Now, based on this chapter's title, you can all tell what this one will be about. I've already introduced Moguera and Gigan in earlier chapters, and now, it's time to bring in the Apex Titan. Mechagodzilla. Along with those three mechanical kaiju, I have one other secret to introduce. Don't worry, we'll get back to the main stories of Mothra and Ghidorah in the next chapter or two. I also plan on wrapping up the side stories of Megaguirus, Camazotz, and a few others eventually. In the meantime, here's The Apex Titans.
Outskirts of Munich, Germany
Methuselah cried out in panic as he narrowly avoided an attack from Moguera.
The mecha went quickly past him, the drill on the mecha's head spinning at full speed.
If such an attack was made on his body, the old kaiju doubted that it wouldn't be severe.
Moguera's drill arms reminded the old Titan of another creature he once knew. Megalon.
He had fought Megalon before.
He couldn't help but remember that fight, what had ended so horribly for the insect.
Yet, he couldn't dwell on those negative emotions. Not while he was still fighting this silver-colored kaiju.
Methuselah ducked, moving his head low to the ground.
The move barely helped him avoid several explosions, which ended up hitting the nests behind him.
The fireballs left considerable damage and the structures in ruins.
Fires still raged along his back.
The forest that had grown on his back over his time dormant was set ablaze by one explosion.
The constant heat seared at his rocky skin.
Methuselah snarled in pain and anger. The feeling and emotion mixed in his mind, translating into the sound he made.
Moguera lunged forward again, and this time, the larger Titan was not able to dodge the attack.
The Living Mountain cried out in pain, the anguished bellow sending shivers down the spines of the surrounding military soldiers.
The black drills spun rapidly as they dug through Methuselah's rock-like skin.
Along one of his four legs, he just felt unimaginable pain.
In his entire long life, countless millions of years, he has never felt pain like this before.
Water welled up in his eyes.
His white eyes were wide in shock.
Moguera backed up, his drills pulling out of Methuselah's leg.
As they slowed down, Moguera's artificial vision scanned his stained black drills.
They are now covered in a red crimson liquid. Blood.
Methuselah stumbled, the unending pain was something he couldn't handle.
Blood continued to flow out of his open wounds.
It would heal with time, but it wouldn't right now.
Then, a group of metal birds flew by.
Moguera quickly recognized the human reinforcements.
German jets flew by, sending their missiles down at the Titan below. The explosions that erupted along his back were clear signs that the missiles hit their target.
His opponent cried out in pain.
Then, a group of helicopters came in.
He could see the black vehicles hovering in the sky above.
Then, his audio sensors picked up the unmistakable sound of bullets being fired.
Moguera questioned why they even bothered. Weaponry such as that wouldn't harm any of the animals within the Titanus genus.
Even most animals commonly known as "megafauna" wouldn't be affected by that caliber bullets anyway.
Species such as the Cranium Reptant are not affected by bullets, according to any records by Monarch he has access to.
Then, he could see several more vehicles along the ground. Nearly all of them consist of one variety.
Panzerhaubitze 2000. A type of self-propelled howitzer currently used in the German Army.
The manned vehicles advanced, firing off their rounds at the injured Titan.
Moguera approached the wounded kaiju in front of him.
His artificial vision scanned the Living Mountain. The animal is injured and not in good condition.
Just as he prepared to fire his Automatic Tracking Laser Cannon, he heard a low snarl.
It made him pause.
Y-you're... You're working with those things?
He turned towards Methuselah's head.
The Titan was already near the ground, his shaky legs still keeping him upright. Yet, his head is low, and his breathing is far from normal.
The statement shook him to his core.
It made sense why Methuselah said this. To the Living Mountain, Moguera is probably one of the strangest kaiju he's ever seen, and he is also cooperating with humanity against him. In addition, from Methuselah's view, the humans are only targeting him.
While some part of his system is broken in terms of human language, only allowing him to repeat a few words, mainly his name, he can still communicate with the other Titans.
The sound he made sounded like a series of rapid clicks.
I'm sorry... This isn't my choice. I have my orders. Those are to eliminate or incapacitate you.
Methuselah appeared stunned for a moment. Although, before he could reply, another barrage of explosions rang out, this time extremely close to his head. The kaiju cried out in pain, shutting his eyes.
Moguera looked back at the human tanks. They aren't moving any closer, but look ready to fire at any moment, their aim directly on the unmoving Titan.
He gestured to them with one of his drills. He also moved a bit, blocking their line of sight with his own body, at least partially.
They got the message. The howitzers didn't leave but lowered their aim. The jets passing by didn't fire any round of missiles, instead veering off. The helicopters also stayed still, flying in place.
With all of that dealt with, Moguera turned back toward his enemy. The sight his vision picked up shook his AI.
Methuselah was crying.
He could see that his white eyes were watery, and wet streaks ran down his head.
Despite only being a mecha, he couldn't help but feel. Feel emotions.
Guilt. Remorse. Regret.
Methuselah. I have my orders. I cannot guarantee your safety, but I will tell you this. Stop attacking humans. I don't believe that they will attack you if you stay away from their cities.
Methuselah looked at him in confusion. He made a low rumbling sound in his throat. It sounded weak but confusing. Humans? Cities? What are those?
Moguera paused for a moment. Right, the Titans don't know the words to describe humanity or anything related to them.
I mean... The bipeds and their nests. Stay away from them, and they'll leave you alone.
Methuselah slowly rose back to his feet. It was still slow and shaky. His head was turned to be able to look up at Moguera properly.
I can't do that. We're under the orders of the Alpha. He wants the bipeds wiped out. I can't entirely agree with his ideals, but I can't disobey them. Not without consequences.
To Moguera, it quickly made sense. His artificial mind put the pieces together. All the Titans follow some hierarchy. Titanus Ghidorah is on top, and his calls are orders to the lesser Titans.
This gave him an idea. If humanity could take out Monster Zero, and replace him with a friendlier Alpha, more likely than not Titanus Mosura, then the other Titans will stop their attacks.
Moguera sent word back to his command. "Titanus Methuselah has been defeated. The subject has been left injured on the outskirts of Munich. It is unlikely that it will resume attacking cities within a certain timeframe." The internal message was quickly relayed back. Then, he got new orders.
"Return to the Hong Kong Facility. You must undergo repairs and resupply before future missions."
Apex Cybernetics Facility, Pensacola, Florida
Gigan was still trying to get a bearing on his senses. Waking up like this was starting to become an occurrence the cyborg came to accept outside of the normal waking up when the sun rises.
It was only made worse by all the changes those bipeds made to him every single time.
No... They're not called bipeds. Humans. Humans... They don't deserve to have a name, those selfish creatures!
Gigan chirped in anger. His metal beak opened wide, the silver shining against the artificial lights.
The sound he made wasn't unlike his usual angry noises. As his modified ears took in the sounds, Gigan paused, absolutely horrified and stunned.
Gigan opened his beak again, and let another chirping sound out of his mouth.
Despite having no proper eyes anymore, the frantic moving of the red dot in his visor gave away his panic.
Gigan's roars and chirps were not how he remembered. The sounds were still recognizable, but different.
The cyborg silently yet reluctantly thanked those wretched creatures. The one good thing that came from replacing his eyes, was that he could no longer cry or weep about whatever part of his body they replaced.
They changed his very voice. One of the last parts of his normal body.
Now, every chirp was different. A new artificial sound. For what? To make his aggressive roars more intimidating? To make him sound better in their eyes? To make it seem more artificial?
Gigan turned to face the nearest wall. The grey surface looks flat and smooth. Yet, it feels rough, bumpy, and cold. How could those things stand having their nests made of something as awful as those walls?
Hmph. Why am I even questioning them? Awful creatures have awful tastes.
His kind makes nests out of trees and their leaves. The volcanic pterosaurs nest within mountains of fire.
Mosura tends to lay her eggs in serene, beautiful, and safe places.
The giant spiders lay their clutches within caves filled with their stringy, sticky webs.
All the different species have their likings for a home or nest. The humans... Everything about them is rotten.
Gigan shook his head. An electronically styled chirping sound escaped his beak.
Always getting lost in thoughts after thinking about one thing. He wondered if the other kaiju also did this.
Turning his attention back to the wall, he turned his head back and forth, looking along the entire stretch of grey. His visor studied every detail.
He had to admit, that humans are good at what they do, even if it is for a wicked purpose.
He already tried to break out of here before. Yet, he must be underground. That's the only explanation for the dirt and stone beyond the flat edges of his confinement.
Escape is impossible. Even with these new enhancements and foreign additions to his body, his kind isn't made for digging. The Drill-Armed Beetles and the Jinshin-Mushi are better at that.
He can't dig up through the "roof". If he did, whatever dirt and stone are above him will only bury the avian creature alive in this place.
Gigan turned towards the "wall" on the other side of this cave. Where did those things come up with those names for everything?
A small part of this wall has what his captors call a "mirror". It allows him to see his reflection. Although, this looks much clearer and less blue than water reflections.
The flightless bird chirped in annoyance. He still wasn't used to the change in his voice.
This mirror allows him to see whatever physical changes they made to his body.
The first change was his sail. At the very least, they still retain their lime green color, yet even that is artificial. The reinforced strange material that now makes up his sails were made that color through "paint". He was confused about what the heck paint is, but he wasn't questioning it. It allows him to retain some of his old looks, even if only superficial.
His clawed arms were replaced by shiny yet sharp and curved hooks. He can no longer hold or interact well with things, but those hooks look much more intimidating and dangerous, which they probably are.
There are far too many changes to even think about. Yet, even with the numerous differences, one can see, there are also several within his flesh, underneath his skin.
The main visual change his visor picked up on was the armor covering much of his body. The green plating is supposed to act as more protection for his body. He supposed that this artificial thing would act as more protection than just his old skin and feathers.
He despised the humans for all they'd done to him, but he was thankful for one thing. They let him keep his wing feathers. Those feathers are his pride and joy. One of the main defining features of his kind.
They sort of resemble Quetzal's feathered wings. Yet, his green feathers are smaller. These feathers aren't as long as the wings any flying kaiju have. They also only take up space on half of his arms.
He could move his arms to "flap" his rudimentary wings all he wanted, but it never worked. His species are avian creatures, yet they can't fly.
That fact alone always stuck with him. He longed to be able to fly.
To move through the sky at the same speeds as Rodan.
To have wings as beautiful as Mosura's.
To have as many feathers flapping as Quetzal.
To soar as high as he could.
To move through the white puffs above.
It's what Gigan always longed to do.
He may be arrogant, mean, and not always friendly to others, but if anything could change his attitude, it would be flying.
Gigan shook his head. Enough thinking about that. His dreams of flying aren't going to get him out of this situation.
Then, his visor picked up something blue. Immediately, an internal alarm began blaring.
The cyborg backed up slowly.
The blue gas continued to creep forward.
Gigan was all too familiar with this mist. Most likely some sort of human creation, or at least something they use.
Whatever it is, the stuff knocks him out cold. It puts him into a deep sleep for some time. Whenever he wakes up from these forced rests, something about his body changes.
Another dose of sleeping fog?! This is the second time today! What more can those infernal pests do to me!?
Soon, his tail hit the wall. The metallic pointy edge made a noticeable sound as it made contact with the surface behind him.
Clang!
Gigan chirped in frustration. There's nothing he can do now. Hopefully, nothing major happens this time.
As the blue mist enveloped the green cyborg, he began to feel drowsy. His sense of taste, smell, and vision have changed drastically, but it all feels the same.
He began to feel tired. So very tired. One shaky step forward, and he nearly fell. The red glow from his visor began to fade, and his vision slowly began to cease functioning. His heartbeat continued, yet now at a more relaxed pace.
Then, his muscles couldn't keep him up anymore. Gigan fell forward, a loud crash echoing through the room as the cyborg landed on the ground. The buzzsaw on his chest clattered as the various sharp points pushed into the ground beneath him.
As Gigan lay unconscious once more, there was no attempt made at changing another part of his body. No change in the form of adding some sort of internal system. Instead, he was moved.
The Apex Cybernetics facility had received new orders now that Titanus Gigan was completely turned into a cyborg. Transport him to the Hong Kong facility.
Before Gigan would join the fight against the other Titans, he would first have to meet the true mechanical creations.
Apex Cybernetics Facility, Hong Kong
Loud footsteps echoed through the dimly-lit halls.
Mechanical clunking sounds rang out with every movement.
Then, the steps halted. With the strangely poor lighting in this underground place, the red glow from various areas became more visible.
The silver color of the metal glistened in a red hue emanating from high upwards.
Two red glows could be seen high upwards, not far from each other.
Then, more mechanical sounds were heard, as straight, smooth, metal dorsal plates changed their position, from the tail to the head, moving to stand upright.
At last, the lights were turned back on after a strange power outage, revealing the Mecha.
A long swishing metal tail hit a wall, clanging loudly as the sharp tip left a sizeable dent in the metal wall.
The Apex Titan is finally completed.
Mechagodzilla is ready.
A whirring sound could be heard as the Mecha continued walking, moving his large metallic legs once more.
Every step echoed through the now brightly-lit hallways.
This was the same hallway where Moguera was first activated and released.
Moguera's empty chamber stood wide open, as said mechanical creation was currently in the field.
There were no people here. They had all vacated in anticipation of Mechagodzilla's release.
With the current global crisis already killing millions, nobody wanted to be crushed under the foot of a giant creature, even if this one is man-made.
Mechagodzilla stopped in front of another chamber, this one with closed gates.
The Mecha lifted his head upwards and turned his big arms to face upwards. Then, he roared.
The sound was a mix of Gojira's roars and artificial mechanical sounds.
The roar rang out, the loud sound filling the audio receptors of the mechanical Titan.
Mechagodzilla wasn't sure what to even think about this situation. His AI was a bit overwhelmed by... everything. The very ability to think by itself was both extraordinary and confusing for him.
Having access to so much internal information and whatever his visual and audio receptors are picking up.
He could only assume the other mechanical creation, Moguera, went through the same bewildering process upon his first activation.
Then, the gates in front of him opened. Inside this massive chamber, his red optics quickly scanned every detail of what lay beyond.
As the gates opened, Mechagodzilla stepped back, realizing who, or rather what was inside.
Another silver-colored Mecha, shorter than him.
He could also see several areas that were blue.
Of course, he could see the red logo of Apex Cybernetics on it.
Mechagodzilla III was activated. The yellow glow in his eyes showed this, and the Mecha began to move and think on his own for the first time as well.
Kiryu glanced around, looking at the metal walls before settling his view on the other mechanical doppelgänger of Godzilla.
You... You must be Mechagodzilla. Right?
The other Mecha nodded, moving his head up and down.
He still isn't quite used to his "designation". Or was it a nickname? He wasn't sure.
Mechagodzilla III, also known as Kiryu, slowly looked around. The yellow glow in his eyes briefly grew brighter as he examined his surroundings.
All of a sudden, his two yellow optics turned red. His mechanical jaw opened. A low rumbling sound escaped his mouth. Dagon...
Kiryu shook his head. What was that? It was almost as if... something had taken over control of him. It conflicted with his AI, trying to usurp it. The red glow returned to its normal yellow. The taller Mechagodzilla didn't appear to notice the strange voice. Or at least, he didn't show any reaction.
Kiryu slowly walked out of his chamber, looking around in curiosity at everything. His AI was overloaded by it all.
As far as first meetings go, this one wasn't that bad.
Several Hours Later...
Gigan chirped groggily as he woke up. He hated that blue sleeping gas.
He slowly stood back up, his metal legs clanging against the floor beneath.
Looking around, his red visor studied every detail.
His normal mind and automated systems quickly picked up that this place is foreign. Somewhere new.
So, they just... moved me? At least that's all they changed.
He continued looking around.
While it is a different place, it isn't that far off from his previous "home".
Although, it is much bigger, and not as well lit.
Moreso, there are small covered-up entrances everywhere on the ground. There looks to be a bigger one behind him.
Probably where they dragged him in here.
He could also see "windows" around his eye level and further above his head.
Nice change of scenery. What are you pests doing to me now? That chirp was sarcastic to another Titan.
Gigan knew that his captors wouldn't understand it, but he still wanted to mock and torment them.
Then, his visor picked up movement.
Looking at a smaller entrance, the cover is slowly being lifted upwards, revealing a smaller chamber.
Then, he heard a raspy roar he recognized all too well.
A skull face.
The hypocarnivore rushed out of its cage, roaring.
This isn't a juvenile either. It's an adult.
She's not bigger than Gigan, but certainly a threat.
The creature roared once more, setting her sights on the cyborg.
Are those things forcing me to fight a Skull Devil? This is just sick. What kind of cru- His chirps of annoyance were cut off. Gigan was caught off guard as the Skullcrawler crashed into him.
Her clawed legs scratched and pulled at his green armor, leaving scratches and dents.
Gigan quickly retaliated. He slammed the blunt side of one of his hooks into his foe.
She was forced off of the cyborg, only angrier.
She was starved by her captors, and desperate for any meal, even if it had to be this strange-looking green thing.
Gigan's visor began to glow a brighter shade of red, and before he knew it, a red laser emerged out of the visor. His foe screamed in pain as the red beam made contact with her head.
After a few seconds, it faded. The adult skull face groaned in pain before turning her hungry gaze back on her foe. This green bird is putting up a fight. That won't stop her.
Gigan was shocked by what he did. His silver beak was hanging open. I can do that!? Okay, that is kind of cool.
He charged forced, another screech filling the air.
The skull devil leaped off the ground, mouth agape.
Yet, Gigan never let it bite down on him.
He swung one of his silver scythes perfectly and impaled the predator right through her side.
As the animal cried out in agony, Gigan maneuvered the impaled thing to his chest. Then, with a simple thought, he activated the saw thing on his chest.
As it spun quickly and loudly, the noise of its spinning was only matched by the pain-filled roars of his foe.
As green blood spilled everywhere, Gigan heard one last weak cry from the hypocarnivore. C-curse... you...
He pulled his hook out of it, letting her lifeless body fall to the ground. His saw, chest, and hook are stained in green blood.
Gigan chirped in victory.
He could only presume that this fight was a test of his new combat abilities and weapons. They truly did make him into a killing machine. Well, a cyborg, anyway.
The green-colored bird jolted in surprise as he got an internal communication. "Gigan. Exit the arena and head for the surface." Annoyed now more than anything, he chirped, the sound audibly showing his displeasure. He still was not used to that "voice inside his head". How did they even do that?
Either way, he complied. Exiting what they called an "arena", he went into a large and long chamber. This place looks interesting.
He can see more chambers with those giant "doors", like the one that Skullcrawler came from. Yet, these are as big as him, if not taller.
His mind wandered to the few species of Titan bigger than him. His size is even comparable to Gojira. No, was. The old Alpha is dead, according to that new guy.
Oh, how he wanted to follow his orders. Destroy the humans. He'd love to do that, yet he can't. Now, he's their puppet.
As he continued walking down this long underground passage, he noticed a large and unnatural shape in the wall. Almost like something smashed into it. Weird. What could have caused that?
It didn't take him long to reach the end of it. It's almost as if this hall is made for a bunch of creatures as big as him.
He entered a circular chamber. All of a sudden, the door closed shut behind him. He chirped in surprise, turning around. His visor studied it closely. His ears still rang from just how loud it was.
Then, it felt like he was moving. This just be a giant "elevator", he heard about. Just a strange name. Seriously, what kind of name is "elevator" for a thing that moves up and down?
As Gigan reached the top, he marveled at what his visor picked up. Natural beauty. Plants. Trees. Greenery.
He's outside. No longer underground.
He also noticed a bunch of biped nests. He silently corrected himself. City. They call them cities.
Ha. Those things truly are idiotic. What's stopping me from using these new abilities and destroying their homes?
He was surprised to hear a response. A clicking sound from behind him. That wouldn't end well for you.
Looking around, he was surprised to see a strange silver-colored kaiju that eerily resembles Megalon in some ways.
Who the hell-No. What are you?
The other one responded. I am MOGUERA. Mobile Operation Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-type.
Gigan would have blinked if he could. His one chirp was one of utter confusion. What?
Moguera quickly responded. Err-... Just call me Moguera.
Saying the green feathered bird was confused would be an understatement. This isn't a Drill-Armed Beetle. Yet... What kind of name even is that? What did the humans call something like this? An... "acronym"? Was that it?
Then, he heard more footsteps. Okay. How who's... The sight he saw made him quiver. He never expected to see one of them again after hearing that Gojira died. Yet, there's one right in front of him. No, not just one. There are two. Two of them. Th-...Th-there...
One of them, the second tallest, with yellow eyes, made a low roar. It sounds familiar, yet still different. Partially artificial mixed with a natural sound, like his own calls. So, these are the two we're working with?
Affirmative, Kiryu. It appears that these two are Moguera and Titanus Gigan.
The cyborg was only more confused. How does it know my name? The way those two look... They're not normal Atomic Breathers.
They both look different in various ways, some more than others. In addition, their silver color... looks like the artificial metal on his hooks and some of his armor. The same for Moguera.
Then, it finally clicked inside his head.
His mind and man-made implants figured it out. Wait... You're... You're all not normal, are you?
The one that looks the most similar to the Gojira he knew walked forward. His red eyes don't have pupils. It looks more like a red glow. Correct. I am Mechagodzilla.
Mechagodzilla? This... I never could have imagined this... Gigan's confused chirp filled the audio receptors of all the mechas.
While all the machines have their independent thoughts and minds, none of them can quite compare to Gigan.
Both Mechagodzillas, Gigan, and Moguera suddenly paused, each one of the four receiving an internal transmission.
"I am Walter Simmons, CEO of Apex Cybernetics, and your creator. You all have been created or modified for one purpose. You will defend humanity from the rampaging Titans and bring down Ghidorah. The Apex Titans are finally complete, and it's to show the world what you can do. I have faith in you all. We will prevail through these troubling times, and humanity, will once again, be the Apex species."
All of the mechanical Titans intently listened, and they agreed. After all, this man is their creator, the one they were built to serve.
Gigan was skeptical. After all, why should he even consider going along with this? Why would he be a slave to humanity?
"Gigan. I know you are skeptical about this. You may not want to comply. Here's why you should. If you don't, you are outnumbered three to one and I'll make sure the others tear you apart. Second. You have internal and external systems that require maintenance. If you flee, then you will inevitably start to shut down. You are a cyborg, so you won't completely die, but you will be severely hindered. You should stay with us. You will be rewarded in the end."
The green cyborg chirped in annoyance, gaining the attention of Moguera. The drill-armed mecha turned to look at him. He hated to admit it, but that "Walter Simmons" has a point.
Damn it all... This all sucks...
What does? Moguera's clicking sounds drew Gigan from his thoughts. He quickly responded with another audible chirp. Nothing. It's nothing.
As time passed, the four of them spread out around the area.
For obvious reasons, none of them were to go near Hong Kong. The Chinese government was already uncertain about hosting these Titans, and if the public knew about 4 Titans near their city, regardless of their origins or purpose, there'd be a mass panic.
Despite the large size of the country, China was somehow lucky enough to only have two Titans within their borders. One was Mosura, but since she's peaceful and currently somewhere in Africa, the moth doesn't count.
The only other Titan is a Giant Water Beetle, which appears to be peacefully resting near Qingdao, blissfully unaware of the Mass Awakening and the large PLA force watching him.
Mechagodzilla suddenly and loudly roared the call a mix of Gojira's roar and mechanical elements.
Having the attention of the others, it began to roar once more, this one lighter and meant to speak rather than draw attention.
Alright, everyone. Here's our new plan. It's time to fight back against the Titans. We'll start in Northern Africa.
There are various Titans in the area, currently attacking cities in Senegal, Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, and Tunisia.
We will spread out and simultaneously defend any population centers from the Titans.
Do not attack Titanus Mosura under any circumstances. Kill or incapacitate the rest of them.
Moguera made a low clicking sound, showing that he acknowledged.
Kiryu's eyes flashed a shade of red for a moment. One of his arms moved suddenly. After that, his eyes turned yellow once more. He shook his head as if trying to clear it. After a confused-sounding rumble, he nodded. That voice inside of him... What is going on?
Gigan chirped quietly. He understood as well.
While the other three aren't questioning anything, Gigan was reluctant. Yes, he's now on their side, but killing the other Titans?
Gigan let out one last exasperated chirp. I hate my life...
And... There we go! I hope you guys are fine with the choice of introducing two Mechagodzillas. I didn't want to go overboard with mechanical Titans, but I wanted something more than MG21, Gigan, and Moguera. I thought that Kiryu would be a perfect choice. As you all saw earlier, there must be a skeleton of a certain dead kaiju inside of Kiryu. Hm... I wonder how Apex managed to get a hold of that? Humanity is finally fighting back, and we'll see how this plays out for the kaiju in North Africa.
