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//: VOICE_JOURNAL_LOG_:_6172021 ://
//: DATE_:_JUNE_17TH_2021 ://
//: LOCATION_:_TERRA_HEADQUARTERS ://
//: VOICE_AUTHENTICATION_:_DOCTOR_OLVIA_DAVIS_-_4_9_2_0_1_3 ://
//: LOADING_LOADING_LOADING_._._._ - - - AUTHENTICATION_ACCEPTED ://
//: BEGINNING_VOICE_LOG_SEQUENCE ://
//: RECORDING_START - - - PROCEED ://

OLIVIA DAVIS: "Ugh... This isn't looking good."

"I don't have much time to talk, so I'll try cut this short."

"*Sigh* "

"Twenty five minutes ago, at 11:31 AM, TERRA HQ was suddenly rocked by a mysterious force that cut out all the power in the base. I was in the lab when this happened... and I... I don't even know what to make of this. This was unlike any other tremor I've felt. Hell, not even the communication or sonar groups were able to decipher it yet. Current theory is something akin to a powerful EMP being unleashed at an unknown location, but we could all feel a mysterious rumbling vibrate throughout the interior. Felt like a minor earthquake or something. We thought it was a local phenomenon at first..."

"Turns out everyone felt it... hell, the entire world felt it."

"Once the power was back on some five minutes later, all of our outposts had contacted us in mass to report on the incident. And it was everywhere on the news... breaking major headlines throughout the globe. We were utterly baffled by this whole thing. Most scientists claimed that they were produced by several super-volcanos resonating at the same time, or some kind of other geological event. However a few outspoken individuals - conspiracy theorists as they were labeled - claimed of something far more ominous."

"Even with how secret we've operated in hiding the public from these titanic primordials, there ought to be several people who know, or believe they know, that monsters do exist. Religions call this as a sign of ominous repentance - the call of god, satan, or whoever - to unleash vengeance across the world and punish humanity for our sins. As a woman of science, I would usually disagree of such a statement..."

"But what else could man call these larger-than-life monsters, wielding archaic powers strong enough to smite cities with little effort? Hmm... I suppose its only appropriate in this instance."

"But oh... if only they had any idea of what laid beneath their feet. If only they knew what devils and demons that we've been hiding from the public eye."

"And I have this weird feeling... this utter dread... that we'll be seeing them very~"

---

---

Suddenly, her room was engulfed in crimson light as a blaring wail whooped throughout the entire facility. Dr. Davis flinched as she hastily turned to assess the noise. Realizing the urgency of the situation, she flailed her pale white fingers towards her laptop. She hastily ended the voice log, closing her device before gathering several important documents in har arms. Once they were clamped within her laptop, she darted towards the door. From the comms, a stern, deadpanned, male voice boomed through the speakers as he announced the dreaded "Code Red" protocol.

"ALERT. CODE RED PROTOCOL INITIALIZED. ALL HANDS REPORT TO THE MAIN OPERATIONS ROOM. THIS IS NOT A DRILL - I REPEAT - THIS IS NOT A DRILL. ALL HANDS REPORT TO THE MAIN CONTROL ROOM."

Davis' fiery orange curls rushed behind her as she ran down the hall. She was surrounded by a flood of fellow staff members and acquaintances from every division, knocking shoulders with the masses as she did all she could to secure her valuables. The scientist could feel the same amount of mass panic resonating from everyone else. They too all dreaded for what would be coming next, especially after an unnatural situation that had taken place.

The agitated crowd began to surge into the Control Room, looking upon a vast room of operatives manning the control modules in their seat. Large screens showed the images of TERRA's logo spinning around as random code fluttered around the perimeter. Several smaller screens revealed the locations of all the outposts that they utilized, however they were disrupted by static that flickered obnoxiously on and off. Dr. Davis adjusted her clear rounded eyeglasses as she attempted to look upon the screens upon the sea of chaotic voices that drowned out the once calm ambience.

Standing before them, his back turned towards the screens, was none other than the President of TERRA himself. Matthias' face seemed permanently glued to the screen, attired in his gritty brown coat and rustled khakis. He stood there for a few good minutes, hearing the conversations that were initiating behind him. He rose his hand, quickly silencing the staff yet refusing to turn. Licking his lips, he cleared his voice before he finally began to speak.

"Ladies and Gentlemen..." Matthias spoke, with a vague quiver in his bold voice, "For over sixty years we've done all that we could to protect mankind. For sixty years we've contained these giant titans of nature and prepared for when they would finally emerge. The calculations predicted that we'd have enough time to prepare - at least another decade or so - in which we would have everything ready and accounted for their return."

He'd pause before the screens flickered and revealed a series of chaotic imagery. Dr. Davis and the others all gasped as their eyes widened at what was upon them. The main screen was flooded with pop-ups, each containing the following words in a dangerous scarlet:

<\\:TERRA_ALERT_:_OUTPOST_*BLANK*_ HAS_BEEN_BREACHED://>

<\\:CODENAME_*MONSTER_NAME*_CAN_NO_LONGER_BE_CONTAINED://>

The smaller screens would jump to reveal images of the various outposts, most being under a pile of smoke a debris. Dr. Davis' fears had come true. The others were dead silent upon looking at what was transpiring, their mouths each dropping straight onto the floor. From the smoke and debris, some screens would show giant beasts raising from their tombs, roaring into the sky as they proceeded to make their presence known to the entire world. The redheaded doctor's stomach turned upside down in utter terror.

"But I'm afraid even that is not enough..." Matthias would solemnly finished as he turned to revealed his rugged and tall form, "The winds of fate... have changed."

"Oh dear god..." Dr. Davis groaned silently to herself as she held herself onto a wall.

After thousands of years lying dormant, they finally rose from their deathly hallow... and humanity has no idea of what's coming.

---

---

Egypt, Africa
- (Outpost 44)

Chaos had overridden the facility as electronics detected massive disturbances from within the holding pen. Operatives were fleeing from the crumbling structure in mass, with several finding themselves crushed under the falling debris. They rushed towards the landing craft parked in the front - a row of tan-colored Boeing Chinook transport vessels with several gunmetal Osperies beside them - and flooded in for potential salvation. Still, there wasn't enough to house every worker in the facility.

The stragglers would be shocked to see their one-way ticket home to be filled as the copters would slowly take to the air. Panicked cries and angry curses would ensure, as they would be soon find themselves left behind, awaiting death to take their insignificant lives. Yet as the first wave would take off, a large explosion could be heard behind them - followed by a deep ear-splitting screech that rattled throughout the fleshy bodies of the personnel. They would freeze dead in their tracks as they turned to face the demon they once held...

Huge crimson wings burst from the rubble as they could see the rugged, sharply curved shape of a giant pterosaur emerging from the ancient dust. The Red Devil, Horus, had officially escaped from its containment. And with a silent breath, he opened his mouth to unleash a fiery beam towards the copters. They didn't stand a chance, as they would explode instantly upon impact. The fiery hulks of flaming metal would fall to the ground, damaging several landing craft as more lives would be taken in the following explosions.

With another booming screech, Horus took to the skies as he lifted his massive form into the sky. As it took airborn, he flew over the screaming masses as the massive turbulence underneath him would displace all underfoot. The humans would be lifted off the ground and tossed away as if spat out from a raging vortex. Even the surviving transports weren't safe as they too drifted in the hurricane-force winds like paper aircraft.

At the end of it all, nearly everyone who bore witnessed to Horus' rise was killed. Several survivors could be seen observing the damage from higher ground, but they shouldn't expect help to save them now. The nearest point of civilization was miles away from there, a several day trek at best. Whether or not they would brave the trip, one thing was certain.

They would be lucky if they could even survive the first day.

---

Horus would not be the only titanic monster to have escaped containment...

From the Arctic circle, Outpost 4's Akhult would emerge from the already melting ice caps as it bellowed a haunting shriek into the frigid air. It would then proceed to run towards the nearest source of water and make its way down towards North America.

Deep within the jungles of the Yucatan, Outpost 19's bat-like Camaztoz would burst from her deep slumber as a cloud of thousands of bats emerged from the building like a swarm of enraged wasps. The giant bat god would fly northwards, making her way towards an unexpected Mexico City that laid in her path.

And yet more outposts would finally crack and reveal what horrors they kept from within...

"The Gods of the Old World have come knocking...
Seeking to reclaim what was once theirs...
Primeval in nature, they exhibit no compromise...
Refusing to yield 'till humanity dies."

The Titanic Resurgence has only just begun. And when it will finish, the world will never be the same again.

Even though the humans thought they were so smart, Sovereign chuckled at the thought of them "containing" him. He let it all happen as they provided an opportunity of recruiting more minions. Exploiting the false sense of security they had until the ultrasonic pulse, the mastermind sandworm took the time to have an easy escape. Reaching out to an employee in his pen, he projected an apparition of a fellow employee to position him into opening the gate. Hallucinations made the employee perceive the gate release as a closing mechanism. While he perceived his actions to be locking and enforcing the pen, in reality the patsy released Sovereign in the process. With the pen open, he moved right out. To make matters worse, not even TERRA security guards were safe from inculcation. The chaos was compounded with inculcated servants helping out their master in various ways. Whether it was opening gates, opening fire on their fellow man, distractions, or other ways of running interference, it became clear how much of a cognitive hazard Sovereign's abilities were.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile in the Arctic Outpost 4, Elena scrambled to track multiple kaiju breaking free. "Activate all monitoring systems by Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau! The populace must be evacuated and the megafauna redirected!" She knew there was no way to effectively combat the kaiju for now. With multiple Kaiju converging into the cities, there was a collision course bound to happen. Not one to take unnecessary risks, she knew that redirection was a simpler task than directly engaging.

<\\:TERRA_ALERT_:_OUTPOST_4_ HAS_BEEN_BREACHED://>

<\\:CODENAME_WECHUGE_CAN_NO_LONGER_BE_CONTAINED://>

Wechuge smelled the air with a rage, harassed by TERRA containment forces. Swiping and biting its way out of containment, the beast displayed unprecedented strength in busting through a ton's worth of solid steel. Things got even messier as the gunfire kept provoking it into attacking. Once it brute-forced its way out, the giant polar bear headed towards its usual stomping ground. Smelling what seemed to be a large whale, it was on guard. The bear was hungry though, it's at the moment planning on getting a good meal after threats have been dealt with.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sheldon assumed that the "god" he serves has been out and about after receiving further orders. After he covered up sabotage on Sovereign's orders, the Minnesotan moved onto the next task. Cleanup has become a specialty these days, using his background as a technician to cover up for Sovereign as needed. Said orders were telepathically relayed, so there was little chance of interception.

Another inside job against TERRA and other "interlopers" was predicted. Sheldon was contracted before by a variety of employers. A janitor disguise was just plain cliché to him, meaning his expertise as a technician is his primary resource. As he got into a white van full of tools for the trade, he drove to his destination.

Pacific Ocean
~1500 miles from Midway Island

Director Phạm Khánh Văn looked out over the Pacific, calm and contemplative. It was a beautiful clear day, with the sun shining overhead and nothing to sully the view from the bridge of the American cruiser. Or it would have been beautiful, were it not for the ugly silhouette of that American aircraft carrier, Andrew Jackson, less than a mile away in the tight formation. The old flattop stuck out of the horizon like a slab of concrete against a clear blue sky and deep blue ocean, ominous and foreboding. Khánh wondered to himself if his father would have seen one of these things when he flew against the Americans in the liberation war. Would it have seemed so unstoppable, so invincible to him as it did here? It was impossible to say.

"Thing's a beauty, ain't she?" the American Captain, the one whose name Khánh did not bother to remember, said glibly. "Pride and joy of the American navy."

"Certainly striking..." Khánh said coolly, his English rough but serviceable. "Though I am more interested in its cargo."

"Hey, don't get all worked up, your Stone is in there," the Captain said. "Dunno why that giant rock needs so much protection but hey, that's above my pay grade."

"That it is." Khánh hoped that his silence would send the message that he really wanted nothing to do with this American, but alas.

"Heard some spooky stuff about it though, apparently we've been trying to get it to do stuff since the seventies. Wonder if-"

The Captain was cut short as an alarm blared overhead, only to be snuffed out immediately. Both men lost their footing as the ship suddenly lurched, coming to a full stop.

"The hell?!?" the Captain shouted. "Lieutenant, why the fuck did we just stop?"

"We...didn't sir!" the Lieutenant said as the bridge crew desperately tried to restore functionality to their consoles. "Something just hit us and fried all our electronics, we're trying to get emergency power on now."

"Midway and Donaldson are reporting in sir, McConnel no response, we have-"

The bridge went silent as a sudden, distant sound pierced the air. At first Khánh thought it was a scream, but it sounded...inhuman. Almost metallic.

"Captain, we have contact from Andrew Jackson, I'm putting them on now."

"Andrew Jackson!" the Captain said importantly. "This is Captain-"

The screaming started before he could finish. Panicked screaming, drowning out whatever voices could be heard.

"...Captain, what's wrong with the Jackson's Deck?"

Khánh looked out to the carrier and suddenly knew exactly what that sound was. Tossing and turning despite its great sized, the whole bridge watched with horror as the Carrier began to bend, its deck twisting and filling the air with the sound of steel tearing itself apart.

"The Heart!" a voice suddenly called over the comm line. "The Heart! It's ripping us to pieces!" The line abruptly died mid-sentence, leaving Minister Khánh and the Captain stone-faced and terrifyingly pale, respectively. The other ships in the fleet, those who could still move, turned away and ran for their lives as something suddenly tore through the side of the mighty vessel. There was a flash of green light as a giant, massive blade pierced the side of the carrier and began to carve through it.

"God help those poor bastards," the Captain said weakly, falling limply into his chair.

Khánh shook his head. "God...has nothing to do with this, Captain..."

---

Hanoi, Vietnam
TC2 Headquarters, Base of Operations for VKBT

Phan Kim Xuyến stepped into the TC2 Ministry, her notes for the meeting with the Iranian delegation still tucked under her arm. The call had been urgent, Black Level priority. Kim didn't even know the VKBT HAD a Black Level warning, it was so serious and rarely used, but it did the trick. She was here, frazzle haired and in real desperate need for a smoke break, but she was here, and not a moment too soon either. The ministry was already in chaos, with guards and politicians running amok trying to find out what was going on, or perhaps contain the situation before things got even worse. Kim did not envy the civil forces for the task ahead of them; she took the mass transit in and the fear and panic were settling in to stay if her ride in was any indication.

"Phan Kim Xuyến, over here!"

Heading towards the two official looking guards, Kim acknowledged them both with a nod and gestured them on, where they led her into an unmarked elevator. They descended into the earth, far lower then the basement of the ministry building, emerging into a dark corridor ending in an ominous set of double doors. "They're waiting for you in there, ma'am," the guards explained before leaving in the very same elevator. Pausing to take a deep breath, Kim strode in through the double doors, where she found a few dozen stone-faced military men waiting for her to arrive.

"Phan Kim Xuyến, please take a seat," the man at the head of the table, the TC2 Minister himself, said politely.

"Where's Director Khánh, sir?"

"Take a sit, Miss Phan."

Knowing better than to argue, she took her seat next to an army general with too many medals on his lapel as the Minister cleared his throat to get their attention, a rather unnecessary gesture. They all knew why they were there.

"Gentlemen, I'm afraid this is as serious as you've heard," the Minister said bluntly. "Approximately an hour ago, a shock-wave of unknown origin spread over the entire Earth. Since then, we've had scattered reports of mysterious, giant creatures being sighted around the globe, possibly agitated or awakened by this shock-wave."

Kim felt like a heavy weight was swung into her face upon hearing this. Giant monsters? No, it couldn't be. They were fantasies, science fiction nonsense designed to sell movies and toys. Even as someone assigned to study the extra-normal, this couldn't possibly be real...could it?

"Impossible..." the general next to her declared, echoing her thoughts.

"Very possible, General. We've coordinated with the PRC and their satellite network has confirmed many of the sightings, including one that you may be familiar with, Miss Phan. Are you familiar with the artifact Director Khánh was escorting?"

"The one codenamed Zeruel, of course," Kim confirmed readily.

"It seems it was more then just an unusual stone," the Minister explained, pulling out two photos from under the desk they were all seated at. "We have this overhead sattelite image from before the shockwave hit, depicting the escort fleet. This includes several cruisers and the American carrier Andrew Jackson. This is from after the shockwave hit." Upon showing the second photo, Kim and the other leaders collectively gasped, Kim moreso because she knew what this meant for the Director.

"It's gone? But...how?"

"Our agents reported several panicked emergency broadcasts before the fleet went silent," the Minister explained. "And later scans confirmed the area to be awash in the same energy signature seen near the other monster sightings in the area."

"So that rock was one of these monsters..."

"Precisely. And it could very well be headed towards out shores as we speak," the Minister concluded. "Director, do you have a plan of action here?" There was an awkward pause before Kim realized all the men were looking at her expectantly.

"Me, sir?"

"Acting Director of the VKBT, yes," the Minister repeated himself more clearly. "This is within your area of expertise. WHat's your recommendation?"

Kim took a moment to herself to adjust to the gravity of what was going on. In the span of a couple hours, monsters had invaded the Earth and the intelligence operator found herself in charge of the VKBT, an equivalent position to some of the top generals and admirals in Vietnam. But there would be time to address the overwhelming feelings about this situation later. Right now, she had work to do.

"Simple, Minister," Phan Kim Xuyến said with overwhelming confidence. "We stop these things in their tracks."

---

At last, the beasts are waking up. On Fukiri's end, her wakening wouldn't go lightly whatsoever. The dragon's wings begin to extend, her eyes and mouth open, her body raising itself onto four of her legs. After issuing a large yawn, the beast looks at her surroundings. Confused and irritated, she quickly turns to anger. Uttering words in Latin from a still mouth, she lets out "This isn't right... Not at all!" She spits a large ball of goop at one of the containment walls, pushing through it with ease. She retracts her wings and crawls through the facility, some of the panicked scientists being slowly melted away by the very substance they were studying.

The beast eventually reaches the outside, extending her massive wings and taking to the skies, rapidly increasing in altitude. Her large wings sends nearby helicopters into a death spiral, thanks to wind currents. Her head cranes around, firing more at anything she deems threatening, which is basically everything that flies or moves on the ground. Her altitude however gains more and more, before settling at a decent height and flying around in circles. She proceeds to bombard the facility that held her from the air, afterwards turning her attention south-east, constantly dripping that goop on her way.

Ain't No Rest For The Wicked
Interactions/Mentions: None || Location: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

* "Fairy tales!" Daichi laughed, his voluminous gut jiggling as he went. "You're telling me you saw a merman?!" Again, his thunderous laugh filled the quaint dive bar as he looked upon his drinking buddy with utter disbelief. His girthy gut was held in only by the buttons of his buttoned up blue collared shirt and high seated belt that held up his black slacks. His drinking companion was his stark opposite. A build quite svelte and a wardrobe far less elegant. Whereas Daichi looked like he had a team of employees in charge of maintaining his hygiene, his newly acquired friend looked like he hadn't bathed in at least a week.

"Not a merman," Raiden clarified, making no attempt to hide his frustration. "I think it was... I mean I've heard it could be a... kappa." The last word made Daichi hysterically roar once more. The two of them weren't friends. They were mere acquaintances. Daichi was a rich businessman who sought entertainment in the strangest corners of the town. One night, he found Raiden in the streets spinning tales of an impending doom. He told his stories with such passion that it became hard not to engross yourself within them. Daichi lived for that sort of oddity. Once a week, he would find Raiden and treat him to some drinks while listening to his tales of primordial horror yet to come.

Raiden knew his role in all of this. He was well aware that he was a monkey being tasked to dance for a coin. It didn't matter. This was the easiest money he made each week. Drink some free beer and tell a rich man some bed time stories. If only he could make an honest business this way.

"A kappa?! A dimple-headed sea monkey? And what did the kappa say when you saw him?" Daichi awaited the response with his mouth agape, preparing to laugh at whatever came next. It was a show, afterall. Up close and personal theater with only one actor on stage. Raiden thought about his next words very carefully.

"It said... 'There's plenty of fish in the sea... Just be careful not to catch crabs.'" Daichi wheezed with glee at he slapped the bar counter. Raiden gave a small crooked grin, note entirely pleased with himself, but satisfied that he got the effect he wanted. He would keep this routine up for hours so long as Daichi kept paying for the drinks. While his buddy was busy hyuking it up, Raiden's eyes began to wander around the bar. They fell on a gorgeous dark hared woman at the corner stool who met his glance. Awkwardly, Raiden tried to smile and give a nod. Dressed in unwashed hand-me-downs that one would find at a poorly managed thrift store, he was hardly an image of impressiveness. Nevertheless, the woman returned the grin. It was enough to make Raiden's stomach flutter.

Just then there was a rumble. The lights in the bar blinked off, on, and back off again. The glasses could be heard rapidly clinking against one another behind the bar. In the darkness, Raiden's eyes grew wide. There was possibility here. Opportunity. He turned to Daichi, shrouded in darkness, and reached back for the ultimate prize: his wallet. In a liquid motion, Raiden seized the billfold, removed the bills, and stashed it back. It was a feat that should only be attempted by experts. Luckily the rumbling ground and the disconcerting electricity problem was enough to make the maneuver. Eventually the rumbling died and the lights settled, glowing once more upon the patrons.

"Look, Daichi, this has been great, as always, but I have to leave." He didn't want to be around when his man asked for his check.

"Oh, come on! You're going to let a little tremor scare you off?" The businessman wore his disappointment very obviously.

"I'm afraid it's just that time, but I thank you again, my friend. You're always so good to me." Raiden knew he could survive without the cash. He would not lose a wink of sleep over the theft. He would, however, lose a finger or a hand should Daichi find out what he had done. With that, Raiden stood up from the bar and winked at the young woman who had given him the slightest attention. As he strode toward the exit, he gave her a sideways nod, beckoning her to follow. She looked hesitant at first, like a deer in headlights, before finally shoving herself off her barstool and following him outside.

Raiden stopped just a few steps outside of the building and turned to her. "You are gorgeous. What are you called, princess?" He humbly smiled and spoke in a very delicate voice.

"I am called Aiko." She gave a nervous giggle as she looked at him. Something was a little weird about it. She seemed incredibly uncomfortable.

"I'm Raiden," he said, introducing himself as he pulled out a crooked cigarette from his pocket and brought it to his lips. "Any chance you want to get out of here with me?" He was already tipsy and didn't feel like dancing around the point.

"Oh... uh... No, I really shouldn't. I mean..." The stammering seemed as if it would continue forever if Raiden hadn't interjected.

"I get it," he started as he pulled out a lighter and lit the cig, taking in a slow puff. "I seem interesting enough to hear out, but not enough to fuck." The bluntness took the woman by surprise. Stammering, and in fact all speech whatsoever, ceased. Raiden knew a lost cause when he saw one. "Well alright then. Enjoy your night!" He turned and waved, walking off into the darkness of the evening, leaving the girl behind to watch him as he went.

Just then there was a wresting sound from one of the bushes that lined the establishment. The young woman looked in that direction curiously. Perhaps it was a small animal like a kitten. Maybe it needed a home. She ventured further toward the brush and saw a pair of eyes that glimmered from within.

"Aww... Here, sweetie. Come to me!" she beckoned. The eyes didn't move. A sense of dread slowly fell over her, raising the hairs on her neck. This was no kitten. Before she could react, it launched itself at her. A fury of wet, slimy fists began berrading her, sending her tumbling backwards. The assailant squealed out in a sound so foreign that she couldn't identify it for the life of her. She tried to raise her hands to block the blows but they came down relentlessly nonetheless. After a while, her conscious mind could take no more and her battered and bruised body fell limp. Her attacker grabbed her by the legs and began to drag her, each step sounding off with a sickening wet slap against the asphalt. As she was dragged, her body soon become one with the night, enveloped in shadow, never to be seen on the surface world again.

*All dialogue translated from Japanese

---

Shadowy figures swam in an organized manner, as if they were components of a well oiled machine performing a task. One by one, these creatures dived deep into the sea with gifts and offerings, showing no sign of jealously or contempt for the chore that were compelled to perform. Indeed, they took pleasure in their mission to provide.

Bringing down the corpses of mammals, reptiles and birds alike, the Kappa diligently continued to descend into the darkness until reaching the point at which they dropped off their gifts upon the smooth rock below. As they did, a tremor caused extraordinary waves, shaking them all and disrupting their swim pattern. In unison, they all had the same reaction. They looked down below, just passed the mound of offerings to the gargantuan silhouette beside it. As they looked, they ceased to move. The anticipation was paralyzing.

Some of them quivered in fear while others felt excited, suspended there in the water. Would he... could he...?

Their unspoken questions were soon answered as their god's eyelids sprung open, it's irises illuminating the waters around them. The time had finally come. Kappakami was awake.

---

---

Current Location: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan

As night falls over the city of Fukuoka, a lone insectoid figure zips around, weaving through buildings, utility poles, and the like. After a few minutes, the figure sets down on a nearby building, resting down on its roof. Its singular, glowing eye surveys the area around it looking for nothing in particular. As it readies for takeoff once more, it suddenly shifts its eye towards the sky as nearby electronics are shut down without warning. The dragonfly then rises up and flies towards the sea at breakneck speed, unlikely to be seen by anyone but the most observant of people.

---

Current Location: East China Sea

Somewhere in the East China Sea, the dragonfly and several others like it have come to perch on a small island. Cracks all over the island then begin to glow a dim yellow light as more of the island start to surface. Two large slits on its head appear, which then suddenly glow with an extremely bright light, which spreads to the rest of its body, illuminating the entire area. What was once an island has now become a giant, its bulky upper body visible above the water. Water cascades off of the giant's body as its massive legs start moving under the water.

As the golem lumbers across the moonlit ocean, nearby TERRA surveillance assets would no doubt detect its presence and inform operatives of its current status. TERRA HQ would then receive another alert, although this one would be colored a bright yellow instead of scarlet.

<\\:TERRA_ALERT_:_CODENAME_SENTINEL_DETECTED_IN_EAST_CHINA_SEA://>

<\\:CODENAME_SENTINEL_EN_ROUTE_TO_FUKUOKA_JAPAN://>

The guardian has arisen.

---

---

Location: Egypt - Outpost 12/The Barrow.

Head research officer Elijah Thompson threw open the door to his office and stumbled inside. Running over to his desk, which was cluttered with a wide assortment of papers and other official reports, he swept his arm across its smooth metal surface, sending them flying off in random directions. Grabbing his computer and spinning it round, Elijah accessed the bases network. Which was still fully operational thanks to TERRA's habit of reinforcing and quake proofing the bases they used to "contain" the Kaiju they found, if such a term could even be used when it came to these creatures. In his eyes, what he and other members of TERRA did was more like trying to keep water from surging through a hole filled dam using nothing but rolls of duct tape.

And very shoddy ones at that.

Bringing up a three dimensional schematic of the structure, the first thing Elijah did was check on Apophis's chamber. If that had been damaged or even worse, breached, then everyone in the base was doomed. Examining the long scroll of text streaming down the right side of the screen, Elijah could see that the room itself was still intact. Cracking a slight smile, Elijah sighed in relief as he took a step back from the computer, his body shaking slightly. The area was still undamaged despite the small tremor the pulse had sent through the cave system, which meant that the security of the base had not been compromised thus far. And while he knew that there was little the room Apophis was contained within could do to stop him should he awaken, even with the modifications they had made to the surrounding rock, it thankfully didn't seem to be much of a problem at the moment. With that matter resolved, Elijah moved on to the rest of the outpost and did a quick room by room rundown. Everything was still fully functional and in prime operating condition.

Save for that one minor hiccup earlier on, things seemed to have gone back to normal...

Or so he thought. For a few seconds later the ear piercing shrieks of klaxons began echoing throughout the subterranean facility as a red warning light switched on overhead, bathing both the office and the hall outside in a crimson, almost blood colored glow, quickly disabusing him of that notion. Muttering a curse as he ran over to the door, Elijah poked his head out of his office and felt his blood run cold as he heard a low guttural growl coming from the other end...

Apophis was awake.

---

---

---

---

<\\:TERRA_ALERT_:_OUTPOST_12_ HAS_BEEN_BREACHED://>

<\\:CODENAME_APOPHIS_CAN_NO_LONGER_BE_CONTAINED://>

Grayish slits shone in the dim light of the cavern as a low growl, like an earthquake, slowly arose. Letting out a moist exhalation of breath, Apophis lifted his large tendril covered head and shook it a bit in the hopes of clearing that awful ringing noise from his mind. After a few seconds the sound ceased, and Apophis took some time to observe his surroundings. The majority of which had changed greatly. No longer was his nest warm and dark. For scattered all around the floor were tiny yellow objects whose tops emitted white beams of light that illuminated the smooth sandstone he now rested upon, along with many other strange things he could not identify.

Peering down at the ground below, the massive snake could see small swarms of tiny creatures gathering around him with odd looking black objects clutched in their hands. He sniffed the air, gazing at the figures more intently now as a familiar scent reached his nostrils....

Humans.

And from the smell of sand and spice that seemed to radiate from their bodies in waves, they were the same as the one's he had encountered in ages past. The one's who had attacked him as he glided through the ocean blue skies above all those years ago. The one's who had come into his territory time after time in the hopes of finding and killing him. These humans were part of that very same group. And now they were standing here. In his nest.

Letting out an enraged roar that shook the whole cavern, Apophis dug his clawed wings into the ground and pulled himself forward, easily tearing through the measly defenses these pathetic creatures had erected to keep him at bay. Using what little heat he had absorbed from the warm cavern roof during hibernation to help fuel his cold muscles, Apophis slowly slithered and clawed his way to the surface, crushing everything in his path and leaving what was left coated in a thick, clear, saliva like substance.

Upon reaching the entrance to his nest, the opening of which had shrunken considerably, Apophis used the weight of his body in combination with the claws on his wings to break free from his home turned prison. Letting out one final roar, both of triumph and slowly fading rage, Apophis burst forth from the dark tunnel and surged out into the sunlit world beyond...

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Glenn Spade was shaken from his sleep by something hitting the aircraft carrier. He wasn't sure what it was, but he needed to find out. His body was working on autopilot. He changed into a standard flight suit. He wasn't sure what was needed of him, so the went with the default. A slate grey flight suit. He ran out of his room as he zipped it up. He knew they probably wanted to speak to him to brief him on whatever was happening. He ran down the corridor, waving past people, making his way to the command room. He ran down a flight of stairs, taking it five steps at a time, nearly slipping and falling halfway down. This didn't slow him down though. He met up with a few other pilots scrambling to get their assignments before they could take to the skies. By the time Glenn entered the command/briefing room, he was with three other pilots, and four more were already seated. Ten more pilots came in. They were all TERRA pilots. the air force pilots were all off somewhere else, getting briefed separately.

"Now that everyone is here. As far as we can tell, this wasn't localised." The commanding officer said as he paced backwards and forwards in front of the assembled pilots. "A pulse of unknown origins was recorded at every TERRA facility all over the world." He said. The screens behind him lit up with various red alerts that showed the breaches. "As far as we can tell, it woke up the Titans." He paused for dramatic effect. "All of the Titans." He said emphasising the word all. "Now, the crew of the USS Nimitz has been very helpful in letting us use their vessel as a mobile headquarters for the last couple of months. I am thankful you stayed out of their way as much as possible, but now, it is their turn to stay out of our way. It may be their ship, but this is our area of expertise." He said as he stopped in front of everyone. "This isn't an excuse to be a dick." He clarified. "The Airforce pilots are being briefed to listen to you during any confrontation with a Titan." He turned around to face the screens behind him. A picture of the Titan codenamed Sentinal came up. "TERRA surveillance assets detected this once they came back online. They also came up with an inconclusive reading in the Sea of Japan. It is unclear if these two are connected, but this..." He pointed at the picture of Sentinal, which was a top-down shot, that looked like an island wading through the ocean. "Is moving towards Japan. Moving towards us." He said before turning around. "Get ready to deploy. Full Nano Suits. Now, we only have three functioning Condors. Spade and Jacobson, you take one. Scotts and Willis another. The third goes to Miller and Wallace. Everyone else, you get what the Airforce gives us." With that, the TERRA pilots stood up and left the room.

Glenn left alongside his apparent co-pilot, Phil Jacobson. "So, first time fighting a Titan." Glenn said as they ran to the change room. "Yeah. Lets put this fucker in the ground." Glenn had to admire his co-pilot's enthusiasm. But the Condor had never been tested against an opponent like a Titan. Nothing had.
The two men entered the changeroom and unzipped their standard flight suits. Neither men were uncomfterble seeing each other naked. They had served together in the past, and both were comfortable in their own skins. Not to mention nothing was ever going to happen. They were both straight. Hell, Phil even had a wife. "What do you make of all this?" Phil said as he slid into his Nano SUit. They were standard for most TERRA Pilots on an operation. "End of the world." Glenn half-jokingly said. As he did, he finished zipping the Nano Suit up. Fastening the last few buckles. He looked over to see Phil was also done. " Or just an excuse to blow some monster to hell." He said before grabbing his helmet and leaving towards the flight deck. As he left the change room, he keyed a few buttons on the small touchscreen on his wrist, to register it as himself.

South America - Outpost 35

<\\:TERRA_ALERT_:_OUTPOST_35_ HAS_BEEN_BREACHED://>

<\\:CODENAME_CERES_CAN_NO_LONGER_BE_CONTAINED://>

"Okay. Thank you." Site Manager Juarez solemnly nodded, putting down the rotary phone-- It might have been a ramshackle relic of a bygone era, but it was somehow the best they could do after the massive tremor knocked out not only most of their technology out at Outpost 35, but all of TERRA's stations worldwide, as well as most of civilization suffered blackouts. All of TERRA's locations across the globe were thrown into a frenzy, with most major communications being an absolute nono. Right now they were all scrambling to try and get an image of what the hell was happening, as well as trying to get their electronics back online.

Juarez tried directing the manpower of his own facility, deep away from civilization-- But he was filled with dread. The phonecall he just finished had admitted that yet another Titan had awakened. This wasn't just some EMP or solar phenomena-- Whatever disabled most of the world's electricity was also awakening the massive Beasts that humanity had enjoyed such a utopian existence turning the absence of-- Like mice making merry while the cat was away. He knew Outposts were practically a farce-- Just a means of watching for signs of stirs. They relied too much on longevity of the situation, Juarez himself even comforting himself on the fact that they very likely might not awaken in his own lifetime.

But now, like dominoes these bestial gods were slowly awakening, and mere hours were all that stood between humanity and absolute genocide. His own facility was next, he knew it. He hardly even knew the nature of the beast he was guarding, left that all up to the researchers and biologists at his facility. Some sort of massive plantile being, who only mildly shifted and caused unnatural flora in the surrounding area. That was TERRA's bigger interest, the effect their own creature had on the environment. Apparently it caused entire villages to become overgrown in mere hours, and turned wildlife exceptionally aggressive. As a consequence the containment field was much larger and loose than other Titans. Terror and dread overpowered Juarez; He practically locked himself in his office, with just a phone. He had to be strong, even if it meant his colleagues couldn't see him.

Then, it finally happened.

While the crew at Outpost 35 managed to get a backup generator up and running shortly after The Wave, once again another tremor overrode the area, and knocked the power out. Initially some present thought it was another Wave that shook the entire world. But within moments that theory was proven incorrect.

A massive scope of land gradually began to rise, crumbling the earth and causing an avalanche to spread outwards across the facility. Meanwhile, the flora that already needed to be kept at bay day and night began to rapidly grow. Some tried to use their advanced tools to try and trim it back down, only lasting seconds before the facility's collapse forced them to evacuate. Eventually the rising mound came to a halt-- Before the megafloral entity shrugged off it's cloak of dirt and grass, revealing it's true form.

A towering entity, of uncontrolled growth of bark that covered it's entire body. Yet despite it's plantile nature, it had a very clear visage of a face-- A long, drooping jaw, covered in massive hanging vines. It's wicked, gnarled eyes somehow glew even in the blazing dawn of the sun. Ceres.

Despite the catastrophic destruction to the facility, some of the security managed to mount a counterattack-- Five helicopters, less than even 20 men in total. They managed to attract the entity's attention, turning one of it's eyes to glare at them. The fleet responded with firing rockets-- A few zagging projectiles of light, practically pebbles to the Titan. After a few initial shots, the Titan knelt down, placing one of it's arms on the ground, as if wounded.

"Holy shit, we're doing it! Keep firing, it's going--"

The enthusiastic captain was abruptly cut off as his entire helicopter was completely snatched with a massive spire of tendrils that rose from the ground, completely wrapping the vehicle before crushing it. Three of the other copters also suffered similar fates, being gripped straight out of the sky, smashed under the pressure of the roots and slammed into the ground. The last remaining helicopter tried to escape, turning from the fight and quickly flying off-- To which another tendril rose, leaning to the side as it whipped it out of the air.

With the scant resistance quickly overrun, and the rest of the facility being overgrown by wild and hostile flora, it seemed Ceres' initial awakening went smoothly. Until it saw an Armored Personnel Carrier quickly speeding off as fast as the damned moving brick would allow, outrunning the growth of plants. Ceres growled in annoyance, but made no extraneous efforts to stop them. It retracted it's arm from the ground, causing the massive tendrils to wilt and harden. Then, it began its massive charge in the direction of the vehicle, towards the closest bastion of civilization.

Within a matter of hours, mankind would be no more.

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The thing about Japan, as Noah was quickly coming to realise, was that he did not speak Japanese. And no, regardless of what Amber, the editor of Cryptid Weekly, seemed to think, a semester abroad way back in university did not make him ‘more or less fluent’, something he’d tried to tell her ever since being given this assignment. Of course, her response to that had been to just point out that he wasn’t meant to be talking to the Kappas. Just, y’know. Looking for them. That begged the question though.

Could Kappas talk?

The thought gave him pause, before he pushed it away and kept going, almost like he hadn’t stopped, mid stride as he made his way across Hakata’s busiest bus terminal. It was a warm day, and people were clearly busy, if the glares they were shooting in his direction were anything to by. He frowned, before pulling out the paper map he’d brought with him and opening it up where he stood.

It was heavily annotated, red sharpie lines carved swathes through the different districts, post it notes fluttered in the slight breeze, and the margins were filled with blue-black scribbles. Noah traced one of the lines across from where he was now to what looked to be a small hub of nightlife which had been heavily circled several times. Next to it, Noah’s own black biro scrawl outlined its significance.



Whoever this ‘Kappa Man’ was, Noah had a feeling he’d find more information from him than he would poking around some random river. The only trouble was, Noah had no idea where to start.

His phone buzzed in his pocket,and he pulled it out glancing at the glowing screen. A text from Amber, two simple words spelled across the LCD screen - ‘Food Baka!’. His stomach gave a treacherous grumble, and he realised the Kappa Man would have to wait.

He grinned and shook his head, before tapping out a quick reply, and setting off to find somewhere to eat.

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When Sarah told people she worked in HR, their reactions were almost too easy to predict. The slight glaze over their eyes, the polite nod and smile, the instantaneous and blaringly obvious lowering of expectations. As depressing as it was to have her career be an instant turn off, it still felt like an inside joke, given what she actually did. Because yes, Sarah worked in HR, but she worked in HR for TERRA, and that was an entirely different ball game.

It was a Thursday morning like any other, and she stared at the rolling bank of monitors at the end of the large office. Thousands of global press releases, only around half even in English. Everything from major diplomatic issues, to kitschy stories about local celebrations. There were operatives in charge of specifically combing the non-stop feed for anything relevant to TERRA operations, but Sarah’s team kept an eye out anyway.

Sourcing the exceptional, the weird, the too curious for their own good - Sarah personally had recruited well over a hundred agents into TERRA during her time. Some she kept in contact with out of personal preference, others out of professional obligation. The latter category was mostly scientists, those who kept an ear to the ground in their respective fields without actually working for TERRA directly. She made sure their info kept coming, and their mouths stayed shut. If it got out what they did here… what they were keeping secret… Sarah didn’t want to think about it.

She leaned back in her desk chair, and booted up her PC, taking a sip of strong black coffee from the mug she’d brought with her from the kitchen. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, but she ignored it deliberately. It was probably, no, definitely Haley. The break up had been messy, but that was only half her fault, not that you’d know it from the endless stream of texts and missed calls she’d been bombarded with since. It’d die off soon, at least she hoped so. As much as she was a ‘stone cold bitch’ in Haley’s words, she didn’t want to block her.

Another buzz, and Sarah scowled, before pressing the power button down hard. She was at work. Haley knew that. She pushed it out of her mind for now though, she had bigger fish to fry. Namely, a Ukrainian scientist just a bit too interested in Egypt for Terra’s liking.

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It was a late afternoon in the small village of Drumandochit, Inverness when it happened. The temperature had skyrocketed over the past couple of days, and in response, tourists and locals alike had turned out in droves to enjoy the rare good weather by the loch. Queues for the single ice cream truck had waiting times of over an hour, the Loch Ness Centre was so packed with people it was hard to see the exhibits, and boats full of people coursed chipperly over the calm, deep waters.

On one such boat, Timothy Johnson, four, was enjoying a day out with his parents and two younger siblings. His baby sister had been screaming for the better part of a half hour, and whilst his mother attempted to soothe her, his brother, comparatively new to the world of bipedal motion was running rings around their father, leaving Timothy comparatively unattended. And so, he’d decided to entertain himself with the cheap disposable camera his parents had gotten him for the trip. It had up to 100 pictures he could take, and when specialists at TERRA would later pour over the film, they would find most of them to be pictures of people’s sunburnt legs, the floor, and an unusually large number of interesting bushes.

One of these images, however, would prove to be quite a bit more important than legs and floors and bushes, because Timothy Johnson was pointing his camera at the water the exact moment the ground quaked. There, on a cheap disposable camera, was the moment Loch Ness monster exploded out of the water, snatched an unfortunate seagull in her pointy teeth, and retreated back beneath the surface, changing Drumandochit forever.

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It had been such a nice slumber too...

Simply casually sleeping away, only a little buried, so all the little things above ground created soothing vibrations now and then...

There was a period where greater vibrations came, but nothing that would warrant awakening, nothing that posed a direct threat, it was even soothing after a while, like something had built a subtly vibrating bed-shell around him to make his rest even more comfortable...

He might well have been one of the most peaceful monsters that was contained...

Then it came.

He felt the precursors of the vibrations before they actually hit him, not quite a problem yet, but on a scale of such grant magnitude that his body didn't dare let him stay asleep.

Slowly, those massive eyes drifted open... slowly, lazily... His mind quickly picking up on the signals of every little thing around him, so many tiny things scurrying around, too small to be snacks, but so many. then there was the shell of shivers all around him, varied sources of vibrations gave him an astoundingly thorough vision of the facility that had been built around him, such tiny tunnels that could only be for these scurrying tiny things... though they seemed to be quickly vibrating harder... He very calm and lazily watched the little things running around, even as the strange red things started blinking and they began scurrying 'away' as hard as they could go...

Well that was understandable, tiny things didn't stay near big things that weren't asleep, but that meant his nearer distraction was gone so he raised his muzzle up and his jaw wide, a great yawn rumbling from his maw...

that was when it finally hit, the sonic wave that would cause such chaos around the world hit his senses and full, and everything went red!

His eyes shut tight, seeing red as his brain filled with confusion and pain from the intensity of what followed! It was like the whole world shook and his poor ears and nose were hit with all of it at the same time!

Immediately he surged up from his sleeping curl, raw strength shredding the containment that had been meant to hold him, a broad swing cleaved a great swath from the walls and anything else around him before both of those claws went to cover the pain in his head, several moments of wanton thrashing following before Instinct took hold!

Then he fled under-ground, the containment room filling with dirt and debris from metal and stone that were either cleaved through or wrenched out by raw strength if it didn't cut so well, and In moments the titan had vanished from the facility... oddly, leaving most of it intact and a fading rumble behind as he blindly dug in the direction of gravity!

He'd continued nearly a mile under-ground by the time the lingering effects of... 'whatever' that was wore off enough for him to settle down and focus... He couldn't fathom what had caused it, nothing had ever caused such a tremendous reaction from his senses, some part of him feared that the world had to have split in two for him to sense such a thing!

And yet, it had faded, there was no persistent after-effect that told him of some great predator or cataclysm that had seen fit to wake him so viciously, only the far more subtle and harmless noise of the shivering cradle he'd clawed his way out from.

Suddenly, a new sound met his ears, one from within, a low instinctive rumble that told him one thing...

'I hunger...'

Immediately he filtered out the lesser vibrations of the tiny things and their tunnels, and began tunneling back towards the surface, seeking the cues of walking 'snacks' in the distance...

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Some few dozen miles away, there was a little group of humans grumbling in agitation as their jeep had stopped running, some of the world's rapidly dwindling number of people who had no idea that titans were rising to wreak havoc upon the world. They'd merely been observing the local wild-life before the engine, radio, phones, and even satellite phones had died on them... the camera didn't even work.

Thing's suddenly grew more tense when the ground began to tremble, various wild-life in view panicking and fleeing the area, but not fast enough... With astounding timing, just as things began to run again, the ground split open barely fifth meters away, 'just' far enough for them to neither be threatened by the wild-life... 'or' the giant beast that had just surged out of the ground like a shark cresting the waves!

The bloody thing hadn't even left the ground entirely, it was still mostly buried, but it's maw had burst through the surface and swallowed an elephant whole! 6 tons of meat gone in an instant with little more than a sickening crunch, but it's massive claws had also swept across the ground once it's shoulder's were above ground, clumsily pinning together several more members of the now desperately fleeing herd...

They certainly had no idea that it was awakening to ravenous hunger after unknown millennia of sleep... nor that the sun beating down on it's hide and the shining crystals protruding from it produced a sense of bliss it hadn't felt in ages.

They couldn't even drive away, as while it's appearance had missed them by enough to leave them safe, it had torn up the ground enough to trap the tires... they could only watch in morbid horror as it proceeded to gorge itself on some of man-kind's largest known mammals... and listen to the blissful purr it was producing, even if it sounded more like a hungry growl to them.

Daniel Winters - Seattle

"Another day in paradise," Daniel mused aloud to himself. Clad in his usual black suit, he remained a few steps behind his ward as Liliana Snow briskly walked down the morning streets of Seattle. It was an early start for them on a cloudy day, a result of the packed schedule that Snow had cooked up for their trip. Mostly shopping, some sightseeing, the usual. The hours could be rough, but that was something that one got used to with time. He'd had plenty of time for that in the Army, so he was used to it by now.

His gaze swept the streets they walked along, alert for any suspicious activity that might indicate a potential threat to his client. He hadn't lost anyone before, and he didn't intend to now. Besides, Liliana was a good kid despite her flaws. He'd have regretted it if something happened to her on his watch.

She was used to his constant presence by now that she didn't have to glance over his shoulder to make sure that he was still there, red dress rippling in the wind. "Alright next I think we'll head down here," she muttered to herself with a glance at her phone. They'd gone over the route the night before, but she was always particular about directions. It made things easier on him, at least.

Catching a glimpse of her eager smile, Daniel had to fight to keep the infectious look from slipping on to his face as well. He had to look stern, intimidating. And he did. It was just hard with a boss that you could actually stand.

They were about to cross the street when something happened. A rumbling, one that shook the cars where they sat. Liliana squeaked as Daniel grabbed her and pulled the both of them into the doorway of one of the nearby buildings, following training that he had been taught some time ago in case it got worse. Fortunately it didn't, soon settling down back to a normal day.

"What was that?" Liana asked as Daniel relaxed his protective embrace. Almost on reflex she went for her phone to scour the news while Daniel's gaze swept over the some what unperturbed people nearby.

"Earthquake. Not a big one though, it looks like," he offered after a moment. Well, it made for an exciting day at least, even if they didn't need it.

Frowning, Liliana's fingers tapped quickly as she brought up news apps to see if they had anything to say. "But that's normal for Seattle right? I mean, there's that fault in California nearby."

"Yeah. Was probably just a tremor." Considering the fact that it hadn't been anything particularly strong, Daniel didn't see a reason why they should worry about it too much. The world was returning to normalcy, so it looked like it was time to get back to business. Especially if no one else was worried.

Almost no one, at least. Glancing over, he caught the frown that Liliana wore before she let out a surprised grunt. "Huh," she mused aloud, scrolling over some page or other. "That's weird..."

"What?" Daniel asked, moving to look over her shoulder before she deigned to show him what she was looking at. It was the BBC, because of course it was, he noted idly before turning to the actual headline.

Still wearing something of a worried scowl, reflected in lilac colored eyes, Liliana quickly explained. "That earthquake. They're saying it was everywhere. Like, the whole world at the same time."

Daniel could tell she was worried, but consoled himself with reading the article before he said anything one way or the other. "Resonating supervolacnos, huh?" he muttered aloud. It sounded kinda like nonsense to him, but he would be the first to admit that he wasn't a scientist. Even if it was nonsense, there wasn't much the two of them could do about it anyway. "Well, they say they've got people working on it. We can be worried if it happens again."

"You sure?" Liliana asked as they got underway again, this time at a slower pace than before.

"Yeah, of course I am," Daniel assured her. "Have I ever let you down before?" Unable to dispute it, Liliana regained a bit of that smile as they moved past the buildings that rose high over their heads. Still, he couldn't help but shake the nagging feeling he had, or the prickling of the hair on the back of his arms. Hopefully it was nothing, but he just couldn't be sure....

The young woman sighed, glancing at the clock. The garage was quiet for once, at least for the next hour or so. Her work for her classes were finished, so she had nothing to do for the time being. Digging into her pocket, she felt the familiar shape of an old pocket watch. It had been a gift from her grandfather when she'd graduated high school. Unfortunately, he'd passed away last year.

"Bidibidibidibidi!"

Emiko glanced at her phone screen. A text from Dad, back in the States. Attached was a picture of him in a Hanshin Tigers shirt, hot dog in one hand and a beer in the other. He'd been doing better since his operation last month. She quickly typed out a message before slipping her headphones on and selecting a playlist, closing her eyes as the music started playing.

"Namida ga ikutsu afureta darou
Itami o nando kanjita darou..."

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Dr. Otto Anderson took a sip of coffee from his mug, glancing at the monitor. "How's the big guy doing?" A young woman with blond hair stepped into the room. He gave her a scowl.

"Karen, what are you doing here? I thought you were on your way back to Copenhagen?" Karen rolled her eyes.

"You haven't been outside today, have you, Dad?"

"No." The bearded man pointed at the screen. "I've been keeping a close eye on Jörmungandr. His vitals have been changed the last few days. Heartrate and breathing are elevated, and brain activity indicates he might be coming out of brumation." Karen blinked in surprise.

"Should we be worried?" she asked. "When TERRA woke him up, he was... less than pleased, if I remember correctly."

"If you call snacking on a few construction workers less than pleased, then yes," Anderson replied.

---

The great beast was dreaming. It swam through the freezing depths, drawn by a call. It was a sound it hadn't heard in several millenia: another of its species. The last time it had heard the sound of its own kind, it led to a territorial dispute. It had won, and as far as the creature knew, its opponent had died of its injuries.

Then there was another sound: sharp and piercing, as if something was biting onto the beast's skull. But this one didn't disappear when it opened its eyes. The yellow pupils flicked around, taking in the sight around it. The air reeked of the tiny pink apes and their machines... and from some reason, the scent enraged the beast.

The monster reared its head, and let out an earth-shaking bellow.

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Far to the north, below the massive pyramids of Giza that towered into the heavens, the city below was only just recovering from the minor tremor that rippled through them. Still, despite the minor damage that Giza had suffered, everything seemed to be going as usual - if not for the minor delays in shipping out important goods. Even the great pyramids still stood, showing very minor -rather insignificant - damage to their ancient limestone foundation. They stood the tests of time for thousands of years and there they remain for perhaps another several thousand years. All seemed as if nothing had happened.

Then came a thunderous roar that echoed throughout the desolate sands beyond. It's magnitude caused the ground below the shocked residents to vibrate, with pebbles bouncing and legs nearly tripping. Now the civilians halted everything they were doing and looked to the southeast. People looked into the dusty skies - from the ground to their rooftops - as they saw a large cloud of sand approach their humble residency. Crimson light would begin to peer through the dust before revealing Horus' approaching upon Giza.

An elderly man wobbled his fragile frame towards the great god, dropping his wooden cane, as he raised his hands to the sky. His eyes were wild in disbelief and his jaw unhinged.

"انه يأتي! انه يأتي! لقد حان حورس العظيم! (He comes! He comes! The great Horus has come!)" the man cried ecstatically.

Yet the others did not share his sympathy. They screamed in dreadful terror as they abandoned their stations and ran the opposite way. Another booming call came from the crimson demon as the giant pterosaur began to fly closely beside the great pyramids, his great mass causing hurricane-force winds to blow over the puny huts below. He narrowly missed destroying the great landmarks of history, almost as if it was his intention to miss them. Yet he showed no mercy to the inhabitants below, with people and debris flying in the gale-force winds as they helplessly tried to cling onto anything aground.

Even the local military was powerless to halt the massive pterosaur's advance. Their missiles proved worthless in penetrating Horus' thick sturdy scales and against the titan's heat beam, they would be instantly incinerated upon colliding with it. After proving his dominance and destroying most of the city, Horus then landed on one of the great Pyramids before once again issuing a booming territorial call and raising his wings high into the air. He has reclaimed Giza as his new territory, upon a great wonder of the ancient world.

And he will not let anyone take his glorious city from him... no matter the cost.

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A single blast of a powerful water jet from his blowhole was enough to have the whale-beast Akhlut break out of Outpost 4. Bursting from his millennia-long frozen sarcophagus from within the ice, the titanic beast emerged from the frozen waters and leapt out with a sudden burst of speed. He leapt over the very outpost that had imprisoned him before he dove right back into the water, breaking the thick ice as he descended.

As he swam beneath the ice, he could sense a familiar foe nearby, one that he knew all too well. His nemesis was near and that very feeling made his cold-blooded exterior run hot with rage. His taste for freedom was now at risk due to that giant bear's presence. It was not too late for him to flee - afterall, his movement was far superior in water. He could dart deeper into the water and pop out at a more peaceful location. But at the same time, he felt obliged to fight him - wanting to prove him dominance towards the lumbering oaf.

Akhlut would turn back around, following Wechuge's scent. His lumbering footsteps above shook the very ice above him, providing him to pinpoint where the great bear was. And once he figured out his location, the whale-wolf would dive several hundred meters into the pitch-black abyss. Within moments, Akhlut was swimming upwards at an accelerated pace before he burst through the ice above. The titan lunged towards Wechuge with his maw open and his arms stretched towards him, letting out a terrible roar as he attempted to pounce upon his furry, land-lubbering, nemesis.

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@Lmpkio

Apophis froze as the sound of a distant, yet familiar, roar reached his ears. Dipping his snout into the Nile for one last drink, the old reptile quickly turned away from the river, sending a large spray of water into the air as it did so, and began worming its way up a nearby dune. Lifting his large tendril covered head, the venom covered surface of which glistened in the harsh afternoon sun, Apophis began to search the air for scents. First with his nose, and then with his tongue until he found what he was looking for.

It was an old scent. A very old one, but one that he remembered nonetheless. A scent of death and heat. Of fire and primal rage...

It was the scent of Horus, the strongest of Apophis's old foes and the one who had given him the most trouble in ages past as their hunting grounds and nests were practically right next to each other, only seperated by a few miles of sand, water, and rocks.

And now it seemed as though he had finally re-emerged at long last. Good. It had been too long since he had put that arrogant creature in its place...

Far too long.

Stretching out both of his wings as a low rumble began to build in his chest, Apophis bowed his head for a few seconds before rearing his face up towards the heaven's above and releasing his own equally loud and equally territorial bellow, which was carried across the seemingly endless expanse of sand and off into the distant horizon.

After spending the next couple of minutes warming the rest of his long winding body, to ensure maximum muscle efficiency, Apophis burst into motion and took to the air, his massive leathery black wings quickly lifting him higher and higher with each beat. Weaving his way from current to current, updraft to downdraft and back to updraft yet again, the old Sun Eater made his way towards Giza as he had all those years ago, rage burning paradoxically hot within the confines of his icy heart.

@Lmpkio

The giant bear now had to deal with the blubbery nuisance once more. Anticipating that Akhlut was trying to drag it into the water, Wechuge proved that it wasn't slow. Attempting to evade the pounce by scooting back and standing up, retaliatory swipes accompanied the maneuver. These swipes were warning swipes however. But if Akhlut wished for a fight, Wechuge will bring a good fight! Bear roars flavored the swipes in the attempt to keep the enemy at bay. Further attempts to grapple were certain to encounter one of Wechuge's advantages: opposable thumbs. Although it didn't seem like an advantage, an opposable thumb on each of Wechuge's front paws allowed for better climbing and (by extension) wrestling.

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Elena, getting reports that Akhlut escaped and engaged Wechuge, didn't sigh in relief. However, she would be pleasantly surprised that the cetacean is giving Wechuge a tussle and her some more time to mobilize defense forces against the monsters. Interpreting the satellite data's recorded video and images, the intelligence officer predicted that the conflict would be short. Nonetheless, this moment allowed her to assist in giving useful information to the mobilizing forces. So far, Wechuge has been deemed a bigger threat as his size exceeded that of his opponent. Before Elena came of age, she always recalled her father taking out the trash with a .44 Magnum revolver in case of bears. Extrapolating from Wechuge's size, she recommended the heaviest artillery in excess of the usual M777 howitzer and the GBU-43/B Massive Ordinance Air Blast. To her, anything less than those would only anger Wechuge. Crossing her fingers, she hoped that her intel did not fall on deaf ears.

---

The call went out after Kim's briefing with the top generals was finished. The VKBT was mobilizing, and it was time to call in the troops.

Technically, this little organization had no name. It was referred to as the VKBT to throw off the scent, fool the Western spies into thinking it was a Vietnamese operation, but it couldn't be farther from the truth. TERRA's goals were not unknown to those who saw the UN with distrust, and some nations sought a counterbalance, an organization of their own that would care if something happened to the places that the UN considered unimportant. Or perhaps an organization that could serve as an alliance against this paramilitary group, but it was all in how you sold it.

Phan Kim Xuyến had spared no effort upon her sudden ascendancy into the leadership of this group. It may have faltered since the end of the Cold War, but it still possessed an indomitable spirit. And if there was anything she knew as a proud Vietnamese citizen, it was how to fight against an insurmountable foe with little to fight with and still come out on top. That didn't mean that things didn't look grim, though...

"We're getting reports coming in from around the globe, many of them clustered around Japan and Southeast Asia," the analyst reported. "Our ears in TERRA facilities are informing us that containment protocols are failing at a spectacular rate."

Phan Kim Xuyến steepled her fingers, looking over the world map projected onto the screen as it filled with giant, red K's to indicate a new sighting. It was a small miracle, she thought, that TERRA had kept all this from the world for so long, only for the charade to come crashing down in spectacular fashion. Looking intently at the red letter indicating where the former director had been lost, she heard a commotion as a group of men arrived in the operations room.

"Director Phan, I arrived as soon as I could," the group's leader, an Iranian representative in his freshly pressed uniform, announced as his entourage spread around to join the ongoing work. "General Mostafa Vakili," he continued, offering a hand which Kim took.

"Glad you could make it, the situation is escalating fast," Kim explained. "The OPEC nations are mobilizing their armed forces to join us, and the PRC has pledged support, but at this rate I don't even think that will be enough."

"A grim sight," the General agreed. "I hope we have a plan."

"We're watching the board to make our move now," Kim said. "As it stands, we only have one of these monsters who have made direct contact with us; the Heart."

"Yes, the one named for the angel," Vakili agreed. "Iran has already deployed its fleet to the Pacific, I suggest we move towards the last sighted location and begin the search there."

"Agreed, we'll move our own fleet to rendezvous," Kim said, leading the general over to a smaller map of the Southeast Pacific, with indicators depicting fleet movements.

"Looks like we aren't alone," the General said, pointing out the indicator for the American fleet. "That must be the Nimitz, they have their new toys to fight with, from what I've heard."

"Yes, I...wait a moment. They shouldn't be over here, they're moving towards Taiwan, but the vector is wrong." Kim swiped through a few statistics, drawing up nothing suspect. It was definitely a carrier group, but..."

"Someone get me a read here, which fleet is this?" Kim called out to one of the analysts, who diligently scanned the region.

"It's not a fleet, ma'am, it's a ship. Just one."

A chill ran down Kim's spine. "The Andrew Jackson?"

"I...yeah, how did you-"

"We have our target general," Kim said seriously. "We need to move our fleets now and intercept. I don't know why the angel is dragging the Carrier behind it, but it's giving us a clear trail."

"To where?"

"If I had to guess," Kim said. "It's headed straight for the other carrier fleet in the region."

---

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As the panicked staff began mumbling to themselves about the current situation, Matthias began to pace slowly to the left with his head leaning downwards.

"We've now been thrown into the fires of war without proper preparation." he replied in a somewhat grimly tone, "Whatever that ultrasonic frequency did, we're certain that it the culprit for the devastation that you see before you."

Dr. Davis would only remain silent as she continued watching the compilations of the titans emerging from their slumber. She began to worry about her family back home in Manhattan - her beloved husband and her sweet daughters of two. She felt uneasily queasy at the thought of a titan invading her family residence, but while it hasn't appeared to happen as of yet - at least according to the confirmed locations on screen - they would no doubt be fearful of their city being hit next. And if so, their chances to survive the onslaught would be slim.

She tried to swallow her overwhelming dread before looking back to her superior.

"I will not keep much of your time in such desperate hours," Matthias continued with urgency, "For our time has run out. We must act immediately to save civilization as we know it. The AMF forces here are already preparing their forces to hit the worst offenders, but we need eyes on the ground to keep tabs on the others."

He'd then point towards the masses.

"Each of you has been assigned to a primary specimen," he said, "Each according to your expertise on creatures relating to them. You will study them. Track them. And you will feed every ounce of information that you can obtain from them to us. The more we know about who we're facing against, the faster we can determine in recontaining them. Any information is critical, no matter how big or small, can turn the tide towards our favor. Further orders will be released accordingly. Any questions? If not, proceed to your designated stations and join up with the AMF forces in the hangar and prepare for your departure. Dismissed."

Now being released, Dr. Davis would quickly confirm her placement and rush towards the hangars. The ospery and Chinook helicraft and stationed opened their doors to flock their respected passengers to the scene, each numerically labeled according to help guide their passengers. It was time to save the world - now or never.

---

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Horus' haughty bellow reached loud and far, seemingly without equal, as he only heard the faint sounds of the panicked masses emanating from the city below. Still, he was confused as to why the locals defied him. His subjects were fleeing, while metal birds attempt to ward him away. Were they built to mock his own image? Did they not have a clue as to whom they faced? Surely they would pay for their traitorous deception against him.

Yet what Horus wasn't expecting was a response of equal vigor. So when he heard a piercing shriek echo from beyond the dunes, the creature ceased his initial actions. He perked his head up cautiously in the roar's direction, identifying it to the southeast. But it was a sound that he recognized oh so acutely. A scream immortalized within his psyche.

It was the unmistakable voice of the dreaded chaos god... the one and only Apophis.

A gurgling growl of disgust escaped his hooked break before he shifted his mass southwards, his clawed feet clenched firmly into the ancient rock of old Khufu's grand monument. Normally he would be facing his enemy with a fellow god or two - usually teaming up with fellow sun god Ra, whom the chaos god abhorred - yet now he finds himself alone. No matter. He did not fear this false god; this imbalance towards the natural order.

Another bellow raptured from his armored gullet, as he spread his wings and waited for the serpent to face him. He will not surrender the Kingdom of Egypt to the forces of chaos and he will protect it with or without his loyal subjects helping him.

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Blocking out the sun, a swarm of thousands of bats flew over the great green sea of trees that laid below them. Their shrieks deafened the natural ambience around them as mother Camazotz flew above her numerous children. Her cries were the loudest of them all, as she lead the great crusade to their next objective. Yet scouring them from a distance, a group of jets had been dispatched from TERRA to observe the scene but were strictly ordered not to attack. Apart from the fact that the bat goddess' spawn would easily overwhelm them if not for her majesty alone, her projected course towards Mexico City was suddenly halted by a previously unknown event to the southwest. As if responding to the crisis, Camazotz changed course to intercept with this disturbance.

Her estimated course was unknown, but whatever it happened to be, the bat goddess was flying towards with great urgency. After all, her hearing had been estimated to be acute to the point where she could detect the sound of a pin drop from several miles away. So whatever she heard, it must've been loud enough for her to notice. And indeed, once as TERRA was able to project her estimated course, everything would finally make sense.

She was on a collision course with another titanic monster - this one being in the form of Ceres.

Upon reaching its location, Camazotz shriek echoed through the jungle followed by the cacophony of replies coming from her swarm. The morteptera swarm would descend onto the battlefield, engulfing it with their numerous presence. However, while a few bats engage the humans, the majority were focused directly onto the nature titan himself. They flocked onto Ceres' body, scratching and biting at his hide with their abnormally large fangs. Letting them do their thing, the bat goddess would circle the scene from the sky as she carefully eyed the action.

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The whale beast's blubbery mass lunged towards Wechuge with surprising speed, yet his opponent dodged swiftly and attempted to retaliate with several swipes of his massive forearms. Narrowly avoiding his jagged claws, Akhlut slid across the ice with his blackened nails scratching the frozen surface before turning to face his old rival. The beast squinted towards his polar adversary with gleaming grey pupils, a grimace that spoke louder than anything the bear could bellow at. The amphibious beast needed no introduction, nor anything else to say to him. All it desired was to beat Wechuge and that was all.

Wechuge's display of dominance didn't deter Akhlut, rather increasing his intense immense hatred towards the behemoth specimen. He bellowed his own symphonic call before jerking his head downwards and unleashing a concentrated beam of pressurized water towards Wechuge. If the creature was to dodge, he would proceed to aim his beam towards him, hellbent on punching a hole through his furry exterior from as far as a distance as possible.



"Ohgodohgodohgod..."

As the destruction raged outside the crumbling station, Dr. Jacquline Mills was scrounging through the chaos with all of her notes in hand. She struggled to keep them within her grasp, almost stumbling as a thunderous tremor rippled through the building. All the while, alarms were blaring straight into her ears to the point where she could barely hear the titanic conflict taking place outside. It may deafen her to the sounds of war, but hell did it do jack shit when it came to minimize the crippling feeling of it.

Jacqui thought that one titan was bad enough - but for two to show up? The privilege to see the two combat each another - let alone see her favorite blubbery cetacean in action - was too much for her to bare. And while she'd love to take notes on the thunderous Akhlut, her life seemed far more valuable to TERRA than a frozen corpse hidden underneath the rubble.

Jacqui orders were clear from the very start of this madness. She, along with the rest of the staff, were ordered to evacuate the premises via the helicopters situated outside the premises. She only hoped that the two monsters could keep their distance and NOT crush them while they were at it. Still, there were no promises made to spare her life from this chaos.

As she darted around the corner, Jacqui would suddenly come face to face with Elena. In her panic, she failed to watch where she was going and clumsily collided with her, dropping all of her notes on the floor and forcing her onto the floor.

"Oof!" she grunted before she realized all the paper scattered across the floor. She gasped as she hastily attempted to gather them all. "Oh god, I'm so sorry!" she profusely apologized in an utter rambling as she was on her knees, "Just save yourself, don't worry about me!"

Ceres' intent was to waltz through the South American jungle, bolstering it as he went, before finally closing in on the filthy cities of humanity, leaving even nature itself cruel and unforgiving to their survival. He knew that if his jailor's ungodly equipment was able to contain him yet failed, the massive structures humans built would become little more than colossal stone coffins once he arrived, with the full force of nature at his command. Perhaps he'd raze the city overnight. Or maybe he'd cause overgrowth over several days, slowly choking out their infrastructure until he could destroy it with a practical flick of the finger.

Yet hardly any plans ever completely play to fruition; That was his initial thought when the arrival of another Titan had appeared not by sight, but by the loud screech he felt could even fracture his bark were it any higher, which elicited a response of dozens, hundreds, thousands of lesser cries. Soon enough he spotted them-- Camazots, the Mother of Bats. Her call had summoned a legion of her children to join her in flight, before descending upon the Lord of Nature, clawing and biting at him.

For a moment, that seemed like it would've been all it would take to fell the floral Titan. He desperately tried swatting around itself, but for every single one it knocked out five more were biting and pecking in between the cracks of his bark, like a swarm of army ants devouring a lion. Cere's was eventually forced to his knees--

Which again, wasn't much of a sign of weakness from the Wood Titan.

As he knelt, his feet had extended into the dirt, creating several shorter wooden tendrils that had erupted from the earth, managing to form a secure makeshift dome of armor over Ceres as they crouched down low, crushing bats that were too slow to move and forcing the others to retreat from him. Meanwhile, he sent forth another four, longer tendrils, that swung around and swatted at the swarm as they tried to harass the Lord of Nature.

While he managed to defend himself from the swarm that harassed and wore down at him, he was forced into a defensive rut-- Practically grounded, wrapped under several tendrils in order to shield himself, with only four tendrils to prevent Camazots' swarm from bullying attacking him further. Meanwhile Camazots herself was hardly even scratched, flying circles around Ceres as her children backed him into a corner. Yet through a small crack in the dome, Camazots could faintly see one of his uncanny, plantlike eyes, glaring directly at her.