Mmh…

The sun is bright today.

And I am… Still sleepy.

A massive yawn shook the leaves of trees all around.

I wonder if the nice tiny one will be here today.

Kong stood and meandered down the hill and to the water, taking a moment to scratch an itch at the juncture of his glute and thigh. A grand waterfall dwarfing him in size served to help him bathe as he stretched his shoulders and rolled his neck beneath the flowing waters.

Once satisfied with the gleam in his fur, Kong made his way to a large clearing before taking a wiff of the air.

Mm… They are watching.

A glance over his shoulder caught a flicker of movement in the brush down below the tree canopy.

Being so puny helps you hide from my eyes. But you cannot hide from my nose or ears.

Kong lifted his heel and slammed it into the ground causing a tremor to erupt and spread throughout the area. A few gasps and the sound of something heavy hitting the ground caught his attention, and he gave a grunt of satisfaction and continued on.

Looking up at the sun, Kong shielded his eyes before letting his arm fall. Squinting against the light he looked right, then left. He gave the air a heavy sniff and his mouth puckered as his nose scrunched.

Grabbing a tree at its base and ripping it free of the ground he gripped the trunk and raked his hand down the shaft to tear the branches and leaves away. The tree's trunk slimmed to a point at the end, and he tossed it up and down in his hand a few times to feel the weight.

The sun is bright, but not warm.

Kong took several giant steps towards the sun, but paused upon a glance down at the sight of movement. A tiny red jacket against the greenery pulled his eyes, and he stopped to kneel down and get a closer look at what was unfolding.

Ah. Nice tiny one. And me.

The little Kong effigy in her hands was lowered revealing a smile on her face. Kong half returned the smile and stood up straight.

Good to see you both… But I am in no mood to play today.

Kong pulled back and let fly with the tree which tore through the air and slammed into the heavens revealing dozens of panels of video panels all working together to create the illusion of a bright warm sky above Skull Island. Electricity crackled and sizzled as the surrounding panels flickered and glitched in response.

Kong huffed a breath and released an angry roar which shook the ground and forced Jia to cover her ears, dropping her Kong effigy in the process.

Inside the observation room Doctor Ilene Andrews, Doctor Serizawa, Doctor Ilene Chen, Doctor Graham, and Joe Brody in his wheel chair all braced themselves against the tremor caused by Kong's attack.

"Incredible." Joe whispered.

"Doctor Andrews. This containment facility will not hold Kong for much longer." Serizawa warned.

"I know, Serizawa. But we don't have a choice. It's the only way to keep him safe." She replied.

"Safe from what?" Doctor Chen asked.

"From your mentor's pet project." Andrews replied sharply.

Doctor Chen's lips tightened, but she was restrained from speaking by a single hand gesture from Serizawa.

"Godzilla has left Kong's kind in peace since before Kong was born. Why do you think Godzilla would consider him a threat now?" Doctor Graham asked.

"Because Kong's the only Titan on Earth that Godzilla hasn't attacked in the last six to eight months." Andrews replied.

Serizawa took a deep breath as Andrews pointed a finger at him.

"I'm not letting Kong become his next victim."

"Gojira is establishing dominance, Ilene." He pleaded.

"And what happens when two Alphas converge in the wild, Doctor?" She asked.

"One of them must bow." He replied.

"Or?" She continued.

Serizawa huffed through his nose.

"… Or die." She finished for him.

At that moment, Jia arrived holding her Kong effigy and tugged on Andrews' jacket.

Kneeling down and greeting Jia happily, she told the girl via sign that she was in an important meeting and would talk later. It took a moment to get Jia to comply, but once she had and was on her way Andrews turned back to the group.

"Look, Serizawa. Everyone. Five years ago Godzilla defeated Monster Zero and asserted his dominance. 'The Roar Heard Round The World,' as it was called in the media. Remember? All of the Titans bowed regardless of where in the world they were. Godzilla stood alone and was treated as the Alpha. But now he's out there picking fights and making them all bow a second time by force. Why?"

A few of the other doctors and scientists exchanged glances, but none could return an answer.

"Exactly. Godzilla's not just acting like an Alpha. He's acting like a bully. And Kong isn't one to be bullied or pushed around. He'd never submit if Godzilla came for him. And given what we all know Godzilla can do, if that were to happen it would be a death sentence for Kong. And I'm not going to let that happen."

"If I may, Doctor Andrews?" Joe asked.

"I'm sorry. Who are you, again?" She asked.

"Joe Brody, ma'am. I was a nuclear engineer working in Janjira during the 1999 power plant meltdown at the hands of the Male MUTO."

"Ah, that's right. Apologies, mister Brody."

"It's fine. Anyway. I've been studying the Titans ever since the 2014 incident in San Francisco. And if we consider Godzilla's behavior to be that of an Alpha asserting dominance, it's not really as surprising as you make it out to be."

"How's that, mister Brody?"

"Because there are many in the animal kingdom who, when they're the Alpha of a pride, pack, herd, family group, whatever, will occasionally reassert their dominance whenever they sense unease or tension in the group. Sometimes it's as simple as restoring order and preemptively stopping in-fighting. And I think there was an example of that not too long ago between the Titans Behemoth and Amhuluk. The two were fighting in Behemoth's known territory and Godzilla had to step in and make them both back down and go their separate ways. Right?"

Andrews heaved a long sigh.

"Look. I know it's not exactly a comfort knowing that Godzilla's making the rounds like this. But when you consider it from his own perspective then-"

"I'm sorry. His own perspective, mister Brody?"

"Yes. His perspective as an Alpha in a herd or pack or whatever you want to call all of the Titans."

"As much as I appreciate what you're trying to do by comparing Godzilla's behavior to something natural and not inherently violent, I have to remind you that we're all still only just beginning to unravel the mystery of what the Titans are, why they do what they do, and who each one of them truly is as an individual. And while they may look like animals and have some known animalistic behaviors, they're not animals. They're monsters. Creatures too big and too powerful for their own good. And if one of them gets it in their head that it's time to show everyone who's boss, what's to stop them from doing the same to humanity once they're done with the other Titans?"

Joe cleared his throat, and Serizawa stepped up.

"That is where you're wrong, Ilene. The Titans are still animals. They were born on this world just like any other. And their kind have lived and died on this world like any other for longer than any of us can imagine. Their size is unique to a time long before even the dinosaurs. But they are still animals."

"Agree to disagree, Serizawa."

"What do you really have against the Titans?" Doctor Chen asked in a harsh tone.

"It's not that I have anything against them, Doctor Chen. It's that I don't trust our lack of knowledge about them. And unlike most of you, it seems, I prefer not leaving anything to chance or simply hoping for a positive outcome. Godzilla's acting out and fighting the others to assert himself. And when Kong doesn't bow, there can only be one Alpha standing when it's over. And that's not going to end well for Kong."

Doctor Chen was clearly not convinced, but relented and took a step back.

"Are we done?" Doctor Andrews asked.

Nobody spoke up.

"I'm sorry you had to see Kong acting out like that. We'll figure out what to do about him soon. For now, though, he has to stay here where it's safe."

"Why do you think it's safe?" Joe asked.

"Because, mister Brody, we've managed to use the findings from Mark Russell's data from the ORCA device to produce a copy of Kong's vocalizations and broadcast a signal that's exactly out of phase with it. When Kong's vocalizations and frequencies come into contact with it, they're canceled out. So as long as he's inside this dome, Godzilla will never know he's here."

"You think that Gojira's senses are so easily deceived?" Serizawa asked in a calm, low voice.

"I believe what the data tells me, and what I've seen with my own eyes. Godzilla responds most readily to the other Titan's audio frequencies. If we cancel Kong's frequencies out, it's basically putting Kong blinders on Godzilla."

Serizawa said nothing. But his calm, quiet stare told all.

"Now, if we're quite finished… I've somewhere to be."

Doctor Andrews took her leave. And almost as soon as the door was shut, Doctor Chen shook her head.

"Bitch." She muttered.

"Clam yourself, Ilene." Serizawa scolded.

She gave a subtle bow of her head.

"Mister Brody. What do you think?" Serizawa asked.

"I think she really cares about Kong and will do anything to keep him safe." Joe replied.

Serizawa nodded.

"I suppose she is not so different from me and my interest in Gojira."

Joe nodded with a slight chuckle.

"Yeah. Got that right."

"How is your son?" Doctor Graham asked.

"Ford? Oh, he's doing well. He took Elle and Sam and moved to another section of San Francisco. But I think he said he's due for deployment again soon. Hasn't said where yet."

"Ah. Well please give him our best." Doctor Graham said with a smile.

"Definitely. Thanks Vivienne."

Serizawa smiled with a nod.

Meanwhile, in Jia's room, Andrews walked in and smiled apologetically.

"You were gone a long time." Jia signed.

"Sorry. My colleagues and I get really caught up in our conversations sometimes." Andrews signed back.

"You seem sad."

"Me? No. Why do you think that?"

"The way you looked at me when you came in."

"Did I look strange?" She signed while making a silly face.

Jia smiled.

"Yes. Very strange."

"Well. I guess I have been a bit stressed about Kong attacking the dome."

"He's sad too."

"Why do you think that?"

"After he roared at the roof he walked away with his head down. Doesn't that mean he's sad?"

"I don't know. Maybe he is a little sad. But being here is safe for him. So for now we need to do our best to make him comfortable and keep him healthy."

"I see."

"Want some dinner?"

Jia nodded.

"Okay. What would you like?"

"Pizza!"

Andrews laughed and gave Jia a look before hugging her and kissing her forehead.

"How about something healthier? I'll make your favorite."

Jia clapped her hands and Andrews' mouth hung open for a sec before giving Jia another look.

"Did you say 'pizza' because you knew I'd offer your favorite meal?"

Jia shrugged and shook her head. And to this, Andrews couldn't help but laugh again.

"You little sneak."

Taking Jia's hand she led her out of the room and through the halls towards the dining room.

Out in the wilderness, Kong laid down against the base of a mountain and looked up at the fake sun overhead.

The sun is bright. The skies are open. The clouds float by. The trees are swaying. Everything looks as it should.

But the birds… They never land. The winds come and go in cycles too perfect to be natural. There are no more storms. There is no more smell of the sea.

This place. This… Prison.

Kong laid down all the way and put his head in his hand.

… I hate it.