The One Who Lost His Way

AN: Alright, this is going to be a long note because I have a bunch of things to talk about before we get into the chapter. It's all important, so bear with me here.

First, I want to clarify something I said in an earlier note. If there's any particular titan (as in Monsterverse titan) you want to see, let me know, and I'll do what I can to squeeze them in. Later down the road, as in after the KotM arc, I'll open it up a little and include certain Toho kaiju (probably nothing crazy like Spacegodzilla or Destoroyah) such as Biollante or Hedorah or Battra. The mutants from the '98 Godzilla series will also be fair game at that point, too. And if you have a creature you yourself have created and want to have included, I will do that, too. Credit will be given, obviously.

Point being, I'm only including monsters from existing canon Godzilla iterations. That means no creatures from other franchises like Pacific Rim, Cloverfield, Stranger Things, Rampage, etc... I am also not going to include fan characters created by other people for their own artwork or stories. There is one exception that I'm thinking about having a special appearance, but it would be WAY down the line if I did. It would also depend on getting permission from the creator and, of course, your opinions. So...Moonhidorah maybe? Let me know in a review...or maybe I'll do a poll for it.

Second, I've decided to change the way I write Ghidorah a little. Rather than taking Ghidorah's collective POV, I'm instead going from Ichi's specific POV. It might not be as realistic, but it's a lot easier for me. So if you think there's a sudden change in how I'm writing, you're not crazy.

And finally, I've thought up two potential abilities to give our favorite three-headed space dragon. The first is a bit more complicated and technical, so I'll start there:

Ghidorah is a bio-electric lifeform, and that's what this first ability focuses on. Electricity has certain properties, and for this case, I want to specifically talk about capacitance and charge density. Ghidorah is basically a giant capacitor, a vessel to hold electric charge, and by his nature and the laws of charge distribution, the electrical energy he's composed of is spread evenly throughout his entire body. Now, the maximum charge his body can hold is called his capacitance, and that value doesn't change no matter what happens. So what if he had the ability to basically tear himself apart at a cellular level and then reconstruct himself in a much smaller version of himself? The capacitance wouldn't change, but the charge density would. In a smaller vessel, the overall charge density would become much denser, and therefore, more volatile/unstable. That means he can't hold that smaller form for very long without risk of hurting himself. It would be a very strenuous ordeal he would need several days to recover from, but the point is he could hold it for a time (probably around 12 hours max). To be clear, this is not a Ghidorah turns into a human thing. This is Ghidorah shrinking into a smaller version of himself. In this universe of mine where he's a protector of life, it sort of makes sense for him to be able to do it to communicate with the 'small peoples' easier.

The second ability is something closer to something that's actually talked about in canon. In GvK, it's theorized that Ghidorah used telepathy to communicate between their three heads because their necks were too long, and it would take the neural synapses too long to communicate in real-time. Apex used that to rig a system to allow the Ghidorah skull in their control room to communicate with the skull they placed inside Mecha-G. Ren Serizawa, a human, could insert himself into that connection and use it to control Mecha-G. So what if Ghidorah could do something similar? What if they could create a sort of 'neural handshake' (to take a term from Pacific Rim) between themselves and a willing human? Maybe Maddie could see her family before San Francisco?

I'd really like to hear opinions on these two potential abilities. Admittedly, I've already thought up several scenes that utilize one or the other, but if enough people don't like the ideas, I can throw them out.

Alright, I've prattled on long enough. Enjoy the chapter!

Key:

"Titan speak"

"Human speak"

Character's inner thoughts

"Telepathic communication"

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

USS Argo, pursuing Rodan and Monster Zero over the Atlantic:

Even hours after the bombshell revelations on Isla de Mara, the bridge was still a flurry of activity and noise. Foster was demanding reports from her own troops and giving reports to her military superiors, including Admiral Stenz. The man wanted Monarch under military jurisdiction, and while he seemed to respect what they were trying to do, he apparently rarely listened to Monarch's scientists until it was too late. Even now, he was trying to take operational control of this situation from them, something Serizawa was trying to convince him against doing.

When titans were involved, however, the Admiral seemed completely unreasonable. "This is out of my hands, Doctor. This new titan is deep in Russian territory, and they don't want our help. I'm ordering you all to stand down. If the Russians find out one of our craft penetrated their airspace without permission, we could be looking at the possibility of World War 3." Mark muttered a few choice words about stubborn bureaucrats under his breath. As long as Emma and the ORCA were out there, there were bigger things to worry about than national pride. And while Monarch was an international organization, the Argo was technically part of the US military. If they wanted to access their outpost there, they needed to do it from the ground, which would take too long.

"What of the other two titans?" Foster asked.

Stenz just shook his head. "They're the Russians' problems now." With that, he cut the feed, and Serizawa was left glaring mildly at the static.

Mark didn't blame him for feeling frustrated. He was, too. Ever since their departure, he'd been staring at the tracking screen, following Rodan and Monster Zero's progress while deep in thought. He had no idea why Monster Zero could talk, but it changed everything.

The others—Chen, Rick, Graham, and Coleman—were in deep discussion over just that. "I'm telling you, it may sound crazy, but I think we should try to communicate with it...him. Them? Anyway, point is, what better ally could we have than a titan to both keep the other titans in line and track the ORCA?"

"That's a dangerous path, Sam," Rick argued. "If we show we can ally with them, what's to stop independent countries from doing the same? I hate to agree with Emma right now, but...maybe she had a point."

"She did..." Mark suddenly interrupted, making everyone turn to him. Still, he continued to stare at the tracking screen. "And as...hard as it is to admit, Sam makes a good point, too." That seemed to take them by surprise. Honestly, he still couldn't believe he had come to this conclusion, either, but he'd been thinking about it constantly since Monster Zero first spoke. "Once word gets out that Monster Zero can speak—and I wouldn't be surprised if Emma and Jonah already know since they always seem to be two steps ahead of us—a lot of interested parties will try to earn his allegiance." Whether that meant governments, corporations, or crime rings didn't matter. The result would be the same: the complete and total upheaval of the global status quo. Monarch, however, was supposed to be completely neutral.

"So you believe we should be the ones to control Monster Zero in order to protect ourselves?" Dr. Graham guessed.

Mark just shook his head and gave an aggravated sigh. "It's not about controlling Monster Zero; it's about protecting it from those who would." At that, Mark pressed a few things on the touchscreen and brought up a global map of all Monarch outposts. "Look at that," he ordered them. Then, he stood and walked up and pointed to the dozens of outposts and hundreds of bunkers all around the world. "Monarch was created to learn about all of those titans up there. Why? To protect humanity in case they ever escaped. Well, they're escaping now, and we can't do a damn thing to stop it. The only thing that can stop a titan is another titan." He took a moment to calm himself before quietly continuing. "San Francisco proved that."

"Mark..." Serizawa tried to interrupt calmly, but Mark cut him off.

"You're the one always talking about coexistence. Godzilla may be nature's way of balancing itself, but he can't talk to us, can he? So maybe it's time we start backing the new guy." Mark looked around at all of the thoughtful faces. Serizawa, the only exception, seemed disappointed in the world that this is what everything had come to. "He protects us from the other titans, and we protect him from the crooked politicians and corrupt businessmen of the world."

"A sort of symbiotic relationship," Chen observed. Mark nodded. He wasn't happy about this. As much as he hated titans for taking his son from him, the past few days had shown him that titans were here to stay. Humanity just didn't have the power to kill them, and as the old saying went, 'if you can't beat them, join them'. In this case, it meant having the titans—or a titan—on their side.

And even if Monster Zero didn't take Godzilla's place as the so-called 'king of the monsters', Monster Zero could still communicate Monarch's requests to him as a translator of sorts. In either case, Monarch would, in essence, turn into the global ambassadors to titan kind, communicating humanity's needs to the titans and vice versa.

Minutes passed, and no matter their own personal feelings on the matter, everyone was waiting to see what Serizawa would say. This would be a massive shift in direction for the organization even if everything wasn't a hundred percent clear. What was clear, however, is that after this, there would be no closing pandora's box. The titans were out, and they'd stay out.

After several more minutes passed, the head of Monarch sighed, removed his glasses to wipe them on his shirt before replacing them, and then nodded. "Do it..."

The atmosphere on the bridge became rather tense once the decision was made. The fear, anxiety, and uncertainty were completely understandable. Mark himself was scared, not only for himself and his family but for the entire world. Even if they disagreed with her reasons, they were basically agreeing with Emma that the titans should be released. Maybe not immediately but eventually, within the coming years, most likely. And that was a terrifying thought. The lingering doubt that this was a bad idea didn't help matters, either, because they all knew there was no turning back once they began down this road.

Because it was one that held a lot of unknowable changes for the entire world.

"Does anyone else feel like we're opening Pandora's box right now?" Rick asked aloud.

Mark was the first to reply when another ping from the ORCA registered on the map over the southeastern United States. The blips denoting Mothra and Godzilla began moving within seconds. "It already has been."

Seconds after the other two titans began moving, Admiral Stenz was back on another video call with Foster. "Since you wanted to help with an impending titan disaster, you'll have your chance. I need you all in Georgia as soon as you can make it."

"Yes, sir," Foster nodded. Satisfied, Stenz shut the feed off once more, and Foster sighed. "Set course to Georgia." By her order, the pilot turned the ship around.

Mark wasn't about to let this turn of events stop him from finding that dragon. It was the key to everything right now. "Mind if I borrow an osprey?"

They didn't need any more than that. It was obvious why he was asking. "It's best for all of us if we do this sooner rather than later," Dr. Graham agreed. "We should split our efforts; have a team ready to intercept Monster Zero."

Foster studied both of them before nodding, even though this was technically against orders. "Griffin, prep a bird," the Colonel spoke into her mic. Mark nodded to her gratefully before turning to gather his stuff. Chances were he wouldn't be seeing the Argo for a few days at least. Possibly longer.

When he arrived at the hangar, Dr. Graham, Sam, Martinez, and Barnes were already waiting. The latter two were easy enough to figure why they were coming. The former two...not so much. There would be plenty of time to ask on the trip, though. The ospreys were technically Monarch property, but he doubted they'd be flying into Russian airspace regardless of the markings on this bird or not. "Not too thrilled to be near the oversized chicken again," Barnes commented as Grif fired up the bird and all the passengers strapped in.

"I'm more concerned with the three-headed dragon," Martinez shot back. "What if he don't feel like talking?"

"You better hope he is," was the last thing Mark said before the osprey dropped out of the hangar. No one said anything for a good while after that remark.

Approaching Russian airspace:

Rodan was an extremely swift flyer, though they were able to keep pace with him with some effort. While they had traveled over water, the only human presence had been the airship that had been monitoring them while on the island. The humans had turned back when another signal began near where they had come from. However, Rodan assured them that, whoever it was, Godzilla and Mothra could handle them. They had no reason not to believe the Fire Demon, so they continued towards the original signal.

Their path led them over yet another continent, however, and they had been constantly hounded by human aircraft at that point. Again, none had actually opened fire—a smart move on their part. Ni probably would've blown them all out of the sky if they tried, and Ichi probably would've helped.

There was no reason for the humans to attack them for flying peacefully over their territory. If they wanted to fight, however, so be it. Just because they were trying to exist on this planet and make peace with Godzilla and the humans didn't mean they weren't willing to put the race of small people in their place if necessary. They wouldn't wipe humanity out, obviously, but blowing the annoying, buzzing aircraft out of the sky should be a sufficient warning.

If the humans wanted to keep fighting after that, that was their mistake.

Fortunately, they didn't have to deal with any of that unpleasantness as their journey was tense yet uneventful. They had just crossed a mountain range when Rodan spoke up again, clearly worried. "Hey...I think I know who this might be. He's...not what you would call friendly."

"Good!" Ni grinned. "I do like a challenge!"

Rodan forced a chuckle. "Look, I know what you three are capable of, so...why don't you guys handle this?"

Ichi glanced over at the titan with both disdain and curiosity while Ni grinned, showing off a bit of their old cruelty. "What's wrong? Scared?" he jeered. "Do you only fight creatures that cannot fight back?"

Rodan squawked in outrage. "Hey, you wanna go!? Let's go! I'm not scared to fight someone bigger than me!" Ni growled, and Ichi could sense his desire for them to meet that challenge.

Ichi, however, wasn't about to let this sidetrack them. "I care not for your bluster, Fire Demon. If you wish to flee, do so. You would doubtless do nothing but interfere, anyway." What point was there in smacking the impetuous bird down when it proved nothing that they didn't already know? They would win easily. Besides, the rampaging titan they were sent to deal with took precedent.

Maybe he was being optimistic, but Ichi thought that maybe showing the humans they were trying to help would at the very least earn their tolerance, if not trust. That, or make themselves seem a larger threat. Realistically, the latter was probably true. If only we had a chance to speak with those humans before we left, he mentally sighed. Ichi still believed they were the best choice to initiate communication with, and not just because Mothra thought he should.

In time, Ichi, San responded telepathically. One of their smaller craft is still following us, after all.

True enough, through San's eyes, he could spot the small craft far in the distance. He and Rodan had slowed while traveling over the continent, so that doubtless gave the humans a chance to catch up. He supposed they wanted to communicate with them, too.

"I guess I'll go then..." Rodan muttered, his previous anger completely gone. "Sorry guys, but...I have my reasons." With that, the titan split off, heading back the way they came.

"Coward..." Ni spat.

Even with Rodan breaking off, the human craft did not turn to pursue. "Should we talk to them before or after we fight whoever it is?" San wondered, watching the craft curiously. "Maybe they know some useful things about our opponent."

"Bah! We don't need their help to fight some lesser titan!" Ni snarled. His blood was clearly boiling, and bloodlust was making him short-tempered and unreasonable. Ichi knew it was best to leave him be until his urge to fight was satisfied. Ni would be back to his normal self after a good fight and would remain that way until he was promised another fight. Then, his bloodlust would begin anew. It was a cycle his brothers knew all too well.

"Yes...I do not believe Ni could handle talking when there is battle to be had." Ni snorted at Ichi's observation but didn't argue. It shouldn't be much longer until their quarry came into view, anyway.

Monarch bunker outside Boston:

"It looks like big bird is breaking off. We may have an opportunity here." Maddie rushed back to her place by the intercom system when Jonah's voice came through. After her first time eavesdropping, she'd wrote down the important bits of the conversation in a notebook that she kept hidden in one of the desk drawers. Using her iPad was too risky. Jonah's men probably had a dozen different taps on her devices just in case.

"Opportunity? For what exactly?" As her mom asked the question, Maddie had already grabbed her secret notebook and a pencil, preparing to write anything important down. Once she got back to Monarch, this would become crucial evidence to what this group was responsible for.

"You had your own experiments with the ORCA, Dr. Russell. Now, I've got a few of my own." She didn't like the sound of that. Whatever he had in mind, a lot of people were sure to be hurt. "It can mimic any titan, correct?" There was no verbal response, but based on how Jonah continued, she assumed her mom had nodded. "Good, then let's perform a little experiment. Have the ORCA mimic a cry for help from the moth."

There were a few moments of silence before her mom's voice came through again, this time fainter, as if further away. "I can do that, but I have to admit I don't follow your plan."

"Oh, it's quite simple, really. I want to see if we can't fool big bird here using alternate methods. If a simple command to attack doesn't work, then perhaps a cry for help will." That was...dirty. "And if it doesn't incense him to attack any perceived threats, then at least we'll know we can use the ORCA to lure them to specific locations."

"That's...a good point. But where are we luring him to? One of the other outposts, I assume. We wake up another titan to deal with him when he arrives." Jonah was quiet, probably thinking over the suggestion.

"And do you have a titan that you know can kill it?" he asked. Maddie gasped in horror. Jonah wanted to kill Rodan? Why!? "Because if not, I would suggest letting the military deal with it." After the attack on Isla de Mara, Rodan was on thin ice with most of humanity. Another such attack, and he'd probably sign his own death warrant.

"Well..." her mom sounded very unsure at the moment. She hoped it was because she disagreed with killing Rodan and not because she didn't think there was another titan to do this terrible deed. "The only other flying titan we know of is Quetzalcoatl, but...I wouldn't think it could kill Rodan." The pencil fell from her hand. Her mom was actually going along with this!? After all her talk about how they needed to save the titans, she was actively trying to get one killed!

"Then we lure it somewhere the military will be forced to engage. New York, perhaps?" As if what they were doing wasn't horrific enough, they wanted to lure a titan to the single largest city in America. Maddie felt sick just thinking about how she had sided with these monsters over her dad.

Her mom was quiet for a long time, and Maddie knew the contents of her stomach were resting on the eventual response. "We'd need a large enough speaker system to broadcast from." It wasn't a denial.

As Maddie lunged at the trash can, emptying her stomach at the atrocities being planned by her own mother, she heard Jonah's response. "My men and I will take care of that. Just be ready to go on a little field trip. The girl stays here."

She didn't hear her mom's response, but it didn't matter in the end. Fear consumed her then. Without her mom around, what would become of her? Her mother was the only reason these guys tolerated her presence, so would they kill her while her mom was gone?

It's a good thing she had a bug-out bag already made up just in case. She might need to escape sooner than she originally thought.

AN: No smackdown yet, but the next chapter will focus almost entirely on that. And can anyone guess who the second titan is? Chapter after next will feature Godzilla's POV for a change as he goes after this new titan.

Also, you guys get to decide a few things that happen next! First and foremost, does Jonah have his men 'take care' of Maddie while they're gone or does he leave her alone...for now? And last but certainly not least, what will happen when Rodan falls for the trap? Does the military miraculously (or perhaps not) kill him or is the fire chicken safe...for now?

Let me know your thoughts about these predicaments, too.

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22