Man, it' been a while, huh? Anyway, enjoy the chapter; hope it's worth the wait!
Godzilla is © Toho
BRAND NEW YOU
Alarms blared, warning bulbs flashing red as the armed security staff burst into the corridor like a cloud of worker ants.
"What's going on?" Gondo demanded, leaning out of his lab.
"Emergency in the infirmary," one of the security guards answered hurriedly.
Gondo steadied himself on the doorframe and covered his mouth. Lord, not the Serizawa kid. He pulled out a cell phone and dialled, praying to heaven that Akane was in range, and set off for the lab. "Akane? Gondo. Listen- yeah, he's awake, but it sounds like we've got a problem. How soon can you-"
The very moment he finally reached the infirmary, the plaster wall exploded outward, and what proved on later inspection to be a concussed security guard slammed into the opposite wall.
Within, Takuya was standing in the middle of the room, three more unmoving guards at his feet and another two aiming their weapons at him, while he roared "I said get the hell away from me!"
The first thing Gondo noticed was that he looked- well, different, decidedly. His eyes were the same old blazing orange, but now his skin was a layer of rough, charcoal-grey scales. Rows of jagged, star-shaped dorsal fins lined his back, and between them and a thick, muscular tail, his hospital gown had been ripped to shreds.
"Tranq him!" one of the guards shouted. There was a dull shot, and two darts imbedded themselves in Takuya's chest, following by another two, and finally a third pair. Takuya's only response was to pick up the hospital bed- ripping out a section of wall to which it was attached- and throw it at them. "That's impossible!" one of them screamed over the crash, "There's enough tranquiliser in the damn kid to take down a rhino!"
"Anyone else?" Takuya bellowed. "Huh? Now let me outta this damn place before…"
"Takuya." The voice was female, soft and almost motherly. Akane stepped around the corner of the room, her bright eyes widening as she saw Takuya. "Wow. We really did find him."
The roar that followed shook half the building and struck fear into every ear it reached. It was the raw, primal, thundering cry of Godzilla- and it was coming from Takuya.
"Ok, that's enough," Akane sighed. In a heartbeat, a pair of dazzling, patterned, multicolour butterfly wings spread from her back, and soft white fire with stripes of red and orange spread to cover her body. Her dark hair turned much lighter and an insect-like. Immediately, a fine mist of golden pollen swept from her wings, covering Takuya in a thin, golden cloud. "Now calm down."
Takuya took a deep breath. His skin reverted to its usual tone, the spinal plates and tail vanishing as he collapsed to his knees. "Much better," Akane declared as she knelt in front of him.
"What was that?" Zaine demanded. "That didn't happen last time!"
"Sorry," Takuya grunted. "Lost my head for a second. What'd you just do?"
"Mothra stress-relief special," Akane smiled. "Just some pollen that calms people down; helps with healing too."
"You drugged me?" Takuya snarled.
"Well you did just bludgeon six people. So: welcome aboard."
"Just to clarify: did you have any conversations inside your head with a giant monster?"
"No," Akane answered, taken aback. "…Did you?"
"Just one. Godzilla's a better speaker than I thought, though."
--
Z-Corp
"Man, this place is fancy," Ogata stared as he looked around. "So what's the deal, boss?"
"Consider this your first assignment," Zaine replied curtly as he pressed a button on the intercom. "Megan?"
After about a minute, the door opened, and Megan entered while straightening her top. "Did you have to interrupt? I just met this…" she turned to regard Ogata. "Well hello…"
"If I might interrupt this riveting account of your personal life," Zaine scowled. "Ogata, this is my other recruit, Megan. Much like yourself, she has a… gift."
"So what'dya want me for?" Ogata demanded.
"It seems that there are now two such individuals within the employ of G-Force. One, Megan can handle, but the other- your friend Takuya Serizawa…"
"That kid?" Ogata snarled, before the realisation hit him. "Duh," he chuckled. "Makes enough sense."
"I have men prepared to extract something from inside the building. Your task is a simple one: cause enough of a diversion for the security personnel and these two youngsters."
"Can I kill the bastard?" Ogata seethed.
"If you wish?"
Megan stepped forward and raised her hand. "Bugs or no bugs?"
"That is entirely up to you."
Megan grinned. "Bugs."
--
G-Force
Akira whistled, clearly impressed, as he looked up at the front of the building. "You work here now?"
"For a little while," Takuya answered simply. "You remember that Akane girl?"
"Oh yeah," Akira grinned. "Hotness. Wait- she works here too?"
"Yup."
"Man," Akira breathed, "this is entirely too cool for words."
In front of them, the double-doors leading into the building swung open. Zera stormed out, glaring daggers at Takuya. "What the hell is this?" she demanded.
"Just a friend," Takuya replied simply. "No big."
"You'll have to go home," Zera said sharply to Akira. "Takuya, Gondo needs to talk to you about this."
And that was when the upper North side of the building exploded.
--
"Shit," Rojo gasped as he dashed down the corridor of Z-Corp. "Oh man oh man oh man…"
After seeing inside the board room, the first thing he'd thought to do was run… even though he had no idea what the hell was happening. These people wanted Takuya dead? Why? And Megan was one of them? One unanswered question, each more bizarre than the one before it, raced round inside his skull.
And all he'd planned to do today was make out with his new girlfriend in the supply closet.
As soon as he rounded the corner, however, something struck him. He sailed back, sliding across the floor as he grunted from the sharp pain in his ribcage.
"Security," Zaine said levelly, "We have a trespasser."
--
"And you said the bugs would be useless," Megan smirked. At a wave of her hand, the cloud of dragonflies descended toward the security guards inside. As one, they fell, some from the pain of scores of bites covering every inch of uncovered skin, others from a dozen dragonflies clogging their windpipe.
"Can you do all bugs?"
"Nope, just this kind. Zaine made 'em specially for me. Injected Meganula DNA or something." Megan's skin was now a grainy shade of purple, every angle fringed with short, bony carapace. A set of dragonfly-like wings held her aloft, buzzing quickly and noisily, and from the small of her back jutted a long, barbed stinger. Her hands terminated in massive, bony pincers.
Behind her, Ogata turned towards the guards on another floor. His skin was a shining gold, a crown of horns framed his head and wide, sharply-angled wings held him aloft. A pair of thick, powerful tails dangled behind him, and each of his arms now ended in a snarling, draconic head.
"Man, I am gonna love this job," he grinned as what looked like thick, yellow lightning erupted from the dragon-hands, ripping through everyone and everything it hit.
Suddenly, a thick, blue-white stream of fire erupted, arcing through the air in front of them. A moment later, what could only be described as a human Mothra rose in front of them.
"Sorry," she smiled sweetly, "private property. Takuya, would you be a dear and help me show them the door?"
Well, THAT was hopefully worth the wait. So what's everyone think of the revamped nature of the human-kaiju, and especially of Megan's little insect army? All reviews welcome!