*Warning! Please read this note before moving on to the chapter itself. Several edits have been posted in prior chapters (#s 8 and 9) that you should read before reading this new chapter. They aren't required to understand what goes on here, but highly recommended for the full effect. Hopefully these sorts of changes will not be needed in the future, but do not be surprised if they are. Once you have read the edits, feel free to come back and read this. Hope you enjoy! ;)*

Assault on Bald Mountain

The tense standoff between the Earth Defender Kaiju and the humongous Anteverser stretched on and on, the only source of sound being the quietly roiling lava bubbling underneath the enormous Rift. Crocodilian eye slits gazed out at the trio, the tall spikes on the creature's back ceasing their electrical crackling while its flippers moved just slightly enough to hold it in place. It's dark black plate scales softly reflected the red flames, giving it the appearance of bathing in fire.

The three kaiju stared in silence at the huge monstrosity hovering off in the distance, not daring to move for fear of provoking it.

Guys, I'm not the only one seeing that thing right? Zilla asked.

Nope, I see it too. Funny, here's the one time I would have hoped we were both wrong.

Well, there is a silver lining to consider, Gamera said.

Really? And that would be?

Unless my senses are entirely off base, this beast is not the kaiju that I and the other guardians were designed to engage, so we need not worry about that at this time.

Oh wonderful, Titano snarked. So we aren't completely outclassed then. I'm so thrilled.

Clansi's voice came over the channel to cut off Zilla's coming counter remark. "Gamera, we've got the creature on our screens, but we need confirmation. Is it really that large?"

It appears so Captain. It seems the Anteversers have been making some changes to their production capabilities over the last few years.

Understatement of the decade there.

"So we have the important question then," Romanev said. "Can you still kill it?"

The trio shared a glance before looking back at the hyper-massive crocodile, still hovering with a terrifying grin over the simmering volcano.

Um… maybe? I mean, the Ants have always been weak relative to their size, but with this guy…

We will have to make the attempt, Gamera announced. If that Rift is allowed to stay open, any number of the smaller beasts from before will pour out and overwhelm us. And after that, there's no telling what other plans the Anteversers have in store. We must make a stand here and eliminate the Rift now. Before it's too late.

"Well said, good turtle," Captain Roderick spoke with a falsely cheery tone. "I'm sure this beast will be no different from the rest of the uncultured lot. Just… bigger."

"Big enough that I don't think regular torpedoes would work on it," Clansi speculated. "Even nukes may not be enough. The Rifts are fragile enough to be damaged by the detonation, but a monster this big… It's a toss up."

"Nothing for it but to try comrades. Our tubes are ready and loaded, just waiting for the right moment. We will have to rely on you kaiju to give us the cue on when we are safe to launch."

That will be tricky, Zilla said, eyeing the Ant's sides and motions. Despite its length it's not that tall or wide, so we'd have to be right next to it on the opposite side to avoid most of the shock wave from a nuke. Also, does anyone find it weird that it's just sitting there? We've been staring at it for like five minutes now and it hasn't budged.

Why should it attack? It has every advantage. Titano glared down at the molten wormhole flaming beneath the beast. All it has to do is keep us out of the Rift long enough for them to finish doing… whatever the Daei they are doing on the other side of that thing.

Clansi sighed. "No use waiting then. Gamera, Zilla, Titano, good luck. You'll probably need it."

We may need more than luck in this instance Captain. Gamera turned to his two friends said, This battle will require close cooperation and careful planning. It is quite likely this creature is strong enough to kill us very quickly if we are caught, so make sure to avoid anything it throws at you, even if it costs you a chance for an attack. As much as you can stay above or below it. The mouth and tail are obvious danger zones, but those flippers are likely just as lethal. Find a weak spot in its armor and point it out to me, then grab its attention so that I can hit it with a mana blast. So long as we are cautious, we should be fine.

Sounds like a plan. Titano cracked her paws and neck. You ready for this Zilla?

Zilla let out a mental gulp and pushed out his shudders as much as possible. Vaguely. Somehow I don't think the big guy here is all that the Ants have up their sleeve.

That is a risk we shall have to take. Now, let us not waste any more time. We have to move quickly before the situation can worsen any further.

With that the guardian kaiju retracted his legs into his shell and shot forward on a stream of ejected water. The other two followed after him as quickly as they could, splitting off to the left and right, giving their target a wide berth.

The beast gave one final crocodile grin and let out a shrieking howl that rapped against the trio's ears like a thunderclap. Without any further warning it launched forward, swimming towards Zilla. Seeing a behemoth three times his size moving towards him was enough to send Zilla into a panic, the saurian turning tail and fleeing down to the sea bottom. He dodged down into a small canyon for shelter, only to hear the sound of mountains of stone being smashed behind him. Dodging a hail of falling stones Zilla shot out of the canyon and moved towards a nearby outcrop, franticly swishing his tail as fast as possible to eke out just a bit more speed.

The creature seemed to despise for hiding tactics, demolishing every bit of cover Zilla tried to duck behind. Mountains and ridges were pummeled into oblivion, cracks and canyons filled in with debris. Every time Zilla thought he had managed to evade the thing it reappeared and bore down on him with the fury of a living rockslide. The chase continued for several minutes like this as progressively more and more of the sea bottom was leveled flatter than a parking lot.

See anything we can hit? Titano asked Gamera as they hovered a ways back from the devastation. They both had been taken aback at the creature's intense focus on Zilla, but they were more than willing to take advantage of the opening.

I am afraid my search has been fruitless thus far. The entire body is covered in scales save for the inside of the mouth, which is clearly not a safe option to approach.

Titano hummed, holding her paw at her chin. Think we could rip the scales off?

It is a possibility but I worry about those spikes on its back. They were electrically charged earlier…

For Tanaka's sake, WOULD YOU TWO HELP ME AT SOME POINT!? Zilla's roar was punctuated by a ferocious snap of the creature's jaw closing just short of Zilla's tail for the umpteenth time. You know what, I've had enough of this! You wanna try and eat me pal? Well let's see how you like it! He whirled around; looped over the second snap of the creature's jaw and moved to a large broad patch above it's neck. Claws out and primed Zilla pummeled into the hard material, scraping and striking the scales with reckless fury. Underneath him the giant kaiju bucked and writhed in an attempt to unseat him but Zilla dug into the exposed flesh and held tight, his head bashing against the creature's hide over and over as it moved.

The Anteverser huffed in aggravation and halted its attempt to remove its pest, only to swim down towards the volcano and roll on its back so Zilla was pointed towards the flames. That turned out to be a mistake as Gamera launched a slew of mana balls at the Anteverser's stomach plates, the dense magic splashing against the scutes and cracking several.

Hmm, seems the plates are not as strong as they would appear.

Titano smirked and replied, Sounds good to me. Oi, Zilla, shove off him for a bit. It's my turn.

The aquatic dinosaur swam in towards the distracted beast and smashed against its flank with her shoulder, taking a chance to rip off several scales to really aggravate the thing. It halted in place just above the edge of the volcano and tried to spin around and lock onto Titano, leaving Zilla tumbling from finally letting go of his hold. Titano glared freely at the Ant as it caught sight of her then peeled away, sending the beast chasing after her as it had Zilla earlier. Gamera rolled in to prevent Zilla from entering the edge of the lava field then reoriented to follow the chase and look for a chance to blast the Ant's underside again.

Titano held an easy lead ahead of the giant, kiting him back and forth while Zilla and Gamera kept striking at whatever exposed scales they could reach. Their target became progressively more enraged with each hit but despite the anger pushing it forward its sheer bulk kept it from catching its much smaller and nimbler opponents. More and more of the crocodile's scales were slowly torn away, small scrapes and cuts appearing on its exposed skin, but none of it was truly damaging.

A brief moment of panic ensued when the creature took advantage of a steep turn by Titano to whirl around and barrel towards his own pursers angrily. Zilla dove out of the way just in time but Gamera could do little other than shrink into his shell.

The Ant's eyes gleamed with triumph as it head smashed into Gamera, sending the turtle twirling around at high speed. The follow up attack was an attempt to bite down on Gamera's shell, but despite the Ant's giant jaw and teeth it did little more than lock the turtle kaiju in its mouth horizontally. A bad mistake.

I believe Zilla would enjoy this line. Open wide! A stream of plasma burned out of one of the shell's holes and went right down into the Ant's throat, searing the softer flesh within. Screaming in burning agony the creature released Gamera's shell immediately and smacked him away with a sweep of its skull.

Nice one Gamera! See how he likes being charbroiled inside out.

No time for congrats, Zilla. Move in now, while it's distracted!

Titano and Zilla swam down to get below the beast as Gamera pulled back and prepared a plasma stream, but none of them got the chance to enact their plans.

Enough! The mental roar was joined by a pulse of energy blowing out from the creature, knocking the kaiju back and disorienting them.

Did… did the Ant just talk? Zilla asked while moving himself upright again.

Gamera unleashed several jet puffs from his shell to stop his spinning, coming to a rest looking down at the incensed monster below him. I believe it just did.

But Ants don't talk, Titano objected. They're not smart enough to. That stupid hive mind thing gives them orders and they follow it.

For the rest that is true… The crocodile smiled, amusement radiating from its thoughts. Its voice was dark and deep, colder than the furthest depths of an ocean trench. But I am more than they. More than a simple beast. They are formed solely as fighters, meant for nothing more than combat and destruction. But me…I am the Creation. A new being formed from the best that our understanding of reality can accomplish. The full representation of my masters' power. A horrible snarl started in its throat and extended into a grating mental rasp. And I will not let you threaten them once again.

The Creation roared both vocally and mentally then rushed at the group once again, a series of telepathic assaults joining its physical rushes. In response the trio split up, Gamera going high while spouting a length of plasma, Titano and Zilla moving to either side.

The Creation was having none of it. It feinted upwards at Gamera just long enough to convince the guardian then made an abrupt turn down towards Titano as she was reaching out to bite its flipper. She had only a moment to look in horror before the giant creature collapsed upon her, its full weight falling on her and sending her flying off.

Titano! Zilla roared before rushing forward and clamping down on an exposed portion of the Creation's flesh, tearing the meat away with his jaws. When the Creation ignored Zilla in favor of continuing after the fleeing Titano, Zilla snarled. You're not ignoring me, freak! He opened his mouth and poured out a stream of nuclear green napalm onto the Creation's wounds. The material burned deep into the muscle and bone, prompting a terrific screech of agony from the creature.

The Creation immediately chased after Zilla in revenge, allowing Gamera to move down to Titano to aid her. How bad is it? he asked as he swept a mana infused palm over her body.

I've… had worse, she mumbled at him. A few cracked ribs and my arm don't feel quite right. Still good to go.

Gamera shook his head and pushed some of his mana into her, setting her bones back into place and repairing some the torn muscles. We can't afford to let our injuries hold us back Titano. She started to protest but he silenced her with a glare and went back to his healing.

I, ugh, didn't know Zilla could breathe fire like that. Thought he didn't have any special powers at all.

He doesn't use it often, Gamera explained. It takes a lot out of him and he can usually only do it once in a fight. He prefers to rely on his physical abilities where he can. The turtle guardian smiled as he finished with his work. He also says it ruins his sense of taste for a week afterward.

Titano rolled her eyes. Of course he would complain about that. Big baby. She rolled her shoulders and tested her movements, wincing as some of her nerves complained at the stress. Gamera's mana may have taken the edge off, but that blow was going to leave a mark on her all the same. Let's get after him. I'm eager for some pay back.

Right behind you Titano.

While the two rushed forward to rejoin the fight, the submarines sat in their places outside the barrier, passively watching the battle unfold.

"Oh that's just wonderful," Roderick complained. "Not only does it think, it's fanatical as well."

Clansi frowned and folded his arms over his chest as he watched the trio once again play their super sized version of cat and mouse. Several times the giant blob would strike at one of the golden spots and knock it away, only for the other two to descend on it from the other sides and get in their own hits before retreating again. Each time the cycle repeated the trio grew just a little bit slower or hung back longer before going in. The fight was evenly matched for the moment, but that balance was swiftly changing. "More important is that it can think and plan no differently from our guys. Which means we need to keep it from thinking clearly."

The American Captain was broken from his musing by a call from behind him. "Captain, Sonar reports a kaiju contact approaching the barrier again. Also our magnetometer is receiving very strange readings along the same bearing."

"Does the sonar signal match the contact we recorded earlier?"

A moment passed while the officer relayed the question to the sonar compartment, then turned back for the answer. "Vaguely sir, but the signature has changed somewhat. They say its… gotten bigger than before." Another pause. "And now they're saying that they are getting echoes from rocks moving on the seafloor. It looks like an earthquake, but it's moving in one direction. Toward the barrier sir."

Clansi pinched his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, hoping when he opened all the bad news would just stop. Not only do we have an intelligent 800 foot monster in there, but now we have two unknowns coming in, one of them apparently from underground. Can anything else go wrong right now?

As if his thoughts were a cue card most of the bridge crew gasped. The Captain turned to see what they were looking at and saw a terrifying sight on the telepath display. While the three gold points representing his allies were flitting back and forth around the red mass a new stream of small green dots began floating up from the still open Rift.

Captain Romanev let out a string of expletives before shouting over the link, "Watch out Defenders. More of the sukas are coming up behind you."

What, now? Zilla ducked under a wide sweep from the main Ant's flipper. We can't deal with those things again with this guy on our tails!

Gamera launched a set of plasma balls down at the thing's head, moving its attention away from Zilla to the turtle. Captains, we need you to launch your torpedoes. Anything you can do to disrupt those creatures would be greatly appreciated. Further conversation was cut off as Gamera had to blow himself back to avoid a concentrated stream of sonic energy projected from the Ant's mouth.

The ship Captains needed no more encouragement than that to order another barrage of torpedoes. Several long and agonizing seconds passed in the various control rooms before the torps finally passed through the barrier and started streaming in toward the crowd of miniature Ants from three sides.

As soon as the torps appeared though, their fate was sealed. The Creation paused in its attack on the Defenders and held in place, its back spines lighting up with streaks of lightning. Not again! Its mouth opened up and unleashed mile-long bolts of energy at the sets of underwater missiles, detonating them long before they reached their targets. The barrier absorbed the explosions' sonic waves but the disappearance of their signals was not unnoticed by their launch platforms.

"What happened?" Romanev demanded, staring at his display in confusion. "Where did our torpedoes go?"

"They were launched sir, but they blew up as soon they passed through the barrier."

"Yes, we can see that," Roderick said. "What we want to know is why?!"

This Tanaka damn creature hit them with lightning from its fracking mouth! Zilla cried.

Clansi's gaze whirled back and forth between the spot of red denoting the beast on screen to where the torps had all been launched. "But he's literally miles away! How could he have reached that far?! Damnit, now we're useless!"

"There's no way any of our nukes could reach the Rift before they are destroyed," Roderick agreed. "And now we have no way to support the Defenders. I am afraid they are on their own."

M… maybe not.

The Captains all paused at the female voice. "What do you mean, Miss White?"

The telepath was quiet for a moment, almost as if she was talking to someone else. That sonar contact you spotted… it's not an enemy kaiju. In fact, she seems quite eager to help.

"Wait… she?"

They all fell silent as they turned to the screen, seeing a new orange blob rapidly pass through the barrier and come out the other side aimed right at the stream of reinforcing Ants.

Meanwhile inside the combat zone, Zilla and Titano fell back once again from the Creation, dodging a pair of lightning bolts shot their way.

Any ideas for dealing with the pests again? Titano asked, breathing a sigh of relief as the Creation turned away to chase after Gamera, who had blasted its face with another set of plasma balls. Her face was stuck in a pained snarl, willfully trying to push away the sensations coming from her overworked body.

I was hoping you had a plan honestly. One of Zilla's arms hung limply at his side, and several long scratches on his flank marked where the Creation's flipper had grazed him. Guess we need to split up again. You keep the big guy busy and I'll try to handle all the… Zilla's voice fell away as he turned to face the oncoming horde, only to spot a dark red shadow flitting towards them at high speed. Who the Daei?

The Ants were all scrambling mindlessly towards the battle above like rabid wolves, and thus were too busy to notice the attacker approaching their sides. The first one died in mid-screech, its body torn asunder by sharp claws slicing cleanly through it. The rest heard the cry and turned to face the new attacker head on, only to be ripped apart or bashed away by a hail of flashing sword-like claws or snarling teeth. All who came close to the beast were eviscerated before they could so much as scratch at it, their double-digit numbers dwindling at a rapid pace. Eventually the group gained some semblance of order and attempted to surround the threat, but that ended up being a fool's errand. A wave of sonic emulation pounded against each part of the Ant's living wall, ruining their hearing and destroying their guards. It was all the opening necessary for the remainder to fall apart into a chaotic mess as death swept back and forth amongst them.

Finally the wave was annihilated, the last screaming in futility as bloodied jaws clamped down on it and extinguished its life at last. Zilla and Titano openly gaped at the field of blood and gore below them, the giant kaiju the Ants had been sent to help completely forgotten behind them.

Out of the red mist emerged a figure that seemed to merge the scariest aspects of the two onlookers into one beast. The creature was shaped like a typical theropod dinosaur, but had multiple fins and crests reminiscent of deep-sea fish. Deadly claws dozens of feet long graced the end of the five-fingered hands, arms thickly corded with muscle covered by heavy scales like a natural suit of armor. A thin and spear-like muzzle was lined with needle sharp teeth, slit lizard eyes staring directly at the two with both intelligence and brutality.

Titano felt like she was looking down at a twisted version of herself, as if she was staring at a reflection in the water that had been warped by ocean waves. By Tanaka… what are you?

The thing shook its head back and forth and said at a swift pace, No talk time, fight now! With that it lanced up and away, towards the pair of giants duking it out with lightning and fire in equal measure.

Relative quiet reigned for a moment, Zilla switching his look back and forth between the fading kaiju and Titano on his left. Hey, remember when you said you couldn't handle any more weirdness yesterday? Well, I think that's the universe's way of saying, don't tempt me.

If Titano had any self-awareness at that moment she might have bopped Zilla over the head, but as it was she was still trying to understand just what her eyes had seen.

Leaving the two stunned kaiju well behind the new combatant flew towards the dueling turtle and crocodile at high speed, aiming herself at the larger monster's unguarded tail.

Gamera fired again with his plasma breath, the heavy energy splashing against the Creation's skull and scorching its flesh where the scales had been removed, only for the oversized croc to pass right through without a care. It's massive mouth opened up to once more, bright blue static building in its throat ready to be unleashed directly at the Guardian kaiju. Just before the bolts could launch though they replaced with screams of pain.

Surprised but not displeased by the turn of events Gamera blasted away from the other monster's maw and hovered above it, spotting what the likely source of the Creation's discomfort. At the point where the creature's back changed into tail a maroon kaiju was busying itself with slashing and biting at the visible flesh, seemingly intent on digging its way down to the Creation's skeleton. The new monster got one final snap away at the tail meat before it was flung away by a telekinetic wave and the Creation came about to strike it.

Gamera halted that plan of action by unleashing a hail of mana balls at the thing's spiked back, hitting the apparent channels of electricity just as they started to charge. The hits did much more than he had expected, sending the Creation into writhing spasms that gave the new kaiju a chance to back away. The Creation flailed about for several moments before falling still and beginning to sink, small twitches from its fins being the only sign it was still alive. Well, that certainly worked better than expected. I now wish I had targeted the spines sooner. Ah well, the benefits of hindsight I suppose. He turned to the unknown monster and asked, Now, who might you be, and why have you joined in this brawl of ours?

He gave the newcomer a critical eye, both visual and magical, and was bemused by what he saw. It seemed to all the world that the monster was a combination of Zilla and Titano at their most intimidating, but what truly struck him as odd was its mana signature.

Each kaiju, and indeed every being Gamera had ever met had their own unique 'thumbprint' in magic to use the human term, but most bore several defining marks that showed their role or species. Humans all had a dull, almost nonexistent marking, nearly impossible to spot unless actively searching for it. The rare telepaths and hybrids among the human population sported slightly more noticeable marks, but still were like shadowy blotches in an already dark night. Animals and kaiju by contrast were much brighter and vibrant, a colorful spectrum denoting hundreds or thousands of different forms. And then there were the mana users, such as himself, those beings blessed with the gift of magical power. Only a very few among the Defenders could claim such a power, but Gamera's brother and sister guardians carried the mark regardless of their ability in the field.

And for some reason so too did this creature.

The kaiju took a moment to catch its breath, then turned to him and relaxed a bit. Name's Tytana. Tya for short. The voice was highly pitched and remarkably light in contrast to her terrifying appearance. Heard you guys could use some help, so I decided to stop by.

Gamera smiled and replied, We are most certainly not adverse to aid, so you have my thanks. Though I must wonder, how did you know we required assistance to begin with?

Um… Tytanna turned away from him and mumbled a bit, as if embarrassed. Oh you know. I was just… in the area so…

You were stalking us weren't you?

Tytanna jumped in place in shock while Gamera merely nodded to his fellows as they finally arrived. Titano moved right up to Tytanna and glared in her face, radiating suspicion over the mind link. You were the one who kept showing up in the distance, following us after we met up yesterday. Why? How did you know what we were doing? Why didn't you come talk to us earlier if you 'just wanted to help'?

Tytanna shrunk back from the other kaiju's questions and was left stammering. I… well um… I kinda found out from asking…

A low rumbling began to emanate from below them, causing the group to look down at the Anteverser, who had drifted off while they were talking towards the Rift in idle. The stillness was coming to an end though as the Creation turning its eyes towards them with apoplectic loathing. I have tolerated this assault long enough, but no more. Now you will face my full potential and everything my masters have to offer.

The Creation gave off a shuddering scream loud enough to force the kaiju to all cover their ears. While they were distracted the Rift below shifted and writhed as yet another swarm of the smaller Ants poured upward, forming into a cloud around their leader.

Oh sweet Tanaka, Zilla muttered. It never ends. It never ends! How many of those things do they have?!

Titano snarled and readied herself. Not enough. Not if I have anything to say about it.

If we have anything to say, Tytanna added, sliding her claws along their edges to check the sharpness. A toothy smirk appeared on her face. We being more than just the four of us.

Before any of the group could ask what she meant, the rumbling below accelerated drastically. Plumes of lava blasted upwards from the volcano and shot through the underside of the Rift, scorching several of the unlucky Ants who happened to be down too low. Then the eruption kicked into overdrive, the entire lake of molten rock rising upwards to the point that it flowed up and over the lip of the Rift and spilled out onto the surrounding rocks. Sensing it was in danger the Rift closed itself off, leaving the Ants outside with nowhere to retreat to and no access to reinforcements.

We also includes him, Tytanna said primly.

Him being? Zilla started to say before a huge crack echoed through the water. From the edge of the fiery maelstrom one of the broken canyons stretched open in a blazing spray of lava. The lava froze in place then shifted and molded into a new shape, digging up stray pieces of half melted rock and crystal as it did. Huge arms made of thickened lava rose up, connected to a giant living volcano torso. The 'head' of the thing was a blocky mass of dully glowing rock surrounding an empty opening of bright orange magma. No sooner had the thing fully formed than it let loose a gigantic roar, sending a shockwave pulsing through the water and throwing the little Ants around.

Gamera stared at the form with his mana sense, seeing a familiar red aura, only much stronger than he had last seen it. Is that who I believe it to be?

Obsidious! Titano cried out. What are you doing here?

Tytanna gave the answer. I met up with him after you all left and the first nuke landed, but apparently it wasn't enough for him. I managed to talk to the observer who was hanging around and convince them to give him another dose. They, uh, thought I was you actually, she said while pointing at Titano. When he absorbed the second nuke… I think it was a bit more than he strictly needed.

No bloody kidding, Zilla said. The guy's twice as big as he was before. What did he do, feed off of the volcano too?

We can ask these questions of him later. For now I think we had best eliminate these Anteversers before they find a way to subvert the lava flows. Titano, can you ask him to direct his focus onto the larger beast? Perhaps his power boost will be enough to finally harm the creature.

Titano nodded at Gamera and swam down towards the volcano, projecting a stream of thought at the lava titan.

While she is doing that, we should try to eliminate as many of the smaller beasts as possible. Remove any support for the Creation.

You got it sir, Zilla said. Come on rookie. Let's see how good you are at fighting in a pair.

You got it, cuz'! Lemme strut my stuff!

Wait, what?

Tytanna drove forward without answering, her claws out and ready and letting out a high-pitched sonic scream at the nearest Ants. Gamera followed closely behind her, then shot past and rammed into a pair of Ants who had foolishly tried to stand their ground. Zilla eventually went after them, wondering to himself, Since when did I have a cousin?

While the other three were busying themselves with tearing apart the Ants and avoiding the endless lightning bolts from the Creation, Titano came to a halt several hundred feet away from the manifestation of the friend. Even with the extreme cold of the deep ocean water she could feel the waves of heat peeling off of him every second. You okay there Ob? Is… is everything fixed?

The head turned towards her, the rocks grinding against each other as he moved. I am well, Titanosaurus, he said with a booming voice. My self is… stronger. More heat. More light.

And… and the recharge? Do you think that is fixed?

He tilted his head. Unsure. Power is high. More than before. Do not know… what will change. An approximation of a smile formed from rock scum in the magma. Worry no. Can help now. Must fight.

Titano bit her cheek. You don't have to fight you know, if you don't what to. I'm sure we can handle this.

No. Want to be here. Want to help. Help friends. He turned away, looking down into the volcano he was spawning from. Xenilla, no friend. Never help. Keep away from others. Not let talk, make friend. Keep alone. Titanosaurus help. Care. New Titanosaurus help. Tell friends need help. Go with. New Titanosaurus care. Friend.

New Ti… Titano shook the thought away. Time was of the essence. Alright, you want to help. Great. See that big guy? She pointed at the Creation, who was busy curling back and forth to try and get shots at the Defenders moving back and forth killing every Ant that came close. He's a threat. He wants to make more of him and take over the planet. Kill everyone, kaiju and human. I don't want you to have to kill… but we need him to die.

Obsidious' hands curled into fists as he turned his 'gaze' towards the Creation. Was made to fight. Kill. Will kill for friends. Tell friends move away.

Titano gave him a brief pained look, then nodded and swam off. Guys, Ob says he's gonna join the fight, so unless you want an underwater sunburn you might wanna back away fast.

"So that is Obsidious then," Clansi mused. "Well, there might be hope for the situation yet." He looked back at the screen and tried to calculate the odds. Almost all of the Ants were gone by now, but the Creation was still moving and firing away. At the Captain's command a thermal overlay was spread over the screen, translating the mental data Carrie was receiving into more visual images. Giant beams of bright red started appearing in the visual, striking the Creation at several points and blasting away the final few small Ants. "The tide has turned gentlemen, but I still feel like we should be doing something. Right now we're stuck as observers in this fight, and I don't know if they can afford us sitting idle out here."

"What else can we do, comrade? Our torpedoes would be useless against a beast of that size, and firing nukes would just over-complicate the situation."

"It is sad, but I have to agree. We just have to wait for opportunity lads. Til then, just keep a stiff upper lip."

"And have a sip of tea as well?" Clansi smirked.

"Oh bugger off mate," was the good-natured answer.

The Creation roared again, commanding its lessers to come to it so they could stand together. No sooner had it finished the order than it saw a beam of lava strike a group of Ants in front of its face, burning them to the bone before they could react. Another beam immediately struck its side, melting the plates and skin underneath until it ducked out of the attack. Further beams were deflected by sonic explosions or dodged as best the Creation could, but it could feel the rest of its support evaporating under the other Defender's attentions. This needs to cease! The Creation launched bolt after bolt after the retreating Defenders, saying, You have tried my patience fresistance will end now!

Gamera fell back from the brawl, keeping the Creation from attacking his also friends by again blasting at the charging spines on its back. It seemed to have learned from the first time though because each subsequent try had failed to stun it for more than a few seconds. The turtle guardian did a quick check of the battlefield and saw that everyone was at least a mile away from the Creation. We are all clear of the creature, Titano. Tell Obsidious he is clear.

Titano sent him an acknowledgement then turned to Obsidious. You've done good so far Ob, but you don't need to hold back anymore. Give it everything you've got.

OPEN FIRE, ROCKY! Tytanna shouted, cheering on from behind the massive living volcano.

Fire away turned out to be an understatement. Obsidious dug his hands down into the surging lava pool and leaned into the heat, absorbing more and more of the volcano's power into himself. Whatever the nukes had done, it seemed they had vastly increased his storage capacity. On Solgell Obsidious' flames had been nearly useless against Godzilla at point blank, and utterly pointless on Angurius. Now though, with the full might of a volcanic rift at his disposal and his prior limits removed… now he seemed to be a god of fire come to life.

The Creation was not idle however. It had noticed the power surging beneath and wasn't going to let it happen undaunted. A quick charge of static along its back and it fired a set of bolts down at the mass of flame and stone. It gave a grim smile of triumph for a moment before realizing that the attacks had done next to nothing. The lightning had impacted the lava and simply poured more heat and energy into it, and denser stone replaced the rocks that had cracked and shorn away under the barrage in moments.

Lightning on its own wasn't going to be enough, the Creation realized. Very well then. Time to cease holding back. The Creation's spines once again lit up, but this time the light was a dark, pulsating green. All across its body minor wounds and scrapes sealed themselves, while torn muscles knitted back together and sealed underneath repaired skin.

Is… is it healing itself?! Zilla exclaimed. What the heck is going on? Since when did Anteversers have an ability like that?

I believe it is much more than simple healing, Gamera chimed in. In his vision he could see a dull aura shining around the Creation's body. This is Terran magic. Corrupted and twisted, but magic nonetheless.

Tytanna and Zilla both stared at him in shock, while Titano growled. Not surprised. This thing's been feeling off ever since it showed up. Do you think Ob will be able to beat him like this?

Gamera glanced between the two charging monsters, gauging the energy flowing around them. It is too close to tell. We will have to plan on the Creation surviving whatever Obsidious throws at it. With that in mind…

While the Defenders retreated further and further from the battlefield, hoping to avoid the oncoming power clash, the Creation and Obsidious gathered more and more power into themselves.

This move is valiant of you, but pointless. My strength eclipses yours several times over. No matter how much you take from this natural fount of flame, the Rift gifts me with more. This will end with your essence in tatters and the others dead on the seafloor.

No. Will not falter. Will not fail. Friends… My friends are counting on me. Obsidious shuddered as he pushed himself even further in his absorbing of the lava, the flames around his body shifting in color from red to orange to yellow.

The Creation's eyes widened at the sight but then narrowed again as it stepped up its own power charge, the spines along its back disappearing behind their green glow. Friends? What use are friends in war? In conquest? It's a waste of time and inefficient. A master orders his servants and the servants obey. That is the order of things.

Oh PLEASE. That line' so cliche it literally HURTS! Tytanna's shout was powerful enough to send the others next to her reeling. Anyone with half a brain knows that kindness and friendship gains loyalty far stronger than fear and malice ever will! Friends stick by you through thick and thin but the instant fear wanes, your hold weakens! Seriously, THREE YEAR OLDS figure this crap out better than your precious masters have!

That's why we've always beat your asses before now! Zilla added in. Even when you had an advantage of numbers or surprise, we never stopped working together. Humanity and kaiju both cooperated for the greater good. Your masters send useless fodder out to fight us, not caring if they live or die, and because of that they always lost.

Titano chimed in as well, saying, None of your Anteversers have any thoughts or feelings of their own. They don't know how much meaning life has, and because of that they can never fight as hard to keep it as someone who understands the gift they've been given. Look at us! We slaughtered dozens of your worthless mooks despite being outnumbered 10 or 20 to one! We've evaded everything you threw at us and survived every attack, despite how much 'stronger' you claim to be.

Mere luck and happenstance! the Creation roared back. My masters' will shall not be denied. They have existed for untold millennia, conquering planets and civilizations greater than yours.

And just how many of those were actually fighting as a team? Tytanna shouted, her roar sounding human-like. How many of those worlds truly fought back? How many bothered? You can talk up your conquests all you want with vague statements and bull crap about how advanced they were, but I see no proof. All I see is the latest in a long line of puppet soldiers sent down by a bunch of egocentric TWATS acting like they're the biggest mother porkers in the multiverse. Yet somehow they're getting their asses handed to them by the local vigilantes and shock-troops! FACE IT! You and your precious 'masters' are full of hot air! AND WE'RE GONNA POP YA IN THE FACE!

Gamera rose up above the trio, gathering his remaining mana around himself. Of all the races that have existed on this planet or have visited it in the past, none have shown the resilience and tenacity that humanity has. They have faced the worst of natural disasters, wars, plagues, even an onslaught of monsters thousands of time their size and power and have come out not only alive but stronger for it! In the face of overwhelming adversity humanity has endured and thrived, not just for themselves, but for those who have taken the chance to befriend them. I am proud to say that I am a friend to humanity, along with all Defenders and Mysterians who have joined their civilization. Here you do not face a single race, separate and alone, cowering before you.

His aura grew stronger, drawing from the trio of Defenders below him. Here you fight a collection of beings all working together for the common good. Defending each other from invaders and conquerors like you! And together we shout out in one voice!

No more invaders! Zilla shouted, his energy flowing into Gamera freely.

No more desecrators! Titano agreed, sending her mana up to the turtle above.

No more fear! Tytanna said, her power visibly surrounding her before surging up and into the Guardian above.

No more loss! Obsidious screamed, the volcano surging around him.

Their voices joined into one roar, louder than any one was on their own. This is our planet! And we will defend it!

The gathered energy flowed through Gamera, who sent it pulsing down into Obsidious. Suddenly the lava titan's color shifted again, turning a bright and vibrant blue. The lava pool around him rippled and shuddered from the blowback, all the water surrounding him flashing to steam faster than it could rush back in. In the center of Obsidious' face the power collapsed into a single point, a blinding light shining out from it.

The Creation was shuddering in place now, whether from the effort of pulling out as much power from the Rift as possible or from genuine concern it was impossible to tell. We will not be stopped! No matter how much you struggle or squirm we will succeed in the end. We will not be beaten by a bunch of low grade PESTS!

A thought started in the head of one of the kaiju, then spread out into the others as a single whole. Fitting, was the collective response.

PESTS!? they shouted back. We are no pests! We are Earthlings, and we will win!

The Creation snarled one last time then opened its mouth and unleashed its stored attack. The beam was over fifty feet wide, a sickly nuclear green with dark shadow splotches within. You will die now! Worthless beings!

Obsidious' aura grew one last time before the voice shouted at its loudest.

Just who.

The Daiei!

DO YOU THINK WE ARE!?

Obsidious unleashed the power at that instant, a beam of cerulean power lancing out to meet the Creation's blast. The two beams contacted over the center of the Rift, causing a giant detonation of energy that vaporized everything close to it. The lava pool compressed under the unleashed shockwave, the edges of the Rift folding back under the force. Seconds later the energy reached the barrier and shattered it, the dark field fading immediately. Just beyond it the three submarines were jostled as if by hurricane force waves, knocking many crewmen off their feet.

The beams struggled back and forth, one pushing its way forward for a few instants before the other would assert dominance again, shining blue clashing with shadowed green. Both sides strained as hard as they could, pushing to their limit and beyond. Tense seconds passed on and on in a massive game of chicken to see who would run out first. Below them the lava was slowly receding away or cooling down into rock, while the Rift started to shrink back as well. Neither side could seem to get an advantage over the other, near equally matched as they were.

But then something interceded.

Unseen behind the light of the pulsating beams a single metal construct streamed up towards the Creation, approaching its underside completely unnoticed.

Watch out Defenders! Carrie warned. Things are about to go nuclear!

The Defenders all huddled behind Obsidious as best they could, doing their best to keep the weakening mana stream going into the attack. The Creation heard the warning as well and attempted to blow the torpedo away with a telekinetic wave, but the beam it was firing took up too much of its concentration. It sensed the nuke just a few hundred feet away and at the last moment cut off the beam, redirecting the power into forming a green shield. It's progress no longer halted the mana beam struck the shield and cracked it immediately, the strain shattering the rest of the makeshift covering. The Creation stared wide eyed at the group down below it as the nuke reached its target.

Detonation.

A new sun ignited into existence for mere microseconds. A circle of vacuum flashed outward as the deep ocean water all but disappeared. Obsidious stretched out with its arms and body, attempting to cover the Defenders with his form. It worked, but only barely, as he absorbed the heat and light of a nuclear reaction for the third time in recent days. Leftovers of the shockwave blasted past him and sent the Defenders flying off through the water, bouncing or crashing into the sea bottom and scorching from the remaining heat. Eventually they had a chance to breathe again, but only for a moment before the pull reversed direction back towards the empty space that had been voided out of the ocean. This time they all made efforts to resist the tide, gripping into the rock wherever they could. Slowly but surely the forces subsided and the waters stilled once again, the kaiju all picking themselves up and checking for injuries.

Oh wow, Zilla moaned. That hurt. Really, really hurt. He was moving cautiously and slowly, only his tail waving back and forth to show he was awake. I knew nukes were powerful but damn, that was something else. Kinda surprised we're alive to be honest.

You and me both, Titano agreed. Part of her tail fin seemed to missing entirely, and the lack of feeling in her chest didn't bode very well.

Did anyone get the number of that doomtrain? I think I'm missing my squeedlyspooch. Tytanna appeared in a very thorough daze and looked to have severe burns across most of her body.

A body that was far smaller than before. The sharp spikes and lines had disappeared and the form had shifted into a much more humanoid stance. In all, she looked like a smaller and younger Titano, only with differing colors and a shorter muzzle.

Gamera, his shell heavily burned and cracked in several spots, turned to the now much smaller kaiju and asked, Tytanna, correct me if I am wrong, but have you shrunk somewhat?

What are you… she looked down at herself. Oh consarn it!

Is this something you expected to happen?

I… yeah, kind of. I just hoped it wouldn't happen until later. Thought I was getting better at holding that form, but I guess all the strain was too much. Mom's gonna be SO mad. Both of them are…

Titano looked like she wanted to ask what Tytanna meant when she felt a wave of pain over the mental link. Obsidious! She zoomed off towards the destroyed volcano, heedless of her own injuries. The others followed her at their own paces, Zilla lagging behind due to his damaged muscles.

Titano quickly reached the edge of the volcano, its interior almost emptied of lava. She spotted Obsidious lying in an alcove in the rock, his flame reduced to a weak red. Obsidious! Are you alright?

Weak, his voice droned. Drained. But steady. Solid. Will recover. Three nukes, not fun.

Titano heaved a sigh of relief and started laughing to cover it. Yeah, I didn't think they would be. Nice job, Ob. You did good.

The smile approximation appeared on his face again. We did.

Not good enough.

Titano shrunk back as she heard the voice, turning around in a panic towards its source. Descending out of a cloud of disturbed water the Creation glared down at her murderously. One of its front flippers was missing from the joint down as was most of its tail behind it. What few scales that were still attached were cracked or shattered beyond repair, its large swathes of exposed skin burned into blackened masses of char and soot. The right eye was gone along with much of its skin and flesh on that side, leaving parts of its skeleton exposed to the open water. Faint tinges of green hovered over parts of its body, keeping the organs or nerves within from falling out.

FUCKING WHAT!? Tytanna screamed, WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF!? PURE HATE!? ARE YOU WOLVERINE OR SOMETHING!? WHAT THE DAEI, MAN!?

What does it take to kill you damnit! Zilla added to the rant.

The Creation sneered down at them, many of the teeth broken into horrid crags and stumps. My death may not come until I have fulfilled my purpose. And that purpose will be fulfilled. With your ends.

While the others moved back in concern, Obsidious stood up, his arms hanging down at his sides as his face turned towards the beast. Not our ends. He leaped out over the abyss, latching onto the Creation's face and burning handholds into its flesh.

Just mine.

Frozen for just a moment to long Titano tried to move up to join him but was held back by Gamera, the turtle guardian's face stoney.

What the Daiei are you doing?! Let me go!

The Creation bucked up and down, trying to smack or loosen Obsidious off of it, but nothing would remove him. Down below the volcano sparked to life again, the magma surging upward in a tall plume.

You are in no shape to try and fight that thing, Gamera said as he pulled Titano away from the volcano, Zilla and Tytanna following as best as they could. None of us are.

Fuck that, he needs my help! We can still beat it.

At what cost Tanty? Zilla asked. We can barely move and that thing is still intact. There's no way to win. He twitched with pain to prove his point, his tail barely able to shift enough to allow him to move.

Obsidious dug deeper into the Creation's skull, prompting horrific screams from the Anteverser as his palms burned through the roof of the thing's mouth. All the while the volcano's magma kept rushing upward, surrounding the exposed Rift once again.

Tytanna placed a paw on Titano's shoulder. Don't. He's got this. I… I'm sorry...

Sorry nothing! We can't just let him die! He's my friend damnit! He's my…

Titano fell silent as Obsidious' voice reached out to them over the cacophony of roars the Creation was putting out. That is why this happens, Titanosaurus. You… are my friend, and I cannot allow you to die.

But… Titano begged.

If we all fight, we will die in the attempt. The Creation will die, one way or another… but so will we. I cannot let that happen. His face gazed out at them all, the rocks turned and angled in such a way as to reflect sadness. I… will miss you, my friend. But your life is worth more than mine. I was made as nothing more than a construct of war, no different from this creature. That was always my purpose. My point in life. You showed me that there was more to life than violence, but part of me could never accept it. Even now, part of me enjoys this. And I fear what that part would do to you in the peaceful future you seek.

But you wouldn't do that! Titano argued. We know you're better than that!

And you are better than me, he countered. All of you. Better than I could ever be. If I must submit to my inner beast… Obsidious roared and the volcano erupted one last time, completely covering the Creation in searing lava. Then let it be to save other lives.

The Defenders all watched as both Obsidious and the Creation bathed in the volcano's full fury, the Anteverser writhing in plain agony while Obsidious simply held on tight. The Rift was also engulfed in the eruption, its interior shielding scalding under the flames. Then Obsidious let go of the Creation, his rock hide melting away immediately as his essence combined with that of the volcano.

NO! NOOOO! I WILL NOT FAIL! The Creation reared upward, green energy pushing down to propel it away from the rising lava, while firing as many bolts as it could into the surrounding water, trying in vain to hit Obsidious' essence. DIE ABOMINATION! DIE!

Suddenly the lava redirected its momentum, plowing down onto the top of the creature and pushing it down towards the closed Rift. YOU WILL, Obsidious' answer.

The Creation was at first too in pain to recognize what was happening, but eventually understood the elemental's plan and thrashed in attempt to leave the river of lava. Obsidious didn't let it get far, barring it in place above the Rift by melting its spine to cut off movement. No longer able to vocalize its dismay the Creation was forced to stare down helplessly as the Rift opened to accept its charge. No sooner had the gate been opened than Obsidious rushed the entire force of the volcano down into the Rift's depths. The stream continued down into the wormhole for nearly a minute before something seemed to break within and the Rift closed up at last, cutting off the volcano from the other dimension. It's job completed at last the final blobs of magma drifted down into the broken mountain's center, its anger spent to the last cent.

Titano and the others gazed down into the now empty abyss, words failing them all.

Far off from the group the sub captains and crews all stared at their central screens in awe of what had occurred. None paid notice to the injuries and they had gained from being jostled by the nuke nor to the damage reports filing in from other areas on the boats. All attention was fixed on the one golden spot shivering at the edge of the dark void.

"Mission complete," Clansi said at last. "Let's… let's head on home."

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A/N: ... Well... this turned out... Yeah.

On the positive side, I met my deadline. So that is proof that I can indeed work under a deadline and get things done if I force myself. And I already have most of the next chapter written, just need to make a few changes and additions to it before its quite ready. After that things are a bit more uncertain, but rest assured my pace of writing for this story will remain much higher than it was before. Until next time, hope you enjoyed.