Title: An End

Author: Knightqueen (Sakura123, weber_dubois22)

Summary: [AU]. Sequel to "A Start". A titan trapped in the mountains of Colorado threatens to take what little family Madison has left, and Godzilla's not around to help this time.

Rating: PG-13

Characters: Mark Russell, Ilene Chen, Sam Coleman, Rick Stanton, Andrew Russell, Godzilla, Emma Russell, Original Character(s), Carl the Cat

Chapters: 1/10

Written: 7/6/2019

Author's Note: Written during the Summer of the Before Times of 2019, this was a story largely inspired by Remedy Entertainment's CONTROL, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, and a GW fic called A Conversation of Clowns by Corraleo*. I wanted to write something about Mark and Madison's relationship after Emma's death and the world-ending mess that happened in KOTM. At the time, I couldn't find anything like this, and nothing with Godzilla in it where he wasn't treated like Madison's giant pet dog vs. a predator. Fandom's general lack of interest in the human characters is evident, and I kinda hate it here. (And as much as I don't like Emma, there won't be any character bashing in this fic. Not my style.) Largely completed re-listening to the discography of The Editors (particularly An End Has a Start, Violence, The Back Rooms, and EBM). Constructive criticism is welcome.

ONE: When the Anger Shows

(START: 20 hours 35 minutes 42 seconds)

"When did this all start, exactly?" Madison Russell sat up from leaning back in the cushy office chair. The concern in her father's voice drew her attention to the situation room's touchscreen table.

"Fifteen hours ago, exactly," Ilene Chen said. "We didn't notice it at first. Not until Stanton pointed out the message jamming the radio frequencies. And there's more." Moving her hand across the touchscreen, a series of photographs darted across the screen like cards spread on a table. Mark leaned forward in his seat, pen tapping idly against the back of the hand lying flat on the table.

"So, after the COSMOS test," He sighed. "Yes," Dr. Chen affirmed. "The frequency must've stirred it from its hydrostasis." Without words, Madison asked if she should be worried. Mark did what he usually did when there was bad news, offered a benign smile and quick nudge with his arm. No help at all.

Madison frowned inwardly, staring at the photographs. At first glance, there was nothing to them. A bunch of concrete walls and pillars erected around the dormant titan discovered only a year before her parents officially joined Monarch almost twelve years ago. But closer inspection revealed a series of red lines progressively spreading across the concrete surfaces, growing into a fine system of veins.

"Is there anything we can do to put it back to sleep?" Mark asked. Dr. Chen shook her head, drawing up the vital statistics of the Titan. There were wild dips and rises in the audio and EKG recordings, just the like the kind she'd see whenever Godzilla passed Castle Bravo. "No. Sedatives stopped having any actual effect half an hour ago. We think it's using the water inside its chrysalis to flush it out of its system. It's actively trying to escape its stasis."

"Is it hostile?"

"I don't know, but I believe it may try to communicate with us." Madison's eyebrows rose at the same time as Mark's. "What about the rest of the team? Jenkins, Andrews, and the other guy?" Mark snapped his fingers, trying to summon the name too far to recall. "Did they reach the lifts?"

"It's Jerkins," Sam Coleman corrected. "Their feeds went out around the time it started waking up. Jerkins, the team, the excavators–they're all still down there with it."

"And, there's a chance we won't be able to retrieve them from the epicenter," Dr. Chen said, bringing up a black and white video feed of a dour-faced man Madison assumed was Jerkins. The picture seemed still at first, Jerkins wandering outside the observation room. Madison stared at the image, waiting for something to happen. She didn't realize the fine lines slipping across the lens until Jerkins' image fell out of focus and the feed cut to static.

"So far, the metamorphosis has only spread as far as the Dianoia's resting place and the observation deck, which is where Jerkins and his team were. The growths have disabled the minor lifts." The worry on her father's face only became more pronounced. "So, we're using the emergency lift?" He sighed.

"It's the only way down there," Coleman said. "Problem is, is that it's slow getting up and down. So, if something were to happen, the upper levels would be vulnerable to attack."

"What about the town?"

"They're prepping everyone for evacuation," Coleman said. "But we can't guarantee they'll be out of range when this thing pops."

Dr. Chen fixed Madison a look. She pretended not to see it, too preoccupied with picking the lint on her blue arm cast, a gift from last week's baseball game in Chicago where she, Andrew, and Mark were living currently.

No one said anything for a long time. Her father stood and tugged at her hood. She sighed, knowing what would happen next. "Uh, excuse us," he said. Madison followed the gentle 'suggestion' to follow, moving forward with all the sluggishness of Andrew when he had to give up the television. Mark walked her a little way down the hall before urging her to face him.

"Mom would let me stay," Madison cut to the chase. She was thirteen years old now. She was old enough to know the gorier details of Monarch's work, saw it firsthand. "I'm not your mother, that's what makes me your father," Mark replied dryly. "Look, whatever Ilene–Dr. Chen wants to tell us. I don't think you need to hear it."

"I know what a dead body looks like, dad. It's not a big deal," Madison argued.

"We don't know if Jerkins or the others are dead, so don't make assumptions," Mark corrected her. "And whether it's a big deal or not is irrelevant. You shouldn't have to see that kind've stuff, and if your mother had any sense, you wouldn't've."

Given her mother's history and events barely a year old now, Madison doubted it, but didn't try to argue the point further. "So why bring me into the meeting at all?"

"Because I–" Mark sighed, running his hand through his graying hair. "I didn't think it would be this serious. Maybe it isn't, but I don't want to be responsible for any nightmares you might have, because I wasn't cautious. We're only thinking about your safety."

"Monsters don't scare me anymore, dad," Madison said. "I'll be fine."

"Yeah, well, they should. A little fear never hurts. Keeps you alive." The condescending hand on her head earned Mark a sharp swat. She grinned when he shoved his hand in his jacket pocket.

"Have you talked to Andrew t'day?"

"No, he didn't pick up. He's probably busy with Dr. Ling and Mothra." Having more fun than I am.

"Oh. Well, try him again. You know how he gets. I'll let you know what's going on after the meeting."

"Can I hold you to that?"

"Yeah, we'll talk about it over dinner."

(END: 20 hours 19 minutes 17 seconds)

*A Conversation of Clowns is one of a few Gundam Wing A/C fics I go back and reread because it was refreshingly devoid of fandom misogyny/sexism or Slash wank/fetishism typical to that fandom. Give it a read. It's a great Trowa/Duo friendship fic.