A/N: And there we go, only took us over a year.
Going to stick with some smaller stuff for a bit. Until next time!
Epilogue: The Crew of the Calico
The Calico passed through the azure waters of the northern Pacific, its crew keeping busy at the bridge. For the most part, anyway, as if one were to look closer at the deck they would have noticed Pete walking to and fro, eyes quietly roving over the ship.
"Godzooky, where are you?" He called, hoping he could get at least some sign of where the mini monster had decided to hole up this time. Still, nothing.
However, as he made his way to the back of the ship, the preteen began to notice the manner in which the stern was sitting low in the water. Aha, a clue.
"Look, I know you're back here somewhere…" Pete declared, seemingly to the air though he made sure to project his voice as much as possible. He came closer to the back railing, and was rewarded when he saw the distinct pair of green, reptilian feet that were hooked around the metal. The muscles attached started to strain as Godzooky began to haul himself forward to see the boy approach, the small kaiju giving a few noises in askance.
"What'd you mean 'how'd I find you'? The whole ship knows you're back here." Captain Majors had, mostly. But anyone who had been on ships as long as he had could probably guess where Godzooky was just from what part of the boat was weighed down.
"Now get up on deck."
Godzooky grunted his ascent, reaching up to pull himself over the railing and back onto the solid wood of the ship's deck.
"And no more hide and seek, okay?" Pete added, satisfied when the mini monster let out another round of noises and bobbed his head in agreement. Plodding after Pete, the drag in the Calico's weight began to steadily shift with his movements.
Meanwhile, in the bridge, Quinn noticed the change with a small chuckle.
"Looks like Pete found Godzooky."
"Certainly hope so, Quinn." Carl replied. "I've been sailing since I was a boy and this is the first time I've ever felt seasick."
"Right, Godzooky-seasick." Doctor Darien joked back. From his position at the Calico's instruments, Brock spoke up.
"I'm getting a strange reading, Captain Majors. Here on the-." The ship gave an abrupt jerk before he could say anything else, throwing all off balance.
"If that's Godzooky again-." Carl started, only to be cut off by Pete at the bridge door.
"Godzooky didn't do it, really!"
"There's been some kind of earth tremor." Brock finally finished, having picked himself up off the floor. "It's set off a series of tidal waves."
"With the biggest yet to come. Look!" Carl's declaration was indeed correct, as a wall of foaming blue began to grow clearer and clearer on the horizon, sweeping across the sea like a steamroller. It was certainly too high for the Calico to simply ride over; if they even tried the ship would likely capsize or flip over entirely. The same thought seemed to occur to all at once, though Quinn was the one to voice it.
"The ship can't take it, we'll capsize."
"Captain Majors, we better call Godzilla." The boy said as he came inside, body pressed against the door for a moment as though that might keep the force of the tsunami out.
"It's our only chance, Captain." Brock added in, though Carl was already reaching for a small, grey box clipped to his belt. A product of Doctor Darien's work, and while Godzooky's call would still make the large kaiju come running, trial and error had found that the particular signal the device used would work too.
It thankfully wasn't long before the now-familiar, towering sight of Godzilla made itself known, rising from the depths of the ocean in a way that never grew less impressive, no matter how many times the crew of the Calico were to witness it.
Though the crew of the Calico were all indoors, Godzooky still remained on the outside, and tried to communicate the danger to the larger kaiju by flapping a few feet in the air, and coming back down to rest on the ship's deck. Seeing the display, Godzilla growled his understanding and scooped the Calico up in his clawed hands, the ship looking no bigger than a child's toy. As he raised it higher the wave swept up, slamming into the back of the towering monster's frame and causing him to shift in order to maintain his balance. In his hand the Calico too shifted in time with the wave, the humans inside forced to hang onto whatever was on hand so as not to fall.
And as soon as it began it was quickly over, the wave passing along on the surface of the ocean and Godzilla returned the Calico to the waters where it belonged.
"Thanks Godzilla!" And various other versions of the same call came from the crew of the Calico. It was something Doctor Darien had suggested trying, especially once she noticed how Godzooky seemed to respond to positive signals in verbal and physical communication. The kaiju quietly stared down at the Calico for a moment before sinking back into the sea with a replying roar, tame compared to what they had heard all those nights ago.
In the wake of the rumble, Godzooky sprung up off the deck of the Calico, flying close to Godzilla's face as he drew in another breath. The resulting growl was enough to send the smaller, airborne monster tumbling through the air, straight into the blue brine.
"That's a 10 point landing!" Pete snickered through soggy bangs, the water from the splash having gotten him, Brock, and Doctor Darien.
"And a wet one!" The latter added through her own laughter.
Godzilla quickly reached in to scoop Godzooky out, quietly and without much fuss putting him back onto the deck of the Calico, right in front of a fondly exasperated Pete and Brock.
"Pete, you better at least teach Godzooky to dog paddle." Carl called from his position on the bridge, gaining a laugh from the preteen in return.
"Don't you mean monster paddle?" Brock joked as Godzilla gave a farewell call before slipping back underneath the waves. Sliding back down into the depths, he heard the cries and noise of the ship grow fainter and fainter, finally stopped altogether by miles of ocean. Godzilla still followed the boat as it turned even further north, but catching up to it wouldn't be too hard. The human craft was many things, but fast was not one of them.
At least, not fast enough to outpace him in the water.