"They need you!" she exclaimed, circling him with erratic swoops, as if she were literally worrying the air with her aerial pacing, "You and I are the only ones left!"
It was not his refusal that irritated her, or lack thereof, but rather the casual disinterested expression upon his face as her pleas seemed to fall upon deaf ears. If he would at least vocally refuse her, then she would have something to work with, something to argue against. Instead, Godzilla merely glanced her way in silence whenever she flew in front of his vision. He treated her pleas if they were no more significant than requesting another for help in grooming wings or scales. In truth, however, the reptilian kaiju fully intended to aid her, but he did enjoy riling up the usually peaceful female, to make her work for his assistance.
This would not be the first time he had found himself as humanity's unwitting savior, nor was he ever really unwitting about it. When the Earth was in peril, it was a sense of self-preservation that led him to defend the planet against beings bent on total destruction, and it was this predictable behavior that Mothra had hoped to capitalize on. He knew this too, that she knew this of him. However, there was a price he enacted upon humanity, and Mothra was likely aware of this too. He would save the humans, and the humans would live on, knowing they owed their salvation to him. Time and time again, he saved the humans by proxy, even if he had few qualms of letting the humans being exterminated. That the humans again would be spared by repelling the invaders from Planet X was an unfortunate matter that he was all too keen on rectifying once the external danger had passed. One thing about this new enemy, or rather Mothra's plea, that bothered him, however.
"They come from the stars," he said finally, drawing out a surprised expression out of Mothra, who had been close to resigning herself to a solitary attack on the invaders. His snout dipped down and up in slow and repetitive motions, as if examining himself. The gesture would not be lost on Mothra. He could defend the Earth, but he was incapable of actually attacking the invader's bases that were established throughout the solar system. Godzilla likewise doubted that even Mothra's wings were capable of extraterrestrial flight. However, the giant butterfly had been in constant communication with the shōbijin and was aware of the newfound human plan. His reaction to her conveying of said plan was less than dignified.
"Never!" he roared out, punctuating it with a curt spray of radiation. It was aimed nowhere near Mothra this time, instead the blasted directed at the nearest sandy bank. He knew of what that device had done. The other monsters were gone and he was not going to trust the humans to offer himself to the others' alien executioner. Like a child in a tantrum, he repeatedly sprayed short bursts of atomic breath into the air, somehow being mindful of Mothra's ever-changing position around him. His tail pounded and lashed at the lagoon, sand shooting up into the air like dusty geysers. The atoll soon took on the appearance of a flooded island after a hurricane had ravaged it.
She watched him while maintaining a stoic flight pattern around him, slow and steady wing beats keeping her aloft near him while she tried to explain what the device was, what had happened to the others, and reiterating why she needed his help. With a bemused expression at his antics, she drew herself closer to him. Abruptly slapping her right wing against his head, she earned herself a sharp look from Godzilla that nevertheless did put a sudden end to his raging.
"You will not be alone."
Baring his fangs at her still, he glowered in response to her gentle words of reassurance. He was not one to be patronized, even if it had been a sincere statement. Snapping at her aggressively before huffing out a smoky breath, he realized he had little left to argue with Mothra. He realized that he had little reason to be surprised by her statement. It had always been her way, to put others before herself. Even against the insurmountable odds that he would be facing, the female kaiju was determined to face them along with him. That aside, though, he remained first and foremost a prideful male.
"Do not be stupid, Mothra," he growled out at her dismissively. She was weak, and it was not going to be just one enemy kaiju, but all of them, as well as the native invasion forces of Planet X. Even if he knew full well that she would prove herself as stubborn as he was, he added, "And I work better alone."
Her wings suddenly snapped forward, buffeting the king of monsters with twin blasts of wind that could just as likely been a pair of slaps to his face. Antennae twitching fiercely, Mothra brought herself face to face with Godzilla. Compound eyes held a twinge of crimson to an otherwise serene collection of cerulean mirrors, each one reflecting Godzilla's image back at him.
"This is my home. This is our home." She swept her wings harshly, building up miniature typhoons in the lagoon. "And I will defend it. From you. From Planet X." She entered his personal space, close enough for either kaiju to immediately draw first blood if either dared to actually attack first. Almost pressing her head to his, she shrieked at him, "FROM ANYONE!"
The tense exchanged stares between the two lingered, the passage of time no longer relevant. Fangs bared and mandibles flared. In the ambient silence of the atoll, Mothra could hear the subtle friction of the scales over his muscles, as well as the distinct cracking of knuckles as his clawed hands tightened further into fists. Soon, he would strike her down. Every ounce of Mothra's strength was summoned, to not tremble before the obviously growing wrath of Godzilla. Defiant to his dominating posture, she replied in kind, outwardly unperturbed by his appearance with her majestic wings spread out fully. Deep inside her very core, however, she was petrified. It was not his wrath she feared most, but that he had been able to conjure her own furious anger without so much as striking her. Mothra prayed that he would see reason, that she was not his enemy.
In the end, the gods answered her prayers. It was Godzilla who relented to the previously unseen fires that dwelled within the tender soul of Mothra. The male found amusement in this, as well as a glimmer of respect for her. He broke eye contact with her, turning his snout aside and huffing out a heated breath that caused the immediate air in front of his mouth shimmer.
"Fine."
He stomped his way off of the atoll and toward the open waters of the ocean, the surface breaking and waves crashing against his body as Godzilla began to submerge. Only his dorsal fins remained visible, announcing his presence as he set course for Monster Island. Mothra could only watch with growing aggravation at his behavior. And yet, she knew there was little choice in the matter. He was the only one who remained, and she accepted the fact that she would not be able to succeed on her own. Beating her wings in such a way that could be construed as a slumping of weary shoulders, she took off after him. Hovering above his silhouette below the surface, she followed him as would a guardian angel. In her mind, she continued to listen in on the discussions. The shōbijin's voices came in clear, as did that of the chairman.
"Mothra understands the risks. She has prepared herself for her fate if it comes to this."
"Yes, we understand that Mothra would sacrifice herself for all of us. But, Godzilla is not Mothra. Our scientists have yet to find out exactly how the device actually functions. In fact, we have only just discovered how to send, not retrieve. They would be cut off from us, unable to do anything except keep going forward by securing each transporter they come across. This is, in all honesty, a one way ticket. Not that we will complain if it happens. Our prayers will to Mothra that she may somehow return to us. However, Godzilla will not agree to this plan if it means he may never return to Earth, even if he happens to survive this war."
"Then, for the sake of all life on Earth, he must not be allowed to know."
Mothra glanced down at the gargantuan figure beneath the surface, tail swaying back and forth in powerful motions to further propel him smoothly through the water. If he knew, she thought to herself, then there was no telling how he would respond. The threat of Planet X would pale in comparison to the fury of a betrayed Godzilla. Likewise, somehow she believed he would not agree to aid them, as the humans themselves suspected if he knew the risks associated with going through their mad plan of attack. She would not tell him of the sacrificial lamb he was to become, along with her. Deception was not her way, but there was no other choice. Steeling herself against this emotion, she stoically continued on.