Chapter 1: Awaken

"What is it?"

"The beast our ancestors spoke of: Monster Zero."

"Attempting control would be foolish. If it were ever to break free of us….it would be best to leave it trapped on this barren planet."

"Let's at least take some samples, then. Our new creature is nearly finished developing. Perhaps we could modify it further once the Keizer Energy has done its job."

"If it works we could have a new Monster Zero in the universe. No one could stop us."

"Not Zero. No. The ultimate Ghidorah. Monster X."

"….you just want to name something after yourself, don't you?"

"Duh. Plus, if it works the High Command will have no choice but to promote me. I refuse to be overlooked any longer."

Had the time again come for Monster X to be deployed into battle by his masters? Once more, was he to be unleashed upon some planet that would try its hardest to resist his power? Once more, would another civilization be made extinct and disappear into the annals of history? Such was his life, his designated purpose, as long as X could remember. The Xiliens used their advanced technology to violate his mind, and he would have no choice but to comply with their demands. Whenever he was not necessitated, or he completed the destruction tasked to him, X was caged anew inside of this prison of metal and rock. To either be stored on the Xilien homeworld awaiting another assignment or transported through the void of space following their fleet of ships.

X felt partially aware of his condition when inside this rock, regrettably. Where he was, when he was, where he was going; none of those particulars were known to him. But the kaiju could never ignore the voices. The telepathic whispers to maim. Instructions to obliterate all opposition in the face of Xilien conquest. These were ever constant and, no matter how vigorously he tried, could not be shut out. The rare times he tried to fight the control, he was disciplined harshly. Something was done that caused his mind to feel as if it were being ravaged by fire. Repeated exposure to this consuming anguish dispelled any last resistance he possessed, and thus his masters employed his powers unchecked.

His mind was currently being fed visions of the ones X would be slaying this time; small, bipedal hairless apes that became the dominant species of their planet. These humans were to be the newest food source of the Xiliens. Once their defenses were eliminated, the remaining humans would be rounded up and processed like cattle. X was to be their sword, as always. The overwhelming voices commanded, and he followed. Thus, unless he died or his masters died, the cycle would renew without an end.

How fortunate that destiny intervened and altered the course of history. For both the enslaved kaiju and a planet not yet visited by those from beyond the stars.

The asteroid that was his prison and transport was set on a path for Earth. The Xiliens were banking on using X and Gigan to overwhelm the primitives. Yet when another celestial body collided with the Gorath Asteroid, an event so unlikely to happen it could be considered astronomical, its destination was so jarringly altered that even the occupant within felt the impact. Granted, X lay in a near-comatose state, but his red eyes opened for the most fleeting of moments as the asteroid spun in a completely different direction. How unfortunate for his masters that he would not be arriving to fight for them. As he drifted into a nightmare-filled sleep, he wondered if he would ever see daylight again.

?

Unbeknownst to the kaiju within, the Gorath Asteroid that housed him had once more become victim to an event astronomically small, nigh improbable if one were to ask an esteemed person of science.

You see, it was just the kaiju's luck that the prison surrounding him had been sent on a path that eventually crossed into a solar system containing multiple planetoids. Of course, in the history of the cosmos, innumerable celestial bodies traversed through countless systems. That was how existence in space was. An object would travel until its perpetual motion was either altered or arrested. Said object traversing the universe could, theoretically, move through space indefinitely without making contact with another. Hence, it was exceptional luck that this asteroid was headed straight for a planet distant enough from the system's star to be habitable.

The rock closed in on the lush planet, narrowly missing the lone moon hovering in orbit, and plunged into the atmosphere in a fiery blaze. Within seconds, the Gorath Asteroid impacted one of the landmasses with such force a massive shock wave rippled outward in a path of devastation. The surrounding land sunk deeply into a fissure, tossing dirt and minerals into the air to pelt the area for miles. The residue from the impact rose like a towering tsunami, slowly but surely blotting out the sun. The superheated rock of the asteroid made up for this loss of light with an ethereal glow. An inferno blazed over the rock's surface, as if one had just stepped into hell. For nearly an hour, this was the scene one would have stumbled upon were they able to handle the toxic fumes in the atmosphere.

Eventually, the area returned to some manner of tranquility. The fires burned themselves out, the smoke blocking the sky dissipated, and the asteroid cooled enough that only a light bit of steam. Although the asteroid suffered slight damage from the crash to terrestrial land, it remained sealed. No evidence of the imprisoned occupant within could be gleamed from the outside world.

Said occupant was doing everything he could to keep his eyes open, to rouse his fleeting awareness and escape from the rock around him. However, if the Xiliens did one thing right, it was building the prison he was kept in. Unless the asteroid was pierced to the hollow interior where his body rested, the legion of machines that forced his mind into a dazed state would continue to function. In a combat scenario, the asteroid was to orbit an inhabited world, and the Xiliens would use a command from their mothership to separate the rock, releasing Monster X upon their enemies. Once his task was complete, X would be returned to the asteroid and placed in stasis until he was needed again.

With the Gorath Asteroid out of range from the Xilien ships, said command could not be fulfilled. In essence the kaiju within was trapped in such a disorienting mental condition he could not summon the strength to force his way out. As his blood-red eyes started to close and his perception faded, Monster X felt one thing to be grateful about; the damn voices telling him to maim and kill everything in sight might eventually drive him mad, making escape completely irrelevant. If he was crazy, would it matter what fate had planned for his life?

It was this change in the course of history, brought by such a minuscule probability that to occur twice would be nigh impossible, which would one day shape the future of the planet he crashed on. For now, none would know of his existence, such as the primitive fauna that currently made the world their home. However, one day, when the top species could flirt with the ideas of war and chaos while keeping the red-eyed demons at bay, those that would come to call the planet Remnant would learn of this fearsome beast. For it would not be dark Queens or Wizards, Relics or warriors of Silver Eyes, but a monster of unimaginable power that would decide the future of all life within their world.

Turkana Mine, Northern Anima, Remnant

78 AGW, April 30th, 4:15 pm

"Okay, everyone, we've made great progress this week, and the bosses are delighted with the shipments sent. I spoke with Mr. Slate just this morning. He said if we get at least two tons more shipped by the end of next week, we'll see some nice bonuses on our checks." The foreman of the dust mine, Mr. Flint Stone, allowed his workers a moment to whistle and yell out words of satisfaction before raising his hand to get their attention again. "With the amount of Dust we've been pulling from this vein, I don't see us having trouble making that quota. Despite the SDC trying to muscle in, the courts have upheld our claim and threatened them with sanctions if they keep harassing us."

His words evoked another chorus of cheers and smiles.

"I also got wind that if this site can pull off the projected growth they're hoping for, our crew may be getting picked to take the Mirr job the bosses are bidding on. So, if extra pay for working in Vacuo sounds like something that interests you, come to see me next month once I get confirmation of the job." The man pulled up his watch and waved his hand towards the mine's entrance. "That's all I have for you guys, so let's get back to work. Tonight, we'll celebrate in town. Drinks are on me." The yelling returned more intense than before. The crew of 30, a blend of humans and faunus, grabbed their equipment and headed back into the hole dug into the mountainside.

Their current location was the Kingdom of Mistral, in one of the various northern mountain ranges where cliffs dominated the landscape. Just two months before, a deposit of Dust had been discovered during an expedition by Mr. Slate's Dust and Mineral Company. It wasn't an excessively large pocket, but so far, their crew had mined a steady supply that kept money in everyone's pocket. Strangely, however, while digging up quantities of Dust, the miners had also discovered slabs of fully formed and processed metals.

Steel, iron, and even a few rare slabs of pure titanium had been extracted from the mine. Mr. Slate requested that the discoveries be kept quiet for now, knowing that if any of the Kingdom's Councils found out, they'd send in their people and take over. Figure in the copper found here and there, and how odd it was that it almost looked to be bundled into wiring, this was turning into a very profitable, if strange, operation. With the projected success from the current progress, the board members estimated that they would potentially make more money than the Schnee Dust Company in the next quarter. Such a thought, and the pride that would come with outdoing that mega-corp, kept the digging crew hard at work.

Today was the day the world changed.

Just before the crew was called to listen to the news from Mr. Stone, a trio of workers had located another pocket of steel. However, this one was markedly different from what had been mined up to that point. It was much stronger than anything they had found so far. The standard steel drill bits had shredded themselves to pieces within a minute of being pressed into the metal. After that, they tried a more durable cobalt bit, which only lasted about three minutes before turning into a smoking ruin. Now they had a carbide drill head and planned to get through one way or another.

When the drill made contact with the metal, sparks began to fly. At first, the drill spun in place and made the same non-progress as the last two. Eventually, the head finally started digging into the metal and slowly cut through more and more of the material. It took about fifteen minutes before the drill surged forward, breaking through to an empty pocket on the other side. They were trying to drill the metal in the first place so a high-torque winch could be attached and, after clearing the surrounding rock, the slab could be pulled out for study. With how hard they worked, the men were eager to bring their prize to the boss.

As the men pulled the drill back, they were blasted with hot, pungent air. It wasn't so hot as to burn them, thank the Brothers, but it felt like they'd just stepped into a sauna while still clothed in their mining gear.

And the smell?

"Fuck, that's rank. It's like a fish had sex with a skunk, then decided to eat rancid sauerkraut." The only faunus of the group eloquently put.

After placing the drill on the ground, one man glared at his fellow worker. "That's horrendous, Wade. Thanks for the image that I won't forget for days."

"I told you to call me Mr. Wilson when we work."

"Not a chance."

Now that the steam had time to dissipate, they looked into the hole and saw that behind the slab of metal, it was nearly pitch black, save for what appeared to be the glow of several white lights scattered around. Perhaps some fluorescent mushrooms or other plant life that lit up when in dark locations? The other side appeared to be an enormous, hollowed-out room that was so large one couldn't even see the top or bottom of the cavern. Although...was it their imagination, or did there seem to be something filling up most of the chamber?

"Gggrrrrrrrrag"

That weird shape seemingly taking up space moved just the slightest bit. What looked like a gigantic red eye slowly opened… and stared at the three men.

The haze slowly fell away, and for the first time in eons, Monster X could feel. He could smell. He could hear. So, his prison must have finally been breached in some way that allowed the machines to wake him. Or perhaps they just stopped working. Why did his body feel so stiff, though? How long had he been in stasis now? Awakening more by the second, his senses picked up three tiny lifeforms nearby and many a distance away. Hmmm. He didn't recognize the scent of whatever was close. Even if his masters had taken another form to disguise themselves, he could still sense them within the false shell. No. This was something new. Something not encountered before.

His eyes finally opened, allowing him to see his prison chamber. With X's superior eyesight, he could also see the hole in one of the access panels directly in front of him and the small, ape-like creature looking his way. Wait a minute… it looked like… DestrOy-the-huManS!… the voices! Although partially obscured due to the small size of the hole, X was sure that the bipedal creature matched the Humans he was supposed to subdue. What was going on? What was happening?

-You are our, DEstROY, sword-

-Our Monster X-

Why would the voices not stop?! Struggling to move his body, X started rising from the cradled position he was forced to take inside the asteroid. Looking around, X saw that despite waking from his hellish coma, his metal prison refused to move. The groaning sounds indicated it was trying, but something was preventing him from the freedom he desperately wanted.

X had to get out of there. Now. He pushed his body against what passed for the ceiling, but the prison held. No. No. NO. NO. He wanted out. This was not where he wanted to spend his first waking moments in Bagan knows how long. X slammed his forearm up, denting the metal above him, yet still, it held. Over and over, his armored arm struck the ceiling, denting it further but not breaking through. The kaiju's breathing quickened as panic began to grip his chest. 'Let me out. Let me out. Letmeout. Letmeout. Letmeoutletmeoutletmeout. LET. ME. OUT!'

"Run! Run! Get the hell out of here now!" As Wade ran past several other miners, screaming his head off, his group leader called to anyone and everyone within eyesight or earshot to leave. "There's some giant Grimm inside the mountain! Get out before the tunnels collapse!" His warning was validated by a rumbling that steadily grew worse. Broken rock began to fall from the tunnel ceiling, light fixtures either stopped working or hit the ground and shattered, and most startling was the loud growling coming from deeper in the tunnels. Dropping all their tools and ignoring the carts of mined Dust, the miners ran as fast as they could toward the entrance.

Tasha Yar didn't look away from that graceful, saving light. Looking back would mean death. Falling rocks encompassed her from all sides, some close enough that the dirt thrown up nearly blinded her. Still, her eyes refused to look away from her destination. Someone screamed behind her, crushed by the falling ceiling, but she couldn't afford to stop. Pushing her legs to their limit, Tasha exited the mine with such force she tumbled to the hard ground and struck her head on a toolbox. Blood trailing down her temple, Tasha was helped to her feet by Wade, she and everyone else staring in disbelief at the now collapsed mine. A split second too slow, and she would have been crushed by rock and metal from above. It took Tasha a moment to comprehend that several of her coworkers hadn't made it out the tunnels. Tears started to blend with the blood on her dirty face.

The quakes finally seemed to stop, prompting Wade to speak his wise words. "I think we'll be fine now. Unless that Grimm is some giant that eats rocks for breakfast. Like a Rock Biter! That's a good name."

Everyone glared death at the idiot for opening his mouth, with how callous his words were. Before anyone could chastise him for his insensitive and cliched tempting of fate, a large, ebony hand burst from the mountain their mine was dug into. White, bone-like armor covered the back of the appendage, offering protection like a warrior's gauntlet. A second hand joined it, sending sections of rock sailing through the sky. Workers scattered and ran for cover in the shade of massive loaders and excavators. This saved many of them from a gruesome death, while an unlucky few were turned into bloody smears in the dirt. A loud, tiger-like growling was heard throughout the dig site, causing a few brave souls to poke their heads out and see what was happening.

The top of the mountain broke apart violently, thrown off the head of the giant Grimm, now free of its prison. The monster's very appearance caused some of the miners to faint. Skeletal armor coated a good portion of its muscular body, skin blacker than the void of space. A strange, elongated skull was topped with two sharp horns just above its eyes, with the upper half of the head covered in armor. What appeared to be two half-skulls attached at its shoulders, also very phallic in shape. A long, forked tail swayed in agitation, thin like a whip waiting to snap. Oddly, a pointed mound of bone covered the center of its back, just above the tail. The beast was 120 meters of demonic monster. It stared at its hands, which were shaking horribly; the creature itself was breathing so fast it appeared to be having a panic attack.

Accepting this was the day she died, Tasha pulled out her scroll and set it to record. "We've awoken a Grimm larger than any I've ever seen. If anyone gets this message, please, contact my sister, and give her my account with First Mistralan Bank." She couldn't stop crying, praying that someone would be lucky enough to see this video and pass it on. Her voice cracked as the monster stopped looking at its hands and turned a red gaze over the humans and faunus within the quarry, still breathing heavily. "Ishara, I love you more than anything. I'm sorry I won't see you graduate from Haven, but this is how life is sometimes." As the monster kept looking at them, she whimpered just the slightest when it grabbed its head, almost like it was in pain.

"For whoever gets this message: we're at the Turkana Mine in northern Mistral. We've been here two months, digging through the mountain for Dust and other materials. Unfortunately, we found a Grimm too. As big as it is, please, send everythin-huh?" Her crying words ended when the monster stopped eyeing them. It turned its gaze to the cloudy sky above and levitated, yes levitated, out of the remains of the mountain it had been trapped within. Without sparing the humans a second glance, the Grimm fully emerged from the rock around it and flew south. Not once did it attack or even turn to look at them again. It just...left.

She would need to change her pants before the smell of urine set in.