Kumi Honda leaned silently against the rail of a patrol boat. Though her eyes were closed, her full concentration was on the small island that lay about two kilometers south of them. She could hear a low, rumbling sound coming from the island, a mass shifting of earth and rock. She eagerly awaited what would soon come.
Captain Kawamura stood by her side, tapping his fingers against the rails and looking at his watch nervously. "Doctor," he said, "it's been almost twenty minutes now. Maybe we're at the wrong place after all."
Honda did not respond. Her eyes remained closed.
"Er, Doctor? I think we should probably-"
Honda held up one hand, motioning for him to be silent. She straightened up and slowly opened her eyes. "He did it!" she whispered. "He found the nest!"
There came a high pitched shriek as hundreds of Meganula flew straight up from the island and circled something in the center. Godzilla emerged from the huge pit he had dug in the ground to reach their nest, carrying something over his shoulder.
Kawamura gasped. "Is that-?"
"Yes, Captain," said Honda. "Megaguirus, the Meganula queen."
The giant insects swarmed Godzilla, buzzing with rage at him for taking their queen. They latched onto him and slashed at his hide with their powerful mandibles, but they could not seriously hurt him. Godzilla's spikes began to glow, emitting incredible heat that cooked the insects alive. He breathed atomic fire into the sky, cutting through the airborne insects. Still they attacked, but they could not defend themselves from his power.
Godzilla took the Megaguirus by her tail and swung her over his head, throwing her to the ground with all his might. She hissed and shook her wings, which had just developed and were still vulnerable to injury, but her legs were strong enough to lift her, so she lunged at the intruder. Despite being lightweight enough for flight – and for Godzilla to carry her over his shoulder – she was a bit larger than him, with a thorax wider than his torso and a long, sturdy tail. She looked more scorpion-like than the Meganula, with a huge stinger at the end of her tail and two gigantic claws which she held out, open and ready to grasp her target and wrestle him to death.
Godzilla caught Megaguirus by the forelimbs and swung her again for another toss, but she clamped down on his arms with her claws and pulled herself toward his chest to attack with her mandibles. Godzilla stopped in mid-turn and held his arms straight out to keep the insect queen away from his chest, then lifted her vertically and slammed her to the ground. In a flash, her tail arced over her back and speared him in the belly. Godzilla cried out as the barbed stinger sunk deep into his abdomen and began pumping corrosive enzymes into his body. He tried to bend over and bite the tail in half, but doing so only intensified the pain.
Meanwhile, the Meganula continued to swarm him in such numbers that he was covered from head to toe. He swung his tail wildly trying to bat them off, but they kept coming. Satisfied that her poison was taking effect, Megaguirus detached and fluttered her wings, finding that she could finally use them. She hovered just behind Godzilla and clamped both claws around his neck, hoping to decapitate him.
However, Godzilla's regenerative ability had already kicked in, neutralizing the poison and beginning to repair his internal injuries. Ready to fight in earnest again, he lashed out with his tail and wrapped it around that of Megaguirus, spun around, and let go so that she was thrown into the air. Godzilla charged his atomic power again, killing or dispersing most of the remaining Meganula, and fired at Megaguirus. She dodged and flew at him sideways, but he caught her throat with one hand. She attacked with her stinger again, hoping to hit him in the head, but he caught her tail on its descent with his free hand and rammed it into her thorax. Godzilla dropped the mortally wounded insect to the ground and squashed her head with his foot. The remaining Meganula stopped moving and fell to earth, where they lay completely motionless.
Kawamura watched the curious display in confusion. "What are they doing?"
Honda smiled, relieved that the fight was over, and explained. "The Meganula exist only to serve their queen, guided by the pheromones she releases, which they can sense even when they are long distances from the nest. When she dies and stops releasing chemicals, they become apathetic and won't try to escape, feed themselves, or do anything else. If we let them be, they'll remain where they are until they starve or die of exposure."
"So they've lost the will to live!" Kawamura said in amazement. "Incredible!"
"Correct. I think we should do the humane thing and put them out of their misery." Honda closed her eyes and focused on Godzilla again. The monster let loose an enormous stream of blue fire and strafed the ground until the lethargic Meganula were no more. He looked at the hole he had made to reach the nest and fired another blast into the cavern just to be sure. Fire and smoke came billowing out as the last remnants of the nest were destroyed. With a roar of triumph, Godzilla strode proudly into the sea.
"You've done it again, Doctor!" said Kawamura, shaking Honda's hand enthusiastically. "The last nest has been destroyed. The Meganula are gone for good this time."
Honda smiled weakly, casting another glance at the island. "I hope so. To be honest, though, as a paleontologist, it saddens me that we had to drive them to extinction. I know it had to be done to save lives, but still…"
"I know what you mean, Doctor. It was humans that woke them up in the first place, so it does seem rather unfair toward those creatures. Like you said, though, it had to be done, and your country...no, the world thanks you!" Kawamura waved to the boat's helmsman. "Let's move out!" he called. The ship departed from the island with Godzilla following closely behind them.
Godzilla's rise to fame began with the Battle of Fukuoka, wherein he defeated the monsters Varan and Rodan; however, he did not slay the latter but took it to safety, though it was not known where. He was located two weeks later by the UNMCC's radiation detection network returning to the base in Okinawa. Rather than risk alarming the people of Japan if he was spotted unexpectedly, General Martin permitted Doctor Honda, the scientist who raised Godzilla, to go public with news of their latest defense plan against monster attacks: Project G.
As promised, Honda divulged the details in an exclusive interview with Koichi Yamada, writer of the Mysteries of the 20th Century column for Maicho Press. Honda explained how she and her friend Doctor Adam Yuma, an American-born radiobiologist living in Japan, had discovered and studied Godzilla, how she had formed a telepathic bond with the animal, and how upon finding him again fully grown she asked him to fight on their side.
Once the news was out, reporters from around the world flocked to Okinawa to see Godzilla's arrival. On live television, Honda took a speedboat to meet him in the bay, where he carried her to shore in the palm of his hand, gently placing her on firm ground to cheers from the crowd.
Reactions were initially mixed; some were receptive, but others were skeptical given that there had not yet been a worthy demonstration of Godzilla's competence in combat. Fukuoka had suffered a great deal during the first battle, and without sufficient photographical evidence to go by, all they had were the words of Honda and some eyewitnesses to confirm what destruction was caused by him and what was the work of the attacking monsters. However, when Godzilla succeeded in slaying an enormous octopus that had been wreaking havoc near Hawaii, the event was well-documented and the footage was all over the news. Now that there was proof, public opinion changed for the better, and Godzilla's image continued to improve as he won fight after fight with minimal collateral damage.
In particular, many in Japan proclaimed Godzilla a national hero. Songs were written and statues built in his honor. A series of comic books was created to celebrate his adventures, albeit in a highly fictionalized form. In fact, there was even a call to christen 1960 "The Year of Godzilla." International support was also high. Godzilla operated in places all across the Pacific and took part in a nine-week campaign to exterminate the Meganula that had terrorized East Asia for years. The last nest was destroyed in late June, eliciting celebrations in Russia, China, and the Koreas, the nations that had suffered the most from the insects' attacks.
For a moment, all the world was united in a spirit of hope, but it was to be short-lived, for just as the dynasty of the Meganula came to an end, a new and more terrifying foe made its appearance…
On an overcast July day in the Chugoku Region, an abandoned and partially destroyed fishing boat ran aground on a beach on Etajima Island, Hiroshima Prefecture. A team of Maritime Safety Agency officers were on the scene immediately, holding back a crowd of anxious onlookers. A uniformed JSDF officer arrived shortly thereafter and examined the remains of the ship closely for familiar signs. He quickly found what he was looking for and decided to make a call. An hour later, he was joined on the beach by Doctor Yuma, whom he had previously met, and Doctor Honda, whom he had heard much about but never spoken to.
"Doctor Yuma! Glad to see you again. Doctor Honda, glad to meet you. I'm Major Omori."
"Nice to meet you. What's all this?"
Omori showed them to the wreck, pointing out the strange marks on its side. "This fishing boat washed ashore earlier today. The entire crew is missing, and as you can see here, it appears to have been torn apart by an animal with large, powerful claws."
Honda looked over the huge gashes. "I wasn't aware there had been any monster activity in this Prefecture! Do you know the culprit?"
"We have something of an idea," said Yuma. "We'll explain later. But first…" He approached the ship with a sample jar and a knife for scraping. "I must have a sample. Ah! Here!" Yuma carefully scraped something slimy off one of the jagged holes in the boat into his sample jar, careful not to get any on the outside or on his fingers. He sealed it quickly and gave a nod to Omori.
The major motioned toward one of the MSA officers. "Sergeant, I'm declaring this beach off-limits until further notice. Civilians must be kept off the beach, and we can't have any swimming, fishing, or sailing near this spot. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" The sergeant turned and repeated Omori's instructions out loud to the crowd.
Yuma hurried over to show Honda his sample. "Take a look at this!" he said. Inside the jar was a glob of tissue. It appeared to be grey flesh with tufts of green hair.
Omori took the two scientists by helicopter to a four-story building within the city of Hiroshima. They were greeted on the rooftop helipad by armed guards, and more could be seen on the grounds below. The heavy security piqued Honda's curiosity. "What is this place?"
"A military science research center," said Yuma. "Back during WW2, this was an army hospital exploring… er, unusual medicinal techniques." His voice trailed off, as though he had caught himself saying something he should not have. "It was rebuilt after the bombing, but the work they do here now isn't nearly as sketchy. They have a laboratory set up just for me. I do my research for the UNMCC here, away from the hospital where security could be compromised."
"That makes sense," said Honda. "What kind of research do you do here?"
"Well, I can't talk about it much. I assumed you would have security clearance for-"
Omori interrupted. "For research that directly relates to Project G, and nothing beyond that."
"Right," said Yuma, a touch disappointed. "Well, let me show you what I've been working on recently."
Yuma's lab was on the top floor of the building. Among the various equipment present was an electron microscope, a refrigeration unit, an incinerator, and a cage filled with sleeping white rats. Yuma placed the tissue sample under the microscope and studied it for a few minutes to confirm his suspicions. "It's definitely the same as the others. I think this is the largest sample we've found by far."
Omori folded his arms. "Well?" he asked, tilting his head toward Honda. "Should I tell her everything?"
Yuma turned to face them. "I'll explain. Kumi, would you have a seat please?"
Honda pulled up a chair and sat down.
"Kumi, we think there's a monster out there that's much worse than anything we've encountered yet – something that we don't know if even Godzilla could kill."
Honda's eyes widened with surprise. "What makes you say that?"
"Whatever this creature is, it possesses a super healing ability similar to Godzilla's, but far more potent. I found another sample about a month ago on another ravaged ship that drifted into Sagami Bay. It could regenerate almost instantaneously after incision, so fast you could blink and miss that the cut had even been there. The sample we found today is identical and possesses the same rapid healing properties."
Honda stood up and approached the microscope. "I want to take a look."
"Of course."
She peered into the lens and watched the cells rapidly dividing and multiplying. Yuma removed the sample from the microscope, sliced it with a scalpel, and put it back. Right before Honda's eyes, the incision closed completely within the space of five seconds; there was not even a scar left behind.
Honda whistled and looked up in amazement. "Is it radioactive?"
"Mildly. Not enough to be any real risk. Actually, I got to wondering how this would react to radiation exposure and found that it metabolizes it quite effectively, perhaps more effectively than Godzilla. I had been thinking a lot about the medical potential of Godzilla's regenerative ability, but what we have here is a lot stronger, and I believe I can isolate what makes it tick and find a way to use it."
Honda was fascinated. "That sounds like quite a breakthrough!"
A shrill alarm suddenly filled the air, causing all three of them to give a slight jump. "Monster attack!" shouted Omori, whipping out his handheld transceiver. "This is Major Omori! What's the situation?"
"Humanoid monster has surfaced in Hiroshima Bay, approaching the city. Sir…we think it's him!"
An expression of horror appeared on Omori's face. "Get all units to battle stations! Prepare for an evacuation!"
Yuma jumped from his seat and grabbed Honda by the shoulders. "If you can reach Godzilla, by God, call him now!"
When the announcement was made that a monster had been sighted approaching Hiroshima from the sea, the reaction was fearful but organized. Over the past several years, the public had repeatedly been instructed on what to do in the event of a monster attack. Rather than trying to evacuate by car – something which had in several other cities ended in disaster when gridlock left hundreds of drivers trapped in the path of a monster – the residents abandoned their homes and vehicles, taking nothing but their loved ones and the clothes on their backs, and raced to the subways and underground shelters.
Meanwhile, a passenger ship still inside the bay decided to turn around and return to port rather than be caught in open water. Just as they were getting close, something emerged from the water right on their portside, causing the ship to tilt just far enough that a number of people leaning against the railing on the opposite side were thrown into the water.
The monster was a humanoid giant, about thirty-five meters in height with craggy grey skin and shaggy hair covering most of his body. His eyes were sunken and yellow, his forehead high and bony. He had a pronounced underbite and his lower canines jutted out like tusks. The nails on his fingers were overgrown as well and looked razor sharp. His hair was green from algae and he was covered in barnacles.
As he watched those in the water desperately trying to get away, he let out a delighted snarl and began snatching them up. One by one, he popped them in his mouth, chewed them up, spat out their clothes and swallowed the rest. He had finished with those in the water and was preparing to attack the ship when he heard the roar of another monster and looked up to see Godzilla charging through the water toward him.
Honda, Yuma, and Omori watched the confrontation from a helicopter. Yuma clenched his hands firmly in anticipation. "That's definitely Gaira out there! I knew he'd come sooner or later."
"Alright, Godzilla," said Honda, closing her eyes and concentrating on him. "Get those people out of the way, then let him have it!"
Godzilla complied and attempted to put himself between Gaira and the sinking craft. The giant snarled and threw a punch at him, but Godzilla caught his hand and crushed it in his grasp. While Gaira stumbled backward in pain, Godzilla placed both hands on the ship and pulled it close. He turned his back on Gaira and swung his tail to knock him aside, but instead Gaira caught it and held on tight. Godzilla tried to pull away, but Gaira was incredibly strong and managed to maintain his grip, the muscles in his arms bulging until every vein and sinew was visible. Godzilla pulled in the opposite direction with all his might until, at long last, his tail was free. As Gaira fell backwards into the water, Godzilla lifted his tail and brought it crashing down upon him. Confident that his enemy was out of the fight, Godzilla waded toward the shore. He was just about to let go of the ship and allow the crew to steer it to shore when Gaira exploded from the water and landed on Godzilla's back. Godzilla fell forward, accidentally crushing the ship as he hit the water.
Honda's eyes snapped open. "Oh, God!" she murmured in horror.
Gaira wrapped his legs around Godzilla's waist and rode him like a bull while pummeling his head furiously. Godzilla could not shake him off, so instead he threw himself backward. Both of them went completely underwater for a few seconds; when Godzilla reared back up, Gaira had huge gash wounds where he had been impaled on Godzilla's dorsal spikes, but he was still holding on tight and had his arms wrapped around Godzilla's torso, squeezing tightly to cut off his air.
Honda could sense Godzilla's confidence growing. Now his opponent was too close to easily get away, so it was the perfect time to fry him with an atomic energy surge. His spikes glowed as he began to charge the attack. Gaira wriggled until he was no longer on the spikes, but instead of jumping off, he leaned farther forward and sank his teeth into Godzilla's neck. Godzilla cried out in pain and again tried to shake Gaira off, but he could not get free. The glow in his spines began to flicker and fade until it went out completely. Gaira hopped down, cackling maniacally, and disappeared into the sea.
Honda watched in silent dread as Godzilla stumbled toward the shore, his neck wound bleeding profusely. He reached the shallows and was almost on land when his waning strength ran out and he collapsed, his head coming to rest against the shore. Godzilla had been defeated in battle for the first time.
