Previously on
CRISIS
Another world is under threat at the hands of the evil forces led by Darkseid. Countless worlds have already fallen to his armies and those that chose to ally with him, feeding into his unholy power. Now, he sets sights on two linked worlds, one of which holds great interest to the White Woman.
This time, however, he shall find a tougher struggle, as he goes up agains the atomic fury of none other than the King of the Monsters himself. And, as he prepares to release his nightmarish forces on the unsuspecting world, the motley crew of heroes go to gather a new ally, one who can match the New God on even footing. Taylor Hebert, also known as Zara Jor-El, the Last Daughter of Krypton...
Superwoman.
==/*\==
Chichi-jima, (E)Earth, one day later
"This is getting nowhere," Levi said in a low tone. Armin and Eren sat at either side of him, equally dour looks on their faces. "You know that something's coming for everyone here, and you decide to talk about it. Every second you spend here is another second you could be using to prepare for what's coming, and another second those bastards get to use against you."
"We don't know anything," Commander Gordon replied, burly arms folded over his chest. "We know you're telling the truth; Miss Saegusa managed to prove that much for you, but we have no idea just what attacked your world. In military terms, fighting an enemy you don't have information on tends to end very poorly."
"We know what attacked our home," Eren growled, straining against his plastic handcuffs as he leaned forward. "They killed nearly all of our friends and enslaved everyone who wasn't dead! If you don't do anything, the same will happen to you!"
Gordon found himself gripping his katana as he stared back at the boy. From what he'd been told, the boy could easily bring the complex down if given the chance to transform. If push came to shove, he wouldn't give him that chance.
"He's right, Eren," Armin interrupted, his voice a half-whisper. "You saw what they managed to do to you, to Gamera. If they charge in blindly..." He fell quiet again, eyes fixated on the small stone in his hands.
Gordon leaned back in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck exhaustedly. "That kaiju of yours seems to be a tough one; I have a knack for telling. Comes with experience; you don't get to become leader of an organization that fights giant monsters if you know nothing about them. If the... things led by that red-eyed man managed to hurt that Gamera thing like that, then we need to be careful. There's nothing you can tell us that can help with that? Strengths, weaknesses, motives, anything?"
He was answered with silence.
"Well, since you have nowhere else to go, you should stay here for safety." Gordon rose from his seat, slinging his katana over his shoulder. "If it's as bad as you say it is, then it'll be for the best if you're on this island when the shit hits the fan."
"Are you going to uncuff me?" Eren inquired, his voice strained.
"After what Miss Saegusa learned about your ability? It'd take a few more head injuries before I'd be dumb enough to let that happen. Once we've deemed you a non-threat, then you can be released."
With that, he walked out of the holding cell, the door sliding shut behind him. Misato was waiting for him, arms folded across her chest.
"Anything?" she asked.
Gordon shook his head. "They don't seem to know what hit them, only that they had lost before they even knew a fight was going on. If what that Armin boy is saying, about that same force coming for us... we're gonna need to be ready."
"Any word from upstairs about preparations? Maser tanks, aircraft, maybe bring in the Gotengo; I could go for anything that would help."
"Well, there's still Godzilla," Gordon replied half-jokingly. "Shinji's a pretty big deterrent as well."
"He's still a kid, you know," Misato said. "I know he'll put himself out there, but he's earned his rest a hundred times over."
Gordon sighed. "I know. That's why he's the last resort. I had his mother and friends brought up here, along with Asuka; I don't think he'd forgive us if they got hurt in whatever clusterfuck is coming for us."
Misato relaxed a bit, leaning against the wall. "Where is he right now, anyway?"
"Last I heard, he's taking a walk to clear his head. Pretty stressful to be around here; it's only natural he'd do that."
==/*\==
Elsewhere
The moon was low on the horizon, casting a silvery sheen over the calm waves as Shinji walked along the beach. The jungle was to his right, filling the air with the calls of birds, and he could make out the silhouette of mountains in the distance. Apparently, the kaiju called Gamera had taken up roost there, nursing his wounds. Godzilla had interacted with the giant terrapin a few times; so far, it appeared that the two were actually getting along. Anguirus had been rather curious as well, though Rodan had kept his distance.
Shinji paused, taking in the smell of the seabreeze. Little under a year ago, it had been dead, devoid of the scents that sea life gave it. Now, with the help of the EDF, the world was beginning to mend like never before, the scars of old slowly fading away. He wondered what it would be like in another year, and a smile crept upon his face at the thought.
It would be nice to see his mother and Asuka again after a week on the island with such troubling matters at hand. Taking in another deep breath, he decided to head back to base. From what he'd heard, they'd be arriving in a few minutes, anyway.
As he turned, however, he realized there was something new in sight. A bright point of light in the sky, second only to the moon itself. Blinking a few times, he realized it had definitely not been there before.
On closer examination, he realized that it was moving.
Shinji suddenly found himself to be nervous. He stared at the point in the sky, watching as it slowly moved over the band of stars that was the Milky Way. Was it possible that what Armin and the others said was true? Was an army of dark forces bearing down on him and the others right now?
A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, and he realized that his fists had clenched. He needed to get back to the others now. As he moved to run, however, he realized he wasn't alone.
From under the light of the moon she came, walking over the waves as though they were solid earth. Her skin and hair were as white as pure chalk, her body perfectly sculpted. It was as though someone had breathed life into an statue of a goddess, carved from only the finest marble. She was completely nude, but there was nothing sexual about her appearance; her beauty was not one of lust. Blood red eyes stared into Shinji's own, seeming to peer into his very soul.
"Tsk tsk tsk," the woman clicked, daintily stepping onto the white sand and tapping her chin with a delicate finger. She stepped closer to Shinji, eyeing like a piece of meat. "Such a waste of potential, of beauty. You should feel ashamed of yourself for such selfishness, Shinji Ikari."
Her voice was barely above a whisper, as if she could barely stand to speak. A shudder ran down Shinji's spine, and he stepped away from the woman before him. A flash of recognition sparked in his mind as he studied the alabaster form of the woman; it was just like Rei, when she had become Lilith once more. The features were different, more European in appearance, but the sense of wrongness still lingered at the back of his mind.
"W-what?" he managed to blurt out. "Y-you know my name."
"I would have to be quite the fool indeed if I couldn't remember," the woman replied, circling about him. "This is a recurrence for me, meeting you. Oh, the circumstances change. Maybe it's in the heart of Tokyo-3, or on that lifeless beach with the ocean of blood lapping at your feet. But the underlying truth behind it never changes, no matter how many times I do it."
There was a flash of light, and Shinji was in his arm, glaring at the woman behind burning yellow lenses. He could the initial shock wear off, and he tensed for a possible fight.
"Who are you?" he demanded, feeling a surge of anger rising in his chest.
The woman seemed to find the display more amusing than anything else. Chuckling softly to herself, she raised her arms to the sky. An AT-field flickered into life over her head, a manifestation of her will.
"Allow me to introduce myself once more, Shinji Ikari. I am the end of all things."
With that, she lunged.
Ω
Aboard the Stormbird Fulgur
"We're entering the troposphere, my lord," the pilot reported, hands deftly moving over the controls as he steered the dropship to the surface. "ETA for landing is five minutes. We've received reports of automated batteries attacking the other landing craft."
"Have the Maelstrom use orbital lasguns to slag those emplacements," Barachiel commanded, a hand on his sword. "They might be primitive, but they're also effective."
"Yes, my lord," came the swift reply.
The Primarch of the Eleventh Legion turned to the rest of his gathered Astartes in the dropship. They were all in various stages of preparation; some were in the middle of fine-tuning their bolters, while others were sharpening their chainswords. Most of them looked like typical Astartes, with the usual furbishments unique to individual legions, but some were... changed. Violent and heretical symbols adorned their faces and armor, and he could see the look of bloodlust behind their eyes, feel their hatred with his own psyker talents.
He crinkled his nose at the sight, but said nothing. After what he had learned, he knew that the Emperor was a liar, but there was still that old residual dogma burning into his mind. Chaos could corrupt his Astartes, as long as they remained mostly loyal to him, but he knew not to trust the promises of the false gods in the Warp.
There was one last rumbling as the dropship slowed down, then he could feel it settle onto the ground. The hatch opened up, and his Astartes poured out into the jungle of the island, weapons raised. He was the last to exit the Stormbird, the craft lifting considerably as his massive frame lurched down the ramp.
It was still nighttime out, but his own superior eyesight could easily navigate the darkness as he moved through the jungle with surprising gracefulness. Already tall clouds of smoke were rising in the distance, most likely from where the Maelstrom had destroyed the defensive batteries. The ground rumbled, followed by a flash of white white beyond the hills, and the Primarch realized that the White Woman was hunting her quarry.
He dismissed the thought from his head, however. Darkseid and the Yeerks could handle the military forces of the planet; he would handle the horrific beasts that inhabited the island. If they were half as dangerous as the so-called "New God" described them to be, then it would be for the best.
"What is our current status?" he spoke into his helmet's vox.
"We have unloaded more than half of our dropships' payloads," an officer back on the Maelstrom replied.
"Make sure we're fully unloaded by five minutes, or I'll have your skull adorning my throne room," Barachiel growled.
The palm trees and low-lying brush gave way to white sands as he cleared the top of some hill overlooking the bay. Already he could see his Assault Claws dropping from the sky like rain, depositing more of his Astartes to secure the island. A Land Raider rolled into view, crushing several trees underneath its treads. A second joined in, followed by a third.
Barachiel paused, then put a hand to his helmet. "Have the Titans landed yet?"
"Yes, my lord," a voice crackled through on the vox.
As if on cue, the two Imperator-Class Titans made themselves known, the ground trembling with each ponderous footfall of the mighty war machines. Each one was over seventy meters in height, the largest war machines ever used on land. Both Titans were armed with Hellstorm Cannons on one arm and Doomstrike Missile Launchers; such firepower could level a medium-sized city in under a minute.
There appearance was most timely. Already Barachiel could see the water in the distance churning violently, a massive swell forming in the middle of the bay. Unsheathing his titanic scimitar, he glared at the form swimming beneath the waves.
"When this is all over, I'll take its skull for my throne room," he muttered to himself.
There was a flash of blue light, bright enough to temporarily damage his helmet's sensors, and the water exploded upward in a spray of white sea foam. A gargantuan shape rose from beneath the waves, thousands of tons of seawater cascading off its charcoal scales as it lurched towards the beach. The creature was absolutely massive, easily exceeding even the Titans in height, and the Primarch could see the steely muscle rippling beneath its hide. A pair of fiery orange eyes glared at the army assembled before it with what could only be described as contempt. Opening its jaws, the beast howled, an unearthly sound that threatened to damage Barachiel's vox receivers.
Godzilla, King of the Monsters, had awoken.
"Fire," Barachiel commanded.
A
Aboard the Red Dwarf
Ax leaned forward in his human morph, a look of utter fascination on his face. "Describe this hotdog shop to me once more. Ore. Ra."
"Well, it's pretty simple, really," Dave Lister replied, pouring himself some more vindaloo from the massive bowl he had placed on the table. Already it had dropped to the halfway mark. "I'd set it up at a nice beach on Fiji, and sell all the types of hotdogs to tourists and such."
"I did not they sold more than one type of hotdog. Dog. Uh. How many are there? T-t-there. Er."
Lister leaned back, his brow furrowed. "Let's see... there's chili dogs, cheese dogs, chili cheese dogs, bacon dogs..." He prepared to "list off more, only to realize that Ax was drooling profusely onto the table.
"Is that it? It. Tuh," Ax inquired.
"Uh, I'll tell you later," Lister said hurriedly, slowly moving his vindaloo away from the ravenous Andalite. "So, when are you actually going to go off and fight those smegheads?"
"I don't know. There is much confusion regarding the matter; even Prince Jake lacks information. Shun. Nuh." Ax reached for his own bowl of vindaloo and refilled it, only to drain it five seconds later and move to refill it again. "When we do move, however, my tail blade will never be clean. The Yeerks have gone on for too long, and they cannot be allowed to continue. Yoo. Ooh."
"Well, best of luck to you," Lister said, rising from the table and heading to the doorway. "I have to go now; Kryten thinks the Cat is storing hairballs in one of the supply closets, and Rimmer's too much of a smeghead to go take a look."
"Goodbye. Eye," Ax called, watching Lister go. Once the formerly last human was out of sight, he turned to rejoin the rest of the group. Jake and the other Animorphs were helping Bjorn with the screws on one of his arms, while Speaker and Nessus were discussing something in a harsh-sounding tongue. Yama was elsewhere, most likely looking through the so-called 'Brahman'.
Bjorn the Fell Handed turned slightly, nearly bowling Marco over. "YOU SEEM TO BE WELL-VERSED IN MECHANICS, YOUNG XENO," the Dreadnaught boomed. "WOULD YOU BE SO KIND AS TO HELP SECURE THE POWER-CLAW? I DON'T WANT IT FALLING OFF WHILE I'M GUTTING A DAEMON."
"Daemon. That is a term for a human mythological creature," Ax said, stooping under the Venerable Dreadnaught's arm as to examine the bolt in question. "I thought they were simply a legend. End. Duh."
"WELL, THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY FUCKING NOT," came the bellowing reply. "I LOST MY ARM TO ONE OF THEM, BACK WHEN I WAS IN THE DARK ABOUT THEM LIKE YOU ARE NOW. THEY ARE THE SINGLE GREATEST THREAT TO THE IMPERIUM OF MAN, MANIFESTATIONS OF THE WARP ITSELF. IN OTHER TERMS, THEY'RE REALLY FUCKING NASTY."
Ax reached for one of the wrench-like tools, then began to secure the bolt in the ceramite plating. "There seems to be many differences between our worlds. Suh."
"INDEED," Bjorn boomed. "IT PAINFULLY REMINDS ME OF THE DEPLORABLE STATE MY OWN WORLD IS IN. OVER THE COURSE OF TEN THOUSAND YEARS, I HAVE WATCHED THE IMPERIUM I FOUGHT TO HELP CREATE SLOWLY TURN TO SHIT, BECOMING A FUCKING PARODY OF SOMETHING OUT OF A DYSTOPIAN STORY. I USED TO READ OCCASIONALLY; THERE WERE STILL SOME DOCUMENTS FROM BEFORE THE GREAT CRUSADE. NOW THOSE BOOKS ARE LOST FOREVER."
"Well, maybe not forever," Cassie offered, patting the Venerable Dreadnaught on the shin. "I mean, think of the possibilities infinite Earths could bring. Maybe you could find those stories again, or maybe even find a way to save your own world. Wouldn't that be good."
"PERHAPS."
Toby crouched underneath Bjorn's other arm. "I wonder if there is a world where my people were never enslaved by the Yeerks.
Ax finished securing the bolt, then turned to his friends. "Maybe there is a world where we exist, but never met. Et. Tuh."
"Maybe there's one where you don't keep up with that "earth minutes" baloney," Marco muttered.
(You know, that Louis guy has been gone for an awfully long time,) Tobias interrupted, turning his hawk morph's head as to glare at the wisecracking Animorph.
"I've noticed that, too," Cassie said. "Do you think he's in trouble?"
"If this mysterious warrior is as good-hearted as the deathgod claims, then I doubt it," Toby replied. "It's possible that he's just having trouble convincing someone that a bunch of fictional villains are conquering the multiverse."
"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE." Bjorn swiveled to speak at the Hork-Bajir's sole remaining Seer, nearly taking out the wall with his Power Claws in the process. "THIS IS WHY WE DON'T SEND THE MOST NORMAL LOOKING HUMAN TO DESCRIBE A SITUATION THAT'S COMPLETELY OUTLANDISH. IF YOU DROPPED ME INTO THEIR LAPS-"
"They would break?" Ax interrupted.
"I CAN'T TELL IF YOU'RE BEING A SMARTASS OR JUST A NAIVE XENO."
"This is getting nowhere," Cassie said. "I'm sure we can wait a little bit longer for Louis to come back with help, right?"
That was when Yama burst into the room, a grim look on his face. The deathgod surveyed the room with troubled eyes, then sighed. "There's trouble."
"You just had to jinx us," Marco muttered.
Speaker raised his head, a low growl escaping his throat. "The enemy is attacking another world."
A nod. "It is a strong world, but I don't believe even they will last against such forces. If they are able to grow stronger while simultaneously ridding us of powerful allies, then we may face a harsher struggle than before."
"What are we going to do, then?" Toby inquired.
"Based on what my devices have told me, it appears that Louis is speaking with the warrior, but by the time he convinces her it may be too late."
"You intend for a stalling action," Speaker said. "Holding the line until Louis can return with reinforcements. It is rather risky, considering that they could simply overwhelm us."
"Risky? That's just crazy!" Marco blurted out. "You saw what they did to our world, and you want to just go off on a suicide mission?"
"At this stage, it's the best option we have," Yama replied. "Even if Louis fails, we still may be able to recover some of the powerful beings from the world currently under attack. Sitting here will only worsen the situation and possibly doom us."
"Then we shall fight," Speaker rumbled. "I long to smell the blood of my enemies."
"My warriors shall fight as well," Toby said. "We will live free, or we shall die. Either way, we will be no one's slaves."
"I can get on with that," Rachel said, cracking her knuckles. "How about you, guys? Tobias? Marco?"
Marco sighed. "It's pretty crazy, but I know I'm outvoted. Count me in."
"My sentiments as well," Nessus wailed, a head tucked under his body. "Only the maddest would attempt something like this."
"It is good that you are in good company, then," Speaker said.
"I will follow you, Prince Jake," Ax said. "As will the others. Suh."
Jake looked at his friends, then took a deep breath. "Those bastards have hurt us enough as it is. They destroyed our world and everything we cared about. Why not return the favor?"
"WHAT OF THE ORIGINAL CREW OF THIS SHIP?"
"Better smeg than dead!" a voice cried from one of the hallways.
"It looks like we're settled," Yama said. "I'll send the coordinates to Louis's communicator. Hopefully, he'll be able to do something about it. In the meantime, let's get geared up for battle." With that, he strolled out of the room.
"ABOUT BLOODY FUCKING TIME," Bjorn bellowed. "IF I DON'T CRUSH AT LEAST ONE TRAITOR MARINE'S HEAD IN BY THE END OF THIS, I'LL BE PRETTY FUCKING DISAPPOINTED."
"Well, this is gonna suck," Marco said.
Nobody bothered to correct him on that.
==/*\==
Chichi-jima, (E)Earth
As soon as the command went out, the gathered Astartes forces fired all at once, aiming at the colossal form of Godzilla. The trio of Land Raiders let loose with a salvo of heavy bolt-shells, accompanied by a veritable storm of autocannon fire and laser beams. The Titans lurched forward, blasting the dinosaurian kaiju with their own formidable weaponry. All in all, it was enough firepower to overwhelm almost any fighting force the 31st Millennium could put out.
Godzilla roared furiously in response, and charged forward with a speed that belied his massive frame. Bolter rounds and cannon fire thumped off his hide, obscuring much of his upper body in smoke and flame, but seemed to otherwise do little to harm him. He waded through the gunfire like it was hardly even there, marching with purposeful intent. His fiery orange eyes surveyed the army laid out before him with indignation, and a low growl escaped him.
Man's mightiest armies had fought him before, and lost. This time would be no different.
Raising a clawed foot, he brought it down on one of the Land Raiders that had underestimated his speed, crushing several unfortunate Astartes as well. The adamantium chassis flattened like a tin can, and a muffled explosion sounded out from underfoot. Snorting in satisfaction, he moved to take out the other tanks.
That was when the Titans stepped in, weapons raised. The largest war machines to ever walk the Earth opened fire point blank, bombarding Godzilla with a flurry of laser beams, missiles, and cannon shells. This time, the kaiju king actually snarled in pain as the Titans forced him back, granting him no reprieve from their awesome firepower. Brazened by the scene, the Astartes redoubled their own attempts to wound the beast, peppering him with bolt-shells.
Barachiel snorted as he watched the scene unfold. The creature was tougher than usual, but it was nothing before the might of his Legion. Once it was dead, he could move onto more urgent matters, such as securing the planet.
Suddenly, a blue light began to shine through the smoke occluding Godzilla's body, actually forcing the Primarch to briefly shield his eyes. As they adjusted, he realized that the brilliant glow was coming from the beast's dorsal spines, brightening with every passing second. A low groaning sound began to fill the air, and Barachiel watched as the kaiju breathed in deeply, sucking in the smoke over the battlefield.
Before the Primarch could figure out just what was happening, Godzilla fired. A blinding beam of azure light blasted out of the beast's maw, catching one of the Titans in the shoulder. The void shields held for a few seconds, then gave way in a crackling flash of violet light. The beam pushed on, slagging away the adamantium armor of the Titan, then shot through the other side. There seemed to be a brief pause as the beam cut off, then the Titan's arm fell to the ground, crushing a dozen Astartes underneath.
Barachiel's eyes widened. No.
Godzilla whirled about, catching the Titan in the chest with his tail. The war machine stumbled back, the armor on its flank crumpled inward, and wobbled to regain balance. Its twin moved to fire at Godzilla, but the beast beat it to the punch by lunging forward, smashing a clawed fist into its cathedral head. There was a sound of groaning metal, and the war machine's chest caved in, revealing its mechanical innards.
As Godzilla continued to rip the Titan apart, the Primarch could see something else emerge from the sea, lurching forward. It was a head shorter than the kaiju king, with leathery grey skin crisscrossed by bioluminescent teal lines. The body shape bore little resemblance to anything terrestrial, with an ancillary pair of arms protruding from its chest and a head shaped almost like an axe. Opening its horrid maw, it revealed a faint glow emanating from its throat as it bellowed a challenge.
Barachiel's vox crackled to life. "I have sent you part of my army to handle Gojira while I focus on the other Earth. Do not disappoint me."
"I don't hear anything on your side," the Primarch said. "Are you still on the battle barge?"
"Only a fool leads his army into battle." With that, the vox cut off.
Cursing, Barachiel focused again the battle. More of the creatures emerged from the sea, chittering and growling in alien tones. No two looked alike; some had only small differences in body structure from the first one, while others bore more insectoid or ape-like shapes. They almost seemed to pour out of the dark ocean like a horde of locusts; the Primarch could easily count over a dozen of them bearing down on their target.
Godzilla finally took notice, or finally decided the issue to be more pressing; Barachiel could not tell which. Whirling about, the kaiju king fired his beam again, hitting one of the new creatures in the face. There was a moment of give, then the monster fell to the ground, a smoking stump where its head used to be. Two more of its kin suffered similar fates before the horde closed in on Godzilla, swarming him.
They would not find easy prey. The King of the Monsters roared in fury as the monsters claws tried to find purchase in his scaly hide, then lashed out with a clawed fist, braining one of them in a spray of blood and torn flesh. Rearing up, he shrugged one of the smaller creatures off of his back, then brought his tail down on it, pulping its torso with a crunch of splintering bone. His dorsal plates flashed blue again, and he blasted a hole through the chest of another creature, killing it instantly.
It wasn't going anywhere, however. For every one he blew apart or dismembered with his claws, another would take its place. To further worsen his plight, the Titans were getting back to their feet, guns leveled at his chest. With a deafening roar of thunder, they opened fire with full salvos, hitting the kaiju king dead on. Several of the alien monsters were blasted to pieces in a spray of blue blood, but the weapons did their damage, blowing shallow craters in Godzilla's chest. Radioactive blood trickled from the wounds, only for them to seal up as the kaiju's regenerative abilities went to work.
Barachiel watched as Godzilla was forced back by the combined assault. The kaiju was starting to weaken, if only by a little bit, and it would only be a matter of time before he was overwhelmed. Gripping his sword tightly, the Primarch marched towards the battle, his psyker powers flaring within. Once Godzilla was dead, he would take the beast's head as a trophy; it had certainly proven worthy of such an honor.
Suddenly, the King of the Monsters surprised him again. Godzilla's spines flared, as if to fire his beam, only for the glow to spread to the rest of his body. Before anyone could react, the pent-up energy exploded outwards in all directions, a massive pulse of blue light that seared into the Primarch's eyes. Several of the alien creatures dropped to the ground, their charred flesh smoking, while the others retreated away, blue blood oozing from their own wounds.
With the bizarre monsters out of the way, Godzilla focused his attention on the Titans. Firing again, he blasted a hole straight through one's cathedral, detonating it in a burst of fire and shrapnel, then strafed the other across the chest, slagging its already damaged armor. With a low groan, the most powerful war machine to walk the Earth fell forward, decommissioned.
"Enough of this," Barachiel growled.
He strode towards Godzilla, channeling his psychic might. Though he could never hold a candle to his brother Magnus or his father in terms of skill, he had a fair share of raw power within him. Enough to handle this beast, he reckoned, though it would leave him dangerously weakened. Accessing his full power, he doubled in size with each stride, until he could come up to the beast's waist. Warp-lightning crackled about his sword, and he lunged at Godzilla, cutting a shallow gash across the kaiju's chest.
Godzilla roared in pain and stumbled back, steam rising from his wound. The surviving alien creatures chose that time to renew their assault, attacking him from all sides, trying to find purchase in wounds that were still healing. Godzilla roared again, moving with a speed that seemed impossible for such a large beast, and lashed out at his attackers with renewed vigor. A clawed fist caught the Primarch in the chin, shattering the ceramite casing and forcing him to stumble back, dazed.
Dorsal plates glowing, Godzilla let out with the pulse attack again, blasting away the surrounding monsters and vaporizing a number of Astartes on the ground. A low growl escaping his throat, he punched clean through an alien's creature's chest, then hoisted it over his head and ripped in in half. His tail lashed out, snapping a monster's neck, and blew off another's arm with his beam. One of the bioluminescent kaiju attempted to stab him in the throat with a barbed tail, only for Godzilla to catch it and spin about, flinging the creature over the mountains.
Barachiel staggered forward, feeling warm blood trickle down his chin. The beast's strength was impressive, but ultimately futile. More and more of the alien creatures were rising from the waves, and the Primarch could feel the Warp-energy flowing through him as he prepared to join the fray once more. He would slay the beast himself, expenditure of strength be damned. Raising his sword high, he lunged forward-
-and was promptly smashed into the ground by a fireball.
Barachiel blinked away the fog of pain, and rose to his feet, wincing. The right flank of his armor was smoking, the immaculate etchings singed by intense heat. Turning to the source of the attack, he saw more fireballs smash into his Legion, vaporizing dozens of Astartes with each blast. The alien creatures briefly halted to assess the new threat, allowing Godzilla to shrug them off and back away.
Something flew in from over the mountains, spinning rapidly as blue flames fanned out in all directions. It suddenly stopped in midair, flames pointed to the ground, then dropped with alarming speed, crushing a Land Raider under its colossal bulk. A cloud of dust rose from where the new arrival fell, only to fan out as the creature emerged. Emerald eyes surveyed the beach with what could only be anger, and an elephantine wail rolled over the island, cowing the battlefield into silence.
Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe, had arrived.
Barachiel watched with a sinking heart as the titanic terrapin stomped towards Godzilla. The kaiju king snorted with satisfaction, and his new ally gave a small nod in return as they closed in together. There was a brief moment of what seemed to be communication between them, then they turned to face the Legion together. Fiery orange eyes locked in on Barachiel, as did emerald.
The Primarch tightened the grip on his sword, seething with fury, and charged, the alien kaiju following after him. The surviving Astartes joined their Primarch in the charge, weapons raised.
Godzilla and Gamera watched the approaching army advance forward, and tensed for battle. The two most powerful kaiju in the world stood side by side, ready for the forces of evil that would assail them. They would stand against their foes united.
The King and the Guardian would fight together.
S
The Watchtower, Earth Bet
The cell wall opened up, sliding into the ceiling, and Louis lifted his head to look at me. Dragon and Colin stood at the side, their faces grim.
"Is something wrong?" the Flatlander asked.
I responded by tossing him his communicator. He looked it over, then read the new data with widening eyes. Though he tried his best to exude an air of calm, I could hear his heart rate spike as the realization hit him.
"That possible situation you were describing? Scratch off 'possible'."
Louis looked back to me, clenching the communicator hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. "Is that proof enough for you?"
"We're leaving as soon as possible. Dragon's preparing the portal based on the coordinates your friends on the other side sent us." I sighed, rubbing my temple. "I'm sorry it took so long to believe you, Louis. Let's get going before it's too late."
"Well, I guess I can't blame you," he replied, getting up on his feet. There was still an edge in his voice. "Who's coming along?"
"Batman, Dragon, Panacea, and me."
Louis cocked an eyebrow. "That's it?"
"You're getting the most powerful capes on the planet," Colin retorted. "We still need to protect our home as well."
"That may be," Louis admitted, "but once you see what we're up against, you might change your mind."
==/*\==
Chichi-jima, (E)Earth
Gordon staggered into the control center, coughing as smoke began to flood the room. Through the windows he could see another flash of light, followed by a tremor that threatened to bring down the building.
"What the hell is going on?" he barked.
"We have no clue, sir," a technician replied. "Something appeared in orbit and took out our defensive batteries. Comms are down as well, and the portal appears to be closed."
Fuck, those kids were right all along, Gordon thought to himself. "What's the status of the flier coming in?"
"It landed intact before comms went down, but that may have changed."
"Alright," Gordon rumbled. "Initiate evacuation protocols, get to the shelters!"
"What about you, sir?"
Gordon unslung his katana. "I'm going for the flier's passengers."
"Alone?" another tech asked.
"No," he replied. He paused, thinking of a plan, then lifted his head. "Can you unlock the cells from here?"
Ω
Aboard the World Maelstrom
"Brother-Captain," a navigations serf called, "we've detected something in orbit."
The Brother Captain turned, looking away from the most recent battle reports. "Is it another Yeerk vessel?"
"I'm not sure; it appears to be of a different design. It's much larger as well; I'd say about half the size of this barge."
"Attempt to put it on vox, then. If it doesn't respond, then blast it out of the Materium."
"Yes, Brother- er, oh, it appears to have disappeared. Shall we alert our Lord of the disturbance?"
"And have him take our heads for a false alarm? No, we shall keep an eye out for drop pods before troubling Lord Barachiel at such an important moment."
The serf paused, shrugging, and continued scanning the orbitals.
==/*\==
Chichi-jima
Asuka ran.
It was still nighttime, but she could easily see the path before her, illuminated by the fires in the distance. Mrs. Ikari and the two stooges ran behind her, their footfalls muffled by the sand. Ahead of her, beyond the hills, she could see bright flashes of light that threatened to blind her with their intensity.
When she was flying to the island to visit Shinji, she never imagined this would be what awaited her.
They made it to the low-lying vegetation. Asuka ducked underneath a tall shrub, followed by the others. The area they were in seemed to be spared from the violence occurring elsewhere, but she doubted it would last for long.
"What... the fuck... is going on?" Toji panted.
"I don't know," Yui replied, also gasping for breath. "And watch your tongue."
"Do you think this is an alien invasion?" Kensuke asked. "It's not the weirdest thing that could happen."
"I don't care about who's attacking, I just want to know if Shinji's alright," Asuka retorted. "We need to find him, or at least someone who knows where-"
She paused, suddenly aware of heavy breathing to her side. Turning slowly, she saw something rustling through the bushes twenty or so meters away, crushing driftwood beneath its feet. It paused, taking in ragged breaths, then finally came into view.
Asuka's breath caught as she watched a monster emerge from the bushes. The thing looked as though it belonged in the Book of Revelations, with leathery skin the color of blood and great obsidian horns that curved downwards. It glared at the group with sickly yellow eyes, saliva dripping from its jagged maw, and raised a crudely-shaped axe over its head with a deafening bellow.
"Blood for the blood god!" it howled
With that, it lunged, rapidly covering the ground between it and the group. Asuka backpedaled away, looking for anything she could use as a weapon, if only to buy the others time. It was a futile gesture, she knew; the thing was practically on them already, its breath reeking of rotting meat...
Then, without warning, it exploded in a spray of black blood, spattering Asuka in the face. She stumbled back, ears ringing from the thunderous boom that came almost immediately after the creature's demise. Faintly, she could hear ponderous footsteps behind her, growing nearer. Wiping the blood from her face, she turned around in time to see yet another bizarre sight.
A mechanical thing was walking towards her, smoke still rising from the barrel of the massive Gatling gun it had for a right arm. It easily stood over fifteen feet tall, and Asuka swore that it had a coffin in the middle of its boxy chest. It stopped right before her, then leaned forward as to look down.
"YOU HAVE QUITE THE SPIRIT," it boomed in what seemed to be a jovial tone. "MOST CIVILIANS SHIT THEMSELVES WHEN THEY SEE A KHORNATE DAEMON."
"Who are you?" Asuka managed to ask weakly.
"That's Bjorn the Fell Handed!"
At once, they both turned to the source of the voice. Kensuke stood in front of the others, a look of awe on his face. The otaku almost seemed to be drooling as he stared at the coffin-robot.
"Are you seriously spoutin' stupid game stuff right now?" Toji muttered, helping Yui get to her feet.
"THE BOY IS RIGHT, THOUGH I WISH HE WOULDN'T CALL ME BY THAT STUPID FUCKING NICKNAME," 'Bjorn' replied. "LOOKS LIKE THOSE KIDS WERE RIGHT."
"What's going on?" Yui asked. "What kids? Hell, where's my son?!"
"IT'S A LONG STORY. YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY UNDER ATTACK BY FORCES FROM ANOTHER UNIVERSE, AND WE'RE HERE TO HELP YOU." Bjorn flexed his long claws, and Asuka could see electricity spark between them. "YOUR SON IS CURRENTLY FIGHTING ONE OF THE ASSHOLES IN CHARGE. COME, WE NEED TO GET YOU TO SAFETY."
Kensuke practically glowed as he walked up to the coffin-robot, Toji and Yui reluctantly following after him. Asuka eyed them as they grouped around her, then looked back up to Bjorn.
"Where to?"
"FOLLOW ME," came the booming reply. "THE ANIMORPHS ARE REGROUPING NEAR THE COMPOUND ALONG WITH SPEAKER, AND THE FREE HORK-BAJIR ARE HEADING THERE AS WELL."
Bjorn gestured for them to walk in front of him, which made for a rather surreal sight. Asuka went first, followed by the others. Already she could hear more of the 'daemons' moving through the underbrush, stalking their prey.
"Hey, is this a good idea?" Toji asked aloud, edging closer to Kensuke. "I mean, we're pretty much sittin' ducks for those demon things."
"IT'S BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE," Bjorn replied. "MOST LIKELY, THEY WILL ATTACK IN HOPES OF VIOLENTLY RIPPING YOU TO SHREDS AND OFFERING YOUR SOULS TO A THIRSTING BLOOD GOD, BUT THEY'LL LEARN WHAT AN 'IMPERIAL FISTING' IS IF THEY TRY."
"Wonderful," Asuka muttered.
With that, they trudged deeper into the jungle, followed by the growls of hungering beasts.
You have been reading:
CRISIS, Chapter Three: All Out Attack, Part One
A/N: Yeah, this chapter's so long, I had to split it so it wouldn't be a bitch to read. Slumps over keyboard.