The One Who Lost His Way

AN: Turns out, I lied a bit in the last chapter. The throwdown isn't happening until next one. It was going to be in this one, and it was going to be a long chapter, too, but I had no motivation whatsoever most of last week to write. And then, yesterday, when I planned to get this done, I spent the entire day rearranging and cleaning my entire room, so I didn't get the chance to.

I figured posting a shorter chapter was better than waiting another day to post.

Also, everyone seemed to like the Mothra and Serizawa POVs in the last chapter, so I decided to do a POV with another character we haven't seen before: Admiral Stenz.

Key:

"Titan speak"

"Human speak"

Character's inner thoughts

"Telepathic communication"

Disclaimer: I do not own Godzilla: King of the Monsters or any characters.

Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi:

With everything going on right now up in New England and southern Canada, being this far south came with extreme stress. Every second he was down here and not up there coordinating things was another chance for something to go terribly wrong. Not that there weren't others who could handle these current troubles while he was gone—he'd picked the personnel who took over for him when he left on this little side trip himself—but he preferred to handle things himself.

He didn't subscribe to the belief that no one else could do the job right but him. He wasn't that egotistical. Still, it was a lot more comforting being on the scene himself and knowing things were being handled than being three thousand miles away and being told everything was alright.

On the bright side, it wouldn't be much longer until their plane was ready for takeoff. They'd taken an osprey down to Isla de Mara since there was no airstrip to land on, but the plane they'd left JFK on, the one he and his entourage were leaving on in a few minutes, was a C-130. It was a whole lot faster than an osprey and had a lot more room to move around.

Plus, to take care of two birds with one stone, he was bringing up some cargo with him to help resupply JFK and bring relief to New York City as a whole. One planeload wouldn't do much, of course, but it was a start. Trains and trucks were already bringing relief supplies such as food, water, and medical supplies into the city, but the personnel that were combing through the debris could use some better, more filling food to eat and, of course, more tools to use. Hence, why the plane was being loaded with a bunch of spare MREs and as many crowbars, axes, chains, metal detectors, and other such helpful implements as possible.

Right now, he was waiting for the call to board in the officer's mess, a cup of coffee his only company for the moment. Being a Naval officer, he was a bit out of his element here in this Air Force Base. Not that he couldn't speak with base commander if he so wanted. He just didn't see the point in wasting time. The sooner they were headed back to New York, the better.

There weren't many other people in here since it was early afternoon. It was too late for lunch and too early for supper, which meant everyone was busy doing other stuff while he was sitting here. The kitchen staff were back there preparing the next meal, and a single janitor was mopping the floors on the other side of the mess. Other than that, though, he was very much alone.

The guard who'd dropped him off here, per his request, knew where he was, and had no doubt told his superiors of his whereabouts. If anyone needed him for anything, they'd know where to find him, so he wasn't worried about being left behind or forgotten about.

Admittedly, this was a nice change of pace compared to the hustle and bustle he was normally used to being surrounded by. For now, it was a welcome reprieve, but he'd be right back into the thick of things without complaint as soon as he was able.

The door to the mess suddenly opened, and he immediately noticed the man's serious expression. "Admiral Stenz? Sir, there's a call for you in the command center."

"From?" he asked as he stood.

"A Doctor Serizawa, sir. He said he's from Monarch?" In his tone, it was clear he wondered what the director of Monarch wanted. It was a question he himself wanted answered.

About five minutes later, he found himself in the command center in front of a video call of the old scientist. His expression was grim, and it only took a few words for everyone to leave. All of his own staff were read into the situation regarding Ghidorah's intelligence, but he didn't need that information becoming widespread just yet.

Once he was alone, he turned to the man in the call. Based on the background, he'd say the Argo was operational again. "What is it, Doctor?"

Serizawa took a single breath before relaying his bad news. "Gojira and the MUTO have changed their trajectory. They'll hit Ottawa in less than three hours."

"Jesus..." This happened at about the worst time he could think of, when he was all the way down here and couldn't properly coordinate with his forces and superiors. Well, he could. They were all just a call away. But it was definitely easier being in the same room as his subordinates. Now, he was left thinking with who he had to call and what he had to order them to do. Before he could finish his thoughts, Serizawa was speaking again.

"I...called Mark." He sounded hesitant, and his reasoning for why become obvious mere moments later. "Ghidorah is en route."

The fact a third titan was on its way was worrisome, though even he would admit some level of respect and a modicum of trust in the hydra after their short conversation. Still, relying on a titan to solve titan-related issues didn't sit well with him, even when he knew conventional weaponry was useless against creatures of their size and power. What Mark said before about having one of them on their side was true. He would prefer having a titan, especially the strongest, on their side. It was definitely better than having it as an enemy.

Its intelligence worried him, though. Something that powerful could cause a lot of damage. It even admitted to causing the last ice age. Combine that with sentience, however, and a lot of terrifying possibilities opened up. It was like a nuclear bomb, in his mind. It would cause a lot of destruction everywhere it went, but a bomb could be controlled. Ghidorah couldn't. There was nothing they could do to make Ghidorah follow orders. What happens when Ghidorah realizes this?

It was terrifying because there was nothing they could do to stop it if it did indeed turn on them. He'd make sure that particular balance of power was fixed, and soon, but for now, he would make use of Ghidorah.

All of those thoughts came and went in a thirty second period of silence before he asked his question. "It's a long way from Isla de Mara to Canada. Will it make it in time?"

"I don't know," he admitted. "But I must ask you to pull your forces away as long as you can. If they arrive, Ghidorah will handle the MUTO and Gojira, and I do not want innocent soldiers to be caught in the middle."

"That makes both of us," he reassured the scientist, who sighed in relief. "I'll send word to have our troops pull back. The Canadians will be another matter, but I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Admiral." Serizawa bowed his head in appreciation, but before he could switch off the screen, he spoke up again.

"Doctor?" Once he had the doctor's attention again, he spoke. "You told me five years ago that Humanity's arrogance was thinking nature was in our control and not the other way around. Personally, I'm under no illusions anymore. After seeing what the titans are capable of, I know we can't control them." He paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to say this. "I understand that we don't know a whole lot about Ghidorah...do we?" Serizawa reluctantly shook his head. "Then, what makes you think it really is on our side? The rest of the titans have their own myths and legends to call upon, but there's nothing about this one. Why?"

Serizawa was quiet for a few seconds, and he looked down and shook his head when he answered. "I don't know." Then, he started nodding to himself. "But I do know that little girls don't become friends with monsters. If Maddie can become friends with Ghidorah, they cannot be too bad." The smile that followed that statement was a bit forced and uncertain, something Stenz picked up on easily.

Of course, he wouldn't let Serizawa know he'd seen through his façade. "I suppose that makes sense." And he'd seen Ghidorah and Madison Russell interacting as if they weren't too massively different species, so that part of what the old scientist said was true, at least. "I'll be back in New York as soon as possible, Doctor. My plane leaves shortly." With that, he gave the doctor a polite nod and shut the feed off.

It took him a few moments to tear his gaze away from the control panel and head towards the door because he was so deep in thought. Serizawa knew more than he was letting on. He had no proof other than a gut feeling, but he'd bet money that the director of Monarch was keeping something important from him.

Unfortunately, he couldn't really stew on it much longer because what he said was true. His plane was getting ready to leave. Once he was aboard, however, he'd be mentally picking apart that conversation as well as he could.

First, however, he had a call to make. Hopefully, the Canadians would be reasonable here.

Two hours later, south of the Canadian border:

Thunder roared and lightning crashed around them. Each bolt seemed blindingly bright against the backdrop of angry black storm clouds. Rain and ice pelted them from all directions like so many insignificant insect bites but barely felt due to their sheer size and thick scales. Strong updrafts and downdrafts that would be devastating to smaller creatures and human aircraft battered them from all directions, but their mighty wings kept their steady tempo, the turbulent gusts doing nothing to foul their flight. In fact, a strong, steady tailwind only served to help speed them along.

It was a powerful storm, to be sure. To the humans below who had to suffer its wrath, the heavy rain, strong winds, and large hail would be cause for concern. The question then was not if there would be damage but rather how much.

But for all the humans may fear this storm, Ghidorah found it glorious. Yet utterly infuriating at the same time. Ever since reawakening, they had kept their inherent abilities in check. The ease with which they could spawn storms was awe inspiring. Keeping that raw power in check, however, was a constant struggle when flying.

And now that they could finally unleash a portion of that power, they faced a new struggle. Well, one of them did. As the one in control of the majority of their body, it was Ichi who was now struggling to keep the storm from growing larger. It was a constant struggle, not only to maintain it at this size—to make sure it was powerful enough to speed their journey yet weak enough to prevent widespread destruction to human infrastructure—but also to resist the temptation to just...unleash.

For so long now had he bottled this power inside that to feel it now, to release a mere sliver of its true potential, was like a mere tease. Jaws clenched, teeth bared, and with occasional shudders racking their body, Ichi fought to contain that instinct.

The power to control an entire planet's atmosphere and change its entire climate was not one used lightly. To keep it contained was easy. To unleash it fully was even easier. But to release some of it and control it so utterly was a constant battle, one which required a strong will and constant concentration.

They didn't remember much of their past...but deep down, Ichi remembered this control being much easier to manage. It was an instinct almost, like their body was complaining that they were doing it wrong. Hence, the shuddering.

During their rampage, control hadn't been even remotely a concern of theirs. What they'd wanted was power. Power enough to destroy a planet's climate instead of merely adjusting it. During that time, their purpose had been twisted. And so had their abilities. What once was a tool used to adjust climates to better help life bloom was now solely used to destroy everything in its path.

Perhaps that's why it all felt wrong now. Ichi's mind was split in two. One part was appalled by this storm, weak as it was compared to what they were truly capable of. Another part reveled in it and wanted it bigger. That part wanted him to grow this storm large enough to swallow the entire planet as he had done before.

And he wasn't the only one. Ni had long since shut his eyes, a constant growl coming from him. He was feeling the same temptation as Ichi. Even San, who would be the first to admit what they became was abhorrent was silently struggling. It was easier for him to resist, but Ichi knew that same temptation was eating away at the deepest recesses of San's mind. It was dark, evil, and quite thoroughly locked away in the farthest reaches of the youngest's mind. The fact it was there at all was a source of great discomfort for San, though.

In the fight with Amhuluk, the small storm they'd spawned had been an afterthought, a burst of power they'd unleashed for a short duration. Once that battle was over, Ichi had simply reigned it that power and let the storm dissipate on its own. That had been mere minutes. There was no control when they unleashed their power. That storm just hadn't had the time to grow into something more devastating.

Now, however, they had been in flight for over two hours. In that time, this small, contained supercell could have long since become a massive midlatitude cyclone. A single thing, a single thought, kept Ichi from surrendering to the temptation to just...let go. A small human girl who looked at their monstrous size and appearance...and smiled.

Maddie didn't fear them.

They would not give her a reason to.

Of course, only a few minutes later, it turned out that they didn't need to worry about losing to temptation anymore. A massive wave of energy passed through their storm and dissipated it in an instant. Rather than the heavy rain and strong winds, all that was left was a light rain and a slight breeze. On the wind came an instantly recognizable cry.

"We're close..." Ni muttered.

As their flight slowed somewhat with the dissolution of the tailwind that had previously pushed them along, all three of them kept their eyes open, heads moving this way and that, as they tried to spot the one responsible.

Another cry sounded, this time much closer. It was San who spotted her first, coming at them from above, her wings spread wide to show off their intricate designs. Sunlight filtered through them, making them glow with an ethereal radiance.

"I never thought I would be this glad to see you three," she chittered as they slowed to a hover right before her. Their size dwarfed her significantly, but her size belied her strength. Her quick dismissal of their storm was evidence enough of that. "He has become completely unreasonable!"

"You just noticed this now?" Ni snarked.

She didn't even deign to glance at him. All of her focus was on Ichi, and if she was looking for a fight, that would be a grave mistake. Fortunately, they weren't looking for a fight, either. At least, not with her.

"I never thought I would ask this of you, but...will you stop him? A lot of humans will be hurt if neither of them change course, but they will not listen to me." Her tone soon grew more irritated. "As if my council suddenly means so little..."

"We came here to handle it at the request of the humans," Ichi informed her, to which she chittered in thanks. "But knowing him...it may get violent."

"I understand," she responded solemnly. "I will not ask you to go easy on him because he is a fearsome opponent. But maybe..." She trailed off before starting again. "Could you maybe act as if the battle is tougher than it is? Maybe if he sees that you struggle to fight him, his fear of you will lessen."

"You assume that any fight against Godzilla is anything but tough. We may be stronger than him, but our victories are by no means easy." Ichi's response only served to strengthen her resolve.

"All the better! Then, there will be less chance of him realizing something is up." Ni was glaring at his older brother while San looked between Ichi and Mothra, wondering what they would do.

After nearly a minute, Ichi finally came to a decision. "We will not go all out," he promised. Mothra's happiness was snuffed out when he continued. "Not at first. If he insists on escalating this confrontation into a matter of life and death, we will not hold back. If necessary, we will make him bow to us."

Mothra was silent for a long moment before she responded. "I have tried to talk him down. He will not listen. Do what you can to stop him, but if it truly comes to that...I hope you truly have changed and that your rule this time will be more merciful than the first."

Maddie's smiling face flashed in Ichi's vision again as he nodded. "You have our word."

With that, she flew away, heading south in the direction they had come from. It seemed she was abandoning Godzilla before this fight. These past few weeks certainly have been full of surprises...

They dove, letting out a roar of challenge.

Their opponent's answer was not long in coming...

AN: Throwdown happens next chapter. There's no avoiding it at this point. It's set up, and it's going to happen. So, I apolgize for making you guys wait another week, but that's just how it worked out. Sorry...

Anyway, was Stenz' POV any good? I have very little knowledge of how the military operates, which is why I've been so hesitant to have him as a POV until now.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22