7:57 PM

July 15th, 1989

Twenty-five miles off the coast of Madagascar

A grey steel ship of moderate size surged through the waves under the starlit sky. It was a clear night despite the steadily growing drizzle of rainfall. In time, the rain would fall heavier.

Resembling a repurposed fishing vessel in its design, the ship had a steel deck at its front and back while orange buoys hung from the metal railings. A large cabin took up space in the middle. Black circular windows on the sides of the cabin were lit up by white lights alongside a large rectangular window at the front of the cabin. There were steel doors on the left, right and back end of the structure. A circular radar dish with a green light at its end swiveled from atop the cabin. A wire attached to the back of the dish fed down into an open hatch in the top of the cabin.

A steady hum emitted from the dish as it swiveled alongside the rumble of the waves. Suddenly, this humming grew louder and more insistent. The green light began to flash yellow as the dish creaked around till it was pointing ahead of the front deck. The light solidified to a hard yellow as the humming echoed into a steady drone like an alarm.

The waves ahead began to churn as rain began to fall harder, pattering against the deck like little artillery shells. Water foamed and swirled in the distance as a massive form moved under the depths.

One of the metal doors on the side opened with a hiss and a mechanical clank as a slightly hunched figure clad in a long white raincoat emerged from the light and advanced onto the front deck. Weathered fingers grabbed onto the railing at the front as pellets of rain fell behind the hooded figure, white sea spray hitting the side of the boat. Reaching up with a wrinkly hand, the figure pulled his hood back to reveal the aged countenance of an Asian man with short yet unkempt white hair alongside a small mustache and growing beard, giving a bit of a wild look to him. Staring forwards with a widening grin, he barely registered the footprints echoing behind him.

Another man in a raincoat, this one green, rushed out onto the deck, hood pulled over to reveal the youthful face of a Caucasian man with short dark hair. Pushing up a pair of glasses on his face with one hand, he held a thick radio attached to a cord coming from his long sleeve with the other. "Doctor Mafune, I think I know why the target stopped moving forwards, we've just started to detect a second sonar signature swimming towards it." He spoke quickly in an American accent before pausing for breath. "So, uh, maybe we shouldn't be outside when it happens?"

Mafune didn't seem interested in listening. He simply stared ahead. Suddenly, there was a flash of a red, bumpy limb before a massive pair of red scaled jaws burst through the seething surface ahead of them. A trumpeting howl overpowered the roar of the water as the jaws snapped shut before sinking. A massive red tail topped by a fleshy yellow fin broke through the water and swung from side to side before splashing down to the right, sending up droplets of water that fell like the rain. Dark clouds steadily formed above them as rainfall surged.

The man with the tablet stepped back, visibly nervous.

Mafune's grin widened and became rapturous.

"Mother of God." The tablet man whispered.

"She had nothing to do with this." A coarse, deeper voice answered from behind him.

Startled and trying not to jump, he turned to regard the man who had just walked up behind him.

Forgoing a raincoat, he wore a thick blue sweater and a pair of thick camo colored cargo pants. His worn, gaunt face and cold blue eyes spoke of much familiarity with conflict. Greying blonde hair cut to a buzz cut, he was a well-built and rugged man. The tattoo on his left shoulder-a sword with a feathery wing on its left and right with a ribbon at the point of the blade with the words "Who dares wins" written across it-further hinted at an interesting past. A black holster lay at the side of his belt.

"Damnit Jonah, don't startle me like that." the tablet man hissed with annoyance. Jonah simply took a place at one of the windows, leaning back on the metal side of the cabin with his arms crossed. "Then keep a better eye on your surroundings, Mr. Stanton." he replied unapologetically. Stanton looked like he was eager to say something right back until a small childlike figure in a hooded raincoat ran past him, Stanton having missed their emergence from the door during his brief argument with Jonah.

Jonah raised an eyebrow while Stanton stood there before righting himself, quickly figuring out who it was. "Doctor, your grand-"

"Grandpa!" a young, high-pitched voice called out as the small figure ran to the railing beside Mafune just as lightning struck across the sky, illuminating the boat and the raging whirlpool ahead, one that was suddenly far bigger then before. The small figure yelped in surprise as a wave hit the boat and grabbed onto the railing in a death grip. The surge of motion caused the hood to fall back, revealing the countenance of a pale-faced child with messy dark hair. Mafune's hand shot out like a claw as he grabbed the child's shoulder, holding her steady before she could slip.

Throughout these events, Mafune kept staring ahead with his rapturous smile.

Stanton, who had reached out as soon as the wave hit, sighed in relief while Jonah watched with narrowed eyes, both having been ready to intervene if necessary.

Before more could be said, the ocean in front of them erupted in a blast of dark water as another massive howl split the night. Eyes wide, Stanton grabbed a nearby rail above him and shouted into the radio, "-evasive maneuvers, slow the hell down target has emerged I repeat-" as Jonah braced himself against the wall, grabbing onto a large hook.

All the time, Mafune kept the wide-eyed child in his grip as she held on for dear life. Mafune himself seemed barely bothered by the roar of the winds and the water.

From the depths, the beast arises.

A massive red form broke through the surface, rain falling across the scaly black and red bumps over the skin. Glowing yellow eyes with slit black irises opened. A long yellow fin like that of a Spinosaur ran down the back of its body. A mohawk shaped fin ran down the back of the head, while two smaller fins protruded from the sides of its head like ears. Two bony white antennas that looked like horns protruded from the top of the head. Red jaws filled with pointed white fangs opened with a trumpeting howl that was heard and felt as a forked tongue flicked outwards, catching rain across it. The antennae twitched like rattles. Yellow-white segments of armor ran down its neck and chest, emphasizing the abdominal area. Two massive red arms spread out before two claws with three black talons at each end clanged together with another shrieking roar, forming a shower of sparks that burst into steam under the torrenting rain.

TITANOSAURUS

The beast's tail rose and swiveled from side to side before slamming into the water on the left as it roared again. There was a motion near it, a large black fin cutting across the water. Titanosaurus suddenly turned its gaze and pounced forwards with a roar and a massive splash. The great red tail slammed was visible above the raging surface, wildly waving back and forth to the left as the kaiju struggled with its opponent.

On the boat, the shocked silence was broken by Mafune. "Magnificent." he croaked out in a deep, almost burnt sounding voice. Like someone who had been shouting their entire life. The child at his side watched with wide eyes, breathing heavily yet not speaking. Stanton continued barking orders into the radio as the boat slowly turned and prepared to circle. Despite the rain continuing to pour, the largest and most dangerous of the waves remained at the center of the storm, which they were a decent distance from. Not far enough in Stanton's understandable opinion.

Jonah stood and held his ground, impassive as ever on the outside. But kept his eyes completely locked on the tail of the raging beast, eyes narrowed and heard under deep focus.

Stanton stood back near Jonah's spot. Rain thumped down onto the edge of a tin roof hanging over them, providing some cover as small rivers fell down the sides like a waterfall.

"I'd say we turn-holy shit!" Stanton shouted as Titanosaurus surfaced with a roar, holding a large wiggling thing close to it with its claws.

The creature was black and slimy, but the shape was unmistakably that of a massive shark. Looking like a distorted great white from a distance, its tail slapped against the water with a loud crack. Massive jaws tried to snap at the face of the larger red titan.

"Megalodon! I knew some escaped the Mediterranean barricade but-"

Titanosaurus bit down onto the gills on the left side of the shark, holding it in place as it shoved three black talons into the body and carved them downwards. Another flash of light from the storm illuminated the torrent of blood that came forth from the shark as its struggles intensified then seized as it twitched in the giant's grip. Gushing blood washed over Titanosaurus's pale armored abdomen and painted it red.

The child let out a cry and looked down, covering her head with the hood. Mafune said nothing, but he did pull his granddaughter closer to him.

"He has a fine technique. Maybe we should hire him to cut the chum next time." Jonah snarked, but there was still a serious undercurrent to his gaze and tone. Stanton gaped next to him at the sight of the dinosaur tearing into the shark before regaining his awareness as panicked voices called to him on the radio. The radar dish above them sparked and blared, the alarming tone rising. The roars, the storm, and the ship created a chaotic cacophony.

Shoving a claw inside, Titanosaurus lifted up the shark before shoving its maw into the massive cut it had opened. Shaking its head violently as it tore into the body that was slipping in its grip, Titanosaurus dove back down into the sea with its catch, sending up a spray of red water with the impact. While the titan was below the surface, waves collided and churned above. The ship rode out the waves that neared it, expertly dodging past the most violent parts of the chaotic storm. Stanton held the radio to his ear and turned to give a thumbs up at the window. "Damn good steering job Majors, once we hit the shore I'm paying for your tab!" A shower of sparks suddenly shot off from the radar tower, causing him to curse. "Damnit, sonar dish just barfed sparks. What's going on down there-what do you mean the signal is increasing?! Turn the oscillator down-"

Uncaring or unaware of the drama behind him. Mafune kept his eyes focused on the sea. He gently pulled back the hood of his granddaughter. She wiped her eyes, tear streaks running down them. "We-when do we go home?!" She tentatively asked in a much lower voice then before. The old man turned to her, grin undamped. "After."

Before she could inquire, the water in front of them exploded in a spray as Titanosaurus rapidly resurfaced, grey strips of scales and muscles slipping off its form with the water as it shook something white and squishy, either a stomach and liver, that was half-way down its throat. Tilting its head back, the beast's jaw widened like a snake's as it swallowed the flesh, crooning in contentment. The sound echoed across the wind.

The clouds darkened, shadowing its form slightly. It was leaning its body forwards, about to go back underwater, when it suddenly turned sharply.

In their direction. Glowing yellow eyes looked back and forth, up and down, as if it was looking for something. Seeing this, the child yelped and pulled her hood forwards before turning to stand behind her grandfather. Listening to bursts of noise on his radio, Stanton's face grew paler as he turned to Mafune. "Doctor, the sonar team just got a response. An unknown power signature just came into contact with the system's frequency and overloaded it. They think it sensed the sub-sonar and attempted to communicate-Oh shit it just attempted to communicate what do we do?" Jonah turned to him, now listening with far more seriousness then before. Titanosaurus leaned its body down, and it was now swimming with all four limbs as it sent a call out to the wind. The ship was turning away to the left , but it wouldn't be long until they were spotted.

"Sensitivity to sound waves and certain frequencies. I was right!" the old man barked out, almost laughing as the dish began to shake uncontrollably behind him. Another call echoed in front of the storm, rattling the dish even more. Mafune was lost in his own little world. Cursing and feeling that he must have snapped, Stanton turned back to the radio. "We don't have much time, I need you all to manually shut down every piece of equipment but be careful-" He hurried. Jonah moved past him, hand on his holster. "First you all need to-"

Two gunshots rang out as a new shower of sparks fell, making Stanton jump and slip. Cursing as he pushed himself up, he turned to regard the sight of Jonah standing in the middle of the deck, an outstretched revolver in hand. Water dripped off of him. An ethereal trail of gunsmoke puffed out of the barrel.

Two holes had been shot into the radar dish, which sparked and sputtered before losing power. The light dimmed to an empty black as the dish dropped downwards, acrid smoke wafting off it as the rainfall began to cease. "Problem solved." Jonah crisply replied as he holstered the gun. Stanton stood rigidly as reports clipped in from the static, of people saying that the sub-sonar device had gone dark after the radar connection broke. "Roger that," he whispered, unable to believe they were still alive. Wait-

He stiffened, not wanting to turn around as he heard a large groan and the familiar sound of falling water.

It must have been a hundred feet away, but the looming sight of Titanosaurus felt far closer. Its upper half above the water, the beast regarded them with its glowing eyes. The storm had begun to part, great grey clouds breaking as the sea calmed. Now it was just them, the boat, and the beast. The boat slowed down, and now the side faced the Titan. Nobody moved, from the humans still on deck to the red titan. The giant slowly swiveled its head as the boat slowed on top of the gently rocking waters. The moon glowed down upon the sea.

The lights dimmed. It was a risky tactic, but one that Majors had apparently used in the past; turn off power, keep still. "Play dead" or at the very least don't move quickly like prey or a threat. It was a trick used by both civilian and military vessels in the past once the kaiju began rising in earnest. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.

Or perhaps Majors had done nothing and shooting the radar dish had damaged more then the sonar. The four on deck quite literally had a bigger thing to immediately focus on.

Titanosaurus slowly leaned forwards, mouth opening as it let out a low groan, almost a croon as mist seeped from the sides of those massive jaws. Eyes narrowed. It had seen them.

Breathing heavily, Stanton kept his head down, barely registering the noises from the crew inside the ship. The calls coming from the radio might as well have been static under the all consuming gaze of the red giant.

Jonah stood his ground, meeting the deep gaze with his own. Unflappable and unafraid of death as one who was so familiar with it.

Mafune gripped the railing on the side. He looked ready to cry, but not in fear. He reached out with an old hand, as if he could reach ahead and touch it. "And they called me mad." he rasped with glee.

The child slowly poked her head out from behind him as the beast remained still. Taking a few steps, despite everything she went back to her spot on the railing by her grandfather as if those cold eyes were drawing her forwards.

The staredown, the silent terror and other feelings, they continued for less then half a minute. For everyone aboard, it must have felt like hours.

With a soft growl and flick of its forked tongue, Titanosaurus slowly turned away and lowered the rest of its body into the water. Submerging with one last wave churning splash of its tail, the Titan vanished into the great depths.

None of the witnesses would go ashore unchanged.

[-]

Located on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, the country of Gabon was divided into nine provinces. One such province was named after the Ngouniè River that ran through it. Like the rest of the country, the Ngouniè Province was home to a myriad of peoples that included the descendants of native tribes, colonists, and immigrants.

To a variety of environments, ranging from green rainforests and grassy plains to steep mountains and growing towns.

To over five and a half thousand species of flora in addition to hundreds of animal species.

And to a living Titan who towered above the forests and towns.

One who had sprung forth from the Earth, out of legend and into everyday life like so many others in the past century.

And where these strange beasts ended up treading, there would be those who feared them.

Those who fought them.

And those who sought them.

[-]

Early Morning

February 16th, 2014

Ngouniè Province, Gabon

Mafune Residence

On the line between civilization and nature, a seeker prepared for her journey.

The room was surrounded by four wooden walls and a roof. The floor was of similar make, albeit with sparse carpeting with more then a few rips and tears in it. A single disused light bulb hung from the ceiling. There were two entrances in the back of the room, one a wooden door, the other a simple beige tarp. Fading moonlight streamed through two glass windows on the left.

Shelves to the right were stocked with books and disc cases, while most other furniture consisted of a few tables with objects strewn about them, ranging from radios and microscopes to books and VHS tapes. An outdated artistic depiction of an Allosaurus menaced explorers on the cover of Doyle's The Lost World. Randa's Hollow Earth: Past and Future was emblazoned with a still frame of a riverside battle between two young skullcrawlers, a shot straight from the infamous "Skull Tapes''. Most of the VHS's were documentaries and such. A few with no covers were kept in clear cases with words like "Incident Footage" and "Mega Encounter '' written in black marker with certain dates and names to help distinguish them. One particularly worn VHS contained a copy of The Terminator. On the cover, the leather clad visage of Sylvester Stallone menacingly stared ahead, silver pistol raised as a red eye glowered under his shades.

At the back of the room near the tarp, the seeker sat in front of an old oak desk. A laptop and a fan sat side by side as she typed on the former. A woman of Asian descent, she wore a white t-shirt and beige shorts that were common in the hot climate. The woman's skin had a bronze tan that spoke of much time in the sun. Her long dark hair was tied into two straight twin tails that went down to her waist. Sitting on top of a wooden swivel seat, the woman leaned forwards as her fingers clacked over the keyboard, white light reflecting off a pair of rectangular glasses.

Two photos were on the desk to the side. The first photo was a blurry image that appeared to have been taken from an aerial view at night over the ocean. A familiar red tail of great size rose from the surface of the waves, foamy sea water falling off the sides of it. The yellow fin at the end was slightly worn and had few tears in it. The darkness made it hard to make out the rest of the creature that the great limb was attached to. 01/22/13 Atlantic 10:00 PM was helpfully written above.

The second photo depicted the fossilized form of a massive creature that resembled a mosasaur. The fossil sat on the bottom of a metallic tank full of red-tinted water while a team of divers clad in black armor swam around the body. Heavy spotlights illuminated the scene from above. Black tube-like wires plugged into the back the armored divers, keeping them suspended while the team shined additional light on the bones. Other divers appeared to be in the process of taking samples with drill tipped devices that resembled augers. The devices were labeled on their shiny gray sides with the image of a red DNA strand. The picture appeared to have been taken from behind a reinforced window, judging by the dark shadow of the apparent photographer that could be faintly seen on a clear surface close to the skull of the animal. There was no date, but Hebei Mine Fossil was crudely written in Mandarin symbols near the bottom.

Three posted notes were scattered across the desk.. Hastily written kana letters conveyed the seekers thoughts.

-Fifth sighting at Sargasso Sea over a four month period. Investigating a threat? Old territory?

-Facility design and tech consistent with known SP operations. Source of leak unknown.

-Fossil rumored to be formally classified as T. Aquatilis. Possible subspecies? Ancestor or descendant of T?

Names and locations were transcribed along with numbered sequences that denoted the days and times of sightings of a particular creature. Modern Titanosaurus Sightings/Incidents [Updated] labeled her document in the upper left category of the program. She began to transcribe her paper notes onto the screen then checked her watch. It was getting close to that time.

After making sure her progress was saved, she opened a small drawer on the left of the desk and reached into it, pulling out a red flare gun, a worn yellow key, and a wallet in the process. She was about to close it when the sight of something within made her pause.

A black plastic card attached to a dark cord lay at the bottom of the wooden drawer. The upper right corner was imprinted with a logo made up of two black and white triangles facing each other.

The symbol of Monarch, one sometimes compared to an hourglass or a moth.

To the left was a headshot of her younger self. The hair was shorter, down to her shoulders. Brown eyes were visible without her glasses. Information on the right side of the card listed various details alongside dates and other general information.

-Mion Mafune

-Bioacoustics Division

-Outpost Clearance 075/089/094

-Access Lvl 4

It had not been touched or worn for some time.

Slowly closing the drawer, she then exited the room through the tarp side entrance.

[-]

The light of dawn slowly rose over the savannah and wooden residence in the middle of it. Grass fields lay at the back, while some old gaboon trees stood tall over the rest of the savannah. A rough winding dirt road curved away from the entrance, with savannah grass surrounding the edges of the path lead towards a series of plains dotted by growing trees and grassland hills. Under the mist fall that came with the morning, a green mountain peaked in the distance.

The lodge itself was topped by a sloping wooden roof. From a distance, it looked like a one-story bungalow. An antenna rod with multiple prongs sticking out of it jutted from the side of the roof. A pair of solid wooden doors in front led towards a small wooden porch. A large patch of savannah grass surrounded most of the building and the dirt roads leading away from it. A shed or garage was near the house in an area that had been cleared of grass. It also led into the road.

Mion exited the house through the doors, now wearing a beige colored safari shirt and pants of the same style. A bandolier of red shotgun shells was strapped across her chest and a sheathed blade was holstered to the right side of her hip. She pulled a wide brimmed sun hat over her head as she took a moment to turn and lock the doors, exposing the steel of the sawed off Mossberg strapped across her back to the gleam of the sun. She walked towards the shed and opened the door by pulling a nearby switch. A two seater buggy with scratches across it's faded beige hood faced the exit next to a similarly scratched up red quad bike. A workbench and with tools hanging next to it lay to the far left of the vehicles. Other tools hung around on the cracked concrete floor. Red metallic jerry cans were in the back with Gas scrawled across them in French. Before heading inside, Mion reached into her pocket and fiddled with something within.

Across the "lawn" of grass between the house and the road, around a dozen metallic spikes suddenly rose with a sound like that of a whip through air. A few of the spikes had faded yellow blood on them. Mion nodded, and with another press the spikes retracted. It was good to see that those still worked.

After a simple gas check, she climbed into the windowless seat at the wheel of the buggy. An old white backpack lay in the right seat. Briefly opening it to check the contents, she secured it with a makeshift seat belt through the straps and then sat back into her seat. After a few twists of a rusting yellow key, the vehicle started.

Exiting the garage, she briefly stopped the vehicle to leave and pull the switch before getting back in. As the garage door rumbled down behind her, she drove down the winding path towards the path leading to the plains and hills of the Savannah.

And to the lush mountainside, the lair of a Titan.

Pushing her glasses up, she grinned.

The life of a kaiju seeker.

She thought of the events that brought her back into it.

[-]

10 miles away from [SITE REDACTED], Central Africa

Mid-January

Two heavily armored green trailers lay parked near a dirt road at the edge of the nearby jungle. Clouds darkened overhead. The first trailer had multiple floodlights at the top and glass windows at the front that signified its status as the drivable section, while light shined from within the second trailer in contrast to the darkened interior of the first. The symbols of Monarch and Toho's K-Watch organization, the latter represented by the shadow of Godzilla's jagged spines over a black and white globe, were welded onto the sides of each RV trailer.

Mion sat at a stool in front of a plastic desk within the second trailer. The trailer had consoles and tools attached to the walls around it as was standard fare for a mobile laboratory. Rain lightly tapped on the windows outside as light from the orange sky began to fade, hinting at the coming of dusk. Light bulbs glowed overhead with an electric hum.

At the desk, Mion poured over the documents in front of her, ones taken from a folder discarded to the side.

Pictures of a massive stone formation with infra-red heat signatures circled deep within were laid out alongside blurry underwater photos of claw marks on cavernous walls, of a fang tangled in radioactive kelp and shedded scales glowing in stirred up sand. An underwater base far more advanced then the ones she knew of.

Technical documents, of rules and of the purpose of the expedition. Contact numbers and addresses for communication before and during the expedition should she accept it.

Half of the thing seemed like a suicide mission to her.

It was also a chance that some megazoologists would kill for. Hell, she knew a few who would.

She turned her gaze ahead, then back to the files.

"Consider me interested." She replied in English, a thick accent born from life in Japan and Gabon rising over her words.

Dressed in plain vests and shorts as expected in this humid climate, two Monarch agents sat attentively at the other end of the table.

The first, a scrawny pale-faced blonde man, was unknown to her. By contrast, she was far more familiar with the aging African-American sitting to the right of him.

Houston Brooks. One of Monarch's leading seismologists, he had quite the reputation in certain circles of the megazoological community. Right up there with names like Serizawa and Tatopoulos, or Saegusa and Shiragami.

She had worked with Brooks multiple times in the past, both in the laboratory and in the field. Despite Mion's reservations towards certain parts of the organization, he was someone she still looked up to after she left alongside a few others. All things considered, compared to other sections it was not his department she specifically had issues with.

Brooks was the one who approached her regarding this confidential expedition. If it hadn't been from him or another familiar face she still had some faith in, she likely wouldn't have given Monarch the time of day.

Looking at the files were what were holding most of her interest and observations, she was definitely glad that she had done so now.

While Brooks patiently sat back and let her digest the information at her own pace, the blonde man began talking about why they had sought her out for the expedition, not unlike someone giving a sales pitch. She mentally filtered most of it out as background noise.

"Still one of the best bioacoustics analysts of our time-"

"-you onboard would be a valuable asset-"

"We understand you left on bad terms with Monarch but-"

"-Multiple demi species involved, this is a chance to advance coexistence and our understanding of megafauna-"

Then, when she was still filtering out what she considered unimportant, he just had to say it.

"If he was here I'm sure Shinzo would be-"

"I'll think about it." was all she said back as she walked out the door, contact information in hand.

She barely listened to Brooks harshly reprimanding his fellow agent.

"-Seriously, Bindewald? Of all the things you could have said to Mafune, you had to bring him up?"

[-]

February 16th, 2014.

Again.

Rays of heat penetrated through the jungle as the morning headed towards noon.

With the swing of a serrated black blade, vines and brush fell. Mion held the machete in her thick brown gloves and swung it again through the brush, the pack strapped to her back. She carefully kept an eye out for unnatural sounds as she advanced through the jungle. The vines had been growing again thanks to the rainfall but so far it was no major inconvenience for her. She was more worried about the wildlife. At least most native carnivores like big cats and canines lived much further into the jungle. It was the invasive species like ferals and meganulon juvies that were always a concern across the country.

That's why she had her shotgun. Surprisingly, she only had to use it seven times this year, but she knew that number would soon increase. Thankfully the mutant populations were nowhere near as bad as they once were. Exterminator units, both native and from abroad, had been keeping meganulon numbers down. Then there was the unique benefit of living in proximity to larger single specimen megafauna; while Taligon was devouring small hives down in Sudan before they could spawn a Megaguirus, the Titan living at the Peak of the Guardian did the same. The lion sized juvies that she had seen throughout the past three years were only stragglers. They had become pests like cane toads in Australia or pythons in Florida. But the memory of how big they could grow, of what would happen if the hives reached critical mass, was not something that would ever be forgotten. The people of Gabon had become very good at killing the mutated insects. So had Mion.

After cutting through more brush, she reached the moss-laden rocky side of a sloped hill. A winding trail was visible to the left, leading further into the jungle past a wall of trees. The Peak of the Guardian would be visible from the top of the cliff. Usually most people would take the longer trail to another cliffside where the mountain and its inhabitant would be visible from a smaller height. Climbing the rocky surface would usually be risky, but quicker and allow for a chance to see the mountain from a far better vantage point, but a good grappling setup would be essential. Just like the one in her pack.

Dropping it on the ground before doing one last check for predators, Mion reached in and pulled out a long four pronged grappling hook with four serrated prongs. With both hands she pulled out the long black cord it was attached to. Within the pack, the cord had been rolled up like a sleeping snake, so she gradually pulled it out one look at a time to avoid entangling anything. She had gotten it at the nearby marketplace, trading chitin and raw meat from a pair of juvie meganulons who had gotten caught in her spike traps. The merchant was quite eager to accept it in exchange for the grappling device he was showing off in his wares. "Freshy repaired," he had called it. It was not an unusual transaction, as informal "trade and barter" marketplaces had become increasingly common in places affected by kaiju incursions, especially in less-developed countries.

With the long cord pulled out, she practiced a few swings with the hook before tossing it upwards, where it managed to snag on a protruding white tangle of branches at the top near a stone ledge that was big enough for her to stand on. She gave a tug, and it held firmly. Good. It held up as well as her early tests.

Mion began the gradual process of climbing up the slope, glad that there were no big holes that could have held serpents or other dangers. Still, she made sure to avoid softer looking patches. As she climbed, she, pulled up on protruding rocks and smaller branches to further her ascent. Eventually she grabbed onto the large protruding branches that the hooks had embedded into. She reached for the ledge and pulled herself onto it with a grunt. Solid dirt ground leading to the top of the hill lay on the other side. Mion then pulled the hook from the branch and then she she began to pull the cord up. She made sure to look down the hill and saw a few spaces on the slope that were devoid of protruding stones or branches. If she wanted to get down fast after this, it would be perfectly possible to slide down the winding slope as long as she angled herself to avoid any of those obstacles. She then finished stuffing the grapple back into the pack. Taking a glance at a large hardwood tree, she moved around it, hearing the sounds of a nearby waterfall. She passed a few bushes before finally seeing it.

She stilled for a second, eyes wide. Even from this distance and vantage point, the Titan of Gabon gave off a feeling of ancient radiating power all the way from his mountainous perch.

The massive animal had leathery grey skin like that of an elephant. White lines and swirling patterns were seared across its huge body. The arms were like that of a gorillas and its massive claws were tipped with worn white talons the size of trucks. Old scars, a mix of lines curved and straight, were strewn across the mighty limbs. The legs were like massive tree trunks where the skin became earthy towards the feet. Six sharp talons grew out of each foot like roots. The chest was heavily built and muscular all across the breasts and the abdomen. A prominent straight scar ran across the chest. The apelike head upon a thick bulky neck had a white pattern from top to bottom, giving it the shape of a skull. Two large elephantine tusks grew out of the sides. The mouth's sharp teeth were exposed, and four fangs jutted from the top and bottom, two for each direction. Two glowing red eyes stared down at the valley below it, one where vine laden trees and flowing rivers of water intersected. The rumbling of multiple waterfalls echoed from below alongside the calls of many different animals, big and small.

BUNAGI

The Titan stood on all fours over its position on the peak, staring down in the valley while occasionally angling its gaze from side to side.

Mion took a spot near a circular mossy rock as she pulled out an old journal from an additional pouch on the pack, its front faded and brown like a piece of rusted metal. She opened it, looking at old notes before starting work on a sketch.

Usually, she came to this area to make recordings and sketches. But on days like these, a sightseeing trip to the domain of a kaiju was her way of unwinding. The year had been hectic, especially after that meeting in January.

M'Bunagi. Guardian of the Jungle. Kaiju Alpha Candidate 008. The Bantu Spirit of the Wind. Guardian Type-04.

My second favorite Titanus specimen.

Like most Class V Titans, the beast had many names attributed to it, most of them drawn from ancient legends that had suddenly become reality.

Officially named after a Bantu spirit guardian that is still prominent in Gabonese mythology, Bunagi was roused from centuries of slumber in 1975 by Mechagodzilla's alien transmissions. Tearing its way out of an underground chamber in Morocco, Bunagi advanced towards the Ghanaian city of Accra alongside more then a dozen other monsters, including those well-known by humanity and those freshly awoken. Bunagi took part in the massive melee that spread through the city before Godzilla's arrival. When Godzilla took charge of the remaining kaiju and led them into battle against Mechagodzilla, Bunagi was among the mob. After the machine was defeated and torn limb from limb, Bunagi left Accra and settled down in Gabon, specifically at the mountainous zone currently named after one of his titles.

Through the years, it fought off invading rivals. Tyrantasaur in 1987. Iracundas in 1996. A draw, more a test of skill then a fight over territory, against Rodan in the same year. A force of Breachers, mainly Acid Leviathans and Slashers, in 2011. That was one of the few times that he ever left his territory in the deep jungles to attack the creatures before they could breach the borders of the province.

Most of the infrastructural damage it had inflicted was back in Accra while in a violent melee during the Mechagodzilla Crisis, and even then it took to the wilderness while following the mech's signal towards Ghana. The fact that Bunagi has never went gone of his way to assault villages, towns, cities, and other population centers in the following decades along with the relatively low number of human deaths attributed to him is one of the reasons why the anti kaiju forces of Africa and beyond had labeled him a subject to be studied, not exterminated. One additional reason is the massive boost to the tourism sector. Another-

-was right below Mion. Unstrapping a pair of binoculars from her belt, she got a closer look at the environment beyond the rest of the hill and the grassy base leading into the jungle ahead.

In the distance, streams and rivers fed into a massive lake in the center of a valley where herds of animals gathered. A group of forest elephants strode into the water, soaking in it and splashing each other with their trunks. Some stood and drank at the edges, eagerly taking in big gulps. A calf paddled through the water while some adults watched warily. A zebra herd was at their own side, and they jockeyed for position as they took drinks from the water. Some forest buffalo took their own drinks while bathing in the water. Nearby groups of bongos and reedbucks performed similar behaviors. Multiple apes big and small began gathering at their own places, some of them playing, some bathing, some doing both. A few red hogs sat in the water by the shade of some long leaves. A lone black rhinoceros kept distance from the others as it waded into the water. Soon, only the top of the head was visible as it waded into deeper waters, most prominently the two long horns.

At the other side of the lake, a small pride of striped lions emerged from the shadows of the treeline, the fur around their mouths and paws red with blood from a recent meal. They warily watched the animals on the other side as they cleaned themselves in between drinks.

Satisfied, Mion clipped the binoculars to her belt as she went back to her notebook.

Many of these species had once been on the brink. Now more then a few were completely off the endangered species list.

-lured by the prospect of so many valuable animals, gangs of poachers had attempted to make a profit in the area decades ago. Dozens of camps, vehicles, and bodies being blown away when they weren't trampled underfoot quickly put an end to that. That year was one of the few confirmed instances of Bunagi intentionally taking human lives. All other organized poaching attempts have been met with similar levels of violence.

Within Bunagi's area of influence, flora and fauna prospered. This was most notable with populations that had been on severe declines in the past, either from human activity or the herd wiping attacks of large megafauna. Species on the cusp of extinction recovered across years, sometimes less then that. Across this valley and other areas frequented by the Titan there was a significant increase in background radiation, most of it harmless to humanoids and electronics. Similar forms of bioradiation are also common on Infant Island and the Monster Islands. Fortunately this particular effect is nowhere near as mutagenic or dangerous as, say, the Biollante Forests.

While most forms of this energy are hard to physically analyze and detect, it will be a great boon to the world if it can be successfully understood. Attempts to do so and perhaps synthesize the bioradiation emitted by Bunagi and other known "Guardians" such as the Mosura species is obviously of great interest to many scientific organizations. Leading examples of research efforts include WHO, Cargill, The MSI, Monarch-

Reminiscing about her old notes while sketching, Mion stopped for a moment, hands clenching as she set the notebook down and sighed, leaning against the rock behind her.

Monarch. She left three years ago, but that time period felt as long as the decade she'd spent working there. They'd done great things in the fields of megafauna research, saved lives with their fieldwork. She could attest to that personally. She understood that it was necessary to keep secrets at times, especially after being transferred across multiple outposts. Seeing hibernating kaiju who could awake so close to large populations, learning that there were many more such outposts around the world, and then taking into consideration all the publicly known active species…

She understood the need for a masquerade, even though everyone involved knew it would fall eventually. Not if, but when. With liminal's and magic becoming public knowledge, that time ticked ever closer. At the same time, if people could accept those things without the complete breakdown of society, then they could accept more monsters. What mattered was whether they would be revealed through an official disclosure before one of those living mountains woke up. Whichever came first.

No, for her the nail had been Newfoundland. More specifically, learning the truth about Newfoundland.

PROJECT ORCA.

The same technology that lured Atlantic Scourge into Boston when it was supposed to drive it away. The same project her grandfather had been working on.

Officially, the Mechagodzilla tech used to make the tank sized device had been destroyed.

When she was promoted to the project for her skill in bioacoustics, she learned that
"Unofficially", it had only been shut down. They still kept it. Even after 1995. Figured out how to downsize it. Still used the same alien alloys, same AI coding even after everything.

Then, Newfoundland.

Once more, the official explanation was that the four kaiju involved suddenly made landfall to duel for territory, which they most certainly did when they weren't tearing through the terrain. The prototype ORCA device was activated and taken back to sea where it was dropped directly into the ocean. All four returned to the depths after one more round of flesh tearing combat.

In truth, another activation test to direct a nearby pod of whales is what had brought AS II in. Then they tried to amplify the signal, and sure enough more followed instead with greater resolve. They ripped at the ground in an attempt to find the underground facility, not out of some uncontrolled fury. In the end, Monarch stopped the incident by sacrificing the device and the team that made it to the depths. They willingly walked into that helicopter while knowing the risks before they fell to their watery graves.

And now they wanted her help with doing it again.

They didn't have the alien tech anymore. But they were still copying the same design as best they could. To create a "Pacifying signal." She learned this all a week after being transferred to the project.

Another week later, she resigned and walked away from the past ten years of her life for multiple reasons. The fact she felt it was an insult to everyone who died at the claws of Mechagodzilla. The fact that trying to control giant monsters had already cost so many lives.

Most of all, because the idea of controlling the kaiju reminded her of the last person she wanted to be compared to. Her grandfather, Shinzo Mafune.

Scorned as a madman by most of Japan's scientific community when he wasn't all but forgotten in the turmoil of the past century. Most people knew the name of the Titanosaurus Mafune genus more then they would ever read of the man it was named after.

Perhaps it was for the best.

But while she wouldn't admit it to anyone, she still looked fondly back on those days. She was still on good terms with most of her colleagues when she left. After all, they weren't directly involved with ORCA, which had apparently been shut down due to lack of results and decreased funding if recent rumored leaks were to be believed.

I've been thinking more and more about those old days ever since January.

Working in the Bioacoustics lab, trying to sort out which new skullcrawler vocalization was a warning and which was a mating call. Seeing how plants from Infant Island reacted to certain vibrations in the botany lab. Studying sonic frequencies and their impact on Chiropteran culture. Developing a new theory on the megafauna food chain with Brooks. The awe that came with being in the presence of sleeping giants at the outposts. Following a washed up trail of mangled breacher corpses to track Godzilla's current warpath across the Pacific, a month before-

At some point she had absentmindedly stopped sketching and started writing down her thoughts onto blank pages.

Godzilla. It always did come down to him in the end.

Mion shrugged. Might as well keep writing.

I can't bring myself to hate him, even after all that's happened to my homeland. In a way, he was another victim of the atomic era. One who is still around half a century later, having outlived much of the generation that witnessed the start of the Age of Monsters. A living consequence of war that we still have to live with.

What interests me is that "Lair." Is it the only one or does he have multiple nests around the world? Any in the Hollow Earth?

Looking at the diagram, the highest amounts of radiation in the cave system appear to be in a large hollow space at the bottom, the biggest cave in the whole formation. If G hasn't been there in months, what could it be? A massive source of radiation? Could explain why there haven't been many accounts of attacks on power plants since 95. Maybe he and the others found more natural sources to feed on. It could be something else that gave off those heavy energy readings. Going by the Lind Hypothesis, could it be a G-Distortion leading directly into the HE? Something new?

Ah. That's it. What I was missing after I left. The act of discovery. Of finding something new about our world. The feeling of awe in general, that's what I've been looking to find again.

I understand now. From when I first got the offer from Monarch to when I learned the scope of the expedition, I wanted that chance to be in the field again. To feel like I was making a difference.

To experience awe once more in a time when monsters are a fact of everyday life.

She thought back to the moment where she had left the trailer after one of the against had brought Shinzo up.

Until that moment, I was fully invested. I wouldn't have hesitated to take such an opportunity even after everything.

Did I leave out of sheer spite? Or was I scared of becoming more like him?

No. Shinzo did the same thing. He rejected multiple offers and opportunities out of his old grudges. Chances to work at Monster Island, or at the mainland on newer updates to the same sub-sonar he helped to pioneer. All because he was expelled from the institute years ago.

Am I becoming more like him? Running away from my past out of petty grudges?

She blinked wearily, feeling tired. Already, it felt a bit hotter even in the shade. Was it noon already? Time sure flew by.

The distance rumbled. Bunagi rose from his hunched position. The creature shrugged his shoulders and yawned, spilling built up dust off his back. Mist expelled from his mouth as he began to climb down the slope of the mountain, sending up dust as he did so, every foothold a crunching noise. As Bunagi descended, Mion found herself reflecting once more.

I won't end up like you, grandfather. Going mad and disappearing into the dark.

Her fists tightened as she slammed the book shut, her face a mask of resolve once more as she straightened her glasses.

I'm not going to waste this chance because of some bad old memories.

I now know what I'm truly seeking.

That feeling of awe, once more.

New discoveries that could change everything we know about the world.

And after all of this, perhaps my family's name will finally mean something once more.

Bunagi completed his descent. Leaning on his massive fists like a gorilla, Bunagi began walking to the right, going deeper to his territory as he began a period of patrol that would last for days as parts of the jungle. shook around him. Birds burst forwards from the tree's in his path and scattered. Animals near the watering hole turned their heads and idly began to leave, yet they did so in a rather slow, laid-back fashion. They had generations to get used to it.

As Mion stood up, some of the larger birds in the distance perched near Bunagi's head and neck. He did not seem to mind as he continued his long walk.

Mion began to pack her stuff, idly planning the best way to get down the mountain as she turned to Bunagi one last time. She idly waved, knowing the creature would not respond.

Human or Titan, we are both seekers on our own journeys.

It was a good thing that she saved that contact information.

[-]

Later that night, she made the call with an aged yet powerful satellite phone.

A familiar voice answered her.

Fifteen days later, Guest Researcher Mion Mafune was officially a part of the coming expedition.

The induction period ended as the time of the plunge neared.

A/N: My apologies for the super long wait. I did not intend for it to take this long. IRL duties, troubles, and the siren call of Steam were big distractions.

Part of the trouble was the fact that I found myself constantly revising my ideas for this chapter. I wasn't sure of where I wanted to go. That, and I wasn't feeling as invested in writing this chapter as I was with the others. Basically, it's because these last few chapters have done the same thing: Introducing new characters, flashbacks, then they get recruited onto the expedition.

I admit I've had fun coming up with backstories for the characters, showing what's happening in the world beyond Japan, and especially with writing the kaiju scenes, but overall things have been feeling formulaic. I'll admit that IRL work and my own self-doubt probably accounts for some of these feelings of exhaustion. I'm not really as proud with this chapter, as I feel too much exposition was outright said. I was telling the character's feelings instead of showing them. As a result I feel like the 1989 segment was the strongest part of the chapter.

Fortunately now that I've finally sat down to finish it, I'm feeling far more confident and eager to go forward with everything else that I've planned. I'm going to make sure to better pace the length of these chapters. Perhaps I will do shorter chapters to allow for more frequent releases.

Next chapter will focus on MON and the rest of the liminal cast once more, and from then on I'll focus on updating more regularly, ideally once every month or two.

Thank you to all who have continued to follow and support this story.