"At approximately 1500 hours, an officer of the Xeno Invasion Outcutters gave his life during an exercise in the field. Additional injuries have been reported among the decimated team."

'Why does the TV have to be on right now?' the injured officer wondered, wincing as at a twinge while the doctor examined the x-rays he had taken of her ribs. Above her on the television, the standard press release had been given out to the media, as Xio was a national affair, being the frontline defense against the kaijū.

Goosebumps crawled across her flesh as she shifted the position of the ice pack she had placed against her midriff. The icy cold kept her grounded to the present despite how her mind wanted to drift off into misery. There was far too much to think about. Too much to try and forget. Too much she had to live with. There was no escape from what had happened only hours before during what had been a perfect day to shift the course of history into one favorable for them all.

Now everything had been last, and it had been because of him. That fool... That absolute fool.

.~*Unite*~.

"Testing, one, two, three. Eleking is the best kaijū ever!"

"Rui, stop messing around with the headset! Anyway, Gomora's the best."

"Ele-chan forever!"

Far outside the city of Tokyo, in an area otherwise devoid of life, the lab team for the Japanese branch of Xio was abuzz with activity. Daichi and Rui tested the speaker system while volunteers worked to finish setting up for the dangerous test they were about to undergo in just under the hour. A moment long-awaited – as well as long-feared – there was quite the mixture of tension and excitement in the air. To rematerialize a Spark Doll back into its natural form was a task not taken lightly. Even with every precaution taken, there were still things that could go wrong.

This was a project that the lab team had been building towards for years, but for so long it was put on the backburner as more and more kaijū were awakening – why awaken one more? It had been a dream of Takashi Ōzora, but a dream unrealized before his unfortunate disappearance during the night of terror. A night where the sky was alight with the power of a strange purple light soon dubbed Ultra Flares.

Now his son headed the project, finally having been able to convince his captain to allow it to take place. To be given the chance to do what his father could not. It had taken some pleading on his part, but at last it was off the ground! He would be taking full responsibility for anything going wrong, so the past two weeks had been spent going over every detail with a keen eye. Any error in their programming was snubbed. A new shield generator was built, designed to withstand the power of the Dark Thunder Energy – the only tangible threat to the project.

Now was the time for the past and future to meet in the present.

"Fine, then I'm going to play Babymetal over the sound system!" was the only warning before Rui hooked up her music to the system with glee. "Today is an important day, so we must celebrate!"

"Don't you dare! This is an important task!"

"But how are we going to be sure the sound system works?"

"Rui, you're talking on the sound system. Fairly certain it works."

"Hmph."

Recently promoted Deputy Captain Tachibana deftly walked, her boots kicking up dirt as she moved beside her superior and the alien scientist. Surveying the area around her as final preparations were made, she could not hide the nervousness that filled her. While she would stand behind her captain's decisions, this was not one she would have approved any time soon. There were too many questions, too many possibilities for things to go wrong, in her opinion.

Of course, she was already a bit biased about it, as kaijū were the reason her family had split – they had left to live in peace, and she stayed to defend that peace they were able to enjoy. Still, he had made his choice, though she could see now his nerves appearing as the time grew closer. "I didn't think you would approve this experiment, captain. Trying to materialize a Spark Doll…"

"Ata tata tatazu kki ~yun!
Wa tata tatata dokki ~yun!
Zuki ~yun! Doki ~yun!
Zuki ~yun! Doki ~yun!
Yada! Yada! Yada! Yada!"

Straightening his back and squaring his shoulders as though fixing his posture would hide his mounting tension, Kamiki merely dipped his head in acknowledgement of her query. "We're trying to preserve the Earth's environment," he started, eyes scanning the layout of the machine on the ground. To him, it was a maze of circuitry and wires, lights blinking in a pattern he could not recognize. How were they going to make it work? The ingenious designs of his lab team never ceased to amaze him. "The kaijū are a part of that. Sooner or later, we'll have to cross this bridge. Today, we begin the journey."

"Chokorēto cho! Cho! Cho! Ī ka na?
Demo ne chotto Weight chotto saikin shinpaina
ndesu dakedo chokorēto chokorēto cho!
Cho! Cho! Ī ka na?
Demo ne chotto u~eito chottomatte cho!
Cho! Cho!"

A frown slipped onto her face as she eyed him, judging his sanity. "It's dangerous, sir. Too many things can go wrong. And Daichi…" Daichi worried her the most. Was he not too close to this project? Would he be able to think clearly?

"Evolution is always a risky proposition," Dr. Guruman interjected, understanding her concern and wishing to put a halt to that line of thinking. "If we're chasing an ideal, we need to be willing to take the first step without fear. Otherwise, 'someday' will never come. Don't you agree?" He turned a bit as they arrived at the tents to look at his subordinates, specifically at Mamoru as he stated the shield was coming online.

"Ata tata tatazu kki ~yun!
Wa tata tatata dokki ~yun!
Zuki ~yun! Doki ~yun! Zuki ~yun! Doki ~yun!
Mada! Mada! Mada! Mada! Nebā! Nebā! Nebā!
C! I! O! Chokorēto chokorēto cho!
Cho! Cho! Ī yo ne?"

Ignoring the continued metal music playing rampant over the speaker system, the senior captain glanced towards the alien after a few moments. "But we still cannot afford any accidents," Kamiki finished as they paused just before reaching the rest of the team. Hand drifting over an old injury on his side, he allowed himself to take a deep breath to refocus his mind and leave past worries where they belonged. "Especially with UNVER coming to supervise the testing."

Turning to face his two fellow leaders, his tone conveyed his seriousness. "Be as ready as possible before we begin. I trust Daichi, but I do not trust the kaijū." Despite his faith in one day there being peace between kaijū and humanity, he knew well enough to not live in such hope. They were still beasts, and as such, they needed to be treated with caution and respect. Destroyed if necessary.

Gomora was no exception.

"My lab team has done everything it can," the alien answered with pride, hesitating when he heard Rui let out a yelp as the music suddenly cut out. With a groan, he shook his head in utter exasperation as he looked to see what they were up to. "Oh, not again. Now, of all times?"

"Dai, no fair!" Rui was standing on tiptoes, reaching for her player that Daichi dangled over his head. "What's a worksite without music?"

The older youth laughed with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, giving away his playful intent. "A professional one. The captains and Dr. Guruman will be arriving soon and they don't want to arrive at a fiasco. Besides, 'No Rain, No Rainbow' is vastly superior."

Jumping now, she tried to reach for it. "I'm gonna tell Keiko that you have denied the ultimate song to bop to!"

Guruman had to hold back a laugh at the utter confusion overtaking the prodigy's face at her answer. "Bop…?" Daichi questioned, brow arched. "What does that even mean? Also, leave my cousin out of this."

"Daichi, give her back the player," Mamoru sighed with a shake of his head as he busied himself with finishing running tests. "If you don't, she'll just kick-" he winced as the younger scientist yelped and hopped on one leg due to a sharp kick to his shins, "… Serves you right."

Watching as Rui skipped away, holding the music player, the alien snorted. "Ah, sorted out, as I knew it would be." Shaking his head, he glanced back to the captains who were less than impressed at the behavior of the duo. "Despite appearances, they are quite capable, I assure you. Their nerves are just on edge, so they are relaxing… in a less-than-professional manner, I admit, but an entertaining one."

"I hope you are correct, considering you stole two of them from my team, doctor," a new voice spoke up as Chief Daisuke Minamikawa appeared, stepping out of a sleek black Lexus onto the dusty ground. Dressed in his usual suit and dress shoes, it wasn't long before his polished black shoes were coated in a thin layer of dust.

Climbing out behind him was Lieutenant Emiko Tanaka, his constant companion and entrusted confidant. Dressed in her military best, she was unfortunately quite out of place for such an event they were going to undertake. Usually quiet, her eyes and mind were sharp, taking in every disagreeable behavior around them and jotting it down on her data pad.

Stopping near the group of high-ranked leaders of Xio, Minamikawa glanced past them at the youths. "Though, from the looks of things, they appear to lack the discipline taught to them at the Academy. Blasting music? Horsing around on a test site? They are behaving like children instead of the adults they are!"

Once his fellow leaders had welcomed the first of their guests, Guruman answered him with his honest opinion on the matter. "I find that by allowing them such freedoms open up the creative process. Besides, Mamoru keeps them in line… most of the time." Gesturing to his team, as scattered as they currently were, he held pride in his heart. Each handpicked for one reason or another. His original assistant, Mamoru, had been hired for his engineering skills and ability to remain calm under pressure, making him perfect for helping not only with the Spark Doll habitats but the design and building of new assets.

He had chosen Rui for her sheer genius and enthusiasm for everything she undertook; her brilliant mind advancing their science years into the future. The zeal for life she held within her heart had made her the perfect candidate for studying the fragile lives of Spark Dolls. While she did not look the part, she also had the genius to help create weapons to fight the kaijū threat in their lives, but only to protect lives that otherwise would be threatened.

Though a last-minute decision, he had chosen Daichi for the light he saw inside the young man. His mind, determination, and strength, combined with his love for learning and doing the right thing made him the ideal candidate for both the lab and special investigation teams. While that had not initially been the reason Guruman had taken him in, he had not thrown away the opportunity to unite the two teams.

Beaming with pride, he turned back to the chief. "This is, after all, the team that creates the cyber armor for Ultraman and created Cyber Gomora."

"As impressive as that is, the lack of discipline still leaves much to be desired," the chief dismissed with an air of annoyance. "And you still owe me an explanation for the Ultraman weapon, but that is a discussion for another day. I expect results on our little project, doctor."

Guruman glanced away, refusing to let his annoyance get the better of him. No matter how many times he mentioned in his reports that Ultraman was not of this world, the chief seemed to disregard him. "Yes… another day, sir." Leading him over to the lab tent, he paused. "As I was saying, that means every precaution possible on this planet has been taken. With Mamoru's shield, we should be relatively safe."

Mamoru blushed and smiled at his superior. "Our energy shield can withstand a hundred Dark Thunder Energy strikes!" He had programmed it himself, designing it a few hours after the dark energy had first made its appearance a few months back. After all, the base needed to up its own protection, should any kaijū make their way towards it. After months of perfecting the technology, he was ready to display it for the world. "I'm really proud of it!"

Beside him, the young Rui smiled and nodded her agreement, slipping the music player back into her pocket. "It covers the sky and beneath the ground's surface, too," she chimed in with her signature bubbly voice, mind back on the task at hand instead of goofing off with her friend. "Gomora won't be able to run off or dig his way out!"

All the information she had gathered on the Gomora species from Daichi had really come in handy with the customization of the shield. After all, before a way had been found to return kaijū to their Spark Doll form, the monsters were destroyed instead of studied. To this day, she knew of no other found Gomora in the world. The one they had was unique in more ways than one.

"Precisely!" the Fanton went on, looking to the entire assembled group now. He knew there was no danger, not with the officers there – and definitely not with Daichi around. Glancing towards him, he fell silent as the liaison hobbled back over to his fellow officers with an expression of defeated shame at their laughter and teasing.

Unlike the rest of the team, Guruman was aware of Daichi's secret. He knew that the young man not only doubled as an officer and part of the lab team, but that he was also united with X to become Ultraman, the world's best defender. The young hero would never allow things to get out of hand, and if they did, he would step up to correct it. Despite outward appearances, he was not one to shy away from the danger.

"How long will Gomora materialize?" the Lieutenant Tanaka questioned next, looking to him as she continued taking notes.

"We've allotted ten minutes for communications testing among other sorts. After that, he'll revert to Spark Doll form." Originally, they had planned on three minutes before realizing that more time was needed for proper testing. Granted, it was a risk, but one they were willing to take.

Kamiki nodded, attention returning to his officers once they settled down. "It may not last long, but there's no telling what will happen. There's a slight chance…" he hesitated only a moment, sparing a glance to his young lab officer, "that we may have to exterminate Gomora."

"That would indeed be a shame," Minamikawa answered, looking to the taller scientist with a raised eyebrow. "A necessary sacrifice, however."

"No sacrifice is necessary for the advancement of science, sir," Daichi answered, posture straightening now that all eyes were upon him. The responsibility was upon his shoulders should things go wrong. If anyone was hurt, it was on him. After all, it was he who had made the plan possible. It was he who had put forth Gomora as their test subject, hoping that his connection with him would keep things from going wrong. It was a decision he had fought with for months before finding the confidence to even propose it.

"You want us to what?" Captain Kamiki questioned, perplexed at the proposal. Viewing the young man standing before his desk with an air of suspicion, he set down his mug of coffee he had been enjoying. There was no way he could have heard properly.

"Realize a Spark Doll into their full kaijū form, sir!" Though his stomach churned to the point of nausea, his outward appearance did not betray the turmoil within. This was it. The words had finally spilled forth and all eyes were upon him. His back to the rest of the special investigation team, he could feel their stares of disbelief boring into his very soul. After all, what he was proposing was borderline asinine. Wait, no. There was no borderline about it. Even he knew it was insane. Insane, but doable. "It… It's possible, sir."

Elbows on her own desk, Tachibana leaned her chin against her clasped fists. "Daichi, with all the fighting going on, we hardly need another kaijū to worry about. Let alone one that we bring to… life?"

"Unfreeze from time, ma'am," the liaison explained, sight drifting towards her disapproving stare. "They're basically frozen in time, trapped in the state they are. We have the technology to attempt bringing them back, reverse engineered from particles in X's Xanadium Kōsen."

"Attempt. You mean this might not even work?" Kamiki questioned with skepticism. "You're not being very convincing. Now, I understand that you were able to get Cyber Gomora up and running, but we are talking about an actual kaijū, Daichi. Do you understand my hesitation? Kaijū cannot be trusted."

"If we don't trust them, why would they ever trust us?" It was with a small sense of satisfaction that Daichi watched their jaws drop, even if it was only a little. He was getting through! "If we don't take that first step, no one will. The fighting will never end. It's an interest that humans and kaijū both share."

Though he did not take the opportunity to look, he knew that Asuna was smiling at him for the comment. It was something she had pointed out to him some time ago when Gomora had cut him off as his focus had been using Cyber Gomora as a tool. A mistake he never again made.

Pitching his index fingers together, Kamiki closed his eyes, giving the matter serious consideration. As hesitant as he was, the young man did have a point. Besides, there was every possibility that it would not work. "If you plan on going through with this, then I request a formal proposal. Your plans, the research, strategies. Everything. You have a week."

With a beaming expression of his own, Daichi gave a small shake of his head. "With all due respect, I won't need a week, sir." Leaning a bit towards the right, he made a come-hither gesture to those hiding in the hallway. Within moments, Mamoru and Rui were hurrying in with a digital pad and tubes of rolled up schematics. Proudly, Rui held out the pad of information while Mamoru stood there, arms overflowing with the rolls of paper.

Kamiki looked between them all, lip twitching for a long moment. Dread crept into the liaison's heart, dissipating the moment the captain released a burst of hearty laughter. "All right, all right. Given how much planning you've already put into this, I'm going to assume you have Dr. Guruman on your side. I will discuss this with him and Tachibana and get back to you."

His captain had been more on board upon learning that Daichi was going to use Gomora for the experiment, thankfully. For Daichi, there was no other Spark Doll that could be used. After all, his father had entrusted him with the small creature so many years ago. To him, Gomora was family, and family could be trusted.

Hearing his fellow officers remove their weapons from the holsters, checking them over one last time before putting them back, he inhaled sharply as he returned to reality. No matter what, he would not allow them to be used. It was easy to sense their hesitation, but he knew when it came down to it there would be none. They were professionals and would put aside personal feelings for the greater good. Even Asuna. After all, none of them had the same attachment he did. None of them had gone through what he had. No. He would not allow them to hurt Gomora.

Even if he had to reveal his secret, he would keep his family safe. They did not know Gomora like he did. How could they even begin to understand? Some of his earliest memories involved the kaijū in his father's care. Gomora had been part of his family since before Daichi had been nursing from his mother's breast. He was a creature that had been a constant in his life for many years now.

"Daichi? Who is this?" a soft voice questioned as he was gently bounced on his mother's knee. His father was crouched before him, holding a small object in the palm of his hand.

"G'm'ra!" the toddler gurgled happily, reaching out to take it from his father.

The older man chuckled, glancing up to his wife. "No, no. Say it with me. Go-mo-ra." Coaching his son through it, his smile only grew as the tot followed along, soon enough saying it on his own without any guidance. "That's my boy! Gomora's our friend. He's part of our family, right?"

"Yea! Yea!" Daichi giggled, clapping his hands together, wiggling little legs with excitement. "Gimme?"

Takashi raised an eyebrow, pulling his arms back. "Now is that how we treat him? He's a living creature, Daichi," he reminded, keeping his voice gentle. "One day, we're all going to live together like one big happy family. The whole world will, once we understand these creatures." Clearing his throat, he looked to the Spark Doll he held, expression soft. "What do you think, Gomora? Until then, do you want to stay with Daichi?" Setting the tiny frozen-in-time creature down, he moved his own hands in a way that the child did not recognize. "FRIEND, right, Gomora? FRIEND. FAMILY."

The tot wasn't sure how his father's fingers were able to convey any such words, but it filled his own eyes with wonder. Could he do that? "Gomora f'end?"

Haruka kissed his mop of hair and smiled. "Yes. Gomora's our friend, my sweet. And it looks like he wants to be with you, judging by his reaction. Your father just spoke to him. One day, if we're lucky, Gomora will talk back. That's why your father is teaching him sign language, like some scientists do with gorillas in captivity."

Smiling, Takashi picked up the creature, gently holding him out to the young child. "I'll teach you the language, Daichi, if you'd like? You're a bright kid and learning this will help you in the future, I believe."

"Ya, Daddy!" the child giggled, trying to mimic the movements of his hands.

"Very good!"

Daichi's entire face brightened as his father entrusted him with the small kaijū moments later. Bringing him close for a hug, he cradled him with the gentleness of a mother cat with her kitten. "I wuv you, Gomora," he giggled, kissing the small beast between the horns. His father ruffled his hair, but he paid him no mind; the little kaijū was gently roaring at him, words as mysterious as the Spark Doll itself.

Glancing away, his fists clenched in anticipation. Having spoken to X about the plan since the start, and gaining his acceptance should things go wrong, he could only hold onto the hope that this would be a positive experience. He had also spoken to Gomora late into the night, telling him that things would feel a bit strange, but he would be up and moving on his own soon enough. For even the briefest of time, he would be free and feel the passage of time.

Should it work at all.

"Officer Ōzora, I see you've moved up in the world," Chief Minamikawa stated, pausing in front of the seemingly daydreaming individual. "Yet, your mind still seems to wander."

Caught off guard, Daichi whirled around as he wondered just when the man had arrived before him. How had he failed to notice? There was no way he had been that distracted, surely! "C-Chief Minamikawa!"

"As perceptive as ever, I see," the seasoned officer sighed with a slight shake of his head. "Walk with me a moment. Captain, if I might borrow him?"

Kamiki, though surprised at the request, nodded. "We still have some time before your guest arrives. I do wish you would tell me who it is. I cannot vouch for their safety…"

Waving him off, the chief merely smiled. "All in good time, Shōtarō, and he will be fine in your hands and will listen to your commands. I have made sure of that much. Now, officer, if you would follow me. There are some things we need to… discuss."