KILL ALL KAIJU

After spending the next afternoon away from the town for a bit hunting the surrounding wildlife. Ryker was grateful to see that the police cars that had piled up outside the Garden Olive were gone tonight. The moon was out in full with barely a cloud in the night sky as Ryker stared down into the town from his vantage point again. Determining what exactly his next move should be.

Will I be fine just going for the dumpsters again? It’s only been a day since I hit them. Would that be enough for them to fill up again or should I just head for the ones I didn’t get to the other night? Ryker thought before cringing at the memory of what had happened that other night. Spooking that poor guy so completely he not only fainted, but also ran screaming from him just a few minutes after waking up.

I really don’t want a repeat of that again. Ryker thought as he glanced towards the Garden Olive. It was hard to make out but he was still sure he could see the yellow lines of police tape crisscrossing the front over a broken glass door. Apparently Kenny had broken it in his haste to escape.

He better not pin that on me. Ryker huffed as he made his way into town for the second time. Stomping through the brush of the wilderness and staying watchful of his surroundings.

Approaching the town from a different side today Ryker finally found out that the name of the town providing all his dietary needs was called Fairview after spotting a sign on the main road welcoming new visitors. Despite Ryker’s recent growth spurt, navigating the town was almost exactly the same as before. Only his steps covered more ground than he was used to and he had to crouch a bit more to stay hidden within the shadows of the squat buildings of Fairview.

Making his way to the same dumpsters he’d hit recently, a bit faster now that he knew exactly where they were, Ryker found a depressingly small amount of grub for him to eat. One after the other the dumpsters were only partially filled. It annoyed Ryker that he couldn’t find anything close to what he’d found before, then it annoyed him even more that he was annoyed in the first place.

I really have lost it. Ryker mused shaking his head. I think I was actually looking forward to eating out of dumpsters tonight. What the hell.

The bright glare of a car’s headlights snapped Ryker out of his musings and he cursed internally as he moved back behind the cover of a building as it went by. Scanning his surroundings again, Ryker stood up to his full height and looked back towards the now empty dumpster he had emptied of contents.

This… this isn’t going to keep working for what I need. Ryker thought.

It was true though. He’d been given a once in a lifetime opportunity knowing what he knows of future events. Combined with his knowledge of Kaiju biology he had everything he needed to take advantage of his situation and his new body. Sure, he could still keep lurking around this small town and just eat whatever was inside dumpsters. Still keep himself hidden from authorities and the greater threats the Military would pose to him. But did that mean he shouldn’t take any risks at all? Other Kaiju across the world would be born and start growing stronger themselves. Ryker had to make sure that he grew stronger, faster than they could. And there was one place in town that he knew for a certainty would have enough food for him to reach his next upgrade. Maybe even multiple upgrades.

The town supermarket.

After ten minutes of carefully moving between buildings and through alleys. Ryker found what he was looking for. The local Supermart was easily one of the largest buildings in town. The sign out front lit from within shining out onto an empty parking lot.

Peeking out from an alley across the street from the Supermart, Ryker placed one claw on the side of a building absently. Fully two feet above an average adult’s height, and thought about his next move.

It’s not a twenty four hour store thank God. I’d probably attract national attention the moment I stomped in and late night shoppers started screaming. Ryker thought gratefully. But if it’s closed down for the night there’s definitely not going to be any open doors I can squeeze through. Those will be locked and I bet if I broke through any there would be a silent alarm going off alerting the police. Then there’s the cameras. Not good.

Despite the distance Ryker could still make out the distinct black bulbs that were the Supermart’s cameras. Even if they were ancient by modern standards they’d definitely be able to pick up the hulking dinosaur breaking in to eat all the meat and produce.

Looking down the street on either side and making sure there wasn’t anyone outside to see him Ryker dashed as quietly as he could around the Supermart to look for any gaps in it’s camera coverage. The next few minutes were filled with Ryker cursing as he cased the building. Struggling to find an entry point that wouldn’t get him on camera or would require him to bust down a door and trigger an alarm.

It’s not like I can just go in through a window. Ryker thought with an annoyed growl. Staring at the building as if he could force it to open for him through sheer force of will. He was behind the building now. Staring at the protruding parts of the building that were likely the building’s back offices. There was the black bulb’s of the building’s back cameras, a shipping container next to the building, and on the roof of the building was the-

A skylight? Ryker though wonderingly. Picturing a plan in his head as he tilted his head in thought. No… It can’t be that easy right?

It wasn’t easy. Or stealthy. But it did end up working in the end.

The plan began with Ryker gathering mud into a claw to hurl at the camera he needed to cover to make his plan work. Only his newfound physiology was woefully inept at throwing objects like his human body had been. He tried again, and again and again. With a greater amount of frustration each time. Until he eventually tried putting mud on his head and flinging it that way. When that utterly failed, Ryker bemoaned his current situation for a solid five minutes. Cursing internally with such heat he was almost grateful for being unable to speak.

It was only once he accidentally got some mud on his tail and whipped around to curse into the air for the umpteenth time that night that he got a better idea for flinging mud at the camera. Ryker found that he was actually rather loathe to acknowledge his tail in the first place. Accepting he had a tail felt like a betrayal against his humanity somehow. He’d never wanted a tail. Who in their right minds would ever want a tail? It felt so weird to move and it was big and bulky and green. Without any redeeming features that were actually useful like spikes. He’d be a lot more amenable to his tail if it had spikes.

Getting back on track and continuing his plan for food Ryker, quite reluctantly, lathered up his tail with more mud and aimed himself as best he could towards the camera. With a surge Ryker whipped himself in a circle, flicking his tail and arcing a trail of mud through the air. It was less the precise strike he’d been going for and more of a muddy carpet bombing but it was enough to cover the camera completely. Had anyone been outside at the time in the humble town of Fairview they would have been the first witnesses to a dinosaur performing a fist pump in living memory.

Stage two of Ryker’s plan involved scaling the shipping container to make a jump for the roof of the back offices. Now concealed by a layer of mud on the camera Ryker strode up to the side of the shipping container. Which he found to his mild surprise to be only a couple inches taller than him. Granted it shouldn’t have made him felt weird at all since he’d spent so much of his life in a pilot’s chair inside his mech. Looking down on the world from a heightened position. But being physically larger than everyday items was a novel experience.

After a distressingly long amount of time trying to climb up and maneuver his bulk on top of the container Ryker stood on top of it warily. Having ripped a fair number of new claw shaped holes into the side of the container for his trouble. Ryker walked to the edge of the container and glared at the gap between the edge of the container and the roof. Preparing to make a running jump to leap onto the roof of the supermarket’s back offices. He tried to crouch down into a runner’s crouch but after a moment of glowering at his monstrous physique, he gave up and just ran for the opposite end of the container. Landing with a heavy thud as his hind claws dug into the asphalt that made up the Supermart’s roof.

Finally, his goal within reach. Ryker padded over the the skylight and peered down. It seemed to be set above a break room of sorts. There was a fridge in the corner and a microwave with some cabinets nearby. Directly underneath the skylight was a patch of clear floor thankfully. The tables in the room pushed to either side.

Too easy. Ryker thought with a Cheshire grin as he reached a claw out to the latch on the skylight. Pulling it open and making a way inside that was…

Oh. Ryker thought lamely. Taking in the opening in the skylight that would have easily let a normal sized person slip inside and not the eight foot tall kaiju he had become. Ugh… Damn it all. Ryker thought with a lizard like sigh.

Ryker found that nearly a minute later, to his great relief, that the skylight hadn’t been hooked up to any kind of alarm system after he'd smashed through it. Trusting in his increased weight Ryker simply jumped onto the skylight and let gravity do its thing. He fell through the skylight in a spectacular shower of glass and broken metal landing in the middle of the breakroom barely having to bend his legs to brace for the fall. Opening one eye to peek around himself as the last of the glass fell to the ground.

No cuts? Ryker thought warily. Looking himself over as he loomed over the normal sized chairs and appliances like the freak of nature he was. Well… I’d still prefer to be human. But I can appreciate how resistant scales are at least. Ryker mused.

Now, what am I looking for? Ryker thought as he twirled around and found the exit to the break room. Stomping over to the door through the glass shards littering the ground Ryker took great care to move through the door without breaking anything. He may have been in the body of a monster, but that didn’t mean he was going to start acting like one. Tearing through the place without a care in the world. It might not have been the most efficient method of moving through human sized buildings but this was still a pace people worked. He’d seen enough destruction in his past life, he didn’t have any desire to add to it unless the situation called for it.

There we go! Ryker thought triumphantly as he moved through the back rooms of the Supermart and found what he was looking for. The fuse box was big, naturally larger for a commercial building of this size. Padding up to it Ryker allowed himself a moment to feel proud of his plan and the “stealth” that he’d been able to pull off before continuing with phase two.

Pulling back on the cover of the fuse box with one claw, Ryker flinched as the cover bent beyond what it’s hinges would allow. Snapping off and falling to the floor in a clatter. The sound echoing through the Supermart’s empty back offices as he listened for any response to the noise. Oops. Ryker thought sheepishly. Don’t know my own strength anymore.

Satisfied he was truly alone and wouldn't run into any late night employees, Ryker focused on the switches in the fuse box. Leaning in to read the faded lettering as he traced a claw down the switches until he found the ones he was looking for. Hello interior cameras and lighting fixtures. Ryker thought with a grin as he carefully flicked the switches off.

The thought of internal cameras inside the Supermarket had almost convinced Ryker to avoid the place entirely. It would be way too easy after all to pull up camera footage after he’d gone and mark him as the culprit. But with the interior cameras now without power, Ryker could safely move through the store itself without fear of discovery. Moving through the back office space with some difficulty Ryker padded out to the Supermart’s main floor as he looked around the darkened space. Hind claws clicking over the tile as he looked at row after row of shelves that he was now eye to eye with.

Was there always this much of everything? Ryker thought bewildered. Moving down an aisle of potato chips and other assorted goods, whipping his head back and forth to take it all in. He’d remembered what it was like early on when major manufacturing plants and facilities were hit and cities all around the globe had to begin rationing their remaining supplies and food sources. Trade between countries had slowed to a crawl as every cargo ship needed armed escorts to travers the oceans safely.

Despite himself, Ryker found himself wandering around the shopping center in a daze. Almost forgetting the reason he’d come to the supermarket in the first place as he stared and reminisced. This is what it’s all about. Ryker thought to himself firmly. I may never get a chance to be human again, but it’s not about me. It’s about preserving this for everyone.

He could almost see it. The shoppers who would inevitably crowd the store once the sun rose outside. The mothers walking down the aisles with children seated in their carts. The employees going about restocking shelves. The sheer normalcy of the scene sent a wave of warmth through Ryker.

They’ll be able to go back to this once it’s all over. I swear it. Ryker promised before turning back towards the section of the store he’d come for in the first place. But for now, I’m gonna have to disrupt the peace.

Just moments later Ryker found himself in front of the biggest spread he could have hoped for to fuel his new body’s growth. Meats of every variety, from pork to turkey and chicken filled the meat section of the store as cold air wafted down to the floor. There were even ribs.

Reigning in his bestial instincts for a brief period Ryker looked up and closed his eyes. Thinking about the horrible mess he was about to leave for the morning shift.

I apologize in advance for this. Ryker sent out. Knowing full well that minimum wage employees wouldn’t care in the slightest that he was sorry or that he was trying to save the world.

Then he went to work.

Even Ryker’s newly carnivorous appetite was challenged by the sheer amount of food available for him to consume. He tore through the poultry section, literally. Only mostly clearing the meat of plastic before he chowed down on it, sending ribbons of plastic wrappings through the air as he ate. Before long as Ryker worked his way through shelf after shelf. Leaving a mess behind that looked like all the shelf’s contents had been funneled through a carnivorous woodchipper before the remains were left on the floor. After gorging himself, Ryker felt the first twinge of sensation in his body that signaled he’d eaten enough to get another upgrade.

Nice! Ryker thought triumphantly. Nodding as he congratulated himself on his progress so far. It had only been a few days since he’d hatched and already he was making his body a force to be reckoned with. Do I take the new upgrade now or…

Ryker waffled for a second before temptation tipped the scales.

Heh, scales. Ryker mused. Glad that no one was around to hear his thoughts. Then Ryker closed his eyes for a moment. Imagining those three DNA segments again. Focusing on the yellow segment’s second rung and the venom glands that awaited him. Almost imagining the gene lock that kept the ability from manifesting come free as he mentally accepted it.

All at once Ryker felt the accumulated protein and nutrients burn away inside himself as an itch started up in his jaws, not uncomfortable exactly but annoying enough to keep Ryker from eating as the glands grew in. Working his jaws to help the sensation pass Ryker felt along his jaw with both claws.

You know, I’m not actually sure how to use these. Do they just work automatically? Passively applying toxins to everything I bite or am I gonna have to do some kinda… I dunno, snake thing. How do I even test these? Ryker thought immediately concerned. What use was a new weapon to use against Kaiju if he didn’t know how to use it?

Picking up a turkey with one claw, he looked at it warily. Well… might as well try getting used to it. Ryker thought. A bit hesitant to bite into the turkey now that he wasn’t sure of what he was looking for. I hope I don’t have to do some kinda hissing thing. I’d hate that. Ryker thought as he bit into the turkey whole, like the dead bird was a burger. Immediately Ryker felt a response from his newly grown venom glands, that alien instinct that his new body had been born with acting on its own to clench the unused muscles in his jaw that governed the release of his venom. He felt the venom moving, traveling through his fangs as-

“Blegh!” Ryker squawked. Dropping the cleanly bitten turkey as he cringed back. Shaking his head as venom dripped out of his teeth and into his mouth, leaving behind a tangy aftertaste. Oh God! Ryker shivered internally. I could could feel it moving through my teeth. My teeth man! Ugh! Ugh, that’s just wrong!

Growing up, Ryker had dreaded one thing more than almost anything else. The Dentist. Not so much because he didn’t clean his teeth. It was just that the feeling of having someone poke and prod inside your mouth was one of the few things that made Ryker’s skin crawl. Even though logically speaking the upgrade shouldn’t have bothered him nearly as much as getting stuck in a monster’s body, it was still weird. Very weird.

That’s… Ryker thought. Finally calming himself down after a minute. That’s gonna take a lot of getting used to.

Doing his best to clamp down on his body’s desire to inject every piece of meat he was eating with venom Ryker continued feasting on the rest of the meat. Sure, he might have been passing up an opportunity to test and get used to the feeling of his venom in action. But Ryker just wanted to get the memory of it out of his head for a bit. Besides, it wasn’t like he’d lose control of the ability. He could put off getting used to it for a while longer.

Ryker continued to chow down, working his way up the meat section of the store until he’d made his way through most of the large individually wrapped portions. Edging into the section with the bacon and conveniently packaged sandwich meat that would never survive long enough to be a part of any sandwiches. Ryker continued feasting, only pausing every now and again to check his surroundings in case there was someone nearby. After the Kenny incident Ryker was very cautious of running into any more late night employees.

It took a bit more time than Ryker would have liked but after almost exhausting the entire meat section of the Supermart he finally felt the telltale twinge within himself that his body was ready to gain another DNA upgrade. Flicking a reptilian tongue out to lap at the mess on his snout, Ryker beamed. Allowing himself a moment to bask in this minor victory.

No god forsaken dumpsters, no late night employees screaming in my ears, and no way for authorities to trace this back to me. Can it be like this all the time? Ryker thought blissfully. Before reluctantly taking a deep breath and focusing on what came next.

Falling into himself again Ryker pictured the blue DNA segment that governed his body’s neurosensory potential. The second rung of the segment lighting up as he met the requirements to unlock the Neural Amplification upgrade. Rather than acquire the upgrade straight away Ryker paused to think on what exactly this upgrade might do to him. He was mostly sure that the upgrade would be a pure boon to him but since it affected his mind he didn’t want to rush into it without thinking it over first.

Since he’d woken up in his new body his mind and sense of identity had felt as normal as they possibly could be. Jarred by the circumstances of course but ready to adapt as always to changing situations. Like his human brain had been transplanted into the Kaiju completely, without any piece of him missing or feeling incomplete. He was pretty sure he was as mentally prepared for the mental upgrade as he possibly could be. He didn’t feel impaired in any way. If anything, being in a monster’s body made him feel strong.

Here goes nothing. Ryker thought as he mentally pushed on the Neural Amplification upgrade.

Feeling his body bun through the massive haul of food he’d just eaten for the second time that night Ryker focused on the sensation of is body changing. Only instead of something simple like his muscles strengthening or his bones hardening he felt his mind expanding.

The feeling rocked Ryker. Making him take a stumbling step back as he rode out the feeling of lightning arcing between his neurons. He felt a spike in clarity that was almost akin to a massive dose of caffeine. Except the clarity didn’t fade. The ease of thinking and processing his own thoughts increased as well somehow. The recall of his own memories increasing dramatically, heightening to a level that he’d never considered to be possible. It wasn’t a perfect recall but every memory felt brighter in its own way. As his body worked to improve his brain he felt an involuntary shudder go through him as his expanded mind connected to each of his senses. One by one.

His pupils dilated as his brain improved the connection to his eyes, drinking in the sensory input and bringing the world into the full spectrum of color that Ryker had taken for granted as a human. The smell of the Supermart immediately dialed up in intensity as his mind parsed the hundreds of smells in the air. The pungent remains of the various meats dominated the air, but through it he could smell the artificial flavor of the plastic wraps that most of the meats had been covered in on the floor. Beyond were the smells of the other foodstuffs wrapped and packaged in the aisles, the faded scent of bleach that permeated the floor, and the fresh smell of unworn fabrics.

This… This is just… Ryker thought wondrously as the upgrade continued to connect to his remaining senses.

HIs lips parted as the rush of expanding sensation reached his sense of taste. The improvement almost rippling over his taste buds. The lingering taste of uncooked meat of every kind leaping to the fore of his awareness. Making him hungry all over again despite the massive feast he’d just partaken in. Then his sense of touch was next. His minor movements making him hyper aware of the way his scales shifted over his body. The way the cool air ran over him as it left the air conditioning vents from the ceiling above. The grains of dirt and dust under the pads of his hind legs as he shifted over the tiled floor.

Finally sound was the last to be hit by the upgrade. He could hear the shifting whisper of plastic as it shifted over the floor. The sounds of the cooling system in the meat section whirring to cool products that weren’t there anymore. There was a light pop in his ears as he felt his sense of hearing grow more and more sensitive. An strange high pitched whine in the air as Ryker scrunched his brow at the noise.

What is that? Some kind of upper range sound frequency? Ryker thought questioningly. But from what?

The whine went higher and higher. Far beyond what any normal range of hearing should have been able to detect. Ryker focused on the sound. Willing his body to focus on the tune. His upgraded biology was just on the verge of being able to understand what that sound was. He just knew it. Right when the sound became an almost inaudible whine Ryker pushed. Feeling something in his mind give way.

Then it hit him all at once.

A cacophony of sounds assaulted Ryker all at once. Feeling like they all were beaming themselves straight into his head. He gripped his head with both claws as he let out a cry of surprise and pain at the sheer loudness of it all.

“M-m-m-m Midniiiiiiight! Maaaadneeeesss! You’re listening to the top one hundred of the best tunes of the century! Get ready to party, cause this next one-”

“That’s right Rachel! For just seven easy payments of fifteen ninety nine a month you can have this one of a kind cleaner for your home too! It can handle any mess you-”

“We got a weird one for you tonight folks. Coming outta Fairview Tennessee our next story is about a restaurant employee encountering a dragon after dark. Listen in to this harrowing tale of survival after our next commercial-”

“Rahh!” Ryker roared in confusion as he tried to get away from the noise. But no matter how much he moved the sounds seemed to follow him. He tried to get away but as he moved back he rain right into the aisle of chips and crackers. Having grown from eight to ten feet tall during his upgrade sessions, something Ryker had failed to notice yet again. He was a full two feet taller than the aisle he tried to catch himself on, his outstretched claw that was meant to catch himself crumpling through the metal shelf as he fell. Bowling over the entire section in a massive crash of plastic and groaning mettle as half the aisle caved under his increased weight.

Ryker could barely begin to come back to himself as he rolled on the ground. Crushing bags of chips and crackers as he groaned. Snapping through the remaining shelves in the aisle. Lost amid the noises in his head.

“This one’s for you Timmy. One of the greatest hits of George Michael’s career coming straight to you on this beautiful night. It’s none other than the one and only Careless Whisper-”

“For all you lovers of the best of Classic Power Metal, its the one, the only! DragonForce! Coming in with one of their greatest hits of all time! Through the Fire and Flames! Let’s get it on-”

There was blaring musical vocals mixed in with normal voices talking amidst commercials, all getting drowned out by the shredding of guitars and the heavy bass of dubstep. It was absolute madness. Ryker cried out for whoever had attached the radio to his skull to turn the damn thing off. Forgetting completely that anything he tried to say would only come out as a monstrous roar.

As wild as the sensation was of hearing every kind of frequency at once it wasn’t the first time Ryker’s mind had been utterly overwhelmed by data. It had been when he’d plugged into his mech for the first time, after receiving the surgery for Beck’s newly developed H.A.L.O. jack. The first true neural link that spanned the gap between man and machine. Transforming the weapons that defended humanity from tools into extensions of the self.

Long unused training kicked in Ryker’s mind. Compartmentalizing and narrowing down his focus. His recent upgrade to his brain tissues only aiding in the process of recovering from the mental overload. His focus shrunk down. Singling out a single sound out of the noise. A slow beat that was melancholic, forlorn, and catchy as hell. A song his dad had loved to play to annoy his mom.

Listening to George Michael’s voice and the smooth jazz of his song helped bring Ryker’s awareness back to himself. After a moment he mastered his breathing as he he rose from the floor. Grimacing at what he’d just been through and the giant mess he’d made of the perfectly good potato chips and crackers section of the aisle.

Damn… Just… Damn. What the hell was that? Ryker thought shocked. Pushing the last of the music and radio to the background with a firm mental hand. Kaiju can hear radio waves? I mean, I knew they could affect them. Hell, I know some were attracted to strong electromagnetic signals and others even emitted signals before they developed their bioreactors. But to actually hear radio? In frickn’ high definition?

The idea shocked Ryker at first but made more and more sense the more he thought on it. Beck had gone on and on to him constantly about the extremely adaptive nature of Kaiju biology. He’d even performed an experiment once using a Kaiju’s extracted nervous system and brain tissue to replace computer circuits.

Standing to his full height again, Ryker finally realized he’d grown again now that the minor crisis was over and he was looking down on the remaining aisles instead of being eye to eye with them. Ryker sighed and shook his head.

Are Kaiju just so genetically primed to grow bigger that they don’t even realize when it happens? Is that why I don’t notice? Ryker thought indignantly. Having come from a profession where he’d needed to be hyper aware of his mech’s systems while operating it, having changes happen to his own body that he didn’t notice just rubbed Ryker the wrong way. Like his Kaiju body was insulting him by hiding his growth spurts from him.

Trying to take his mind off of his growth spurt and how much harder it would be to continue sneaking around Ryker busied himself with his most recent DNA upgrade.

This just feels… not bad really. Just like trying to work through a simulator without an installed operating system. Ryker mused as he tried singling out individual radio signals. Having been trained to operate his neural interface through various menus and control systems Ryker was definitely starting to miss having screens filled with numbers and data. Going by feel wasn’t how he’d been trained to operate but he’d make do.

Shame there isn’t a Kaiju tutorial of some kind. Ryker winced. Having accidently blasted himself with some unholy combination of Rap, Opera, and Country Music radio stations. Overall I’d say the upgrade has definitely been worth it. It’s gonna take some getting used to but this new radio reciever in my head could come in handy. Combined with the other benefits to processing sensory input from my upgraded senses and the increase in mental acuity… Pretty solid upgrade. Ryker thought mentally patting himself on the back.

Now, what’s next? Ryker thought, going through his next goals.

Looking over the aisles at his new height Ryker spotted the dairy section of the store easily. Filled with cheeses of every kind as well as eggs, butter, and everything else you’d expect. There’s still an hour or two before someone will be here to open the store. Ryker thought wondering. I could definitely chow down on the rest of that.

Moving out of the mess he’d made of the aisle Ryker brushed off the remains of popped chip bags and crackers clinging to his scales. He debated with himself for a moment if he should try eating everything he’d spilled on the ground before giving up as he looked at his handiwork. Now thoroughly embarrassed he stomped away from the mess as he tried to suppress the guilt at leaving this small town's store in such disarray.

I’ll just help myself to this stuff here and lay the groundwork for the next upgrades. Ryker thought. Trotting over to the dairy products on display, he was about to start gorging on everything in front of him when he felt a signal pass through his mind. One that felt different from the standard radio waves he’d gotten under control. Pausing, he mentally pulled the signal to the forefront of his mind.

“-Unit twenty two to Dispatch, we are en route to the Quick Stop Gas Station. Can you repeat that last part? I don’t think I heard you right.”

“Dispatch to Unity twenty two, caller reported large reptilian creatures attacking the gas station and trying to get inside before hanging up. Likely just a prank call but please investigate.”

“Ten four Dispatch, we’ll let you know if we find the dragon from yesterday.” The officer said with a hearty chuckle.

Ryker’s mind raced as he snapped his head up, meal forgotten as he mentally recalled where the gas station was in relation to him as the police radio chatter fell off. That gas station was outside town limits. Ryker thought. Gauging the distance and how far help was from arriving to whoever had called for help. It will take them ten minutes at least to get there using the winding main road. I can get there in five if I run.

For a split second Ryker felt a pang of worry rush through him as he thought of how he’d be discovered if he ran towards the fight with no attempts at stealth. He was still small enough to fit between buildings, he could still take the time to lay low and grow stronger. Much stronger.

The second passed and Ryker tossed the idea away. That didn’t matter anymore. Not when lives were at stake.

Hang on! Ryker prayed as he ran for the store’s locked front doors, hind claws digging through the tile as he hurled himself down the aisles. Hoping that the people at the gas station could survive long enough until he got there. Ducking his head and crossing his arms in front of him Ryker smashed through the front doors of the Supermart like a runaway freight train. Tearing a solid chunk out the wall above the doors in a rain of glass, metal, and brickwork as his expanded frame had no hope of squeezing through any normal door anymore. Skidding on the asphalt of the parking lot Ryker dashed towards the direction he knew the gas station was. His increased height lengthening his stride as he ate up the distance. Stomping down the town’s main drive without worrying at all who could see him.

A car was about to make a turn down the main drive, cutting Ryker off as the driver inside looked up in a panic. Lighting Ryker up completely as he caught the Kaiju with his headlights.

Watch it! Ryker snarled at the man as he desperately swerved out into the road, almost clipping Ryker in the leg as he ran by.

In mere moments Ryker was at the edge of the town and darting through the woods. Stray branches shattering to pieces as Ryker’s bulk smashed through any obstacle too small to worry about dodging. As the ground grew steeper as Ryker moved up a sharp rise in the landscape he didn’t try to find an easier way around. He leaned into the climb as he tore up the hill. Even falling to all fours as he used all his claws to dig into the earth and pull himself upwards. Making sure he didn’t go tumbling backwards and waste precious time.

Just hold on! Ryker thought. as he crested the rise and saw the telltale shine of artificial lights in the distance that stood out amongst the dark woods surrounding it. Even from this distance he could see a number of shapes moving around. The glint of scales catching Ryker’s heightened perception immediately.

Rushing down the hillside, even snapping a small sapling in his haste. Ryker ran towards the danger. Hoping he wasn’t too late to stop the monsters from tearing into their next meal.