(Sorry that this took longer than the last chapter! School and internship have kept me very busy! I was so tempted to put a review or a note on here just to let y'all know I hadn't forgotten about this! The ride is almost over! The battle continues...)
Regicide
It was a standoff akin to those portrayed in old western films. Three titans, eyeing each other up, calculating strategies in their heads, stood like monstrous gunslingers awaiting the first move. Megaguirus's wings rapidly buzzed, the sonic waves beginning to drone on the ears of Rodan and Godzilla. The King of the Monster's tail whipped back and forth, clobbering the streets and structures underfoot. The kaiju who finally broke the stare down was the irradiated pterosaur, Rodan. With a cry, Rodan leaped up and took flight. Like a missile, Rodan spiraled towards Megagurius, who quickly turned tail and retreated. The two lifted skyward, a bird after an insect. Godzilla took a couple steps forward, realizing he was completely out of his element in this battle. With a growl, he stomped his foot angrily, stomping flat a car dealership of luxury vehicles, peeved at his lack of wings.
Miyasaka groaned as his shaky hand dropped the radio transponder. He had said all he could to the major on the other end, and now all he could do was wait. The helicopter was a wreck. The blades were shattered, frame bent, and he was a fortunate man that it had not erupted into flames. He was alive, but being so was hell at the moment. Cuts and abrasions littered his skin, with his suit torn to shreds. His left leg was bleeding profusely from where the tibia had pierced his skin. It took all of his willpower just to keep from crying. He had attempted to make a tourniquet with his belt for his leg, but it was a shoddy job at best. He had crawled over to the wreckage of the helicopter, throwing up at the sight of his pilot who was currently missing a head, and had managed to send out an S.O.S. call, which was received by the remnants of the JSDF forces. Bile stained his clothing and he groaned in disgust as the smell reached his nostrils. He closed his eyes, leaning against the downed helicopter frame, taking a moment to rest.
The case!
With a start, Miyasaka attempted to stand up, but was greeted with immense pain. He grit his teeth as he fell back down. His eyes scanned the area feverishly, searching for the case. It was filled with the Godzilla samples they had obtained from the monster. A scientific breakthrough ready to happen! A fortune in the future! Gone! Impossible! The thought crossed his mind that he was more distressed about the samples than his dead pilot but…Shiro didn't want his death to be in vain. Rubble and shards of metal were strewn around the crash site. He was in a grassy park, with trees planted here and there. It would be a quaint setting, if not for the downed helicopter cratering in the middle of it. Shiro Miyasaka once again attempted to stand, using the helicopter as a crutch. He managed to reach his full height, doing his best to take any pressure off of his wounded leg.
There!
The CCI logo adorned specimen case was off in the distance, underneath a tree. It was a jet black, unsightly looking thing, made of steel and containing vials of precious blood and fluid. It must have been flung that distance as the helicopter made contact with the field. He grunted as he lowered himself back down gently. The distance wasn't impossible to traverse, not for a man with his willpower. He adjusted himself into a prone position, and began the agonizing crawl over. He did his best to prevent his injured leg from brushing against the dirt and grass, instead putting all the pressure on his other leg and pulling himself with his arms. He closed the distance in what felt like an eternity, feeling some satisfaction as his hand rested on the sheen metallic exterior.
"We should thank you for procuring the samples for us."
Shiro flinched, taking his hand off of the protective case. The voice came from behind the tree. Cold, emotionless, robot-like. All descriptions that came to mind after hearing that voice. Out stepped a figure from behind the tree. A tall man, adorned in what could best be described as a silver jumpsuit, stood in front of Shiro. He was wearing a strange helmet, with antennae on each side and a tinted visor covering his eyes. What alarmed Shiro was the gun holstered on the man's belt, which looked strange and out of some old seventies sci-fi series. Gray boots and gray hands completed the outfit, and the only skin showing was his face.
"Who are you? What're you doing here?" The man smiled, revealing perfect white teeth. In fact, he looked flawless from what Shiro could see from behind the visor. Almost unnaturally so. The stranger reached down and lifted up the heavy case with one gloved hand, with no effort whatsoever.
"Who I am doesn't matter. You will know of us in due time," he responded. "The question is should I kill you now..." The suited man brought a boot down, crushing Shiro's hands. The head of the CCI could do nothing but yell in anguish and struggle feebly.
"...or let them do it for me?" He removed his boot and thumbed behind him. Shiro looked past him and gasped in disbelief. He realized where he was now: Kumamoto Castle. Or what was left of it. Situated in the ruins of the once beautiful monument was a giant egg! It seemed to be growing! Dark slime coated the surface of it and drippled onto its 'nest'.
"It is unlikely you will live to see us conquer your planet. Unfortunate. At least you can die knowing you've helped us acquire the key to killing your 'king of the monsters'." The alien, for that had to be what he was, smiled his eerie smile, and then walked away with Shiro's prized possession. In a flash of neon blue light, the man was gone. To space? To the mothership? Who knows? Miyasaka was stunned. The G-Samples were gone, taken by some kind of freak. He was stranded by Kumamoto Castle, his pilot and ride lost and next to a giant egg pulsating with life, likely belonging to that massive bug. And yet, the thought that was at the forefront of his mind was what the alien had implied.
I thought we had killed Godzilla…
Godzilla cried out in pain as Rodan crashed into him, spike-plated chest first, having been launched that way by a certain ancient insect. The two prehistoric predators collapsed in a heap, crushing several buildings under their gargantuan bodies. Godzilla snarled at the winged creature, with Rodan returning the gesture as well. The mutated pteranodon struggled to clamber off Godzilla, but the King gave him a shove to expedite the process. Rodan stumbled forward, wings flapping to right himself, before about facing and screeching in rage at Godzilla. He jolted forward and gave a kick right to Godzilla's thigh. Now it was the King's turn to roar in pain and grow even more furious. The two challenged each other, and charged. The sound of two skulls cracking together echoed through the city – a crown of rigid bone from the sky prince against the tough scales of an aquatic leviathan. Neither gave an inch as they competed in this territorial display of might.
A chunk of rubble from a skyscraper nailed them both square in the head, sending them reeling into each other and to the ground…again. Megagurius cackled with glee, absolutely loving this. Her two most dangerous foes…scuffling with themselves! A sinister grin adorned her face as she taunted her rival. Godzilla and Rodan glared at each other, before focusing on the main threat at hand. They'd settle their grudge later…without interruptions. They both advanced on their target: Rodan was faster, so he got within striking range first. He raised his wings in front of him, and brought them down violently, aiming to swat the bug where she hovered. Megaguirus was much faster. She nimbly dodged the strike, and rammed herself into the now-vulnerable Rodan, sending him careening past the charging Godzilla, who appeared to smirk before regaining his fierce composure. He lunged, maw agape but his jaws found nothing but air as the supersonic demon zipped out of the way. Godzilla lashed out with fists and claws yet nothing made contact. Megaguirus' counterattack was brutally accurate, as she sliced and diced with her front claws, striking one part of Godzilla's body as he attempted to defend another. Red lines representing flesh torn asunder began to appear on the reptile's arms and chest. With a final haymaker to the neck, Megaguirus knocked Godzilla to the ground, his screeches of anguish such sweet music.
Rodan's sharp beak jabbed into Megaguirus's backside, sending waves of pain through her body. Rodan pecked repeatedly as Megaguirus fled, attempting to dodge. Her carapace remained stalwart, but that didn't stop the agony delivered by the aerial assault. Rodan shrieked in frustration, unhappy with his inability to break the bug's armor. Adjusting his assault, Rodan charged up his energy ray and fired off a blast. The fleeing insect veered sharply to the right, narrowly dodging the atomic ray. The evasive maneuver created some distance between Megaguirus and Rodan, as the two flew about the city of Kumamoto, allowing the Queen of Insects to ponder her next move. Rodan's next few shots missed, but he finally hit his mark as his ray scorched the back of her thorax, sending shards of her carapace raining down on the city. She screeched and jetted to the left, only to have Rodan's beam redirect and slice off the rearmost right appendage. The wound was instantly cauterized, and the severed appendage impaled itself on a city building below. The sudden attack slowed the insect down, allowing Rodan to catch her; he was now directly above her. Her emerald wings flapped desperately, and her matching-colored compound eyes were filled with fear…at least in Rodan's mind. He would finish off his nemesis, and perhaps the rage boiling his blood would extinguish. His kind and hers had an animosity built up millions of years ago, two apex predators of the skies vying for territory and food in the tropical pacific. Now, it was time to end it, for he was the last of his kind, and so was she. The regal crown atop his head crackled with purple energy, and an orb of energy formed inside his toothed beak, directly over the ancient dragonfly's grotesque head. A swift decapitation…a painless end for a Queen.
Megaguirus's mandibles curved into a smile. Perfect. Before Rodan could finish charging his beam weapon, Megaguirus rolled over in mid-air, wings facing earthward yet still the insect remained flying. Rodan's eyes widened in shock – not even HE could fly upside-down. Yet that was exactly what Megaguirus was doing – her wings vibrating at speeds no man or machine could reach, defying the laws of winged creatures we thought were unbreakable. Pincers shot forward and grasped Rodan's shoulders, tearing into his flesh. The needle-like tail rushed forward and penetrated deep into Rodan's stomach – the rapier finding the vulnerability beneath the plate-like chest armor. The stinger affixed to the end of Megaguirus's began to glow, turning from its normally acidic green to the same purple hue as Rodan's energy beam. The speeding titans began to slow and descend, rotating in mid-air so that the Queen was atop the Prince. Rodan's crown of crackling energy fizzled and died – as did the orb of atomic energy that had formed in his beak. The stunned pteranodon was forced to the ground, taking the brunt of the impact and flattening a city block. He attempted to struggle, but this only caused his attacker to strengthen her grip, digging her claws even deeper into his flesh. Satisfied with what she had drained from the weakened radioactive beast, Megaguirus removed her stinger from her foe. Rodan coughed and splattered blood all over Megaguirus's visage, who simply grinned in delight. The taste of his blood was…delicious. The Queen's mandibles opened wide and she lunged down, digging her fangs into Rodan's chest, tearing at the plates of armor. Rodan howled in pain, kicking out with his talons but unable to reach his attacker. His chest armor was being ripped back and broken, as if peeling off a scab from flesh. Teeth ripped into unprotected flesh, exposing the muscle below and showering the surroundings in gore.
The olive colored APC sped through the barren streets of Kumamoto, navigating through debris from damaged buildings and overturned cars. Yuji had somewhat of inkling as to the outlook of the city, and he was almost certain the Castle was coming up. He kept his eyes focused on the road, but he couldn't help but feel nauseous as the sight of corpses littering the street. It was mad to be doing this, mad to be out here. Yet he couldn't stand idly by while his friend was in danger. Would there be repercussions for his actions? Probably. But it'd be worth it to have saved a life…even if it potentially cost him his own. He hoped that would not be the end result…the absence of Io and Yuki tore at his heart – he couldn't allow himself to die. Not yet.
The driver of the Armored Personnel Carrier forced it to a grinding halt as the Kumamoto Castle loomed directly in front of the vehicle. It wasn't the ruins of the landmark that stunned Shinoda. It was the gigantic egg nestled in the center of the building, black ooze covering an emerald gem. Shinoda stared, dumbstruck at it, completely taken aback. It was huge! It almost seemed to still be growing, or perhaps that was an illusion?
It must be Megaguirus'…there could be hundreds of the things!
Shinoda groaned, furrowing his brow at the thought of hundreds of starving newborn man-eaters crawling all over the city in search of their next meal. He and Shiro would just be appetizers! He scanned the rest of the surroundings, putting that harrowing thought away. He gasped as he identified the downed helicopter, a shredded piece of machinery pulverized against the earth. He slammed his foot on the gas and zoomed directly for the crash site.
Shiro has to be alive! Yuji prayed silently as he drove off the road and onto the private land once kept separate from the public via walls that were now in ruins. Yuji brought the all-terrain vehicle to a stop several yards from the crash site, preferring to make the rest of the trip on foot. He had to see up close what really happened here. Yuji hopped out of the APC, cautiously scanning the area before beginning to walk towards the site.
The roar shook him to his very core, and the shock caused him to fall on his rear. The roar of a god, of rage and power. A roar that could only belong to one being. Shinoda shook his head, and a slight smirk could be seen.
So you did survive…Godzilla. Where humanity has failed, perhaps you can slay the beast…as you did a year ago.
A howl from behind interrupted the brutal mauling, with the ferocious dragonfly looking up from her would-be meal. The King of the Monsters approached, claws flexing and baring his teeth. He had come to his senses and was ready for another round with the Queen of the Insects. Megaguirus hissed and took flight, facing the encroaching monster. Godzilla's fierce eyes shifted from his foe to the downed Rodan. The proud flyer was a mess. He gurgled and spat up scarlet blood, and the color seemed to fade from his skin and membranes on his wings. His chest was in shreds, a chunk of armor missing and muscle tissue exposed. The creature seemed to acknowledge Godzilla's interference, and gave off a weak cry of thanks before going silent. Godzilla snarled and clenched his fists, before charging head-on towards Megaguirus. The dragonfly did not advance, instead hovering in place and stretching her tail outwards, so that the tip pointed at the oncoming Godzilla. The stinger radiated with an intense violet light, before discharging a stream of energy directly at Godzilla. The energy collided with his chest, flinging him backwards and scorching his chest. The Queen laughed, and her nefarious secret weapon had been revealed. Rodan's energy had been stolen, to be added to her strength and used as a weapon to conquer the radioactive behemoth. Godzilla struggled to lift himself off the ground, the earlier attacks and his lack of energy beginning to take a toll on him. His ears picked up on the sound of something speeding towards his backside. He forced himself up, and waited for the right moment to strike. His club-like tail whipped out and struck the vicious insect square in the side, cracking a piece of her carapace on the left side and sending her careening eastward. Godzilla wasted no time pursuing her, finding his foe shaking the cobwebs on the ground from her head as she attempted to recover. Godzilla reared a giant leg back, then delivered a nasty kick to the downed bug, catapulting her skyward. The sound of her splatting against the unforgiving concrete streets pleased the monster king. Yet again, Godzilla pursued, this time finding Megaguirus on her backside. A sickening shade of purple liquid leaked from a puncture in her armor, courtesy of the talons on Godzilla's foot. The dinosaur stopped beside his downed enemy, only to lift up his foot and prepare to flatten the bug against the pavement. Megaguirus narrowly moved out of the way as the clawed foot impacted the streets and nothing more. The swift fiend was on Godzilla in a second, battering his face and chest with her pincers and gnawing at his scaled flesh with her teeth. Godzilla howled in pain and attempted to fight back, thrashing about with his hands and teeth. It was sheer luck that his jaws managed to snap shut on Megaguirus's left 'arm; Godzilla's ivory fangs slicing through the thin armor. Megaguirus screamed in pain and attempted to retreat. Godzilla threw his head backwards, and the two creatures moving in opposite directions led to the brutal removal of Megaguirus's clawed arm. The pain was excruciating, and the crippled Queen waved her stub around, painting the ground with her vile blood. Her missing limb lay crushed between Godzilla's jaws, who bit down hard and snapped it in two. He licked his chops, wiping the blood from his muzzle, mocking his wounded foe. Megaguirus flailed about, screeching and wailing, wanting the entire country to hear her cries.
"Jesus, Shiro! Look at you!" The bespectacled man simply shrugged, than grimaced in pain as the Godzilla expert attempted to shift him. Yuji couldn't believe Shiro had survived, much less in almost one piece. Aside from a broken leg and some cuts and bruises, the head of the CCI had come out of the crash alive. With a strained groan, Shinoda managed to yank Shiro upright, who rested his weight on the side of the helicopter that wasn't completely mangled.
"Let me pull the truck around," Shinoda said, thumbing back towards his stolen ride. "We can get out of here."
"We have to do something about the egg, Yuji!" Miyasaka gritted his teeth, as he turned and pointed at the massive insect egg, that pulsated with an eerie green energy.
"How? The military won't advance, not with Godzilla and the other monsters brawling."
"That's a military vehicle, isn't it? Check the back." Scratching his head, Shinoda turned about and jogged to the parked APC. He hopped in and drove it up to the side of the helicopter, allowing Miyasaka to hobble over to the rear and open up the doors.
"Well?"
"They packed this thing up to the brim with grenades. I don't know if you've realized, but this has a grenade launcher attached to the roof." Yuji looked up, saw exactly what he was talking about, and chuckled nervously.
"So it does…I hadn't realized." He strode up beside Shiro and peered into the back of the carrier. As expected, there were two rows of seats facing each other, meant to transport troops to far off battlefields. However, Shinoda must've taken the APC that had been used to stockpile grenades – there were boxes filled with the canisters exposed. Each one could pack a devastating punch, tearing through the hull of a tank in no time.
"What do you propose we do? Shoot at the egg?"
"No...it needs to be bigger…" Shiro pursed his lips, studying the mountain of ammunition intensely before snapping his fingers.
"Eureka. This stash alone has enough firepower to take down an office building. A detonation all at once from a distance? We'd scramble that egg."
"Blow up the egg? The last egg of the species…"
"Don't get soft on me now, damnit! You –know- what those things are capable of, Yuji! I've put up with your endearment towards Godzilla, but not towards these bugs!" The outburst had Shiro huffing, glaring at Yuji. His friend looked taken aback, and was silent. The two associates stared at each other, the sounds of battle between behemoths echoing in the background.
"You're completely right, Miyasaka. We can't allow them to spread. They were extinct for a reason – we can't have them killing off our species now." Yuji rationalized it quite neatly, and Shiro nodded his head.
"Excellent. So I need you to detach that launcher and drive this bad boy to the egg."
"By myself!?"
"What? I'm crippled, you ass. I'll be cheering you on, though!" Shinoda stood dumbstruck, as Shiro waved exaggeratedly at him before slumping against the helicopter for support.
The King of the Monsters had one shot at this. Energy reserves were low, and judging by the aches and pains from the wounds across his body, his regeneration was still severely hampered, if not neutralized all together. He would finish his foe, and find some means to recuperate. The jagged spines alongside his back hummed to life, beginning to glow a bright red. His furious eyes locked in on his wounded prey, and the orb of atomic energy began to grow and solidify in the back of his throat. His target was in sight, hovering in distress miles away…and then she was directly in front of him, emerald compound eyes staring into his vermillion ones. He felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he jerked. The surge of radioactive energy illuminating his back dimmed and eventually ceased to glow. The orb that was enlarging in his mouth shrunk back into nothingness. Godzilla craned his neck to look down at his torso, a motion that seemed to take an eternity to perform. Megaguirus's stinger was embedded in his flesh…directly where the heart of the King would be. It had all been an act to give Godzilla a false sense of confidence, all but confirmed by the grinning Megaguirus, who seemed to pay no heed to her bleeding stump. Her stinger was being filled with vibrant red energy, and it would soon take her abilities to the next level. With a hiss, the devil withdrew her blade, allowing the King to process his own demise. His radioactive life blood was drained, completely gone. Whatever biochemical the dragonfly swarm had injected into him still coursed through his veins, nixing his regeneration. His weakening heart continued to pump his blood through his body, but every second the strength of his organ waned. The fallen King fell to one knee, vision growing hazy and senses dulling. Memories and visions from eons ago filled his mind.
A little therapod rummaging amongst the tropical vegetation, chowing down on green leaves coated in the morning dew.
A bright light in the sky…an explosion…a shockwave slamming into the now-grown therapod, tossing him into the ocean.
Intense pain…agony…rage… the therapod's body began to change. An immense size increase…spikes grew jagged and irregular…his bones shifted and he stood more upright while his head elongated…and a power began to form deep within him. The now massive dinosaur fell to the ocean floor, locked in a deep slumber
The mutated dinosaur arose from the waters, a mix of confusion and anger. The world had changed around him, and hundreds of lights covered the land in the distance. He growled and dove beneath the waves, heading for the lights. His first landfall. His first confrontation with humankind. His first experience with the power he now wielded.
The explosion rocked the city, and the intense heat scorched his skin. The alien was no more, and the dinosaur had solidified what he knew all along – he was the apex predator here. This was his territory.
A life fraught with torment and loneliness flashed before him. Blood poured from his wound, and he no longer had the strength to keep himself up. The King of the Monsters lurched forward and collapsed to the ground, his time on Earth growing ever shorter.
Megaguirus hovered some distance away, satisfied with her handiwork. Godzilla's labored breathing signified that her strike had been successful, but the Queen wanted to do even more harm. She extended her stinger forward, and it began to glow with energy. Light of purple and red mixed together, a concoction of stolen might from two prehistoric creatures. An orb of swirling energy began to form, levitating and pulsating. It grew bigger and bigger, and it became clear that this was Megaguirus's ultimate weapon. The orb became nearly as large as Megaguirus herself, comprised of energy stolen from two prehistoric titans. It was not enough to simply slay the dragon…the Queen wanted to wipe him off the face of the map.
Rodan's screech, hardly containing his usual ferocity, drew her attention from her quarry. The pterosaur dived shakily towards Megaguirus, blood pouring from his wounds like waterfalls. Flesh and innards were exposed, with a pink tube hanging freely from his mutilated belly. Every flap of his wings guiding him towards his foe was pure agony. Yet the fiery fighter would not let himself die without putting up a fight. His radioactive heart still pumped, and so he would continue to fight – to his last breath. He did not have the speed he had before his grave injuries, and so his charge did not inspire fear into the Queen. She simply smirked, her teeth glinting in the sun. She turned to face him, shifting her aim from the fallen dragon to the injured wyvern. The orb, shimmered, than blasted off from her tail, homing in on the approaching Rodan. Rodan's eyes widened and he veered to the right, attempting to dodge. The Prince of the Skies was quick…but not in this state. The orb of energy engulfed his left wing, vaporizing the membrane and scorching the flesh to the very bone. Nerve endings were fried, and Rodan didn't even feel the pain of his arm and wing being nearly vaporized by the energy ball, which dissipated after destroying flesh and leaving Rodan practically armless on his left, aside from a bony appendage with scant pieces of tissue clinging on. He simply found himself incapable of flying, and crumpling to the earth, having the fallen body of Godzilla to 'cushion' his fall. Two prehistoric reptiles, conquered by a prehistoric insect. Megaguirus spread her arms out wide and screamed, announcing to the world a new monarchy now ruled. The Queen of the Insects had slain those who could possibly challenger her authority, and now it was time for her kin to become the dominant species on the planet. Her rivals would make an excellent source of nutrition for her children…she would need to cut them into manageable pieces however. She brandished her cleaver-like arms and cackled.
An explosion sent a shockwave that shook buildings and even forced Megaguirus to cease her gloating. She turned her wicked head, attempting to locate the origin of the detonation. Her victorious grin was instantly wiped away as she saw the plume of smoke drifting upwards from Kumamoto Castle…and her precious egg awash in flame. She cried in agony, forgetting about her plan to chop up her enemies, all focus kept towards forming it redirected to rescuing her unborn children. She zipped away from the battlefield, panicking at the thought of her line being destroyed. She needn't worry about the dinosaur lying in his own blood – his fate was sealed.
Yuji had never fired a weapon before, much less a weapon that fired off explosives. Yet here he was, prone on the dirt a ways away from the APC, which had been crashed directly into the shell of the egg. Yuji swore he pulled something yanking the Howa GL off of the APC, or did he damage his spine lugging it through the dirt a safe distance away? Either way, if he survived this, he would need to be hitting the gym. The grenade launcher was attached to a stand, which allowed him to steady his aim and prepare for his one shot at this. The APC's engine was humming with life, and the back doors were spread wide open. The grenade capsules were all out and exposed; a countless amount. The entire refugee stockpile, Shinoda believed.
And all were about to go up in smoke…hopefully not in vain. Shinoda had been caught in a moral dilemma about doing this, questioning whether or not it was his place to condemn an entire species. However, one burning thought gave him the willpower to pull the trigger, remembering what he had loss by the species' reawakening.
"This is for Misato." His finger flexed. The launcher shuddered. A loud WUMPH announced the firing of the grenade. It sailed through the air, spiraling before finding its mark right in the back of the APC, amongst its 'kin'.
BOOM!
The transport vehicle exploded, igniting in flames. Yet several more explosions followed the initial, a domino effect of fire. Yuji took cover behind a fallen pillar, covering his ears. The sheer force and heat from the combined explosions punched a hole right through the egg, forming a cave in the emerald surface. And out from the maw oozed out more black sludge. The fire roared in glee and soon the liquid itself became fuel to the flames, igniting like oil. The fire raced into the core of the egg, and soon scarlet light danced inside the interior. Whatever had been inside it was now being completely roasted. Yuji dared a peek and he could see the deformed and warped bodies of baby Meganulon, being aborted before ever being hatched. Yuji stared into the flames as they rushed into the hole, feasting and devouring whatever biological material that was held inside of the egg. He took a bit of grim satisfaction from it, knowing that in some way, he had avenged his sister. He stood up and began to run backwards. Though they had conquered one challenge, the next was to figure out how to get out of the city on foot.
Yuji didn't make it far before a gust of wind knocked him clean off his feet. He landed hard on the grass, chin smarting from the impact. He flipped onto his back, and nearly screamed in horror. Though if he had, his would've been drowned out by the wails of the mother Megaguirus, who was now witnessing the cremation of her children. She screamed in agony as she attempted to blow out the flames with her wings, flapping them at speeds nearly unreachable by man. The fires fought to stay alight, but they soon wilted before the Queen's might and died down to a smolder. Yet the damage was done, and Megaguirus's progeny were all but done for. The mother's cries were deafening, and Shinoda could do little else but cover his ears and shut his eyes. The pain was excruciating, and he couldn't imagine how Shiro was taking it. Turning back onto his stomach, Yuji crawled on the grass, attempting to reach the downed helicopter in the distance and, most importantly, some cover. He didn't make it far before he was stunned to a stop, as the very ground itself shook. The screaming had stopped. Yuji soon realized why as he risked a look behind him.
Megaguirus stared right back at him – a giant insect looking at a puny human. The irony. Yuji could feel the hate emanating from the emerald eyes. The gears had been moving in the Queen's head, and she knew what had been done here. Murder. The only fitting punishment for such a heinous crime was death. The culprit was before her, a miniscule ant who'd done such great harm. Her mandibles clicked as she let out a chilling hiss.
"God help me."