Author's Notes and Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of the 1978-79 Hanna-Barbera cartoon Godzilla: The Original Animated Series, Hanna-Barbera does, or should I say Warner Bros. does. This incarnation of Godzilla is owned by H-B and Toho. I only own my self-insert, Vicky and the OC Army men (not the names, of course). I also do not own the story that is based on the second episode of this series. Also, anything in bold when a kaiju character is speaking/thinking means that they are speaking/thinking in their native language. Also, there a Japanese phrase in here, along with a translation of said phrase said by another character; if the phrase (and thus the translation) is inaccurate, let me know please.

Recap: The Calico crew came to San Francisco for a scientific convention and ended up finding themselves in the middle of an emergency. After assisting the evacuees, the crew meets an Army regiment lead by Major Cassidy and, despite an initial misunderstanding, became acquainted with them. The only one of the men who doesn't seem to be open to the Calico crew is Sergeant Takamoto, a man of Japanese heritage who was brought up believing that kaiju, particularly Godzilla, are nothing but monsters. Will anything change his opinion? We also get a little insight into Lieutenant Messick and the effects of a certain habit he has that frightens Godzooky. Honestly, shouldn't something like that frighten us all a little? Anyway, the "all-clear" has come in and now the combined group is on its way into the devastated City by the Bay.

Warning: Depictions of a devastated city are mentioned, including mentions of dead bodies. If this is too much for you, then skip ahead, but you'll be missing on some crucial information. Also, head's up: the next chapter is the reason I said earlier that by the end of this book you'll be calling me a sadist. That's right; the bad thing that happens to a certain character happens after this chapter.

And so, read on at your own risk…

CHAPTER 4

San Francisco City, 14:15 hours

The closest thing Vicky had ever seen to a war zone was from an animated movie that featured a massive battle between some armies, and only heard about such devastation from teachers and watching age-appropriate documentaries of such things in classrooms, but those were extremely tame compared with the sights she saw from behind the eyepiece of her oxygen mask, which she was extremely grateful for, as it spared her from the combined stenches of rotting flesh, blood, methane, and burnt timbers that gave the city its now-deathly atmosphere. Godzooky, however, being too large for any of that kind of equipment, wasn't so lucky. The various stenches were near-overpowering to his heightened senses; even Vicky's oxygen shield could barely mask it all. The best he could do was remain in its radius, keep his hands over his nose and mouth, and try to keep his stomach calm. Pete huddled close to Brock, as did Vicky, both frightened by the desolation. The other three crew members, despite having seen damage similar to this, were also very unsettled.

Blocks of concrete were unearthed and broken, as if something from below upheaved them. Water from the sewage pipes leaked into the street. Metal girders, glass, concrete, anything that had been used in city's buildings littered the streets, causing the group to take many detours. There were also remains of what looked like items from offices or homes: glass from computer screens, bits of ceramic, small, twisted pieces of metal that were once chairs. Once treasured possessions now just debris. A few wandering eyes occasionally saw what appeared to be human remains sticking out from the rubble, further adding to the group's collective fear. Amazingly, there were a few buildings still standing, while their neighbors had completely disappeared.

Finally, Quinn had gotten enough of her wits back to voice an observation: "I've never seen anything like it," she said. "Some blocks are perfectly normal, and others are collapsed into those enormous holes."

"Strange thing, that's for sure," Lieutenant Messick observed obviously.

"It's almost as if something's…devouring San Francisco," Brock added as the vehicles came to a stop at one of the holes.

"One block at a time," Captain Majors finished, looking around in morbid awe.

"Now that's a tagline from a disaster/horror film if I ever heard one," Vicky commented to Pete and Zooky.

"Well, if we're going to find out how this happened…this is the place to start," Quinn declared, stepping out of the Calico crew's jeep.

"With respect to your expertise, ma'am," Major Cassidy began, not wanting civilians to go into a rather risky situation. "Are you certain going into one of these sites is wise?"

"Unfortunately, I'm one of those 'hands-on' kind of scientists, sir," Dr. Darien replied candidly. "The best way for me to see how this damage was done is to observe this closely. It may be a kaiju, or some sort of freak weakness in the earth we don't know about."

"Well, at the very least, doctor, I won't let you and the others go unaccompanied."

"On that, Major, we agree." Quinn then walked back to the jeep.

Bringing Captain Majors and Brock aside, Major Cassidy asked them if she had always been this way.

"What way?" Brock asked.

"Well, eager, stubborn, a rather splendid negotiator, and-if you'll forgive me for saying so-perhaps a bit…reckless?" the major queried.

The two men chuckled lightly, slightly agreeing with the major's chosen adjectives for Quinn.

"Being a scientist is all she wanted to be; traveling the world, discovering things others haven't and putting them to good use," Captain Majors told the major, all the while looking at Quinn with admiration. "It's all she's talked about since I knew her back as a kid. Can't tie her down anywhere. Out here, in these situations, she's in her element. I'll tell you one thing, if it weren't for her stubbornness, Godzooky and Godzilla wouldn't be with us, and that means Vicky wouldn't either, so that's at least a credit to her. As for reckless…well…that's just who she is."

"At least doing 'crazy stuff' like this means she'll be very thorough," Brock added.

The major grinned, absorbing every word. He could tell that Majors had great respect for his friend and her abilities, even her flaws. He decided not to say this aloud, but he thought that maybe, with more time, that respect could become something more, possibly permanent if Destiny played its cards right. Putting the thought off to the side, he called over some of his men to accompany him, the captain, Brock, and Dr. Darien into the massive hole.

"Pete, you, Vicky, and Godzooky stay here," Quinn told her young nephew.

"They'd better not be left alone, either. Lieutenant Messick! Sergeant Takamoto!" Major Cassidy called. "I want you two to keep an eye on these three. If anything strange occurs, let me know and get them out. No heroics. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" both men replied to their commanding officer.

"Can't we come too?" Pete asked his aunt as the lieutenant and the sergeant seated themselves in the red jeep to keep an eye on their charges.

"Sorry, son," Major Cassidy stated. "It's going to be a bit dangerous down there."

"The major's right," the boy's aunt concurred. "Besides, we'll be right back," she added as she joined Captain Majors, Brock, and Major Cassidy and his men going down the hole.

As soon as they were gone, Pete sighed, supporting his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

"Aw, how come we never get in on the excitement, Zooky?" Pete pouted.

"Mm…I dunno," Zooky replied, still a little distracted by the rather frightening environment.

"I don't know either, pal," Pete said back.

"If I were you, I wouldn't ask that question," Lieutenant Messick spoke up.

"Why not?" Pete asked.

"'Cause sooner or later, you may find yourself caught up in the excitement, and you'll wish you hadn't," the lieutenant replied, starting to bring out his cigarette pack out of habit. He was just about to reach for his lighter when he quickly stopped himself, remembering where he was and who was with him. "Sorry 'bout that," he apologized. "Just a…bad, nervous habit of mine, I guess."

"One that could've blown us all to pieces," Sergeant Takamoto intoned sternly.

"Hey, get off my back, will ya? I'm as scared as you are, Takamoto. Maybe even more so. So what if I do smoke? Least it's better than sittin' around like an ostrich with its head in the sand waiting for the inevitable end! Unlike you, who seems very sure that you'll meet your end the way most of your countrymen have! You even expect this nice kid here to act like them," Messick continued, gesturing to Zooky at this point. "Well, here's a news flash for ya: Zooky here is nothin' like 'em; not. At. All. So why don't ya stop bein' such a stone-hearted pessimist and let the both of us be, huh?"

The small group was silent for a moment. The lieutenant sat back in his seat and sighed heavily, trying to cool down after that rant. The three children looked on nervously at the two soldiers, wondering what was going to happen next. Vicky already had surmised that the lieutenant had gone a bit too far in his accusatory statement towards the sergeant, and that never equaled anything good. The Japanese sergeant just sat there quietly and coolly, contemplating what his comrade had said. Of course, out of pride, he would never admit that Messick had had him pegged on being frightened, but did he really think that he wanted to meet his own end in the hands of a kaiju? Absolutely not! Of course, he probably should've expected that kind of response; he did speak out of turn to his commanding officer in regard to his smoking habit. And he was frightened, as well.

"Tatsu tori ato-o nigosazu," Takamoto finally said, breaking the silence.

Messick leaned his head back and sighed again. "Sorry. Don't know that one," he replied tiredly, not wanting to argue any further.

Sergeant Takamoto shook his head and said, "No, Messick-san. It means, "Why wantonly proclaim one's own disgrace, or expose the faults or weaknesses of one's kindred or people?". You assume that you, and I, are the ostrich, as you say, when, in the face of giants, we all are the ostrich. We beckoned those giants here through our own doings, Messick-san; through the works of the atom and hydrogen bombs. Through pollution and our own foolishness did we force these creatures to make us bury our heads in the sand. We all are responsible for this; not Americans, not Japanese, but all of us. We have tried to fix our mistakes, and even may have succeeded on occasion, but, sooner or later, there is always someone who will step out of their bounds and invoke these kaiju to come back and put us back in our place. These kaiju are forces of nature, Messick-san, and that's what frightens us all. Not realizing that can be our own undoing at times."

The lieutenant and the children stared at the sergeant, spellbound by his meaningful speech. Vicky, of course, understood to some degree what the sergeant was talking about; she had heard the stories of how different kaiju came to be, most of them the product of nuclear testing, like the original Gojira that had appeared in 1954 and was killed by GOJIRA'S BANE (the Gojirins' name for the Oxygen Destroyer). Hedorah had resulted from an alien organism that created itself from the pollution humankind put out. Biollante was a prime example of playing God with the laws of nature. She even heard that even the original Rodan, the original Anguirus, the Kamacuras, and Kumonga all came to be through the fallout of nuclear tests. In essence, what became known as a tide-changer for a war, ultimately brought about great suffering to the human race.

Of course, that didn't mean the kaiju were spared, either. Whenever one of them showed themselves to the humans, they were immediately met with retaliation, whether they were just following instinct, or just protecting something or themselves. Varan was only trying to protect his home when the humans were going to use it for testing in 1958. The Mothra that appeared in 1961 only caused chaos because she was trying to save her priestesses when they were kidnapped. Baragon had only showed up in 1965 because he had sensed a powerful opponent, just like the original Anguirus did back in 1955, and Kong in 1962. The father of the Rodan that was the friend of the Godzilla traveling with the Calico had lost both his parents when humans killed them by setting off eruptions at Mount Aso in 1956. And, of course, it was the Godzilla family who suffered greatly through this: their ancestors suffered greatly under the atomic bombs, the progenitor of the Godzilla line they lost to GOJIRA'S BANE, and, whose descendant was nearly killed at Lagos Island, forced to fight all his life, his name synonymous with curses thrown by the humans. His only reprieves from the constant fighting came when he had another to care for, one of which he nearly lost, almost ending the Godzilla line, and in that same time, suffered awesomely and died a painful death on what would soon be known as Meltdown Night. Biollante, a distant member of the family herself, had to deal with the different facets of herself (plant, Erika, and Godzilla) as well as her immortality, leading a rather lonely existence in Earth's ozone layer.

However, not all of the kaiju that appeared had those very motives or even those initial reactions from the public. Three such kaiju that fit in that latter category were Gamera, Guardian of the Universe, Manda, the dragon guardian of the lost city of Mu, and King Caesar, Okinawan guardian whose origins also hailed from Mu. Mothra was also added to that list as soon as misunderstandings were resolved. Robot protector Jet Jaguar also came in to that list for his help in defeating different kaiju threats. Those that fit in the former category are not only those mentioned in the latter list, but also those who came with nefarious motives in mind, such as the aforementioned Hedorah, who wanted nothing less than to drown the Earth in pollution to make it emulate his own vision of the world. Some more famous examples included Megalon, the bug-cyborg-god of the underwater kingdom of Seatopia, sent by his people to deal out their own justice to the humans for destroying their home through atomic fallout, and Gigan, Mechagodzilla I, and King Ghidorah, all who originated from space and wanted nothing less than the complete conquest of Earth. The only one also in said category that had had a different motive altogether: Battra, the dark counterpart of Mothra, who had been killed by Godzilla Sr long ago, whose only motive for doing what he did was to protect the planet by eliminating the race who had driven it into near ruin.

To make a long story short, all suffered due to atomic warfare and various mistakes. Luckily, there were those kaiju, like Mothra, King Caesar, Gamera, and Jet Jaguar who would willingly protect humanity. And slowly, but surely, another name was joining the ranks.

Lieutenant Messick blew out an exhale before saying, "Y'know, I've never heard you open up like that, Takamoto. I'm…I'm real sorry for saying what I said. Everybody in the world's been through this, not just our two countries. If I offended you, I deeply apologize," he added, bowing in his seat.

"Your apology is accepted, Messick-san," Takamoto replied, bowing back. "However, your response prompts me to apologize to you," he added, a slight grin on his features. "I did speak out of turn to my superior officer, after all."

"True, but…you were right," Messick admitted. "In fact, I've done some hard thinking. And I've thought something I've never thunk before; man my age, my occupation, and these," he continued, holding up his cigarette pack, "not good. 'Sides, Major Cassidy and I are best buddies; we promised we'd see everything together. Even go out of this world together. Now how can I do that when I'm already putting a foot into the grave?"

"I assume this means you're rehabilitated?" Takamoto asked.

Lieutenant Messick hummed before replying with a grin, "Well, it's a step, at least."

Godzooky internally sighed in relief; Major Cassidy would be really happy to hear about this. Vicky and Pete were also relieved to hear that, they had also grown to like the lieutenant, but were left wondering what could have prompted this. That train of thought, plus the moment, was shattered by the cacophonous sound of what sounded like earth being eaten away combined with monstrous footsteps that shook the area.

(Meanwhile, in the sinkhole, the same time the events above took place)

If anyone told Major Theodore Cassidy that his tenure in the armed forces would include being briefed on kaiju history, he would have said that they were crazy. If anyone told him that he would actually see one, he would have asked them if they were right in the head. If anyone told him that he would be investigating a possible kaiju incident with a group of people who actually friends with a kaiju…well…he would have asked them to see a doctor. But that's what happened, and what was happening, to him.

Hours ago, he had stopped his men from accidentally shooting at Godzooky, and had started to grow attached to the big-little fella; especially after seeing the youngling's reaction to the stark reality of Lieutenant Messick's smoking habit. Earlier today, he had witnessed the mightiest and most famous/infamous kaiju of all, Godzilla, rescue people from a collapsing Golden Gate Bridge and even ferry some remaining evacuees across the bay. He had been so gobsmacked by that that it had taken him about two minutes to come back to reality. And, of course, the briefing on kaiju history he took years ago, starting with Gojira in 1954. Despite the destruction caused by the creature, in the back of his mind, Cassidy felt rather sorry for it, especially after hearing how the deed of killing it was done. As he learned more about the Godzilla clan, he couldn't stop thinking on all those moments that were called "alleged" or "inconclusive" that seemed to go in direct opposite to the picture the world's governments painted of Godzilla himself: the cry of anguish let out by Gojira as he died from the Oxygen Destroyer, the account made by a reporter of Godzilla looking after a "mini Godzilla" on a South Pacific island, the wail Godzilla Sr. made when he fell into Mount Mihara, the tears shed by Senior before destroying a building and sending a prominent Japanese citizen to his maker, the baby Godzillasaurus who was raised by and bonded with a human scientist before being taken in by his true parent, the little one shedding tears. There was also Senior's rather desperate behavior during the Spacegodzilla incident and the emotional moments showed by Senior and Junior on Meltdown Night. Then there was yet another Godzilla, who had been mistaken for a fully-grown Junior, go through what appeared to be a near-mental breakdown after defeating Mothra, and later display a characteristic Junior had, unleash a new power in the form of laser eyes, barrel through a mountain like a raging bear to rescue a Mothra larva that had defeated him before, then do a complete 180 and actually become a defender for humanity before dropping off the radar. And then there was that moment that happened a couple years back that he was sorely tempted to ask the Calico crew about: the moment Godzilla, the one he had seen, actually ran off in a panic, leaving the battle to be called a draw.

Major Cassidy played all these things over in his mind, only paying limited attention to the observations Dr. Darien was making about the sinkhole they were in.

"Wouldn't you say so, Major?" the biologist's voice asked, finally cutting through his daydream.

"Hm? What? Oh! Oh. Oh, sorry. No. No, I, uh…I…I…I wouldn't know. Geology's not really my cup of tea," the major stammered, trying to save face in front of his men. It was when he was being looked at skeptically that he finally decided to come clean. Sighing heavily, the major removed his field helmet in an apologetic manner and began, as if he had rehearsed this, "I'm really sorry, ma'am. I'm usually more focused than this, but your being here-you and the whole crew plus Zooky and Godzilla-has forced some unanswered questions of mine to the surface. And I'm afraid I'm not going to remain in a sane state of mind if I don't get them answered."

Majors, Brock, and Quinn looked at each other, revealing that they had been somewhat expecting this. After silently warning each other to be honest without giving too much away, the three of them looked back at the major, allowing him to ask his questions.

"Well, s'pose I'd better start with the one that's been nagging at me the longest: What happened?"

"What happened…?" Dr. Darien trailed.

The response was: "Hong Kong". "What happened?" the major asked again.

The three crewmembers' eyes widened, taken aback by the question. Yes, that was the name of the first human city this Godzilla ever fought in: Hong Kong. It was in Hong Kong that this Godzilla was hurt by bridge cables before. It was in Hong Kong that this Godzilla faced Biollante, their battle causing much damage and numerous human casualties. And it was in Hong Kong that this Godzilla realized how much of a monster he was acting like, not like the way his friends and loved ones thought he'd be at all, and ran off, grief-stricken and terrified. And I suppose it was either Fate or karma that it took place in the very city Godzilla Sr. first demolished in his Burning form.

One of the privates, realizing these very things, tried to voice his observation, but was silenced by his commanding officer, as those points were already known and voicing them now would be stating the obvious.

Dr. Darien pondered that question, looking back on the events from her own memory, and answered honestly, "Truthfully, sir…we're not exactly sure, either. We…weren't as close with Godzilla then as we are now, so that was a complete surprise for all of us. Personally, it was that plus a lucky stroke for all of us; if Godzilla hadn't reacted the way he did, events now might've turned out very different."

Major Cassidy nodded at that. "Y'know, apparently you weren't the only ones taken by surprise at that."

"I'll say. All the major news outlets around the globe talked about it for weeks!" Brock said, remembering.

"Well, yes. But the Japanese, especially those in the Global Defense Force, they were the ones who got really excited, so I've been told," Major Cassidy grinned at the memory. "Heck, when those people got wind of the kaiju battle in Hong Kong, a few people almost lost their heads," he replied in response to the captivated stares that bade him go on. "Those poor people," he sighed, referring to the people of Hong Kong. "Their city gets trampled by Godzilla Senior while he's on his way to the grave, and they manage to move on after all this time, only to have another Godzilla, plus a mutant rose, come by and reawaken their nightmares all over again. Anyway, it really wasn't so much the fact that Godzilla's behavior did a complete flip at the end there that got them, but it was what Godzilla did before he ran off that did."

"Which was?" Captain Majors probed curiously.

"Doctor Darien, you probably remember best. Describe what you saw, including anything that might not have struck you at the moment," Cassidy instructed.

Quinn racked her brain to remember any and all details of what happened in Hong Kong. It had been a nightmare, for one thing, that she definitely remembered. As soon as she and Carl and Brock heard about all the casualties piling up, they had left Godzooky and Pete on the Calico while they went to assist. The damage there had been worse than what they were currently seeing in San Francisco. There had been makeshift hospitals all over, but bodies seemed to be coming in faster than they could take, and it didn't help that chaos was unfurling around them.

But soon, both battling gargantuans had come to a stop and began engaging in what appeared to be a conversation of a sort. No-one could understand or speak kaiju, and their only translators were left out on the ocean a-ways, so no-one could understand the two, but Quinn got a feeling that Godzilla's opponent seemed to be trying to reason with him, somehow, and rather sternly, too. The other monster then turned its head, and seemed to use one of its vine-like appendages to point directly at the carnage and the many deaths that had resulted. Godzilla had swept his gaze over the landscape, then began to loudly sniff the air as he came out of his adrenaline rush from the battle. The features on Godzilla's face slowly began morphing into uneasiness, his tail beginning to wag in an agitated state and his breathing becoming rapid and louder. He then quickly turned and looked back at his now former opponent, as if asking, "Did I really do this?". All he got was a stern glance and the still-pointing appendage now pointing more insistently, this time at the makeshift triage tents. Godzilla had taken few steps in the direction of the area Quinn was helping out in, then quickly drew back with a sound that could only be described as a gasp as his expression turned into one of disbelieving denial, even shaking his head in that very emotion.

Quinn had just stared flabbergasted at the saurian until a voice belonging to one of the victims got her attention. It was an old man who had lost everything; his home, his family, his livelihood. The old man had locked eyes with the saurian, then began hurling obscene epithets in Chinese at him. Quinn's skill in Chinese was rather low, but she understood a few of the basics, including curses. In a matter of minutes, a mob formed, joining the man, some mothers carrying the corpses of their children and presenting them. "Demon!", they had cried. Others were along the lines of "devil", "spawn of destruction", "murderer", and a few others that were unsuitable for translation. Such a demonstration unsettled and moved Quinn immensely, almost giving in to the mob mentality herself, but seeing Godzilla's reaction erased that. As the biologist watched, the saurian's jaw went slack and his eyes widened in shock. His hands came up to his face, covering his maw, then moved to cover his eyes. His tail began to swing wildly. His breathing could be heard over the mob. His hands then moved from his eyes, now squeezed shut, to his ears. Apparently, Quinn thought, even though Godzilla didn't understand the language, he apparently knew rage being directed at him when he heard it. Godzilla began to tremble a bit, then apparently forced himself to bring his arms down and open his eyes. Except for a few still-venting souls, the crowd went completely quiet when he did. Godzilla's eyes, from pupil to iris, had turned a bright-red color, the whites looking bloodshot as tears streamed down his face. His breathing became hitched, his face a picture of horror and remorse, something no-one in their respective lifetimes remembered seeing on his predecessors. Godzilla had stood like that for about two minutes or so before his hitched breathing became hyperventilating mixed with sad moans and slight wails, then he backed away, turned around, and, almost tripping over his own tail, made a beeline for the sea and disappeared.

There was silence as Quinn collected herself after relating her side of the story, that particular memory still being strong despite now being tucked away in her long-term memory. A few tears were beginning to fall down her face. A few soldiers started to move to offer her some comfort, but were stopped with a silent command from the major, allowing Captain Majors to get close and help bring her back to reality. As soon as Quinn had enough of her wits and breath back, she asked Major Cassidy if anything she said had been what made the people at GDF get excited.

Major Cassidy nodded. "When our correspondent there told them that Godzilla's eyes glowed red-whew!-it got busier than a hornet's nest over there. Apparently, according to their resources, there were only two other Godzillas who had done that: the second being the Godzilla who teamed up with Rodan, Mothra, and Anguirus to get rid of that three-headed alien dragon Ghidorah…and the first being…Godzilla Junior."

Now that bit really got the Calico crewmembers' attention. If those two previous Godzillas both had that same trait, then… Well, it was a very big "what if", but the theory behind it had merit. (In fact, it had more than merit; it was right on the button.)

"What are you thinking?" Major Cassidy asked, trying to read the expressions of the three Calico crewmembers as the metaphorical cogwheels turned in their heads. "You guys think there's any connection between those two and your Godzilla?"

Quinn thought a bit more before replying, "According to genetics, certain traits, dominant and recessive, are passed down from both parents. Since those three Godzillas all share that one trait of having their eyes glow red when under extreme stress, and it started with Junior, Godzilla Senior's adopted offspring…the implications are too hard to ignore."

"You mean, our Godzilla is…related to Godzilla Junior? Maybe even Godzilla Senior?" Brock asked incredulously.

"Not just related; quite possibly…a descendant," Quinn speculated.

"Next thing you'll be telling me is that his lineage stretches back to Gojira," Captain Majors commented, not realizing how on-the-nose he was.

Before any further comments could be made, the ground shook, showering everyone lightly with some debris, accompanied by what sounded like earth being loudly eaten away combined with footsteps.

"What was that?!" a soldier yelped.

"I heard that same sound when the bridge collapsed," Brock observed, shouting to be heard over the steadily-growing noises.

"And it's getting closer," Quinn noted, also shouting to be heard.

"Sir!" Private Butler called. "Recommend we get topside before this place falls in on us!"

"Agreed! Everybody out! Move! Move!" Major Cassidy ordered.

"Pete, Vicky, and the others are topside! If this racket is heading this way-" Captain Majors cut himself off, realizing the horrifying prospect that the lieutenant and sergeant they left with the kids wasn't going to be enough against this.

Meanwhile, back on the surface, Lieutenant Messick, Sergeant Takamoto, Vicky, Pete, and Godzooky were trying to keep their footing amidst the quaking and wondering what was going on.

"Man, I know earthquakes! And believe me, this ain't one of 'em!" Messick yelped, clutching on to the jeep's driver's seat in terror.

"Hold on, fellas!" Vicky exclaimed, the order more directed at Pete and Zooky.

Taking her advice, Zooky clutched at the jeep's sides, his frightened grip digging into and bending the vehicle's frame a little. It did little good when the pavement began to crack and split open under his feet, though!

Major Cassidy's group emerged from the sinkhole they were in just in time to see the others begin to fall into another sinkhole, Vicky screaming at the top of her lungs and Zooky crying out in alarm. Quinn was about to break for it to help her nephew, but she was held back, and a lucky thing too; a building fell over, its foundation severely weakened, landing in the very sinkhole the others had fallen into!

"PETE!" Quinn screamed desperately, fearing for her nephew.

The quaking ceased. Major Cassidy ordered his men to remove the wreckage, double-time. He wasn't going to allow any deaths on his watch, not when two of them were his comrades, and three of them civilians who had become his friends. Quinn finally broke away and tried to help, but she was so broken up that couldn't do much. Captain Majors gripped Quinn's shoulders tightly, praying that everyone had survived.

"Hello, hello? Can anyone hear me?" came a voice faintly over Major Cassidy's walkie-talkie after a few moments of silence.

The major looked at his piece of equipment in confusion as the voice called out again: "Hello, hello? Anyone? Mayday! Mayday! Hello, hello, hello, hello!?"

"Am I hearing things or is that Vicky's voice?" Brock questioned, recognizing the anxious, insistent tone in the voice.

"Hello, hello? Anybody up there? Can you hear me? Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello? Mayday! Mayday! Help, please!"

"That's her, all right," Captain Majors chortled as he listened.

Quinn laughed in relief that there was a chance that Pete and the others were safe and in slight perverse amusement at the tone of Vicky's string of panicked SOS's.

"I think you'd better answer that before Vicky wears herself out," she giggled.

The major nodded and clicked the receiver on. "This is Major Cassidy," he began. "Young lady, how on earth did you get on this frequency?"

"Major?!" Vicky's voice blared over the speaker, surprise and relief flooding her voice. "Thank goodness it's you! I thought I'd never get through!"

"Well, you did," Major Cassidy replied, bringing his walkie-talkie back to his ear, having moved it away earlier because of how loud the preteen's voice came out. "Is everyone all right?"

"Well, depends on the definition of 'all right', sir. If it means that the five of us aren't crushed, then, yeah, we're good."

"Vicky," Dr. Darien asked, "is Pete OK?"

"We're all here, Aunt Quinn," came the reply from the boy.

"I think I hear Godzooky," Brock pointed out.

Everyone near the walkie-talkie went quiet, then began to hear raspy, strained grunts over the sounds of some debris falling.

"Zooky and Vicky are holdin' up the building," Pete explained.

That sentence was immediately met by sounds of surprise and confusion.

"It's my shield plus whatever elbow grease the two of us got," Vicky explained further, some strain beginning to creep in.

"If it weren't for these two, sir, we'd be in a lot worse shape," came Lieutenant Messick's voice.

"Yes," Sergeant Takamoto spoke. "Young Gozuki is strong, and saved us from a terrible fate, but even he cannot hold this debris up forever. We need evacuation as soon as possible."

Sounds of rubble falling came over the radio, as if to emphasize the sergeant's statement.

"Hang tight, men. We're clearing the debris as fast as humanly possible. You guys should be seeing daylight again soon," Major Cassidy said.

"Understood, Major," Lieutenant Messick affirmed, moving a little closer toward the young, winged kaiju to avoid getting hit by some rather-too-big-looking pieces of falling rubble. "We'll be right here. Out."

There was a click as the major disconnected the call. At the moment, Vicky was beginning to feel some strain as she groaned in effort, her watch arm beginning to ache. If anyone saw her, they would've thought she was doing a mime routine of pushing something heavy up. Godzooky was also beginning to tire, but he wouldn't allow himself to; not after hearing what Sergeant Takamoto said about him, and certainly not with his friends in danger. This was the scene for another minute or so, when Godzooky, still fueled by the resolve the sergeant's compliment gave him, began to straighten up and a rather ominous rumbling sound was heard.

"What's happening?" Pete asked hurriedly.

"Well, either it's Zooky's strengthened resolve that's making him push the ceiling higher, or there's just enough debris cleared away," Vicky started, then added as a look of horror came over her as she glanced up, the 'roof' beginning to tremble, "or the whole thing's gonna come down!"

"Sir! We've got a collapse coming!" a sergeant yelled to Major Cassidy.

The remainder of the debris pile was beginning to heave, a sign that a cave-in was imminent.

"GET BACK! GET BACK!" Major Cassidy ordered, his bellows reaching under as well.

The soldiers scrambled from the area. Below, the four humans huddled close to Godzooky, who also brought the jeep closer to himself in an effort to prevent further damage to it. Some more trembling, before the ground gave with groan, a booming impact ensuing.

All was quiet as the dust settled. Hopes began to fail when there was no sign of movement, but that changed when it seemed large quantities of dirt began leaping out of the hole on their own. This was followed by the sound of Godzooky sneezing, which sent more dirt into the air.

"Gesundheit, kiddo!" Lieutenant Messick called, a smile in his voice.

Relieved and amused laughter rippled through the group and they approached the edge. All five were present and accounted for, dirty and shaken up, but alive. The crew's jeep was also intact. Zooky looked up at everyone and managed to grin before his face contorted and he had to turn his head to let out another sneeze, the loud noise causing some loose dirt to fall off the walls.

"God bless you, Zooky," Major Cassidy grinned, meaning that politely and seriously. "You'd better mind those sneezes of yours, though, 'fore they blow somebody away."

"Or blow our eardrums out," Messick chuckled quietly, still smiling, hands over his ears.

Zooky let out a third sneeze before apologizing and assuring the major that he would, Vicky having to translate as Pete seemed occupied by something at the moment.

"C'mon, guys!" Brock called, offering a hand.

"No, come down here!" Pete called back. "I wanna show ya something!"

"What is it?" Captain Majors called.

Sergeant Takamoto turned his head in the direction Pete was looking and saw what the boy had seen when the dust cleared: a massive tunnel entrance that likely led deep under San Francisco.

"It appears to be a tunnel of some kind, Majors-san!" Takamoto responded.

"He's right!" Vicky affirmed after seeing it for herself. "C'mon, we'll show you! I think it might something to do with what's goin' on around here!"

"Stay here, men," ordered the major. "And prep for a cavern trip; I'll go down with the crew and scout the situation. When I give the word, I'll have Zooky lower you in. Clear, men?"

The remaining troops responded in the affirmative and went to their jobs. The youngling brought up a hand, ready to act as an elevator. As soon as the four humans joined the others, they also saw the titanic-sized entryway.

"It's HUGE!" Brock gasped.

"Looks like somebody's been tunneling, tunneling down into the earth," Captain Majors observed.

"Or something's been tunneling up," Dr. Darien countered, throwing a glance at Sergeant Takamoto. She was starting to believe his theory that this destruction was the work of a kaiju. But there was only one way to find out for certain.

Whew! Well, that's probably the most amount of exposition (not to mention the longest chapter) you've ever read. Now we have a timeline of sorts for the kaiju world in this fanfic-verse of mine and we now know the full story of Godzilla's first fight in a human city, that city being Hong Kong, the very city Godzilla Sr. decimated when he was in his Burning form. Talk about a bad case of deja-vu. And just why did Godzilla get so…emotional, I'm sure many of you are asking. Don't worry, all will be explained in time.

Before you ask, yes, I have seen a Gamera movie (the 1965 one), I did see the movie "Atragon" that featured Manda (at least, I think I did), and I did see the movie "Varan the Unbelievable", twice. I also have the "Godzilla Criterion Collection", which means I have all of the Showa Godzilla films, so I was able to see the ones I didn't get a chance to. I also have to credit DeviantArt author kahnac for the detail of Anguirus being present during the events of the Toho film "Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster" and Gamera being one of the good kaiju; I read the following of kahnac's stories, "Godzilla: The 3 Faces of Terror", "Godzilla: The Kaiju Chronicles", and "Godzilla: The Chronicles of War" before I saw those movies, so that's how I figured in those details.

Also, we've had a bit of a close call with Godzooky, Pete, Vicky, Lieutenant Messick, and Sergeant Takamoto, but thankfully everyone made it through all right. And I hope you enjoyed the light-hearted moments I put in while they lasted, because they're the last ones that you guys are gonna get for a whole chapter.

Yep; we're here. The moment I've been warning all of you about. Next time, the Calico crew and Major Cassidy's regiment explore the tunnel…and end up facing more than what they bargained for. And a certain character will be exposed to things no-one should ever have to see in their lifetime.

Please read and review. Thank you.