Here is the next chapter. Had a lot of spare time, so managed to churn this one out. Hope to do the same for the next one. As always, I hope you enjoy the chapter and be sure to leave a review or your thoughts. Always appreciate it.

Descent

CCI HQ in Osaka, Japan

The frigid water splashed upon Kiriko's face as she tried to cleanse herself of all the pressure and stress she had been placed under the past several hours. She sneaked a peak in the mirror and sighed. Her face looked worn, hardly fitting a woman of her age. Though, not many women had a job as a pilot of a warship specifically created to destroy monsters. Her hair was tied up into a bun. She motioned to release her locks from their binding, but stopped herself. There was never time to truly relax, not with monsters roaming about in unknown parts of Japan. When she was done with her mission, her R&R would be something to remember, and she would definitely be putting her hair down. She flicked off the light and walked out of the bathroom into the lounge, where her comrades were seated. The television set in the room was on, set to broadcast the latest news report, which happened to be discussing the Karyu's victory over Godzilla. It displayed the quick interview of Miyasaka, in which he rapidly dropped their names. He was asked some curious questions, which obviously ticked him off causing him to hurriedly leave the scene. Hajime's mouth shifted into a smile as he realized they were officially heroes to the public. He jumped up and pumped his fist up in the air.

"Alright!" His eyes seemed to be aglow with a sense of pride at what they had accomplished. "We are officially heroes. Technically not super just yet, but we're close." His grin was contagious as even Kiriko and Yoshino allowed themselves to smile a bit in joy.

"I'm still not happy he leaked our names like that, "Kiriko replied, seating herself next to Yoshino. The lounge wasn't anything spectacular. The walls were a dull gray, every now and then displaying the logo of the CCI. Their sect didn't quite have an official name yet, being so newly created. Hajime came up with 'G-Graspers' but the higher-ups had yet to decide on whether or not they would christen their team that. It had the usual amenities a home would have: a restroom, a kitchen fully stocked, the living area where the work-space and television set was, as well as a trio of beds for the three of them. The only way to gain access to their base of operations was an elevator which led up into the CCI headquarters in Osaka. Here, they could afford to rest up while the Karyu was receiving repairs at a CCI-JSDF hangar in Amagasaki. It had been damaged in its confrontation with Godzilla and was in desperate need of some touching up. The NT-20 armor had been smashed in on one side, a flaw in the ship that needed to be rectified as soon as problem. Not to mention the refueling it needed, as well as the resupply of missiles.

"Why wouldn't you? We're going to be one every news network. We're going to be acclaimed champions! We're going to have books written about us, movies made of us! Hell, we might even get a video game! 'Kaiju Killers, coming to a Playstation near you'!" Hajime plopped himself down onto the comfortable leather couch, a jet black. He placed his feet upon the table in front of him, combat boots and all. Neither of them had removed their uniforms. Navy blue was apparently the favorite color of those who designed them, as the jackets as well as the pants were both blue. There was hardly any alteration in the color scheme, except for white bracers around their wrists and the charcoal-colored Kevlar vest over their tops. Kiriko questioned why such a thing was necessary when one was battling giant monsters, but she did get a satisfying answer. She never did get fashion. Yoshino scratched at the orange patch on her right arm, emblazoned with a silhouette of the Karyu.

"I think I agree with the major. We were never meant to be thrust into the spotlight like this," she stated matter-of-factly.

"You girls are such a bore. I can't believe this, "Hajime cried, exasperated. They were soon to be the most famous people in Japan, and the response he was getting from his partners was very lackluster.

"What you should be happy about is that we destroyed a menace for good, not obsessing over fame and other irrelevant things." There had always been friction between Kiriko and Hajime. Clashing personalities always lead to bickering. Hajime frowned slightly before returning his focus to the television, eager for more details about their standing amongst the media.

It's so easy for him to be caught up in the excitement. He's never lost anybody.

Hajime never had to deal with losing somebody due to Godzilla's rampages. Yoshino and she were not so fortunate. Kiriko had been dealt the news last year, breaking down like a child when she realized she had lost her parents. That wasn't how things were supposed to work. They were supposed to be present when she graduated at the academy, when she got married, and for when she presented them with grandchildren. Now, such hopes had faded away, replaced with a cold determination to kill the beast responsible for so many deaths. As the life of her parents had been snuffed out, so had her eagerness to socialize with others, to integrate into society like the average person would. She only had one purpose, and that was…had been to kill Godzilla. Instead of feeling some form of joy, she still had the claws of melancholia wrapped around her heart.

Is this what revenge felt like?

Yoshino was quiet, eyes focused on the framed photograph in her hands, clutching it gently. She had an expression of distress upon her, moistness in her eyes. Kiriko already knew what it was. Yoshino was a recent widower. Her husband, Major Takuji, perished in Godzilla's assault on Tokyo last year. The loss had changed her even more-so then Kiriko, introverting her and causing her to be a shell of her former self. She was older than either Kiriko or Hajime, and wisdom was something she had plenty of. However, she was prone to periods of silence, and was reluctant to have a prolonged conversation, opting for quick and to the point statements. Her fingers caressed the picture of her lost partner slowly, as if he perhaps was still there to provide her the comfort she needed.

Getting up, Kiriko approached the lonesome medical expert and placed a gloved hand on her shoulder. Yoshino tensed up at the contact, casting a glance behind her before relaxing.

"You ok, Lieutenant?" Why could she never just take a moment away from being the superior officer?

"Yeah…I'm fine Major. Just…remembering."

"I can understand your pain, Lieut-…Yoshino. But it's over. We've won."

"It doesn't feel like a victory. I still feel as empty as ever. Killing Godzilla won't bring him back or your parents either. Deaths answered with even more deaths. " Kiriko remained silent as Yoshino rubbed her eyes before standing up and heading out of sight into the sleeping quarters. The Major watched her go, confused.

"We did the right thing," she murmured. So why did it feel like such a pointless endeavor? Godzilla was dead. Yet, she was sure more monsters lurked out in the abyss. They would be called to action once more. Many more would be killed, whether intentionally or by accident. It began with Godzilla in 1954. A true force of nature, this Godzilla was a legendary beast whose power had been unmatched. The word got lucky when Serizawa used the Oxygen Destroyer to kill it. Decades had passed, and nothing even came close to that anomaly in human inventions. When the second Godzilla arrived, along with the alien dubbed 'Orga', the JSDF were powerless to stop either of the two. The two ended up fighting each other, with Godzilla coming out on top. As if to celebrate his victory, he torched Tokyo, absolutely decimating Japan's capital, taking the lives of any civilians or armed forces that had been unable to evacuate in time.

Yet, the truth was hard to escape. If Godzilla had not arrived, the abomination would have conquered Japan and possibly the world, if one had the courage to think that far ahead. In a way, Godzilla was their savior, yet also their conqueror. Was he truly an evil deity like his predecessor? Or was Godzilla simply an animal with his own motives, thrust into a world he was not ready for.

Damnit Kiriko, get your head on straight. You can't be sympathizing with the goddamn thing. He killed your parents, he destroyed Tokyo, and he is finally gone.

"Major?"

"What is it, Lieutenant," she snapped at Hajime, perhaps more viciously then she had intended.

"Erm…nothing. You just kind of…spaced out there. Sorry."

"No, no. My apologies, I'm just on edge."

"Why should you be," he questioned, looking at her worriedly. "He is dead, Major. We gut the bastard."

"Yes…yes I know. It just feels like this isn't over."

Outskirts of Kitamatsu Village

"This isn't a good idea."

"My ideas never seem to be, at first. Trust me."

"No, I know a good idea when I see one, and let me tell you, this is not a good one. At all. Nope!"

"Just relax, you're on edge," Yuki teased, poking him on the shoulder as he drove down the barren trail, the GPN van handling like a drunken mule. The equipment rattled in the back, creating a stressful environment.

"Yeah, you should really relax, "Io chided, gripping the shoulder of his seat.

"And why did we bring a child along," Robert exclaimed, still struggling to adapt to the driver-seat swap found common in the Far East.

"Because I am an intellectual, whose presence should always be required in situations like these," the nine-year old replied, oozing out cockiness. Robert grumbled something, forfeiting the argument.

"We should've at least told your father. He is going to kill me!" Emphasizing his point, Robert pretended to strangle himself with his free hand.

"Well, he won't find out."

"Right. Yuki, exactly why are you asking me to take you here?" Robert was frankly uncomfortable with what she was asking him to do, but how could he say no? He was tossed upside down on his head after the attack by those bugs and he was really just along for the ride, to put it bluntly. His best friend was gone, and he was left with these people, ranging from a scientist studying monsters, to an adventure-hungry photographer eager for the next big scoop. He was anxious to do something of value.
"Simple. We find the cave, venture in just a teeny bit, and see what we find. We won't be long, I promise." Yuki was absolutely positive nothing would go wrong. At all. A fact that worried Robert immensely, but he shrugged before stopping the van.

"Here. It's through these woods." He opened the door and stepped down onto the filthy path. The morning sun began to creep out from behind the clouds, gracing the land with its light. The ambiance of the forest was quiet, a fact that perturbed the American. His eyes scanned the environment, his paranoia already jumping into overdrive. He eyed his reflection in the mirror, taking a moment to eye himself up. His hair was a mess, no longer gelled up. He rubbed the scratch on his right cheek, frowning at the slight sting of pain. He had managed to get a quick change of clothes from Io before they had set out from the CCI headquarters. Unfortunately, it had been a spare G-Grasper uniform, a tad dirtied and worn. He wasn't very sure where she had obtained the uniform, but he thought better than to ask. The girl was an imp for sure. He removed his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth from his pocket before placing them back on.

"I look like a damn Power Ranger."

"You mean like Sentai?"

"What is that," Robert questioned, looking at Yuki as she came around the van. She was wearing a striped long sleeve shirt, with faded pink and ivory stripes. She wore denim jeans, along with athletic shoes of a brand Robert wasn't quite familiar with. Adorned around her neck was her trusty camera, along with a backpack filled with who-knows-what. Io quickly followed suit, wearing something similar in style to Yuki, albeit with a green shirt adorned with some cartoon character. Probably from some anime, Robert presumed.

"It's what Power Rangers was based off of. You know, we get our daily dosage of giant robots and monsters on television too."

"Yeah? You would think you'd get enough of that in real life." He pointed in the direction where he had fled from, an event that seemed like ages ago. Yuki nodded, and started walking, followed by Io. Robert took a moment to give his surroundings one more check. He closed his eyes and allowed the events that transpired a day or so replay again in his head. He realized this was a mistake and shook his head free from thoughts of the past. He glanced down the road, trying to wonder how close they were to the spot where Io's aunt had been savagely mauled. An innocent taken far too soon from this world, much like Tony had been. He coughed and rubbed his eyes, fighting back the emotion that was threatening to overtake him. Io was strong. She hadn't mentioned at all what had happened since her breakdown. Robert was about to have his fourth. He gritted his teeth and jogged ahead to catch up with Yuki and Io.

"So this is it?"

"Yeah…this is it," Robert replied, staring into the entrance of the mine, the traumatic memories flooding back into his mind. Yuki crouched down, examining something on the ground.

"What do you see, "Io inquired, squatting down next to her.

"I see something that shouldn't be here." She pointed at strange tracks in the dirt. Yuki couldn't quite put a finger on it as to what it reminded her of. It was a trail of 'dots' in the sand, with a small imprint in the dirt in front of every circular step.

"Looks insect-like in appearance," Io replied. She knew her stuff, but it helped to have seen the bug that these tracks belong to up close. Something she wished she had never encountered. Yuki took a quick snapshot of it before standing up.

"Flashlight?" Yuki looked over her shoulder and grabbed the flashlight Robert had fished out of his pocket.

"Onwards!" Yuki marched forward, flashlight and camera in hand. Robert and Io looked at each other, sighed and followed suit.