The Hydra's Heads

Audrey Timmonds was known for being someone that followed the most exclusive of scoops. It was part of her career after all; to go to places she wasn't suppose to, and to reveal the truth to those that deserved it. Secrets were a foreign concept to her, much to the anger of her boyfriend Nick. But surely he must understand that with the beginning of the new age of monsters any and all stories had to be reported. Now was a time where information was key, mankind needed it to survive the wrath of the titans. Those that had come back from ages long past and while the GDC often got annoyed with her antics, they couldn't deny her results.

Which is why she was following a particular harrowing story; the location of a meeting of the CrimsonWatch. Now a lesser reporter might have trembled at the sound of sneaking into the hideouts of the infamous Ghidorah cult but not Audrey. Where they was news that needed being reported then she would be there: no matter the cost. Though she did have some hesitations, very few would want to tangle with the CrimsonWatch. They were monsters and madmen all.

What type of people would find a borderline religious fervor in the senseless act of killing? Not for a higher means, but simple to relish in the pointlessness of it all. They were nihilists to the core, but according to Audrey's source. They had witness a change, not for the better, but a change nonetheless. One brought about by that monster from the stars: King Ghidorah. Who could forget that at the turning point of the millennium, that thing dropped out of the sky. That monster that reeked wrongness and entropy; the Serpent that Bleed Worlds, the Void Dragon, the End of Empires. That were only some of the alias that the Mysterians knew it by. Audrey remembered reporting on his rampage across the Earth, how he left a dark scar wherever he tread.

From what she found from her GDC sources was that Ghidorah emitted a raw psychic presence, like a EMP of the mind. The spot where he landed, the 'Devil's Pit' is considered a quarantined area and for good reason. Things grow in that pit, born from Ghidorah's presence though more then once has her boyfriend's adoptive son has had to go hunting for something that crawled out of that hole. Only though when alongside one of the Guardian Monsters or Mothra, they did not want Zilla being infected by whatever mutated those poor things. After Godzilla made himself known fighting off King Ghidorah and erasing the shame of the 'Second' did the true ramifications of King Ghidorah's presence become known. Many a psybrid had suffered tremendous psychic pains and it was only under the GDC's care did they recover.

The CrimsonWatch, however, became inspired by Ghidorah. They were stagnating after all, on the precipice of ending up like many of the other old 'Super-Villain' groups, but Ghidorah ignited a spark within them, something truly mad. Then came the Varrigan City incident, when they conducted one of their ancient gladiatorial games; only this time the fighters were more brutal, more mad. Even worse was the bio-virus that they used on the city was made by the Formont Corporation, simple to test out and to act as a sponsor for their own medicines. The GDC intervened however, using one of the former champions as a vehicle for revenge on the CrimsonWatch, though many of the Killseekers escaped. Which leads up to Audrey who was now stalking the ruins of an ancient castle, on news that this is where the leading members of the CrimsonWatch were going to meet: the enigmatic Organizers.

Audrey stalked the grounds of the hideout, it appeared to be hastily set up, as if in a panic. Though given they are reeling from a huge hit that did make sense. Audrey glanced a the parody of religious iconography to be found; artwork of Ghidorah's rampage, pieces of bone and worse. The scribbling of red paint (or at least that what she hoped it was) could be seen on the walls. They read 'He shall come again and sing his Cantata Mortis' and 'Only through blood shall the stars be ours'. Audrey shrugged off a chill that crept up her spine, while her cameraman raised his eyebrows at her. He was very much against the whole thing, but she waved a hand. Suddenly, the sounds of chanting could be heard:

"The worlds have been undone by his breath, devoured into the howling whole.

Let him come again as this world is marked: for he loves us.

We have been chosen and the skies shall be ours for we alone know the pointlessness of it all: the creed of predator and prey.

Three-headed and golden, he shall reveal unto us the end.

The dragon who is three and one, triple-headed and cruel as the void that begat him.

He shall return and make us his legion to war with the stars, and soon our empire shall rise."

Audrey followed the sound of the chanting pushing the sound of the words out. She didn't want to hear them, she felt their sheer wrongness from them. And now was she beginning to feel that she had made the wrong choice. But she had waded this far it only made sense for her to see it to the end. As she walked through the hideout she could see all forms of camera equipment, things that wouldn't be seen out of place in a news studio, heck they had better camera then she had. That was insulting, the mad cult had more to work with then she did.

Indignity aside, she had more important things to find out.

Rumors have come to Audrey's attentions that the CrimsonWatch had deeper connection then that of the Formants, even the likes of InGen are rumored to be in league with them, especially given the disappearance of InGen's chief geneticist, Wu. That and rumors that InGen was now dabbling in making their own dinosaurs as apparently in this age of giant monsters, dinosaurs didn't have the wow factor anymore. Which given the presence of Godzilla and the Apex Defenders, made a lot of sense. Still didn't justify making dinosaurs only to act as weapons of war with no care for the creature's well-being but when has that stopped InGen.

Suddenly, Audrey let out a nervous squeak as her cameraman quickly grabbed her and hid behind a wall of rubble, he held a finger to his lips before nodding ahead of him. And Audrey slowly looked over the wall her eyes widening at what she saw. A great table surrounded by throne-like chairs. At the center of the table was an effigy of King Ghidorah, in one claw was the Earth and the other the head of Godzilla. A circle of green fire surrounded the effigy but did not burn the table, almost like it had no effect. Audrey found her eyes squinting, not at the heat but at the flames themselves.

Like all things affiliated with King Ghidorah it just hurt to look at it.

Another thing to note was the four creatures that were chained near the the table, away from the people sat at it but still in the vicinity. They were dinosaurs but no species that Audrey recognized. They were the size of small car and look like some form of super-raptor but they was a lupine quality to them that disturbed. The figures sat at the table barely noticed them however, they could have been kittens for all the figures cared. Not snarling monsters, that seemed to want to claw each other. Speaking of the figures they was three sat at the table, but two more stood up. All of them looked terrifying.

The central figure Audrey recognized as Leo Formont, his once play-boyish features seemed scrunched up in anger and spite. He still wore a doctor's uniform as if that would bring some sense of kindness to him. But it simply enforced how empty he was, to unleash a plague on a city for the sake of the games. Another thing to note was he was missing his right arm below the elbow. Instead he had replaced it with a black claw, one that tore at the table.

"Now that we have the niceties out of the way, let us get down to business shall we?" He snarled, his voice high. "We have much to discuss of what has been lost."

The figure to his left let out a low baritone laugh. "You mean what you lost."

Audrey inspected the man. He had a scholar's look about him, he was a tall, pale-skinned bald adult man - clearly older then Leo. He was dressed in a rather simple minister-esque fashion consistently of a purely black-colored ensemble devoid of color or any lightly-colored shades. His most distinguishing feature aside from his blue and red eyes which burned in the light of the fire, was large burnt scar covering the entire left side of his head and barely creeping over his face. The odd fleshy scar at the side of his face squirmed in rhythm to his words, as if it was alive.

Leo turned on the man. "Curb you mockery, Nicodemus. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, or need I remind you on your own failure of dabbling in the magics of the Oni Kingdoms and the Underworld."

The figure behind Nicodemus let out a low growl and Audrey found herself staring at the largest abnormal she had ever seen. He was a colossal, statue-like man, he skin blackened and raw and the giant wore only a heavy plated fustanella. Around the giant's neck was a necklace made of fangs of various animals. His eyes were bright red, and his hair reminded Audrey of a lion's mane. In fact the entire structure of his face seemed to be image of the perfect specimen of masculinity - to perfect, to right. In his hand was a hybrid of a club and sword made of stone and studded with teeth.

Nicodemus raised a hand, placing it with a calm on the giant's arm. "Calm Leonidas, calm my son, let the little boy play his games. He is merely trying to deflect that fact that Varrigan was a failure."

"He was not the only one that lost something at Varrigan," added a heavily modulated Russian accent. "I was carved in half by that coward Jack."

Audrey glanced at the figure to Leo's right. A cyborg. The only piece of flesh she could make out was the sutured and studded flesh of the head, the head of an old man who's eyes were alight with madness. The suit he wore seemed to hearken to the tesla technology and metallic tendrils crackling with lighting writhed in the air, while the ends of them snapped. He didn't have arms but more long, lobster like claws that likewise clacked with lighting. The armor was a mixture of bright red and charred black, and Audrey could make out a scar across the chest of the cyborg.

Leo sent a glance to the cyborg. "Nikolai was barely able to escape the hands of death and you mock him for his sacrifice. Few men could boast of surviving being bisected by the legendary Gatortooth. Our plans have been ruined."

"Not ruined," interceded Nicodemus. "Merely halted - and not for long. Times are changing and we must make this world ready for our lord. Noa has proved his weakness and suffered for it."

"And what about the money or the GDC?" Snarled Leo, hammering his claw into the table for emphasis.

"The money has been moved thanks to Zima," Nikolai said, with a sound of disgust at the mention of Zima which Audrey jotted down. "And the GDC can be managed, we have our sources and moles. Our concern is not them or even those damnable Dark Moth fools but those fools that seem to be fixating on the Magic History," he directed a glare at Nicodemus.

Nicodemus shrugged. "I have allowed my associates to look into this 'Drowned Utopia' and they have found themselves interested with what has been found. You cannot fault them for that. Besides if the prisoner of that damned place tries to make his move, it will be too late."

"Hmph, I disagree, they have drifted from our chosen path and must be punished for it. I think we should send Ebon after them."

At the mention of Ebon the finally figure came into the light and Audrey held her breath in shock. It was a parody of a western dragon, obsidian and crimson scales covered its body and its eyes were like that of a cat - yellow eyes that pierced the dark. A ridge of spines covered his back and it bowed a crowned head in reverence at the figures at the table.

"I would greatly enjoy the hunt, my lords." The voice was deep and devoid of any form of emotion, a predator's snarl that grated on Audrey's ears. It was organic but Audrey couldn't shake the wrongness of the voice from herself. "Let any that have fallen from our righteous path fall into my maw. Furthermore I -"

The thing then began to take great sniffs at the air before a long black tongue licked its lips and its face split into a grin.

"We have two guests my lords. Up there hiding from us. Don't be shy, come into the light of our fire. It shall warm you from the dark."

Before Audrey could even respond her cameraman grabbed her hand. "Run!"

She barely had time to register anything as he half-dragged through the corridors of the ruined hideout, as she felt enveloped by the cold. Behind her she could her furious screams and roars alongside the sound of chains clacking free. The monsters dinosaurs have been let loose and their roars echoed off the wall. As they ran, Audrey processed all that she saw this evening and all that she had heard. The GDC would be very interested in what she had to say - if she survived.

As they ran she thumbed for her phone, picking out the number for her boyfriend. She needed him and she needed his son.

"Audrey?" Came the response.

"Nick! Please I need your help, I've got in too deep this time. Please! They have dinosaurs and monsters Nick. Hurry!"

The phone slipped from her hands and the last sound it recorded was the furious screams of monsters and the sounds of a clawed foot breaking under it's weight.

A/N: Happy Halloween I hope you enjoyed this short extract for you all. I know its been a long time since I updated and I'm sorry for that - bloody Writer's block. I can't say when I'll next update but I am drafting out a plan for it now. Hopefully it shan't be too long of a wait. Also for more info and the CrimsonWatch please check out my GDC Files short report on them. And don't worry about Audrey she makes it out - hopefully she takes this a lesson to be learned. Though I doubt it.

I hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review and I hope you have a good day.