybe we can even call him to help get rid of the rats!“
Toru sat on this, quiet and unsure. He didn’t want to trust Higuchi. The guy was a jerk but…what he was saying was interesting. Could his father and GIANT know more then they let on? It would explain how they always seemed more ready then anyone else. Also, he hated to say it but…it was nice to have Higuchi actually talking to him like a person. And most of all, it bothered him. That even after this long, he still didn’t know where his friend was. Why he appeared and disappeared, only coming at the randomest times. Maybe he should take this chance. But before he did….
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you want to know, Higuchi? You make fun of me all the time for caring about Gamera and the monsters. Why do you care now?”
Higuchi was silent but eventually spoke.
“I have my reasons. Now we moving or what, Turtle Boy?”
__
It took some time for the two boys to get a reason to leave the bunker. Admittedly, Toru was probably going to eventually feel some pain from the punch immediately tossed in his gut but he was too busy smiling at “Higuchi has a rare toilet disease he needs help with” for that right now. The two youths snuck through the concrete and sheet metal that made up the government building. Occasionally, they hid, as soldiers walked by mentioning “the operation” and “another civ passed out, they took him to the medical wing, wonder what’s-” before moving on. Eventually, they found themselves at a small door as Higuchi shook his head.
“You sure about this? There’s got to be somewhere else, like, a lab or a observation place or-”
“Positive. Dr. Kusanagi is the one who mainly researches the kaiju. If anyone knows anything, it’s her.” Toru said as he stepped towards the office. He took a shaky breath and tried the lock. Bingo. They quickly entered, eyes adjusting from the well lit hallways to the more orange of the lamp in the lab. The room was cramped and small, a table of files and scribbles, a few coffee cup stains. Toru reached out a hand and began to comb through, curiosity getting the better of him. Higuchi pulled through files and sighed as he saw more and more redacted words. Toru was feeling embarrassed, wondering if he made a mistake when he noticed something. Right at the edge of the desk, a ruined looking book. He heard Higuchi let out a gasp as he saw it too and the two reached for it.
Toru felt like a man possessed as he tore open the book and began to flip through it. It was a mix of information, some pages being carefully hand pressed documents stapled in, others photographed artifacts with marker notes scribbled underneath. A work journal but one carefully cultivated after years of work….
HISTORY OF MONSTERS
DR. AYANA Kusanagi
Each page held a new strange shape.
1940 Garrison. “Report of monster?”
DEVIL OF THE SOUTH SEAS: SEA MONSTER BLAMED FOR TYPHOON
“The ancient three?”
A great illuminated figure.
Saurian forms that held proportions of no dinosaur Toru ever remembered.
A strange shape blurred into a camera.
Cracked egg shells, pressed in plastic into the page.
A blurred image of a man but with bulging eyes and a twisted face.
Radiation readings dropping and rising and a note saying “He keeps coming back, set up further mines”
A drawing of a devil, and another, and an-
“Oh my god. That’s…That’s Gamera! And…Gyaos!” Higuchi called, pointing at the petroglyph adorning the next page Toru had to hold back his voice as he looked at the image. Toru was right. Clear as day, it was the two feuding monsters. The green and blue were faded but Toru saw them well. The note read “More ancient rivals? Double check. 3/7/74.”
“Wait, but…this means…the temple…it wasn’t a coincidence…they’ve been here for years.”
“No, no, no…” Higuchi said as he covered his head. “That…that can’t be possible.”
“It is… I…I thought he was ancient but I didn’t know he was..he was doing things while-”
His thoughts were interrupted as Shusuke shoved him.
“Worthless. Thanks for nothing, Turtle Boy.”
“W-What do you mean, worthless?!?!?! I thought you wanted to find Gamera! This helps us find him. We know he’s been here fighting to-”
“Oh don’t even! That’s your problem, Turtle Boy! You don’t realize that stupid reptile is a monster too!”
“HE’S NOT STUPID! What is with you, why are you so angry about Gamera??!?!”
“Because he ruined my life!” The boy screamed and Toru let his anger fall as he backed off, suddenly concerned. “I…I was happy. I had a great life with me and my dad in Umeda and then, over night, I have to move to some bum hole town because this ice monster destroys everything. Because this monster suddenly shows up and changes everything. I don’t even know what my life is going to be. Every day, I wake up and it’s a new monster. And you, you keep watching him…defending him. I wanted to find him because I thought. I thought they knew. They knew where he came from and could send him back. But I guess he’s here to fucking st-”
“Toru.”
The boys jumped. Dr. Kusanagi stood in the door, her eyes glassy and her mouth hard as she glared at them.
“Put that down, now. “
Toru, feeling suddenly small, wrong, as if he was the monster, shook as he gripped the book. As he did, Shusuke turned, his face turning beet red.
“You!” Higuchi screamed. “You knew all about this! Gamera, Gyaos, Barugon! You knew these things were coming and you did nothing! You could have stopped it! You-”
“I don’t know who you are but I can have you tried for trespassing if you don’t leave automatically. Toru, put it down.”
“Dr. Kusanagi…how…..you said I couldn’t trust him. That he was a monster, but he’s- he’s not like the others that appeared! He’s been here! He’s been defending us forever! How could you…”
“Toru, I am an adult, and I am asking you to put that down now. You need to return to the shelter until this is all over and we are safe from all the mons-”
Toru suddenly got angry, and he turned, the book still in one hand.
“No! Why should I trust you? You lied about Gamera! You knew what he’s like an-”
“What he’s like?” Dr. Kusanagi laughed mirthlessly as she walked forward. “You mean a monster fighting another monster? He’s not your friend, goddamnit, why do you not get that?!?! He just hasn’t had a reason to hurt us yet, now let go and give me that!”
The doctor strode across the room, and Toru bolted, trying to get past but in such a small place, there was nowhere to turn, causing him to collide as Ayana turned and grabbed the book, making Toru stumble and try to pull it back, as they stood there, struggling. Toru felt his heartbeat, as he heard Higuchi yell from his pale faced stupor, felt the book slipping, briefly became aware of the surreality of what he was doing and…
The doctor stumbled and Toru yanked the book, the momentum causing it to crash down, spilling open its contents as the tape and paperclips that kept it there came apart, causing the pages to spill. Most of them were of monsters but one…one floated down near the top. A well worn one, that fell right on the edge of the pile. Dr. Kusanagi jumped back, as if she had been burned as she looked at the mess, a hitch in her breath and a sudden look of horror in her eyes.
Toru suddenly snapped back and looked up and down at the pile.
“I…I’m sorry. I’ll fix it. Let me…”
“No.” Kusanagi whispered.
“No, I..I should…” and he stopped as he noticed the way she looked down. The well worn page near the top. Slightly torn. Something in Toru moved to grab it. To hold it and see it. He felt like autopilot as his hand reached out and picked it up.
An old picture. Of a younger Kusanagi, a smiling older man, a grinning middle aged gentleman that almost looked like the Inspector and a small girl…stapled to a file.
INCIDENT REPORT: U-6501
6/12/1978
Report: ███████ ███████ ███████ at Obae Mine, was driven back with the efforts of local researchers and █████ █████. Unconfirmed kill. Heavy casualties.
Cover: Mining Accident.
Process: Move in, exchange apologies, move out. Keep it simple. No need for opening questions…or wounds.
Casualty list:
Okja Sae-Jin, 46.
Ishiro Yamakura, 27.
Akira Mori, 35
Daisuke Ifukube, 38
Koji Oishi, 47.
Yukio Shingu, 34,
Dan Fuyashi, 50.
Toma Kato, 54
Iris Kusanagi, 5
And then the document ended, ripped from where it had been originally made.
Toru held it for a long time, reading the words and trying to absorb their meaning, feeling Shusuke join him as he leaned, at first to read, and then to help the boy up, all while not looking him in the eye. Toru eventually looked at Dr. Kusanagi, eyes still locked on the floor, until eventually, the older woman looked up, tears at the edge of her eyes as she shook her head morosely.
“Like I said. You can’t trust monsters.”
Toru’s response was drowned out as windows shattered.
~~
Yeah, Ken was definitely regretting those words.
The gasoline plan had seemingly gone off without a hitch. Nezura slowly rose from the Earth, snarling and spitting from their gnarled jaws, where GIANT and GDF soldiers met them with a hail of gunfire and artillery that sent them to Monster Mousey Heaven. The corporal in charge had even taken some men underground and try and confront them directly, with his okay. Back then, the only thing bothering him was why some of the men had suddenly disengaged to meet with the medic tent. It seemed some kind of bug was going around but he was more concerned with not catching it then anything else.
Key word for all that was “back then.”
Before the corporal’s screams hit the radio.
Before the cries of the rats got louder..like calling for help.
Before the nearest gasoline tank flipped and exploded in an explosion.
And before his head started ringing with the screams and screeches.
Dr. Yuasa tried his best to drag the half conscious Inspector along as chaos enveloped the area. The Nezura had been joined by an unexpected ally, a grotesque bat winged variant. The screeching giants, the next form of the deadly swarm, began to swoop through and pick off soldiers, as waves of their brothers joined them. It was pandemonium, body on body, warped shapes running past with men that the Doctor knew, now nothing more then meat. In the chaos, the beasts hadn’t noticed him yet, in their fevered frenzy of feasting and in fighting but he knew time wasn’t on his side. He dropped Osako on the ground and began trying to bandage him, looking around desperately when…
An unholy chitter.
He froze and looked as a Bat Nezura, walking on it’s spiked and torn wings, cocked a massive eared head to look down on him from it’s perch upon a surviving gasoline truck. The creature chittered curiously as it observed the two humans. Koichi froze, trying to not alert the creature’s prey instinct, as his heart pounded. That was enough for the beasts sensitive hearing though. It screeched, unfurling it’s wings as it leapt.
Koichi wanted to scream but he couldn’t. He simply thought of his family as the fangs lunged. Mariko. Fumiko. Toru….
Just as the jaws of death were almost upon him, they were gone in a flash of emerald..and another…and another.
~~
Toru felt his feet pound on the concrete as the screeches grew. Just after their confrontation in the doctor’s office, some sort of Bat Nezura had appeared, a whole swarm that tore through the building. He had taken off with Higuchi, Kusanagi following but joining the soldiers to order them. The boys rushed to the shelter room Fumiko and Mrs. Yuasa were, trying to ignore the sounds of screams and flesh tearing.
Toru shook his head, lost in thought even with adrenaline pumping in his ear. Monsters. They were horrible, but..could Gamera really be like them? And how long had these been here? Had they been called? Had he called them here with the gem? Was this his fault? He felt awful….but his thoughts were interrupted.
With a crash, a small Bat Nezura crashed between the boys. The man sized monstrosity hissed and screeched as it flapped it’s fledgling wings, turning to seemingly snarl a twisted grin at Toru before it lunged. The boy screamed as it lunged, just barely missing the teeth as he ducked. He tried to run past but the creature’s tail whipped out, knocking him to the ground. Toru panted, winded and fear taking over. He was dead. There was nothing he could do to stop it. It would kill him. He shut his eyes as stinking jaws hung above his and…
A thick wack of metal and a squeal.
Toru opened his eyes as a hand entered his gaze, Higuchi bending over while a piece of rebar hung in his other hand as an impromptu bat.
“Come on, Turtle Boy!”
He didn’t wait.
The two boys burst into the room, Toru running into his mother’s grateful embrace and his sister’s teary. The two were about to leave the room as suddenly, a bright green flash lit their peripheral vision. Almost the entire room shielded their eyes…all but one. Toru turned, watching the burst settle. Osaka Bay lay aflame, the gasoline that had leaked into the river now lighting up patches as if an old school arena ringed by fire. The fire had burst through the water, following the gas trails to blow through the holes, blowing up rats and saving those in the crossfire. A chill went down Yuasa’s spine as he saw green slowly rise from the depths.
“He’s here.”
~~
Water boiled and steamed as Gamera arose from the depths. The terrapin scanned his handiwork, seeing the scattered and burnt bodies of many Nezura. Just as he pulled himself out of the water to check further though, a chorus of screeches hit his ears! The rest of the Bat Nezura swung forward to attack, screeching and snapping. The guardian howled as he stumbled back into the bay, holding up a flaming defense as the monsters swung by. Narrowing his eyes, he lowered his fist and held it, till it glowed like a star. Then, he threw it forward like a punch, but instead, it acted as a great flamethrower, shooting forward to blast through the flying beasts. As they plopped into the water, the great hero grunted. Seemed like that was wrapped up.
It was then he suddenly felt himself get dragged, a howl of surprise exiting his maw as he was pulled along. On the ground, Koichi Yuasa and Haruo Higuchi turned from where they were pulling along the Inspector to a medevac chopper as they watched their savior turn and slash at the thing pulling his tail along. Eventually, with a splash of water, a tusked face broke the water and made Yuasa gasp.
“My god! Another Nezura?!?!”
Indeed, a massive Nezura floated atop the bay, screeching at the slayer of its nest. Snarling, Gamera lunged forward, grappling with the fleshy monster as it snapped its warped jaws at him. Eventually, the tussling reached a point he could move, the great terrapin lunging forward to grab a flaming fist around the head of the creature. He strained to break his foe’s neck as it thrashed and screeched until-
With a scream, the remains of the Port Island building exploded as another massive Nezura jumped from the Earth within! Shaking it’s wrinkly skin of debris, it leaped from the water atop Gamera’s shell, causing the reptile to screech and drop it’s compatriot. Beneath the waves, the quicker swimmer slashed and bit at the rocky scales, soon joined by his ally. Shaking his head, at the unexpected assault, Gamera quickly withdrew into his shell, igniting his jets to flip himself upwards so the ravenous rats slashed at the most protected part of his body. New plan.
Just as the med-vac chopper took off, the ocean exploded as the shelled form of Gamera rocketed out of the water, the screeching forms of the Mammoth Nezura now desperately clinging to his shell. Zooming above the island, the flaming hero began to spin, to greater and greater speeds until left with no choice, the scarred mammals were sent flying to the Earth in a crash of dirt and dust. At this point, Gamera angled his spin down to join them, landing and roaring a challenge.
Within minutes it was answered as the Rats lunged. A desperate brawl took over the island as the three kaiju clashed, desperate mad slashes meeting practiced heavy blows. As his brother lunged forward to clamp teeth around Gamera’s neck (to no avail), the other Nezura began to dig. Just as the turtle yanked the fanged jaws out of his neck, the second struck, leaping from the dirt!
A very bad idea, it realized as Gamera turned, flaming fist ready.
With a squeak of horror, the rat was sent flying back to the sea, crashing into the waves in a sea of foam.
One down, one to go. Gamera roared as he leapt once more at the other. His heavy flaming claw marks kept finding ground in the red flesh of the Nezura but it didn’t seem to take; the ugly intruder kept getting back up. He needed something more permanent…and an idea came to him. The great turtle stepped back, watching the snarling rodent as it paced, mad rage to maul this foe filling it’s mind. He waited for the right moment, his flames and runes glowing as his foe eventually stood and squealed. It leapt forward, jaws wide to rip off Gamera’s head….
Clamping it right on the plasma fist.
The green glow grew from yellow fangs, and grew, and grew, and GREW, until with a sickening pop, the Nezura’s head splattered to pieces. The thick spiked body collapsed to the ground as the champion let out a roar of triumph.
A roar soon followed by a screech.
Gamera turned to see the other Mammoth Nezura, paddling for him and growled in annoyance. He steadied himself to fight it when he noticed. The screeches the paddling tusked monster were making didn’t seem to be further mad declarations of war.
They seem panicked.
Slowly, even through the flames, Gamera spotted a shape moving just underneath the Nezura. A massive dark shape, which dwarfed it. The naked beast suddenly stopped it’s desperate swim to scream, it’s head reeling in the water just as it was pulled below. The guardian’s eyes watched as the water filled with red…and then widened even more as the shape returned beelining for the island.
It seemed this fight was just getting started…..
—
Nezura: Savage Swarm ネズラ
Length:
Rat: 4 meters
Bat: 6 meters
Mammoth: 20 meters
Height:
Rat: Between 3 to 2 meters depending on the stance.
Bat: 3 meters
Mammoth: 18 meters
Weight:
Rat: 30 pounds
Bat: 20 pounds
Mammoth: 40 tons
Description: The Nezura are an unprecedented form. This species is seen in swarms, actively searching for any available food and resources, perhaps due to the presence of Gyaos DNA in their complicated systems. As this new species evolves, some things can be noted however as staying similar between the different morphs. Thick padded paws which they use to move quickly and silently, fangs born from buck like teeth leaving them with tell tale curves, shivering naked red skin (perhaps even exposed flesh) covers their body, all hair having long fallen out. In its place, quilly protrusions stick out like porcupines from certain areas, combined with actual spikes of bone.
Noted morphs:
Rat: The most common of the Nezura “family”, Rats are the base form. Resembling their original mouse origins, they have long curving tails on top of their gangly bodies; their lower limbs are squat and barely usable while their arms are significantly more developed, allowing them brachiation, galloping, and even gripping. As a cost, this leaves your average Nezura with a distinct hunchbacked look when not sprinting on all fours, further exposing the long row of spikes covering their back, bones growing directly out of their spines. Their fangs wrap around the lower jaw, self made gouges keeping them at rest in the lower jaw when not in use, its long face tilted as it watches.
Bat: This specialized form has learned to take to the air…but it has taken some disturbing evolutionary forms. The Nezura has excised almost its entire body aside from the long pair of ragged wings its arms have become, much like a bat but more tapered and torn from attempted flights. Their lower jaw has become long and slung, multiple fangs sticking out from the bottom, while its top muzzle has shrunk so much it is nothing but the top fangs and a pair of ears, the rest shriveled skin. Spines cover its almost entire body, from the spine spikes to its thick rib cage armor, and quills cover its extended tail which ends in a long barb.
Mammoth: The most impressive morph. Mammoth Nezura are ... .well, mammoth. These creatures have become the alphas of the group, growing to massive size. Their spines cover their body, creating an osteoderm shell, topped by both the species familiar spiked spine and a thick thagomizer at the very end of the tail. Spines cover the limbs which have now grown into thick mole-like claws at each appendage, twitching and flexing when not in use. Their size has also allowed the Nezrua to become fully bipedal, though it will occasionally get on all fours and sprint when it needs to. The Nezura’s head has become thick and reinforced, a massive black eye twisting on each side of the head (and on the back of the head in smaller random groupings). The fangs have begun growing exponentially, covering not only the top mouth in a thick series of teeth like protrusions (similar to the prehistoric fish Dunkleosteus, these aren’t true teeth but a shearing plate of sheer bone that’s natural configuration as it shears and tears has made it resemble a working pair of teeth) but have begun to grow out of the opposite end, through the creature’s nose, creating a pair of long curved tusks. While (thankfully) no specimen has lived long enough for it to be seen in action, it has been theorized by G.I.A.N.T scientists that similar to the babirusa, these tusks will continue to grow unless the animals die/they are shorn, eventually causing them to rip through the mouth or piece it’s own brain.
Notable features:
- Deadly sharp talons, fangs, spikes, and quills. Even a passing glance is a ICU visit.
- Ravenously hungry. They will devour each other if food is not found.
- Pain tolerance: when your very existence hurts, there’s nothing you can do to deter them for long
- Bats can fly and have enhanced hearing
- Stronger forms have stronger durability from further bone mutations
- Mammoths are excellent burrowers and swimmers, leading their brethren to safe hiding places and new horizons
- Septic secretion. Something the Nezura carries makes people sick, especially after a bite or scratch. Keep looking into this, I don’t like this…..
To be continued
RIP Evan.
-
SoggyNoodles2016
- Moderator
- Posts: 6501
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2018 7:37 am
- Location: My parents' basement
Re: Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters ゴジラ
Height: 50-80 Meters
Weight: 20,000-60,000 tons
The King of The Monsters, Godzilla is the strongest animal on Earth. Born out of nuclear fire and rage at being hurt by humanity, he is now raging against humanity but is at the same time it's savior, protecting it from threats stronger then him without backing down. Covered with thick maple leaf shaped spines and gnarled tree like skin, Godzilla looks as imposing as his name suggests. Once his thick browed and permantly sneering fanged face is towards you, your only bets bet is to run
Features
- incredible fighter, somehow acknowledged in hand to hand
- many allies like Mothra, Anguirus and Jet Jaguar
- pure atomic fire from his mouth that can melt even the strongest foes
- flight
- can kick Gamera's stinky as-
NOTICE: GIANT Staff
Re: File : "ゴジラ"
I don't know if someone's kid snuck in and posted their own little journal or one of you thought you were HILARIOUS. I walk into my file room and find a ■■■■ing MOVIE CHARACTER mixed in with my files of actual threats again, one of you ■■■■heads is walking out of here with a pink slip.
- Kusinagi
Height: 50-80 Meters
Weight: 20,000-60,000 tons
The King of The Monsters, Godzilla is the strongest animal on Earth. Born out of nuclear fire and rage at being hurt by humanity, he is now raging against humanity but is at the same time it's savior, protecting it from threats stronger then him without backing down. Covered with thick maple leaf shaped spines and gnarled tree like skin, Godzilla looks as imposing as his name suggests. Once his thick browed and permantly sneering fanged face is towards you, your only bets bet is to run
Features
- incredible fighter, somehow acknowledged in hand to hand
- many allies like Mothra, Anguirus and Jet Jaguar
- pure atomic fire from his mouth that can melt even the strongest foes
- flight
- can kick Gamera's stinky as-
NOTICE: GIANT Staff
Re: File : "ゴジラ"
I don't know if someone's kid snuck in and posted their own little journal or one of you thought you were HILARIOUS. I walk into my file room and find a ■■■■ing MOVIE CHARACTER mixed in with my files of actual threats again, one of you ■■■■heads is walking out of here with a pink slip.
- Kusinagi
Spoiler:
RIP Evan.
-
SoggyNoodles2016
- Moderator
- Posts: 6501
- Joined: Wed May 30, 2018 7:37 am
- Location: My parents' basement
Re: Make Your Own Version/Incarnation(s) of Kaiju
Seawater spilled as the dark shape rushed towards Port Island, a tidal wave starting to flood the few remaining bits of land. Snarling, Gamera slammed a fiery fist into the flood, anchoring himself as the sea dragged forward, steaming and bubbling water cutting through the flow. The wave subsided, as the massive thing at its source slowly stretched out. Gamera looked up at his new foe as salt dripped from its hide with a grimace.
Across the bay, Toru gaped as Shusuke dry heaved.
“What in the actual fu-?!?!”
Twisted jaws roared at their arrival to Osaka.
Zedus: Synthetic Sea Monster ジーダス
Height: 38 Meters
Length: 48 Meters
Weight: 45,000 tons (est)
Description: Zedus is a…disturbing looking creature. Something about its origin broke the creature’s body as it became a kaiju, skin becoming rashy and warty, body misshapen and lumpy, even its own jaws stretch with more teeth then they naturally should have. Technically speaking, Zedus resembles a theropod dinosaur. Bipedal stance on muscular legs with a small pair of arms being counterbalanced by a boxy head and a long sinuous tail. In practice…the details are disturbing. Long quilly membranes stick out of various parts of its back, creating a porcupine-esque look. The bones in his legs have split in three places before gaining their shaky current stance atop five footed toes, holding up a thin body, always starving but never able to fulfill the needs of its constantly breaking body. Zedus’ arms are unique for the number of them: two withered and permanently turned in clawed forearms stick from his left side while his right side has mutated the furthest. A massive fusion of tendons and muscle, like an ungodly whip, drags along from his right side, seemingly useless until the beast is angered. His frothy gums snarl from atop his warty head, shaded by a pair of massive frills, which usually hang behind the head until the beast is enraged, at which point they flush and raise up, revealing their extravagant colors….and the single bloodshot yellow eye between them. Notably, this is the only actual eye Zedus had; the skin has grown over the ones on his actual skull…
Features
- Numb to most attacks
- Warty skin oozes a poisonous pus
- Blind but exceptional senses.
- Surprising mobility
- Whip arm
- Jaws able to break and extend to attack.
With a sickening growl, the abominable monster ran forward, lunging it’s broken teeth to snap at Gamera, but the experienced giant swung a haymaker, knocking the beast’s head back. Shaking, the creature hissed as it swung its right arm. The thick appendage wrapped around the guardian’s throat, causing him to roar with surprise before the tense muscles began to choke it. With a roar of rage, Zedus swung the turtle to slam into the wreckage of the ruined building around him, disengaging his whip with a pop and a crunch, before it ran forward. Leaping with a sickening crunch of breaking bones, the sea monster slammed into the turtle as it struggled on the ground, causing a roar of pain and a splatter of green from his mouth. Drooling, the starving monster leaned down, raising its frills as its jaws extended, a forked tongue stretching to feast upon a wonderful meal….only for a blast of plasma to meet it instead. Shrieking, the sea devil lurched back, giving the ancient room to light his forelimbs and send it flying with a rocket boosted headbutt.
Across the bay from the ensuing battle, Toga and Shusuke watched intently, the younger boy running a hand through his head in a panic.
“That thing’s tougher than the rats!”
“Turtle Boy, this guy is more messed up then the rats combined! Do you think that thing spawned them?”
“I…” Toru’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden embrace as his mother pulled him close, dragging him away. Part of him wanted to run but the other half…it was helpless, watching as the bellowing beasts snapped at each other. He kept watching as he and Shusuke were dragged out of the room, more and more GIANT agents filing in including Kusinagi herself, eyes red but hard as she spoke into a walkie talkie, until the doors in front of him were shut
~~~
Gamera swiped desperately at Zedus, a grimace of determination on his feet as the infected beast screeched and snapped against the hand holding it back. Despite the increasing flames, the sea beast refused to yield, slavering as it lunged for the flesh. Snorting, the titanic terrapin retreated back into his shell, his flaming hand still outstretched before he angled his shell and fired, the jets of flames shooting out as he spun and spun, and spun. The theropod screeched before the hand burning into it’s abdomen let go and it went flying!
A crash in the surf echoed even in the depths of the shell and the guardian sighed as he returned. He watched the sea carefully, noticing the ripples and moving shadow with a sighing growl. Still it lived. He’d have to make sure to take care of it. But that was not the only issue he noticed, as the sounds of wheels sounded. The kaiju turned to see humans getting closer, their tanks crunching ground before them. Koichi Yuasa helped Inspecter Osaso up as he nervously regarded the assembled defense force and the looming giant. The ancient did not respond, simply snorting steam as he regarded the forces. He did not wish to fight but if he was forced…
A pregnant pause filled the air.
And then one of the soldiers coughed. Then another. Green eyes quirked as they sniffed the air, then pupils dilated. Dr. Yuasa turned just as one of the soldiers fell to the ground, a cough of blood from his mouth. The kind hearted scientist moved to help…but suddenly was taken up with his own coughing fit. Inspector Osaso winced.
“Ah shit.”
Those were the last things he thought as he fell to the ground, watching as the tortoise bastard took off in a cloud of smoke back to the sea….
~~
“You have to be fucking kidding me.”
The general winced but nodded. “Afraid so, Mrs. Kusina-”
“Doctor. Are you insane?!?! And without notifying us?!?!”
“Our forces were fairly certain the research would be complete by the time we revealed it to GIANT. Besides, we were trying to aid your mission of controlling the kaiju outbreaks.”
“Yeah. Great job.” The head scientist spat as she looked at the filled hospital beds, stretching out before her. At the end of the hall, Mrs. Yuasa held onto her children as she led them through the mess, soldiers checking them quickly with strange guns and pushing them along.
“What the hell are those?” Shusuke asked, looking uneasy.
“Temperature checks. They built them based off of digital heat tech…something or other, I can’t keep up.” Mariko mumbled as they found a empty bed and sat. “Something…something is making people sick, Shusuke.”
The young punk looked uncomfortable as he took in the massive efforts of the area. “Oh…”
Toru paced nervously. Even now, he saw Gamera struggling with that disgusting sea monster. He hoped he was okay. Especially with everything that he had learned about Ayana with Higuchi. Sighing, he tried to lay in bed, bumping into Fumiko. He looked over at his sister, trying to smile…then stopped as he noticed her pale complexion.
“Toru? I don…feel so…good.”
The boy jumped up to alert his mother and not a moment too soon, just missing a puddle of blood that spit from the youngest Yuasa’s mouth as she coughed. Her mother screamed, rushing forward, but cut off by GIANT guards rushing forward to snatch her.
“Mama…?” Fumiko was barely able to mumble before being taking to a hazmat tent. Toru stood frozen, his mother’s frantic sobbing hitting his ears.
“What the hell?!?! What the hell is going on?!?”
“Project 65-DYE-E.”
Ayana spoke bluntly as she stepped forward, her face grim with concern as she watched the going ons. If there was any lingering resentment over what happened, it was not visible with the concern on her face. She regarded the children for a moment as if debating, before sighing and moving on, avoiding looking at their faces.
“The JSDF went above our heads and began studying samples left from the last clash between Gamera and Gyaos. We were already studying the blood patterns to see a connection for where they came from…they took it further. They wanted to make something that could take them down. But they didn’t realize it’s strength…”
“A…a virus?” Mariko Yuasa choked out.
“From their blood. Yes. The Nezura were the literal lab rats. Then somehow, the virus…spawned Zedus. He went rogue, broke out of their facility on Port Island, they lost control and the rodents did too. They’re carriers, all of them.”
“It was a unexpected sec-” The rest of the sweating generals words were silenced as Mariko’s slap echoed. A pair of guards ran forward to restrain him as she screamed.
“BASTARD! BASTARD! MY BABY…my baby…”
Ayana ran forward and hugged her. “It’s okay. We’re going to fix this. I promise you, Mari.”
“How?”
Dr. Kusanagi sighed as she turned to the boy.
“We have to get a sample from the last carrier left alive.”
~~
The battleships rocked as they thundered through the ocean. Kusanagi watched the choppy ocean as the ship moved, trying to not remind herself of all the people counting on her. The latest hazmat team had found Koichi and Ken, along with dozens of others. The count had reached 1,000 confirmed cases, with god knows how many just in quarantine . No fatalities yet but…
She clenched her fist, looking away.
No. No more dead from monsters.
On the deck, Toru tried to swallow the doubt and fear in mind as he watched the sea. With his mother watching his sister, he and Shusuke were now under the watch of Dr. Kusanagi. Normally, he’d be glad. But after they had betrayed her trust..
His thoughts were silenced by the sound of vomit as he winced, watching Higuchi struggling to hold on to the side of the boat. He looked away, focusing on the copters overhead. Within, a pilot radioed.
“Shadow in thirty knots, Doctor.”
“Thank you. Admiral, tell your man to fan out and slow. We need to narrow this thing if we want to make sure this thing works.”
She looked down at the ship’s bow once more. Missiles to hopefully nail the mutant and then a specialized lance to take a blood sample. Her crew was working overtime, studying the disease as fast as possible, but unless they had a sample of the virus, Anne said there was no way they could reverse engineer a cure.
With a nod, the naval commander began to speak orders, boats fanning out. Within minutes, the fleet remained stationed, ready for a confrontation with their massive target. Somewhere on board, a punk thanked the Buddha as he coughed. The cold scientist swallowed as she observed the water, before radioing.
“Air crew. Any movement?”
“None. I’ll try to shake it up.”
The helicopter darted by, as it flew circles around the area. Ripples formed as they observed. The pilot leaned out, shades reflecting the murky blue before he shook his head.
“No movement, returning t-”
The tendril struck too fast for him to react. The pilot fell back as the fleshy mass coiled further and further, until with a sickening crunch of metal, it collapsed inwards. The whip like arm snaked down as with the surf falling around it, Zedus emerged. Bloody teeth clicked as it turned and snarled.
Horrified silence filled the bridge at the creature. Hands shook as the admiral held the radio, debating the call to fire.
With a screech, Zedus’ frill extended and the bulging eye glared as it charged.
The admiral called, perhaps a desperate screech to anyone there, who could say. Missiles flew off the deck, Yuasa and Higuchi falling to the hard metal as they darted past. The bombardment slammed against scarred hide, causing the creature to squeal but not stopping it as it ran forward to slam a pair of jaws around the ship to it’s right. Those onboard fired machine guns wildly, to no effect as the diseased beast snapped it’s jaws like a snake, swallowing as much as the ship as it could before dropping the rest. The mighty freighter drifted precariously, a rip in it like a cookie found by a toddler. Annoyed with the lack of blood, it snorted and swung it’s arm, the tentacle slicing through it in a explosion of fire.
Snorting, Zedus turned to the main ship, nostrils flaring as it sniffed. It smelled something. Something….different. Saliva dripped from reforming teeth. Yes…
“TURTLE BOY! WE GOTTA GO!”
Toru barely made out his former tormenter’s plea as he locked eyes with the fleshy skin mass around the face of the kaiju. Somehow, he knew. It knew they were there. He stumbled up, slipping on the wet deck before he turned back to the aft of the ship. Higuchi waved from a open door and Toru was so tempted. But he couldn’t.
He thought of his mother sobbing over his sister. His father with tubes in him. And he knew.
He had to do something.
Swallowing his fear, the boy ran, ignoring Higuchi’s swear and the adult’s calls. He reached the bow and snatched the lance. He struggled with the weight but held it up as much as he could, aiming it. The snarling creature lumbered forward, pus and drool dripping while it shook.
“Come on…”
Zedus lowered its head to the deck as it snarled. Pus dripped from its warty skin, sizzling on the deck. Toru backed away from it, clutching the tool as he looked up at the massive predator as it listened. Listened for the boy, but the shaking ship…it was too much. It’s ears could not make out his footsteps on the ship.
Frustration building, the sea monster threw its head back and screamed. Its eye exposed itself as its frill shook. Toru closed his eyes and prayed, looking at where the bloodied orb sat. And then, he flung it.
The roar of rage become a squeal of pain, the massive head squealing as it shook, the pole jabbed in it’s only good eye. Ayana’s jaw dropped on the bridge.
“That worked?!?!”
Toru gaped.
“Holy crap, it worked.”
A malformed hand scratched, dislodging the metal weapon, where it crashed back on deck in a splatter of gore and one pierced eye. The young boy grinned in glee as he watched..
...then it fell with the snarl.
Zedus tensed. It did not know where the attack came. But it came from in front of it. It would have to mutilate. It bellowed as it lunged forward. Toru screamed, shielding his face.
A flash of emerald shined and the sea beast’s charge turned into a roll as Gamera slid through the water, shoulder checking the beast. Tusks flared as he snarled, before the shelled hero roared. The mad mutant stumbled up and roared, swishing it’s tendril before whipping it at the turtle. Moving quickly, he sidestepped, avoiding the attack, and firing a fire ball. The plasma slammed into the beast’s head, knocking it back and shattering teeth, but the numb fiend wasn’t done. Roaring, it charged at Gamera.
Turning, the ancient terrapin grabbed the hull of the battleship and tensed as he exerted. Toru felt his stomach sink like on the ferris wheel he saw on vacation as he was lifted up, the boat dangling out of the water in the flaming grasp of the protector. The diapsid snorted as he held it and then, took a deep breath. With a howl, the great turtle flung the boat, with the practised finess of a baseball pitch. Those onboard screamed as they went flying, only overcome by the flash of emerald as a saucer-like form darted past. Gamera collided with the charging sea monster, the two collapsing into the sea just as the boat slammed onto the waves. Toru collapsed to his knees, hands gripping the rail as he watched the bubbling sea.
Deep beneath the ways, the steadfast defender struggled with the larger beast. Zedus thrashed wildly, jaws and claws stretching to tear into the flesh of its foe. The clever hero’s mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to actually hurt this thing. No plasma hurt its scars, or its inside, or even made it stop. It was if it was an impenetrable fortress tha-
The racing thoughts of the hero were cut off by that damned tentacle, lashing out to wrap around his throat. Choking, he struggled to break free, fiery claws scratching against the tendril. The sea beast winced slightly but continued to tighten the noose. The slight wince caught the green eye of the guardian though. So, this part was sensitive. He had a bit of an idea forming. Quickly, he retracted as much as he could, escaping the loop but leaving enough room to snatch onto the coils sat in surprise with his fangs.
Toru jumped back as the water exploded, Gamera darting out with the tendril arm of Zedus in his jaws, the thrashing remainder of the beast joining after. Zooming past buildings, the terrapin let the infectious beast hang, crashing into concrete as he stretched. The whole time, the sea monster howled in agony at it’s sensitive limb being pulled. The guardian snorted as he watched the limb pull, seeing blood and tendon exposed. Now was the time.
Letting go, he turned and tensed his fists, flames intensifying. The saurian hung screeching in the air for a moment as it was flung forward.
And then.
Gamera moved!
His fists fired forward, a pair of flaming pinwheels moving forward. One severed the tendril right through where it had been yanked, causing a squeal from Zedus. The other though, darted forward slicing through the exposed flesh. Blood and pus flew as it dug through to wedge in the chest, the roar of the beast ending in a choke. The flaming eyes of the guardian narrowed as he focused. From within the flesh of Zedus, the fire intensified, more and more, until smoke poured from the beast’s mouth, bits of flesh popping from the heat, flesh crackling from the outside. The turtle extended a paw to grab the flying tendril, holding it before he flung it, finally bellowing his trumpeting call.
And then, the flames became too much and in a violent burst of green, the entire carcass exploded into an inferno, catching every inch of the beast!
The humans below averted their eyes, before looking up. Ash fell from where the body of the sea monster once hung in the sky, nothing remaining that could be studied or spread sickness. And hovering above it all remained Gamera.
Toru stood to observe his hero. The fierce face of his hero seemed to be looking down at all of them. But not with stoic wisdom, fierce loyalty or even the quiet appreciation of the feud with Garasharp.
No, the look those emerald orbs underneath heavy lids gave Toru was one of great disappointment. Not simply disappointment in a mistake, but sadness that such a thing could even happen. The boy felt his mouth open and then close as he looked up but it did not matter. After a moment, the turtle was gone in another rocket of green.
~~
Toru sat quietly in the chair provided to him by the staff. It had been 5 hours since the death of Zedus and the medical team was now trying to distribute the cure to the infected. He tried to not get his hopes up. Dr. Kusanagi had warned him it wasn’t a guarantee, even with his “...generous” sample. But he was still quietly hopeful.
His thoughts were broken by a rough punch to his shoulder. He winced and turned to Higuchi as the boy sat down besides him.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Ignoring me trying to help you, dick. You could have gotten killed.”
Toru sighed and looked away. Of course Shusuke would have a problem with him trying to do something go-
“But. You did kind of save the day so…I’m also kind of impressed.”
Toru turned back, suddenly embarrassed. “Oh. Um. It was nothing.”
“You speared a kaiju’s eye out, Toru. That’s not nothing.”
“I just…I just wanted to do something good like Gamera would.”
Shusuke shook his head. “If we’re going to be friends, Turtle Boy, you gotta stop making all your choices about the turtle.”
“...wait, are we fri-?”
Ayana exited the medical suite, clearing her throat. “Toru. I have good news. It worked. Your family is recovering. You can visit them. Your father too, Mr. Higuchi. We’re already distributing it to the rest of the infected.”
Shusuke jumped off the chair and ran forward, glee clear on his face. Toru smiled and went to do the same before Dr. Kusanagi held up a hand and stopped him. He froze, fearful but the older woman smiled kindly as she kneeled down.
“It’s alright. You’re not in trouble. I just..wanted to thank you for what you did. And apologize for..earlier. Your friend was right. Maybe there has been some stuff we should have been more public about..especially with the kaiju. You’re not in trouble, I hope you just understand. Monsters are dangerous. We need to prepare.”
Toru shuffled awkwardly before he spoke. “I understand, Dr. Kusanagi. I just… Gamera has only showed up to help us. The only time I saw him angry at us was…was when he killed Zedus. A monster we made to kill him. My dad says ‘don’t start-’ “
“A fight you don’t want to fight? I’ve heard it from him, Toru. He’s right but…look, it’s complicated. Just…keep in mind what I said, okay?”
The young boy nodded and so, Ayana let him go, looking on with a bittersweet heart as he ran forward to embrace his family. They looked so happy, Mariko hugging her children as tight as she could, while Fumiko squirmed in her blanket, and Koichi smiled. It made her think of better times, of her partner, joking with Ken, of a smiling toddler holding up her hands-
Ayana shut her eyes, clearing her throat. No tears. Not now.
“Remind yourself, Ayana. They will always hurt people. Even if they don’t want to..”
She stood up and began to move to coordinate more efforts while Ken recovered when a radio transmitter’s feedback hit her. She pulled out the walkie talkie.
“Go.”
“Dr. Kusanagi? This is Soga, from the outskirts team. I got good news and I got bad news. Good news is we found your snake.”
“Garasharp? Oh thank god. That’s one less headache. We’ll send a squad over, just…be careful. Avoid electricity-”
“Don’t worry, we’re coming to you. We’re trying to get what we can over but it’s hard. Don’t have enough trucks, I think. Maybe if we- Asami, move those together! It’ll go faster. Sorry.”
“Trucks..what do you….?”
“Oh right, uh. Bad news.
We found what’s left of Garasharp.”
Up next: Guiron
Across the bay, Toru gaped as Shusuke dry heaved.
“What in the actual fu-?!?!”
Twisted jaws roared at their arrival to Osaka.
Zedus: Synthetic Sea Monster ジーダス
Height: 38 Meters
Length: 48 Meters
Weight: 45,000 tons (est)
Description: Zedus is a…disturbing looking creature. Something about its origin broke the creature’s body as it became a kaiju, skin becoming rashy and warty, body misshapen and lumpy, even its own jaws stretch with more teeth then they naturally should have. Technically speaking, Zedus resembles a theropod dinosaur. Bipedal stance on muscular legs with a small pair of arms being counterbalanced by a boxy head and a long sinuous tail. In practice…the details are disturbing. Long quilly membranes stick out of various parts of its back, creating a porcupine-esque look. The bones in his legs have split in three places before gaining their shaky current stance atop five footed toes, holding up a thin body, always starving but never able to fulfill the needs of its constantly breaking body. Zedus’ arms are unique for the number of them: two withered and permanently turned in clawed forearms stick from his left side while his right side has mutated the furthest. A massive fusion of tendons and muscle, like an ungodly whip, drags along from his right side, seemingly useless until the beast is angered. His frothy gums snarl from atop his warty head, shaded by a pair of massive frills, which usually hang behind the head until the beast is enraged, at which point they flush and raise up, revealing their extravagant colors….and the single bloodshot yellow eye between them. Notably, this is the only actual eye Zedus had; the skin has grown over the ones on his actual skull…
Features
- Numb to most attacks
- Warty skin oozes a poisonous pus
- Blind but exceptional senses.
- Surprising mobility
- Whip arm
- Jaws able to break and extend to attack.
With a sickening growl, the abominable monster ran forward, lunging it’s broken teeth to snap at Gamera, but the experienced giant swung a haymaker, knocking the beast’s head back. Shaking, the creature hissed as it swung its right arm. The thick appendage wrapped around the guardian’s throat, causing him to roar with surprise before the tense muscles began to choke it. With a roar of rage, Zedus swung the turtle to slam into the wreckage of the ruined building around him, disengaging his whip with a pop and a crunch, before it ran forward. Leaping with a sickening crunch of breaking bones, the sea monster slammed into the turtle as it struggled on the ground, causing a roar of pain and a splatter of green from his mouth. Drooling, the starving monster leaned down, raising its frills as its jaws extended, a forked tongue stretching to feast upon a wonderful meal….only for a blast of plasma to meet it instead. Shrieking, the sea devil lurched back, giving the ancient room to light his forelimbs and send it flying with a rocket boosted headbutt.
Across the bay from the ensuing battle, Toga and Shusuke watched intently, the younger boy running a hand through his head in a panic.
“That thing’s tougher than the rats!”
“Turtle Boy, this guy is more messed up then the rats combined! Do you think that thing spawned them?”
“I…” Toru’s thoughts were interrupted by a sudden embrace as his mother pulled him close, dragging him away. Part of him wanted to run but the other half…it was helpless, watching as the bellowing beasts snapped at each other. He kept watching as he and Shusuke were dragged out of the room, more and more GIANT agents filing in including Kusinagi herself, eyes red but hard as she spoke into a walkie talkie, until the doors in front of him were shut
~~~
Gamera swiped desperately at Zedus, a grimace of determination on his feet as the infected beast screeched and snapped against the hand holding it back. Despite the increasing flames, the sea beast refused to yield, slavering as it lunged for the flesh. Snorting, the titanic terrapin retreated back into his shell, his flaming hand still outstretched before he angled his shell and fired, the jets of flames shooting out as he spun and spun, and spun. The theropod screeched before the hand burning into it’s abdomen let go and it went flying!
A crash in the surf echoed even in the depths of the shell and the guardian sighed as he returned. He watched the sea carefully, noticing the ripples and moving shadow with a sighing growl. Still it lived. He’d have to make sure to take care of it. But that was not the only issue he noticed, as the sounds of wheels sounded. The kaiju turned to see humans getting closer, their tanks crunching ground before them. Koichi Yuasa helped Inspecter Osaso up as he nervously regarded the assembled defense force and the looming giant. The ancient did not respond, simply snorting steam as he regarded the forces. He did not wish to fight but if he was forced…
A pregnant pause filled the air.
And then one of the soldiers coughed. Then another. Green eyes quirked as they sniffed the air, then pupils dilated. Dr. Yuasa turned just as one of the soldiers fell to the ground, a cough of blood from his mouth. The kind hearted scientist moved to help…but suddenly was taken up with his own coughing fit. Inspector Osaso winced.
“Ah shit.”
Those were the last things he thought as he fell to the ground, watching as the tortoise bastard took off in a cloud of smoke back to the sea….
~~
“You have to be fucking kidding me.”
The general winced but nodded. “Afraid so, Mrs. Kusina-”
“Doctor. Are you insane?!?! And without notifying us?!?!”
“Our forces were fairly certain the research would be complete by the time we revealed it to GIANT. Besides, we were trying to aid your mission of controlling the kaiju outbreaks.”
“Yeah. Great job.” The head scientist spat as she looked at the filled hospital beds, stretching out before her. At the end of the hall, Mrs. Yuasa held onto her children as she led them through the mess, soldiers checking them quickly with strange guns and pushing them along.
“What the hell are those?” Shusuke asked, looking uneasy.
“Temperature checks. They built them based off of digital heat tech…something or other, I can’t keep up.” Mariko mumbled as they found a empty bed and sat. “Something…something is making people sick, Shusuke.”
The young punk looked uncomfortable as he took in the massive efforts of the area. “Oh…”
Toru paced nervously. Even now, he saw Gamera struggling with that disgusting sea monster. He hoped he was okay. Especially with everything that he had learned about Ayana with Higuchi. Sighing, he tried to lay in bed, bumping into Fumiko. He looked over at his sister, trying to smile…then stopped as he noticed her pale complexion.
“Toru? I don…feel so…good.”
The boy jumped up to alert his mother and not a moment too soon, just missing a puddle of blood that spit from the youngest Yuasa’s mouth as she coughed. Her mother screamed, rushing forward, but cut off by GIANT guards rushing forward to snatch her.
“Mama…?” Fumiko was barely able to mumble before being taking to a hazmat tent. Toru stood frozen, his mother’s frantic sobbing hitting his ears.
“What the hell?!?! What the hell is going on?!?”
“Project 65-DYE-E.”
Ayana spoke bluntly as she stepped forward, her face grim with concern as she watched the going ons. If there was any lingering resentment over what happened, it was not visible with the concern on her face. She regarded the children for a moment as if debating, before sighing and moving on, avoiding looking at their faces.
“The JSDF went above our heads and began studying samples left from the last clash between Gamera and Gyaos. We were already studying the blood patterns to see a connection for where they came from…they took it further. They wanted to make something that could take them down. But they didn’t realize it’s strength…”
“A…a virus?” Mariko Yuasa choked out.
“From their blood. Yes. The Nezura were the literal lab rats. Then somehow, the virus…spawned Zedus. He went rogue, broke out of their facility on Port Island, they lost control and the rodents did too. They’re carriers, all of them.”
“It was a unexpected sec-” The rest of the sweating generals words were silenced as Mariko’s slap echoed. A pair of guards ran forward to restrain him as she screamed.
“BASTARD! BASTARD! MY BABY…my baby…”
Ayana ran forward and hugged her. “It’s okay. We’re going to fix this. I promise you, Mari.”
“How?”
Dr. Kusanagi sighed as she turned to the boy.
“We have to get a sample from the last carrier left alive.”
~~
The battleships rocked as they thundered through the ocean. Kusanagi watched the choppy ocean as the ship moved, trying to not remind herself of all the people counting on her. The latest hazmat team had found Koichi and Ken, along with dozens of others. The count had reached 1,000 confirmed cases, with god knows how many just in quarantine . No fatalities yet but…
She clenched her fist, looking away.
No. No more dead from monsters.
On the deck, Toru tried to swallow the doubt and fear in mind as he watched the sea. With his mother watching his sister, he and Shusuke were now under the watch of Dr. Kusanagi. Normally, he’d be glad. But after they had betrayed her trust..
His thoughts were silenced by the sound of vomit as he winced, watching Higuchi struggling to hold on to the side of the boat. He looked away, focusing on the copters overhead. Within, a pilot radioed.
“Shadow in thirty knots, Doctor.”
“Thank you. Admiral, tell your man to fan out and slow. We need to narrow this thing if we want to make sure this thing works.”
She looked down at the ship’s bow once more. Missiles to hopefully nail the mutant and then a specialized lance to take a blood sample. Her crew was working overtime, studying the disease as fast as possible, but unless they had a sample of the virus, Anne said there was no way they could reverse engineer a cure.
With a nod, the naval commander began to speak orders, boats fanning out. Within minutes, the fleet remained stationed, ready for a confrontation with their massive target. Somewhere on board, a punk thanked the Buddha as he coughed. The cold scientist swallowed as she observed the water, before radioing.
“Air crew. Any movement?”
“None. I’ll try to shake it up.”
The helicopter darted by, as it flew circles around the area. Ripples formed as they observed. The pilot leaned out, shades reflecting the murky blue before he shook his head.
“No movement, returning t-”
The tendril struck too fast for him to react. The pilot fell back as the fleshy mass coiled further and further, until with a sickening crunch of metal, it collapsed inwards. The whip like arm snaked down as with the surf falling around it, Zedus emerged. Bloody teeth clicked as it turned and snarled.
Horrified silence filled the bridge at the creature. Hands shook as the admiral held the radio, debating the call to fire.
With a screech, Zedus’ frill extended and the bulging eye glared as it charged.
The admiral called, perhaps a desperate screech to anyone there, who could say. Missiles flew off the deck, Yuasa and Higuchi falling to the hard metal as they darted past. The bombardment slammed against scarred hide, causing the creature to squeal but not stopping it as it ran forward to slam a pair of jaws around the ship to it’s right. Those onboard fired machine guns wildly, to no effect as the diseased beast snapped it’s jaws like a snake, swallowing as much as the ship as it could before dropping the rest. The mighty freighter drifted precariously, a rip in it like a cookie found by a toddler. Annoyed with the lack of blood, it snorted and swung it’s arm, the tentacle slicing through it in a explosion of fire.
Snorting, Zedus turned to the main ship, nostrils flaring as it sniffed. It smelled something. Something….different. Saliva dripped from reforming teeth. Yes…
“TURTLE BOY! WE GOTTA GO!”
Toru barely made out his former tormenter’s plea as he locked eyes with the fleshy skin mass around the face of the kaiju. Somehow, he knew. It knew they were there. He stumbled up, slipping on the wet deck before he turned back to the aft of the ship. Higuchi waved from a open door and Toru was so tempted. But he couldn’t.
He thought of his mother sobbing over his sister. His father with tubes in him. And he knew.
He had to do something.
Swallowing his fear, the boy ran, ignoring Higuchi’s swear and the adult’s calls. He reached the bow and snatched the lance. He struggled with the weight but held it up as much as he could, aiming it. The snarling creature lumbered forward, pus and drool dripping while it shook.
“Come on…”
Zedus lowered its head to the deck as it snarled. Pus dripped from its warty skin, sizzling on the deck. Toru backed away from it, clutching the tool as he looked up at the massive predator as it listened. Listened for the boy, but the shaking ship…it was too much. It’s ears could not make out his footsteps on the ship.
Frustration building, the sea monster threw its head back and screamed. Its eye exposed itself as its frill shook. Toru closed his eyes and prayed, looking at where the bloodied orb sat. And then, he flung it.
The roar of rage become a squeal of pain, the massive head squealing as it shook, the pole jabbed in it’s only good eye. Ayana’s jaw dropped on the bridge.
“That worked?!?!”
Toru gaped.
“Holy crap, it worked.”
A malformed hand scratched, dislodging the metal weapon, where it crashed back on deck in a splatter of gore and one pierced eye. The young boy grinned in glee as he watched..
...then it fell with the snarl.
Zedus tensed. It did not know where the attack came. But it came from in front of it. It would have to mutilate. It bellowed as it lunged forward. Toru screamed, shielding his face.
A flash of emerald shined and the sea beast’s charge turned into a roll as Gamera slid through the water, shoulder checking the beast. Tusks flared as he snarled, before the shelled hero roared. The mad mutant stumbled up and roared, swishing it’s tendril before whipping it at the turtle. Moving quickly, he sidestepped, avoiding the attack, and firing a fire ball. The plasma slammed into the beast’s head, knocking it back and shattering teeth, but the numb fiend wasn’t done. Roaring, it charged at Gamera.
Turning, the ancient terrapin grabbed the hull of the battleship and tensed as he exerted. Toru felt his stomach sink like on the ferris wheel he saw on vacation as he was lifted up, the boat dangling out of the water in the flaming grasp of the protector. The diapsid snorted as he held it and then, took a deep breath. With a howl, the great turtle flung the boat, with the practised finess of a baseball pitch. Those onboard screamed as they went flying, only overcome by the flash of emerald as a saucer-like form darted past. Gamera collided with the charging sea monster, the two collapsing into the sea just as the boat slammed onto the waves. Toru collapsed to his knees, hands gripping the rail as he watched the bubbling sea.
Deep beneath the ways, the steadfast defender struggled with the larger beast. Zedus thrashed wildly, jaws and claws stretching to tear into the flesh of its foe. The clever hero’s mind raced as he tried to figure out a way to actually hurt this thing. No plasma hurt its scars, or its inside, or even made it stop. It was if it was an impenetrable fortress tha-
The racing thoughts of the hero were cut off by that damned tentacle, lashing out to wrap around his throat. Choking, he struggled to break free, fiery claws scratching against the tendril. The sea beast winced slightly but continued to tighten the noose. The slight wince caught the green eye of the guardian though. So, this part was sensitive. He had a bit of an idea forming. Quickly, he retracted as much as he could, escaping the loop but leaving enough room to snatch onto the coils sat in surprise with his fangs.
Toru jumped back as the water exploded, Gamera darting out with the tendril arm of Zedus in his jaws, the thrashing remainder of the beast joining after. Zooming past buildings, the terrapin let the infectious beast hang, crashing into concrete as he stretched. The whole time, the sea monster howled in agony at it’s sensitive limb being pulled. The guardian snorted as he watched the limb pull, seeing blood and tendon exposed. Now was the time.
Letting go, he turned and tensed his fists, flames intensifying. The saurian hung screeching in the air for a moment as it was flung forward.
And then.
Gamera moved!
His fists fired forward, a pair of flaming pinwheels moving forward. One severed the tendril right through where it had been yanked, causing a squeal from Zedus. The other though, darted forward slicing through the exposed flesh. Blood and pus flew as it dug through to wedge in the chest, the roar of the beast ending in a choke. The flaming eyes of the guardian narrowed as he focused. From within the flesh of Zedus, the fire intensified, more and more, until smoke poured from the beast’s mouth, bits of flesh popping from the heat, flesh crackling from the outside. The turtle extended a paw to grab the flying tendril, holding it before he flung it, finally bellowing his trumpeting call.
And then, the flames became too much and in a violent burst of green, the entire carcass exploded into an inferno, catching every inch of the beast!
The humans below averted their eyes, before looking up. Ash fell from where the body of the sea monster once hung in the sky, nothing remaining that could be studied or spread sickness. And hovering above it all remained Gamera.
Toru stood to observe his hero. The fierce face of his hero seemed to be looking down at all of them. But not with stoic wisdom, fierce loyalty or even the quiet appreciation of the feud with Garasharp.
No, the look those emerald orbs underneath heavy lids gave Toru was one of great disappointment. Not simply disappointment in a mistake, but sadness that such a thing could even happen. The boy felt his mouth open and then close as he looked up but it did not matter. After a moment, the turtle was gone in another rocket of green.
~~
Toru sat quietly in the chair provided to him by the staff. It had been 5 hours since the death of Zedus and the medical team was now trying to distribute the cure to the infected. He tried to not get his hopes up. Dr. Kusanagi had warned him it wasn’t a guarantee, even with his “...generous” sample. But he was still quietly hopeful.
His thoughts were broken by a rough punch to his shoulder. He winced and turned to Higuchi as the boy sat down besides him.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“Ignoring me trying to help you, dick. You could have gotten killed.”
Toru sighed and looked away. Of course Shusuke would have a problem with him trying to do something go-
“But. You did kind of save the day so…I’m also kind of impressed.”
Toru turned back, suddenly embarrassed. “Oh. Um. It was nothing.”
“You speared a kaiju’s eye out, Toru. That’s not nothing.”
“I just…I just wanted to do something good like Gamera would.”
Shusuke shook his head. “If we’re going to be friends, Turtle Boy, you gotta stop making all your choices about the turtle.”
“...wait, are we fri-?”
Ayana exited the medical suite, clearing her throat. “Toru. I have good news. It worked. Your family is recovering. You can visit them. Your father too, Mr. Higuchi. We’re already distributing it to the rest of the infected.”
Shusuke jumped off the chair and ran forward, glee clear on his face. Toru smiled and went to do the same before Dr. Kusanagi held up a hand and stopped him. He froze, fearful but the older woman smiled kindly as she kneeled down.
“It’s alright. You’re not in trouble. I just..wanted to thank you for what you did. And apologize for..earlier. Your friend was right. Maybe there has been some stuff we should have been more public about..especially with the kaiju. You’re not in trouble, I hope you just understand. Monsters are dangerous. We need to prepare.”
Toru shuffled awkwardly before he spoke. “I understand, Dr. Kusanagi. I just… Gamera has only showed up to help us. The only time I saw him angry at us was…was when he killed Zedus. A monster we made to kill him. My dad says ‘don’t start-’ “
“A fight you don’t want to fight? I’ve heard it from him, Toru. He’s right but…look, it’s complicated. Just…keep in mind what I said, okay?”
The young boy nodded and so, Ayana let him go, looking on with a bittersweet heart as he ran forward to embrace his family. They looked so happy, Mariko hugging her children as tight as she could, while Fumiko squirmed in her blanket, and Koichi smiled. It made her think of better times, of her partner, joking with Ken, of a smiling toddler holding up her hands-
Ayana shut her eyes, clearing her throat. No tears. Not now.
“Remind yourself, Ayana. They will always hurt people. Even if they don’t want to..”
She stood up and began to move to coordinate more efforts while Ken recovered when a radio transmitter’s feedback hit her. She pulled out the walkie talkie.
“Go.”
“Dr. Kusanagi? This is Soga, from the outskirts team. I got good news and I got bad news. Good news is we found your snake.”
“Garasharp? Oh thank god. That’s one less headache. We’ll send a squad over, just…be careful. Avoid electricity-”
“Don’t worry, we’re coming to you. We’re trying to get what we can over but it’s hard. Don’t have enough trucks, I think. Maybe if we- Asami, move those together! It’ll go faster. Sorry.”
“Trucks..what do you….?”
“Oh right, uh. Bad news.
We found what’s left of Garasharp.”
Up next: Guiron
RIP Evan.