Chapter 8: Operation Minus One

The Super Xs departed from the EDF base located in a remote area of the United States. Dense forest and mountain ranges surrounded the EDF's base and made it difficult for prying eyes to get a good look at the facility. They flew into the air in a V shape, one at front and the remaining 5 Super Xs and HEAV spread out behind. They crossed over the sea of trees toward the mountains. Upon cresting over the peaks, they fell upon an open gravity well. The gravity well itself was smaller compared to the other known wells that Monarch had found previously. It was large enough for a ship to pass through, but it would have to be one at a time. Nothing much larger than the Super Xs could pass through. The gateway loomed open as if the mouth of the planet lay open and ready to consume. The formation changed into a single file line as each of the vehicles penetrated the gravity well and was blasted towards Hollow Earth. The intensity of the gravity well tested the resolve of each and every crew member as the vehicles pushed their design to the limit. After a few minutes of gut wrenching, vomit inducing travel the exit of the gravity well exploded as the first of the Super Xs arrived on their maiden voyage to the center of the Earth. The HEAV was the last to reach this new frontier and as it did, Dr. Mafune sent a message back to the EDF base. Gordon watched on from the Operations Control Room. He was able to follow along with the soldiers via a built in radar system that synced between each vehicle and sent a transmission directly back to the control room. Each Super X also had mounted cameras to allow the General to see in real time what the pilots could see. The General smiled as he dialed his Monarch Contact. They picked up quickly.

"Now's the time," he said, "Disrupt the signal for as long as you can."

"I'll get it done," the voice replied.

Gordon hung up the phone and looked over the crew of the control room. He went up to the nearest staff member. He could see the target on radar using Monarch's monitoring systems. Just another way Monarch was inadvertently helping.

"Mark those coordinates and send them to the Captain Turner. He'll need them for when Monarch's communications go down. We'll lose their monitoring system, but not our radar. Make doubly sure he knows where the target is located so they can get in and out without Monarch knowing."

The staff member turned to the General.

"But what if it leaves before they arrive sir?"

Gordon gave them a reassuring pat.

"I wouldn't worry about that. This thing is big enough they aren't going to miss it," he said confidently.

Captain Erik Turner was in charge of the mission. He was a man of dark brown skin, brown eyes, and military cut hair covered with a helmet. The small scar on his chin seemed to pulse with each movement of his mouth as he chewed the gum he brought along. He had been chosen specifically by the General to lead this mission, a sort of Black Op for the EDF. This wasn't his first but definitely his most memorable already. When given the initial mission orders, Turner questioned whether they would be able to handle such a beast. General Gordon's confidence as well as a description of the battle plan and weaknesses in detail gave him all reassurance he would need in completing his objectives. Not that he wouldn't of followed the orders regardless, but knowing their was a higher chance of victory against such an oppressive force put him at ease. He then briefed the rest of his crew and the squad they would lead in the operation, ensuring no detail remained left out. Any issues the squad felt or questions they had were resolved once the General met with them all. In the end, all had been convinced that this mission would be as routine and pose no greater risk than the usual would. The General had a charisma to him that was captivating and his belief in what they were doing was contagious. Captain Turner knew that each of them would do their part to make sure they were successful. No matter the cost. One of the crewmates spoke up into the headset.

"Captain. I just received coordinates from EDF Command. Loading them into the system now and you should see them on your screen."

Captain Turner pressed a couple switches and there on his radar they appeared. The Captain nodded.

"Is there an ETA from command on when to strike," he asked back.

"Command says the signal will disappear any moment now."

"Ok then. Heading to the target now. Once we lose contact, follow my lead and stay close. The target should be over that mountain range there, eta five minutes."

Ever since her freedom from the Skar King, Shimo had moved off on it's own further out into the Hollow Earth. A path of ice followed the great beast as it had lumbered here and there until it found a home amongst a craggy mountain range. There Shimo began to build a home for herself, using her Frost Breath to help solidify an icy expanse amongst the various mountains and rising peaks of Hollow Earth. Shimo found this to be far more accommodating and enjoyable than her sealed prison within the volcanic confines of the Skar King's domain. Free to stretch, move, hunt, and live as she wanted and so over the next couple years, Shimo had done just that. She would leave her peaks to hunt and explore on occasion, using her ability to regulate her temperature to prevent the forests and other life around her from freezing in her awake, unless it were intended to be a meal of course. Shimo found very little disrupted her natural existence anymore, save for the tiny annoyances she occasionally dealt with in the form of Monarch's drones. She knew they could not harm her, though the flying about and following her tended to push her buttons and Shimo would occasionally lash out and hit one of the metallic bugs with a quick swipe of her powerful claws or tail. Sometimes if they got too close, she even lowered her temperature to the point of freezing them. Little things but no threat regardless. She was an apex predator in her own right, another Alpha Titan that feared no others.

"Sir, the signal has just been interrupted," the staffer reported to General Gordon.

"Excellent."

Captain Turner's Super X flew over the mountain peak and he was immediately greeted with a baffling sight. The target in question was known as Shimo, the Sub Zero Destroyer. And she was so much larger than he imagined. At over 375 feet of length, she was massive and easily filled the gaps in between the mountains as she clambered around like a large iguana in a terrarium. Captain Turner had seen Shimo in videos and on paper but this was the first time he had ever seen Shimo let alone any Titan in person. If she had noticed them, she hadn't shown interest just yet. They were a full 500 feet above her still. their anti gravity engines silent as the squad of Super Xs began to spread out over her.

"Four and Five, I want you to cover the east. Six and Seven the west. Eight is with me. Dr. Mafune, make sure to fall back to a safer position, preferably below the peaks so you don't get hit by accident. Here we go everybody."

The Super Xs split off, two to either side of where Shimo was roaming, and the other two moved over head and continued forward. As they began to turn back towards Shimo, the Titan was making it's way down from the mountain peaks slowly.

"Ok squad. Remember, this monster can make herself so cold we can't get close so remember to..."

Captain Turner was suddenly cut off as Shimo turned her head towards the attack group and fired an icy blast towards them. Immediately the Super Xs split apart as the blast connected with one of them, sending Eight spiraling along with the blast. The ship rotated and froze instantly before completely tearing apart in midair. Frost laden bits of metal and debris flew through the air. tumbling to the ground.

"Goddammit, she did see us coming! Alright squad, evasive maneuvers until we get an opening!"

The Super Xs all separated once more as Shimo dug her claws into the ground and watched them circling the air. She had felt the faintest vibrations of their engines in the sky above her and took it as a sign of attack. An accurate prediction. One of the bugs had been eliminated immediately. Now she waited for the next move, her instinct telling her to prepare another blast for when they try to get in close. She began to charge, slowly building the energy for another attack. Captain Turner could see the blue glow of her back beginning to rise.

"She's getting ready to fire again. Five, give us an opening!"

One of the vehicles suddenly broke from the circle and flew in, diving down at Shimo. The beast accelerated her charge and fired. Just as she did, the Super X dodged left, the blast firing into the sky and smashing against the rocky ceiling of the world. The other ships dodged the blast, it's icy waves generating cold air and causing the different crews to shiver within their weapons. Five 180ed in the air and immediately fired a maser blast at Shimo. The lasers connected with their target at the base of her neck. No damage seemed to incur. Shimo roared in anger, feeling the slight sting of an attack but shrugging it off. She bared her teeth and began to tear through the rocks quickly, sending chunks of boulder into the air as Five began to reverse, still firing the maser at her. Each shot connected and each shot left no mark. It may not of been causing damage, but it certainly had her attention. As Shimo began to chase Five, Seven and Four began to follow her.

"Seven and Four, see if your missiles can reach her," the Captain shouted, trying to assess the situation.

Panels opened and both Super Xs fired a missile each. As they drew close, the head of the missiles began to freeze and crashed harmlessly into Shimo's body. It turned it's head and stopped, roaring at the new annoyances before beginning to charge it's breath once again. Seven and Four split once more before Shimo fired once more, this time following Four with it's beam. The crystalline energy tore through the air, crashing and destroying the mountaintops as it chased Four through the sky. The others dodged and maneuvered behind the monster. Five once more fired it's maser cannon into the back of Shimo's body and again it left no mark.

"Her skin is as impenetrable as reported," Five's Captain responded.

"Then we go with Plan B. Let's put her down!"

One of the actions outlined in the original report was the belief that due to her ability to change temperature, Shimo's skin wouldn't be affected by the Super X's weapons. They would need to test and confirm this before initiating a viable strategy. And it appeared to be accurate. While the missiles may of frozen before reaching her, the maser cannon could still hit her skin, bypassing the freezing barrier but still not causing harm. Five began pummeling more maser blasts into Shimo as it suddenly broke off it's breath attack and turned to face Five once more. Shimo roared once more before leaping into the air towards Five. The Super X attempted to dodge just Shimo came down, a clawed hand lashing out and catching the Super X. The ship crunched and froze beneath it's grasp as Shimo roared once more and smashed it into the ground, causing an explosion. Screams could be heard throughout the other headsets before cutting out completely. Captain turner brought his ship down, gritting his teeth as he readied his ship.

"Ready evasives and launch flares," he said, steady but determined.

Shimo spun and lashed her tail out. Super X Nine dodged out of the way quickly and then fired off several flares from the top of the ship. Shimo watched as the flares rose into the sky, heat generating heavily off of them. She began to stand on her hind legs, reaching out to swipe and attack, mouth opened in rage as another roar escaped her.

"Fire the maser!"

Super X Nine fired it's maser cannon directly into Shimo's mouth. The energy beams made contact with the softer flesh of her mouth, blasting and singing the flesh. Shimo dropped to her forelegs, howling in pain, a small plume of smoke rising from her mouth. She shook her head side to side and set her sights on Nine once more.

"Let's see if she falls for it again. Launch the flares."

The flares leapt into the air. Shimo ignored them as she began rushing towards Nine. The super X reversed and shot up into the air, just missing her attack. Her tail followed once more and grazed the ship, causing it to spiral in the wake of her tail. The crew shouted as they fought to right the ship back. The ship right just as Shimo's mouth opened and prepared to fire her frost breath once more. Captain Turner's life flashed before him as the blue energy began to emit from her mouth just as another maser shot entered, blasting her once more. Shimo's head turned, a howling sound emitting from her just as her breath weapon fired. The energy wave careened through the air, another sharper sound erupting from her as the breath attack compounded the maser pain. Captain Turner let go of the breath he was holding for an eternity.

"Sir," one of the other crew piped up, "The attacks are working. It's temperature is starting to rise some."

"Then that's what we need to keep doing. Squad, begin missile attacks in conjunction with the maser attacks the moment it's exposed again. And if that bitch doesn't wanna open up, I'll make her!"

Nine rose up once more into the sky as Seven, Six, and Four began to slowly circle, their masers scraping the great Titan's side as she lowered her head. She spat briefly, ignoring the heated beams of energy as her mind was working out the problem of these pests. They had hurt her in a way she hadn't felt before. Her instincts were beginning to take over again as her massive body began to move forward. Her head remained down, mouth closed as she pushed onward, trying to get out of the mountain range for flatter ground. The Super Xs followed in pursuit, continuing to fire as Shimo began to slide down the rocky walls, her claws digging in to control the descent. The pursuing ships broke off and spread out above her as Nine came zooming in. Before Shimo could react, Nine fired it's maser directly into her left eye. The fiery beam burned into her pupil, the heated assault puncturing it. An unearthly monstrous, shrilled roar of pain erupted from Shimo as she tried to suddenly stand on two feet amidst the slide. Shimo was losing balance and her claws lashed out at the culprit, only to be met with another maser blast to the mouth followed by a new and more painful sensation ripping through her mouth. The mighty Titan tumbled down the mountain the rest of the way, the incredible sight of this impossibly large behemoth flailing and falling filling Captain Turner with a brief sense of awe and wonder.

"Captain Turner sir, the target's temperature has risen to an acceptable level."

The news broke the Captain of his thoughts as he sat back in his chair and issued his next orders.

"Squad, begin exterior assault. Remember, the underside isn't as thick as the rest of it. Let's end this!"

Shimo continued to thrash about as she tried to roll onto her feet. Whenever her stomach and chest weren't blocked by her moving limbs, she felt the painful sting of the missiles colliding with her body. Then she would roll the other way and feel even more smashing into her body. Shimo roared as rage burned behind her right eye. As her mouth opened, more pain as the Super Xs continued their punishing assault.

It could be felt all around. The sudden sensation of something wrong. Kong felt it as he was eating. He stood, the meat dangling in his mouth as he looked into the distance. It wasn't the nagging sensation he had been feeling but a new sensation, one far older and more natural. It was trouble. It was the feeling of a predator falling to prey. It was wrong. Swallowing the rest of his meal, Kong roared and began to rush towards the source of the feeling, 3 other apes following him in pursuit.

A mighty screech filled the air as Mothra, who sat atop the pyramid overlooking the Iwi city, suddenly stood up. She screeched once more, her sound resonating with the villagers as they all looked to her in unison. Ilene had been walking the village when the cry echoed into the sky. She too looked on and a feeling of dread entered her. Elsewhere in the village, Jia watched on as Mothra's wings began to flap and the Titan Queen flew off the great pyramid. Jia had heard what the other Iwis had heard and she felt a lump in her throat at the message.

Shimo tried to charge her breath attack but the pain from the assault continued to distract her. Each of the HEIAP missiles these Super Xs were equipped with contained a highly potent incendiary explosive that continued to burn even after explosion. Coupled with the burning attack of the maser, Shimo could feel the fiery sensation of her wounds and of her body rising. Desperate to rise, Shimo dug a hand into the ground and threw a clod of dirt and rock, briefly obscuring vision of her attackers. She rolled onto her haunches and began to run off once more, flight now taking precedence over fight. The Super Xs pursued her, firing maser and missile into the back of her knees in an attempt to slow her speed. She began to slow some as they continued their assault. Super X Nine shot forward at lightning speed, coming around her once more and firing one of it's HEIAP missiles into her other eye. The explosion caused her to roar and scream once more, allowing Nine to unleash an entire salvo of 6 missiles simultaneously into her mouth. Blinded and racked with pain, Shimo lashed out once more, not meeting any of her attackers as they circled her, firing maser after maser into the opened wounds of her body. Cannon and missile collided with her wounded mouth, her now eyeless sockets, and the slowly widening holes in her underside. Her roars began to drown out and gave way more to gargling sounds as her body's movements began to slow. Super X Six and Four took point on Shimo's neck just below her jaw and began to unload once more. Before long, the HEIAP armament of each Super X was completely spent and the lifeless body of Shimo was all that remained. Cheers of success and victory rose from the crew, each man and woman congratulating one another in a job well done before Captain Turner shushed everyone.

"We're not done yet," he said as he contacted the other HEAV, "Dr. Mafune. the target is down. You best begin while we still have an opportunity."

The HEAV with Dr. Mafune rose from it's cover and flew to meet the others. Setting down near a wounded opening on the body of Shimo, Dr. Mafune began to operate his control console. Small, metal arms began to protrude from the side and began to push into the wound.

"Beginning my scan now. Once it's complete, I should be able to begin the extraction process."

The Super Xs took a defensive position around the HEAV as it worked to complete it's dark directive.