Three days had passed since the Beast had attacked New York. “Attacked”… no it hadn’t even attacked the city. It had simply walked past it, moving up the Hudson River to West Point. But even that had left New York in ruins. The Beast’s massive form plowing through the bay had created titanic waves which had obliterated everything at street level. Entire buildings had been washed away and only the tallest and sturdiest had survived. Anyone who didn’t reach higher ground was simply gone and those not quite high enough were drowned in stairwells, rooms, and lobbies. Madison had almost been one of them.
Despite nearly drowning, Madison had recovered quickly and found herself with an abundance of energy. She put it to use helping the wounded and sick as best she could as they streamed into the buildings still above the new waterline. Some part of her had known something was wrong, that she didn’t feel… right. But the chaos of the situation and constant stream of survivors pushed such thoughts away.
It was two days after the when Madison realized what was wrong. She had gotten up to use the restroom when a wave of vertigo had hit. It wasn’t until she reached a mirror did she notice her sudden growth. Her small 5’2 frame was closer to 6’ and, worst of all, part of her arm was starting to be covered in organic plating. She had been exposed…
Madison didn’t help anyone after that, she couldn’t risk it. And even if she had been willing to the others were not. People kept away from her, terrified they might change too. Even those who also were mutating were afraid to get too close as her changes, and size, seemed unending. Only Travis risked getting near to her even before his own changes began to appear.
Help arriving did nothing to help Madison. She knew the military had no idea how to fix anyone who was mutated. If anything they made things worse as they herded her away from everyone and looked increasingly worried as she continued to grow. For her part, Madison simply did as she was told. Her mind was still too stuck in a state of shock and disbelief to be outraged by their distrust. Everyday saw her grow further and further from her humanity… and her children…
Such thoughts raced through Madison’s mind as she stared out toward the ruined city. She was on the roof, the only place large enough to fit her huge form, and alone yet again. The only person who checked on her was Travis, though his visits were becoming infrequent. He had changed as well, but only his hair. Suddenly being a redhead would take some getting used to, but he could fit back into his life easily enough. Her? How could she ever go back looking like this?
Most people were closer to kid-sized compared to her now. Her arms were fully covered in… chitin and large growths of hair were sprouting around her neck and down her arms. Two nubs of some kind were starting to sprout from her forehead and her eyes constantly seemed to twitch and lose focus. But the worst was her damn back which seemed to constantly itch and twist for no reason. As uncomfortable and worrying as all of it was, however, it was was secondary to what her change meant for her and her family.
Madison felt tears forming in her eyes again as the thought returned. She was never going to be able to touch them… never be able to hold them, to soothe them, to tuck them in, to comfort them when they were sick, never… never even see them. She didn’t give a damn about her humanity compared to losing her children. And she had lost them. Madison buried her head in her hard, unyielding hands before cursing and simply curling into a ball. Even her own hands were no refuge now.
“Excuse me, ma’am. I need to speak with you,” a male voice, suddenly, said from beside Madison. Madison didn’t so much as budge as she turned her head away from the source of the voice, trying to curl even more inwardly. She didn’t know where this unwanted person had come from nor did she care. She just wanted him to leave.
“Ma’am, please this is important,” the man persisted. Madison was tempted to swat him away, but fear of what her size might due to him keep her from doing it. Instead, she turned still further away hoping he would take the hint. The man let out a long hooting sigh.
“Ma’am, I know how hard this is and ho-” was as far as Madison let him get. He knew… he knew, HE KNEW?!
“You don’t know a damn thing. You haven’t lost your family. You haven’t seen your life collapse, you aren’t turning into a fucking MONSTER!” Madison yelled as she looked up at the offending bastard. Her voice shook the area a bit by its volume and Madison heard cries of alarm from below. She ignored them as she glared at the fucker who da- who… who dare-...
The man… owl… thing took her bellow in stride. He brushed his feathers back into place and straightened his armless suit. Madison felt her face turn red as she saw the man fully now. His head was that of an owl, beak and all, and his arms were covered completely in feathers. For all Madison knew his legs were bird-like as well, just hidden in his pants. And she had…
“I… I’m sorry. I should have… I-I didn’t-” Madison stammered out trying to find the proper words. The man, however, brushed off her apology.
“No apology necessary, Ma’am. As you can now see, I am quite familiar with your state of mind. Wasn’t that long ago I would have reacted the same to someone claiming to understand this… plight we are both in. Though my yell wouldn’t have been so… powerful,” the man said as he rubbed the spots where his ears should have been. Madison’s blush only deepened.
“Sorry, I’m still not used to having weapon grade yells. Let’s uhh, let’s start over. Hi, I am Madison. You said you had something important?” Madison asked, trying to move past her embarrassment.
“Hoover, a pleasure. And yes I did. I work for an organization that is interested in your… mutation. One that is willing to help you transition into your new… form,” Hoover said in a worryingly business-like tone. Madison eyed him a bit closer as she sat up.
“Do they? And how do they know what form I am going to be taking?” Madison asked, with a forced neutral face. Inside, Madison was furious and intrigued. She and her team were supposed to be on the leading edge of the mutation’s research and she didn’t have a clue what her final form would be. But this other group was claiming to know that. It was annoying… and so damn exciting! What had they learned? Did they actually know her final form? Did they have a cure?!
“Because we have seen it before. It is rare, but follows the same general pattern. I am afraid you are not done growing, Madison. Not even close. I am sorry,” Hoover said causing Madison to feel the floor drop out from under her. Not even… not even close… Dear God how big was she going to get?! Was she… no, no she couldn’t get to the size of the Beast… could she?
“How big?”
“Madison, I thi-”
“HOW big?”
“...The current average is in the 500ft range.”
Madison nearly passed out at the number. The building she worked in wasn’t 500ft. This roof wasn’t even 500ft up. Oh God she really wouldn’t see her kids again. And even if she did the size difference. No… no… Madison lowered her head as tears began to run down her face again. No…
“I know this is a lot to take in, but as I said we can help you. Help you come to terms with this and… and give you a chance to help,” Hoover said, placing a hand hidden by feathers on her thigh. Madison looked down at him.
“Help? Who could I help as a giant monster?” Madison said sucking in a wavering breath.
“Anyone threatened by a real giant monster, Madison. People are not the only ones being mutated and the source is still out there,” Hoover said, his eyes staring up at her. Peo- The coin dropped as Madison realized the implications. Madison’s tears began to dry as she looked out toward the city. 500ft… It was still nothing compared to the Beast, but… And if wild animals mutated like this the damage they could cause, not to mention the distraction from the real danger. With one last sniff, Madison felt her despair turn to determination. She might not be able to be there for them, but she could make sure this never reached them.
“Tell me more about this organization.”
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Madison slowed her flight speed as she closed in on the worksite. She was still a few miles away but her enhanced sight let her see some of what was going on. The place looked in utter chaos as various vehicles and bits of equipment were littered around like discarded toys. Tiny figures were darting about, workers desperate to escape, as cables snapped and pumps malfunctioned. The only silver lining was all the humans she saw still had hazmat suits on, making further infections unlikely.
Above the chaos engulfing the clean-up site was the cause of said chaos. The newly kaiju-class infected towered over everything in the area. Madison was stunned by how large and mutated the infected person had become. They were already passing oak trees in size and looked to still be growing. And they were so mutated Madison wasn’t sure if they had been female or male. All she could tell was they were some mix of lizard, insect, and… other things. She had never seen anything like it.
Her shock was quickly dispelled, however, as the infected showed their mutation had affected their mind as well. They laughed as they crushed a vehicle in their claw and tossed the remains into a group fleeing the area. A tentacle lashed out from their back at a pump and sent more Blood spilling over the area, ruining the clean-up work. Their chitin plated legs plowed through transformers and various equipment sending sparks and life wires flying in all directions. Fires were beginning to spring up and more and more bodies were piling up. This had to stop.
Seeing how bad the situation was, Madison increased her speed and prepared for the worst. She didn’t want to kill this newly infected person, but if this was any indication of their dispossession she might not have a choice. Madison blasted over the worksite sending a large gust of air smashing through the area. Most of the people were bowled over, but the worst of the flames were doused. The new kaiju was barely affected but it did draw their attention and that was what Madison was really after.
Landing outside of the worksite, Madison dwarfed everything including the kaiju. The tiny kaiju, no higher than her ankle, staggered backward as they suddenly found themselves far, far outsized. With the size difference clearly demonstrated, Madison knelt down to talk better.
“Your playtime is over, little one. Surrender now and the MCP will show you mercy,” Madison lied knowing there would be no mercy for them. Now that she could see the damage up close, the brutality of it and the scope of it was… Still, she would much rather this end without further conflict to make sure there wasn’t still more damage.
The new kaiju backed up a few paces as their eyes stared up at her in horror. They glanced backward as if looking to escape, but a quick shift by Madison made it obvious that was hopeless. With no escape and no chance of fighting off Madison, the kaiju looked about to surrender. At least until they began to shiver.
The kaiju groaned as the shivering got worse. They held up their clawed hand as it twitched and pulsed before, suddenly, expanding. The sudden growth sped up as the claw surged outward growing so large as to slam to the ground, the kaiju unable to lift it. A bit of fear went through the kaiju’s eyes until the arm attached to the hand began to grow as well. Their other claw pulsed and creaked as it started to expand and their fear turned to laughter. And all Madison could do was start in horror… and awe.
This… this was impossible! The kaiju mutation had never grown anyone or anything this fast! The process had always been weeks sometimes months of slow changes and growth. And yet the kaiju in front of her was surging past the size of buildings and showing no sign of slowing.
The un-uniform growth continued as the tentacles spouting out of their back seemed to explode in size. They surged outward and buried entire trees under their mass yet still demanded more room. The shivering kaiju seemed to reach a sudden crescendo and its laughs turned to a moan. Madison withdrew as a wave of apprehension hit her. And it was a good thing too as the Kaiju let out an earth-shaking roar as it blasted upwards to rival her in size. Madison had to fight to keep her feet as she found herself nearly face to face with what had been at ankle level. And while she stared in shock and horror, they stared in shock and eagerness.
“I don’t think I will be surrendering, slave,” the thing said, its voice distorted but understandable. More tentacles erupted from its chest as the claws morphed into three digited versions. It’s jaw seemed to come unhinged and descended to reveal a massive maw full of new teeth and a new set of insect like wings sprouted from its back. The abomination was terrifying to behold and it let out an unnerving scream-like roar. Madison recoiled instinctively before taking to the air, her mind trying to process what had just happened.
Everything she knew about the Blood, everything she had spent the last twenty years studying said this was impossible. And yet here it was, staring at her with only the barest hint of humanity in its eyes. This wasn’t how kaiju mutations happened… this wasn’t how ANY mutation happened! What the hell w-
“Madison! What is happening out there?” Hoover’s grounding voice suddenly said through her antenna. Pulled back to reality, Madison noticed the kaiju’s legs bending and darted to the side. It was a good thing as it blasted toward her at insane speed, barely missing her before attempting to fly. Its wings appeared too weak, however, and only slowed it as it crashed down further away, tearing apart a nearby hill.
“Hoover we have a full kaiju alert! A full kaiju alert! Tell Commander Holt to send a full decom unit here ASAP and every damn agent we have!” Madison “said” back sending the message out through her antenna.
“What? Madison wh-” Hoover started to say, but Madison didn’t have time to explain as the kaiju began to twitch again. The thing grew still further as its wings expanded noticeably. God, it was still mutating!
“Just do it, I can’t talk!” Madison sent before bracing for a renewed attack. The thing rushed in before its tentacles whipped out. Madison dodged most, but one grabbed her leg. She swore as it pulled her in with insane strength and saw the abomination reeling back with a claw. Thinking fast, Madison stopped flying and dropped, causing the claw to swipe past her head. She landed with a thud before grabbing a random thing on the ground and stabbing it into the tentacle. It released her leg and Madison flew backward to avoid a massive stomp from the beast. A huge crater erupted from the impact leaving nothing of the worksite intact.
Madison swore as she saw the extent of the damage. She prayed the surviving workers had all fled and hadn’t gotten caught in the shockwave. But more importantly than them was any evidence of what was happening. This wasn’t the Blood’s doing, not the kind Madison knew of. This level of mutation, the rapid change, the constant growth. Whatever had caused this was different and now any evidence of it was gone. Save for one place.
Seeing the monster beginning to twitch and grow, AGAIN, Madison realized there was only one way to stop this madness. Doing this with no warning was dangerous and would cause loads of problems, but if this thing kept changing and growing like this… The old memory of a devastated New York City flashed in Madison’s mind and she made her choice.
“Judgement is being called,” Madison sent out before shutting out all signals. Taking in a long, calming breath, Madison began to rub the fur by her chest. Sparks of electricity started to jump between the hairs as she distrubed them. She rose off the ground as the fur on her legs and arms began to spark as well. Flashes of lightning began to arc off her feet and into the ground.
The beast seemed heedless of the display. If anything human was left in it, it was now buried too far to do anything. Instead, it let out another screaming roar before charging her head first, its jaw dropping past its chest. Madison was not intimidated, however, as she felt her power surge higher. Her hair rose above her head as her wings no longer needed to keep her in the air. A constant stream of lightning arced from her feet and the ground as the charge built to levels unimaginable. The beast rushed forward as Mothest raised her hand.
“God’s Judgement be upon you,” Mothest said as she unleashed the charge.
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No amount of time would ever have been enough to warn everyone about what was about to happen. A few moments was definitely not. A sudden second sun erupted out of the Scar turning night into day for but a second. Entire cities were jolted awake at the sudden flash leaving people confused and wondering if they had imagined it. The ear-shattering soundwave told them otherwise. Cities were shaken to their core as the soundwave blasted through like a tsunami leaving broken windows, blaring alarms, and cries of pain from shattered eardrums.
Even in space the effects could be seen. A massive flash of light before a wave of force erupted from it, pushing clouds miles away. And all that power had been targeted at one thing…
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Madison crashed to the ground as her senses screamed from overload. Her eyes saw nothing but white while her ears heard nothing save ringing. She stayed where she was, letting her enhanced body do its work. Slowly, the light faded and the ringing dulled. Finally, her vision cleared enough to see the beast. Its entire front half had vanishing, blasted into dust by the bolt. The back half was a smoking husk of charred and flaking away meat. Not a single bit of surface wasn’t burned or cooked through and not a bit of its blood was left to leak onto anything. This, whatever it was, wouldn’t be infected anyone else. But Madison wouldn’t be getting any samples from it either.
“Still can’t control it…” Madison grumbled to herself. She let out a weary sigh as she got comfortable. After using her judgement, the MCP would want her in the area for a full debrief. Leaving would only have her seen her sent back. Besides, she wanted to be here if they did find something. She doubted they would, doubly so now that much of the ground had been turned to black ash as well, but there was still a chance.
Looking back at the still smoking corpse, Madison felt her apprehension coming back. That level of growth and mutation… She had thought she had never seen it before, but now that she had calmed down she realized she had. And how apt her calling it a beast had been...
Your experiment seems to have failed.
Perhaps in your measures of success. In mine, it has performed perfectly.
Haha, is that so? Well, I suppose congratulations on succeeding on your own terms.
Your snideness is unneeded and unwanted. The new mutagen works as effectively as I wished. Now I can focus on controlling the change. But I will need more samples. Large samples.
Then I guess we will need to get a new recruit. Though I think one already all grown up wll serve better, never was good with kids.
Do as you wish, just bring me the samples.