KILL ALL KAIJU

Looking down before the police cars arrayed out before him with their sirens blaring Ryker felt a spike of almost nauseating anxiety at the situation he’d been put in. Despite the danger of these police officers being negligible at best the consequences of this one interaction nearly paralyzed Ryker. The timeline had progressed more or less the same way as it had before. Because Kaiju were all relatively small ambush predators in Stage One, they were still mostly unknown to the public and by extension the government and military. The world would not stay ignorant of the threat for long but that very near future wasn’t what terrified Ryker.

It was this very moment.

These officers would have body cameras, his every move here would be recorded and analyzed for years possibly decades to come. What would happen if he were seen as a monster that had saved someone and not attacked police officers? Would the Children of Gaia form faster to protect what they perceived to be misunderstood benevolent animals? Would they prevent the military from mobilizing like humanity would need them to? But what was the alternative, attack these innocent people? Ryker couldn’t do that, he just couldn’t. Even if it guaranteed the best reaction from America’s government he could never bring himself to intentionally harm those he’d taken an oath to protect.

Amid Ryker’s indecision the police had no qualms about reacting first. With panicked but practiced precision they left their cars and drew their weapons on Ryker. The pistols themselves weren’t a threat unless they hit his eyes dead on but they could easily kill the screaming woman he was still holding in his arms.

“Stop!” Ryker yelled without thinking. His words lost in a roar that nearly drowned out the police officer’s shouts to open fire on him. In an instant Ryker turned and clutched the woman close to his chest. Sheltering her with his bulk as guns barked and bullets sparked off his scales in a rain of gunfire. A flare of anger left Ryker hissing and spitting at the officers as he stepped back. What if their bullets ricocheted off his scales and hit them or the woman he was carrying? Or what if they missed him and hit someone behind him?

I have to get away! Ryker thought furiously as he backpedaled onto a nearby lawn and made a break for the narrow space separating one house from another to get into their backyards and away from the police. The whole while Ryker moved, he felt the frantic drumbeat of the woman’s fists coming down on his scaly forearm over and over. Her face a mask of sobbing terror as she fought back in a vain attempt to free herself from his grasp.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Ryker automatically spoke again, trying to comfort the woman and make his inhuman growls as soft as possible. “Please don’t be afraid.” He thought he’d managed it, but when he looked down at the woman in his arms she was staring in abject horror at his teeth. Which were unfortunately, still a very distressing shade of red thanks to Ryker’s previous meal.

The woman froze shock still as her mind processed what she truly believed to be her final moments. Then to Ryker’s great dismay, the woman slumped in his arms as her head fell forward. Limp as a rag doll as she fainted and Ryker readjusted his grip on the woman so she didn’t strain her spine.

Damnit! Just fucking damn it all! Ryker fumed at the entirety of his situation as he rapidly turned in a circle. Deciding on a whim to go through a backyard to his right as he heard the calls of the police over the radio and in his ears as they made to come after him. Believing that the monster they were chasing was seconds away from tearing into the woman he was gingerly cradling at the moment.

Despite being a veteran of countless life or death Kaiju battles this situation was straining Ryker in a way combat had never prepared him for. What was he supposed to do? Who was he supposed to fight? The only Kaiju left to kill in this suburb was him and the enemy he was trying to fight, the Children of Gaia, didn’t even exist yet. For the umpteenth time since being sent back in time Ryker wished for somebody, anybody to tell him what to do. Because if there was a way out of this situation Ryker was exactly the wrong person to find it.

Beck you bastard! Ryker cursed in frustration as he accidentally knocked over a lonely looking charcoal grill in his haste to dodge through the various backyards hiding him from the cops. Smartest man on the planet sends a stupid dumbass pilot back in time! Great plan Beck! What could go wrong? Absolutely nothing!

Ryker’s previous plan had been nebulous but simple. Stay under the radar, get stronger, and kill Kaiju. Any hope of sticking to that plan had gone out the window when he’d fallen into a suburb with bad company. Staying undetected was out the moment the police started shooting him. Getting stronger was on hold till he could find somewhere safe for his precious cargo and circle back around the cops to eat for his next upgrade. And his ability to kill Kaiju was in jeopardy because of the previous two points.

Trying to escape was a possibility but Ryker quickly dismissed the thought as fast as it came. He might have considered it if it weren’t for the veritable bounty of uneaten Kaiju flesh just waiting for him a block down the street. And even then that didn’t take into account the remains of the Kaiju still at the construction site. Every bite of those monsters pushed Ryker closer to the abilities he’d need to succeed in his mission. Even with his new Adaptive Armor, Paralytic Venom, and Adrenal Trigger Ryker wasn’t satisfied. He wanted- no, needed every possible advantage he could get his hands on.

Ryker could make do with less but that ran completely counter to how he’d fought in his past life. He wasn’t just any run of the mill mech pilot, he was the Arsenal. Overkill was his standard operating procedure. Fighting Kaiju without the wide array of options he’d normally had available in his Armor had only grown more restrictive the longer he had to engage in pure melee against Kaiju of greater strength. He’d adapted of course, he didn’t have a choice there, but if he had to make do fighting a one man war without the aid of AP rounds, rail guns, rocket pods, mortars, long range missiles, pile bunkers, or Pulse Blades then by God he was going to get something to even the odds and increase his fighting effectiveness.

The idea of just ignoring the police and going over to eat the rest of the Kaiju he’d killed entered his mind. But if he ignored the police to eat the Kaiju, people would think he only cared about his meal like any other natural predator. It didn’t sound like a bad idea, but what if it was? It could color Kaiju as the very misunderstood monsters the Children of Gaia would kill to protect. But if that were the case Ryker was at a loss as to what he could do to make sure the public’s first impressions of Kaiju were as hostile as possible. He wouldn’t fight the cops but maybe he could-

Ryker stopped in the middle of a fenced in backyard, still holding the unconscious woman in his arms he quickly looked from the loudly approaching sounds of the police and the still form he was holding. Crouching down as low as he could so he wouldn't stand out above the lines of backyard fences he'd run behind.

It struck Ryker suddenly that if he was worried about the consequences of his nonviolent behavior and violence was out of the question, couldn't he just fake it?

Oh no. Ryker thought immediately. No, I couldn’t do that, that’s just…

But even as Ryker tried to deny the idea in his head it took root in his head and wouldn’t let go. His problem wasn’t the threat the police represented to him, it was how news and video of his nonviolent response to them might convince people that Kaiju are misunderstood creatures. If that happened it would only be a matter of time before the Children of Gaia formed. And their formation could be even earlier in the timeline than it had been originally, all because of Ryker’s own actions. Bolstered by what they’d consider to be proof of Kaiju’s nonviolent nature, courtesy of Ryker, they might skip the peaceful protests all together and start right off with the extremism that sabotaged every effort to defend humanity against Kaiju. The bomb they’d tried to kill Beck with may actually succeed in killing his friend in this timeline. And if that happened Ryker held no illusions about the world’s chances without his innovations.

That would mean no Archangels, no H.A.L.O. interface system to replace the inferior Neuro Jacks, no improvements to the weapons and Armor so vital to protecting the Earth.

Of course, that didn’t mean he actually had to harm the police in any way. He’d never go that far, but why couldn’t he just pretend to be the monster they already feared him to be? He was a big scary monster after all. Covered in a layer of slowly drying blood with the teeth and claws to match. He might not even have to do too much. Just roar a bit, chase a few cops around, maybe toss an empty patrol car…

Ryker groaned as he let out a very pained sigh. Dragging one claw down his face in exasperation as he knew what he had to do, despite how much he despised the idea of it. It was one thing for Ryker to fight knowing he’d been sent back in time to face impossible odds. He’d been ready and willing to bleed and die for the Earth since the beginning. But the idea of… of… roleplaying the very monsters he despised was just beyond the pale. Like the entire universe had decided to collectively screw with him with its own twisted sense of humor.

But as much as Ryker chaffed at the idea the reason he hated it so much was because it might actually work. It might work very well actually. Even as he fumed the tactical side of his brain went to work plotting how best to put his terrible plan into action. How to best come across as the kind of monster that would inspire an instant response from the government. Maybe he could even funnel the cops towards the remains of his meals and get them to record video evidence of him acquiring a new ability from them. If a video like that were to circulate this early in the timeline, it could accelerate the world’s understanding of Kaiju before they even reached Stage Two. Saving literal years of pointless speculation and research on behalf of scientists like Beck. It made a frightening amount of sense. He’d be able to warn the world, get valuable information to a younger Beck, and he’d get his fill of dead Kaiju to unlock another vital tool for the battles to come.

All it would cost was the entirety of Ryker’s pride, dignity, and self respect.

What a bargain.

The mission comes first right? Ryker thought with a pained tiredness. Feeling a guilty ache in his chest as he considered what he was about to do. I don’t want to do this. I really don’t want to do this. But if there’s even a single chance that lives could be saved because of this stupid plan then I have no excuse.

Standing in the backyard of a recently vacated house Ryker looked down at the woman he was holding. Almost peaceful in her unconsciousness but still too small and all too fragile compared to his own monstrous body. Ever so carefully, Ryker shifted her so that he held her in the crook of his arm, her head rolling slightly so that her tear streaked cheek rested against his scales on the inside of his forearm. The contact was inconsequential, small enough to barely be noticeable but even that small touch sparked an ache in Ryker that had only grown over the days since his failed reincarnation.

It had been easy in the first day or two since waking in his new body to accept his situation and what that meant. But as time wore on the stark reality of what his new life would be like hit Ryker like a ton of bricks. Humanity would be something he protected with his life, but never be able to fully interact with and cherish the way he’d used to. His family and friends were alive and well but Ryker couldn’t greet or hold them. He’d never be able to walk through the home he grew up in again. He looked like a monster now and people would keep treating him like one the stronger he became.

The moment seemed to stretch as Ryker cradled the stranger in his arm. Holding her as if he could hold onto the shrinking connection he had with people and humanity as a whole. They were so small now, all the humans he was supposed to protect and they’d only get smaller as he grew apart from them. This poor woman who’d ran at the sight of him might be the last person Ryker would ever be able to hold in his arms like this before he became larger. Not his mother, his father or his friends. A stranger who’d nearly been shot because of him. He didn’t even know her name.

Feeling a sudden spike of longing Ryker slowly brought up his other claw but stopped before it moved too close. His claw was easily big enough to palm the woman’s entire head, and his claws were just as sharp as they’d always been. What was he trying to do? Even simple contact might accidently open a weeping gash large enough to need stitches.

Even as his upraised claw shook slightly with emotion Ryker understood exactly why. Despite how much he’d eaten and gorged himself over the past few days he was starving. Not for food but for touch, for the connection and warmth that only came from other people. He didn’t want much, just to be near someone, anyone for a minute or two. To feel a hand hold his or arms embrace him.

It was selfish and wrong. Taking advantage of this stranger’s unconsciousness but Ryker leaned his head forward anyway and pressed his forehead against the woman he was holding as he clenched his blinded eyes shut. He could feel the tiny drum of her heart through his scales as his twisted senses painted the scene in colors of sound and echoing taste. The soft sigh of her breaths against his scales making him shudder as Ryker choked down the desperate loneliness in his chest. Even as its teeth sunk into his heart with ice cold fangs.

I’m sorry. Ryker thought with a pang of regret. I’m so sorry. You don’t deserve this. I… I didn’t mean to scare you. I just- I’m just trying to help. Ryker thought with a pang as he knelt down. One knee pressing deep into the grass as he positioned himself over a cushioned lawn chair. You’ll be okay. You’ll be safe here. Ryker tried to comfort the woman as he felt her stir in her unconsciousness. Slowly lowering her onto the chair as Ryker stole a few extra seconds of human contact. Standing up and looking down at the stranger Ryker tried not to loom as he stared. If people were this small to him now, what would he do when he was even bigger? Was it vain to hope that even then he might be able to have some kind of meaningful connection to people even when they’d fit in the palm of his claws?

Focus. The man turned Kaiju thought ruthlessly. Focus damn you. You don’t have time for this. Ryker thought, his piloting instincts quickly compressing all his doubts and fears into a tight bundle he mentally shoved into a corner. He’d unpack that can of worms when he didn’t have any immediate problems to solve.

I hate this plan. Its bad, its stupid as hell but its the best I can come up with to keep the Children from forming early and get to eating so my next DNA ability is unlocked. But even as Ryker complained his resolve firmed as he took a deep breath in, and let it out. Focusing his senses on his surroundings, the approaching police officers, and the best place to set his plan into motion as he walked away from the woman he’d saved.

Apologies in advance for this. Ryker thought weakly towards the police officers. But the world isn’t safe for anyone anymore… and I need you to get the word out.

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“Rico, where the fuck is it?” Miguel spoke tensely into his radio as he tightened his grip on the shotgun he’d armed himself with from the back of his patrol car. He was standing with his back against the wall of a house where he could look past the corner into the fenced in backyard. Stacked behind him was his partner Oliver and the others, Vincent and Earnest. Miguel had tried to head off the- well what the hell else was he going to call it? The monster that had ran off with that poor woman.

She’d been screaming bloody murder just thirty seconds ago but he couldn’t hear her anymore. The silence damning as Miguel listened hard for any sign of life. From the woman or the monster that likely just took her life.

Jesus. Miguel thought just as Rico cut in.

“It’s still in these backyards somewhere. Tommy and the others are watching the other streets so it can’t make a break for it.”

“Do we have any idea what the fuck we’re looking at here?” Tommy broke in, uncharacteristically quiet over the radio. As if he were afraid something would hear him.

“Fuck no. You saw the same shit I did Tommy. Rico, let’s pull back and call in some bigger fucking guns here.”

“We already called for backup.” Miguel reminded him. “But if there are still civilians in the area we have to take the fight to it now before the worst comes to worst.”

“Shit.”

“We really going after that thing? We really doing this?”

“Where’s the National guard again?”

“Fuck me.” Miguel’s partner cursed behind him, swearing even more fervently in a tone he thought was quiet enough to be unheard. Miguel didn’t give Oliver any crap for it, he knew the man had his back come hell or high water.

“Cut the chatter!” Miguel barked into the radio as he turned back to regard the officers lined up behind him. “We’re moving up, keep your eyes peeled. Vincent watch our backs so it doesn’t come around and flank us. Everyone check your fire, there could be civilians in these houses. Clear?”

With every officer nodding behind him Miguel nodded as well, even though the last thing he wanted to do was go around that corner and poke his gun at the horror waiting for them. He’d only seen it for a scarce few seconds, but he knew with a cold certainty that his head, maybe most of his upper torso, could easily fit in between the monster’s jaws. Not to mention its claws looked big enough and sharp enough to tear through his bullet proof vest and he’d seen over two dozen nine millimeter rounds spark off its scales like fire crackers. Miguel refused to believed the thing was bulletproof though. If it was, maybe it was only to smaller arms fire and not shotguns and rifle rounds. If it really was bulletproof thought, Miguel had no illusions about surviving the next few minutes.

Miguel reached up and grabbed at the cross hanging from his neck like he’d done a hundred times before. Clenching it tight as he pressed it to his lips in a silent prayer. There wasn’t time for a normal prayer to pay God the proper respect but he focused as hard as he could on what he was trying to convey anyway. All his fears and hopes for himself and his friends wrapped tight into two whispered words.

“Not today.” Miguel breathed as he dropped the cross and gripped his shotgun with renewed strength.

“On three. One, two, three, go!”

With a smooth practiced motion Miguel turned around the corner and swept his gaze over the backyard while looking down the barrel of his shotgun as he heard the others file in behind him. Keeping tight to the back wall of the house as they watched for anything big and mean.

Miguel stopped on the other end of the house surveying the yard as Oliver checked the sliding glass back door for any sign of life inside. As he waited, his eyes flicked down to the print in the grass. It was large, very large. Well over twice the size of his combat boot in length and the weight of it was deep enough to plunge into the dirt beneath the grass. It looked like it could have come straight out of any one of the Jurassic Park reboots.

“Nobody in there.” Oliver reported as he finished his cursory scan of the house’s interior. It would have been proper procedure to comb through the house proper and confirm if anyone was inside but the elephant in the room took priority.

Or dinosaur or whatever the hell it is. Miguel thought to himself as he nodded. “Move up. On me.”

As one unit they inched forward. Deliberately trying to make as little noise as possible to keep the monster they were hunting from spotting them. If that would be enough to get the drop on it and save whoever had gotten its attention. Even as Miguel’s heart pounded in his chest he kept a steady hand on his shotgun, the feel of the weapon giving him the reassurance only a twelve gauge could.

When Miguel’s radio crackled to life he was so focused on his environment and not getting jumped that he missed what the others had said.

“10-9 Tommy, repeat last message.” Miguel said tensely.

“Two of the things are dead in the street.” Tommy said his voice quivering a little over the radio.

“Come again?” Oliver responded.

“There’s two more of the things just one street over. Both dead. They’re just as big as the other one but holy fuck man. It looks like they’ve been mauled. There’s blood and guts everywhere!” Tommy said. A clear note of panic in his voice now.

“Hold your position. There’s still one more of these things out-”

“Fuck that man! These things have claws the size of my fucking head! What the fuck are we doing here man!?”

“Get ahold of yourself!” Miguel barked over the radio. Eyes scanning his surroundings, half expecting the monster to burst through the fence and rush him the moment he looked anywhere else. He was about to order Tommy’s partner to smack some sense into the man when Miguel’s eyes froze on a single detail.

The sun was up but still low enough in the sky to cast a long shadow. With the sun behind the house they were putting their backs to the shadow fell over most of the backyard. But where there should have been a sharp straight line across the back yard there was a part of the shadow that didn’t belong. Contorting as if something were on the-

No. Miguel thought immediately. His entire body tensing as he ever so carefully looked up. His heart nearly stopping dead in his chest at the sight.

Years of training and experience on the police force kicked his mind into overdrive as it took in every detail of the monster above him. Time nearly slowing to a crawl as the familiar spike of fight or flight reflexes pushed Miguel to get his gun above his head before it was too late. His body seeming to move in slow motion as he tried to save his life and the others behind him. It had climbed up onto the roof. And it was looking down right at him and the others as if pondering what to do. Like it wasn’t about to lunge down and bite his head clean off.

It was just as terrifying as it had been earlier only it was closer than Miguel had ever wanted to get to the beast again. It was almost flush with the roof’s surface, laying flat against the shingles so that it couldn’t be seen from the road by Tommy or his partner. The monster seemed to lean its head and one arm over the edge as it held itself above him. Just a few feet above his head he could easily see the flecks of red in its teeth, the green glistening scales on its head, and what seemed to be acid burn scars over its closed eyes.

Blinded. Miguel’s mind supplied as he reacted. Twisting to face the thing as he braced against the stock pressed snug against his shoulder. Even as the beast raised one claw to attack.

Time resumed the moment Miguel’s finger pulled the trigger. The gun bucking in his hands as his shot left the barrel and connected with the monster’s scales. The shotgun pellets sparking in bright flashes as they all failed to penetrate.

“Open fire!” Someone roared. Maybe him, maybe his partner Oliver he didn’t know. Gunfire lit up the early morning as the monster reared up and hissed, slashing a claw directly towards Miguel. The swipe was slow, confused even. It was enough time for Miguel to dance back and keep pumping a few more shells into the beast as he turned and bolted for the others.

“Back to the patrol cars! It’s blind! It can’t see us! Go, go, go!”

They wouldn’t be able to kill this thing with the weapons they had on hand. They’d just be throwing their lives away if they stayed any longer. The best they could hope to do was try to corral it away from any other civilians still hiding in their homes before backup arrived. As the others ran Miguel felt the ground shake as the monster leapt off the roof into the backyard.

He didn’t know how he or the others would stop this thing. In all likely hood they probably couldn’t.

But they had to try.

==================================================================================================

I’m such a terrible person. Ryker thought despairingly as he landed in the grass of the backyard. The surroundings shaking as Ryker rose to watch the police officers run away from him. Their scent and the sounds they made painting them in a moving collage of colors as Ryker’s other senses wove together to help him see the world in a way his eyes could not.

Despite knowing full well that this “plan” would only benefit humanity down the line it still left Ryker’s guts churning in revulsion at his actions. He hadn’t even done anything yet and he was already hating himself for what he was doing. Originally he wanted to wait on the roof to scare off the police from a distance but as they kept getting closer he was practically frozen with indecision. Did he roar? Was that good enough to make himself seem threatening? What if he accidentally roared loud enough to damage ear drums though? Sound weapons were devastating weapons some Kaiju developed down the line, what if he was actually loud enough to hurt people with his roar alone?

Then as the police crept closer Ryker could only watch anxiously as they got right underneath him without looking up. It was almost a relief when they started shooting him, even if the larger rifle rounds and shotgun shells actually stung a bit instead of bouncing off completely like the earlier 9mm rounds. Feeling the multitude of impacts from shotguns and rifles hit his scales pushed Ryker’s agonized thoughts to the background as his piloting reflexes pushed him to action. He had started to swing reflexively at a perceived threat but immediately dialed back the speed and strength of his swing down to something even a child could dodge as he telegraphed his “attack.”

He’d initially been worried his wimpy swipe was too much on the weak side. It didn’t feel threatening at all. Plus it wouldn’t have connected even if the man had stood still and Ryker completed his swing. But with the officer and the others now shouting in the air and over the radio about how Ryker was blinded gave Ryker a blessing in disguise.

Oh right! Ryker thought as he realized what that meant for him. Smacking one fist into an open claw. My eyes were burned bad but even if I can still see with my Synthesthesia, to anyone else it looks like I can’t see at all! I can just blatantly miss anyone I swing at without drawing any suspicion.

The fact that Ryker would still have to pretend to attack innocent people left him cringing with regret but it was something right?

Heart heavy with shame, regret, and an overwhelming sense of spite towards the future terrorist organization he was trying to thwart with his actions Ryker stalked after the fleeing police officers. Deliberately slowing his steps so he didn’t immediately start catching up to them. As tall as he was each stride across the ground covered far more distance than he’d initially thought. It was almost as if he’d grown since-

“Fuck!” Ryker roared sharply as he slammed a claw down on the roof next to him in anger. Realizing once again that he had grown larger, another foot tall to approximately twelve feet in height now at his best guess and he literally had no idea it had happened. Then his anger at that fact that grew even more sharply as he realized he’d just put a hole through someone’s roof for no reason. “Fucking damnit man!” Ryker wailed as he covered his face with his claws. “I grew again and I didn’t notice! And now I’m destroying shit for no reason!”

With a terribly pained groan Ryker stumbled forwards and out onto the front lawn of the home he’d damaged. His entire career one of the highest marks Ryker had gotten had been for his adherence to infrastructure preservation policies. Minimizing any and all unnecessary damage had been a matter of pride to Ryker. Then he’d just thrown away his long standing record in a single moment of frustrated aggression.

“There it is!” One of the panicked police officers shouted as Ryker became visible from the street between the two houses.

“It can’t see!”

“It’s wounded! We can kill it!”

“Light it up!”

A fresh hail of gunfire tore through the suburb as Ryker felt the bullets hit and ricocheted off his Enhanced Scales. The even though the concentrated gunfire only mildly hurt physically it wasn’t doing any favors for him emotionally. First the stupid circumstances he’d been put under to try and get ahead of the Children of Gaia, then the growth spurt he’d failed to recognize again, the taint on his own record for preventing property damage, the woman he saved whose face haunted his mind, and now he had to pretend to fight off the police like he was a violent monster.

All of that pent up stress only added to the ball of tightly controlled emotion within Ryker. His memories of a doomed future he was endlessly working to prevent, his own situation at being forced into the body of the very monsters he’d hated all his life, and the constant drive to push and grow stronger while maintaining his own safety. For the first time in his life it was all just too much.

“Fuck this bullshit!” Ryker roared as he rubbed his palms over his eyes. “And fuck me!”

Ryker swiped his arms through the air as all the pent up emotions and worries he’d held within himself expressed themselves in a rant no one else could hear. One that sounded to the police officers by their patrol cars exactly like a monster roaring in impotent rage at the bullets hitting him he couldn’t fight back against.

“First I wake up in this fucking body, then I have to figure out on my own how in the ever living fuck I’m supposed to stop an apocalypse single handed!” Ryker ranted as he stomped into the street and turned towards the police officers. “I could ask for help but how am I supposed to do that if I act intelligent and the military wants to capture me for study? Or when everyone else is running away screaming huh? I’m a pilot! I’ve never even finished high school! I’m not qualified for fucking time travel! Who the fuck sends the GED back in time to save the world!”

Ryker vented his frustrations as he waved his arms animatedly. The police officers reloading their firearms as they put bullet after bullet into the monster before them with seemingly little effect.

“I’m out!”

“Shit it’s not going down!”

“Now I have to act crazy in front of you people!” Ryker seethed. Still riding high on his anger as he pointed a claw at the police officers arrayed on the street firing at him. “So I can get the military off its lazy ass and stop the Kaiju worshipping weirdos from forming their freaky death cult! Now get over here! Let’s get this shit over with!” Ryker roared, stomping towards the line of officers as he enacted his “plan.”

================================================================================================================

The monster was going insane as it raged in the street. Probably because every swipe of its claws met with empty air instead of whatever it perceived to be attacking it. It was clearly wounded and blinded but none of their shots even slowed the thing down.

“I’m out!” Miguel shouted over the noise of gunfire as he quickly reloaded shell after shell into his shotgun. The action more reflexive than conscious as his mind frantically tried to come up with a solution.

“Shit it’s not going down!” Oliver shouted as he landed shot after shot.

Then the beast seemed to catch wind of them finally. It might have been their scent or the noise they were making over the gunfire but the monster turned towards them as if it could see them all in the street. The roars leaving its throat took on a hint of- God he hoped he was wrong, but it sounded pissed. One claw coming up and seeming to point at them as the monster finally located their position and started stomping towards them.

“Fall back!” Vincent shouted as the monster moved closer. His panicked shout giving some of the other officers the permission they needed to make a break for it, climbing into their patrol cars as they tried to reverse and get some distance.

“Damnit.” Miguel cursed as he threw open the door to his squad car and hopped in just as his partner got into the passenger’s seat. His key blessedly finding the ignition and the engine roaring to life instead of failing to start like in every monster movie he’d ever seen.

“What do we do?!” Tommy shouted over the radio. His obvious panic not helping in the slightest.

“We improvise!” Miguel shouted as he put the car into drive and slammed on the gas. His patrol car leaping forwards as the others tried to get away from the approaching monster. He cranked on the wheel hard to swerve around the beast coming towards them. It- Jesus that thing was big. It made to swipe at them as they passed by it. Forcing Miguel to ride up onto the curb as he felt the car shudder as it’s claws raked the roof and broke the flashers on the roof. The plastic remains of them hanging off the roof and dangling over the windshield as he brought the car back onto the road.

Miguel gunned the throttle till he got to a wide enough part of the road and wheeled the car around in a speedy U-Turn that pressed him and his partner deep into their seats. Bringing them back around with the monster straight in front of him. It was right among the remaining patrol cars as it attacked.

“Rico!” Oliver shouted over the radio. “Get out of there its right on top of you!”

Miguel’s mind blanked with confusion for a moment before he instantly understood. There was one patrol car left in the street, the others having fallen back to a safe distance. Rico was still there, apparently trying to move Tommy who was frozen with terror as he hid behind their car. The monster approached and instead of moving for Earnest went straight for the empty patrol car they were hiding behind. It’s blindness probably saving Earnest’s life as it attacked the empty patrol car instead of them.

It was terrifying enough to see the monster on its own. Larger than anything Miguel had ever seen growing up in Tennessee, but it was even more terrifying to see that size meant an equally terrifying strength. The monster must have been over ten feet tall at least because it was large enough to raise a clawed foot and bring it down onto the patrol cars hood like it was a kid’s plastic Power Wheels. The hood instantly caving in and the windshield shattering as the car’s back wheels bounced with the impact. The car’s sirens whining as they struggled to operate despite the damage they’d received.

“They're not moving.” Miguel said tensely as he willed Earnest to make a break for the cover of the nearby houses.

“PIT it!” Oliver suggested and Miguel nodded.

In the next instant he was stomping on the gas petal as he and his partner braced themselves as they drove directly towards the monster. It had turned its head and almost seemed to see them despite its blindness, probably the sound of the engine alerting it, but it wasn’t enough to make the monster move out of the way. In one moment the monster was thirty feet away and in the next it’s bulk was taking up the entire windshield as the police car rammed into one of the beast’s trunk like legs. Even with the reinforced push bar in front of the grille hitting the monster’s leg was like plowing into a solid metal beam instead of simple flesh and bone. As Miguel and Oliver jolted in their seats from the impact the monster finally seemed to register the impact as it wailed in pain, falling over part of Rico’s patrol car as it slammed into the road with enough force to be felt through the street.

“Tommy! Get in the car you dumbass!” Oliver screamed at the officer as his shout jolted some sense into the man as Rico pulled him up and they both ran for Miguel’s patrol car. Both of them piling into the backseat as the beast flailed in pain at its injured leg. One errant kick hitting the side of his patrol car and sending it skidding a few feet across the ground.

“Drive!” Oliver and the others shouted and Miguel wasn’t going to argue. As he slammed the vehicle into reverse the monster finally got to its feet. Seeming to recognize its prey was getting away Miguel’s eyes practically bulged as he saw the beast bend down and pick up Rico’s patrol car. Heaving the thing over its head like it weighed nothing.

Driving backwards down the street Miguel and his partner had front row seats to the horror show as the beast threw the car after them. The broken sirens giving one last mournful wail as it spun through the air after them. As if he were caught in a trance he watched the patrol car make its arc over the suburban street. The seconds seeming to stretch impossibly long as it tumbled before finally falling short and crashing through the crown of a tree in someone’s lawn off to their left, stopping in the grass before it could hit a small stone bird bath.

With a snap Miguel’s focus returned to driving as he expertly cranked on the wheel and spun the car around to face away from the monster. Putting the gear into Drive and peeling down the street like a bat out of hell.

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I’m going to hell. Straight. To. Hell. Extra Hell. Super Hell. Ryker thought numbly as he watched the police car disappear around the corner. All his earlier anger at his situation bleeding out of him in a rush that left Ryker feeling nearly empty. The weight of his actions also adding to his fatigue as they bore down on him like a ton of guilty bricks. Making the man turned Kaiju’s shoulders slump as he marched towards the street with the remains of the Kaiju he’d need to improve his body. His tail practically dragging across the asphalt as he walked, unable to even summon the energy to feel disappointed at not having any police officers remain to record him eating and evolving a new ability for Beck to possibly see. Ryker was done pretending to be a monster, the cops had their body cameras and dash cams recording video. That combined with their testimony and the first hand accounts of the people who’d seen him fight the other Kaiju first hand would be more than enough to convince the world to take the Kaiju threat seriously.

As he had approached the police officers he knew he had to come across as threatening. So when one of the police cars drove by him Ryker made sure to leave a long gash along the roof as it passed. He didn’t really swing at the car so much as let its own momentum carry it past his claws but it still hurt Ryker all the same to do it. It got even worse once he was next to the two police cars with the one officer hiding behind one. Knowing that a real Kaiju attack would have caused ten times as much damage as what little scratches he was leaving on patrol cars Ryker forced himself to take his plan to the next level. To leave some damage that would force even the most die hard of skeptics to confront the strength of humanity’s new enemy. And that meant stomping on the empty patrol car’s hood.

It was easy, terrifyingly easy, and it utterly killed Ryker inside to waste taxpayer dollars and sully his years of effort preventing such wanton destruction. The act was made even worse as he had to do it with two police officers cowering just a few feet away. Right as he was in the middle of his wave of remorse at acting just like the monsters he now resembled, the other patrol car had decided to try ramming him. Ryker’s first instinct was to jump over the car, he was large enough to clear it easily but if it continued on its current course it would plow into the car the other officers were hiding behind. How serious would that man’s injuries be if he was even partially clipped by the crash? Frozen in indecision the patrol car rammed into his leg and his body took the impact head on. The combination of all his hard fought upgrades like the Enhanced Scales, Shock Absorbing Muscle Tissue, and Increased Bone Density practically negating the brunt force of the blow as the car reeled from the impact and Ryker stared. Not knowing what to do next.

Fall over dumbass! Ryker thought suddenly. With great fanfare and what he hoped sounded like a pained roar, Ryker “fell” back partially crushing the patrol car behind him as he pretended to writhe on the ground in pain. He accidentally clipped the patrol car that hit him with an errant kick but by then it was already pulling away. Taking the other cops with it. Struck with worry that he hadn’t done enough damage Ryker did the only thing he could think of. Picking up the ruined patrol car as he took in a shaky breath.

Its for humanity Ryker. Do it for humanity. Just them get farther out first. Just a bit more and… Ryker stared fixatedly on the quickly reversing patrol car. Making absolutely sure they were clear as he judged the distance of his throw carefully. Intentionally aiming at a lonesome tree off to the side of the street he could safely throw the car into without it accidentally rolling into someone else’s car or home and cause any more damage. The throw had been more of a gentle toss than anything. If the word gentle could ever be applied to his actions anymore.

And just like that the rampage of Ryker was over. One unnecessary hole in a roof someone hopefully had insurance for, a bunch of terrified police officers, one destroyed police car, and one damaged car with a massive slash across the top.

I want to crawl into a hole and die. Ryker thought regretfully. Trying and failing to assure himself that he’d taken the right course of action as he dutifully ignored the frantic radio chatter between the fleeing officers.

In Ryker’s own timeline the reports of attacks and other such disappearances had been sparse at best. Just the subject of late night news reports and nothing more. Later on it had been revealed that details and evidence had been deliberately hidden from the public by high ranking politicians to prevent civil unrest. Believing that whatever these new creatures were that their response to them had to be measured so they didn’t come across as unelectable after the public found out they’d ordered the hunting down of a new species.. The military had only involved itself once it became abundantly clear that the never before seen animals in their country’s backyard were growing out of control. Literally. The first confirmed kill by the military had been a peak Stage One at over twenty feet tall.

Despite his overwhelming shame, Ryker knew intellectually that his actions or at least video of his actions, would save lives in the long run. It might drive people to panic and fear, but in Ryker’s mind it was a necessary evil. Better to rip off the band aid now rather than wait until the wound beneath had time to fester.

Okay. Get a hold of yourself man. We’re still on a timer here. Ryker reprimanded himself. Slapping his face several times as he tried to smack some sense back into himself. The remains of the Kaiju Ryker had slain were exactly where he’d left them. The only difference now being that the majority of the Berserker’s acidic blood had finished draining away.

Getting right back to business Ryker reached down and halfheartedly tore off one of the Berserker’s legs. Munching on it like it was a chicken leg instead of a monster’s mutilated appendage. I’m just gonna take this over to the Charger so I don’t have to move between the two. Ryker thought as he grabbed the corpse by an arm and dragged it over to the backyard the Charger had died in.

Dropping the corpse next to its kin Ryker laid into the meals laid out before him. He still hated these monsters with every fiber of his being but that hatred was muted beneath the guilt of his recent actions. So despite making quick progress through the juicy meat of the bodies. Ryker couldn’t bring himself to enjoy his meal the same way he had before. Even trying to spice up his meal by mixing bits of Berserker into his Charger meat didn’t light up Ryker’s senses in the same salivating way he’d felt before.

Left with nothing but his thoughts and his food Ryker focused on his DNA once more. Knowing he was pressed for time he wanted to review his progress a bit before his next upgrade. The different segments of his genome shone bright in his mind with glowing rungs and pinpricks of light on the ends that marked each ability’s epigenetic modifiers. As Ryker held the images in his mind he regarded them as a whole. He’d been mostly splitting his attention between all the gene segments for a while now. Bouncing between Musculoskeletal, Neurosensory, and Cardiopulmonary like he was trying to keep a balance. But as he ate and thought more on it, Ryker realized his initial plan was flawed. And debilitatingly slow.

Ryker’s overall plan was still the same. Unlock every ability and modifier while still in Stage One. Only evolving to the next Stage once he’d guaranteed himself as much power as possible. But he needed to change things up. Facing Kaiju with even one more ability than he had dramatically increased the difficulty of his fights against them. He needed to hard focus a single gene segment and unlock everything within it. The abilities, the modifiers, everything.

And the choice of what part of his DNA to focus on was abundantly clear to Ryker. The Musculoskeletal gene segment.

Despite his human mind granting him an advantage, Ryker was ready and willing to admit he was a bit of a meathead. Even as a Kaiju that particular character trait was painfully obvious. So why try and shy away from it? He needed firepower. So why not go straight to the source and evolve the abilities he needs to add to his biological arsenal?

That wasn’t to say that the Neurosensory and Cardiopulmonary segments had no combat application. That wasn’t true at all. His own recently acquired Adrenal Trigger had come from the Cardiopulmonary segment. But Ryker had spread himself too thin too early. Going wide instead of deep into a single segment to secure a definitive advantage. Had he done so from the beginning who knows how his fight might have gone with the Kaiju earlier.

As Ryker mechanically shoveled gore into his maw he directed his attention to what he had to work on in the Musculoskeletal segment alone. At the first rung was his Increased Muscle Fiber Density, a bit boring but absolutely necessary. Both of its epigenetic modifiers were active and they greatly added to Ryker’s combat survivability and prowess. The Fast Twitch Muscle Fibers mod and the Shock Absorbing Muscle Tissue. The next rung of his DNA helix was almost equally boring as his first ability, Increased Bone Density.

No modifiers for that yet. Ryker noted clinically. Mentally making a note of working on those later.

After that came his Enhanced Scales which had been incredibly helpful keeping Ryker safe from Kaiju and bullets alike. Only one modifier active for that ability right now, his recently and painfully acquired Adaptive Armor. He’d work on the other modifier when he had a spare moment to figure out how to get it.

The next ability was a bit fuzzy for Ryker to figure out. He could tell it was the same upgrade he’d seen in the Charger and Snapper. That being the growth of a horn and a whip like tail. But when he tried to focus on what it did and felt like to him exactly it got weird. It was like one of those illusions where you saw one thing but if you squinted and unfocused your eyes there was another picture inside the picture. One thing but somehow also another. Confusion gnawed at Ryker as he ate. Trying to puzzle out the answer as he tore the Kaiju corpses limb from limb to get at the good stuff.

Does this mean there’s two options here? Did Beck ever say something about this? This is the first time I’ve seen an ability that felt like this. Ryker thought as he finally finished off the last of the Berserker before digging right into the Charger proper. It’s bulkier frame thankfully offering a larger amount of fat and muscle for Ryker to feast on for his trouble fighting the thing. It wasn’t a complete distraction from his earlier shameful actions but it helped a little bit.

It took a few more minutes than Ryker would like but he still put away the Charger in record time. Practically stuffing even his prodigious stomach as he dutifully ignored his body's desire to spend his calories on the cheaper Synaptic Defrag. With a flex of thought Ryker could tell intrinsically through the radio chatter in he air that the police were setting up a perimeter along the main roads to keep Ryker contained within the suburb until reinforcements arrived.

Good news for me. If they’re holding back I should have enough time to- ah yup. Speak of the devil. Ryker finished as he stood, feeling the telltale twinge within his body that let him know he’d hit the caloric threshold to unlock the next Musculoskeletal ability. The horn. Or was it a tail? Doesn’t matter. Ryker thought shaking his head. I’ll figure it out in a second.

Depressed as he’d been about having to play the part of a monster that hadn’t stopped Ryker from decimating the remains of the Charger. He very much would have liked to have taken the extra time to break and eat everything instead of just the meaty bits but Ryker was satisfied. It was time to see what the fourth rung of his Musculoskeletal DNA segment had in store for him.