Rampages and Romance
Reina was the first to notice Takuya's lack of color when he returned from the Diet Building. "The video only caused more panic", sighed Takuya, "So much panic, in fact, that the Diet only had five minutes to discuss how to stop them both". "Do you think Godzilla will return?", asked Reina. "Without a doubt", said Takuya, "Hedorah, you see, is like an invasive species in his territory. So long as it's alive, no one is safe. But don't worry about that now. You still have school to handle. Just leave the monsters to me". "I will", said Reina as she grabbed her school bag, "Don't beat yourself up too much, Dad. As Mom always used to say, it can only get better". As Reina left the house, Takuya chuckled to himself as he looked at a photo of himself, a younger Reina, and his deceased wife. "It can only get better", he said softly.
Junko and Reina finished class and walked to lunch together. "So, what else have you got?", asked Reina. "Huh?" "You know, do you have more art?", she clarified. "Uh, yeah", said Junko, "It's in my folder here". As Junko flipped through the contents of her bag, Reina looked over the cafeteria and saw the students on their phones were watching the footage of Godzilla her father had shot. Reactions were varied. Some of the boys boasted that they could attack Godzilla with their bare hands, others made plans to get out of the city for a while. The girls talked about either joining the JSDF or leaving the country altogether. Only one emotion was shared by all groups regardless: fear. "Here it is", said Junko as she slammed her art folder onto the table, returning Reina's thoughts to the previous conversation. Junko opened the file an pulled out some landscape drawings of Mt. Fuji, the shoreline near Kamakura, and the Ginza District of Tokyo. "They're all perfect", said Reina, "Hokusai himself would be jealous". "Thank you", said Junko, "I don't normally show them off. Father says it's unbecoming of a future business owner". "Yeah, well, who said you wanted to be a business owner?", asked Reina. "It's not that simple", said Junko as she packed up her art, "Father says the best business is one run by family". "Perhaps", said Reina, "Though with how crazy things seem to be getting here and abroad, it might be best to just spread your own wings, you know?" "Maybe", said Junko.
Meanwhile, scientists were working hard at the University of Tokyo, looking over dried samples of Hedorah's decaying tissue. "We're doing the best we can", said Dr. Emmet Forester, an American scientist with his long, blonde hair combed over his head and wearing glasses, "but ever since Dr. Yaguchi passed, we've been working with incomplete data". "That's fine", said Takuya, "Just do the best you can". Takuya then walked out of the lab and into another room, where Ohashi and Emi were looking over the mural. "I'm not too sure, Takuya, but I think this is a different individual from the one you saw", said Ohashi. "Obviously", said Emi, "Especially since my research into the Incident of 1954 always ends the same way". "Killed by Dr. Serizawa, I know", said Ohashi, "So, where did this new Godzilla come from?" "There's no shortage of nuclear incidents that could contribute to his existence", said Emi, "Three Mile Island, the nuclear tests in the French Polynesian islands, Fukushima, all of them could have easily made a new Godzilla". "The question we should be asking isn't where Godzilla came from or why he's here", said Takuya, "The question is what is he going to do next?" "That's without getting into Hedorah", said Emi, "I've only seen preliminary notes, but at the rate it's evolving, there's a chance he could kill all life on Earth with a snap of his fingers". Just then, a lab assistant ran in. "Turn on the TV", he cried, "Godzilla has been sighted!"
Cue Song: Master Passion Greed by Nightwish
Godzilla let out a mighty roar as he crushed several pipes under his foot! His long tail slammed down onto two oil tanks, causing them to explode as the workers below him ran in terror! Godzilla marched forward and pushed over the main office building, shredding it as it fell with his claws! He then charged up his fins and fired a blast of atomic breath at the other oil tanks, causing them to explode! Just then, three jets flew in to attack, firing missiles at Godzilla, who stood still as the missiles exploded against his scarred skin. Godzilla simply slashed at the jets, breaking them in mid-air before returning to destroying the refinery!
Elsewhere, Yagi watched the TV with his assistants looking various degrees of shocked. "That was one of our best allies in this business", said one of them. "What the hell do we do now?", asked another. "What we always do", said Yagi, "We'll release a statement before buying up whatever stock the refinery has leftover". "Then what?", asked another assistant, "Godzilla might attack us next". "Then we'll lobby the Diet to take drastic action against him", said Yagi, "Godzilla is only an animal, and animals can be killed". Just then, a phone alarm went off. "That's it for today", said Yagi, "I have to pick my daughter up from school. Have a solution ready by the time I return". With that, he left, leaving the assistants baffled as to what to do.
Over at the Diet Building, General Tsubasa, an old man with slicked back, gray hair and dark sunglasses, slammed some documents onto the table in front of several chairmen. "Gentlemen, we've just received two proposals on how to deal with the crisis at hand", he announced, "Option one: we bombard Godzilla at sea, thus depriving the JSDF of resources in case Hedorah returns. Option two: we kill Hedorah and hope Godzilla leaves, satisfied that whatever rival is encroaching on his territory is gone." "Option one was kindly suggested to us by a local property owner with a stake in the oil business", said one of the chairmen, "They've also given money generously to see to it that Godzilla is eliminated". "With all due respect", said Dr. Forester, "Killing Hedorah would, in fact, have the same effect. If it dies, Godzilla might go away". "There's no guarantee of that", said another chairman. "No, but we won't have resources stretched thin by mounting a double assault", said General Tsubasa, "All we need is something that could kill Hedorah in one fell swoop". "So, where is Hedorah?", asked one of the chairmen. "Resting somewhere in Tokyo Bay", said Dr. Forester, "We believe torpedoing it should do the trick". "If it keeps Godzilla from returning, so be it", said a chairman.
With that, the order was given. Submarines dove into Tokyo Bay and began firing torpedoes at Hedorah! "Direct hit", said a sailor. But then, Hedorah fired his eye lasers, blowing up all of the submarines before he rose to the surface.
Cue Song: Persecution of the Masses by Shiro Sagisu
Over at Haneda Airport, air traffic control caught sight of something flying into Tokyo. "That's weird, there aren't any incoming flights today", said the chief. Just then, Hedorah appeared, using his sulfuric mist to propel himself into the air, raining toxic gas onto the ground below! Haneda Airport rusted over and collapsed, killing everyone inside! Hedorah turned toward the rest of the city. As he flew over, fleeing masses fell to the ground, becoming little more than skeletons as Hedorah landed on the Tax Towers, croaking wickedly as his mist spread through the city! He dragged himself down the side of the towers, tearing them apart before marching through Shinjuku!
As this was happening, Yagi and Junko were driving through the area."So what's with you and this Reina girl you're always talking to?", asked Yagi. "We're just friends, that's all", said Junko. Suddenly, a small, red tentacle pierced the back of the car and dragged it backward! Junko and Yagi leaped out to see Hedorah pulling several other cars into himself, his liquid body pulsating as he consumed them! Just then, several police cars drove in and began shooting at Hedorah, only for Hedorah to blast them with his sulfuric mist! Yagi and Junko ran with the crowd as Hedorah advanced towards them! Suddenly, the ground rattled and shook.
Then, it burst open, revealing Godzilla! He pushed over a building, sending it falling onto Hedorah! He then stomped down on the creature before grabbing him by his tail and throwing him into a building! Hedorah hissed with rage before charging, knocking Godzilla into a building! He then grew small claws and slashed Godzilla in the face! Junko looked back as she ran away to see Godzilla grappling with Hedorah, smashing apart Shinjuku in their wake! "Hurry", said Yagi, "This bus will get us away from here". They ran into the bus and sighed with relief as it took off. Junko looked outside to see thousands of people running alongside it.
Godzilla wiped away some blood before sending Hedorah flying back with a smack of his tail! He then fired a blast of atomic breath, hitting the beast in the back! Hedorah shrieked in pain before taking off into the air, spraying Godzilla with his sulfuric mist! Godzilla gasped and wheezed as Hedorah used his tentacle to drag him across the city streets! But then, Godzilla fires his atomic breath, knocking Hedorah down!
Takuya and Reina watched the battle on TV at the University, alongside Emi, Ohashi, and Dr. Forester. "Look at that", said Dr. Forester, "Godzilla's breath was able to weaken him". Hedorah was then cut apart by Godzilla's claws! "It's almost like it's repelled by Godzilla's mere presence", said Emi. This would be proven to be the case when Godzilla chased Hedorah back into the sea, letting out a mighty roar as he fell after him. "I have an idea", said Ohashi, "If we could introduce Godzilla's blood into Hedorah, it could induce an anaphylactic shock and kill it." "How would that work?", asked Reina. "Two different blood types don't mix well", said Ohashi, "If it doesn't kill Hedorah, he'll be in a coma for a while". "Could work", said Dr. Forester as he switched off the TV, "If we can safely collect a sample, we could get a working weapon done by tomorrow". "That fast?", asked Takuya. "It's not exactly had to stick a needle in something", shrugs Dr. Forester. Reina then got a text on her phone and went to grab her bag. "Something wrong?", asked Dr. Forester. "It's Junko, she just got away from the attack site", said Reina, "I'm going to check on her". "Stay safe, my heart", said Takuya as Reina ran out the door.
Cue Song: Hedgehog's Dilemma by Shiro Sagisu
She took the train to Shinagawa Prefecture, looking out over the wrecked city. She could see firefighters quelling the flames on several high-rise buildings and JSDF soldiers spraying everything in sight to decontaminate anything affected by Godzilla's radiation. "Last stop: Shinagawa Station", came an announcement on the PA. Junko slung her bag over her back and ran out of the train. She ran all the way to a tall mansion next to an oil refinery. "Hello?", asked Reina as she knocked on the door, "Is anyone home?" At once, Yagi opened the door. "Oh, you must be one of Junko's friends", he said, "Come in, but be silent. I have some people from my business over." He took Reina to Junko's room. "Junko, your friend is here", he said, "Both of you are to keep quiet until the meeting is over". With that, he left. "He's all warm and fuzzy", chuckled Reina nervously. "To be fair, we both just barely escaped from that Hedorah thing from the news", said Junko, "Aren't you and your father researching it?" "Just a little bit", said Reina, "I'm more occupied with looking over that mural of Godzilla Dad found." "Could I see it one day?", asked Junko. "Only if I see more of your art", smiled Reina. "Absolutely", said Junko as she went to her folders. She stopped briefly on one, but decided against it for now. 'No need to scare her off', she thought.
Meanwhile downstairs, Yagi and his assistants were looking over the data as the news played on TV. "It's not looking good, sir", said one of the assistants, "At this rate, the Diet will declare a state of emergency for sure". "Meaning?", asked Yagi. "We'll have to shut down", said another assistant, "We are literally being given no other choice in the matter". "Is there any way to call it off?", asked Yagi. "With enough lobbying, we could buy maybe a week", said one assistant, "That should be enough time to recover any profits and flee before Hedorah comes back". "Sounds good", said Yagi, "Do it. We need to save the company and fast".
Elsewhere, as the machines in the refinery roared to life, Hedorah hissed with pleasure. The humans didn't know, but they were making more food to feed their newest god. Hedorah had already exhausted the oil trapped within sunken ships at the bottom of Tokyo Bay, as well as any run-off from chemicals dumped in rivers. It would only be a matter of time before he would need to return to shore. Should Godzilla be there, Hedorah wouldn't hesitate to kill him and expand. Even now, Hedorah could hear Godzilla's roar, a warning to keep out of his territory. It would be a warning he would ignore for the sake of finally overcoming his greatest enemy.
To Be Continued...