Chapter 26: Godzilla Raids Again.
Godzilla was triumphant and roared, letting the world know about it. Marcus and Ling knew it was time to beat a hasty retreat of their own. As they flew away from the battlefield, a somber mood settled into the cockpit. Marcus wasn't talking. He just sat there looking unsettled as he operated the controls of the helicopter. Ling wasn't sure what to make of it.
"What's wrong?" Ling finally broke the silence after a minute had gone by. "I thought seeing Baragon getting humbled like that would make you happy?" Marcus eyed over to Ling, and then back at the wide-open sky ahead of them.
"I don't know, it just didn't seem like a fair fight to me." Marcus remarked. "I almost felt sorry for Baragon." He admitted. Ling seemed genuinely surprised.
"Yes, I suppose I see what you mean." Ling replied. "Baragon was so clearly the underdog. I guess that makes it a little harder to cheer against him, huh?" Ling looked out the window back to the torn-up field. "He did about as well as we have fighting Godzilla, which is to say, not so well. But for being so much smaller and less powerful, Baragon at least put up a pretty good fight. He was at a disadvantage from the start."
"Well, there is one good thing that came out of the fight." Marcus noted.
"Oh…?" Ling raised an eyebrow curiously.
"Baragon survived, which means I still have a chance to take him down myself in due time." Marcus replied.
…
Hours later, and getting low on fuel, Marcus rendezvoused with the Archimedes fleet. He reported his findings to Admiral Malek, trying to hold back the feelings of resentment he felt towards his superior officer for putting him in harm's way. Despite his efforts, the anger was still showing through. Malek was either oblivious or he just didn't care. He didn't even acknowledge it.
Malek did like the fact that the mission had bore some fruit, however. An entire Chinese division annihilated by Godzilla, and Baragon reemerging were both certainly noteworthy pieces of intelligence. It would be curious to see how the Chinese Government would react to those developments. More curious still would be what Godzilla would do next.
Marcus was well-aware of that too and was concerned Admiral Malek was going to order him to turn right back around and find out. But instead, the Admiral congratulated Marcus on a job well done and simply dismissed him. Perhaps Malek felt that Godzilla was getting too far into Chinese territory to risk further operations.
Such as it was, Admiral Malak had another decision to make. The Archimedes fleet was positioned in the Yellow Sea bordering the Bay of Korea. Godzilla was still assumably far northeast of them. Should the fleet remain where it was or double back around the Korean Peninsula to the Sea of Japan? Which way would Godzilla go next? Admiral Malek elected to remain where they were and wait.
Through intercepted radio chatter about an hour later, they discovered that Godzilla was on the move again. He was headed south, smashing his way through the Chinese countryside. The heavy bombers that General Feng had waiting in reserve were deployed. They hammered Godzilla relentlessly, but to no avail. The bombs seemed to do little more than annoy Godzilla, which only antagonized him more.
The Chinese were starting to panic as they projected Godzilla's course. It looked like the monster was on his way to the capital at Beijing. Every available force was mobilized to counter Godzilla. Beijing had to be defended at all costs. The force arrayed against Godzilla was impressive. The Chinese Army assembled twenty divisions and then waited for him, preparing for a fight to the death. As it turned out, that wouldn't be necessary. Godzilla turned south towards Shenyang instead.
The Chinese Army made a second attempt to deflect Godzilla towards the sea. Two armored divisions rushed south and set up a blockade to redirect the monster away from the city. Unlike the first battle, the Chinese were able to engage Godzilla in favorable conditions. Unfortunately, the result was much the same. Any Chinese units that stood their ground were wiped out.
A day later, the city of Shenyang was destroyed. However, the sacrifice of the soldiers on the battlefield bought much needed time for the civilian population to escape the horrors of a Godzilla attack. The buildings were gone, but the life blood of the city, its people, survived and could rebuild again. After the attack, Godzilla continued south until he found the sea.
…
In Russia, Dimitri and Zev were riding in a long column of military trucks that were retreating out of an area the Rodan's were just beginning to assault. For days now, the monsters had been relentlessly flattening the eastern part of Russia. The Rodans had finally caught up with the convoy carrying the egg. It wasn't clear whether or not the monsters were aware that the Russians were in possession of it. However, they seemed more interested in inflicting damage than searching for anything.
Dimitri look back at the pillars of smoke rising just miles behind them and had a terrible thought. He had made it out of those horrible woods of death, but maybe for his sins, he would never again be rid of the Rodans. The monsters had been relatively content in their little corner of Russia, but he and his men had set them loose on the rest of the country by going into their nest and smashing their eggs. Now that the Rodans were filled with a terrible malice for mankind, where would their path of destruction end?
Two squadrons of Mig-15s flew over the convoy to meet the Rodans as they approached the area. Dimitri knew if the monsters spotted the egg, that would be the end for them, and there wasn't a thing they could do about it. Their convoy was like a caterpillar slowly crawling along the pavement trying to evade a pair of eagles. There was just no escaping the monsters on the ground.
The truck driver leading the convoy seemed to have a plan though. Up ahead of them, there was a large tunnel cut into the mountainside. He turned his vehicle off of the main road, guiding the entire caravan towards it. One by one, the vehicles followed him and disappeared inside of the tunnel. The truck carrying the egg was second in line and Dimitri was in the vehicle directly behind it. He held his breath, watching to see if the top of the egg would clear the top of the tunnel. Dimitri could see that it was going to be very close. He was all but certain it was going to turn into a messy disaster right before his eyes.
The truck and the egg vanished inside the entrance, only clearing the tunnel by a few inches. Dimitri breathed a sigh of relief. Seconds later, he was safely inside the tunnel too. Once all the vehicles were inside, the convoy slowed to a crawl and then stopped. They had little other choice but to sit there and wait out the Rodan's attack until it passed them by.
Outside, every manmade structure was being brought down. Nothing was spared. An occasional wind gust swept through the opening of the tunnel when the Rodans passed close by. The wind howled through the shaft eerily, as if it were alive and shrieking threats at the men hiding inside. On one particular occasion, the last truck in line had its canopy blown clear off. The vehicle's tires even slid forward on the pavement slightly. Zev poked his head out, taking a look back. His hat blew right off his head in the torrent of wind. Dimitri shook his head as Zev leaned back in, his hair having been blown all over the place. He always had to look back.
There were frequent rumblings from outside of the tunnel, most likely rockets and planes hitting the ground. Dimitri didn't know how long they would have to stay hidden in the tunnel, but it was certainly better than venturing back out onto the battlefield.
…
In the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. base had been established to keep watch for Anguirus since he had disappeared into the Marianas trench. The base was created during the Second Great War so that U.S. warships would no longer have to stay on station anymore. Otherwise, they would be sitting ducks for enemy submarines.
In their place, a series of specialized sensor buoys had been set up to monitor for any unusual activity. From the base, they could observe any subtle changes in temperature, underwater vibrations, and ocean currents. The buoys were also equipped with the latest type of sonar. The technology had been in part adapted from weather systems that monitored for earthquakes and tsunamis.
For years, the system hadn't registered any significant changes. Assignment to the base was usually a sign that your military career was on a downward spiral, or that you were being punished by a superior. Nothing much happened there. The base was little more than a geothermal outpost, or a slightly more advanced weather station. The most exciting duty on an average day was going out to repair or do routine maintenance on the sensor buoys.
When a tropical storm would blow through, it was fun to watch the buoy network light up with activity. The base had a few false alarms now and then, usually when an earthquake would ripple through the area. Due to the advanced nature of the equipment, the base did sometimes host college students who were interested in learning more about how the technology worked.
One such student was Lisa Taggart from the University of Miami, whose father was rich enough to pay for a plane ticket and a two-week trip out to the island. Lisa was thoroughly enjoying her time on the tropical island. The beaches were sunny and sandy, the chance to play around with the weather equipment was fascinating, and being an attractive college-aged girl made her very popular with the young men on the base who were bored and looking for something to do.
Some of the boys had made a competition out of trying to impress Lisa through various means. She still hadn't decided which one she liked the best though. Lisa had been assigned to shadow Colonel Dr. Richford, a man who was old enough not to be quite so susceptible to Lisa's feminine charms. He was a no-nonsense scientist who was more interested in his work than anything else. On a few occasions, he had to chase away a few intrusive soldiers who had pursued Lisa into areas of the base where they had no business being. The lab area in particular gave Lisa a safe zone to hide in. She liked the attention, but the laboratory provided her with a temporary reprieve from the chase when she needed a break from it.
Lisa was sitting at a control station while Dr. Richford was tinkering with a new type of enhanced monitoring buoy. It was a prototype that would make the old ones they'd been using for years obsolete. As Dr. Richford fiddled with the wires, a sound began to register on the control panel in front of Lisa. One of the buoys had been triggered and was sending back data. It wasn't unusual, they did get triggered from time to time. As Lisa looked at the printout the machine was making, another one of the buoys was set off. Then another. The machinery in front of her was all starting to come alive.
"Uh… Dr. Richford..." Lisa called over to him nervously. "Something is happening over here."
"What's that…?" Dr. Richford looked up and over his shoulder at her, still half-engrossed in his work. While he was talking, conditions had been met in the machine's programming which required it to automatically set off the warning alarm within the room.
"Doctor, I think you need to come see this!" Lisa started to panic, having no idea what to do. Once Dr. Richford heard the alarm going off, he began to understand something serious was happening. He rushed over to the readouts and read through them as quickly as he could. The machine continued to spit out paper as information came in.
"Oh no…!" Dr. Richford frowned, sweat starting to bead on his brow as he began to understand what the data meant. "This is bad… this is very, very, bad." Dozens of buoys had been triggered by that point. Dr. Richford hit the button for the general base siren, which would alert everyone else to what was going on.
Outside, soldiers began to man their stations, scrambling to tall lookout towers all along the beachfront. Up in the towers, there were high-powered naval binoculars built into the observation decks, the types usually found on warships. From miles out, they could see a disturbance on the surface of the water. The ocean was churning furiously, sending white waves in all directions.
Anguirus suddenly erupted to the surface and roared, ending his year's long absence in dramatic fashion. No one knew what to do at that point. It had been so long, no one really thought the monster was actually still down there and alive. The base didn't have any significant defenses to repel the monster with. They were sitting ducks should Anguirus decide to attack.
Anguirus didn't seem to have any such intentions though. He turned north and began to swim away on the surface, his tail flickering behind him on the water. Dr. Richford immediately got the word out, Anguirus was back on the prowl again.
…
Meanwhile, the Archimedes fleet was once again on the hunt for Godzilla. However, there was a lot of ground to cover in the Yellow Sea. To make matters worse, they could only patrol half of the body of water, as the Chinese Government continued to refuse to allow the task force entry into their zone of control. The Chinese were moving in patrol craft of their own. After two days of searching without any signs of Godzilla, it became apparent that they would likely have to wait for another incident to occur before they could pick up on his trail again.
Finally, on the third day, there was a distress call from a large Chinese fishing boat about fifty miles to the south. Godzilla had somehow managed to get around the Archimedes fleet. Undeterred, they set an intercept course. Over an hour later, they arrived at an archipelago of islands nearby the coordinates of the now missing freighter. Search helicopters were launched, and they found drown sailors floating on the surface of the water, but little other traces of the ship.
The search choppers also spotted what were unmistakably Godzilla's footprints on the beach. The trail led into the interior of the island. However, fog was beginning to roll in from the north as another cold front pushed through. That made tracking Godzilla via aircraft very difficult, and so they were recalled.
Night fell, and Admiral Malek ordered the fleet to fan out. He sent most of the destroyers to probe the shallow waters between the narrows of the islands, while the larger ships circled around the perimeter. Sailing around the islands took a few hours, and morning light began to peek through by the time the fleet began to link up again.
Admiral Malek kept the Essex a safe distance away from the islands. He watched and waited until the patchiness of the fog began to break up. He sent Marcus out with Brock in toe to see if aerial reconnaissance was once again a viable option. They flew from fog bank to fog bank, with clear areas between the patches here and there. Finally, they were able to spot land. Marcus guided the helicopter towards a narrow channel of water with high cliffs on either side.
As they closed in on the bluffs, Marcus and Brock could see a light emerging from the tight passage. Marcus pulled back on the controls, keeping them from getting any closer. They sat there hovering above the passage, waiting to see what was on the other side of the mist. The fog bank in front of them rolled through and a ship emerged from the haze. It was one of the fleet's destroyers. The whole top portion of the deck was on fire. The ship was out of control and clanged against the rocks of one of the cliffs as it collided with it.
"Jesus…" Brock said in an ice-cold tone. Marcus banked to the left to keep a safe distance away from the destroyer. The still-burning vessel slipped past them eerily. It was unnervingly quiet, like a ghost ship. It was unclear if any of the souls aboard were still alive or not. The burning destroyer glided into the fog bank behind them and then disappeared again. "We need to get out of here." Brock said.
"I got no arguments." Marcus agreed nervously. He thought he could see something else moving in the fog in front of them. Taking no chances, he quickly spun them around and made for the fleet at full speed.
…
By the time they had reached the fleet, Marcus could tell that something was wrong. The formation of ships was in disarray and maneuvering to turn southwards. It turned out that three of the fleet's destroyers had been sunk during their search mission. What was left of the fleet was withdrawing from the area to regroup.
The patchy fog was still plaguing the region, which would make accurate gunnery near impossible should the fleet need to defend itself. Fighters and other aircraft would be just as hampered by poor visibility. After hearing Marcus' report about the Chinese getting annihilated in the valley, Admiral Malek was taking no chances. It was time to cut their losses and run.
The decision came none too soon. The picket ships on the outskirts of the fleet were starting to pick up a large unidentified object approaching on their sonar just as the task force was getting underway. There was a real sense of dread among the crews as Admiral Malek ordered flank speed. They were running. Sailors gathered on the aft section of the carrier with binoculars trying to get a look at their pursuer. The million-dollar question on everyone's mind at that moment was: Was the fleet faster than Godzilla?
Just in case they weren't, the general quarters alarm sounded, and battle stations were very quickly occupied by the crew. The battleships oriented their guns aft, and the destroyers prepared to launch their depth charges and torpedoes. Despite the fog, the air crews began to prepare the aircraft on the flight deck of the Essex. There was no sense in letting the planes just sit on the deck if the carrier was under threat of being sunk. Marcus himself found his way into a Sabre waiting in line to launch. He was starting to regret his complaint about flying so many non-combat missions.
The contact on the sonar maintained its pursuit for twenty miles without gaining or losing any ground. The question that dogged Admiral Malek now, was if it would be wise to launch an attack or not. The fog was starting to clear, and an air attack might distract the monster, gaining them the opportunity to escape. On the other hand, if they attacked Godzilla, that might only provoke the monster further and give him more incentive to continue the pursuit.
Admiral Malek elected to keep everyone on standby. He ordered all ships to only engage at his express command. The sonar contact was maintaining its distance, and so long as it was not closing on them, he didn't see the need to escalate the situation further. The longer he stalled for time, the better the chances they'd emerge from the fog, which would help to even the odds.
Little by little, the sonar contact faded until it was off their scopes. Admiral Malek couldn't be sure that they weren't still being chased for certain, but either Godzilla was getting tired or just losing interest in them. Given the situation, his next best course of action was to return to Japanese waters where the fleet could request for reinforcements if necessary.
…
Two days later, the Archimedes fleet was approaching the harbor at Osaka. Osaka was three-hundred and forty miles closer than Tokyo, and it had a port large enough to accommodate them. Tokyo was still in the very early stages of recovery following Godzilla's rampage, and the harbor there was overrun with merchant ships bringing in supplies. Osaka was clearly the better choice.
A Japanese destroyer rushed out to meet the Archimedes fleet as it approached, signaling a warning. The Japanese Navy had begun to set up a mine field around the port, and any ships coming or going, needed to follow a strict approach or risk wandering into the mines. The Japanese destroyer was there to guide them through. The Imperial Navy was spread too thin trying to cover the entire east coast of Japan. They were attempting to prevent Godzilla from entering specific areas by limiting the approaches to major ports.
Buoys were being set up to mark the boundaries of the minefields, but the work was still underway. Mine sweepers and minelayers were working around the clock. It was a symptom of Japan's terror. Fear was rampant, and it was sweeping across the country like wildfire. The Japanese population was traumatized by the attack on Tokyo, and they were terrified by the threat of another potential Godzilla landing. With the monster last seen moving south again, preparing for the possibility seemed all the more urgent. The National Diet Building being destroyed didn't help. It was the very symbol of the Japanese Government, which seemed powerless to protect its people. The members of the Diet were forced to relocate to Japan's former capitol, Kyoto, for the time being.
The mining of the major ports was just one of the emergency decisions the Diet had authorized. The mines might not stop Godzilla, but they weren't entirely impractical either. At the very least, the mines could act as an early warning system when they started going off. The Diet had also been the ones to send the Japanese fleet out to patrol their waters so aggressively. It was felt that a grand show of force would help to ease fears at home.
In addition to those measures, the Diet had also opened the door to more international agreements, in particular, with the United States. Defense treaties were rapidly being negotiated. The most important one was called the 'Pan-Pacific Pact'. Giant monster attacks were not just a Japanese problem anymore, and there was a very real concern that another major city would be wiped out soon. It had happened three times already. Tokyo, Magadan, and Shenyang were all leveled just within the last month. And that didn't even account for the destruction the Rodans were causing in Russia. With Godzilla's location unknown, another major attack could easily happen again, anytime and anywhere in the pacific.
The threat was ever more evident with five active monsters on the loose. The Rodans were actively on the warpath, Anguirus was lurking somewhere in the western pacific, and Baragon was undoubtably still hiding underground in China licking his wounds. All of their recent activity did nothing to sooth anyone's anxieties. Godzilla was bad enough on his own, but the presence of more monsters like him just made the situation even more volatile.
"I hope that Jap captain knows where he is going." Brock groaned as the IJN destroyer continued to guide the Archimedes fleet through the narrow corridor towards the safety of the other side. "One mistake, one slight navigation error, and we're all going to be in a world of hurt."
"Maybe it would be safer to have an actual minesweeper running out ahead of us, eh?" Marcus suggested. "Just to be safe."
"Any ship can be a minesweeper once." Brock replied with a devilish grin and a snicker. "I'm just glad it's one of their ships out front."
…
It took a little while to direct the entire fleet through the minefield, but eventually, they all made it across without incident. With that, the Archimedes fleet entered Osaka Bay and laid anchor. Admiral Malek immediately prepared to leave the Essex to meet with some Japanese officials to begin discussing future defensive plans, but before he could, Captain Hillard informed him that they had received a coded message from Washington. The Admiral had a friend on Capitol Hill, and he had some bad news to pass along to him.
Captain Hillard handed over the decoded transcript and Admiral Malek was visibly upset as he read it. Admiral Malek didn't bother to keep the news to himself. He summarized the letter, letting the entire bridge crew know that the loss of several Navy ships and their crews for no practical gain, had not gone over well in the senate oversight committee that was following the Archimedes Organization. In fact, they were not impressed with the overall progress the fleet had made so far. There was talk of forcing Admiral Malek to step down as the head of the naval branch and the Archimedes fleet's entire budget was under threat. The committee was starting to view them as a 'bad investment'. As such, they could be disbanded.
"We need to make something happen soon or we're finished." Admiral Malek told Captain Hillard. He crumpled up the paper in his fist and then tossed it aside. He leaned forward on the console in front of him, visibly frustrated, thinking.
Marcus had a mixed reaction to the news. On the one hand, he was offended that all of his efforts were evidently going unappreciated back home. But there was also an opportunity. If the Archimedes fleet was disbanded, then there was a good chance that he would be allowed to finish out his original term of service and then be honorably discharged when it was up. He could finally go home and shake off the extension Admiral Malek had forced on him.
There was no time to let the news settle in though. Admiral Malek was ready to get back to the task at hand and ordered Marcus and Brock to put on their dress uniforms and be ready to join him for the conference in a half hour.
…
The three men met on the flight deck and boarded a motorboat that was waiting for them. Joining them were two additional marines, Ling, and Dr. Orsini. Once they were all in, the group was lowered down into the water. After settling onto the surface and unhitching their craft, they motored away from the Essex and towards the city harbor. Marcus enjoyed the view of Osaka as they bobbed up and down over the small waves.
It only took a few minutes to reach the harbor, and once they had docked at the pier, they discovered that a sizable number of Japanese civilians had gathered there to cheer their arrival. The appearance of a large American fleet had given them courage in the face of another potential monster attack. Marcus and the others were being viewed as heroes who were willing to fight, and perhaps even die, for the good of the Japanese people. This earned them a certain level of reverence among the Japanese citizens.
The friendly crowd made Marcus feel good. Maybe the sailors of the Archimedes fleet weren't being appreciated amongst their own people, but here, they were at least being honored. Two jeeps were waiting for the group, and they took them to City Hall where the meeting was to take place.
Once they arrived, they found the bottom level of the building had been taken over by the Japanese Army and Navy. In the center of the room, they had set up a large map of Japan, and the large bodies of water surrounding the island nation. From there, they were keeping track of any reports or sightings of Godzilla and marked them out on the chart accordingly with pins and notes.
Admiral Malek and the rest of the group were allowed to examine the map up close, and saw numerous reports written in. It was all written in Japanese, but Ling was there to read them out for the group. All over the map, there were dozens of sightings reported, all within the last twenty-four hours. Clearly, they couldn't all possibly be accurate. However, it was impossible to distinguish which ones were genuine and which ones were not. The faulty ones were a real problem, because they were causing a lot of confusion. The Japanese did not know where to direct the bulk of their forces.
As it was now, the IJN was spreading itself thin trying to investigate each sighting. Nervous fishing boat captains were jumping at the first sign of trouble and making monsters out of manatees. One report had already been debunked and taken off the board. Ling picked it up and saw that the disregarded sighting had turned out to be just a pod of whales surfacing.
While most of the reports were on the water, there was one that stood out among the rest. It was a sighting reported on land. The account wasn't from a ship, but rather a pair of pilots who were working for the Kaiyo Fishing Company as aerial scouts. Due to engine trouble, one of them had been forced to ditch their plane in the shallow waters of a tiny rocky island called Iwato. The second pilot had come to rescue his friend and also landed near the island. While the pair were waiting for a company ship to come collect the disabled plane, they decided to dry themselves off around a fire on the beach. As they were talking around the fire, they heard a disturbance coming from the interior of the island.
Upon investigation, the pilots found Godzilla battling Anguirus. They didn't see much though. The encounter was very brief. The men reported that the fight ended when the two monsters stumbled off a sheer cliff and fell into the sea. However brief the incident was, the pilots were still very certain of what they had seen. Admiral Malek studied the position of Iwato Island on the map and determined that Godzilla certainly could have made it there in the time since they had lost contact with him. Anguirus also could have made it there since his reemergence from the Marianas Trench. That gave the pilot's story at least some credibility.
The pilots in question were Shoichi Tsukioka and Koji Kobayashi. The Japanese officials felt it was worthwhile bringing the pair in for further questioning. Brock, as usual, was somewhat skeptical. He was instantly doubtful about their reliability. He cited that Shoichi and Koji could simply be two blue collar guys who had too much sake while sitting around the campfire.
…
Shoichi and Koji arrived and were interviewed by the Japanese officials while the Archimedes delegation waited down below in the chart room listening to new reports as they came in. Nothing of terrible import had come in over the last half hour. Brock and Marcus went outside for a smoke break. Which was to say, Brock smoked, and Marcus just paced around killing time while he did so.
"I feel like one of Ming-the-Merciless' troopers wearing this uniform." Marcus complained, fidgeting around with the collar. "Black doesn't suit me much."
"Well, I don't know, I think the yellow in it really brings out the color of your teeth." Brock jeered.
"Says the smoker..." Marcus quipped back with a smirk.
"They're ready to begin now." Dr. Orsini came out to collect them for the meeting.
Together, Brock, Marcus, and Dr. Orsini made there way back into the building, up the stairs, and into a large conference room where everyone else was gathered. The Archimedes delegation had their own corner of the table where Admiral Malek, Ling, and the U.S. Ambassador to Japan were sitting. Brock was officially there for security reasons, so he, along with the other two marines, stood in the background behind the table. He was more than a little annoyed with that arrangement, but there was nothing to be done about it.
The meeting began with the introduction of Dr. Yamane. He spoke briefly before starting a film showing Godzilla's attack on Tokyo. Much of the footage Marcus had not seen before. The Japanese military had kept it to themselves. It gave no new insights about Godzilla, but it absolutely reinforced the danger and terror the monster represented. The U.S. Ambassador in particular seemed disturbed by the recording. As it turned out, he was a recent appointee to the position and had never seen footage of Godzilla before.
When the film was over, the Ambassador spoke up, urgently asking if the Japanese had a plan. Ling was there to translate, and it was a good thing too. The Ambassador was stumbling over his words, and even mistakenly referred to Godzilla as 'Gigantis', because he couldn't remember his proper name.
Admiral Malek shifted in his chair and was staring daggers at the Ambassador. It was a good thing most of the Japanese did not understand much English, because he was making them look foolish. Ling did his best to clean up the question and provide damage control by making corrections where needed. Malek, however, was irritated and stepped onto the Ambassador's foot to get him to shut up. While the attention was off them, Malek leaned in close so no one else could hear him.
"Jesus Stu, you can't even remember the monster's proper name!?" Malek scolded. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You're making us look like assholes in front of the Japanese! Leave the talking to me from now on or I'll ensure your next assignment is in Timbuktu. You read me?" He pressed and twisted his foot harder, squishing down onto the Ambassador's toes. The Ambassador's eyes were getting red, and he nodded in understanding. Brock saw what was happening from behind. It took all of his military discipline to keep a straight face.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yamane was answering the Ambassador's question, noting that they had not yet developed a weapon to counter Godzilla with. He did however suggest that both Godzilla and Anguirus might be attracted to lights. If they shut off all of the electricity in an area where either of the monsters were approaching, and deployed flares out to sea, they might be able to divert their attention away from populated regions. The Japanese officers on hand seemed to like the idea. Blackouts and flares were at least something to consider. It was better than relying on sheer firepower, which had failed to produce results time after time. From then onwards, Dr. Yamane seemed to sink into a melancholy mood and stopped being productive. He went off on a tangent about Godzilla's creation, waxing poetic.
"Godzilla's existence is a conflict of evil and sadness." Dr. Yamane began. "He's a sacred beast of the nuclear apocalypse. The son of the atomic bomb. He represents man's greatest failings in this modern world we've created."
Another Japanese scientist, Dr. Tadokoro, steered the conversation back into a more productive direction. He was a geneticist associated with the U.N. and suggested that Anguirus and Godzilla might be somehow related. He felt that they could have a common ancestry.
"Do you think there's any creditability to that Doc?" Marcus leaned over to Dr. Orsini.
"Perhaps in a general sort of way." Dr. Orsini answered. "There may be some genetic similarities. I don't know how this man is drawing such wild conclusions though."
Dr. Tadokoro produced some paperwork which summarized his research and then passed it to the men sitting around the table to look over. Following his rampage in Tokyo, some of Godzilla's blood had been found nearby the port. Dr. Tadokoro had previously acquired a sample of Anguirus' blood from the battlefield in the Philippines where he had taken a tank shell to the eye. In both samples, he had made one interesting discovery. Each of them was extremely resilient to decay. The cells of Godzilla and Anguirus managed to live outside of the body far longer than any other specimens he had tested before. There were even indications of regeneration in both, though in Godzilla's case, it seemed to be a fair amount stronger than Anguirus'.
Dr. Tadokoro attributed the difference in the samples' resilience to the mutations Godzilla had undergone by being so thoroughly exposed to radiation. He speculated that it could have taken his natural healing abilities and enhanced them exponentially. DNA testing was still somewhat in its infancy, but Dr. Tadokoro had noted some other similarities between Godzilla and Anguirus at the cellular level. More time and effort would be required to deduce anything else useful from this information, but there was one very interesting and critical question his conclusions raised.
"Doctor, what would happen if Anguirus got blasted with a strong dose of radiation?" Marcus asked. "If they are indeed genetically similar, would you expect to see a similar outcome that is comparable to Godzilla's?" Ling relayed the question for Marcus.
"That is certainly a good question." Dr. Tadokoro noted. "Let me start by saying these creatures didn't grow up on the same Earth as we did. They predate even the dinosaurs. At the time that they evolved, the Earth was a more radical place to live. High levels of radiation were more commonplace. These creatures not only developed ways to survive it, but they learned to thrive on it. What you see with Godzilla is only one example. In my opinion, if you were to blast any of the other monsters from this bygone era, you would likely see a similar result. A bigger, faster, more aggressive version of the monsters we know now. That is just a theory mind you, but here is a fact: Godzilla was exposed to two nuclear tests that we are aware of. And in both instances, he became more powerful and more dangerous."
"So, if you attack these things with nuclear weapons, you'd better make sure that you kill them, because if you don't, they'll only come back at you stronger, is that right?" Admiral Malek asked.
"Perhaps if you could get a monster in the center blast zone and vaporize them, a nuclear weapon might work, but a near-miss could do much more harm than good in the long run." Dr. Tadokoro observed.
That last remark sent shivers down the spines of nearly every man present. Many of them were counting on nuclear bombs being the superweapon of choice against Kaiju when they were pushed into a corner and all else failed. But if the awesome power of their most potent weapons could be turned against them, what hope did they have?
…
Two days passed while the Archimedes fleet sat at anchor in Osaka Bay. There had been no further confirmed sightings of Godzilla or Anguirus. That was in part due to the fact that most Japanese merchant vessels had abandoned the surrounding area. Both Godzilla and Anguirus had a notable history of attacking ships and nobody wanted to risk it.
The Archimedes fleet had been fully resupplied while Admiral Malek was hammering out a defensive plan with the local Japanese commanders. They were at the point of just waiting on some type of report to come in, so they'd know where to focus their efforts. Meanwhile, the Japanese military presence in the area was growing stronger with every passing hour as more units arrived on the scene. Search planes flew around-the-clock missions.
The nearby airbase was packed to capacity as new airwings were brought in to prepare for Dr. Yamane's proposed flare defense. It was being referred to as 'Operation: Falling Stars'. Additional dirt runways were hastily being paved into the fields around the airbase to increase its capacity. Tanks and rocket artillery rolled into the city and were deployed to key locations. The Japanese Army moved their headquarters to the historic Osaka Castle. Its position commanded the entire city, and its high tower provided an excellent vantage point from which to direct troops. The Japanese Navy retained their post at City Hall.
Having no more immediate use for them, Admiral Malek gave Brock and Marcus liberty for the rest of the day to wander the city. He was just sorting out the final details with the Japanese brass. By the next morning, they'd have their marching orders again. The first thing Marcus and Brock did, was take a closer look at the majestic Osaka Castle. It boasted impressive architecture and beautiful gardens. It was a sight to behold. An artistic marvel, and the pride of the city.
After that, Brock insisted that they try more local Japanese cuisine. Marcus was less resistant to the idea this time around. They found a suitable restaurant in the market area and Marcus tried tempura shrimp. He really liked it. The pair were still enjoying hero status, and the owner of the establishment was so pleased to have them in his restaurant that he told them the meal was on the house. Marcus insisted on leaving the staff a hefty tip though.
Halfway through the afternoon, Marcus and Brock decided to return to the harbor area and give their friends on the Essex an update to what was going on, and then maybe head over to a bar for a few hours afterwards. As they came through the port gates, Marcus saw something he couldn't believe he was seeing. There was a white woman wandering around the docks with a suitcase. She had long flowing red hair. She looked a lot like Shauna.
"Am I dreaming… or is that your wife again?" Brock asked as he spotted her too.
"Yeah… I think that's her." Marcus answered. The woman turned and saw them staring at her.
"Mark!" Shauna shouted while waving excitedly.
"Yep, that's definitely her." Marcus shrugged, a little confused as she dropped her bag and ran over to him.
"Is she a spy or something?" Brock asked. "How does she keep doing this?"
"I haven't got the slightest clue." Marcus replied. With that, Shauna was upon them and threw herself into Marcus' arms with delight. He had to take a step back to keep his balance. "Woah, easy." He said, teetering back and forth before managing to stabilize. "How on earth did you get here?" Marcus asked.
"I just had to see you, and no power in the universe will keep me from seeing my man." She affectionally kissed his cheek.
"Okay, but how did you even know how to find me?" Marcus inquired.
"Don't you know?" She began. "They are broadcasting all the news about you guys back home. It's on the radio, television, and in the newspapers. The press is really pushing the positives of the relief efforts your fleet is performing to help the Japanese people. They even had your helicopter on film in Tokyo. It was heard to tell, but I knew it was you. It only takes about twenty-four hours to get here by flight now-a-days."
"That was in Tokyo though." Brock pointed out. "We're in Osaka now."
"Hello Brock." Shauna winked at him. "Suspicious as ever I see. Well, truth be told, it was a little difficult to find you." She admitted. "I flew to Tokyo first, and by the time I got there, your fleet had already sailed. So, I made myself useful and joined the International Red Cross to help with the relief effort. I figured if I waited long enough, you would return to Japan. Sure enough, after a few days, I heard that you had arrived here in Osaka."
"How did you find lodgings for all that time?" Marcus asked.
"The Red Cross was happy to provide me with room and board in exchange for my services as a nurse in the meantime." Shauna answered. "Anyhow, once I knew where you were, I bought a train ticket down here. That wasn't so easy though. There are not many Japanese people who speak fluent English, and I had to rely on my English-to-Japanese translation booklet to get by. I'm afraid to say, I still got some very strange looks. My accent must be horrendous. In the end, I got lucky and found a man who was able to help me purchase a ticket. From there, it was just a matter of finding my way to the docks, and here we are."
"That's all well and good." Marcus began. "But you shouldn't be here. It's not safe." His tone shifted, suggesting he was a little upset. Shauna looked over to Brock. "Don't look to him to save you, he can't help you now." Marcus paused, collecting his thoughts. "Look, I'm touched that you came all of this way, I really am, but it was foolish. This isn't like Paris. The situation is completely different. This city could be attacked at any time. If something were to happen to you, I don't know what I would do. Promise me you won't do this sort of thing again."
"I…" Shauna began to protest, but then thought better of it. "Okay, this is the last time." She conceded.
"You didn't bring the children with you, right?" Marcus asked.
"No, my mother is watching them." Shauna answered. "For the record, she didn't like this idea either."
"Which is why I have always had the upmost respect for your mother." Marcus smiled. "Well, you are here now. We might as well make the best of it while we can." He relented. "We're back on duty in the morning. I was just telling Brock we should round up the guys and find a place for a quiet drink."
"Make it a nightclub and you're on." Shauna smiled. "I packed a nice dress."
"Okay." Marcus agreed, smiling back warmly. "Brock, any ideas on that? You're the well-traveled one here."
"Well… I haven't been specifically 'here' before." Brock noted. "But I have a few ideas where to start looking. I'll round up the boys and meet you back here in an hour. You two take some time to catch up without me eavesdropping."
…
An hour later, the group gathered and then found their way to the entertainment district of Osaka. It didn't take them long to find an establishment that catered to both American and Japanese clientele. The Western Star Lounge was the name of the place. It had been built during the war when American servicemen could be found wandering the streets in droves. Their specialty was western music, which included some live performers. They also served western cuisine. The theme helped them stand out amongst their competition and was surprisingly popular among the Japanese patrons who were looking for something different and exotic.
After the group had found a place to sit, it didn't take long for Shauna to pull Marcus away from the rest of the guys at the table and onto the dance floor. She looked positively stunning in her red dress. She turned a lot of heads. As they took to the floor, a young singer on stage began to perform a cover version of 'Only You' by The Platters. It was a nice and slow melody to dance to. Shauna rested her head on Marcus' chest as they swayed back and forth. Marcus closed his eyes, enjoying the moment of quiet in the sea of chaos he found himself in. It was the most at peace he had been in weeks. Marcus hadn't realized just how much he needed it. The next song was 'In the Still of the Night' by The Five Satins. It was an equally relaxing, slow-paced love ballad. With the song switch, Shauna lifted her head.
"We belong together." Shauna whispered in Marcus' ear. "Until the end of time."
"You're an extraordinary woman." Marcus replied. "I feel sorry for the other guys, their best girls can't just reach out and find them the way you do with me." He had turned towards their table to see most of the men sitting there looking somewhat lonesome listening to the love songs. "Perhaps this club is not the best venue for them."
"Well, maybe I can think of some way to help them out too." Shauna replied, turning to see them for herself.
"How so…?" Marcus inquired.
"Have them write up some nice letters to their girlfriends and I can carry them home with me." She smiled. "I feel quite confident they're all in the right mood for that."
"You know something, you're an angel." Marcus whispered in her ear.
"Fresh..." She smirked. "That silver tongue of yours is going to get you in trouble later."
"There was something else I wanted to talk to you about." Marcus switched gears. "There's a chance the Archimedes fleet will be disbanded. Admiral Malek has made a few mistakes, and apparently, there's talk about him being dismissed from command. If the organization is disbanded, I might be coming home a lot sooner than we thought."
"Are you serious…?" Shauna asked. "That's fantastic news! Maybe I can encourage my father to influence some of his friends in the Senate towards that goal. But no matter what happens, remember: Your ass might belong to the Admiral, but your heart belongs to me."
"I'd prefer to think that they both belong to you." Marcus smirked.
As the second song wrapped up, Marcus noticed someone was staring at him from across the room, drawing his attention. It was a Japanese woman. He had no idea who she was, but her eyes were locked right on him. Had he run into her earlier in the day? No, she was attractive enough to where he'd certainly remember her face. Maybe she just thought his uniform was a little strange? He himself wasn't entirely comfortable with it.
As Marcus stood there trying to figure it out, he noticed the woman was sitting next to a man that he did recognize. It was the Japanese pilot Akira. They were sitting at a table right next to their own. What an odd coincidence, Marcus thought. He immediately took Shauna over to introduce her. Akira turned his head and saw Marcus coming over with Shauna and rose to meet them formally.
"Shauna, this is Akira, the man who helped Brock save my life during the Zao-Ming Conference all those years ago." Marcus began. "Akira, this is my wife."
"It seems I owe you a great debt of honor." Shauna said, taking his hand. Akira's English was somewhat limited, but he still got the gist of what the Americans were saying.
"No, the honor is getting to meet you." Akira said charmingly, with a heavy accent.
"And who is this lovely young lady who is escorting you tonight?" Marcus asked politely. Akira turned and helped to pull the chair out for the woman.
"This is Kiki." Akira gestured.
"Pleased you meet you, Kiki." Marcus gently took her hand. Kiki's fingers grasped onto Marcus'. She paused for a moment after taking his hand, as if she was thinking.
"The pleasure is all mine." Kiki answered in perfect English. Akira turned, looking somewhat surprised, but said nothing.
The two women turned to shake hands next, but when Kiki made contact with Shauna, the courteous smile drifted away from her face. Kiki just stood there, almost catatonic, holding Shauna's hand for a few seconds. When she snapped back to reality, she turned to the side, wiping away a tear so no one else could see it. Then she turned back, apologizing sheepishly, noting that her allergies were acting up. The other three found it peculiar but shrugged off the incident.
"Well, it looks like we are going to be working together soon." Marcus noted, trying to shift attention away from the awkward moment. Akira didn't understand a few of the words. He stood there trying to connect the dots.
"He means you are going to be fighting the monsters side by side." Kiki informed him in Japanese.
"Oh yes, our squadrons will be… coordinating." Akira agreed.
"Best of luck to all of us." Marcus took his glass from the table and held it up in a half-hazard sort of toast. The others took up their drinks and sipped. "Have a good evening, Akira. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
With that, Marcus and Shauna returned to their seats with the marines. Akira and Kiki meanwhile decided to get a little air outside. The nightclub was built right along the Yodo River, and they had a lovely garden area in the back patio that looked out over the water. Fireflies were lighting up the night.
"So, you speak English?" Akira asked curiously, not able to hold back the question any longer.
"Yes, a little." Kiki replied, seeming a little nervous about the question.
"I'm impressed." Akira noted. "Did you study English in school?"
"No, I just picked it up here and there." Kiki answered.
"You picked up that much English just by listening to people talk?" Akira raised an eyebrow. "Now I'm more than impressed, I'm astonished."
"I'm a fast learner." Kiki remarked.
"Clearly." Akira observed. "You read people so well. It's like you know what they're thinking."
"I've always had a knack for that." Kiki smiled. "Wow, just look at that night sky. With the citywide ordnance of only having vital sources of light on, you can really see the stars."
"Yeah, you're right." Akira agreed. "It has really cut down on the light pollution."
Akira and Kiki walked through the grassy path, looking up and enjoying the majesty of the night. A shooting star streaked across the heavens. It gave off brilliant shades of blue and purple as it burned up in the atmosphere.
"You should make a wish." Kiki suggested.
"I'd just use it on something selfish." Akira noted. "You go ahead and make one."
Kiki smiled at Akira but said nothing more. With that, the pair returned to the nightclub. No sooner had they gotten back inside when they heard a loud buzz from the intercom on the wall. It began relaying an urgent news report. Godzilla had finally been spotted again. He was moving towards the Shikoku area. All of the military personnel in the building immediately got up and made their way towards the exit.
…
By the next morning, Marcus was having to say his goodbyes to Shauna. He had bought a painted ritual mask for her to take back to the kids as a souvenir. Shauna was also carrying a number of letters the boys had written the night before. There were so many of them, they barely fit into her suitcase. Marcus wanted to request an escort mission to ensure Shauna's plane made it out of the area safely, but he knew Admiral Malek would never go for that.
The fleet was to weigh anchor within the hour. With Godzilla spotted, every military unit in the area was on the move. Flights out of the city were all booked up, so if Shauna missed hers, she would be stuck there in Osaka, and Marcus simply couldn't have that. There was no more time. He had to part with her right then and there. They shared one last embrace at the docks and then went their separate ways. Shauna stepped into her cab and Marcus stepped onto his motorboat. They both looked back until the other was out of sight.
…
The Archimedes fleet set out to join the Japanese forces which were already looking for Godzilla. It appeared as though he was going to bypass Osaka. The latest reports had him moving northeast between the Shinkoku and Kii Provinces. Godzilla did not appear to be entering the channel in the middle of them, though he had not been seen for a number of hours now.
Getting the fleet through the mine field once again was a slow and difficult process. Wherever Godzilla was going, he'd no doubt have a substantial head start on them. Once the fleet was gathered up past the mines, they set out at flank speed. Aircraft were being prepared for takeoff on the deck, but until they had a positive target, Admiral Malek decided to hold them back. There were already plenty of Japanese patrol planes scouring the area.
This time, the Archimedes fleet would be focused on combat. Marcus was even assigned to a fighter squadron instead of his normal role as a scout in his helicopter. Like all of the other pilots, he was waiting on deck in his flight suit for a scramble order to be given. Overhead, he saw what he thought might be Shauna's commercial flight leaving the city. He spent a moment fantasizing about taking his jet up and checking the windows to ensure she was on it.
…
As the day pressed on, the search effort bore little fruit. Morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon turned to evening with nothing to show for it. At around 1700 hours, a Japanese civilian search plane behind the Archimedes Fleet spotted unusual activity just outside of Osaka Bay. The pilot was understandably alarmed, and he followed the disturbance on the water until it entered the mined area.
Suddenly, plumes of water shot up fifty feet high into the air. Something was definitely moving under the water and setting off the explosives. The search plane radioed in its report as more and more explosions went off below. It definitely wasn't a submarine. If that were the case, the first mine would have crippled it and brought it to a halt. Finally, Godzilla's head popped out from under the waves, confirming what the pilot suspected all along. The Japanese' worst fear was at hand. Godzilla had apparently changed course and was now heading directly for the city of Osaka.
When Military Central Headquarters got word, they sprang into action. Sirens began to go off all over Osaka, singing an ominous tune of impending doom to all of its inhabitants. Lights all over the city went out as the authorities alerted everyone to the imminent attack by Godzilla and blackout protocols were put into effect. There was full blown panic in the dark streets of Osaka. The police were urging civilians to seek out shelters, though the smart ones didn't bother with that. Instead, they just got themselves clear of the city altogether. Overhead, warplanes were taking to the sky, their engines whining and echoing across the skyline, adding to the already menacing atmosphere.
Word was finally sent to the naval forces out at sea looking for Godzilla. The recall order was given. A request to return was also relayed to the Archimedes fleet. Admiral Malek was happy to oblige, and the entire armada spun around and started to head back to the city. However, the fleet had been sailing for hours in the opposite direction. There was no chance they would arrive on scene before Godzilla made landfall.
…
By 1930 hours Godzilla had pushed his way through the minefield and was already invading Osaka Bay. He was only minutes from entering the main harbor area. Akira's squadron was circling around the city's skyline, waiting for the order to begin their mission. Inside the castle at the top of the hill, the Japanese commanders were marking off the evacuated zones on the map. The waterfront, and the districts closest to them, were completely empty, and tanks and rocket launchers had gotten in position. Thus, the generals gave the word to begin aerial operations.
"Air unit, proceed with Operation: Falling Stars." Akira heard the order come through his headset.
"Roger." Akira replied, confirming the order. "Everyone stay in close formation." He radioed to the rest of his squadron. "We're going in."
Akira led his unit out over the water of Osaka Bay, far above Godzilla. The monster stopped and looked up at the jets as they came near, but then ignored them after they'd failed to swoop down and attack him as he'd been expecting. Not seeing them as a threat anymore, Godzilla just began to move forward towards the city again.
"Alright, let them go!" Akira ordered.
All at once, the fighters began to deploy their payloads, dropping down bundles of flares from their wings and bellies. Within seconds, dozens of flares crackled to life, lighting up the night sky. Godzilla stopped and took notice. The sparkling orbs seemed to captivate the monster. Godzilla followed them with his eyes as they drifted above and over him.
Just as the first wave of flares started to fizzle out, a second squadron of aircraft flew over and set off a second batch just behind Godzilla. The monster turned his whole body back towards the bay to keep his eyes fixated on the twinkly lights. The third wave deployed their flares even further out. The wind was carrying them out to sea as they floated away. Godzilla started to move again, following the lights as planned. The defenders on shore breathed a collective sigh of relief. No one really expected this gambit to pay off, but it actually seemed to be working.
The fourth wave of fighters began their run as Akira's group circled back around preparing to make their second pass. As Akira banked around, he looked down to the city and saw something disturbing. There was a truck racing around the streets with its lights on, flying in the face of the blackout regulations. It was being chased by two police cars.
'What in the hell is going on down there?!' Akira thought furiously. He looked to see if Godzilla had noticed them.
Fortunately, the monster was still happily chasing the flares further and further out to sea. Akira had the urge to dive down and strafe the men in the truck, but then thought better of it. If the gas tank in the vehicle ignited, it could be a disaster. He just couldn't risk it.
The disaster, however, was unavoidable. Akira watched as the truck lost control and crashed into the pipes of an oil refinery nearby the harbor. A fireball erupted that was so intense, Akira could feel it in his cockpit. The fire spread fast, engulfing the entire facility. Akira's eyes shifted back to Godzilla, who was already starting to turn around. It was too much to hope that he hadn't seen the blaze.
"Shit!" Akira cursed, guiding his group of planes back towards the monster, desperate to distract him with their flares. Akira suspected it was a pointless effort, but he had to try anyway and hope for a miracle. The flares were dropped and immediately ignored by Godzilla. The tiny lights just could not compete with the raging inferno ahead of him.
Akira's heart sank. Godzilla was moving towards Osaka with devastating intentions, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. All of his planes, every single fighter in the immediate area, were only armed with decoy flares. Command had put all of their chips behind that strategy working, and it had failed. Akira's fighters could return to base and rearm, but it would be at least a half hour before they could get back into the fight, and Godzilla could do a lot of damage in that amount of time.
Only the reserve attack squadron was armed for traditional combat. Those fighters were already being scrambled, but they were just a handful of fighters. It wouldn't be enough against the likes of Godzilla. The tanks and rockets began to open up from the harbor area, seeing the writing on the wall.
"Those rockets aren't going to stop Godzilla." Haruki radioed to Akira.
"They aren't meant to stop anything." Akira replied coolly. "They're just meant to slow him down a bit to buy a little more time for the civilians to evacuate the city."
The barrage continued as Godzilla moved through the harbor slowly. Soon, he was stepping onto one of the larger concrete docks. The monster crushed it beneath his feet as he walked. The structure could just barely hold his weight. A hail of shells and rockets continued to rain down all around him.
The reserve fighter squadron engaged Godzilla while he was still finding his footing. The lead jet came right at Godzilla, launching as many missiles at him as he could. Godzilla had the plane in his sights and unleashed his atomic breath in retaliation. The jet burst into flames and then nose-dived into the bay. It exploded shortly after hitting the water.
"Dragon one is down!" Akira could hear a panicked wingman shouting through the radio.
The rest of the squadron was more cautious after seeing that. They kept their distance, and only attacked from angles that Godzilla couldn't see them approaching from. They kept him busy on the docks for a time, allowing the rocket artillery more time to reload their tubes for the next barrage. Godzilla just stood there, swatting at planes that ventured too close.
As Akira observed the battle progress from a safe distance, he noticed something unsettling happening in the waters of Osaka Bay. There was a massive surge of white water approaching. It was stirring up the seawater as it passed through. The massive wake gained speed as it got within the vicinity of the docks, dumping over small boats that were tied up there. Anguirus emerged from the roiling tide and crept up onto the docks behind Godzilla.
Akira watched it all unfold, dejected, realizing that the flares his squadron dropped must have attracted Anguirus from further out at sea. It was their fault. They had drawn him there. Godzilla seemed to sense the threat and turned to face off against Anguirus. There was a brief pause as the two titans sized each other up. Godzilla and Anguirus roared threats back and forth. Both Kaiju were eager to engage with the other. Finally, the two monsters launched themselves against one another and the fight was on.
Unlike Baragon or Rodan, Anguirus was large enough, strong enough, and sturdy enough to go toe to toe with Godzilla. Godzilla was not enjoying much of a size or toughness advantage this time. Anguirus fought ferociously, getting up on his back legs and lurching towards Godzilla's throat. Godzilla swung his right arm and caught Anguirus around the left ear. Anguirus shook off the blow and then returned the favor, bashing Godzilla in the left eye with his front paw. The force of the punch and counterpunch were about equal.
The military bombardment resumed as the fight on the docks continued. Explosions crackled all around the two monsters, but neither of them seemed to care all that much. Anguirus' back legs briefly slipped back off the docks and into the water as he wrestled with Godzilla, but he quickly recovered, driving the top of his spiked head into Godzilla's gut, forcing him backwards towards the solid ground of the city.
Godzilla and Anguirus barreled over a crane as they moved out of the dock area. The military forces nearby began to pull back as the fight was moving in their direction. It was clear they would get crushed if they remained where they were. Anguirus launched himself up again, and bit close to Godzilla's neck. This time, it was apparently too close for comfort. Enraged, Godzilla charged up and then utilized his atomic breath. The attack hit dead center against Anguirus' shell, but it appeared to do little damage. Anguirus himself seemed virtually unfazed by it.
The buildings behind Anguirus were another story altogether though. They caught on fire as Godzilla's blue flames streamed past Anguirus. Ships floating in the dock were also set ablaze as they floated on the water. The fire spread inland due to the wind changing direction. A breeze was now blowing in from the harbor. The firestorm moved deeper into the interior of the cityscape consuming more buildings as it went.
A fishing cannery was crushed as Anguirus and Godzilla continued to grapple against each other moving the fight further inland. Meanwhile, the fire Godzilla had set was moving towards a grain elevator. The grain dust inside ignited from embers flowing in from the outside and the entire structure exploded in a chain reaction. The fire was getting well out of control now. Billowing smoke could be seen for miles against the illumination of the simmering inferno.
The Kaiju battle was progressing towards the industrial heart of the city. Godzilla and Anguirus found themselves amongst a forest of smokestacks. Godzilla seemed to be having a hard time grappling with Anguirus. Every inch of his opponent's back being covered by sharp spikes was difficult to contend with. The spines were able to penetrate Godzilla's tough hide if enough pressure was applied. Out of frustration, Godzilla flicked his tail, toppling over one of the flues.
With his ranged attack seemingly useless against Anguirus' armor, and melee fighting not proving much better, Godzilla was forced to get creative. He tore a large smokestack away from its base and then smashed it across Anguirus' shoulder. The shaft shattered into a thousand pieces as it impacted against Anguirus' body. It slowed Anguirus down but didn't stop him. Godzilla wanted to follow up with a kick, but Anguirus rushed him again, keeping him off balance. If Godzilla tried to shift his weight too much to get in a blow, he'd risked getting bulled over. Anguirus simply wasn't an adversary that was easy to deal with.
One by one, Anguirus and Godzilla tussled through the industrial buildings, either tumbling over them or smashing through. Dust and debris were kicked up as the pair separated briefly, each taking a moment to catch their breath. It wasn't long before Anguirus charged again. This time, he managed to get up and under Godzilla, and then lifted him completely off his feet. When Godzilla came down, he landed on his side. Anguirus had kept moving forward though and was out of position to take advantage of the situation. Godzilla quickly clamored back up to his feet with a head full of steam. Anguirus turned back towards Godzilla to find him ready and waiting.
Anguirus next used his tail to knock off the top of a building, sending hunks of cement flying up into Godzilla's face. Godzilla turned in time to avoid any of the debris hitting him in the eye, but some of the projectiles sailed past him into the air. The hail of concrete struck one of Akira's fighters, forcing the pilot to eject. The fighter went out of control and smashed into an apartment building, adding to the destruction. The pilot's parachute opened, and he made it to the ground okay, but Akira didn't like his odds of surviving the battle below with two titans stomping around furiously.
'What can ordinary men do in the face of such monsters?' Akira thought bitterly as he watched the fight continue. The monster's duel was flattening the city block by block.
Below, Godzilla finally had a good opening to retaliate. He kicked Anguirus in the side, managing to bypass his spikes and hit him in the underbelly. Anguirus felt it, tilting to the side, and almost losing his balance from the strike. One of his back legs even left the ground. However, just as it looked like Anguirus was going to go over, he started to tilt back the other way. Godzilla moved in, trying to take advantage of the situation. As he got in close, Anguirus used the momentum of his weight shifting back to whip his spiky tail at Godzilla with extra force behind it.
The attack landed on Godzilla's right shoulder. The spikes on Anguirus' tail penetrated Godzilla's skin and sunk into the flesh below. It clearly pained Godzilla as he let out an angry roar. However, the fact that the spikes had punctured in so deeply served a useful purpose for Godzilla. If he had been hit that hard by a blunt tail, he would have been toppled right over from the force of it, but the spikes clung onto Godzilla's hide just long enough for him to stay on his feet before they slipped back out. The spikes certainly hurt, and they drew blood, but they hadn't gone deep enough to inflict any serious damage.
Godzilla roared and counter-charged Anguirus, which seemed to catch him off guard. Godzilla tackled Anguirus, and the two monsters plunged back into the water of the bay. A huge wave of water washed into the area. Torrents of seawater flooded through the streets sweeping away any unwary people who had failed to evacuate when they had the chance. Sadly, most of the water was too low and couldn't reach high enough to put out any of the fires that were now ravaging Osaka.
Godzilla and Anguirus fought their way back on to land and the battle was starting to take its toll. Anguirus' hyper-aggressive strategy throughout the fight seemed to be weighing on him. He was significantly more sluggish than before. Though Anguirus didn't have the same vigor he'd previously enjoyed, he was still determined to carry on the fight. He wasn't backing down, but neither was Godzilla.
In contrast to Anguirus, Godzilla was still pretty fresh. He'd taken over as the aggressor. The bleeding from his shoulder wound had already stopped. Anguirus was backing away towards Osaka Castle, seemingly trying to think out his next move and recover some energy. Meanwhile, the Central Military Command inside the castle was frantically rushing to evacuate the building as the two monsters approached.
Anguirus found himself cornered against the edge of the castle's courtyard and made his move. He charged forward once again, this time intent on goring Godzilla with his horn. Anguirus built up speed and momentum, aiming to bury the large spike on his nose into Godzilla's gut. Godzilla saw the attack coming and braced himself for it. Recognizing the danger, he leaned forward and caught Anguirus by the shoulders as he came in. The spines on Anguirus' shell stuck into Godzilla's outreached hands, but he stood firm and halted Anguirus' momentum, preventing his attack from hitting a more vulnerable area.
Godzilla brought his leg forward and kneed Anguirus right under the jaw. Anguirus was momentarily stunned by the attack, but when he recovered, he sank his teeth into Godzilla's left upper arm. Godzilla quickly counterattacked, using his free arm to swing around and deliver a strong uppercut to Anguirus as he was standing on his hind legs. The blow forced Anguirus backwards. He stumbled and tripped over the wreckage of a steel plant and lost his balance, sending him rolling onto his back. Anguirus' spikes partially embedded themselves into the soil when he landed.
This was the opportunity Godzilla needed. With Anguirus' underbelly exposed, he could finally do some meaningful damage. Godzilla's back spines began to glow blue as he charged up a massive attack. He opened his mouth and aimed it at Anguirus, who was nearly helpless and still struggling to get off his back.
Just as Godzilla unleashed his furious assault, a large rocket slammed into the side of his face, which tilted his blast away from Anguirus and onto the ground next to him. The force of the blast helped to turn Anguirus onto his side, and from there, he clambered back to his feet. Anguirus seemed to recognize that he was on the verge of defeat and had just escaped what could have been his death. He used the opportunity to beat a hasty retreat towards the open water of the bay.
Godzilla meanwhile was infuriated and turned to see what had hit him. It turned out to be the fighters of the Archimedes fleet. Marcus, along with several squadrons of planes, had launched from carriers to aid in the defense of the city. Their Sabres were outfitted with new heavy-duty missiles that were designed to have more firepower against Kaiju. The main drawback was that the new rockets were generally less accurate than traditional rockets, but Marcus had managed to land an amazing shot. The rockets were not guided, which meant having to get in very close to use them.
The look Godzilla had on his face when he turned to face Marcus shook something deep in his soul. The moment of delight Marcus had felt shrank away and was replaced by terror. He pulled his fighter up and took evasive action, fearing a deadly reprisal. Other fighters launched their attacks and bailed Marcus out by distracting Godzilla.
"Good shot Lieutenant!" The flight leader radioed to Marcus. "I think you really rang his bell with that one."
"He took such a beating in the battles against the Rodans and Baragon, how can he still have so much fight left in him?" Marcus asked incredulously. "Sure, he won those battles, but neither of them were push overs. Both Baragon and the Rodans gave as good as they got." At that point, Marcus noticed that the chest wound Godzilla had suffered at the hands of Baragon was gone. "Sir, look at Godzilla's chest. It's healed already… How did he mend such a grievous wound so quickly?"
"Not only that Lieutenant, but he's got amazing endurance too." Lieutenant Larson noted. "This makes Godzilla four and zero. He's outlasted all of his opponents. Even now, he's still pretty fresh fighting us. What kind of steroids do you think he's on?"
"The nuclear kind." Marcus replied coolly. "Maybe Dr. Orsini can tell us something about it."
"Well, we were ordered to save the castle." Lieutenant Larson remarked. "I think we've managed that. Of course, we also managed to save Anguirus in the process. Not sure command is going to like that. They'd probably have preferred that Godzilla finished him off here and now. It appears that the big guy is looking for that spiky bastard again, but he already bugged out. I guess that means Anguirus is smarter than he looks."
"Hey, Godzilla is leaving too." Marcus observed.