A/N: One of the big things I'm excited about with this fic is deep diving into the Kong species dynamics. I will be playing with how things work and hopefully you all enjoy!

Also wow, this is already getting so many hits on here and A03 I'm really touched to see how much you all are enjoying it! Thank you.

TRIGGER WARNING: Mentions of Child Abuse this chapter!

DECISION MAKING

The human understood him, how was it possible?

The closest he'd come to direct contact with humanity had been sign language. Taught to him by Jia, of course. But this human could repeat everything he said, as if he were speaking proper English and that was... Just not normal. The human was terrified and rightfully so.

Kong hadn't fared much better, leaving almost instantly in his shock. What did he do? What did he say? If it were Jia or Ilene there was so much he had wanted to say for so long, but he didn't know this boy. He was a stranger, a stranger with a bizarre ability that could make him a threat.

Lest he forget humans had created MechaGodzilla.

Eventually though, he did return to his den to find the boy hadn't moved. Whether it was from pain, or because he was petrified, Kong didn't know. But he watched as the boy carefully pulled his legs to his chest and looked at him.

Reminding him that he wasn't a "threat", just a small and lost child.

He tried again, kneeling to him and holding out a large finger. "I'm not going to hurt you," He reiterated. "I am just startled. Let's try this again. Your kind calls me Kong, what is your name?"

He didn't hold his finger, probably too scared. But did lift his head just enough to muster up a quiet: "... Jacob."

Jacob, ok that was a start at the very least. But his answer was followed up by a question of Jacob's own. "You're that ape from the TV aren't you?" He asked, voice shaky. "The one that fought Godzilla."

Alright, so maybe the boy knew at least something about where he was. Maybe not directly, but close enough... "Aye," Kong noted. "Have you always been able to understand us?"

"I don't know this is my first time seeing one of you in person."

OK that was fair. Not everyone had childhoods like Madison or Jia, and got to see a Titan up close. Still, as Kong sat down he was not yet out of questions. "And I'm sure you have no idea how you arrived here?" A gentle shake of his head. "You're lucky I found you, any number of beasts would have made a dinner out of you."

Jacob looked around curiously. "And where is here...?"

Kong motioned around with a paw. "Deep beneath the Hollow Earth. Where my kind and I make our home," He explained to the best of his ability. "Which brings me back to the question of how someone so small ended up here. Alone."

Jacob seemed to search his mind for answers. But Kong could tell that he genuinely was at a loss... "The last thing I remember is being out on a field trip," He managed. "My group home was taking us to some old ruins. We went up some mountain and then..."

Nothing. Kong could tell from the blank look on his face that followed. He let out a deep sigh and a grunt. "Well whatever happened, you were hurt. But you're safe here with us," He noted calmly. "So long as you don't go running off."

Not that he would be, after all where would he run off to? "What? I can't just stay down here!" Jacob noted. "My social worker is probably having a heart attack looking for me."

True, he couldn't stay down here. Not without a whole host of trouble, but... "You're not going anywhere wounded. When you're healthy enough, I'll take you home," He explained. "It's a long journey - you'll need your energy and ability to walk."

Kong chuckled as the boy seemed to attempt to stand up in protest then fall on his butt. This child was stubborn, but a little bit amusing. "Fine," He blew a strand of his raven colored hair away from his face. "... So what's the deal anyway? How can we understand each other?"

That was definitely the elephant in the room. Kong had never encountered a human who fully understood them. Kong did have a theory though... If he had fallen into the Hollow Earth itself, without any means of transportation or protection it would not only explain his wounds, but could explain his ability.

After all, the portals did rather intense things to the human body when entering within a vehicle. If someone were to fall through and survive, there was no telling what it would do to them. But Kong was no scientist like Ilene - so he could only speculate until she got a look at him.

"I have friends who can look into that," Kong explained. "All I could tell you were theories. But if you traveled through a portal without a ship... You're lucky it's all it did."

If it did anything else to him on the other hand, remained to be seen. But he wouldn't scare the kid further - again he was not some scientist. "Now get some rest, your body needs it," he explained. "And stay put while I speak to my clan... They may be frightened."

"Me frightening them? That's a laugh."

Kong supposed it was.

The rest of the clan bombarded Kong with questions about their strange visitor.

Most had never been to the surface yet, nor had they seen a human outside of the Iwi, even during the fight with Skar King. So to say the least, the notion that they had one in their midst was definitely jarring. Even with Ilene, they had kept her at arms length, but this was simply a different situation.

He leaned back on his throne, which still felt strange knowing it was once occupied by the former tyrant. Debating as the group flew into an uproar whether or not he had made the right decision. "Every time humans come down here from the surface they bring trouble!" Tybalt, one of the warriors of the tribe noted. "Last time they worked up the Skar King and we had to bring Godzilla to our borders!"

Kong sighed. While Godzilla was a force to be reckoned with, he had come, after the struggle to see him and Mothra as allies. Their feud over domains had vanished, and while Godzilla still had control over the surface and Kong the Hollow Earth. Kong had made several trips topside without interference and even briefly interacted with the King of the Monsters without hostility.

But the Great Apes would always see their fiercest enemy. So that was also a shaky alliance at best. "But if the boy can understand our tongues. This is most interesting," The group parted ways to reveal an Elder, Morpheus. The older great ape spoke loudly. "We haven't encountered a human who speaks the tongues in many generations. Since before our greatest ancestors."

Kong was surprised to hear they'd encountered them at all. But then again, in their world was it so shocking? He was a giant ape after all. "But there have been humans like this before?"

One of the other apes grunted. "In stories, fairy tales. Of the times when our first ancestors still walked among surface dwellers," They explained roughly. "We had always assumed it was a trait found among the ones you call Iwi."

"The boy is no Iwi," Kong confirmed. "The Iwi on the surface died long before he was born."

The elder nodded with great interest. Stroking his large "beard" as he paced. "Then he may be touched by the magic of our home," He noted. "Not unlike the Iwi. Even if he is not bound by blood to any tribe."

Just as Kong had considered then. What an interesting development. "We do not fear the Iwi, we live in harmony," Kong noted. "We needn't fear the human child either."

Another ape spoke up, he stood flustered hairs standing on end. This was a former member of the Skar King's guard, Lucius, Kong noted. "But he is not Iwi. He is of the surface world," He snapped back. "Whether he speaks our tongue or not is inconsequential. Surface worlders will come looking for him. And if they believe we have taken him."

"When he is better I will take him back to the surface world." Kong stood and made his way toward Lucius with frustration. "What else would you have me do?"

"Return him to where he came."

Another elder stepped forward, and held up a hand. "Lucius, while we lost our way under The Skar King. We are still protectors of mankind," He corrected him. "Now outside of his rule - we must accept this burden again."

Lucius spat. "We protect the Iwi. The ones who bonded to us, who worshipped and protected us," He explained. "Kong comes to our world speaking of great weapons. Of world wars. Of hunters. And you still wish us to protect those from the surface? Those doomed to destroy themselves anyway?"

Kong gave a loud roar which silenced the fellow Great Ape within moments. He had heard enough of such rhetoric. "Not all surface humans are bad. Some are my friends... My family," He threw his axe down to prove a point. "If I left the child to his fate then we would be no different than the evils of which you speak. We were protectors once, and under my leadership I wish to see it restored."

The elder nodded his head. "And if the boy can understand us. Perhaps he is the voice we need to begin this," Kong nodded his head, in full agreement. "The council of elders will give our blessing to protect the human cub."

Lucius' eyes grew wide with disbelief. "But Lord Fane!"

The elder, Fane looked the young great ape dead in the eyes. And did not miss a breath. "Kong is right. Now that peace has been made with Godzilla it is time to return to the old ways," He told the gathered apes in a loud and firm voice. "He will be allowed to rest and recover. Then you shall bring him back to the surface. And see what can be done about seeing such a change, Kong."

Kong bowed his head respectfully. Though he was the leader, he also understood that without the blessing of the elders he might have gone unheard in such a matter. Even Lucius argued no further, simply sharing a dark glare at him as he sauntered away from the procession.

Kong may have had a lot to learn about being a leader. But he knew he wasn't wrong about this. Madison Russell and Jia Andrews had both proven children's connection to the Titans to be powerful. Perhaps Jacob was the next link in the chain now that they were beginning to grow older.

He only hoped as all eyes looked upon him that he had done the right thing.

Jacob woke up to a younger version of Kong looming over him.

Or at least, that was what he called the red furred, big eyed Titan he saw. But unlike Kong, for Jake there was somewhat of a curiosity in seeing him. Was it a kid? Like him? He couldn't tell. "Oh good, you're awake!" A teenaged-ish voice piped up from his mouth. "Is it true you can understand me? Can you hear me now?"

Oh wow, lots of energy. Jake sat up and tried not to wince. "Yeah, I guess so. Uh... Where's the big guy?"

The ape cocked an eyebrow. "Oh, dad? He's somewhere I think talking to the rest of the tribe," He explained. "I'm Suko by the way."

Dad? Wait, that big ape had a kid? That was interesting, Jake thought. Though he had assumed that the Titans obviously reproduced he guessed he had never thought of them as having kids. "I'm Jake." He managed. "Is he talking about me? What are they saying?"

Suko shrugged. "No idea. They only let the adults in," He admitted. "I'm still a kid too. How old are you?"

Jake looked down. "I'll be thirteen in July."

Suko nodded, but he had a feeling by his silence that it was definitely not what he was expecting. He tapped his chin lightly and added. "Your parents must be really worried. I hear that's pretty young for humans."

Parents. That one stung. Jake had already made it clear to Kong that wasn't who was looking for him. His parents were probably too high off their latest fix for that, and he hadn't seen them in a couple of years anyway. Not since social services had finally taken him out of the crack house they'd been raising him in.

All Jake had to remember them by were the scars on his back and a whole host of nightmares. "I don't have parents, actually... It's more complicated than that," He admitted. "I mean, I have parents obviously. I came from somewhere. But they uh, they weren't very good people."

Suko frowned, and was quiet for a long time after that. Did he somehow understand? After a moment the young ape put a hand nearby and looked at him. "My mom and dad died when I was very little," He explained. "Kong's my second guardian... After our last leader killed my grandfather."

Well they were two peas in a pod weren't they? Jake gave a faint smile. "I've had four guardians since they took me away from my family," He explained quietly. "My group home is number five."

The young ape looked saddened by this revelation. But decided to change the subject as he pulled out a fruit and went: "Oh, here! Dad says you should eat something," he explained as he handed it over reaching down to do so. "Gotta get your energy up or something."

Jake eyed the greenish-brown fruit carefully, it smelled foul, but his stomach growled and made it clear he needed that. Gritting his teeth, he carefully took a tentative bite. While it wasn't awful he definitely wasn't asking for an excess storage anytime soon. But it was at least juicy and refreshing. "Thanks," He managed as he tried not to make a duckface. "So..."

He stopped as the sounds of loud footfalls startled him again. Kong had returned, looking both exhausted and ready for a long rest. "How'd it go?" Suko immediately bounded up to his father, curiosity in his eyes. "What did they say?"

Kong looked at Jake for a moment, as if considering what he could say in his company. He flared his nostrils a bit and attempted to look comforting. "You will stay here and recover. As we discussed," He explained. "Then when you are well I will escort you to the surface."

Suko looked surprised. "But he's not like the other humans! He can hear us!" He explained. "You're not gonna try and figure that out?"

"Our journey will take us to the Iwi's home," Kong noted. "Only they may have answers."

The Iwi, Jake seemed to remember something about them in school. But when he tried to rack his brain it was still very fuzzy. After all, he'd never been the top student in his class, he was always more of a daydreamer really. "I'd sure like answers too. Because I'm still not convinced I'm not dead," Jake admitted. "It makes a lot more sense than turning into some Titan Doctor Dolittle."

Kong grunted. "Both of you should be asleep. It's nearly nightfall," He explained gently. "No one is going to find answers tonight."

Suko groaned, but started toward his own bed of moss in the corner. From the corner, Kong found a pelt, likely of a kill of his though Jake couldn't identify the creature. Motioning for Jake to lay down he carefully draped it over his body. "It gets cold at night," Kong noted. "This will keep you warm."

And warm it definitely was as Jake pulled it a bit over himself. He watched the Titan turn to leave for his own "bed" for a moment before finally managing a "Thank you." he probably owed him by now.

Kong didn't respond with more than a nod of his head as he began to make them a fire. And Jake laid his head down for his first night in this strange world.

A/N: I doubt all updates will be this fast but I had both chapters clear in my head and just wanted to get them out as an introduction!