Her head still aching, Honda struggled to fall asleep, her mind overwhelmed by everything that had transpired. Yuma sat by her side the whole night. They were silent for about an hour. Finally, Yuma spoke first.

"You probably want to know why I quit."

"Yeah, I wondered about that," murmured Honda. In truth, she had a pretty good idea of why, but she knew that he probably needed to say it for himself.

"I couldn't go along with the way things were going. I realized that Martin was not the man I thought him to be; he's allowed himself to be compromised by fear, and he's taken some terrible risks. I compromised my own integrity by working for him on Gargantua, and I haven't been able to get that off my conscience. I wish I could say everything got better after I left Project G, but it hasn't. I can't stop thinking about Gargantua. I hate myself for getting involved in the first place, but I also can't help wondering if I made the right decision when I destroyed my research materials. Even though I know it would probably have never worked, I can't help but wonder. I've lost several patients recently, including some of the young ones."

Honda sat up and looked Yuma directly in the eyes. "Keiko?" she asked fearfully.

"Not yet, but she's gotten so much worse. I've seen how it happens before, and I can tell that she's near the end; she knows it, too. I hate to say it, but…I give her a month, at best. I almost can't stand to begin her palliative care, but I know it's the only thing of real benefit I can do for her at this point."

"Oh, Adam!" Honda leaned on her friend, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry!"

A tear ran down Yuma's face as they held each other. "And here I thought it was my job to comfort you today!"

Honda let out a short laugh. "Ha! Well, I guess we both benefit something from our little reunion." She leaned back but kept a hold on Yuma's arm.

"Right! I'm glad to see you again. Sometimes I feel like I don't have anyone else to talk to. I don't really see the other doctors outside the hospital, Martin and I don't talk anymore, and I gave up trying to keep in touch with my family back home years ago."

"Really? What for?"

"I'm from a military family. They're very nationalistic. I don't doubt that they voted for that jerk Conway. They disapproved of my work in Japan. When they think of this country, they just remember the war. They didn't see the suffering of innocent people like I saw. It's weird, though: their disapproval actually kind of encouraged me. I wanted to prove that I wasn't just another killer. I thought I could do some good. And yet…well…"

"But you have done good, Adam! Think about what you've done for those young people in the hospital. You may not have saved them all, but you gave them a fighting chance and pushed the boundaries, and maybe someday your work will save many more lives!"

Adam sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Thank you, Kumi. I'm glad that at least you still have faith in me. And hey, you've done good yourself. You've already saved more lives than I ever have, and for what it's worth, I think you and Godzilla were in the right today."

Honda smiled. "I really needed to hear that, Adam. Thank you."

The two old friends held hands and drifted off to sleep, reconnected at last.

Arkoff was startled awake by a loud knock on the door of his personal chambers. Just as he turned on his beside lamp, the door burst open and Martin stormed in, carrying a manila folder under his arm.

"General? What's going on? Hey, wait!"

Martin grabbed the inventor by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to a desk in one corner of the room. He dropped the folder onto the desk, where it flopped open to reveal its contents, and thrust Arkoff's face into them. "Care to explain this?" he demanded furiously.

The documents inside showed designs for various weapons and armored combat vehicles, each bearing a striking resemblance to technology from Project M. The one that stood out the most was another giant fighting machine, a mole-like robot with drills for hands labeled "Moguera."

Arkoff breathed hard and heavy, breaking into a thick sweat. "Where did you get these?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Radiofax from the CIA. These were recovered from an arms dealer in China. Looks to me like you've been selling our work on the black market!"

Arkoff tried to break free, but Martin laid him out with a backhand strike. Sprawled on the floor with a broken nose, the Russian pleaded, "Please! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I was told you might be involved, so I tapped your phone. You didn't call the Kremlin to say that Project M worked. You were contacting a potential buyer to confirm the success of your designs!"

Arkoff wiped his nose and tried to breathe evenly. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything! The matter is out of my hands now. The CIA has agreed to turn you over to the KGB. I'm sure you'll be in good hands with them." Martin's intense frown turned to a smirk for a fraction of a second. "Until then, you can make yourself at home in the brig."

Honda continued to see strange things in her dreams. The people in grey and black uniforms were back, marching through glass hallways again, but seemed to abruptly scatter in terror before something obliterated them. She saw the planet Earth from a distance, gradually zooming in closer. She saw the ocean depths and what looked like a wrecked submarine sinking to the bottom. Finally, she saw a man in a lab coat with his back to her, admiring something unseen on the table in front of him, proclaiming, "We've found the answer!"

She awoke sometime after sunup, trembling and sweating. The images remained in her head, albeit growing fainter by the second; she tried to make sense of them, but to no avail. Looking around, she saw that Yuma was already up, preparing tea for them. He saw her awake and carried the two cups toward her, smiling warmly. "Sleep well?"

"I slept a lot, if that's what you mean." She hoisted herself upright and took one of the cups. "Thanks."

Yuma sat in his chair and sipped. "Something on your mind?"

"Well, you see, I've been having this weird dream. It happened yesterday while I was unconscious, then again last night, but a little clearer. I don't really understand it. There were just all these disparate images one after another, like soundbites from a newsreel or something."

"And you said it started yesterday? After your little incident with M11?"

"Right. I think it might be related. It's starting to come back to me bit by bit. I don't think what happened to me was an accident. I think I saw something M11 didn't want me to see and he…it tried to erase my memory."

Yuma looked over his shoulder at the door, then leaned in close and whispered. "You're sure?"

"I don't know, but I've got a feeling. Adam, I don't know if we can trust it."

"There's no need to be paranoid! Governments and militaries always have secrets that they can't share with just anyone. It could be anything."

"Like Gargantua?"

Adam broke eye contact and stared guiltily down at the floor. "Kumi, please…"

"I don't blame you for that! You repented and moved on. Martin I'm not so sure about. Even with the success we've had, he seems to be getting more and more worried, like he expects us to slip up or for things to get worse soon. Uh oh! Someone's coming."

In walked Martin, Omori, and a thin, hawk-faced man with dark green eyes and gunmetal grey hair and a moustache. Honda and Yuma recognized the man and stood to attention.

"Doctors Yuma and Honda," said Martin, "meet President Hal Conway."

With a wide, toothy grin that Honda thought made him look like a hungry animal, the President reached out to shake her hand and then Yuma's. "Pleasure to finally meet you both!" he said in a deep yet smooth, almost sickly sweet voice.

Honda bowed her head. "Thank you, Mister President."

Yuma gave him a firm handshake. "Yes, thank you. What brings you to Okinawa?"

"Well, I wasn't able to be here yesterday, so now I'm here to see MechaGodzilla for myself, and to settle some business involving Comrade Arkoff."

The doctors exchanged a surprised glance. "Arkoff?" asked Honda.

Omori folded his arms with a sigh. "Yes, it turns out our supposed friend intended to sell hardware from Project M to an arms dealer."

"Good lord!" said Yuma. "Why would he do that, after all these years of helping us?"

Martin shook his head in frustration. "I don't know. Working for the UN gave him unique opportunities and prestige, not to mention more money than he could possibly make elsewhere. I guess it still wasn't good enough, though."

Conway snorted derisively. "I always suspected he was up to no good. Never did trust his type."

Honda did not acknowledge the President's remark, though she knew its intended meaning all too well. It was subtler than Lieutenant Dunham's insensitive quips, yet his xenophobia was just as clear.

Doctor Yuma cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, uh…where is Arkoff now?"

Martin explained, "We have a holding cell here on the base. A representative from the KGB will be here later today to take him into custody."

"But enough about our dear comrade," said Conway. "I came here because I want to see this giant robot everyone's talking about!"

"Very well, sir," said Martin. "But first, I'd like a word with Doctor Honda in private."

"Of course. I'll be outside."

Yuma gave Honda a reassuring tap on the shoulder before following Conway and Omori out.

Martin sat in Yuma's chair and spoke in a low voice. "Doctor, I don't want to alarm you, but it's been more than twelve hours since we last saw Godzilla."

Honda took a seat on the edge of her bed, hands clasped anxiously in her lap. "Is there a search in progress?"

"Yes, but so far there's no sign of him. The Shirasagi is searching for him near where he was last seen. If there's still nothing in a few days, we're going to try using Doctor Yuma's radiation detection system, but that'll take time to set up. Until then, do you think it would be possible for you to contact him psychically and find out where he is?"

"I'll give it a try, but my range is limited. He can communicate with me from much farther than I can send signals to him."

"But you'll give it a try?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Honda closed her eyes and relaxed, broadcasting her mental signal as far as she could make it go. However, after a few moments, her head began to throb and ache. She saw the strange images again – the uniforms, the submarine, the man in the lab coat – and her concentration broke. Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for breath.

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Honda replied, though she was really unsure. "I guess I'm still a little worn out from yesterday."

Martin sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. It was worth a shot, though. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to join us in the control room."

"Sure." She stood up and felt the rustling of her infirmary gown. "Just give me a minute to put on some actual clothes first this time."

Honda joined the others in the control room a short time later. President Conway chuckled and applauded the footage of MechaGodzilla demonstrating its weapon capabilities the day before.

"What a spectacular piece of technology! I tell you, there's nothin' that can't be accomplished with a bit of good old American engineering!"

Yuma noticed Honda grimacing at the President's exaggerated folksy mannerisms and gave her a slight nudge. "Why, I'll be," he mumbled in a sarcastic drawl. "I reckon he's downright bona fide!"

Honda rolled her eyes. "At least I'm not the only one seeing this," she replied.

"Alright," Conway continued, rubbing his hands together ecstatically, "now where's that new computer you mentioned.

I am here. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister President.

Conway gave a start as he realized the source of the voice. "My goodness! Sorry, I didn't see you there. You must be M11."

That I am.

Conway looked the computer over carefully, trying in vain to comprehend its design. "An equally fascinating accomplishment! General Martin, I'd like to congratulate you on all that you and your team have done. I only wish Mister Nicholson could be here to see it!"

Martin nodded glumly. "Thank you, sir. Now, I was wondering-"

The general's radio crackled again. "Major McDonough to General Martin. Come in, Martin."

The general replied, "Martin here. Another monster sighting?"

"Yes, sir. Unidentified monster near the Northern Hawaiian Islands."

"Understood. Over and out." Martin turned to the President. "You might just get a proper demonstration today."

"Hoo boy! This ought to be exciting!"

The Shirasagi, once again piloted by Takashima and Dunham, passed over Lisianski Island minutes later and spotted the monster swimming below almost immediately.

"There it is," said Takashima. "Broadcast to Okinawa HQ."

"Roger."

As the live image was displayed on one of the screens in the control room, Conway whistled in astonishment. "Would ya look at that! What is it, some kind of sea porcupine?"

Martin chuckled. "No, not quite. Honda, does this look familiar to you?"

Honda took a closer look and sighed with relief. "Yes, that's Anguirus. He's an ankylosaurid, an herbivorous and placid dinosaur."

Conway rubbed his chin thoughtfully, though it seemed obvious from the expression on his face that he did not quite understand. "I see. So, what degree of threat would you say he poses?"

Honda looked at Conway with surprise, then shrugged. "Well, none, really. Anguirus eats plants and generally keeps to himself. He just swims to an island, grazes, sleeps, then moves on to somewhere else. We've learned to just give him a wide berth."

Martin smiled. "See, Mister President? Nothing to worry about. I'll give the all clear and cancel the launch sequence."

Conway raised a finger. "Actually, how about you don't?"

"Excuse me?"

The President put both hands behind his back and paced around the room. "General, I understand that you have your own way of doing things around here, but in this case, I have to insist. Anguirus is now in American waters, and I know I don't have to remind you about what happened the last time a monster came into our territory. We don't want a panic on our hands, so I think it's best that we take preventative action now and save ourselves the headache later."

Martin looked to Honda, who shook her head at him with an expression of pleading, before answering, "I don't think that's really necessary. I trust Honda's evaluation. Besides, every time we send MechaGodzilla out, we use up millions of dollars' worth of electrical power. We can't afford to waste resources chasing a creature that doesn't pose a serious threat."

Again Conway wagged a disapproving finger. "This is not a request, General. This is an order."

"But-"

Conway stopped in his place with a scowl. "Need I remind you," he scorned, "that you are speaking to your commander in chief? If you don't obey me, I'll have you replaced with someone who will. Now, give the order to attack!"

Martin hesitated, weighing up his options. Realizing the trouble that could arise if Conway promoted someone more malleable to his will, he nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir." He faced Honda again, and while he did not speak or make eye contact, his facial expression communicated a silent apology.

Angry but helpless to act, Honda took a seat and rested her head against her arms. Come on, Godzilla, she thought, where are you?

Anguirus came ashore on the small island of Laysan, which had been overrun by lush green vegetation in recent years – enough green that the massive dinosaur could eat his fill and leave plenty untouched. After grazing for a few hours, he rested in the shallow lake at the center of the island, but just before falling asleep, he was disturbed by a sudden noise. Right as he opened his eyes, an intense wave of heat washed over him, causing him to jump to his feet with a yelp of pain.

MechaGodzilla touched down in the shallows and fired a second laser attack. Anguirus dodged the blast and curled into a ball, rolling himself at his assailant and crashing into it. The robot staggered but righted itself and fired a volley of missiles. Anguirus was struck repeatedly, causing him to fall out of his ball shape and spill onto his back. MechaGodzilla approached, charging up its plasma cannon for a devastating final attack. Anguirus scrambled back to his feet and lashed out with his tail. The robot stumbled backward and accidentally discharged its energy attack into the air.

The Shirasagi, flying above, was near the path of the blast. As Dunham cried out in alarm, Takashima yanked the controls, pulling them out of the way in the nick of time. Dunham held his chest and breathed heavily. "Good god, that was close! Let's put some distance between us and the fight."

"Good idea. Hear that, HQ? We're pulling back. Over."

"This is HQ. Do what you have to do. Over."

As the aircraftpulled away, Dunham gasped as his gaze was drawn toward the sea. "Look! Something's coming!"

Takashima could just vaguely make out a dark shape in the distance. "Uh oh! Is that…?" He looked into the video screen on his control console that showed the image captured by the Shirasagi's camera. Adjusting the magnification, he confirmed what he was seeing. "It's Godzilla! Godzilla's approaching from the north!"

Honda jumped to her feet. "Godzilla!"

Conway was dumbfounded. "What's he doing there?"

Yuma looked from Honda to the screen and back. "Did you…?"

"What?" demanded Conway. "Did she what?"

Martin stared aghast. "Doctor Honda, did you direct him there?"

She felt her entire body tremble. "No! I mean, I don't know! I tried to reach out to him and I guess he heard me and went to the island."

"You guess?" Conway growled. "Missy, if that stupid monster of yours gets in the way, I'll have him blown to kingdom come!"

Do not worry, M11 interjected. I will finish the Anguirus off quickly.

MechaGodzilla raised its right hand and fired grappling hooks from its fingertips on long wires. The hooks impaled Anguirus' left hind leg and sunk all the way to the bone. The dinosaur let out a deafening cry of pain as an electrical current surged through the wires and into his flesh and muscles, causing his legs to convulse violently and rendering him unable to flee.

The robot's free hand shifted and rotated until its fingers formed a conical drill. It then began to retract the wires, still hooked into Anguirus flesh, drawing the poor creature closer. The drill whirred and spun, and once its quarry was within arm's reach, MechaGodzilla raised the drill and brought it down in a stabbing motion toward the dinosaur's throat.

However, just as the drill was ready to pierce the flesh, MechaGodzilla was struck from the side by the full force of Godzilla's atomic breath. Stunned, the robot toppled to the ground. With the flow of electricity stopped and the wires hanging slack, Anguirus freed himself and, after pausing to glance at Godzilla and cock his head in a show of thanks, fled into the sea.

As MechaGodzilla's video feed was reduced to static, Conway pounded his fists on the wall, shouting incoherently. After nearly a minute, he spun around to point an accusatory finger at Honda. "YOU!" he bellowed. "YOU DID THIS! TRAITOR! TRAAAAITOOOOOOOR!"

Honda's heart raced with fear. She backed away slowly, anxiously looking for some sign of support.

While Martin looked down at the floor, his emotional state and intent unclear, Yuma took Honda's arm and placed himself between her and the raving politician. "Now just a minute! Kumi didn't mean any harm!"

"DIDN'T MEAN ANY HARM?! HER LITTLE PET JUST ATTACKED OUR ROBOT!"

I am sorry to interrupt, said M11, but MechaGodzilla's connection has been restored and it is fully functional again. Shall I send it to pursue the Anguirus or bring it back to base?

"Neither!" snarled Conway. "You have a new target!" He pointed to the image of Godzilla on the screen.

Horrified, Honda screamed, "NO! NO, YOU CAN'T! DON'T!"

"Yes!" the President hissed. "Kill him! KILL!"

MechaGodzilla got back on its feet and fired its optical beams at the back of Godzilla's head. The monster stopped moving and glared at the machine. With a deep, throaty growl, swam back toward the island, charging up another radioactive blast.

Honda trembled frightfully. No! she begged. Don't do it! Don't fight! Run away!

MechaGodzilla continued to fire upon its target with little effect, making Godzilla feel confident in his impending victory, but M11 was only setting him up. Once Godzilla opened his mouth to unleash his attack, the robot launched two black missiles from its nostrils. They exploded in Godzilla's face but did not burst into flame or shrapnel, but a cascade of silvery powder. Godzilla gagged and wheezed as the substance filled his nostrils and throat. The glow of his atomic fire flickered and was extinguished.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Yuma. "Is that…cadmium?"

Martin said nothing, still avoiding eye contact.

Yes, answered M11. The powderized cadmium will, in theory, prevent Godzilla's body from processing the nuclear energy he uses, thereby preventing him from using his radioactive breath and slowing his healing factor.

Honda's fear transitioned almost instantly into a white hot rage. Throwing herself at Martin, she grabbed the lapels of his uniform and screamed into his face, "YOU MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN! YOU BUILT THIS TO KILL GODZILLA! HOW COULD YOU?"

Even though Martin towered over her and could easily have thrown her aside, he made no such move. Omori grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. "Stop!" he murmured. "Don't make this worse!"

"Restrain her!" barked Conway. "Now, MechaGodzilla: beat Godzilla to death!"

Godzilla tried again to fire his breath attack, but only a short, weak blast emerged, dissipating in the air as soon as it left his mouth. As the cadmium dust traveled throughout his body, he felt nauseous and fatigued. He toppled forward, catching himself just before hitting the ground. As he struggled to get upright again, MechaGodzilla sunk its hooks into his shoulders. He cried out in pain; with his regenerative powers weakened, the metal barbs were able to rip into his flesh with ease. The robot dragged him upright and struck the crown of his head with the end of its snout. Godzilla's vision exploded and blood flowed freely from his scalp. MechaGodzilla raised him over its head and threw him nearly a kilometer across the island. Godzilla landed hard on his side, the impact throwing up an enormous cloud of dust. MechaGodzilla raised its hands to fire missiles, but the dust cloud made it difficult to see or lock onto the target. As the dust began to settle and the unconscious Godzilla came into view, the robot took aim.

Suddenly, a heavy object slammed into MechaGodzilla from behind, knocking it into the ground. The war machine used its propulsion system to raise itself, but was struck again and pinned down. MechaGodzilla turned its head all the way around and saw Anguirus on its back, swatting at its face with his powerful forelimbs. A direct hit managed to cause some disruption to its sensors, but it was only temporary. MechaGodzilla managed to roll onto its side and knock Anguirus away, but when it tried to attack using its energy weapons, it missed repeatedly. The blow to its head had caused a malfunction in the targeting system, so it could only fire wildly and inaccurately. Anguirus dodged each attack with ease, periodically ramming his armored head into MechaGodzilla's legs or striking with his muscular tail. Unable to use its primary defenses, the robot activated a high voltage electrical field around its body, so that when Anguirus moved in for another lunge, he was stunned, giving MechaGodzilla enough time to strike the back of his neck with one hand. Disoriented, Anguirus dropped to his belly, and the war machine moved in for the kill.

Yet once again MechaGodzilla was interrupted, as its radiation detector went off the charts. Godzilla had regained consciousness and summoned up enough power for one tremendous blast. The intense energy streamed from his mouth and washed over the robot's torso. Sparks and smoke shot out from the many small openings and joints in its body. One by one, its weapon systems failed as its power dropped catastrophically, until all of its defenses were offline.

Warning! said M11. Power levels critical. MechaGodzilla cannot continue to fight. It must withdraw and return to base at once or risk total power failure.

Martin nodded morosely. "Do it. Bring it in."

Conway shook his fist in the air. "Dammit! You'll pay for this, you big ugly lizards!"

MechaGodzilla lifted off into the sky and soared home at top speed. Godzilla collapsed again, completely exhausted. Anguirus ran to his side and looked him over for signs of life, probing him with his snout and nudging him with a front claw.

Dunham watched from above and felt a sudden sadness come over him. Seeing Godzilla wounded and vulnerable made him appreciate for the first time the majesty of the animal, and his struggle to protect another living thing at any cost from an unbeatable foe filled the lieutenant with empathy.

Godzilla was alive, but comatose. Feeling gratitude and loyalty to him, Anguirus paced the island, keeping a watchful eye lest another enemy appeared to cause his new friend harm.

Omori relaxed his grip on Honda. She walked slowly toward her seat and flopped limply into it. Conway glared at her with contempt. "Now then," he growled, "what are we going to do about this traitor in our midst?"

Martin put himself between the President and Honda. "Sir, I don't think Honda is to blame for this incident. Don't take this out on her."

Conway's eyes narrowed questioningly, but he did not take his eyes off Honda. "I suppose you're willing to stand up for her in court?"

Omori cleared his throat. "Ahem! Mister President, if there's been any wrongdoing on her part, the High Courts of Japan will be the ones to decide."

Conway shook his head. "No, no, no! I'm going to have her extradited to face trial in America!"

"Why?" asked Omori defensively. "She's on Japanese soil and MechaGodzilla is property of the UNMCC, so what you're accusing her of would be a crime against the United Nations, not your own country."

Honda shuddered. The thought of standing trial against the entire world was, to put it mildly, daunting.

The President threw up his hands. "Fine, do whatever you want! But I warn you: she's not to be trusted, her or Godzilla!" With those last words, he stormed out of the room.

Honda looked beseechingly to Yuma, Martin, and Omori. The colonel was the first to speak. "Doctor, I think it's best that you stay on the base for a little while longer, until we know what's going to happen next."

She nodded her head. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay."

Yuma gave her a hand, and the two walked back to the infirmary. Honda knew that she ought to be worried about her own well-being, but the only thing on her mind was Godzilla. He was in grave danger, not only weakened by the cadmium attack, but now a fugitive. If the United Nations decided that it was time to kill him, they had a weapon that could do the job.

Omori waited for them to leave before addressing Martin. "If you don't mind, I have to be getting back to base."

"Go ahead. I know you have other duties to attend to."

Omori dismissed himself with a bow.

Twenty minutes later, he was on his plane flying back to Iwato. While the pilot and co-pilot manned the controls, the colonel made his way to the back of the plane, where he had installed a radio that used an encrypted signal that only the Iwato base and the Shirasagi could hear. He broadcast to both of them simultaneously.

"This is Omori speaking. Iwato base and Shirasagi, do you read me?"

"Roger, Colonel. This is Iwato Island, Major Ikehata speaking."

"This is the Shirasagi, Commander Takashima speaking. We read you."

"Listen closely. These orders are top secret. I want the JX1 made ready and equipped to the Shirasagi as soon as it lands. That is all for now. Over."

"Affirmative. Ikehata out."

"Affirmative. Takashima out."

"Omori out. End transmission."

Aboard the Shirasagi, Dunham eyed Takashima suspiciously. "What's this JX1 you're talking about?"

Takashima gave him a cheeky grin. "Oh, just a cheap transistor radio. Don't bother yourself worrying about it."