November 2nd, 9:00 AM, Tokyo, 1954
The news of Godzilla's evening attack spread across the world. At that point, it had garnered the attention of the United Nations as planes from the USA, China, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France landed in Tokyo Airport, bringing with them the best minds either country could offer. They had all convened within the Diet where ultimately, Dr. Matthew Hopman, an American scientist, proposed the building of a line of electrical towers surrounding Tokyo which, after much discussion, was agreed upon. They also agreed to start construction effective immediately if they were to complete the towers in time for Godzilla's next attack. In addition, the order went out that anyone living in the Shinigawa, Ota, and Minato wards had to evacuate and head to a designated safe zone, somewhere in the Shibuya ward as well as anyone living outside, around, or inside the barrier. Within hours, an exodus of almost twenty-thousand people began a mass exodus to the safe zone while a large number refused to leave. Those evacuating bore witness to military vehicles such as tanks and personnel trucks driving down the streets carrying building materials for the barrier. Meanwhile, the JSDF loaded the refugees onto transport trucks in order to get them to the evacuation point.
Godzilla hadn't even started moving again, and already people were panicking for their lives. They had seen a taste of what he had done to one portion of Shinigawa, they heard the reports of the hundreds dead or missing in the aftermath. If anything, they didn't want to be anywhere when he became active once more.
However, during this time of panic, there were a few who saw... opportunity.
November 2nd, 5:00 PM, SSS main office, 1954
Ogata sighed as he made sure his staff members were let loose early so they could gather up their things and evacuate to safety. He himself was just about to leave early when he heard a knock on the door.
Now who could that be? Ogata thought.
He walked over and saw a young girl, probably no older than fifteen to sixteen years in age. She had her long, black hair tied in a ponytail and sparkling green eyes.
"Oh," he spoke as he recognized her as Takeo's little sister. "What brings you here, Misuko?"
Misuko stepped in and bit her lip. "Mr. Hideo," she spoke slowly. "I wanted to know if you've seen any of these around the streets."
She passed him what looked like a piece of rolled up paper. Curious, Ogata grabbed it and unfurled it. What he saw sent chills down his spine. Before him was a drawing of Godzilla's snarling face but done in a style almost like that of ancient Japanese art. Not only that, but the Kanji also disturbed him.
"God is real and He lives within Tokyo Bay," they read. "Repent or the God of Destruction's wrath shall fall upon the heretics and non-believers. So speaks the Children of Godzilla."
Godzilla had only been in Tokyo Bay for a couple of days and already there was a cult showing up in his name. The situation with the giant reptile already didn't sit well in his stomach.
"Have you contacted the authorities yet?" he asked.
Misuko shook her head. "No. For all I know, anyone could be in this group and we don't know who they are."
Ogata looked at the poster in his hand and narrowed his eyes.
Yamane has been known for his rhetoric about preserving Godzilla, he thought. Could he...?
Ogata shook his head. No, no Yamane would never go to the level of religious fanaticism. But, still...
I'll have to talk about it with him tomorrow.
November 3rd, 6:00 AM, Tokyo, 1954
"Test run on Area One."
The lever clacked and the monitor climbed to three hundred thousand volts. Junouichi Honda nodded.
"Area One at full capacity." he reported. "Test run on Area Two."
The lever for Area Two was flipped and the readings climbed to the same as Area One: three hundred thousand volts.
"Area Two at full capacity," Honda nodded. "Let's have one final test for Area Three and we can call it a day."
The last lever clacked on and Honda watched as the readings only reached to twenty nine hundred thousand volts. He then saw the reading correct itself and reach the same wattage as the others.
"Okay," he announced proudly. "Aside from Area Three being a little slower, we have all three sectors running at three hundred thousand volts. We can only hope that either Godzilla falls back and finds some other place to nest, or we have one hundred tons of barbecued lizard. Either way, I'd like to see him get through this."
Everyone in the room clapped and some whooped.
November 3rd, 8:00 PM, Tokyo Bay, 1954
He was fuming. He was absolutely fuming. First the humans woke him up from his slumber and destroyed the habitat of his ancestors with that blinding light, then they fired upon him and destroyed his second habitat, and then they attacked him with that metal snake. He hadn't been this angry since the Old World died. Now, he woke in a world unfamiliar to him and where humanity was more than happy to wage war with him. Well, if that was how it was going to be, so be it. He began to move from his resting place and began to rise. He had a war to fight.
November 3rd, 8:30 PM, Yamane Household, 1954
Yamane sat in his chair. While he understood where young Shinkichi was coming from, he still believed Godzilla was a motherlode of scientific knowledge. The fact he seemed almost invincible, how he could live for so many years with what seemed so little changes. To kill him seemed unnecessary, and near impossible.
Just then, he heard a knock on the door. Probably Emiko coming to check on him.
"I'm fine right now, Emiko." he told the person at the door.
"Actually, sir," another voice came up. It was Ogata. "I want to talk to you about something."
Ogata opened the door before Yamane could even let him in and bowed. Yamane just cast him an uninterested look.
"Does it have something to do with Godzilla?" he asked.
"In a way." Ogata answered.
"If it's about killing him, then you can leave." Yamane told him in a tired voice. "I've heard my own fair share of arguments from Shinkichi."
"Actually, sir," Ogata said, pulling out the flier Misuko gave him. "It's about this."
He handed him the paper, which elicited a surprised look on the professor's face.
"So it isn't an isolated incident." he whispered.
"Wait, you know about these?" Ogata asked. "I only found out when the sister of one of my late workers brought it to me."
"Yes," Yamane replied grimly. "I've seen the fliers for these 'Children of Godzilla' as they're calling themselves."
"So, you're not their founder?"
Yamane gave him a half shocked, half offended look.
"Why would I be the founder of a cult that worships Godzilla?" he asked. "I may want him to be studied, but that's because I'm a man of science not some... religious fanatic."
Shinkichi and Emiko popped their heads in the door.
"What's going on?" Emiko asked.
Yamane simply handed her the flier.
"'The Children of Godzilla'?" she inquired.
"Just what we need." Shinkichi muttered. "A bunch of fanatical nut jobs who see a giant lizard as their god."
"Didn't the people of Oto Island see him as a god too?" Emiko asked.
Shinkichi shook his head. "He's more of a... well, he was more of a bedtime story. Something that parents would tell their kids so they'd behave. It wasn't to this degree."
Before anyone else could speak, the sirens split the sky and the radio's music shifted from Clair De Lune to an emergency broadcast.
"Attention, attention... Godzilla has been sighted in Tokyo Bay. All civilians within the Tokyo, Kawasaki, and Yokohoma regions are advised to take shelter. SDF units have been mobilized. Those still on the streets need to seek shelter immediately."
At that moment, the only sound that could be heard was the pet canary next door chirping, as though unaware of what was coming.
