//------------------------------//
// Chapter 23: Doubt, Fibs, and History 
// Story: Shy and Aggressive 
// by Johng117 
//------------------------------//

It was early morning in a lab filled with test tubes, tables, droppers, and forensic tools. A few men wearing gloves were analyzing the blood that was found in the crime scene. They were also inspecting the bullet casings and the bloodied knife for fingerprints.
"The bullet casings definitely match the fingerprints of the victims," said a woman as she held up a casing.
"Mm. Well, the blood sample from the knife definitely belongs to a Transmutant," said a man as he looked through a microscope and studied the blood cells. He looked away from the microscope.
"Where's that blood sample from Takeshi?" asked the man. A woman came by his side with a test tube in her hand.
"Right here, sir," said the woman. The man nodded in approval as he looked at the test tube.
"Alright, we have no time to waste. Let's put the samples to the test," said the man.



Rodan was roaming through the hall with Angirasu after him. The two were walking to the cafeteria for lunch. Rodan bore a light scowl on his face as he walked.
"You've been pretty quiet the whole time, Rodan," said Angirasu.
"I know," said Rodan in a dry tone. Angirasu cleared his throat as he bore a look of discomfort.
"Uh... Lunch smells good today. Is that pizza?" asked Angirasu with a forced chuckle. He stopped as he found Rodan still scowling. Angirasu felt the atmosphere around his friend to be tense. It was unnerving to be around his carefree friend when he was in a foul mood.
"Wanna talk?" asked Angirasu. Rodan let out a long sigh.
"I'm not buying it. Nope, no way in hell," said Rodan.
"I know, but come on. I don't think Flash would actually try to frame Gojira," said Angirasu. Rodan shot him a glare.
"So what? You think he actually did it?" demanded Rodan. Angirasu raised his hands defensively.
"No! I didn't say that!" said Angirasu.
"Were you thinking it?" asked Rodan. Angirasu sighed as he slumped his shoulders.
"Look, I don't know what to believe. I mean, Gojira has kept a secret from us before. One in particular we found out on our own recently," said Angirasu as he held his hands in his pockets.
"I mean, I don't want to believe that he did it, but I'm conflicted here," said Angirasu. Rodan scowled at Angirasu's answer. He figured that the other Transmutant wasn't willing to give Junior the benefit of the doubt.
"Look, maybe there's a logical explanation for this. He's not the only one that has that face, you know," said Angirasu.
“But his dad's voice is deeper than both. It can't be him. Besides, Goji said that his old man left town a few nights ago," said Rodan. Angirasu sighed as he looked down at the ground with a light frown.
"Well... Only time will tell. But until then, I'll give Gojira the benefit of the doubt. He wouldn't do something as stupid as that if it would be risking his life or his mother's," said Angirasu. Rodan nodded in response with a sigh.
"Alright, that's good enough for me," said Rodan. The two continued to the cafeteria until they were in line.



The sound of water droplets echoing in the air reached the ears of Thorn. She was lying on her back on a mattress while yawning. As she lied down, she felt herself being nudged to the side and fell out of her mattress. With a yelp, Thorn fell on the hard ground, wincing as she raised herself up and rubbed her rear. She looked to Zip in annoyance.
"What the hell, Zip?" asked Thorn.
"Don't laze about. We need help finishing up those orders," said Zip in disapproval. Thorn sighed in exasperation as she got up and made her way over to a station where the rest of her fellow spider Transmutants were working. They were busy spraying their threads of silk to be gathered. Thorn opened her mouth wide and felt her stomach tighten a bit. A special organ that her kind had begun to excrete the webbing from within, where it sprayed out from the oral cavity. What she hated about using her webs was the feeling her stomach had and how exhausting it was to keep her mouth open long enough for her silk to be ready. After a couple of minutes of working, Thorn cleared her throat as she turned to her friend.
"Hey, I've been thinking..." said Thorn. Zip glanced at her in curiosity as she removed strands of webbing from her lips.
"About?" asked Zip.
"Well... I kinda want to head into town," said Thorn. Zip bore a look of reluctance.
"Why would you?"
"Well it's just that... I'm getting crazy by remaining out here in the forest and cooped up in this old cave. I'm bored! I wanna experience life as a normal kid again," said Thorn.
"It could be risky, Thorn. You remember how we don't have functioning inhibitor chips, right?" asked Zip, hoping to convince her friend to be cautious with her desire.
"How can I forget?" sighed Thorn. She stretched her arms while grunting, hoping to get out of her tired state.
"Still though. It's not like we're very well-known and on MONARCH's watch list," said Thorn.
"That's true, but what would we even do?" asked Zip with a deadpanned stare.
"Pfft! Uh... hang out? Check out the town? Eat?" said Thorn with a sassy tone. Zip looked down in thought. She snapped her fingers as a smile was plastered on her face.
"I always wanted to see if we could buy and hook up a TV in here! We could watch some shows while on our break," said Zip.
"I assume that would pretty expensive. There's the power source, buying the entertainment center, a satellite, and cable. Unless you're OK with basic television," said Thorn. Zip sighed with a look of dismay.
"Damn it," muttered Zip.
"It probably wouldn't be a good idea anyway. The lair could be compromised. We could always see a movie instead," said Thorn with a reassuring smile.
"True," said Zip. She gave a small chuckle as she brushed a few strands of her hair to the side.
"You think Goji would like to be our chaperone?" asked Zip. Thorn rolled her eyes.
"With our lack of experience in this town, he'd be more like a baby sitter. But I'm fine with hanging out with him," said Thorn.
"I look forward to it! He's a real joy to tease," said Zip with a giggle. Thorn shook her head in annoyance. She felt sorry for Junior and what he may have to put up with if he were to spend more than five minutes with Zip. She feared how he'd fare in a movie theater with the flirt.
"Careful, Zip. You know what happens if either of you were to be a little too friendly with each other without self-control," said Thorn. Zip scoffed in offense.
"Hey! I have self-control! I just think he's cute, that’s all! Besides, it's not like I'm going to seduce him! It's just friendly flirting!" said Zip indignantly. Thorn shrugged.
"Alright, whatever. He seems like an alright guy. But you know, God didn't give enough blood to guys to run both heads at the same time," said Thorn in a joking tone. Zip lightly flushed as she laughed.
"Whoa! Thorn!" laughed Zip. Thorn snickered.
"Hey, it's true!" said Thorn. As the two settled down, Baragon came rushing through the cave. The two girls looked on curiously as he quickly made his way to meet Manda.
"Manda, I need to talk to Alpha! It's an emergency!" said Baragon with urgency. Manda looked at him in confusion, but chose not to question him.
"O-OK. Radio's over there," said Manda as she pointed to a desk, where an old radio military radio set. He rushed over to the desk and took a seat and began to set the dial while placing the handset phone against his ear. Zip, Thorn, and the rest of the girls looked at each other curiously as to what the emergency could be. Manda made her way over to Baragon and leaned over his shoulder.
"Baragon, what's wrong?" asked Manda.
"It's about his kid," said Baragon. Manda's face turned to worry. The radio crackled. "Alpha, this is Baragon. Do you read?"
"I read you. It turns out that there were just some empty threats being made. We're just an hour away from home right now. How's everything back at home?" answered Senior over the radio.
"Boss, I just came back from town. I got bad news," said Baragon.
"What is it?" asked Senior.
"It's your son. He's in jail," said Baragon. Manda gasped in shock, while Zip's and Thorn's eyes widened as they heard this. A few of the Guardians that were nearby had drawn their attention to the radio once they heard this. A moment of silence filled the air, with the exception of the radio. Senior did not answer. After what felt like an eternity, there was a small exhale.
"Have Amber check on my wife and to let her know that I am on my way home," said Senior, with a tone that sounded as if it was attempting to keep itself from sounding angry.
"Will do. Over and out," said Baragon. He placed the phone down and turned to the ceiling and found the fairies above.
"You heard the man. Get going!" said Baragon. Amber immediately released the ceiling and fell. She spread her wings and began to quickly fly out of the cave. Baragon got out of his seat, while Manda bore a dumbfounded look.
"I-I don't understand. Why is he in jail?" asked Manda.
"Apparently they think he's one of the Transmutant vigilantes. Right now they got him locked up. Judging from how shitty the justice system is for Transmutants, I say he'd be lucky if he isn't locked in the vault," said Baragon. Manda looked at him in disapproval.
"Don't say that! That's Gojira's son you're talking about!" said Manda. Baragon raised his hands.
"I'm sorry, but we're all thinking it," said Baragon with his brows furrowed. Manda deeply frowned in response as she lowered her head. Baragon sighed.
"Look. I'm sorry. Maybe by some miracle, he won't. But I won't say that he'll get off scott-free. They must have some reason of accusing him," said Baragon as he walked away. Manda gulped in response, fearing for the teen.
"I gotta go. I'm supposed to be keeping an eye on Genshiro," said Baragon as he made his way out of the lair. One by one, the rest of the Guardians went back to work. Zip and Thorn glanced at each other with worried expressions, while the rest of the girls murmured among themselves.



With the hour at the twilight, Junior was still incarcerated in his cell. From the surveillance camera located in the corner of the ceiling, the Transmutant was being watched. From just outside of the police station, a dark van was parked. Inside the van, Koizumi lied in the driver seat with the seat reclined. He had a bored expression on his face as he held his finger on the tip of his knife, gently twisting it about. Inoue was in the back of the van staring at the computer screen with head phones on. She watched as the Transmutant sat solemnly in his cell alone.
"I feel like we should do something," said Inoue.
"Like what?" asked Koizumi.
"Well... I don't know. Maybe come forward and say that he has an alibi? He was at the animal shelter all afternoon and until evening when the attacks happened. It couldn't have been him, unless he has a twin that we don't know about," said Inoue as she turned to face Koizumi. The mercenary merely lazily sat in his seat.
"We're supposed to be undercover and watching the kid. We can't come out unless he commits a terrorist act. That means no going to police, no tipping off a reporter, and no whatever else that would let the public know about our presence," said Koizumi. Inoue sighed in disappointment as she slumped in her seat.
"What's got you so worked up about this?" asked Koizumi with a raised brow.
"He's just a kid. Transmutant or not. I hate seeing kids getting locked up in this age that we live in. Especially since this one is innocent," said Inoue. Koizumi stretched his arms as he yawned.
"That's real life, private. Some people just get the short-end of the stick. Even kids," said Koizumi. He then glanced at Inoue, who still held a dejected expression. Koizumi grimaced in response and turned his head forward. Seeing the young soldier in this state was putting him at unease.
"If it makes you feel any better, the Director called in while you were went on your bathroom break," said Koizumi. Inoue glanced at him.
"He said that we should keep an eye on the kid, in case someone from inside or out would do something... drastic," said Koizumi. The way that he worded it made Inoue's stomach tighten. Since Gojira Takeshi Jr. was being accused of being X, no doubt that people would want to have his head now that they knew where he was. It was even possible that the police would try to do him in, if they were to bear a strong prejudice against Transmutants. It has happened before.
"Was that supposed to make me feel better?" deadpanned Inoue.
"He also said that MONARCH is going to get them to drop the charges. One way or another," said Koizumi. Inoue looked at him in confusion.
"Wait, 'drop the charges'? How?" asked Inoue.
"Well, they have blood samples of the kid and from the crime scene. If they don't match, they would have no choice but to let the kid go. Especially once they question the guys that were attacked. They’re conscious and still alive," said Koizumi. Inoue felt a bit of relief from hearing this. However, there was always another possibility.
"And if the DNA samples match?" asked Inoue. Koizumi sheathed his knife.
"I'm not supposed to say this, but the Director is willing to pull some strings, even as far as fibbing, to get the kid off," said Koizumi. Inoue''s eyes widened in response.
"You mean... MONARCH would be lying to the public as to why they would release him?! Tha-That's... That's not right!" said Inoue.
"It's just a little white lie. Besides, it would actually benefit the rest of this sad little town," said Koizumi. Inoue furrowed her brows at Koizumi's nonchalant attitude about MONARCH potentially fabricating a conspiracy, no matter the intention.
"How so?" demanded Inoue.
"You do know who that kid is right?" asked Koizumi. Inoue merely bore a blank expression. The mercenary sighed as he pinched his brows.
"You younger soldiers. So damned blissfully ignorant," muttered Koizumi to himself. Inoue bore a look of annoyance.
"That kid is the son of Gojira Takeshi Sr. World War 2 veteran? One of the few surviving members of the Transmutant Revolution of Solgell, Lagos, Letchi and Odo? One of the biggest threats on MONARCH's watch list?" asked Koizumi.
"Wait, you mean the fallen national islands in Equestrian and Neighponese territory?" asked Inoue.
"Yes, those islands. You know, a lot of old geezers that were fighting there seen a lot of shit. Especially one about a dinosaur that could shoot blue flames from its gullet," said Koizumi.
"Transformation," said Inoue to herself. She then bore a look of confusion.
"Wait, a dinosaur spewing fire? Sounds more like a dragon," said Inoue.
"Dragon or dinosaur, they’re both giant lizards. But hey, those things are extinct. All we got are bones. The most we know is that they lived and died and some of them had feathers and shit. I wouldn't be surprised if some of them could spew fire, which would be pretty awesome," said Koizumi. Inoue pictured a tyrannosaurus in her head opening its mighty jaws, while spewing flames all around. She had to admit, it did sound pretty awesome even though it sounded absurd for such a beast to be able to do such a thing.
"Anyway, what about this guy? Gojira," said Inoue.
"You from Neighpon, kid?" asked Koizumi.
"I was born and raised there for a couple of years," answered Inoue.
"Ah. That explains it. Gojira is one of the big historical figures talked about in school in World History class. At least mostly in Neighpon. They say he almost won us the war," said Koizumi. "Whenever they sent him off to attack, he left a path of destruction. Bases crumbled, soldiers burned, and fear rained throughout the battlefield."
"Jesus. Sounds like a monster," said Inoue with a grimace.
"The war was hell, kid. And Gojira was the devil," said Koizumi. Inoue gulped to herself, hoping to never run into the Transmutant.
"So... what happened to him?" asked Inoue.
"Well, MONARCH knows that he had immigrated to Equestria in the eighties. Settled down, had a family. Then the guy just disappeared. Nobody knows why and where he went. But MONARCH noticed that another faction of rouge Transmutants came up after the Revolutionaries, taking down some Purist extremists. The leader wears a mask, but a buddy of mine was on a special ops mission to take him out when the group was small," said Koizumi. Inoue's eyes widened.
"You don't mean..."
"He saw his face. It was Gojira Takeshi Sr.," said Koizumi.
"Wait, why haven't we heard of this?" asked Inoue in disbelief. Surely MONARCH would have announced who the leader of a potential terrorist group was.
"That's the interesting thing. Apparently the Director found it taboo for the rest of the world to know who the Alpha is behind the mask. They don't come up a lot on the news media since they aren't shooting up neighborhoods or towns like the Revolutionaries, but they are a bit known to people who pay attention. If people were to find out who he was, it wouldn't be good for the family that is on record," said Koizumi. And he chuckled as he shook his head.
"And don't get the wrong idea. It's obvious why he's protecting them," said Koizumi.
"Why?" asked Inoue.
"Think about it. Let's say some Purists wanted to get to Alpha by taking out those close to him. For a guy that's survived through war and that's formed his own little club of rouge Transmutants, it wouldn't be good for anyone if something were to happen to them," said Koizumi. Inoue gulped to herself.
"He could go on a rampage," said Inoue. Koizumi nodded.
"Yep. The Director may have made a good decision, especially since we failed to take him out," said Koizumi. Inoue's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, you were there?!" exclaimed Inoue.
"Oh whoops. I didn't tell you?" asked Koizumi with a fake tone of shock.
"No!" said Inoue. Koizumi shrugged.
"Oh well, now you know. Come on, it was a special ops mission that failed and we were sworn to secrecy. My buddy wouldn't tell me, even if were friends," said Koizumi.
"Then why are you telling me this?! You could get us both court martialed!" said Inoue.
"Because I'm bored, Inoue. This sucks, I rather be out there shooting Revolutionaries or at least some other terrorist out there instead of babysitting some damn kid!" said Koizumi in exasperation. Inoue scowled in response.
"Look, the point is that the Director is gonna make sure the kid gets out. He knows what could happen if they lock him in the vault," said Koizumi. Inoue turned back at the screen, where Junior was still sitting in his cell. She sighed as she slumped in her seat.
"I hope he does, for everyone's sake," said Inoue.
"By the way, don't tell anyone what I told you. It'd be bad for both of us," said Koizumi.
"Sure," replied Inoue.



Throughout the night, Battra had found himself tailing after X. The two had been roaming through town for a couple of hours as they searched for any Purist that was worthy of attention, but it seemed that no activity was going on with these humans. Battra was worried that he would have to leave this Transmutant alone to hunt whoever he desired. It was also getting late, meaning that Mosura would be waiting on him at home. He wouldn't want to worry her. X stopped on a roof, prompting Battra to do the same. X sniffed the air as he looked around.
"You smell that?" asked X. Battra sniffed the air, then his eyes widened.
"Explosives. C4," said Battra. X nodded.
"A lot of it," said X. The two made their way across the roof until they came across the edge. Just ahead was a warehouse, with dim lights coming out of the windows.
"Yep. It's coming from there," said Battra.
"I'm surprised you know what C4s smell like. I've been around dirt bags with that stuff on them before," said X.
"Well, I spent a lot of times trying to disrupt the distribution of weapons in the streets. The Purists were packing C4, along with other military grade weapons," said Battra.
"Makes you wonder who is funding these guys and who's supplying them," said X as he crossed his arms. Battra nodded in agreement.
"It has to be someone powerful. He won't show his face or even reveal his voice," said Battra. He then pointed to the warehouse as he spotted men with rifles and skull masks standing near a diesel truck and its trailer.
"OK. These are definitely bad guys. We go in there, take them out, stop this operation, and you leave your mark to show that X is still on the loose," said Battra. X nodded with a chuckle.
"Ah this is gonna be fun," said X as he and Battra dropped down to the ground. The two landed and quickly went into cover.
"OK, get ready," said Battra. X nodded to him. Battra leaped out of hiding, where he landed just beside one of the Purists. The human turned with a start and was knocked down by the Transmutant's powerful punch. He crashed into the ground and dropped his rifle. Before the next guard to raise his rifle, X tackled him from the shadows and landed behind the truck. The sound of muffled cries were heard, which were immediately silenced. X came from the truck with his claws covered in blood.
Battra turned to the metal door that led into the warehouse. His eyes glowed violet, and out came a blast of energy from his eyes. The beams scorched the metal, cutting through it like butter. From inside, Purists turned to the door with startled expressions as the beams moved through the door in a square motion. Unfortunately for them, a few Purists were caught by the scorching beams, dismembering their limbs while sealing the wounds shut with scorched flesh. As the victims cried in agony, X and Battra burst through the door and rushed inside. They split up as the unharmed Purists shot their weapons at them. X took cover behind an armored vehicle that was inside. Much to his surprise, he found a weapon that made him grin. Meanwhile, Battra was running through cover as he dodged the coming bullets. As the closest Purist ran out of ammo, Battra rushed towards him and kicked him in the skull. The hit instantly killed the man as he flew back and slammed into a crate. Battra rolled over towards a wall as more bullets came his way. As the bullets chipped at the wall, the Purists moved closer to Battra.
"Got you now, freak!" said one of the Purists. Battra attempted to peek over the corner but a bullet crashed into it, causing him to recoil back.
"Damn!" said Battra with a growl. He turned and found a small crate on the ground, filled with grenades. The Transmutant levitated a couple into his hands and took a breath.
"OK. Just pull the pin and throw. How hard could it be?" asked Battra. He bit into the pin of one of the grenades and yanked it out. He turned the corner and lobbed the explosive. As it made its way to its targets, one of the Purists was quick to catch it. Battra's eyes widened as he threw it back.
"Oh, no you did not just-" Battra quickly raised his hand focused his telekinesis on the grenade, causing it to fly back at the Purist.
"What the fu-?!" the Purist was suddenly engulfed in the explosion, where shrapnel struck the nearby Purists. The agonizing pain from the shrapnel stunned them, causing them to stagger back. Then, several more Purists came rushing out of separate rooms and took part in the action. They fired their weapons at Battra and the armored vehicle that X hid by.
"Hey kid! Keep those fuckers distracted!" said X as he held up his weapon. Battra sighed in annoyance as he pulled the pin of the last grenade.
"One. Two. Three!" counted Battra before he threw the grenade around the corner. He didn't want to risk the Purists throwing it back or getting enough time to evade the explosion. The resulting explosion had killed a couple of men nearby, and caused the rest to disperse. As they were distracted, X popped out from behind the armored vehicle with a light machine gun.
"Say hello to my little friend!" shouted X. He began to mow down the Purists that were left. The humans dropped dead quicker than flies as the bullets whizzed all around. Battra took the opportunity to get out of cover and hid behind the armored truck as well. A few of the Purists managed to get away as the bullets flew all around and fled to the next room in the warehouse. X tossed the weapon aside as it ran out of ammo and rushed from behind the armored vehicle to join Battra as the two burst into the next room. They found the humans fleeing into a diesel truck. It took off with the trailer door open and the Transmutants witnessed crates behind the humans inside. Battra narrowed his eyes as they began to glow violet. He fired the beams of energy, allowing them to fly towards the truck. However, the vehicle had turned around the corner, where the beams struck a tree, slicing it in half. It fell to the ground, catching on fire. As the vehicle drove away, X growled.
"They got away! They have a lot of stuff in that trailer," spat X as the truck drove further away. The two weren't fast enough to pursue the vehicle, and they would risk tiring out and being caught with police should this turn into a high speed pursuit.
"We'll get them next time. Come on, you still need to leave your mark," said Battra as he headed back inside. X growled as he glared at the truck that disappeared from his sight. He went back inside and took a spray can from Battra.
"One mark, coming right up," sighed X as he began to spray on a clear wall.



It was early morning. Miwa was sitting at the kitchen table in her home, alone. She was still in her nightgown, bags were under her eyes from the lack of sleep. In front of her was a bowl of cereal. She merely stared at the bowl in silence. The silver spoon sat alone beside the bowl, untouched. The past couple of days have been rough on her. Miwa had been staying up late at night, hoping and praying that her child would be released. She couldn't bring herself to sleep, considering the nightmares that she had of her son being locked in a cell forever.
The woman stared at her bowl, her stomach tight, unable to handle the contents just by looking at it. Miwa sighed as she took the bowl of cereal and made her way to the sink. She dumped the milk into the sink along with the cereal. She turned on the garbage disposal as she waited for the contents to disappear from her sight. Miwa turned off the garbage disposal and merely left the bowl in the sink, not having the will to deal with the dish. Miwa sluggishly made her way over to the living room and plopped herself on the sofa. It had been so quiet in her own home these past couple of days since her son left. That was how great her pain was, knowing that her child could potentially be taken away from her. Worse, after the incident she knew that her son’s social life would be worse when he returned to school.
Miwa was interrupted out of her depressed thoughts as she heard knocks coming from her door. Miwa perked up and wiped her eyes with a sniffle. She made her way over to the door and opened it. On her porch, she found her husband standing outside with a hood on, looking over his shoulder.
"Miwa, I heard what happened," said Senior as he made his way in the house. His wife hardened her eyes as she slammed the door, startling her husband. Senior found a furious expression on his wife's face as she stood with her fists clenched.
"Miwa?" called Senior.
"This is all your fault!" screamed Miwa, causing Senior to recoil from her tone. His wife approached him and began to beat her fists against him.
"I don't know why they think he did it, but this is all on you! You did this to our son!" shouted Miwa in anger. She felt her rage burst out herself and onto her husband. She needed someone to blame for her son's situation and Senior was the one who was likely the cause of her son’s arrest.
"No! Miwa-" Senior was interrupted as Miwa hit him harder.
"Was it you?! Did you attack those men?! Where were you?!" demanded Miwa. Senior grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back. Miwa attempted to fight him, but Senior held her tightly and began to shake her.
"Miwa! Miwa, please let me speak!" cried Senior. Miwa broke into a sob as she went limp. Senior's expression softened as his dear wife buried her face into his chest. He released her shoulders and wrapped her into his embrace. The two sat on the ground together, while Senior caressed Miwa's head as she sobbed.
"My baby boy. Oh, why is this happening?" wept Miwa. Senior felt himself tear up himself, but he held them back. He had to stay strong in front of his wife. After a minute, Miwa had finished her crying. She felt a little better, but she was still afraid for her son. She and Senior sat together on the sofa with her husband holding her hand firmly.
"And that's where I've been. I was nowhere near Ponyville when that happened. It was only yesterday that I was told by Baragon about Junior being incarcerated. We were already on our way home, and we didn't even get here until an hour ago," said Senior. Miwa sniffled as she rubbed her puffy eyes.
"I can't believe what they're saying. He couldn't have attacked those men. I mean, he has been in fights before, but he never started one. He especially wouldn't take part in killing Purists like some kind of twisted version of Batman!" said Miwa. Senior looked away with a sigh.
"I know," said Senior. Miwa leaned against her husband with a light frown.
"Gojira... I'm sorry about automatically blaming you. It's just that... I was worried that you may have put something in that boy's head to get him to attack those men. You've been teaching to control his abilities and I don't know what's going on. I've just be so upset over this whole thing," said Miwa.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. I should've been here instead of out there in Fillydelphia. I apologize," said Senior. The two sat together for a moment. Senior was pondering as to what the future would be holding for his son.
"Miwa... If worse comes to worse... Junior won't be locked away," said Senior. Miwa's eyes widened. She stood up and looked at her in disbelief.
"You... You can't mean..."
"He's my son and responsibility as well. If he really is innocent, then I'll make sure that-" Senior was interrupted as Miwa hardened her eyes.
"No! Gojira, doing that will only make things worse! Our son will be a fugitive for sure! Not to mention that you'd be risking your own life as well. I can't lose both of you," said Miwa as she held the Transmutant's hand tightly.
"Then what are we going to do?" asked Senior. Miwa sighed.
"I... I don't know. We just have to hope that he'll be found innocent," said Miwa. As Senior was about to reply to her, his pocket began to give off a crackling sound.
"Boss, do you read?" asked a familiar voice. Miwa was slightly startled by the sudden sound. Senior reached into his pocket and pulled out the walkie talkie and held it close.
"I read you, Baragon. Now's kinda a bad time," said Senior as he glanced at Miwa.
"I'll make it quick. Are you at your wife's house? Turn on the news," said Baragon. Senior and Miwa glanced at each other in confusion. However, the woman reached for the remote on the coffee table and took it into her hand. As she turned on the television and searched for a news station, she found it currently showing an anchorman.
"Reports of gun fire and explosions in West Ponyville last night have revealed another site of Purist activity. Investigators have found a local warehouse in the area, filled with automatic weapons and military grade explosives. Along that were the bodies of Purist extremists," said the anchorman as footage of a warehouse was shown live. Police tape had been wrapped around the area, making a boundary to keep people from approaching the crime scene.
"It has also been reported that multiple X's had been marked, leading to the assumption of the Transmutant vigilante, X, being involved in the massacre. However, police aren't saying anything as of yet," said the news anchor. Miwa's and Senior's eyes widened in shock as they looked at the television screen as footage of X's being marked on a building wall, and the diesel truck were shown. Senior held up the walkie talkie up to himself.
"Baragon?" called Senior.
"Boss, I think we have a way to prove your kid's innocence," said Baragon with a confident chuckle. Miwa felt a glimmer of hope in heart.




Location: Classified

Onyx bore a neutral expression as he remained in his seat before a large screen in the room. On screen was the mayor, a middle aged woman with grey hair and glasses. She bore a dumbfounded expression on her face on screen.
"Wait, I don't understand," said the mayor. Onyx leaned back in his seat as he held his fingers together with a sigh.
"You need to drop the charges on Gojira Takeshi II. This is a matter of security, mayor," said Onyx. At this hour, a few representatives had scheduled a meeting with the mayor of Ponyville over the matter of Gojira Takeshi II. He knew what he was asking for was going to be much, but hopefully he may persuade her.
"A matter of security?" the mayor asked, incredulously. "You're asking me to release a criminal out into the streets and to have the police to drop the charges! The security of my citizens come first!"
"If I recall, Equestrian law dictates that he is innocent until proven guilty. He is a potential criminal, I know. But he may also be innocent. Are you aware of his father? The two have a striking resemblance," said Onyx.
"Gojira Takeshi I hasn't been in our most recent records in years. He is under the grid of our town. I am well aware of this individual, given that it was you who had sent me his file in order to allow your agents to keep an eye on his son after his recent visit to the hospital. I do not like being woven into this web of conspiracy, Director," said the mayor with furrowed brows.
"And I appreciate your cooperation and your silence, but there is more at stake here. His father is a rogue Transmutant, potentially a terrorist. If the boy is locked away, his father will not be pleased. He may send out his men to seek retribution," said Onyx. The mayor scoffed at this. It all seemed like senseless speculation and paranoia.
"What makes you so sure about this?" questioned the mayor. Onyx sighed as he leaned back in his seat. His eyes closed and his brows furrowed.
"Because Takeshi and I have a history together," said Onyx. The mayor's eyes widened in shock.
"How?" asked the mayor.
"It was back in the 1970s. I was a young recruit for the Equestrian military. I was present during the Transmutant Revolt on the United Pacific Isles," said Onyx.




Solgell, 1973...

The day was setting. Smoke was rising into the air from the fires that raged from destroyed vehicles. Several soldiers were running through this city in an empty street, where rubble lied. The sound of distant gun fire could be heard along with the sound of the propellers of choppers in the air. The soldiers ran passed fallen soldiers and civilians in the streets. The sight of this sent chills into the recruits, along with causing their stomachs to tighten. They were relatively new to action, only being stationed at a nearby base in Solgell, but a recent state of emergency of the islands has called for the deployment of all available units.
Onyx was among the soldiers stationed in Solgell. His silver hair was shaved and his head was covered by a helmet. He was armed with an M16 assault rifle, fully automatic. The sight of this once bustling city in a state of destruction shocked him. It was unnerving to see how suddenly things had gone wrong on this island. The Transmutants here had begun an uprising from all over these islands. He didn't know how they became so organized and how they got the others on the other islands to take part in this revolt, but it was frightening.
The soldiers continued on their journey, just as distant monstrous wails and roars filled the air. The sounds made Onyx's heart jumped and made him wonder if this city was haunted by unholy spirits. As the platoon made their way over to a street corner, the CO took the phone radio that was strapped onto the back of the communications office.
"This is commander Strung. My men are in position," said Strung with his brows furrowed. On the other line, a crackle came.
"We have a group of heavy hitting Transmutants on Cel Avenue! We need your men to attack them from the rear! Air support is occupied with flyers!" said another commanding officer on the other line.
"Copy that. Over and out," said Strung. He hung up and looked to his men.
"Alright, ladies! We need to take these freaks from the rear! Get your asses into gear, we're moving out!" shouted Stung.
"Let's go!" shouted the soldiers in unison. Onyx felt a spike of adrenaline as he and his brothers in arms ran through the streets, making their way to Cel Avenue. Just knowing that he and the others would soon be facing the enemy caused his body to be pumped with the energy needed to endure. As they came around another corner, the soldiers found a group of monstrous creatures with the appearance of jagged shelled turtles stomping through the street. They were standing like tortoises, but they were much faster and larger. They were about nine feet tall in height, catching bullets on their armored heads, necks, and legs. However, they were not totally impervious as their faces, tails, undersides, and legs were vulnerable. The turtles were struck with bullets by soldiers on the other side, who were forced to pull back as the turtles quickly approached.
"Open fire!" shouted Strung. The soldiers fired their automatic weapons on the back of the turtles, catching their back legs and tails. The turtles bellowed in pain, looking back and forth as they attempted to decide which side to take. The soldiers slightly began to move up. Onyx was firing as aimed for the face of a turtle, catching it in the eye. As the turtles were worn down, a few soldiers on both sides began to pull out frag grenades.
"Frag out! Grenade going out!" the soldiers shouted. As the grenades landed near the turtles, they exploded, blasting away limbs, armor, and even heads. As the smoke cleared, the soldiers cautiously made their way to the center of the street, while shooting the bodies of the beasts to make sure that they are dead. Strung made his way to the other CO, who stood at the center of the other platoon.
"Commander Strung, our forces are being thinned out by the Transmutant slaves from all across the city," said the CO. Strung merely kept furrowed brows.
"We keep pushing back, soldier. We'll move through the downtown area and flank their main infantry," said Strung as he reloaded his rifle.
"Understood, Commander," said the soldier with a nod. He then turned to his platoon.
"Let's move out!" shouted the soldier. Strrung commanded his troops to mobilize. Onyx felt his heart raced in his chest. The recent confrontation with the enemy may have seemed easy, but it was rather difficult to actually take them down. Their shells were pretty tough, not to mention how they could have just rammed their way into the path of him and his comrades. He felt that they were fortunate that they had taken them by surprise and that they had enough fire power to take them down. However, Onyx knew that this was merely the beginning. The soldiers continued to run through the city streets, passing a path of destruction, where a couple of tanks turned the corner.
The roar of monsters grew louder. From a nearby building, windows suddenly shattered and the soldiers stopped as they saw winged figures bursting out of the windows. The beasts were a swarm of mantises, whizzing through the air at high speed. The soldiers tensed as they prepared for the attack of the dozens of mantises, but were surprised to find them flying down another street, their beating wings slowly becoming more distant. The tanks advanced to follow them, but then the sound of a monstrous shriek echoed from above.
The soldiers shot their heads up and found a massive winged monster diving towards them. They were unable to make out its appearance due to the smoke and darkness obscuring it, but it looked like a stealth bomber. The creature slammed down onto a tank, revealing its height to be over thirteen feet tall. It had multiple long legs, which were hooked at the end. Its red orange eyes glowed in the night as it gave a roar, opening its split jaws and teeth. The creature appeared like some sort of insect, but lacked the exoskeleton of one. The creature's two longest legs bore membranes, which allowed it to fly. The creature lowered its legs as it raised its front legs into the air; its eyes and bio-luminescent body flashed rapidly.
The soldiers began to aim their weapons at the creature and prepared to fire. The tanks were beginning to turn their cannons, but the Transmutant had slammed its legs down on the ground, causing a mighty wave of distorted space to expand from itself. As the space came closer, the electronics and the lights of the soldiers and tanks to suddenly spark and burst. The tanks stopped rotating, stopping dead in their tracks. The soldiers fired their weapons upon the Transmutant, which hopped into the air and flapped its wings, only catching a few bullets. The creature roared as it flew away, just as a wall to a building exploded.
From the smoke came rushing several Transmutants in their human form, bearing either rifles or construction tools as weapons. They gave war cries as they charged towards the distracted soldiers. Onyx immediately turned and pulled the trigger down to his rifle, shooting down a man that rushed towards him with a large wrench in his hand. He dropped dead, allowing Onyx to fire at the next approaching Transmutant. The soldiers began to react to the attack, but it was already too late. For the Transmutants and their ambush had given them enough time to shoot down enough soldiers, while others managed to strike the soldiers with their tools. The soldiers were beginning to scatter as their enemies began to overwhelm them. Onyx was rushing back as he pulled out his pistol and fired at nearby Transmutants, catching them in the head. From the tanks, the gunners rose out of the hatch and took the chain guns. They aimed at the Transmutants.
"Eat lead!!" shouted a gunner as he fired the weapon. The bullets raced through the air, catching some of the Transmutants. The gunners managed to push back the Transmutants with their superior weapons. Even the Transmutants armed with fire arms were no match. As the Transmutants were mowed down, the ground infantry soldiers were able to recompose themselves as they prepared to help push back the Transmutants. From the shadows, a figure came rushing towards the first gunner seat. He was bulky and tall, standing at seven feet. The figure leaped onto the tank and grabbed the gunner from the tank, which it followed by throwing the gunner out of the tank. From the shadows, another figure came towards the second tank, pulling the gunner out of the hatch and throwing him to the side. This same figure jumped inside of the tank, where the sound of pained cries were heard. The sound of metal being hit was heard, and the tank slightly rocked.
"Gunners are down!" shouted a Transmutant with a rifle as he got out of cover from debris, firing at the soldiers. Strung growled in anger as the tanks were compromised by two mysterious Transmutants.
"Fall back!" ordered Stung. The soldiers moved back from the Transmutants while firing their weapons to keep them away. From the tank, the second figure rose out of the hatch, with blood stains on his shirt. His amber eyes glared at the soldiers that thought they could escape. He leaped out of the hatch and charged towards the soldiers. The first two whipped around to fire at him, but the Transmutant was too fast. He took the rifle from the soldier, causing him to stumble and then sent a devastating punch against his head, killing the human instantly. He then swung the rifle at the other soldier, knocking his gun away. He tackled the human and held him up just as a third soldier caught this Transmutant. The hostage was shot up, serving his purpose as a human shield. The soldiers fell back towards a street corner. A couple of grenades were tossed, causing explosions that forced the Transmutants back.
"Gojira, they're getting away!" shouted the burly Transmutant as he stepped next to the other. His bald head was covered in scars, while his yellow eyes leered at the street. The Transmutant next to him dropped the dead solider on the ground.
"They won't get far, Destoroyah. Come on," said Gojira as he ran towards a nearby building. Destoroyah smirked as he rushed after him. The two slammed into the glass windows of the building, crashing into shelves of a library and knocking away wooden chairs. The two Transmutants made their way over to a wall, where they crashed through.
From outside of the wall, the human soldiers were startled. Gojira and Destoroyah both took opposite sides, taking on soldiers at close quarters on both sides. Destoroyah grabbed a soldier by the head and slammed him against the wall, crushing his skull. As a soldier raised his rifle to shoot him, Gojira jabbed a soldier on his side in the throat and snatched the knife that he had. He then tossed it at the soldier that was about to kill his fellow Transmutant, striking him in the eye.
Onyx witnessed the brutality of these two Transmutants as they took on his brothers in arms with relative ease in close quarters. He was so stunned that he was trembling, unable to fire his weapon as the terrifying Transmutants bared their sharp teeth and gave animalistic growls. Gojira began to slash soldiers with his sharp claws, catching their eyes, faces, or bellies. Strung began to fire his pistol at Destoroyah, who caught a couple of bullets in the shoulder. Being such a big target, Destoroyah clumsily turned around to meet his attacker with an enraged roar. As he was about to charge towards the commanding officer, he was shot from the side by another soldier with a rifle. Destoroyah wailed in agony as his arm caught the bullets, but he threw himself to his right, swinging his wounded shoulder against the human. The soldier slammed into the wall and was knocked unconscious. Destoroyah growled as he moved back and took cover by a dumpster as more bullets came from the remaining soldiers. Gojira gave a war cry as he charged towards Strung, who whipped around and quickly shot a few rounds. The bullets struck Senior in the shoulders and chest, but he pressed on like a rampaging rhino. Gojira slammed into the soldier and began to savagely beat the CO, where Onyx was able to hear a sickening sound.
"Noo!!" shouted Onyx as he raised his rifle and began to fire along with the rest of the soldiers. Gojira immediately rolled away from the shots with Strung, catching a few bullets with him. He immediately stood up and rushed towards the soldiers and slammed into them. As Onyx was knocked to the side from the impact, he raised his rifle again and began to fire at Gojira, but his rifle clicked. His eyes widened in horror as the sound of gun fire did not reach his hearing. Instead he was on the ground, helpless as he watched Gojira slaughter what remained of his comrades, with his sharp claws. Gojira then threw the body of Commander Strung onto the ground, where Onyx was able to see the grotesque state of his face. Onyx shook as he breathed in and out, still pulling the trigger on his rifle. Gojira panted as his bullet wounds bled. He slowly turned with hard eyes, finding the remaining soldier on the ground, shaking like a Chihuahua. Gojira made his way over to him with hard eyes, watching this soldier tremble before him. He was familiar with a sight like this back in the second world war. A soldier stuck in a state of being unable to fight back, and scared by what had happen. Destoroyah began to make his way out of cover, with his arm bleeding.
"Won't you kill him?" asked Destoroyah with a pant. Gojira bore hard eyes. He snatched the rifle out of Onyx's hands and looked it over.
"There is no honor in killing a man that cannot defend himself," said Gojira as he broke the rifle in half and threw it to the ground at Onyx's feet. Destoroyah scoffed as he rolled his eyes.
"Whatever you say. But I have to warn you, that honorable behavior of yours is going to get you killed one day. Next thing you'll know is that the guy you spare will be waiting for the right opportunity to-" Destoroyah immediately pushed Gojira to the side and threw a bloody knife ahead. Onyx whipped his head to the side and found a soldier standing with a knife suddenly lodged in his throat. He began to bleed profusely as his eyes were wide open, with his pistol drawn out. The soldier dropped to his knees and fell to the ground, bleeding out. Destoroyah glanced at Gojira, who looked at him with wide eyes.
"-Pounce," said Destoroyah. Gojira then smirked in response as he stood up. He then narrowed his eyes down on Onyx, who remained on the ground.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave the city. We aren't planning to spare every single soldier in this fight," said Gojira in growl as he and Destoroyah walked away. Onyx remained on the ground, panting as he clutched his bleeding arm. He leaned his head against the wall as he bled. He and his entire platoon didn't stand a chance against these Transmutants. As he turned his head, his eyes widened as he found Gojira groaning as he grew in size and form began to change. He was witnessing the Transmutant transformation. Gojira had grew into a 40 foot tall reptilian beast that stood upright, with jagged dorsal plates on his back.
Gojira gave a screeching roar into the air as he stomped through the street with the rest of the Transmutants, causing tremors. Onyx immediately got up off of the ground and ran as fast as he could, ignoring his pain. They were slaughtered without mercy. He had witness his comrades taken down with ease, including his commanding officer. He was the only one to have survived this confrontation. He felt shame for being the only one being left out of his platoon, unable to continue fighting. He felt worse for turning to flee with his tail between his legs like a coward. He felt that he should have fought until he died with his brothers, but instead he was running away because he was afraid. He ignored all of the roars and gunfire in the air, only focused on saving his own skin.




Present Day...

Onyx remained in his seat with his eyes closed, playing back the horrors that he had witnessed on that dark night. He had told the mayor his tale, though he had left a few things out. To this day, he still regrets leaving the fight in Solgell until it fell to the Transmutants. He never forgot Gojira Takeshi I's face, his voice, and his eyes. They were all drilled into his head, stuck as a haunting memory. Now, he had to prevent a repeat of the same situation in Ponyville.
"So you see, mayor. Gojira is not a force to be trifled with. He is as ruthless as they come. Which is why we need to prevent provoking him, even if his son is guilty of the crime," said Onyx. The mayor cleared her throat in response.
"Director Onyx, it just does not sit well with me to let him go free without a trial. Even if it is to prevent a potential attack," said the mayor. Onyx was about to respond, but a buzzing sound filled his hearing. He sighed as he turned in his desk.
"One second," said Onyx. He pressed the button to the COM with an annoyed expression.
"What is it? I am in the middle of a meeting," said Onyx.
"Sorry to disturb you, Director. But news from the lab has come in. The DNA samples came back negative," said a woman over the COM. Onyx's brows raised in response.
"Are... Are you sure?" asked Onyx.
"Yes sir, but the blood samples do contain some similarities. As in, on a relative level," said the woman. Onyx smirked to himself.
"Send the report to me immediately," ordered Onyx. He turned to face the screen with a smile.
"Mayor, I believe that we no longer have to worry about lying to the public. We're giving them the truth," said Onyx. The mayor bore a puzzled expression.