By C. L. Werner

Tokyo. December 9^th. 1995. In the rubble of Haneda airport, Godzilla watched as the Destroyer fell from the sky, the weakened monster brought low by the weaponry of the Super X-3. There was some satisfaction in Godzilla's pain-wracked mind as he watched the fiendish abomination die. Then the pain consumed Godzilla entirely. The raging inner fires of Godzilla's atomic furnace burned through his skin. The glowing monster roared a final time as his own radioactive energy stripped the flesh from his bones. The roar seemed to echo across the city as the skeleton began to sink into the earth, even the bones being consumed by the incredible radiation. The JSDF forces watched the great monster pass, knowing that Tokyo would become a wasteland as Godzilla's released radiation spread and saturated the city.

Far away, in the UNGCC command center, Kenichi Yamane watched as radiation levels began to rise. He looked at the senior staff of the GCC and noted their grim expressions. Then, just as suddenly, the radiation levels began to plummet, as though something was absorbing all of the atomic fallout. From the rubble of his seeming death, Godzilla Junior rose, now fully mutated into an adult of his kind, restored by the radioactive legacy of his elder. The new Godzilla shrieked, proclaiming his resurrection to the world.

The spectacle of Godzilla's death and the restoration of Junior riveted the attention of all those present. None took note of another equally incredible event. From the glowing mists of Godzilla's death, sparkling particles of energy swirled and spiraled into the sky. The dust-like motes began to cling to each other, absorbing the elder Godzilla's nuclear remains as they did so. And as the particles did so, they began to take on a shape.

During Godzilla's battle with Mechagodzilla, the monster Rodan had been mortally wounded by the robot. The injured monster had landed atop Godzilla's equally wounded form. Godzilla had absorbed the radiation from Rodan's body to restore himself, consuming the other monster entirely. The fully healed Godzilla had risen, more powerful than before. Of Rodan, nothing remained. But the monster had not fully disappeared; its substance had lurked for many years within Godzilla's body. With the monster's violent meltdown, the residue of Rodan was released, employing the same radioactive fog that had restored Junior to restore its own body.

Rodan cackled weakly as the particles reformed into his leathery wings and scaly body. Death and rebirth had taken their toll on the flying monster. Oblivious to everything around him, Rodan flew instinctively out to sea. His destination was the lonely crags of Adona Island and the old Soviet nuclear waste dumps that had served him as a lair. As Rodan flew off into the darkness, the reborn Godzilla roared once again.

Ogasawara. Several years later. Godzilla rose slowly from the waters, stomping toward the nuclear reactor which had been built on the island specifically to feed him. The battle with the monster ape King Kong and the renegade cyborg Gigan had left Godzilla weary. Even months later, the mammoth reptile had not fully recovered from the fight. Godzilla swayed slightly as the klaxons sounded and the atomic pile slowly rose from the building's roof. Godzilla's dorsal plates glowed slightly as the monster began to feed.

From within the Ogasawara observation bunker Miki Saegusa watched Godzilla feed. She could sense the monster's fatigue, the lingering effects of Kong's immense strength and electric attack, of Gigan's metal claws and saw blade. Godzilla was healing, but much more slowly than anyone had supposed. Miki felt another wave of guilt. It was her fault, she realized. What right did she have to ask Godzilla to battle King Kong and then lead him from that horrible conflict to battle the rampaging Gigan? Miki knew that Godzilla was kindly disposed toward mankind, but did that entitle mankind to exploit that affection?

In the lavish reception hall of the Emir of Saradia, Chairman Carmichael made himself comfortable. A dour servant refilled the man's glass of brandy. Carmichael paid the servant not the slightest heed. He had waited for the Emir to meet with him for over an hour, but Carmichael was not distressed. He knew that patience was a much a virtue as persistence. He had recently been forced to attend to men who had cost his corporation greatly for want of patience. He would not make the same simple-minded mistakes.

The Emir at last entered through the ornate double doors. Wearing a silk fez on his slicked black hair, the Emir's dress was otherwise completely western. The nobleman smiled broadly and shook Carmichael's hand when the man rose from his chair.

"On behalf of my people, Saradia is most pleased with your product," the Emir announced.

"We only strive to satisfy the expectations of our customers," Chairman Carmichael said in a smarmy and servile manner. Like a true politician, Carmichael did not feel belittled by such actions, so long as they enriched the coffers of MARS and himself.

The Emir smiled at Carmichael, allowing himself to enjoy the executive's fawning reassurances. The truth of the matter was, however, that the MARS technicians had far exceeded the ruler of Saradia's expectations. Few countries could afford the cutting-edge technology and skill of MARS, the cost of the weapon the Emir had commissioned was far in excess of many countries' GNP. But the oil-rich Middle-Eastern nation could indulge itself in such luxuries. Especially with the rewards the Emir hoped to reap for his people.

"I am very pleased with these," the Emir said, displaying copies of a series of blueprints. The writing on the documents was Japanese. "I trust that the JSDF was not too reluctant to provide you with the designs of their latest anti-monster armaments?"

Chairman Carmichael smiled widely, cunning gleaming in his eyes. "They do not even know those designs have left Japan. The Full-Metal Missile represents the latest development in their defense program. Need I remind you that they have used Godzilla as the standard against which such weapons are measured? If they perform as the JSDF hopes, they will more than meet your needs."

The Emir strode across the lavish room and stared out the window, ignoring the courtyard below, his eyes trained instead upon the hot desert sands beyond the walls of his palace.

"The oil will not last forever. When the wells die, so too will Saradia's prosperity." The Emir turned around and looked at Chairman Carmichael. "I must provide for my people's future. We have tried to develop plants which will thrive in our desert climate, that we might become the breadbasket of the Middle East. The key ingredient to that program's success are Godzilla cells and their regenerative properties. But the Japanese guard their supply of Godzilla cells. They will not allow other nations access to them." The Emir sighed.

"Do not worry, your Excellency," Carmichael boasted. "When this is all over, Saradia will have the largest supply of Godzilla cells on Earth - Godzilla's corpse!" The MARS executive pointed at the blueprints in the Emir's hands. "Steel Rain will bring you Godzilla's head on a platter before the week is out!"

**********

The Japanese technician looked up from the radar screen inside the Ogasawara complex. A look of utter confusion ruled his face. Dr. Otani, the head of the project noticed the technician's puzzled and concerned look and walked over to the man's station.

"What is wrong?" Dr. Otani inquired, looking over the man's shoulder at the radar screen. Dr. Otani's eyes focused on the large blip which was quickly drawing close to the island. "What is that?" the scientist asked aloud, though the question was directed at no one. "I thought that Mothra was still too weak to fly."

The technician indicated the blip with his forefinger. "No, Sir, that can't be Mothra. Judging by the radar signature, whatever it is is metalic in nature."

"A man-made object?" Dr. Otani mused aloud. "How can that be? It is as big as a battleship!" Dr. Otani trained his puzzled eyes on the technician. "You are certain that whatever the object is is truly airborne? Not some kind of reflection off of the water?"

"No, Sir, it is moving far too quickly to be a ship. It is definitely in the air."

"What on Earth is it?" Dr. Otani asked again.

"It is called Steel Rain." Miki Saegusa walked into the command room of the Ogasawara complex. The young psychic was visibly upset, her shoulders trembling with a cold anger. All eyes in the room turned and focused upon Miki. "It is a machine, built by greedy men. And it is coming here. It is coming for Godzilla."

Godzilla could hear the tiny voice inside his head, urging him to leave the pile of rocks on which he was resting. The voice was frantic, telling him to return to the ocean, to retreat from some coming threat. The giant reptile was fond of the comforting voice that sometimes slipped into his mind, but he hated when it became so agitated. The voice did not understand him, did not truly understand the monstrous beast it so desperately tried to communicate with. Otherwise it would never have even tried to persuade Godzilla to run from what was coming. The voice would have understood that when Godzilla was threatened, it was best to simply get out of the way.

Godzilla could see the shiny sparkle of metal twinkling in the cloudless sky. The voice had already identified the shiny object as an enemy and Godzilla trusted the voice's judgement. He waited for the object to draw still closer. Godzilla could see the fingers of flame that shot from the thrusters on the thing's back and the bottoms of its feet. He waited only a moment longer before the spines on his back began to crackle and spark, an eerie silvery blue light glowing around the spiky dorsal plates. Only a second more passed and Godzilla sent a blast of atomic death shooting into the sky to bathe the oncoming machine.

"The artificial diamond plating is completely absorbing Godzilla's ray," reported the brown-uniformed defense controller. The Saradian looked back at his computer and registered the redirecting of the atomic energy. "Mega-blaster is almost at full power."

"Then it is time to show Godzilla that his time is at an end," commented Major Azhid.

The object came closer to the island; Godzilla's atomic blast had not even slowed its advance. The blue-hued flame struck the machine again and again and still it came. With a sinister cry like the wailing of a desert wind, the machine rotated in midair and dropped to the ground. It looked like some ancient knight, some suit of armor from the medieval past. Its entire form was almost silver in color. Its head was a tall, rounded helmet, its face a smooth surface broken only by two narrow slits meant to convey the sense of a pair of eyes. One arm ended in a mammoth fist. The other arm was nothing but a long cylinder, almost as wide as the body to which it was attached. From the towering robot, the wailing cry sounded again. Steel rain waited for Godzilla to respond to its challenge.

Godzilla shrieked his anger, enraged at the robot's daring and his inability to harm it with his ray. Godzilla stormed towards the machine, intending to rend it with his claws and batter it with his tail. Within the robot's cockpit, the Saradian crew smiled. Godzilla was reacting just as they had expected hi to.

A panel in Steel rain's chest slid downwards, exposing the crystalline face of the Mega-blaster. A loud whine preceded the weapon's firing. When it did fire, a crackling beam of yellow energy zipped across the beach, savaging Godzilla's body. The huge beast roared in pain and rage as Steel Rain savaged him with his own stolen energy. Fully enraged, the wounded monster charged forward.

Now, the robot demonstrated why it had been named Steel Rain. The robot lifted its massive, cylinder arm. The tip of the arm irised open, displaying dozens of missile tubes. Steel Rain trained its arm on the advancing Godzilla and fired.

The salvo of deadly steel missiles sliced through Godzilla's flesh, shredding his hide as easily as if passing through butter. The Full-Metal Missiles were nothing more than hideous modern-age crossbow bolts, magnified in power and size. As they met resistance, the projectiles crumpled, their wedge-like heads flattening, tearing a hole four times as large when they exited Godzilla's body. Thirty-six of the cruel missiles shredded Godzilla's body. The titan staggered, screaming in agony, strips of loose skin hanging from his ravaged body. Before him, the robot Steel Rain was silent save for the sound of a fresh batch of Full-Metal Missiles being loaded into its massive launcher.

The entire inside of the cylinder carried extra rounds. In total, Steel Rain carried a payload of Six Thousand of the Full-Metal Missiles. As the second salvo ravaged Godzilla, it seemed to the robot's crew that considerably fewer would be needed to deal with the infamous monster.

*************

Far away, amidst the craggy cliffs of Adona Island, a gigantic figure stirred. Brown, leathery wings unfolded from a scaly body, snapping outwards to either side of a reptilian body. A beaked, horned head craned upwards, rising from the plated chest it had been resting upon. The center horn on the monster's head seemed to glow faintly. Rodan cackled and began to flap his wings, rising into the cloudy sky. Rodan had rested from his rebirth for many years, now the monster was fully healed. Rodan circled the barren island twice before heading away to the south at an incredible super-sonic speed. The giant pterosaur had felt rather than heard the faint, despairing cry that caused him to stir once more. Now, Rodan would find the source of that summoning cry.

"What is keeping him up?" gasped Steel Rain's weapons officer as another salvo of Full-Metal Missiles shredded Godzilla's hide. Gore and flesh exploded from the wound and the ravaged monster staggered away once more, shrieking his pain.

"Have faith Ibn," Major Azhid reprimanded his subordinate's outburst. "Keep up this barrage, and the dragon will fall." Azhid stared at the image on his terminal screen. "He is getting too close to the Japanese installation, I will have to move Steel Rain to a different position. We are to inflict no accidental casualties." The Saradian officer began to slowly march Steel Rain in a semi-circle around the wounded Godzilla, placing the robot between the reptile and the Ogasawara facility. "Our duty is to preserve Saradia, not take unnecessary lives."

Godzilla continued to growl at the silent iron titan that had invaded his lair. The reptile was swaying as he did so, weak from loss of blood and the incredible pain tearing through his body. Great patches of scaly hide had been stripped from Godzilla's body, leaving bare, gory flesh open to the air, or, in some places, naked white bone. True to their design, Godzilla's armored hide was not enough to stop the solid steel projectiles, and the damage they were inflicting was beyond even Godzilla's regenerative abilities to repair swiftly. At the rate in which Steel Rain was loosing the missiles at him, Godzilla would see no chance to recover. And Godzilla's mighty atomic ray was unable to penetrate the robot's coating of artificial diamond, each fiery assault only serving to power Steel Rain's own beam weapons.

"Miss. Saegusa! What is happening?" Dr. Otani asked the psychic as she crumpled into a steel-backed chair. All around them, the other scientists, soldiers and engineers continued to watch the battle unfolding outside, heedless of Miki Saegusa and the project chief. Dr. Otani lifted a glass of water to the young woman's lips.

"Godzilla is dying," she rasped in a solemn whisper. "The machine is doing too much damage to him too quickly, he isn't being given any chance to regenerate."

"Then they have done it? They have finally found a way to kill Godzilla," it was difficult to tell if Dr. Otani was distressed or relieved by the realization that in a matter of minutes, there would no longer be a Godzilla.

Suddenly, Miki stared around her, as if seeing something that was not there. "Something else is coming," she declared. "Something terrible. Something filled with rage."

"Sir," the Saradian manning Steel Rain's sensor array called down to Major Azhid. "We have a large, unidentified flying object heading towards Ogasawara at supersonic speed."

"What are our orders?" asked the weapons officer Ibn.

"We have been told to avoid combat with Mothra at all costs," Major Azhid stated. "This object could be Mothra. If it is, we may not open fire on it unless it attacks us first." Major Azhid silently prayed that it would not come to that. The entire world felt indebted to Mothra for the destruction of King Ghidorah, and Saradia was no exception. To kill the benevolent beast would tarnish Steel Rain's victory over Godzilla. They might emerge triumphant, but there would be no glory for Saradia.

The object was not Mothra. Leathery wings sliced through the hazy sky, as the brown, scaly creature continued to speed toward the Ogasawara Islands. Rodan cackled, the sound echoing off the calm waters of the Pacific. There was menace in that sound, the grim mirth of an avenging angel of death. Flying more swiftly, the monster reached the battlefield long before his cry.