Godzilla vs. King Kong
By C. L. Werner
IV
King Kong vs. Gigan
Kong slowly lumbered across the rocky shore. He reared back and thumped his chest, his roar echoing across the water like a thunderclap. The last stubborn Eskimos fled from their fishing nets, leaving the catch flopping under the noonday sun. Kong strode forward more quickly now, reaching for the writhing nets. The giant ape did not pay even the slightest attention as the small town at his back was swiftly evacuated. One foolish man tried to drive the monster away, firing at Kong's back with a high-powered rifle and shouting at the top of his voice. Kong's head snapped around and he snarled at the irritating nuisance. It was all the convincing the man needed and he soon raced away to join his fleeing neighbors.
King Kong returned to his lunch, lifting the entire catch to his fanged jaws and dropping it in. Kong chewed for several moments before pulling the twisted metal net from between his teeth and distastefully dropping it on the shore. The giant ape reached down to grab another net full of fish when his eyes focused upon a still distant object just over the horizon. Kong watched as the flying object drew nearer. Memories stirred within his primitive bestial mind, memories of planes and helicopters, memories of pain and violence. Kong snarled, his lips curling as he observed the approaching threat. More memories stirred in Kong's brain, recollections of a bright, shiny beast not unlike himself. Memories of a treacherous defeat at the hands of his mechanical double. Kong beat his chest and roared. This time, the robot would not trick him.
King Kong turned away from the shore, keeping a wary eye on the fast approaching enemy. The giant ape charged through the small fishing village, flushing a few terrified people who had thought to hide inside their homes. The giant ape made his way to a rocky bluff, a boulder-strewn mound just beyond the small settlement. King Kong climbed to the top of the bluff and roared, defying his enemy to come and face him.
The flying creature soon became more distinct to Kong's vision, no longer a mere speck on the horizon, but a giant shape of wings and claws, of gleaming metal and shining scales. Unlike the strange beast Kong had fought in the desert, this new enemy was not silent and as it closed upon Kong's island, its metal mandibles parted and it answered Kong's challenge with a shrill, metallic shriek.
Kong reached down and tore a huge boulder from the earth, hurling the missile at the cyborg monster, but the enemy was too quick, easily avoiding the projectile. There was almost a mirthful quality in the series of short, bark-like shrieks the cyborg made as it landed a short distance away from the bluff. Gigan gestured at Kong with its scythe-like claws, repeating the mocking series of shrieks. Enraged, the ape ripped an even larger stone from the earth and lifted the massive boulder over his head. With a tremendous effort, Kong threw the mass of rock at the cyborg. This time, Gigan did not try to evade, instead, at the last instant, it brought its adamantium claws smashing into the enormous rock, shattering it into a dozen fragments as easily as the Mechani-kong's Tesla Ray.
Kong roared and charged toward Gigan, enraged at this further reminder of his earlier defeat. At first, the giant ape had thought to merely drive this strange creature off, but now Kong wanted the cyborg's blood! Gigan shriek-barked again, the small, jewel-like prism in its forehead crackling into life and sending a ruby-hued beam searing into Kong's flesh. Incensed by this new indignity, Kong barreled forward; almost reaching Gigan before the cyborg engaged its jets and lifted into the air. Before the giant ape had fully stopped his charge, Gigan settled to the earth once more, again only a small distance away. Again, Gigan shrieked its scorn at King Kong and a bright ruby beam burned a path of singed fur and blistered flesh across Kong's forearm.
King Kong beat his fist against the ground, roaring at this cowardly beast even as he rolled away from a third blast from Gigan's solar cannon. The only response from the cyborg was another peal of barking shrieks. Kong charged ahead, less surprised this time when his antagonist fled into the sky. Unseen, Kong grabbed a toppled tree from the ground.
Gigan returned to earth once more, training its solar cannon on its monstrous enemy once more. This time, the cyborg was startled to see the ape hurl a large, cylindrical object at it. Gigan fired the solar cannon, incinerating the tree before it had even covered half the distance to the cyborg. The delay had been enough. For the third time, Kong charged across the rocky coast to close upon Gigan and for the third time, the cyborg engaged its jets and sailed into the sky. But this time the cyborg was not quick enough.
As Gigan fled into the sky, Kong's massive hands closed around the monster's long, snake-like tail. Roaring with delight, Kong wrenched Gigan from the sky, smashing the cyborg into the ground. Before Gigan could begin to recover, Kong was upon it, leaping upon the cyborg's back and beating the monster's head and neck with savage, pile-driver blows. Gigan shrieked, this time from pain, trying to crane its head around and catch one of Kong's fists with its sharp mandibles or burn the ape with a point-blank blast of its solar cannon, but the sheer weight of the other monster kept Gigan pinned to the earth.
Suddenly, the cyborg grew limp. Kong slapped the scaly neck one last time, growling at the cyborg's head. The giant ape paused for a moment, waiting for a response. Satisfied, King Kong reared back and beat his chest with both fists, roaring his triumph to the Alaskan shore.
The shift of Kong's weight was the opportunity Gigan had anticipated. Before Kong could realize his premature declaration of victory, sharp adamantium claws knocked the giant ape from the cyborg's back. Gigan rose, shrieking a warbled cry of rage. The solar cannon blazed from above the cyborg's visor-like eye, scorching Kong's body at a dozen points. The cyborg followed up on its attack by raking its scythe-like claws across Kong's chest. Bright crimson blood flew across the shore as the giant ape's wounds wept. Kong staggered away from the cyborg's frenzy, clutching at his wounds. Slowly, the great ape gave ground to the cyborg, retreating back toward the rocky bluff. Gigan continued to blast Kong with its solar cannon, more of the ruby-hued beams searing the monster's flesh as Kong continued to weaken.
Kong reached down toward the bluff, as if to again hurl stones at the cyborg. The maneuver was a feint, however, and Kong rushed from his crouched stance and barreled into the cyborg once again. The giant ape closed his powerful arms around Gigan's body and crushed it against his own. Gigan shrieked its own defiance as Kong put every ounce of strength into his bear hug.
The giant ape screamed when the cutter saw embedded in Gigan's chest whirred into life. Gouts of the giant ape's blood soared across the island as the metal blades did their gruesome work. The scream lingered in the air, taking on a life of its own as it continued to rise in pitch. Finally, the giant black form dropped away from Gigan, Kong's chest a gory ruin almost bisected by the cutter blade. Gigan staggered away from its toppled foe, its optical organ studying Kong's body more keenly than the ape had studied the cyborg's.
After several long minutes, the cyborg shrieked an almost jubilant cry. Gigan beat its metal claws together in a grim parody of Kong's own victory gesture. The cyborg considered the bloody carcass for a few moments longer and then engaged its jets once more, returning to the sky. Something akin to pride filled Gigan's organic components as the cyborg set out upon the long journey back to Japan.
It was many hours later when an almost stilled heart began to beat more firmly, when sundered flesh began to slowly knit, blood to replenish itself. As his body began to heal itself, one image rose above the pain in Kong's mind. It was the image of the strange monster which had done this to him. It was the image of the strange monster soaring into the sky and heading back toward the horizon.
Almost a day had passed before Kong rose from the bloody beach and entered the cold Pacific water again.
* * * * *
"Colonel Nomura, what you have done is inexcusable!" Commander Aso barked at the dour Japanese officer. "In fact, it is criminal!"
Colonel Nomura bowed low before his superior, not making eye contact as he replied. "I had to take it upon myself to test Gigan. If we let the politicians have their way, they would debate and discuss Gigan's deployment until Godzilla had laid waste to half the country and was starting on the other half!"
"Godzilla is no longer a concern!" Commander Aso snapped. "How long will it take for that fact to sink into your brain?"
"To think Godzilla is no longer a threat is the most absurd form of wishful-thinking," Colonel Nomura spat. "Japan must be ready to destroy the monster when it again comes to ravage our cities. Gigan will be Japan's avenger! Look how swiftly he has destroyed King Kong! He will do the same to Godzilla!"
"You amaze me, Colonel. You are so very certain of Godzilla's menace that you refuse to see the menace your own monster poses. Can't you understand that rather than making Gigan more appealing to Parliament, your display of the cyborg's power has only caused them to become even more afraid of the monster?"
Commander Aso nodded and the armed soldiers standing to either side of Colonel Nomura snapped to attention. The Colonel slowly rose.
"You are being sent to the stockade at our facility in Fukuoka," Commander Aso sighed. "By order of the Prime Minister himself. They are still trying to decide exactly what to call what you have done. I can tell you this, however. It is doubtful if you will ever see sunlight again."
The guards led the stunned Colonel Nomura through the corridors of the UNGCC base and down to the cavernous motor pool. An armored van stood in the loading bay, its rear doors gaping wide, ready to receive its passengers. Still silent, Colonel Nomura and his escort entered the vehicle.
Angry thoughts flowed through Colonel Nomura's mind as the van left the military base. How dare the politicians call him a traitor. It was them and their self-serving, miserly ways that were betraying Japan. How often had he been forced to beg and plead for more funding while researching and developing the project that would eventually yield Gigan? And now, because it served their purposes better, the politicians chose to ignore the threat of Godzilla and instead see one in his cyborg!
Colonel Nomura was still reflecting upon the incredible injustice of it all when his head drooped against his chest. Neither he, nor his guards had become aware of the swiftly mounting drowsiness which seized them. None of the men had seen the slightly discolored air flowing through the van's air vents.
Colonel Nomura awoke with a start. He had heard a gunshot. Suddenly, a second report savaged his ears. The Japanese officer looked about. He was in a dimly lit warehouse. Several tan-uniformed men stood around him. Some distance away he could see the armored van and two more tan-uniformed men with smoking pistols in their hands. The forms of his guards lie just beyond the van, still and unmoving.
"Colonel Nomura," a sharp, but not impolite voice addressed him. Nomura turned his head to see a man wearing a uniform similar to those of the others, but as white as snow. A black-billed peaked cap covered the man's head while a black eye-patch covered one of the man's eyes. A golden dragon glared from the eyepatch.
"I hope you will accept this early parole", the white-uniformed man continued. "Injustice has many martyrs, I trust that you will not be too unhappy to no longer count yourself among them."
"Who are you?" Colonel Nomura challenged.
"I am General Yamoto of the Red Bamboo," the man answered. "We have been watching you for a very long time, Colonel. It is our hope that together, we can fulfill the potential of what you have brought into being."
Colonel Nomura stared coldly at the Japanese terrorist for a long moment.
"We have everything in readiness, Colonel," Yamoto stated smugly. "All we need are the proper codes."
"Convince me that you should have them, and they are yours", Colonel Nomura said after a moment of thought. General Yamoto laughed as he laid out his vision before the Japanese officer.
* * * * *
The sirens blared into the midnight sky, echoing off the steel canyons of Osaka's buildings. The enormous creature had not been seen until it was in the harbor. It had taken precious minutes to sound the alarm. Even as the first Self Defense forces scrambled to deploy themselves, as the first evacuation procedures were gotten underway, King Kong pulled himself from the water. The giant, dripping monster loomed over the waterfront of Osaka like some fabled demon of Japan's ancient past. Kong snarled and beat his chest.
Kong had swum many leagues to reach the shores of Japan, but instead of fatigue, the monster's anger had given him a vicious vitality. Kong smashed a monstrous fist into the nearest warehouse, scattering wooden shrapnel in all directions. Kong would find his cowardly enemy, and it did not matter to him how long it took or how much he had to destroy to do so.
"You are kidding,"Commander Aso said, incredulously. The Prime Minister bowed his head.
"It has been decided," Japan's political leader declared.
"Only a few hours ago you were all convinced that the cyborg was too much of a menace to ever deploy. Now you want to send it to Osaka?"
"Colonel Nomura's premature actions have shown that Gigan is dependable in a combat situation. It defeated Kong before, now we need it to finish the job."
"And Colonel Nomura?" the GCC commander asked.
"He will be reinstated in an advisory capacity. We have men on their way to Fukuoka now."
Commander Aso shook his head. The ever-changing face of politics never ceased to stun the old military man.
Gigan rose slowly into the air, flapping its wings in tandem with bursts from its jets. The cyborg started to maneuver towards Osaka but suddenly stopped in midair. The startled controllers inside the UNGCC base watched as the cyborg returned, settling at the base of Mt. Fuji. Gigan stood there, silent and immobile, like a sentry standing watch.
"We can't get him to respond Commander," the report came through the speaker in Commander Sao's office. "Gigan is not responding to our commands. The cyborg has flown to the base of Mt. Fuji. Gigan is just standing there, almost as if waiting for something."
Commander Aso glared at the Prime Minister.
"What will we do about Kong?'' the Prime Minister muttered, almost to himself.
"Worry more about what we are going to do about Gigan," Commander Aso answered, reaching for the telephone.
"Dispatch, get me Director Segawa."
Miki Saegusa opened the door of her Tokyo apartment. Despite the late hour, Director Segawa was not surprised to see the young woman alert and fully dressed.
"You were expecting me," the head of the UNGCC stated rather than asked. Miki Saegusa merely nodded her head. Director Segawa sighed, knowing there was no easy way for him to ask the psychic what he wanted her to do.
"It is about Godzilla," Miki declared. It was Director Segawa who nodded his head this time.
"King Kong has come ashore in Osaka and is reducing the city to ruins. Gigan is not responding to our control and the regular military forces are doing little to stop Kong's rampage."
"Why do you come here and tell me this?" there was a numb tiredness in the psychic's voice.
"You already know the answer to that. Once before, you used your powers to make Godzilla do what you wanted him to do. You brought him to Tokyo so that he could combat Destoroyah. We want you to go to Ogasawara and exert your control over Godzilla again. We want you to bring him back to Japan. We want you to make him fight King Kong."