En Route to Port of Shanghai
1430 Hours
USS Nimitz Medical Ward
"Java hurts! Ow!"
"I know your hurt buddy, I get it, but the docs say take it easy, let it heal. You'll be back on your feet in no time at all!"
It has been two days since the attempted hijacking by Cartel mercenaries. Madison has been helping the medics nonstop with Java's wound. The teens were amazed at the resourcefulness of the 12 year old, even watching her make a tourniquet for Java.
"Wow! And I thought I was smart, or Diana! Who taught you all this?" "Mostly my dad. He worked with Monarch before."
With a beaming innocent smile, Clover asked in a cheery voice. "So where's your pa now? And is he handsome?" Immediately, Madison frowned, causing Clover to regret asking. "He broke all ties with Monarch due to philosophical and ideological differences, and was filled with grief over my mom's sacrifice to resurrect Godzilla to finish Ghidorah." Brittney gasped. "You know Gojirah?!" Madison nodded very slowly. "He saved my life. If mom hadn't done what she did, I probably wouldn't be here talking to you." Miki nodded, and smiled. "I am truly sorry for your loss, young Madison. I want you to know that her sacrifice was not in vain. If you require anything, please speak up."
Billy flew in. "Welcome to Shanghai everyone! Nick is asking all of us to the bridge for a briefing! Jerry and Mom are also calling!"
"I hope I can talk to Nick some more. I'm curious about why he joined Monarch. I mean, he had his own group: HEAT." Madison was curious: she remembers the New York Incident clearly. Rather than answer, Martin makes an unrelated observation. "You might be the first person I've seen not weirded out by Billy being an alien!" "When you've seen monsters 24/7, aliens might as well be commonplace."
USS Nimitz Bridge
The group can clearly see the activities of the flight deck, high speed jet fighters taking off with a mighty roar, and then landing at high speed and latching to arrestor cables. They can also see the escort vessels surrounding them. Nick began the briefing by connecting them to WHOOP and Center HQ's. He had already updated the two on their successes, but also informed MOM of what happened to Java. He actually felt nervous about the reaction of the news. Surprisingly, she remained reasonable, despite the shock that someone shot Java in the arm. "That is rather unfortunate, but I'm glad he's okay. It would have been a different story if he died. Just please take better care of them."
"Speaking of which MOM, it looks like they've arrived, Mr. Tatopoulos." Jerry saw that the group had entered the bridge.
"And so they are. I wonder if they had gotten lost or trapped on the elevators. And if so, why didn't the guards do anything? Anyway, time for business."
He pulled out a map and laid onto a table. He then walked over to a screen and showed their position, thanks to GPS. "We are about to arrive at the Port of Shanghai. Once we get here, we have to unload the Kaiju, and start making our way to this industrial district. Reports place Anguirus in an abandoned copper foundry in the North, probably having a feast. You'll know it's him because he looks like an Ankylosaurus with hands and fangs. Be careful: reports also say they have heard rumors of Apex operating here in number. Probably nothing, but keep an eye out; I don't want us getting taken by surprise again. I already have Java sitting this out, I don't want to see a repeat. We will make landfall in five minutes. Any questions you have, ask them now. No? Then dismissed."
Five minutes later
Shanghai, China
Reunited with their beasts, the group trekked onward to the industrial district. Brittney would have been enjoying riding such a symbol of power in the form of Manda, but felt uneasy because of some of the stares: her Japanese heritage was showing, and the Chinese residents knew it. Martin also felt uneasy, but for a different reason: something in the back of his head screamed danger, and as cocky as he is, he has always learned to trust his gut.
"Anyone get the feeling that something isn't right? Didn't our boys on the ship say there was an Apex presence here?" "Possible Apex, Martin. You off all people should know the difference." "Guys! Give it rest! Sheesh, you can feel the tension cut like a laser through metal!"
BOOM!
The group saw a massive explosion from a nearby building. Panic ensued through a nearby crowd, causing a stampede. Screams echoed through the streets, most of terror, but some of excruciating pain. What drew the heroes attention however was a red beam, swerving around and cutting through brick and steel alike as it searched like a light for flesh and bone. They followed the trail to a sight from their greatest nightmares: a massive, monstrous silhouette of a creature emerging from the flames, accentuated by red. It was as tall as a skyscraper, had a horn and mandibles on its head, and a cycloptic red eye; the source of the laser. Three wings protruding from its back. Most disturbing however, was its arms: they were not claws, but rather scythes acting like buzzsaw blades.
Back on the ship, Nick saw what his agents were facing, and was truly terrified. "No. God no! Not HIM!" Miki walked up to him, sensing his terror. "What is-" she never finished her question, as she saw the terror. She then muttered the name of nightmares. "Gigan!" Nick panicked at hearing the name, and immediately went to a console to try and contact his team. "Team, get out of there!" "Why?" "Major code red! Target is Gigan! One of the most powerful Kaiju in existence and sadistic to boot! Do NOT engage! Repeat, do NOT engage! Hide somewhere and STAY HIDDEN!" As soon as the orders were given, Gigan stepped out of the flames, revealing a chest with sawblades in the center. At the same time, he let out a metallic sounding screech that somehow reflected his personality: a maniacal cyborg who gains pleasure from the torment of others. Not needing to be told twice, the group ran as fast as their legs could carry them. "This is the last time I will work with you Mystery!" "I didn't do anything!"
They kept running a good distance until they ducked into an alleyway. "Nick, we need a plan! We're sitting ducks!" Martin practically yelled into the radio. "Hide for as long as possible! Let the Kaiju do their job!" Bricks start falling around them. "I don't think that's a plan Nicky!" Sam wailed. The building behind them shatters, revealing Gigan staring down at them, with a face that looked to be smiling with malicious intent.
"This is bad! Apex must have done some tweaking to Gigan to make him ignore the Kaiju and focus on the team. He even knew where they were hiding! Admiral Sweeney! What are our options?!" "Unfortunately, Dr. Now all our aircraft have been sabotaged after those hoodlums attacked us, and our escorts reported something similar. Until we can get something repaired, they're on their own. And it looks like our Kaiju friends are also crippled! So, in a nutshell, we are powerless."
"RUN!" The group all yelled simultaneously. Gigan is hot on their heels. His modifications recently allows him to trace their movements, and to look behind walls. Gigan then let out a demented screech, and lunged one of his deadly scythed arms down to the ground, and slashed, narrowly missing the group of teenagers. "Admiral, they are going to get killed out there! Is there really nothing we can do?!" Nick practically screamed in Sweeney's face, his own pale with terror. "Dr. We are working as fast we can with repairs. Whatever those mercs did was thorough. Right now, it looks like it'll take at least a full day to repair our systems and fighters. Don't worry though. I have a feeling the team will be successful before the day is up." "How the hell do you know that?!" "Because I have faith, and I believe." He did not elaborate any more than that.
Back on the streets of Shanghai, it was chaos: People were running for their lives, black charred corpses lined the streets, police were trying to respond, paramedics were going back and forth, firefighters were trying to clear flames and paths, Chinese military forces were charging, and none of them were having any effect on Gigan, who continued to wreak havoc in his chase for the heroes. Somewhere, the other Kaiju had mysteriously disappeared. The teens ducked into another alley. Martin seems relatively calm, but inside is panicking. "Where are our buddies?" "You'd think they'd appear by now! Remember that bond thingy that Miki talked about?!" "Yeah! You don't think it's been severed has it?!" The question was not answered when just like before, Gigan broke through the building, this time with a laser beam through the roof and awnings, forcing them to run again. Gigan forced them to swerve away again with a second blast of his laser eye. It was clear he was trying something, but they have no idea what it is beyond tormenting them and playing with his prey. Another alley, another repeat. This time, Martin had them duck low to the ground and try crawling amidst rubble and smoke. "Maybe he won't see us if we crawl." He whispered. "Oh yeah, like the giant three winged evil space chicken from hell doesn't have infrared vision in that visor of his." Clover hissed back. "Do you have a better idea? We don't have time to argue." They began to crawl, but then was halted by cries for help: a couple and their two year old daughter was trapped under a steel beam, and next to them was a burning car, spilling gasoline. On the other side was a burning building. Brittney bolted up and ran as fast as she could to the family. Gigan clearly saw her, and her friends, but decided to play with his food so to speak, and walked very slowly toward her and the family. Brittney struggled to lift the heavy beam, and called for help from her gang. They all started to lift, and it started to budge, but it was wedged under something: a pile of bricks the size of a hill. The whirring sound of a buzzsaw began, and the group turned to see Gigan right behind them, chestsaw buzzing and spinning, inching down to them, eye and mandibles clearly showing glee at their impending slow and painful doom. Just as the saws got dangerously close, a shadow swooped in and swatted Gigan across the face, forcing him back. Immediately after, the beam was finally lifted, and the family fled. The group was confused, but then saw Manda flying above. He circled around, and turned briefly to look at Gigan with challenge in his eyes. The teens took the opportunity to run. Gigan, furious at the loss of his quarry, charged at Manda. The Chinese dragon wrapped Gigans wings together, and chomped down on the neck. This made Gigan roar, but it did not kill him. If anything, this made him angrier, and made him reach back with his scythe claws. The sharp blades hooked into Manda, causing him to roar in pain, and Gigan tore him off his wings, and then threw the dragon blocks away, bleeding all the way. Victorious, Gigan then proceeded to look for his prey.
"What did Apex do?!" Nick was at a loss for answers. Clearly, Apex had done things to Gigan to make him more effective than usual. One of those was a reinforcing of the neck, his only weakness. Not only that, but he can track targets behind buildings and walls, and a seeming objective to lure specific targets for some purpose. But how, and why? What purpose does employing Gigan serve? Why Gigan in particular? Why not Mechagodzilla? "Nick. I know you are searching for answers. Remember, I can sense them. I too am worried for the teens and about this development. But panicking will not solve anything. If I know those children, and I do, better than they know themselves, they will make it out, and they will succeed where we can't." "I wish I had your confidence, Miki, but I'm finding it hard to stay calm or confident in their odds." Miki shook her head in response, and grasped his shoulder. "Right now, we have to believe like the admiral does. I see that Apex may have made a critical error, one that our teens will find and exploit."
The teens kept running, Gigan once again on their tail, blasting and lunging after them. Outside a relatively untouched building, Gigan swiped at them with a five pronged tail, forcing them to divert into the building. It was an empty warehouse, with one door, and no windows. Clover was sweating with panic, her face was pale and eyes wide. All of them were covered in soot. Alex seemed to have acquired some scarring on her arms, the tears in her suit revealing where they were. Clover almost yelled in fear. "We're trapped! What are we going to do now?!" To accentuate her point, Gigan started to slowly tear at the building. Wood planks and bricks started to fall. "Well, I guess it was nice knowing you all." Brittney started to cry. Sam was silently praying for life and help. Alex closed her eyes. Even Diana was mentally apologizing to Martin for all the torment she gave him. Only Martin stood defiant. "U Watch Activated. I-Cutter selected." He decided to go down swinging defending everyone. The rumbling suddenly stopped. That's when the door burst open. Soldiers tore in, marked with Apex symbols. "No one tries anything! If you fight back, it won't end well for any of you!" The sergeant yelled, and then beckoned behind him. An older man stepped in. He was covered in scars, wore an eyepatch, and in some areas had visible burns. He wore a lab coat with a name tag: Simmons. He glared at them extremely menacingly, and then spoke with a voice of utter contempt. "I am Walter Simmons: the leader of Apex. I am here to inform you that working with Monarch is a big mistake, as they are working with humanity's enemy, Godzilla. Gigan here was a warning for you if you choose to continue down your path. Allow me to show you what we have to offer instead, and of what will happen if you refuse." "You'd be wise to take up his offer." A raven hair teenage girl with another lab coat appeared behind him. The spies gasped. Simultaneously, they exclaimed their surprise. "Mandy?! You're working with Apex?!" "Surprised to see me in the leaders chair losers?" "That's enough out of you, Ms. Lux. I'm handling this." "Yessir, boss." Martin looked at Alex. "Friend of yours?" Alex just looked at him. "Friend is overstating it. Rival is more like it." "That sounds like an understatement if I've ever heard one." "Cuff them all, then bring them to HQ. I want them to see just what we can do and what we have accomplished." "Yes sir! Come on all of you. Time to see your new home."
1 Hour Drive later
The APCs came to a halt. "Everyone out! Single file!" All of their gadgets and equipment have been confiscated. Everywhere they looked was Apex logos and cybernetics. Led down a series of halls, they looked out of various windows, and saw numerous experiments, some of which can be considered unethical. As they passed one window, Sam gasped. "Kong!" The skyscraper ape was chained to a massive table designed just for him, and the chains keeping him there were being electrified over and over, and sometimes with some sort of chemical being injected into him. "Don't worry big guy. We'll get you and the others out of here soon." "Move it!" A rifle butt in the back of her head, and they continued. More hallways, and more monster experiments. One of them looked like a giant robot version of Godzilla himself. Brittney narrows her eyes. "Whatever you are, I won't let you be used against us."
Eventually they end up in a large command center. Holograms and tactical displays covered walls and a central table. The table hologram portrayed a spinning logo. "Surely this is much more advanced than what Monarch has, yes?" "Nah. The Center and WHOOP are far more advanced." Martin snarked, only to get tazed by a guard for his mouth. Simmons then responded cold and calculating. "Apex rises above all, Mr. Mystery, even above nature itself. Our creations and experiments have proved it already. Gigan is just the beginning. You would be wise to accept our offer, for you have no choice." Britney then retorted. "Even if it costs the lives of millions of innocent civilians?" "Especially them. At any cost." Britney balked at Simmons' response, realizing that he truly is the epitome of, for lack of a better term, a monster. He was more of a monster than the Kaiju can ever be.
Meanwhile, King was beginning to feel less pain from the electricity than prior, and was starting to embrace it.
On the Nimitz, the crew was frantically running to look for their team. They had dropped off the radar entirely, and Nick was looking for something to cool his nerves. Maybe a bottle of something. "Tatopoulos, you need not drink any alcohol. What you need is faith." "How can I have faith if I can't keep an eye on them?! Gigan is still out there!" Miki shook her head. "Remember the missing Kaiju? One of them is Kong. Brute strength is not his only asset."
"Well, step brother! This is a nice situation you got us in!" "What?! It's not my fault we had to face Gigan alone!" "Lay off him, Karen. We're gonna get nowhere fast if we're at each other's throats 24/7."
The group was currently waiting for their 'turns' while in shackles. They know it is NOT a prison, but rather holding cells for a laboratory. When Simmons mentioned 'turns' it instantly clicked: human experimentation. Unfortunately, Diana chose this moment to chastise Martin for something he had no control over. Sam spoke up. "We know Alex, but what can we do? We have no gadgets anymore, and all our monsters are incapacitated." The cell door banged. "Quiet in there!"
Back in Kong's cell, his eyes were starting to shimmer a bright blue, and he sensed that Sam and the others are in mortal danger, steeling his resolve. The scientists also noticed electricity rippling through Kong's fur. "Someone check on the monkey. If you see anything, stop the experiment."
Miki froze in place. Nick noticed it, and walked over. "Miki? Are you okay?" Her answer was a sudden drop to the floor. She immediately got up, but was pale and drenched in sweat. "The team." She gasped for air when she said it. "They need help. I only had enough strength to awaken Anguirus, our original objective. I only pray it is enough." "Did you see where they were? What is going to happen?" "Miki wouldn't, but I do." Maddison turned around the corner, probably eavesdropping. "If I know Apex, they're probably interrogating them as we speak."
"He's absorbing the electricity! It's having an augmenting effect!" Just as soon as the words left his mouth, Kong roared awake in anger, and dispersed bolts of electricity from his body, zapping both the terrified scientists and the unlucky soldiers, as well as ripping his binds from the table. He then fashioned a crude, makeshift ax from any pipes, beams, and sheet metal plates that he can find. Once he finished tying the materials together with cables, he let out another roar, and charged to free everyone.
In an abandoned warehouse, covered in cobwebs, and filled to the brim with old copper, a shape emerged from a large pile. It resembles an ankylosaurus, with sharp fangs and a central horn on the nostril. He sensed a message from Miki that he has been assigned to guard a young woman, and that his new charge is in mortal peril. Sensing the new telepathic link, he roared, and burst out of the warehouse to free his new master. His roar sounded through the city of Shanghai like a crying guitar mixed with an eagle's caw. Help was on the way for the heroes.
Meanwhile, alarms sounded through the base. "Warning: Containment breach!" The same message repeated infinitely. Simmons had originally arrived to guide Diana and oversee her cybernetic corruption. He had also planned to not use anesthesia. He had just reached the cell door when the alert sounded. "Sounds like your beasts are more cunning than we thought. No matter. Gigan was getting bored anyway. Time for him to become alpha." He then pressed a button on his radio. "Mandy. Release Gigan."
"Yes sir." Mandy said, but was unconvinced. "I sense apprehension, Ms. Lux. There is no room for that here. Release him. Unless you'd like to take Ms. Lombards place on the operating table." Mandy may hate the "losers", but the thought of killing millions did not sit well with her. She took joy in tormenting the group, but when she was in the APC riding through town, she saw the carnage wrought by her own creation. She thought joining Apex would prove her superiority. All it did was boost her popularity as a war criminal. Did she prove her superiority to the "losers"? Maybe, but at what cost? After this is done, she is resigning. "Yes sir, but consider this my resignation." "I respect your decision, but treason is a one way ticket to execution." She then released Gigan once again. Screeching to life, his visor flashed a crimson red like the blood he craves.
The first Kaiju Kong decides to rescue is Zilla. Tearing through containment room C4, with his ax, Kong tears several scientists apart in the process. One was unlucky enough to be perfectly aligned with the ax head blade, and was cut in half down the middle. The swing also tears away the catwalk, and the rest were sent careening into hazardous chemicals. A second swing cuts the binds holding Zilla down, and he immediately burrows to rescue Martin and the others. Just in time too, for another wall was destroyed by a hunting Gigan. Roaring in challenge, Kong beats his chest, and raises his ax for battle, augmenting it with his electricity. Gigan in return sharpens his scythes. One scythe catches the ax head, but this proved a large mistake: the ax delivered a painful volt of power to Gigan, causing him to stagger. He forgot that he is weak to electricity, and that his body is a conductor for that electricity. As a form of insult to injury, Kong grabbed Gigan by the throat, and chucked him into containment room B2: a room for test subjects to be let in to fight their own mechs.
Zilla was racing against time: his master is going to be experimented on regardless of the alarms blaring throughout the facility. He may not have liked Diana, but she is his master's step sister. He was lucky: Diana was stalling for time. "Stay away from me you creep! I'll never serve you." "Don't struggle Diana Lombard. If you do, this will be far more painful. I'll even force you to watch your friends go through the same procedure." "Are you cybernetics malfunctioning? She is clearly not consenting." Martin was also stalling for time, only as he is trying to get a reaction from Simmons, and saving his step sister. "Oh please. You already lost. Do you really think your blabber excuse of a mouth will save you or your insolent dog of a step sister." In a twist of irony, Zilla burst through the ground, and destroyed Martin's binds in the process, roaring in fury. "Now it's not just my mouth, it's his too! Want to play soccer Simmons?!" Not waiting for an answer, Martin drop kicked Simmons across the face, knocking him out cold, right next to an angry Behemoth, still bound, but glaring menacingly at the unconscious demonic excuse of a human. "Alright! How do I get everyone free now?" Another kaboom, and a Dino like monster appeared through the wall. "Huh. You must have been our original goal! Help me out will you?" In response, Anguirus gave Simmons the most undignified end: a simple crush. "Okay. Not exactly the help I had in mind, but oh well." A snort to his face was what shut him in the end. He then turned and a swipe of the tail freed the rest of the teens. "Martin!" Alex immediately ran to Martin's arms, and responded to the queue by striking her back. "Uh. Thanks Mr dinosaur." He then responded by nuzzling his head next to hers like a cat. "Great. Of all the Kaiju to be bonded with, I get an overgrown armadillo." "Oh come on Di, we already know he likes you, why so sour? Besides, he freed us all and probably brought down Apex single-handedly." Diana didn't say anything: he had two good points. That did not mean she had to like it, and made her displeasure known by sighing. Deciding to be funny, Anguirus was about to lick her face, but stopped short: a threat still needed to be dealt with. He then thrusted Diana onto his back with his mouth, making her scream, and then charged to face Gigan. "WAIT!" She screamed. "I HAVE NO INSURANCE!" "Zilla, let's go!" Zilla and Martin also followed. The girls and Billy were waiting for their own monsters, but Clover walked up to Simmons crushed corpse, and kicked it, and said: "You have zero taste in looks, and you also make Mandy look tame."
Gigan shit a laser that King dodged. They have been fighting for a half hour now. Suddenly, the ground rumbled, and Anguirus plus Zilla charged into the room. "Thank goodness?" Diana started to say, but saw Gigan. Before he could respond, Zilla shot out his flames. This caused Gigan to recoil, and growled in cold fury. This time, he will make sure that before any of these monsters die, he will make them scream. Another bump on his chest and increase in voltage, and a furry fist clouded his visor. Kong's ax also took out his saw chest. Oil started pouring profusely onto the floor. Anguirus then knocked his scythes out of commission. All this time Gigan was screaming in pain. The oil loss forced him to his knees, and he was at Anguirus' mercy. A swift swing, Gigan was decapitated and he then blew up. The torment was over.
The rest of the team saw what happened, and breathed a collective sigh of relief. "I don't know if you dream the same way I do, but this is going to stay with me." Billy spoke up for the first time since this whole ordeal ended. The whirl of rotors signified the arrival of a pickup team from Monarch. A VTOL aircraft landed in the middle of the rubble with Nick and Miki aboard. "I pray that this means no more Apex now that the snake has no more head." Maddison tumbled out of the craft and gave the entire team a hug, tears staining her cheeks. "We were all worried for you!" The bittersweet reunion however was interrupted by a fireteam of soldiers. "Sorry to interrupt everyone, but we have a prisoner who turned herself in." The prisoner left everyone in shock, most of all the spies. "MANDY?!" "I know this is a shock, but I only joined to prove my superiority. Boy did that backfire so hard. I NEVER wanted all this." She gestured to the burning city of Shanghai. "And you know what else? I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're alright after all. You three go into more danger than I realized, and can do more amazing things than I can. You even saved a family. I was selfish until this day. And for that, I am sorry even if I don't deserve your forgiveness." Clover, Sam and Alex looked at each other: Mandy is apologizing and turning herself into Monarch? She was constantly a thorn at Beverly, and now she wants to own up? Even if it might be too late. "Well girls, she's at your mercy now. Might want to think about this decision. Should we trust her?" The three whispered to each other, and Sam then looked Mandy in the eyes. "You're right. We may not forgive yet, and Shanghai may not ever forgive you, but you owned up, admitted you were wrong, and that counts for something at least. It's a start. There may be redemption for you yet."