Chapter 33: Fear Battra

.

It took 16 hours for the muto to fly all the way to yucca mountain. When he finally caught sight of the mountain he began to fly as fast as he could. However, even though he meant no harm to Godzilla or his allies, they didn't know that.

Godzilla looked out towards the horizon and saw a familiar black figure flying towards him.

How? I thought all the mutos were killed? He thought to himself. He turned his body towards the creature and began to charge up his atomic breath. Just as his dorsal plates began to pulse blue, Mothra and Battra sensed the muto's presence. Battra jerked his head towards it and raced towards him.

"GODZILLA! I HAVE AN URGENT MESSAGE! HOLD YOUR FIRE!"

Godzilla ignored the creature. Battra gets in between the two of them and raises his front legs at Godzilla.

"STOP! HE MEANS NO HARM!"

Godzilla took a deep breath of air. He exhales and his atomic breath fires right out of his mouth. Just as he fires it Battra rams into him as hard as he can. The king of the monsters roars as he is shoved to the ground. The blue beam of his atomic breath carving into the ground below. The muto lands and begins to rush over to Godzilla. Godzilla sits up and decks the muto right in the face. The muto crumples to the ground. Battra stands in front of him and raises his legs to defend him. Godzilla sits up and clenches one of his fists.

"Move Battra or I will kill you as well!"

The muto turns his head weakly towards Godzilla. Their eyes lock.

"Stop! I don't want to hurt you! There is something you need to know!"

Mothra rushes over and steps in front of Battra. She puts one of her front legs on Godzilla's chest. He turns his gaze towards her. Her antennae wilt slightly.

"Goji stop! Leave them alone!"

"Mothra these creatures are the reason why we are here in the first place! He came here to kill us! Now move!"

The muto sits up and takes a step back. Godzilla shoves Mothra to the side and begins to rush over towards him.

"You have only a week! That's it! We need to go now!"

Godzilla stops and hesitates for a second. He turns his gaze to Battra and then back to the muto. His vision darts between the two of them for a few very long and uncomfortable seconds.

"What does that mean?" His vision shifts to the muto. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!"

"I heard Kiryu and Gigan talking! They fought over something but what I did hear was that their oxygen destroyer has a week left until it can be detonated! We need to go now! Trust me! This is our only chance to stop Kiryu and we can't waste any time!"

Godzilla lowers his fist.

"And why should I believe anything you just said? How do I know this isn't a trap?"

"Look, if you choose to not believe me then billions will die! Including your children! Listen to me! Please! Believe me!"

Mothra steps forward. Her normal blue color shifted to an orange color. Her antennae are raised.

"How did you know we have children?"

"I told you, I have been spying on Kiryu. We need to go now!"

Battra steps forward.

"Wait...I watched your whole race get purged! How...how are you…"

"I asked myself the same question. Even though the jaegers betrayed us they couldn't kill all of us. Some of us got out. Some of us fought back. The remnants of our kind went deep underground. I chose to tunnel as close to their base as possible to gather intelligence to lead a counter-attack."

"How many of there are you left?" Battra asks. The muto turns his head slowly and a dismal look sprawls upon his trapezoid-shaped face.

"Not many. Last time we did a census there were only 12 of us left, 10 of which are male. We could fly away from the jaegers but they couldn't."

Godzilla impatiently steps forward.

"Look. I don't care about how many of you there are left. We need details, info, facts. What exactly did you hear while over there? I am not going to risk my friends or my families life on a vague statement."

The muto steps forward. Godzilla huffs. Mothra jumps onto his back and watches the muto intently. Battra steps off to the side. Moments later Rodan flies in to see what the commotion is about.

"First of all, I have a name. We aren't just mindless animals. My name is Rax and I would like you to call me that!" Rax spits angrily. Godzilla just scoffs.

"It was earlier today when I heard them fighting. Apparently Gigan was sent to defend the base you leveled not to long ago but he didn't get there in time. Kiryu threw him around the room in a fit of rage. I heard Gigan ask something about you Battra but Kiryu just brushed it off. He then did something and then I heard machines moving stuff. A dull vibrating noise filled the air and Kiryu mentioned something about the oxygen destroyer. He said that in a week it will be fully operational and ready to detonate."

Godzilla shifted uncomfortably. He clenches his jaw. Rodan turns towards Rax.

"So that gives us what...6 days to get there and destroy it? What about the jaegers? We would have to march right through their territory just to get there!"

"Not necessarily. Rodan, Mothra and me can fly. Godzilla can swim there but what about you Battra? How long before you think your wings will be fully developed?" Rax says. Battra sighs.

"I don't know. My legs have regenerated and my horn is almost fully grown but my wings are only half developed. It will be another three days before I can fly but my muscles will still be weak. It will be weeks before I can return to my former state."

Battra hangs his head. An awkward silence fills the air. Rodan suddenly blurts out an idea.

"Wait a minute! I have an idea! I noticed when Godzilla returned from the nuke explosion that he was a little more muscular than before."

Mothra blushes and hides her face behind one of Godzilla's dorsal plates. Battra rolls his eyes.

"I also noticed how he knocked Rax down in just one punch. I wouldn't be surprised if he isn't stronger too. Now why don't we take that same logic and use it on Battra. What if we detonate a small nuclear bomb on him so he absorbs it's radiation? He might even emerge more powerful than before."

Godzilla and Mothra both shift their gaze to each other. Battra grins. Rodan begins to sweat uncomfortably.

"I mean uhh...we don't have to do that...we can wait the three days but that's just my opinion." Battra moves closer to Rodan.

"I like your thinking but there is just one flaw. I am still in a frail state. How do I know this won't kill me?"

Suddenly a figure moves towards them. A jaeger in the USA's army green color scheme trudges towards them. A familiar voice booms from it.

"We don't know but that makes it more likely that it will work. We didn't just sacrifice hundreds of American lives freeing your ass just to have you sit around. I like your idea Rodan. We have tactical nuclear bombs that don't do too much damage and it will be perfect for this plan. Give us a day to retrieve it and we will go forward with your plan." says General Wayfield. Rax swallows at the phrase "Give us a day."

"A day? We only have 6 until the world ends! We can't wait that long! We need to move now before it's too late!" Rax spurts. Wayfield moves closer to Rax.

"Why is there a muto in allied territory? I thought they were your race's mortal enemy?"

"They are but from what he says he means no harm. Look Wayfield, we don't have time to wait for a smaller nuke. Is there one here at the base that we can use instead?'

"Unless you want one that will almost guarantee Battra to die then no. All the nukes we have here are retired Cold War ones designed to level entire cities. The one we gave you Godzilla was one of those."

Battra moves towards Wayfield. He uses his legs to slice off the silk bandages on his wings. The small underdeveloped wings droop down. They are only a third the size of his normal ones. He turns his head towards the towering jaeger.

"Then we'll use it. We need to move and if I know Kiryu then he is already preparing his defenses for our arrival. I need as much power as possible to get through them."

Mothra puts one of her legs on his shoulder. He looks at her.

"No...we can't risk it."

"This is my choice. Wayfield...fetch the bomb."

And so Operation Dark Phoenix was formed. A spit of land north of the mountain was selected as the detonation zone. In less than two hours the nuke was set up and Battra was transported to the site. The entire time he watched the sunset. After all, it might have been the last time he would ever be able to do so.

But luckily for him, he would live another day.

The nuke detonated and almost instantly Battra was consumed within the fireball. The shockwave shattered windows over 1,000 miles away. The towering mushroom cloud rose over a deep, smoldering crater. Ash and chunks of the dry arid desert began to fall from the sky above. Geiger counters went wild for a few seconds after detonation...and then went silent. Wayfield, who was in a bunker watching the event, peered through the glass and saw something horrific.

Sparks. Purple and red sparks were flashing within the rising cloud of smoke. Flashing like lightning and illuminating the ground below. Godzilla and Mothra emerged from their hiding places and rushed over to the crater to see Battra. Smoke and ash filled the air. Just as Godzilla was making his way over he felt the presence of something he only felt near Kiryu or Ghidorah those many years ago. The presence of an alpha. His heart dropped. He got closer to the crater. He turned his gaze to Mothra and she had the same worried look on her face. Finally he peered over the edge but saw nothing but darkness, and then two purple eyes gazing right back at him.

Purple and red sparks shot out from the crater into the night sky. Then a rush of air disturbed the smoke. Godzilla and Mothra looked upwards only to see nothing except the black sky above. Moments later they heard something land behind them. Slowly, Godzilla and Mothra turned around. Godzilla's eyes shot open and Mothra gasped in fear.

Battra was standing before them. His figure is significantly larger. His red eyes penetrated deep into their frightened souls. Purple bolts of lightning shot out of the ends of his now large and jagged wings and connected with the ground below. He towered over his younger sister. His wings pulsed a luminous red and yellow. He clacks his pincer and turns his sinister gaze to Godzilla. Mothra steps back behind him. Godzilla nervously swallows.

"Battra...how do you feel?"

Battra flaps his wings and tucks them behind him. Red and purple sparks continue to shoot out of his body.

"Powerful."

Battra takes off into the night sky. The dark lord has been reborn.

Fear Battra.