Here There be Monsters

Chapter 1: The Beast/The Goddess

Mei Xing questioned her sanity again as she herded more people to the waiting transports. Terrified and helpless people swarmed the area, desperate to reach the waiting helicopters. Most were barely keeping enough sanity not to trample each other while the others only keep their calm by forcing it to protect others. She and a few other volunteers were the only military personal here, keeping some order in the mayhem. The rest…

Off in the distance, the rest of Baltimore burned. Barely three hours ago, the city had been picturesque and bustling with activity. Now its entire northern section was either flattened, burning, or both. And the cause of it towered over the wreckage, roaring so loud it shook the ground, even from this distance.

"Keep calm and keep moving! Don't look back, just keep going!" Mei yelled over the noise, trying to keep the Beast's visage from breaking the tiny bit of sanity still left in the crowd. The others of her ad-hoc unit did the same and kept blind panic at bay for a little longer. But they were only buying time, same as the rest of their comrades. Time to get a few more people out of the path of that walking Armageddon.

As if summoned by her thoughts, the rumbling of the Beast's roar was drowned out as jets roared past. A few people started to cheer as they raced toward the massive monster, but Mei knew better. She had seen the reports on what the Beast could do, what it had taken, and knew those jets weren't going to stop it. Nothing could. It was why their commander had asked for volunteers for this job. And why an exit strategy for them had never even been considered.

"KEEP MOVING! Don't watch, just go!" Mei ordered, pushing a few forward to keep the line moving. Her sole job was getting as many people on those choppers as fast as possible. Because sooner or later the Beast would start moving and, if it held to its usual pattern, it would be heading straight for them. And once that happened, everyone who wasn't already in a helicopter was dead.

Despite herself, Mei couldn't help but watch as the jets roared past the Beast's massive body. Missiles flashed out before exploding on its snake-like lower body. Whether they did anything was hard to say, but the Beast didn't seem fazed as it roared in fury at them. A swipe of its claw caught two while the other three banked away. Far below, more explosions erupted on its body as an armored column began shelling it as well. The Beast roared in fury before its mouth opened wider and spewed a stream of plasma. The affects of the steam were blocked by the ground and still standing buildings, but the explosions dropped off noticeably... An entire column…

"That's it, we're full!" a crewman yelled, drawing Mei's attention away from the horror. She nodded to the crewmen and started to push people away from the copter. Many pushed back and she only lost ground rather than gain it. Pleas, angry yells, and cursing filled her ears as the copter spun up its blades and drowned all of it out. With the help of the down-draft, Mei pushed the people back and the copter took off into the air.

Mei glanced back to find the next waiting helicopter. She spotted it and turned to le- fear flooded her body as she froze in place. The Beast's huge form was moving again... and heading straight for them. Other’s followed her eyes and a sudden, horrible silence took over the area. The living mountain was moving toward them…

"Oh God, EVERYONE RUN!" someone yelled, and the last bit of sanity shattered. Mei tried to keep some calm, but it was futile as people shoved her out of the way and rushed the remaining transports. Their crews boarded in record time and started them up as people fought to get aboard.

One never got off the ground as it was swamped by people. The craft tipped over and its blades dug through the concrete, and people, that were in the way. Debris cut apart still more as it whined before exploding in flames.

Two more managed to take off though a poor man who had grabbed on at the last second plummeted to his death before anyone could pull him in. Another was about to takeoff when someone shot the pilot. He might have been about to demand being let on but was set on by a mob and killed. The area around the pilot-less helicopter turned into a brawl.

 Mei watched all this and part of her screamed to go stop this... But the rumble of the Beast's approach was getting louder and a glance back at its 2500ft frame bearing down on her silenced that voice. Primal instincts took over and Mei joined the crowd in fleeing the area. There was nothing she could do now, save try and save herself.

Rushing through the abandoned streets, Mei could see they had no chance on outrunning the Beast. Worse, the press of people was getting tighter and tighter. She noticed a few go down and never saw them again. Pushing her way out, she slipped into the doorway of a skyscraper and ducked inside to escape the mass. A few others joined her, and they all took a moment to catch their breath.

Before any could so much as talk, the entire building began to quake, groan, and splinter. Two of the group rushed out immediately. Mei was about to join them when, suddenly, the wreckage of a transport smashed down into the doorway, killing the two that had exited. Outside, screams of agony and death echoed out as glass rained down. The doorway was ruined and the flaming wreckage of the copter, with a massive boney spike speared through it, blocked the exit.

Mei didn't wait as she sprinted further into the building, desperate to find another way out. She didn't bother bringing the others with her, focused solely on herself, as she sprinted through the back rooms of the first floor. The noise from above grew worse and the ceiling began to shake, driving Mei to search faster. She broke down doors, smashed through glass, whatever, to get to an exit. Finally, she found an emergency exit and practically dived through.

Landing outside, Mei stumbled to a stop and gasped in relieve. She glanced up... and her mouth widened as she saw the entire top half of the skyscraper simply gone. Mei had no idea what had happened to it, but it was simply... gone. And then a shadow moved from beyond it... No, not a shad- Oh God....

Far, far above her was the Beast itself. So massive was its size that she had thought it was the night sky, but no it was simply looming above her. Mei tumbled to the ground as her mind tried to process how impossibly huge it was, but all she got was vertigo. She barely even registered the jets flying toward it, the missiles that hit it right above her. And the huge glob plummeting towa- no, NO!!!

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Gesila awoke with a slight jump as the dream faded away. She groaned in annoyance as she cursed her own mind. It had been twenty years since that had happened... and it still haunted her when she least expected it. Dammit...

"Good morning, Gesila. The time is 7:45 AM. Would you like to begin your morning activities?" a male voice said from nowhere in particular.

"Morning to you, Al. And yes, might as well," Gesila answered as she pushed herself out of her sleeping area. She stretched her arms up, hearing and feeling her scales creak at her movement, before pushing herself onto her feet. She stretched her legs and tail out and her scales creaked some more. She might be molting again soon... great.

With most of her weariness stretched out, Gesila moved out of her room and into the exam area. She sighed as it hummed to life and its various tools and machines came out of their storage areas. Various mechanical arms moved them into position as they circled around her, collecting various information for her "caretakers".

"I am sorry, but pro-" Al started, but Gesila cut him off.

"It's fine, Al. I know who to blame for this constant annoyance," Gesila said, as she glanced to her side. Staring back was her mutated reflection, sent back by the one-way window.

Some part of Gesila still found it odd how used to her twisted look she had become. She still remembered when she had seen her... changed self for the first time. Her face and hair hadn't changed too much, only a few scales scattered about and her skin darkening in tone. Her eyes, though, had turned yellow and became slit like a cat's. The biggest change, though, was her teeth, now huge and razor-sharp. Oh, the terror that had filled her face all those years ago... Now, all she saw was herself. Or rather Gesila, the new her. Mei Xing was long gone.

Gesila snapped back to now as the most offensive of the various tools appeared in front of her. It was a syringe and it patiently awaited her to allow it to take a blood sample. Grumbling, and with another glare at the window, Gesila raised her scaled arm and took hold of a scale next to where the scales stopped and her "normal", as normal as skin capable of taking tank shells without so much as a blemish were, meet. She grunted as she pulled the scale back, causing a bit of her blood to dribble out. The syringe acted quickly and took a sample before withdrawing. For good reason as the small wound had healed before it had even returned to its birth. With all the tests finished, the door leading to her proper home was opened.

"Al, can you get a bath ready for me? Got a lot of gunk stuck between my scales," Gesila asked as she left that damn chamber behind. She rubbed her arm and found her scale already fitting back into its proper place and the pain mostly gone. Truth be told, the blood withdraw was nothing but a mild annoyance, but she still hated it. She wondered, not for the first time, what they would do if she just refused to give it. Nothing they had could get through her skin so... Well, nothing that wouldn't cause collateral damage anyway.

"It is already prepared and set to your preferred temperature," Al responded.

“I should really learn to just not bother asking,” Gesila said with a smile.

“Your morning bath is the most adhered to morning routine you have. Outside the required exam,” Al responded, though Gesila had already stopped listening. Instead, she was rushing toward her bathing area. Al was great when it came to getting things done and being punctual but left a lot to be desired in conversations. Though, being an AI, that kinda came with the territory.

Gesila moved into the airlock leading to her bathing area and willed it to hurry up and cycle. She was eager to wash off the crust of sleep and let herself be properly relaxed before the, inevitable, annoyance arrived.  Finally, the airlock opened, and she practically pushed her way inside.

Before her was a bubbling pool of boiling acid, its fumes giving the area a sickly green glow. A normal person breathing in the stuff would be lucky to ever get another breath, but Gesila's enhanced lungs barely even registered the acidic fumes. She rubbed her clawed hands together before dipping a toe in. Ohhhh, fuck that was perfect~!

Gesila, slowly, lowered herself down into the warm, ticklish acid and let out a satisfied gasp as she submerged everything save her head. She enjoyed the tingling of it eating away all the dead skin and old scales as the warmth soothed her muscles into relaxation. Ahhhhhh, once again Al had worked magic.

"Is it to your liking, Gesila?" Al asked as Gesila began to lower herself fully into the welcome liquid.

"Perfect as always," she answered before letting herself fully submerge. Now completely under the liquid, she ran her hands over her body to help loosen the various refuse stuck between her scales and skin. She ran them over her powerful arms, large toned legs, and chiseled abs... It was tempting to really enjoy her soaking, but she had no interest in giving her caretakers a show. She did, though, run her hands over her breasts and make sure they were cleaned as well. OK maybe a little show.

Gesila stayed under the liquid for a few more minutes, letting the acid do its work. She could have stayed under for longer, her changed form allowed her to hold her breath for hours, but decided to come up for a quick breath. She emerged from the acid and whipped the hissing liquid from her face. As she was leaning back to relax, a tiny, familiar form began to move toward her. Ugh, already?

"Just five more minutes, Nancy," Gesila asked as she keep her head above the acid. Emerging from the green gas was Nancy, her handler, dressed in her usual suede business wear with her large snake-like tail trailing behind. Her jacket and hair were put up like proper business attire, but her undershirt was a bit too flashy for either. And her tail was anything but, covered in artwork that wouldn’t look out of place on a hippie van. Nancy always was a bit… different and she made sure everyone knew it. Even when it was just a projection of her made by a small hovering machine anyway.

While Nancy was a changed, the nice term for people mutated by Echidna’s Blood, she would be just as dead as an unchanged human if she breathed in the fumes. Or, God forbid, got any of the acid on her. So, her entering the bathing area was out of the question. But even then, it was unusual for them to talk face to face considering the massive size difference.

"Sorry, Gesila. The Commander made it clear you were going to do the tests or else. And before you threaten me, remember I'm just the lowly messenger no one cares about," Nancy said as she typed a few things onto her notepad. Gesila rolled her eyes before shifting to stare down at the tiny lamia girl projected in front of her. Had they been in the same room, Nancy would barely be bigger than Gesila’s eye, but the projection enlarged her to about head-size.

"You're lucky I'm not keen on killing messengers. Or breaking toys," Gesila said with a toying smile. Anyone else would have been less than relaxing staring into Gesila’s teeth-filled maw, but Nancy was used to it. And on the other side of a projection.

"Also helps that I'm the one who gets all your little... distractions put in," Nancy said with a smirk of her own.

"That it does. Alright, I'-" was as far as Gesila got before an alarm blared throughout the area. Immediately, the warm acid began to drain away and Gesila lamented its sudden absence. And yet was ohhhh so glad for that sound.

"Kaiju threat detected. US forces have requested aid of MCP. MCP aid has been approved. Gesila, prepare for sortie," Al said as the lingering gas was pumped out as quickly as possible. The immense wind was nothing to Gesila, but the projector began to be sucked in. Gesila plucked the machine out of the air and moved into the airlock as it sealed and cycled open.

"Good catch. Just set it on the counter, I'll get Al to send a drone to make sure nothing broke on it," Nancy said from the projector. Gesila nodded and, once the airlock opened, sat the device on the counter. She left Al to take care of it as she headed out toward the massive doors slowly opening. Sunlight filtered in as the doors opened and Gesila blinked the light away as her eyes adjusted. Stepping out, she took in a huge breath of fresh air and stretched one last time. Finally, free again!

In front of her was the base that administered to her containm- sorry, "living quarters" spread out before her. Being 550ft tall, Gesila towered over all of them and everything else around, save the large mountain her quarters were built into. Various people and vehicles rushed through the center of the base, clearing the huge, reinforced concrete road that lead out of the base. She waited till a light near the massive doors turned green before moving forward. Gesila followed the concrete road out of the base and toward the waiting transports. Four massive VTOLs, each larger than many of the buildings in the base, were waiting for her with a massive clamp-like harness hanging between them.

Gesila hooked herself into the harness before giving a thumbs up to the pilot. All four transports, controlled by a single pilot through a master-slave computer program, rose up and lifted Gesila into the air. Gesila leaned back as she was lifted away from her prison and toward her next bout of freedom. And her next battle.

Monster Containment Protocol Information: Section A

Mutations: Class- Kaiju

A very rare, point of contact mutation that has become a constant threat to reclaimed Contaminated Zones and those bordering them. A great deal of misinformation and false-research has been done regarding Kaiju mutations, so we will focus on dispelling many before all else.

Kaiju mutation is ONLY a point of contact mutation. There have been no reported cases of any mutated people or organisms spontaneously becoming kaiju. This is a myth spread by organizations with political and social interests. A mutated creature will either become a kaiju when they are first mutated, or they will not. PERIOD. Anyone found spreading this misinformation WILL be punished up to and including termination.

Second, a mutated organism does not immediately become a kaiju. The actual change can take days, even weeks, to fully complete and has clear warning signs that can be observed before it happens. These signs will be discussed below. Again, anyone spreading misinformation of this kind WILL be punished. Our mission is hard enough without these constant social misunderstandings.

Finally, all kaiju are stable mutations and do not undergo secondary mutations. They may seem to gain new abilities or powers, but this is usually simply down to learning what their mutated bodies are capable of, not additional mutations.

With these myths dispelled, we can discuss the actual mutation itself...