King of the Monsters

by Shadowblade217

A reinvention of the Pacific Rim storyline, including elements of the Godzilla franchise in its continuity. As an army of alien creatures known as Kaiju threatens to wipe out the human race, Raleigh Becket must return to active duty and fight alongside his fellow Jaeger pilots and Godzilla, King of the Monsters, to put an end to the alien threat before all of humanity is destroyed.

14. Cancelling the Apocalypse

Disclaimer: I do not own Godzilla or Pacific Rim.

Chapter 14 – Cancelling the Apocalypse

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AN: Okay, before you start reading the chapter, I figured, since this is the final battle of this story arc, it deserved some epic music to go with it. So, here are two songs I've selected as background music for the battle in this chapter. The first is "It's Our Fight", by Steve Jablonsky, from the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon; I'd say to put it on at the line beginning with the words, "Simultaneously, the helicopters disengaged, and, with a thunderous splash…" to have the music playing at the right time. The second is the main title music from Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla; you should put that one on at the line beginning with the words, "As Striker attempted to pick itself up…" to have it play for the appropriate portion of the chapter.

Without further ado, enjoy the chapter, and get ready for one hell of a battle!

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Hangar for Project Kiryu

PPDC Shatterdome

Hong Kong

Karkov sat in a chair, gazing out through the windows at Kiryu. The Jaeger was still powered down, but its repairs and reprogramming were complete; Dr. Yuhara had done an excellent job.

Acting on an impulse, Karkov closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind; the same thing he'd done when he had called Godzilla to Hong Kong.

Only, this time, he was searching for Kiryu's mind.

At first, there was only darkness. But then, after a seemingly endless moment, he felt it.

This wasn't Godzilla's mind, full of primal urges, and images in the place of words. Kiryu's mind was different; it was filled with a seemingly endless stream of data and information, a constant murmur of reports and updates on systems in every part of the Jaeger's body.

There was awareness here, though; Kiryu's organic mind was still there, but dramatically altered from Godzilla's. No longer the mind of a beast; this was the mind of a machine, infinitely complex, but focused entirely on fulfilling its pilots' orders.

But, beneath that, he could sense the Jaeger's real mind. That part was very similar to what he'd felt from Godzilla; pure power, and primal emotion. That was what had gone berserk when Kiryu had heard Godzilla's roar; it had been lashing out at its enemies, fighting back against those who had harmed it and turned it into this.

"Maybe we should have left you alone," Karkov whispered, remembering what he'd been told about the Jaeger's rampage through Tokyo.

For the first time since he'd been abducted from the G-Force lab, Karkov actually felt relaxed.

That was when the alarms blared, echoing throughout the Shatterdome.

Another Kaiju incursion was beginning.

Karkov's eyes snapped open.

"You have got to be kidding me," he growled.

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The Breach…

With a surge of energy, the Breach spread wide, opening. Murky water rushed upwards into the Pacific, as a bestial roar echoed through the depths.

And then, one at a time, several massive shapes rose through the portal, into the Pacific.

Their mission was different this time. Not simply to go forth and destroy.

This time, they were to protect.

The masters had predicted that the young race inhabiting this world would attempt to destroy the portal. And they could not be allowed to succeed. So, until the main invasion was ready to begin, these Kaiju would guard the portal, waiting to destroy those who were foolish enough to launch an attack.

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In the LOCCENT

PPDC Shatterdome

Hong Kong

"What's going on, Mr. Choi?" Pentecost asked as he strode into the LOCCENT, followed by Miki, Karkov and Raleigh.

"We've got multiple contacts emerging from the Breach, sir," Tendo reported. "Unprecedented size, too… well, for normal Breach Kaiju, anyway."

"What category?" Karkov inquired. "And how many?"

"According to the readings, Category 4," Tendo replied, scanning the screen. "And there are three of them." He tapped the screen, and designators flashed up next to the three blips.

Kaiju Detected

Category: 4

Designation: Scunner

Category: 4

Designation: Raiju

Category: 4

Designation: Barugaron

"Three?" Karkov repeated, raising an eyebrow. "That's not what Dr. Gottlieb's calculations predicted; there should be five."

"Well, apparently not," Tendo said. "Which I'm going to take as a good thing; the fewer Kaiju, the better."

"Where are they headed?" Pentecost asked.

"That's the odd thing, sir; they're not heading anywhere." Tendo looked back at Pentecost. "They're hovering just above the Breach, circling around it. It's… it's like they're protecting it or something."

"Makes sense," Karkov commented. "They've most likely anticipated that we'll attempt to destroy the Breach, to stop them from sending an invasion force through. So they've deployed guard dogs to keep us away."

"So what do we do?" Raleigh asked.

"We go in," Miki Saegusa said softly, her gaze focused on Pentecost.

Pentecost nodded. "We go in." He glanced among the three of them. "We have three Jaegers available, all of which are more than a match for a single Category 4. Right now, they have three Kaiju there. We can deal with that. If we don't go now, pretty soon there'll be ten, and then twenty, and we won't have a chance in hell of pulling this off. We're moving now."

Raleigh and Karkov exchanged a glance; then they both refocused on Pentecost and nodded.

"Yes, sir," Raleigh acknowledged.

"All right," Pentecost said. "Get Gipsy, Striker and Silver…" He paused. "Get Gipsy, Striker, and Kiryu on deck."

Tendo grinned. "Yes, sir!" As he reached for the intercom, his eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement, and he turned back to Pentecost. "But, sir… Herc can't ride. His arm…"

Pentecost's eyes narrowed. "You heard me."

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Site of Kaiju Salvage Operation

Hong Kong

Newt clambered over the dead baby Kaiju, getting a five-foot-long, needle-like machine that he'd hastily assembled into position. Once inserted into the baby Kaiju's brain, that metal "needle" would enable a neural bridge, allowing Newt to Drift with the Kaiju. He had to hurry, though; the brain would only survive for a few more minutes, and he was almost out of time.

"Three signatures? Three?!" Gottlieb asked incredulously into the phone, as he stood beside the dead Kaiju, a few yards away. After receiving confirmation, he hung up and turned to Newt, his eyes wide. "There are… there are three Kaiju signatures in the Breach, not five like I predicted!"

"Hermann?!" Newt snapped, preparing to insert the metal spike at the tip of the machine into the Kaiju's brain. He was getting very frustrated with the older scientist; Gottlieb had only gotten there about half an hour earlier, and had been irritating Newt the entire time. "I haven't exactly had a very good day, okay?! And, because someone was late getting the equipment out here, I've got about five minutes…"

"There should be five!" Gottlieb murmured under his breath.

"…Five minutes before brain death occurs here!" Newt finished, inserting the spike into the Kaiju's back and pushing down with all of his strength. The spike punched through flesh and muscle, finally imbedding itself in the baby Kaiju's brain. "I don't want to spend it talking about your theories!" he finished.

Gottlieb walked a few steps away, shaking his head. "This is wrong! There should be five Kaiju there, not three!"

Newt sighed. "All right," he began sarcastically, "there should be five and there's three. I'm sorry. It hurts to be wrong, doesn't it, Hermann?"

"I'm not wrong!" Gottlieb argued. "There's something here that we don't understand."

Newt groaned. "Oh, for God's sake, Hermann! Look, hopefully we can argue about any errors you made in your predictive model in the future; but, in the meantime, that neural interface is way off the charts! If you want to help, help with that!"

The older man shook his head slowly. "No… no, I'm not wrong. And there's only one way to make sure." Turning, he started typing furiously on the computer Newt had set up to monitor and direct the neural interface. "And that… is to do this together."

Newt's eyes widened. "What?"

"That's what the Jaeger pilots do, right? Share the neural load?" Gottlieb glanced over at his colleague, continuing to type. "If we Drift with it together, the side effects shouldn't be nearly as bad as what happened to you the last time you tried this."

"Well, you've got a point," Newt conceded. "I'd really rather not have that happen again. But… you're serious? You would do that for me?" He frowned momentarily. "I mean, you would… you would do that with me?"

"Well, with world destruction as a certain alternative…" Gottlieb looked back at the younger scientist, smiling faintly. "Do I really have a choice?"

Newt grinned enthusiastically. "All right, then." He held up a hand. "Say it with me, my man! We're gonna own this bad boy!"

Gottlieb responded in kind, holding up his own hand, but spent several seconds fumbling with Newt's hand, trying to find a way to hold the other scientist's hand properly. "By Jove," he muttered, "we are going to… own this thing for sure!" He finally managed to grab Newt's hand, and Newt laughed in a combination of amusement and excitement.

"Okay!" Newt exhorted. "Let's do this!"

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Jaeger Hangar Bay

PPDC Shatterdome

Chuck strode through the turmoil in the hangar, heading straight for Tendo. The entire building was abuzz with activity, readying the three Jaegers for launch.

"Oi, Tendo!" Chuck called. "Tendo!"

Just as the Australian pilot reached him, Tendo turned to regard Chuck. "You're not suited up," he commented.

"Yeah, I'm aware of that, Elvis," Chuck remarked sardonically. "I need to know what's going on."

Tendo stared back at him evenly. "I said, suit up. So suit up." He turned and started walking away.

"Yeah, well, I can't pilot Striker on my own, now, can I?" Chuck argued. "Dad's hurt, so who's going to be my copilot?"

The sound of the hangar doors opening cut Tendo off as he was about to reply. Both men turned, their eyes widening in shock when they saw what was on the other side.

Clad in a black Jaeger drivesuit, Stacker Pentecost strode into the hangar, glancing around with a professional eye. "Don't remember it being so tight," he commented, indicating the suit.

As Pentecost started away from Chuck, Mako intercepted him. "Getting back into that Jaeger will kill you," she whispered to him.

"Not getting into one," Pentecost replied, "will kill us all." He stopped, turning to face Mako and locking eyes with her. "Listen," he said softly. "You are a brave girl, Mako. And I've been so lucky to have seen you grow up. But, if I'm going to do this… I need you to protect me."

Mako couldn't speak; tears ran down her cheeks.

Pentecost smiled faintly. "Can you do that?"

Smiling through her tears, Mako nodded.

"Hey," Pentecost said softly, interrupting her. He touched her chin comfortingly, and smiled. And then he turned, walking over to Striker Eureka and climbing up onto one of the Jaeger's feet.

"Everyone, listen up!" he called, his voice ringing out like a trumpet call.

Silence fell, as all eyes turned to Pentecost. Raleigh, Ozaki, Miki, Karkov and Miyuki, all of whom had just entered the hangar, walked forward, edging through the gathering crowd, until they were directly in front of the Marshall.

Pentecost smiled faintly upon seeing them, and then spoke again. "Today," he said, "at the edge of our hope… at the end of our time… we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other."

Raleigh and Mako exchanged glances, as did Ozaki and Miyuki. Karkov and Miki remained intently focused on Pentecost, their gazes unwavering.

"Today," Pentecost continued, "there is not a man or woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today." His eyes blazed with pride and conviction. "Today we face the monsters that are at our door, and bring the fight to them!"

Karkov felt a surge of excitement, like a primal adrenaline rush, ripple through his body, and his lips curved in a smile.

"Today," Pentecost yelled, "we are cancelling the apocalypse!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, roaring and applauding.

Raleigh, Ozaki and Karkov each raised a fist high, in a gesture of solidarity. Pentecost nodded, replying in kind.

Humanity was ready to fight back, on equal terms.

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Deep sea, 375 miles south of Hawaii…

Godzilla cruised through the deep ocean, thousands of feet beneath the surface. He moved silently through the water, despite his size. With his appetite for nuclear energy sated, the First Kaiju was currently swimming aimlessly, with no particular destination in mind.

Then, quite suddenly, he sensed something.

A presence materialized, inside his mind; not the same one that had prompted him to destroy the Others in his last battle, but a similar one.

Come, the presence urged him. They need you. You must help them. Please.

Godzilla growled curiously, the sound rumbling in his immense chest. He was momentarily confused.

Then the First Kaiju detected something familiar, as his keen senses were finally directed in the right direction. He felt a surge of rage.

The Others. More of them had come.

Godzilla opened his maw and roared in anger, the sound echoing through the depths.

More of the Others had come into this world. His world.

So be it. He would find them, and he would kill them.

With a snarl, the King of the Monsters altered his course, accelerating through the ocean towards the source of the sensation.

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Jaeger Hangar Bay

PPDC Shatterdome

Hong Kong

As Pentecost and Chuck Hansen walked through the hangar, ready to board Striker Eureka, Chuck decided to speak up.

"Hey, Marshall?" he asked. "You know, that was a great speech. But, uh… how exactly are you and I supposed to match up in there?"

"By carrying nothing into the Drift," Pentecost replied matter-of-factly. "No memories, no fear, no rank." He glanced over at Chuck as they walked. "And as for you, you're easy. You're an egotistical jerk with daddy issues, a simple puzzle I solved on day one." He smiled. "But you are your father's son, so we'll Drift just fine."

Chuck shrugged. "Works for me."

As Pentecost entered the elevator that would take them up to Striker's head, Chuck turned to see Herc walking towards him. The younger Hansen started back towards his father.

"Hey, now," Herc said. "When you Drift with someone, you feel like there's nothing to talk about." He swallowed hard. "I just don't want to regret all of the things I've never said out loud."

Chuck smiled. "Dad… you don't need to. I know them all; I always have."

Max, Chuck's bulldog, barked, drawing his attention; Chuck knelt to pet the dog. "Hey, handsome," he said with a wry grin. "Ah, I'm gonna miss you." Kissing the top of the dog's head, he stood and turned to face his father again. "Look after him for me."

Turning away again, Chuck started back towards Pentecost.

"Stacker!" Herc yelled before Chuck could reach the elevator. Both Chuck and Pentecost turned to look at him.

The older Hansen was clearly trying to maintain his composure. "That's my son you've got there!" he called finally. "My son."

Chuck looked at his father one last time, tears in his eyes, and then turned to rejoin Pentecost.

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Conn Pod of Gipsy Danger

As Raleigh and Mako entered the Conn Pod and fastened themselves into their restraints, Raleigh found himself reflecting. He never could have imagined, in all of the time he had wasted trying to bury his life as a Jaeger pilot and get over Yancy's death, that he would ever end up doing something like this.

"You know something, Mako?" he remarked. "All those years I spent living in the past… I never really thought about the future." He chuckled. "Until now, anyway."

For a long moment, they were both silent.

"I never did have very good timing," Raleigh commented.

And then the floor rose up under them as the Jaeger's head dropped down the launch tunnel onto the body, quickly locking into place.

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Conn Pod of Kiryu

Karkov and Ozaki took up their positions in Kiryu's Conn Pod, and had their own restraints secured by the time the launch alert rang out throughout the Shatterdome.

"Ready?" Ozaki asked.

Karkov grinned, meeting his eyes. "Absolutely."

It was fascinating to Karkov; actually being in a real Drift, linked to a Jaeger. The simulator had been very realistic, but it was nothing compared to the reality, the power, that he felt now.

Karkov could feel, through the Drift, the additional complexities of Kiryu's mind, which he knew Ozaki could not interact with effectively. Gently, the young man reached out and touched the Jaeger's mind with his own, mingling their thoughts.

Kiryu's consciousness reacted, rising up in an attempt to lash out at the unwanted intruder. Karkov, however, formed a mental shield, blocking its efforts. After a few moments, the Jaeger's subconscious stopped struggling, and Karkov was able to link with it, subduing its primal urges and focusing it on the task at hand.

"Well, that takes care of that," he murmured under his breath.

Ozaki looked curiously at him. "Sorry, what?"

"Kiryu didn't like me linking to its subconscious," Karkov explained. "I convinced it I wasn't a threat, and it relaxed."

"Seriously?" Ozaki looked impressed. "So, it's not going to flip out on us this time, right?"

"No," Karkov replied. "The reprogramming was very thorough. Its organic subconscious still doesn't like it when we meddle with it, but it's not going to fight back or try to assume control."

Ozaki shrugged. "Sounds good. I guess that's the best we could hope for."

"Agreed."

Preoccupied with the mission at hand, the effort of maintaining control over Kiryu, and his own thoughts, the Russian scientist failed to notice a flickering presence in the back of his mind.

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In the LOCCENT

Herc, Tendo, Miki and Miyuki, along with the rest of the command center's crew and technicians, were on full alert as they watched the three Jaegers powering up, ready for launch.

Slowly, the tracks set into the floor activated. Gipsy, Striker and Kiryu rolled forward onto the exterior launch pad, where the transport helicopters were waiting to carry them to the Breach.

Miki Saegusa was the only person in the booth who wasn't entirely focused on the launch. The young Japanese scientist was concentrating her mind as she never had before, calling out psychically. She was sending a message with her mind, a mental plea.

Help them, she thought. Please help them. Protect them.

Her eyes focused involuntarily on Kiryu, as the silver-armored Jaeger prepared for launch. "Make sure they come home safely," she whispered, both with her voice and in her mind. "Please."

There was no reply, but she knew her message had been received and understood.

Miki smiled.

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Site of Kaiju Salvage Operation

Hong Kong

Newt and Gottlieb stood next to the dead Kaiju, making the final adjustments to the neural link. They were both wearing headsets, containing electrodes that were attached to their temples and the centers of their foreheads.

"You ready for this?" Newt asked.

Gottlieb hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "Oh, yes," he stammered under his breath.

Newt smiled. "Then let's do this!" He picked up the remote that would activate the link. "Okay, then. Initiating neural handshake in five, four, three, two, one…" He pressed the button, and their surroundings dissolved in a swirl of light and sound.

At first it was just their memories; each man's entire life, playing out before their eyes. Childhood. School. University. Choosing their field of study, a decision that ultimately led both of them to join the PPDC.

And then, as Newt had expected, the flow of images changed.

Darkness. Fire. The crackling of energy. The assembly line, with half-formed Kaiju locked into place, being shaped and prepared for deployment.

Then they were in the minds of the Kaiju themselves. There was information, so much information; commands, instructions to guide the Kaiju on their missions.

Suddenly, something new hit them. A discovery of sorts.

Information, yes, but something they would never have expected to find. It didn't seem believable, but it was impossible to deny.

And what it revealed was horrifying.

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Newt snapped out of the neural link, his eyes wide as he gasped for breath. His heart was pounding, and he could feel that his nose was bleeding again, but overall he felt a lot better than he had the first time he'd tried this.

Sharing the neural load definitely helped a lot, he reflected.

Turning, Newt's gaze fell on Gottlieb, who also looked stunned. The older man's nose was bleeding as well, but other than that he seemed to be unharmed.

"Are you okay?" Newt asked.

Gottlieb nodded, looking somewhat dazed. "Yes, of course. Perfectly fine."

As the two men started removing their headsets, Gottlieb suddenly stumbled, nearly falling. He staggered to an abandoned toilet nearby, opened the lid, and vomited into it. Newt flinched away involuntarily, somewhat revolted. Clearly, Gottlieb hadn't handled the Drift as well as he had claimed.

After a few seconds, Gottlieb had finished, and was weakly standing up again. Newt passed him a box of tissues he'd been carrying with him in the event of a severe nosebleed, and the older man nodded in thanks, wiping his mouth and nose.

"The Drift," he gasped. "You saw it? Did you?"

Newt nodded grimly. "Yeah. Listen, we have to warn them. The Jaegers, the Breach… the plan…"

Gottlieb straightened up. "It's not going to work," he said hoarsely.

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West Pacific Ocean

Above the site of the Breach

Gipsy Danger, Striker Eureka, and Kiryu cruised sedately through the sky over the ocean, each Jaeger carried by a dozen transport helicopters.

Inside Gipsy's Conn Pod, Raleigh's eyes narrowed as he contemplated the fight ahead. Three Category 4s were a formidable prospect, no matter the situation; the upside was that this time, the odds were even. With three of the most advanced Jaegers ever built on this mission, each one with a highly skilled crew, they had a good chance of winning.

Unless, of course, more Kaiju were sent through.

Part of Raleigh was actually hoping for that eventuality. Not that he wanted more Kaiju to come through, but, put simply, he wanted a chance to take on Zero – or King Ghidorah, as it was now known. Trapping that thing on the other side of the Breach wasn't good enough; he had to make sure that it would never come back. And, on a purely personal level, he wanted vengeance. This Kaiju had killed his brother.

And there would be hell to pay for that.

A moment later, Pentecost's voice rang over the command net from Striker Eureka. "Rangers!" he called. "Are you ready?"

Raleigh exchanged a look with Mako. "Yes, sir," he replied. "We're ready."

"Us too," Ozaki added from Kiryu.

Karkov chuckled. "Let's end this, gentlemen."

"Damn right," Chuck put in. "Let's get this fight started!"

"And let it end here," Mako finished firmly.

"Ready for drop!" Pentecost radioed to the Shatterdome.

"You got it," Herc replied. "Deploying… now."

Simultaneously, the helicopters disengaged, and, with a thunderous splash, the three Jaegers dropped feet-first into the water.

"LOCCENT, all ports sealed, ready to submerge," Chuck reported.

"All ports sealed, ready to submerge," Raleigh added.

"All ports sealed, ready to submerge," Ozaki said.

The Jaegers quickly slipped beneath the surface, sinking rapidly towards the sea floor far below them.

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In the LOCCENT…

"All three neural handshakes at a hundred percent, sir," an engineer reported.

Tendo nodded, looking to Herc. "Neural handshakes confirmed, sir."

Miki stared fixedly at the chart, showing the Jaegers' positions.

"Protect them…" she murmured under her breath. "Please…"

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Above the Breach…

Moving in synchronization, the three Jaegers descended quickly into the depths, sinking through the water as the sunlight above rapidly diminished. The Jaegers immediately activated their own lights, illuminating their surroundings as they continued to descend.

At this depth, any human would be crushed instantly; only the Jaegers' hulls around them were keeping Raleigh, Mako, and the others safe from the unforgiving environment. The Jaegers themselves were designed to withstand worse pressure than this, and were therefore undamaged.

After several minutes, the trio of Jaegers touched down on the sea floor. Their lights illuminated the desolate surroundings, but they could also see a faint orange glow from up ahead, indicating the location of the Breach. Unfortunately, thick clouds of silt in the water, courtesy of a hydrothermal vent field, was obscuring their vision, making it virtually impossible to see more than a few meters in any direction.

"Three active Kaiju, circling around the Breach," Herc said over the command net. "Codenamed Scunner, Raiju and Barugaron. All Category 4, some of the biggest yet, and they'll know you're there as soon as you hit their perimeter. Better hurry; from what we're seeing here, they're fast bastards."

"Roger that," Pentecost acknowledged. Turning to Chuck, he added, "Half a mile to the ocean cliff, we jump! It's three thousand meters to the Breach!"

"Half a mile?!" Chuck exclaimed incredulously. "I can't even see a damn inch in this stuff! How are we supposed to deliver the bomb?!"

"Visibility zero," Raleigh announced. "Switching to instruments now."

"Yeah, no kidding," Ozaki called from Kiryu, chuckling.

The three Jaegers continued walking along the sea floor, taking care to avoid hydrothermal vents and the plumes of scalding hot seawater gushing up from within the vents' rock "chimneys".

After they'd been walking for about five minutes, their first contact was made; something moved within the clouds of murky water, streaking past Gipsy.

"Sir!" Tendo said urgently, his voice audible to the pilots.

"Gipsy, you've got movement at your three o'clock," Herc informed them grimly. "Repeat, three o'clock!"

"Roger that, sir," Raleigh replied. Gipsy turned, but nothing was there.

"One-hundred-foot radius clear," Gipsy's AI reported.

"Right side's clear, sir," Raleigh said. "I've got nothing!"

"Left side now!" Tendo exclaimed. "It's moving fast, really fast! Fastest Kaiju on record!" He paused momentarily. "Well, fastest in water, anyway."

"I don't see anything!" Raleigh called. "It's moving too fast!"

"Eyes on the prize, Gipsy!" Chuck barked. "Six hundred meters from the drop!"

Raleigh shook his head, refocusing on the priority. "Right, yeah. We're right behind you."

The Jaegers continued moving, their pilots tense and ready to fight. To their surprise, the Kaiju remained at a distance, circling them, instead of attacking immediately as one might expect.

With a quick maneuver, Striker jumped over the edge of an undersea cliff, dropping several hundred feet and landing on its feet with a resounding impact. Gipsy and Kiryu followed without hesitation.

"Four hundred meters and closing!" Chuck announced.

Then Tendo's voice echoed over the command net again. "Sir, the Kaijus are stopping."

"Striker, the Kaijus have stopped," Herc said. "They're at your one o'clock and holding."

Striker Eureka stopped abruptly; Kiryu and Gipsy entered protective stances on either side of the Australian Jaeger, in case one of the Kaiju decided to seize the opportunity and attack.

"Marshall, what are you doing?" Chuck demanded.

"They're stopping," Pentecost said. "Why the hell would they stop?"

"I don't give a damn, sir!" Chuck snapped. "We're three hundred meters from the jump! Let's go!"

"Striker," Herc argued, "the Kaiju aren't moving. Now's your chance; take the leap!"

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In the LOCCENT…

Suddenly, Newt and Gottlieb burst into the room, racing to the front and skidding to a halt next to the main communications console. All eyes turned to them in astonishment.

"No, don't do it!" Newt yelled. "Don't do it! It's not gonna work!" He grabbed the microphone from Herc, hollering, "Move, you fascist!" Holding the microphone up, he spoke frantically into it. "Blowing up the Breach; it's not going to work!"

"Dr. Geiszler? What do you mean?" Pentecost asked in confusion. "What's not going to work?"

"Sir," Newt said earnestly, "just because the Breach is open, does not mean you'll be able to get a bomb through!"

Gottlieb leaned in, adding, "Sir, the Breach has an 'access code', for lack of a better word; it genetically reads the Kaiju like a bar code at a supermarket, and then lets them pass."

Newt took over again, saying, "Okay, so you're going to have to fool the Breach into thinking that you have the same code!"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Ozaki asked incredulously.

"By making it think that you are a Kaiju!" Newt replied.

"You have to lock onto the Kaiju," Gottlieb said, "ride it into the Breach; the throat will then read the Kaiju's genetic code and let you pass."

"If you don't do it," Newt finished, "the bomb will deflect off the Breach, like it always has, and the mission will fail!"

Herc, having heard enough, grabbed the microphone back from Newt. "Now that you've heard all of that; Striker, take the leap!" he commanded.

Before Pentecost could reply, another alarm beeped sharply. Tendo leaned forward, tapping keys rapidly.

"Oh, god," he whispered as his eyes widened in shock.

Clearly visible, rising out of the Breach, was a fourth red blip. And this one was, quite simply, gigantic.

"Sir," Tendo reported, "there's a fourth Kaiju emerging from the Breach."

"Fourth signature emerging from the Breach!" Herc said over the command net.

"Four of them," Newt murmured. "A quadruple event."

Gottlieb shook his head. "This still doesn't fit the model… there should be five, not four!"

"How big is it?" Pentecost asked. "What category?"

Tendo's eyes widened in shock and fear as the designator flashed on the screen.

Kaiju Detected

Category: 5

Designation: Slattern

Tendo looked back to Herc. "Category 5, sir," he said softly.

"Striker, it's a Category 5," Herc reported.

.

Conn Pod of Striker Eureka

Pentecost and Chuck exchanged a glance, their eyes wide.

Pentecost only had one question. "Is it Ghidorah?"

There was a pause.

"No," Tendo finally said. "This one's bigger."

.

The Breach opened far below them, crackling with energy.

And then it emerged, rising majestically out of the Breach, directly in front of the three Jaegers.

It was enormous, bigger even than King Ghidorah. At least six hundred feet tall, it towered over the Jaegers. Its head resembled that of a hammerhead shark, only with four eyes, and it had a massive torso and a pair of enormous arms. It had two huge, muscular legs, and three long, powerful tails that trailed behind it.

The Kaiju, Slattern, came to a halt, hovering over the Breach. Its head tilted downward, taking in its prey.

And then it roared, the sound a deafening, primal bellow that resonated through the water around them.

With simultaneous yells of challenge, Pentecost and Chuck swung their arms downwards, deploying the massive swords mounted on Striker's arms. The Jaeger entered a fighting stance, poised and ready.

"Striker, we see him," Raleigh radioed. "We're right behind you, about a hundred meters. We're gonna come around your three o'clock and try to flank him; standard two-team formation. Ozaki, Karkov, you guys keep an eye out for the others. Just keep them busy until we can–"

Raleigh was interrupted as one of the other Kaiju – Scunner, a large reptilian creature with huge horns on either side of its head – burst out from behind a rocky outcropping and slammed into Gipsy, knocking the Jaeger sideways.

Reacting instantly, Raleigh and Mako whirled, raising both of their arms and grabbing the Kaiju's horns in an effort to hold it back, shoving with all of their might. They managed to hold Scunner far enough away that it couldn't reach them with its jaws, but its power was still unbelievable. While nowhere near as big as Slattern, this one was still considerably larger than Gipsy.

With a yell, Raleigh jerked his head back and then swung it forward, causing Gipsy to head-butt the Kaiju. Repeating the move in an effort to stun the creature, Raleigh managed to wrap one arm around its neck, getting Scunner in a headlock, and then spun, slamming the Kaiju down into the sea floor.

.

Ozaki and Karkov were momentarily torn, not knowing which Jaeger they should help.

Then they saw one of the other Kaiju – Barugaron, a large, reptilian creature that somewhat resembled a dragon – circling in towards Striker, aiming to attack the Jaeger from behind, and the decision was no longer necessary.

With a quick burst from their boosters, Kiryu leaped forward at incredible speed, body-slamming Barugaron before it could reach Striker and tackling the Kaiju to the sea floor. They rolled completely over twice before Kiryu regained its footing, tossing the Kaiju away. Barugaron scrambled to its feet, letting out a challenging shriek.

Up close, the Kaiju was more easily visible; it wasn't as massive as Scunner, but was clearly even faster and more agile. Its tall, muscular body stood upright on two legs, with feet that were each adorned by two massive talons. It had two arms, with three long, curved claws on each hand, and a long tail with a three-pronged claw on its end, similar to Otachi's. Its head was reptilian, something like a monitor lizard, with a large, triangular horn on top of its head, and a row of long spines running down the back of its neck, down the middle of its back, and out to the end of its tail. A pair of luminous yellow eyes, with catlike slits for pupils, gleamed malevolently, and the creature hissed at them.

"Okay," Ozaki said, his voice composed, but excited. "This one's for real. You ready?"

Karkov felt a surge of power rushing through his veins, his muscles. He grinned predatorily, and – although no one could see it – his eyes lit up, glowing orange.

"Hell, yeah," he replied, chuckling, as the bloodlust of Kiryu's biological mind rose within him.

Barugaron snarled; Kiryu met the Kaiju's roar with its own.

And they both charged simultaneously.

.

Slattern hovered in front of Striker Eureka, and begun swirling its three tails in a rotating pattern, spinning them faster and faster, building up speed and churning the water around them.

"Brace for impact!" Pentecost shouted, just before the tails snapped forward like bullwhips and slammed into Striker, hurling the Jaeger backwards.

The impact was incredibly powerful; Striker was sent flying at least a hundred yards backwards, before it smashed into a towering hydrothermal vent and crumpled to the sea floor.

.

"Chain Sword deployed," Gipsy's AI informed Raleigh, as the sword they'd used to kill Otachi sprang out of the Jaeger's arm, the links locking together to form the shining blade. Raleigh and Mako raised Gipsy's right arm high, the sword poised to strike down and finish off Scunner.

And, at that precise instant, Raiju, the third Category 4, shot in from behind them, its jaws clamping down on Gipsy's upraised arm with enough force and momentum that the Jaeger's arm was ripped completely out of its socket.

Raleigh and Mako screamed in pain as agony tore through their right shoulders; it was only simulated pain, but it felt like the real thing.

Gipsy staggered, off-balance, and, in the process, lost its grip on Scunner, allowing the Kaiju to twist free. Scunner immediately whirled and struck, its jaws biting down on Gipsy's right leg with devastating power and crunching through the metal plating of the Jaeger's limb.

With a roar, Raleigh raised Gipsy's left arm, deploying another chain sword from the Jaeger's left wrist, and then stabbed downward, ramming the sword completely through the Kaiju's head. Blue blood spurted forth around the blade, and Scunner roared in pain.

"Let's get this son of a bitch!" Raleigh yelled. He caught sight of a hydrothermal vent on their right, pouring a torrent of incredibly hot water up into the ocean, and had an idea. Shifting his position, he forced Gipsy to turn to the right, dragging Scunner across the sea floor and forcing its head over the opening of the vent. The scalding water enveloped the Kaiju's head, searing its flesh.

With a shriek of pain, Scunner lurched upwards, throwing Gipsy off-balance, and spun away. It drifted away from the Jaeger, thrashing weakly as it struggled to regain its equilibrium.

Gipsy fell to one knee, bracing itself with the sword; its right leg was crippled, the knee joint shattered. Scunner drifted above it, still trying to recover from the pain of its injuries.

Propping itself up with the sword, Gipsy managed to regain its footing; but it wouldn't be going anywhere fast.

"Gipsy, coming up at your twelve o'clock, full speed!" Herc yelled. "Get out of the way!"

Now Raleigh could see it; Raiju, the other Category 4, was accelerating towards them. It looked something like a gigantic crocodile, but when its jaws opened, its entire "head" split along three lines and unfolded like a flower, revealing that it was just a shell, concealing its real head. The Kaiju opened its jaws, lined with rows of dagger-like teeth, and shrieked as it rapidly closed the distance to its target.

Raleigh and Mako reacted on instinct. In its current state, Gipsy couldn't dodge that thing at the speed it was moving.

So they didn't even try.

Instead, Gipsy raised its remaining arm, aiming the sword directly at the oncoming Kaiju.

And Raiju, unable to slow down or change course in time, slammed, full-force, directly into the outstretched sword.

The sword carved, point-first, straight through Raiju's head, and sank inward, slicing through muscle, bone, and internal organs, as it ran the length of the creature's body, propelled by Raiju's momentum.

Gipsy's arm was forced back, the blade now pointing upwards instead of straight ahead. Raleigh and Mako cried out in pain as their left arms violently protested the force pushing against the sword.

But the sword held, as did the arm. And, as Raiju finally shot completely past them, the blade slashed through its tail lengthwise, and cut the Kaiju completely in two.

As the two halves of Raiju's bisected corpse, split in half lengthwise, fell limply to the seafloor, Gipsy Danger staggered forward, lowering its sword.

Raleigh and Mako heaved a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived; Scunner was still alive, if temporarily stunned. Kiryu was still wrestling with their opponent, and seemed to be winning, but Striker was in trouble.

.

Kiryu and Barugaron collided with incredible force. Kiryu was the more massive of the two and seized that advantage, landing an uppercut that snapped Barugaron's head back, and then shoulder-barged into the Kaiju and drove it backwards.

Displaying remarkable speed and maneuverability, no doubt due to its long, flexible body, Barugaron twisted out of Kiryu's hold and spun away, raking the claws of one hand down the Jaeger's left side as it did. It was only a glancing blow, but Kiryu staggered, its armor noticeably damaged.

"Fast one, isn't he?" Ozaki called.

"No kidding," Karkov replied.

Turning, Kiryu opened its jaws, firing a blast of golden electricity from the maser projector in its mouth. The beam struck Barugaron, drawing a pained screech from the Kaiju, but had no other effect.

"Okay, let's try this!" Ozaki snapped, arming the missile launchers in the Jaeger's shoulders.

Half a dozen missiles launched, streaking towards Barugaron. They struck home, detonating on impact and knocking the Kaiju backwards.

Ozaki and Karkov popped their wrists forward, extending the swords in Kiryu's arms, and entered a fighting stance, waiting for the Kaiju to come to them.

Predictably, Barugaron launched itself towards the Jaeger, clawed hands poised to strike.

"Wait for it…" Karkov hissed. "Wait…"

Just as Barugaron was almost upon them, both pilots acted as one.

Two voices rang out. "Now!"

And Kiryu moved, swinging its right arm up and driving the sword up into the Kaiju's throat, driving the blade up under its jaw and into Barugaron's head. With a powerful twist of its body, Kiryu slammed the Kaiju down onto the sea floor. Blue blood poured forth around the blade, and Barugaron let out a gurgling screech of pain.

And, with a powerful swing of its left arm and a yell of exertion from Ozaki and Karkov, Kiryu swung its other sword down on the back of the Kaiju's neck.

The blade struck deep, cutting through flesh and muscle, but Barugaron was still flailing wildly, trying to get up. Its claws slashed across Kiryu's left side, ripping open gashes in the Jaeger's armor, but not penetrating internal systems.

"Let's end this!" Ozaki yelled.

With a snarl, the pilots forced the sword deeper into the Kaiju's neck, carving through more flesh and eventually hitting bone with a crunch. Instantly, the Kaiju's frenzied struggling ceased, and it fell back, still kicking spasmodically.

And, with a final effort, Kiryu's sword cut all the way through, and decapitated Barugaron. The Jaeger stood up, with the Kaiju's severed head still impaled on its right sword, and let Barugaron's headless corpse fall limply to the seafloor, twitching weakly.

"Nice one!" Ozaki called to Karkov.

The Russian scientist turned to face him. His teeth were bared in a feral, predatory grin, and his eyes glowed orange behind the visor of his helmet. Ozaki actually flinched backwards.

Then Karkov seemed to regain control of himself, shaking his head. The orange light in his eyes vanished, and he grinned. "Agreed," he said. "Come on! The others need our help!"

After a moment, Ozaki nodded hesitantly. "Right," he agreed.

Suddenly, Karkov grunted in pain, bending over and reaching up to grasp at his head. A surge of pain, mixed with… something else…

"Jake?" Ozaki inquired in surprise. "Are you okay?"

Karkov didn't reply for a long moment, still doubled over in pain.

"Jake?" Ozaki asked again, becoming more concerned. "Jake!"

Abruptly, Karkov's head snapped up. His eyes were wide, shocked, and as Ozaki watched, they flashed orange again.

And then Karkov smiled.

"I'm fine," he said softly. "We're fine."

Ozaki's eyes narrowed in surprise. We? he thought.

.

In the LOCCENT…

As Herc and Tendo continued monitoring the ongoing battle, Miki Saegusa suddenly gasped, taking a step away from the console and placing a hand on her forehead.

"Miss Saegusa?" Gottlieb asked in surprise, walking over to her. "Are you all right?"

Miki looked up at him, her eyes wide in surprise. One hand was still on her forehead.

"I can feel him," she whispered.

Gottlieb frowned in confusion. "Feel who?"

The sudden blare of another alarm rang through the room, startling the group.

"Tendo, what's going on?" Herc demanded.

"Sir, we're picking up another Kaiju," Tendo reported, looking at the screen. "Only… it's not coming from the Breach. It's approaching from the northeast, and gaining speed."

"What category?" Herc asked.

Tendo turned slowly to face them, his face ashen. "Sir… it's him." He turned back to the screen, indicating the designator that had just come up next to the Kaiju.

Kaiju Detected

Category: 5

Designation: Godzilla

Herc stared fixedly at the screen, his face frozen in horror. "Oh, god," he whispered.

Newt's eyes almost bulged out of his head. "You've got to be kidding me!" he exclaimed.

.

As Striker attempted to pick itself up, a huge dark shape slammed down directly in front of it. Huge clawed feet dug into the seafloor, sending up a cloud of silt.

.

Raleigh stared at his instruments, not believing what he was seeing. "No way…" he breathed.

Mako nodded. She only said one word, but it was whispered in a tone that was somewhere between terror and awe.

"Gojira."

.

A massive reptilian head tilted back. Clawed fingers flexed.

Then the creature's jaws opened, and Godzilla's primeval roar resounded through the depths of the ocean.

The challenge did not go unanswered. Slattern, still hovering above the Breach, bellowed in response, its three tails lashing angrily.

Godzilla snarled, his orange eyes flashing with rage, and spread his arms wide, entering a fighting stance.

Slattern reacted immediately; its immense body leaned downward towards the seafloor, muscles flexing, and it launched itself forward, bearing down on Godzilla like a juggernaut. Its tails whipped back and forth behind it, propelling it forward and towing a river of current behind its mass.

Godzilla reacted with remarkable speed. No doubt realizing that he shouldn't risk taking that much force head-on, the First Kaiju spun to one side, moving much faster than his size should have allowed. He raised both arms, and, as Slattern rushed past him, slammed down a double-fist on the back of its neck, sending it crashing headfirst into the seafloor.

Slattern tumbled past Striker, rolling for about a hundred yards before it came to rest. With a snarl, it immediately scrambled to its feet, tails lashing.

Godzilla didn't wait this time; he charged, roaring.

Slattern surged forward, propelling itself towards its challenger by digging its claws into the ground and pushing off.

They collided with the force of a tidal wave. Although Slattern was almost twice Godzilla's size, the First Kaiju more than held his own, pushing it back. He wasn't able to stop it completely, but he did slow it down. The force of Slattern's charge shoved him backwards, his feet tearing up the ground as it jolted him to the right, then the left.

An adequate comparison on the human scale to this situation would be the example of a professional, two-hundred-fifty-pound wrestler trying to hold back a charging bull.

Except that Godzilla was a lot stronger, relatively speaking, than your average wrestler.

With a roar, the First Kaiju managed to wrap his arms around the two extended prongs of Slattern's T-shaped head. Putting all of his power into the task, Godzilla swung his arms upwards, flipping Slattern backwards over his head, and then let go, throwing the larger Kaiju away. Slattern crashed down on its back, a hundred yards away, with a bellow of anger.

Turning, Godzilla snarled, his spines flashing with blue light, and fired his atomic heat ray. The beam struck Slattern on the left flank just as it stood up, searing open an angry wound and knocking it off-balance. A second blast followed, this one stronger than the first. The impact blasted Slattern backwards through another hydrothermal vent, bathing it in searingly hot water, and sending it crashing to the ground. It wasn't dead – it wasn't even seriously injured, actually – but it was down, at least for the moment.

As Godzilla was about to charge back towards his opponent to continue the fight, he stopped abruptly. Turning his head towards the Breach, the First Kaiju growled, the sound rumbling in his chest.

"What's he looking at?" Ozaki asked from Kiryu's Conn Pod.

Karkov shook his head. "I don't know," he murmured.

.

In the LOCCENT…

Miki flinched, placing her index and middle fingers on her temples.

"Miss Saegusa?" Gottlieb asked, looking at her in concern.

Miki turned, her eyes wide in fear. "It's coming," she gasped. "It's coming!"

.

It was time again.

The young race, the race of insects that inhabited this planet, had come to the portal, attempting to destroy it. An ally, one of this world's other inhabitants, had come to their aid.

The masters' servants were losing their battle, and so the masters had set upon an alternate solution.

Go forth, they commanded it. Kill the insects, and their ally.

It would do that. Gladly.

.

"Sir!" Tendo exclaimed. "Fifth signature emerging from the Breach!"

"Five," Newt said incredulously. "A quintuple event."

"God, I was right," Gottlieb whispered.

"What category?" Herc asked.

Tendo's eyes widened in terror. Without saying anything, he hit a button, bringing up the designator.

Kaiju Detected

Category: 5

Designation: King Ghidorah

.

With a blast of energy, the Breach opened again. All eyes turned to the edge of the chasm that led down to the portal.

An all-too-familiar cackle rang out, followed by a high-pitched, screeching roar.

Raleigh felt a chill run down his spine.

"Oh, god," Ozaki muttered.

And then it emerged.

Rising slowly, majestically, out of the Breach, King Ghidorah came to a halt, hovering above them. Its golden scales gleamed in the glowing light of the Breach. Three long, serpentine necks waved sinuously, three heads gazing down at its enemies with cold, malevolent eyes. Its huge golden wings were spread, allowing the Kaiju to maneuver as easily underwater as it could in the air.

Godzilla stepped forward, his gleaming orange eyes locked on King Ghidorah. His jaws opened, and he roared, the sound deafening.

King Ghidorah's eyes locked onto the challenger. It replied with a chorus of three screeching roars, energy crackling over its golden scales.

"Okay," Ozaki said grimly over the command net. "Now it's a fight."

.

AN: And here we are again. Hope you guys all enjoyed the first half of the final battle! With any luck, I should have the next chapter finished and posted by next week, just in time for the new Godzilla movie to come out!

If anyone's wondering what Barugaron looks like, aside from the description I gave of him in this chapter, just search "Barugaron" on Google Images; he looks pretty cool.

Shoutouts to Prototron MJ Tornada, Mister. Enigma, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, The-real-dragon-rider, onyx95, Noob6, Perfect Carnage, KaijuDirector007, MoarCrossovers, SupernalGodzilla, WhoaCreeper, Hercules8, Varan04276, mechagigan2004, Wyvernsaurus, kwak73, prodigisk, EVA-Saiyajin and Kaore Ryu for reviewing! You guys are awesome!

As always, I tremendously appreciate feedback on my work, so if anyone has a question or comment on this chapter or the story as a whole, please review! (No hate, please).

See you all next time, for the epic finale! :)