To say I abused this story would be an understatement. A lot of personal issues put this to the side, and I never found the will to continue it after I had finally settled back down. The second time I had left this to collect dust. I guess with the announcement of a new Godzilla movie gave me that stroke of inspiration. To those who read this and were actively interested in it; I'm sorry. It's been more than a year since I've written anything akin to a story, so here's hoping the rust doesn't show much.
Enjoy. Read and review, please.
The Swarm
The swarm, a cloud of frenzied and starving insects, enveloped the King of the Monsters. Their devilish forms found footholds all along the beast's scaled body to cling to. Clawed appendages dug into Godzilla's skin; a testament to the strength of the prehistoric predators. Godzilla was blinded by the mass of insects swarming all around him. Their beating wings and loud shrieks attacked his ears and threw his concentration off. His focus was off; his reactions were sluggish. This was certainly a new experience to him.
Perfect for the Meganula. With their quarry befuddled, now was their chance to fulfill their only goal in life, as cruel nature had intended it. Those that had managed to penetrate the green scales of Godzilla screeched in unison as they raised tails skyward. On command, a translucent stinger emerged, appearing somewhat fragile. It couldn't be a weapon of sorts; it looked like it would crack if wielded as such. Its purpose was swiftly demonstrated as the Meganula aimed their tail downwards, and jammed it into their radioactive victim. It was not a dagger to kill; it was a syringe of sorts. Each Meganula bared their insidious fangs as something was being drawn out of Godzilla. It wasn't blood, no. It was…energy? Their stingers, tools of their nefarious craft, began to grow neon orange, the same color of Godzilla's destructive atomic beam.
Godzilla finally elicited a cry of anguish as countless amounts of his tiny adversaries penetrated his skin, each attack drawing out what appeared to be energy from his 'core'. He began to shake his head violently, attempting to dislodge the Meganula swarming near his vermillion eyes and those about to adventure into his nostrils. The puny insects were thrown about like rag dolls and soon Godzilla had a momentary respite, at least around his snout and face. The Meganula were all attacking various spots around his body, from, his shoulders all the way down to the tip of his tail. Even then, there were still many zipping about around him, searching for a spot on this magnificent buffet before them.
Frankly, at this point, the radioactive leviathan was done being some feast for the malevolent Meganula. With another roar, one of rage, the spines along his back began to crackle and hum as Godzilla's radioactive energy began to harness itself within the mutated dinosaur. Some of the prehistoric monsters were clambering about on his spikes; this would prove to be a fatal mistake as the Meganula were fried instantly by the intense heat. An orb of pure atomic energy formed in Godzilla's maw; the most powerful weapon on the planet. With a bellow of anger, Godzilla unleashed his trademark weapon against the insignificant insects who dared to attack him.
Those in the airspace directly in front of Godzilla's cavernous mouth were obliterated by the vibrant beam of energy, unable to even process what was going on before they were wiped from existence. The Meganula swarm was taken aback, and began evasive maneuvers. The behemoth began to turn his head, tracking the movements of the ancient dragonflies, his blast incinerating any that got close to it. Those clinging to his neck and shoulders weren't in the ideal location; their carapaces began to literally melt and deform due to the close proximity to the source of the atomic ray. Soon, their life force was snuffed out and they fell to the ground. Some of the smarter, or perhaps luckier, Meganula rooted themselves on Godzilla's side and legs where he could not easily reach. Godzilla rotated around, trying to catch all of the insects in his beam, but they were too swift once they caught on to his attack. Agitated at how he seemed to be slower than usual, he cut off his atomic ray in favor of a more 'hands-on' approach.
Several Meganula zoomed in front of him, no doubt eager to resume their draining of the radioactive monster. In response, the mutated dinosaur lurched forward, jaws open and snapped them shut, impaling the Meganula in his mouth, hearing the crunch of his teeth against their meek armor.
Satisfying.
Looking down, he saw many insects crawling around his chest and stomach, some already beginning the extraction. Scowling, he brought his talons towards his torso, proceeding to rip them off his scaled body. He swatted and batted those that fled, and yet it didn't seem to do much good as it never seemed quite enough. His club-like tail swung back and forth, throwing the Meganula off of it and squashing those careless enough to get in its way. He growled in agitation as he desperately tried to cleanse his enormous body of the infestation.
"Have you redirected the energy reserves to the propulsion system?" Kiriko watched the skirmish unfold with immense curiosity, taking some satisfaction in seeing her foe flustered and unable to do much about the rampant pest problem all around him. Since the onset of those giant bugs, the Karyu had been left to its own devices. Rather than sitting helplessly awaiting the victor, the trio who piloted the anti-Godzilla weapon took matters into their own hands
"Yes ma'am," Hajime replied. He worked feverishly at the panel, almost completing his alterations to the energy current. He ran a gloved hand through hair. He had removed his helmet; he had always hated the damn thing. The design was just so bland. Sweat had already built up around his brow, a result of working under such immense pressure.
"Good. Yoshino?" Kiriko turned her attention to the resident medic, who was now finishing up a conversation with their superiors in the CCI.
"Reinforcements are on the way. They're hesitant to deploy any more tanks carrying the FMMs. However, we're getting some air support on the way. F15Js, if I heard correctly." Kiriko let out a sigh, expressing her relief and slumped back in the command chair. She was lucky that the creators of this battleship had an emphasis on comfort, considering those inside it would be putting their lives on the line against a fierce beast.
"Do you want to power this baby up, Kiriko?"
"No, not yet. Put the Karyu in stand-by mode."
"Ma'am, with all due respect, we can get out of here. There isn't shame in retreating."
"Hajime, are you serious," Kiriko barked angrily. "Don't be a chicken-shit. We have a job to do, and those insects out there aren't going to finish it for us. We just have to wait for the right time to strike. We are not running away; do you understand?" He nodded his head, cheeks flushing. He coughed and returned to his work monitoring the weapon systems.
"Yoshino?"
"Right behind you." The medic smiled slightly, no doubt nervous about the possibilities of what could happen in the very near future. They had all been trained for situations like this, of course. Yet, simulations on the computer or live exercises with no real danger could not possibly compare to the one they were in.
"Alright then. Keep in contact with those reinforcements; give them coordinates on Godzilla's position, and do warn them about those insects."
Half the Meganula swarm had been wiped out. Incinerated, crushed, torn up, you named it, Godzilla had performed that fatality. The assault had appeared to have lasted for an hour, and yet in reality, it was less than one-fourth of that. Godzilla's breathing grew labored as he clumsily tried to grasp at those devious dragonflies attached to his body. He shook his body ragged, clawing at his own skin to rid himself. The Meganula were determined, and still draining his body of energy. His movements were beginning to slow, a fact that made him quite uneasy. Realizing that he had to do something, he quickly began to harness the nuclear energy he still had left into his spikes. They grew a reddish-orange, and a hum began to fill the air. The very air began to sizzle around him, managing to kill off several Meganula who had braved crawling along his spine. To those familiar with the confrontation Godzilla had with the alien in 1999, they would realize that he was preparing his ultimate attack.
The nuclear pulse. A blast of atomic fury from the core of Godzilla that could demolish city blocks and, as proven in 1999, can completely destroy a monster bigger than himself. Godzilla roared out, preparing to unleash a hellish inferno that would take care of the infestation once and for all.
The humans in the Karyu balked, realizing that they were in deep trouble if the pulse did go off; a quick calculation revealed that they were in its way, and there was certainly no guarantee the armor plating would be able to handle such power.
The deafening bellow soon died off into a grunt of exertion, or at least what sounded like what. The crackling of energy began to dissipate; the spines along Godzilla returning back to their rosy shade. The Meganula screeched, still very much alive and taking glee in the King's attempt to rid himself of them.
Godzilla was confused. This had never happened before. He had never failed to unleash his weaponry. Even against Orga, a foe who literally attempted to devour him, he still managed to blow the alien into pieces. The swarm had drained too much from him. Underneath his rage and anguish, the nuclear menace was confused. The atomic creature growled and fell to one knee. His very essence, his life-blood so to speak, was being stolen from him by insects, of all things! Yet, for what seemed like ages, he truly felt weakened.
The Meganula, the ones who had survived and had clung to the rage-filled reptile, were now bloated and filled to the brim with plasma. They quickly removed their stingers from the flesh of Godzilla, allowing blood to begin to seep out. Communicating through shrieks and clicks, they began to retreat from the scene of their feast, making their way back towards where they came.
Godzilla snarled fiercely as he witnessed their apparent forfeit. It certainly did not feel like a victory to him. Hundreds of wounds covered his body, each coated in blood and some sort of bio-chemical the Meganula had secreted. The cells inside his body were finding it incredibly difficult to patch up the mutilation of his flesh, if they could at all. The secretion had made his regeneration utterly useless at this point. At the moment, the monster was a bloody mess. Holes layered his sides, legs, and stomach. The pain was something he could handle; the apparent stripping of his greatest weapon affected him greatly. This was a new foe; one more dangerous than the alien he had faced a year ago, or the flying reptile he had crushed earlier.
Godzilla shakily got back up, visibly hindered by the attack. Due to his head filled with tumultuous thoughts, he was unable to see the next attack.
A barrage of missiles collided with his neck and chest, causing him to cry out in pain as chunks of flesh rained down upon the ground. The squadron of F15Js flew past him, narrowing avoiding a sluggish tail swat. Godzilla bared his teeth in anger and turned to face his new, inorganic foes. The jets turned back around and pelted him with fire from their guns. Normally, this attack would be inadequate due to the presence of his Organizer G1 cells. However, due to their apparent malfunction, the rounds pelted his skin and open wounds, further causing the behemoth pain. With no atomic ray to fear, the jets continued their guerilla attacks on Godzilla. All the King could do was snap his jaws at them and attempt to swat them down with his tail.
The jets were the perfect distraction.
"Now!" The Karyu rumbled to life, raising itself off the ground. The thrusters burned intently, scorching the earth and nearby buildings. The Dimension Tide was offline, and there was no power to the EPCs. The ship was also out of missiles.
Now, indeed, was the time for the Karyu to use its most…unsophisticated weapon. The Karyu shot forward, quickly closing the distance between itself and the radioactive dinosaur. The sounds of the massive machine quickly caught Godzilla's ears. The behemoth turned to face the greater threat, ignoring the jets even as their missiles pelted his backside.
Godzilla's eyes widened in shock as the Karyu was speeding right towards him; the 'Kaiju Cutter' front and center. Godzilla roared out in defiance, only to be cut off half-way as the Karyu's massive blade made contact. The serrated 'bayonet' sliced through Godzilla's thick scales, burying itself inside Godzilla. He cried out in agony, and blood spewed from his maw. Inside the Karyu, Kiriko grinned in delight.
"Let's get rid of this bastard." With all the energy put towards the propulsion system, the Karyu began to push the giant back towards where he came from, the watery depths of the sea. The battleship managed to actually lift the clawed feet of Godzilla off the ground. His tail weakly slapped about.
"Kiriko, this is putting a lot of strain on the Karyu!" The creaks in the hull of the ship echoed throughout the control room. The Karyu was meant to be a weapon in the war against giant monstrosities, but to actually impale one andtransport it? It was truly difficult to comprehend; perhaps not as much as the mere existence of monsters like Godzilla.
"She can handle it. Keep at it." Hajime and Yoshino worked in conjunction to keep the Karyu in flight amongst all the exertion by the ship. Outside, the blade was still embedded in Godzilla's chest, no doubt having penetrated some organs, or whatever it had inside its body. Godzilla bellowed weakly, but the spirit of a godly creature cannot be broken so easily. Furious eyes focusing on the human weapon, Godzilla clenched its fists and began to pummel the Karyu as they flew over the cerulean expanse.
Hajime yelled out in panic as the ship groaned, the alarms beginning to activate, bathing the room in a scarlet light.
Kiriko cursed and checked the condition of the ship. The port of the Karyu was being beaten down. The NT-1 armor was meant to handle energy weapons, not brute force. It would most likely cave in under continued assault and…well, Kiriko hoped it wouldn't come to that.
"Drop him," Kiriko coldly commanded. Hajime nodded and punched in a command into the console. The Kaiju Cutter, anticlimactically, simply detached from the bow of the Karyu, allowing gravity to take over. Godzilla roared in agony as he, and the massive blade embedded in his chest, fell into the ocean, disappearing beneath the waves. Waves and foam erupted from the descent of the nuclear menace, and blood began to darken the water.
"We…we did it. We did it!" Not since 1954 had humanity managed to trounce the beast. Granted those insects did do a number on Godzilla, but they dealt the finishing blow. They practically mutilated the damned animal. Hajime's cheers brought relief to the women beside him. Yoshino flashes a smile as she reached for the communicator to alert the CCI and JSDF of their victory of the menace.
"You alright, Kiri? I figured you'd be ecstatic!"
"Oh yes, yes. I am," she replied. He raised his hand up, asking for a hi-five. She raised an eyebrow, figured she could allow some leniency, and fulfilled his request with a loud smack. He grinned, a completely different person from a few minutes ago. The F15Js raced by, their pilots saluting the trio responsible for the fantastic defeat of Godzilla before returning to base, bringing with them very good news.
Still, Kiriko remained apprehensive. Godzilla was as good as dead. Those bugs drained him of all energy, if their observations were correct, and the Karyu had cut him up quite nicely. Yet, she hadn't seen him pass away, hadn't seen his breathing slow to a halt, and his eyes shut forever.
"Let's get back to base. We're done here."
With Godzilla out of the picture it seemed, along with the giant pterandon, the only thing Japan had to worry about now was a pest infestation. Bugs should be easy compared to dinosaurs, right?