History Shows Again and Again
Chapter 11
May 2019
"The specimen at this site has been kept entirely off-book." Vivienne was explaining as she, Zeek, Ishiro, Mark, Ilene and a few others were on the Argo and gathered around a table that had a touch screen built in it. "And since its more recent discovery, our data is limited. But it seems to be another apex predator."
"Emma called it Monster Zero." Ishiro added.
"It may have been a rival alpha to Godzilla. Battling for dominance over the other titans."
"Doctor Chen?"
"I've been scouring through thousands of years of myths and legends." Ilene dragged her finger away from her on the touchscreen, making multiple paintings and the like fly into view. "But it's almost as if people were scared to even write about it."
"As if it was meant to be forgotten."
"Sorry, I hate to crash the party." Rick cut in as he walked over to them. "But I got some bad news."
"You could just say news." Barnes huffed. "It's always bad."
"We lost Godzilla. He dropped off the scan near Venezuela."
"Dropped off?" asked Mark as Ishiro bowed his head and took a deep breath.
"I'm telling ya, Doctor Brooks was right. It's the Hollow Earth. That's how he moves around so fast, using the underwater tunnels like wormholes Just like, zipping around."
That was one thing Zeek and Rick could agree on; the existence of it.
"Everyone, look sharp." ordered Foster. "We're approaching the base."
Those who were going went to get dressed in warmer clothes, though Zeek hesitated at first, looking down at the paintings and drawings for a few extra moments. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling in his gut, a bad feeling that something was going to happen; something big and something bad.
With a shake of his head, he went and joined the others, getting suit up and went to an osprey and walking inside it with Mark, Vivienne and a few others. Then, they were airborne with a second osprey.
"If Jonah is looking to extract genetic samples, they'll be here in the bio labs." Vivienne pointed at the screen, where the labs were located.
'All right, two minutes!" Barnes spoke to his teammates in the osprey. "Check your equipment, stand by the door."
Zeek glanced and saw the team had done just that and when they landed, they poured out with their guns at the ready and they were heading towards the base. Zeek glanced over at the live feed before he walked to the ramp and stood just outside it, looking at the base. He crossed his arms, biting his lip at the quietness of it all.
He almost jumped when the sound of gunfire before Mark was marching passed him. He blinked and watched as the other man went until it clicked. He must have seen his family on the live feed and thus was going all gung-ho to rescue them.
He didn't know how long it was since Mark ran in there; a few minutes? Ten? He did notice that the gunfire from the live feed had stopped. Then, a sudden, muffled explosion and the ground beneath his feet trembled.
"What the fuck?" he frowned before looking back at the base as another tremble and the power flickered inside it. he could see a group, Jonah's, running to the osprey that had been there before their two. Then, the rotors began to spin to the right speed and it was starting to lift up off of the ground, up and up until it was hovering high in the air.
Then, he heard yelling and he looked. He could see Mark and the G-Team running as fast as they could away from the base, which had collapsed through the hole below and the pit widened, swallowing some of the G-Team as well. As they jumped clear, an explosion came from within the hole, bellowing out smoke and fire.
Something was happening, something Zeek did not like. More smoke swirled out of the pit as the others stepped out of the osprey, staring as well.
The first thing that rose up was clearly a tail, bits of ice falling off of it and its...quills? Spikes? Flared and did a little rattle before a long neck with a dragon-esque head followed. It shook before a second appeared and then a third. A second tail joined them and Zeek could feel dread fill his being at the sight of the newly revived Monster Zero. The three heads were looking at each other, letting out small growls and rumbles before it began to climb out of the pit, sending Mark and the G-Team running straight for the osprey.
Large, leathery wings came free and onto the ground, followed by the large, clawed feet. Some of the G-Team turned and began to fire up at the large, three-headed titan. It didn't seem bothered and the left head was leaning down towards the men, even one over with its chin.
Mark, Barnes and a few others got to the chopper and everyone scrambled inside as the rotors began to spin and started to speed up more and more...until yellow sparks came out of the controls and the rotors stopped. Zeek looked through the little circular window with Ishiro and he could see Monster Zero heading straight towards them and he was panicking on the inside.
"This is Raptor one to Argo!" Foster radioed out. "Requesting immediate urgent extract!"
"Griffin, get us the hell outta here!" Sam shouted.
"Shit...shitshitshit-" Zeek mumbled as he watched the titan come closer until it suddenly stopped, confused and agitated, pulling its necks back and shaking its heads before looking up, probably at Jonah's osprey and Zeek could see its throats growing yellow from within.
Then, it stopped, dazed for a moment before the middle head shook itself and growled over to the right head, which replied before looking at the left. The left head was still out of it, so the middle bite down on its horns, bringing it back before Monster Zero turned its attention towards them. It began to stalk closer and closer.
The osprey rocked as the titan hit it on all sides, including the top of the cockpit, breaking the glass. Zeek's heart pounded as he held on to the first thing he could grab, which was Ishiro's and Vivienne's arms, who both tugged him to the ground with them. When Zeek looked out of the circular window again once it stopped hitting the chopper, he could see the three heads look around, as if it were sensing something.
A pinging caught Zeek's attention, making him look at the radar. Something big was heading their way.
Zeek and Mark stood up with Vivienne and Ishiro, eyes never straying from the radar before they saw a blue glow begin to show through the ice in front of them, about almost a football field away.
Glowing dorsal plates broke through the ice, followed by the rest of the scaled body.
A foot came down on the ice, then the other and Godzilla stood tall, his back straightened for a moment before going into his usual hunched stance. He glared at Monster Zero before lifting up a foot and bringing it back down. He inhaled before he thrust his head forward, jaws opening and letting out a roar that made Zeek's ears ring.
"Everybody, hold on!" Foster ordered as Monster Zero screeched in return and the two began to go towards each other.
Zeek felt the chopper move as Godzilla took a step and when he took another, his tail must have hit them as they went sliding until they came to an abrupt stop, making Mark slam into the wall and a plate that was holding the wires in the ceiling swung down, trapping the man.
"Everybody clear out!" shouted Foster. "Let's go!"
While everyone was filling out, Zeek got to Mark and started to try and lift it off of him. Unfortunately, due to his physique, the thing hardly budged.
Vivienne began to help just as the chopper shook, as if something landed outside before he heard Godzilla let out a roar.
"Are you alright?" asked Vivienne as they managed to get Mark out.
"Got it- go!" Mark told the two. Vivienne jumped out, followed by Zeek and Mark but the latter lost his footing and fell. Zeek quickly helped him to his feet just as the chopper fell through a crevasse.
The two look just as Godzilla just got struck by...lightning that came from Monster Zero's middle head. Godzilla flinched, letting out a growl before his tail lifted up and slamming back onto the ground. A familiar humming noise sounded, getting louder and louder as the blue glow began to travel up from the dorsal plates on his tail, up his back and to the back of his neck. He positioned himself before letting his nuclear breath fly, but he aimed it too high, at the necks. It's snake-like necks dodged the breath before sending its own lightning at Godzilla.
The three bolts struck Godzilla in the chest, sending him down, his head turning and destroying the remainder of the base that was still standing. His breath disappeared but Monster Zero kept at it until Godzilla was sent skidding into the pit.
"Come on!" Mark shouted as he began to run once more and Zeek quickly scrambled after him. The two men and Vivienne kept running before she looked up and let out a terrified scream.
It all happened so fast. She was there and then she wasn't, just golden jaws lifting up a chunk of ice.
Mark had to grab Zeek to stop him from rushing past, the younger man's mind still processing what had actually happened. All Zeek could do was stare, wide-eyed at Ishiro who had fallen to his knees, a devastated look shown clear on his face. Zeek felt his heart constricted.
One of his closest friends was gone now, taken away by the titan she had built an outpost around. One of his closest friends he couldn't tease anymore, he couldn't talk about anything too again.
He wanted to cry, to scream at Monster Zero, to curse at it. He wanted one of his best friends back.
The next few minutes was a flurry of motion. Mark had grabbed his arm, starting to run again as jets flew in, bombarding the large titan with missiles. Mark stopped them and there was an explosion in front of them, sending them flying back into something solid and hard. They crumbled to the ground and Zeek could see the edges of his site darkening as he watched as Monster Zero took flight and then, he knew nothing more.