"Pretty lights." Mako rumbled as he stood at the windows of New Ground and watched Long unleash the proverbial quantum storm at the silly flying balloons.

Hugin looked up from the blueprints and shrugged, "Yes, for some reason the giant tiger-man lacks a certain sense of subtlety."

"Looked like fun." Mako pouted. He was still upset that Hugin insisted that the plans for the holding pen were more important that going out and getting a little excerise. "A lot of fun."

Hugin sighed, "I'm sorry. But really, this city has Nippontai and that hyperthyroidal feline. You weren't needed."

"Hmmf."

"Especially to go save baselines . Or were you looking to go out and get a cape?" Hugin smirked, but still made sure to have Gutter between she and Mako when he said it.

Gills flared, the scent of the sea became a little strong and Mako turned to Hugin, "Very fucking funny. I just wanted to go out and smack those big balloons around."

Hugin slumped a little, arguing with Mako in matters of physical confrontation was often difficult. Especially when others were out having so much fun, “Fine, if the ‘big-balloons’ return you can make an appearance.” She hesitated for a moment, “You’re not wanted in Japan yet, are you?”

Mako grinned, enormous teeth glinting, “Nah, not yet. I try to be a good boy in the Land of the Rising Sun. Wouldn’t want to get you in trouble with your landlords.” That this was true had less to do with Mako wanting to make things easy with the baselines of Japan and more for his unspoken appreciation the population held for Novas. Yes, it was a little obsessive, but was a much better example of how The One Race should be treated compared to pits like China and the Mid-East.

Minutes passed and plans were discussed. The holding cell for Zhao was easy enough to crack with a little assistance from Hugin. Plans were laid and details hammered out.

And then the noise returned.

The ominous hum of floating fortresses and the accompanying roar of their support fighters.

Hugin almost cried when he saw Mako perk up like a boy getting his first bb gun.

Mako's churning breath sounded like a furnace as he strode to the balconey. His chest swelled and he peeled off his silk jacket to reveal the gray, rough skin beneath. Away came his shoes and a glint sparked his eyes as he started to grow.

At nearly seven feet tall Mako was impressive.

At fourteen he seemed a creature from some tale of old. The monster that came to an end only when the one true hero met it on the field of battle.

At twenty-eight he was a demon. His jagged teeth were a hand's length and the midnight black of his eyes were infinite pools. To see him was to, at least for a moment, consider dropping to one's knees and proclaiming alliegence to the dread, dark god of pain and woe.

That is when he leapt off the building, coming down to the street with a thud that sent tremors down the block.

When he reached fifty-six feet he had the attention of the jets. That he had leapt up into the sky and torn the wings off of one of them certaintly helped.

Over a hundred feet tall and he was really beyond human understanding. Things aren't supposed to be that big and move, unless they're humming through baleen and hiding behind Greenpeace ships. And he wasn't slow moving ocean behemoth. He leapt through the air like a baracudda slicing through the water. His talons and teeth rent nova-age allows like tissue.

He passed two-hundred and those who watched, huddled behind windows or hiding beneath the wreckage began to have flickers of memory spark within their minds. Something from childhood calling to them through a haze of nova-dominated pop-culture.

At four-hundred feet Mako crystalized the onlooker thoughts as he started bellowing out the song that had been running through his head since he first saw the jets attacking Tokyo.

"With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound
He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train
Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down
As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh no, they say hes got to go
Go go godzilla, yeah..."


You know, he thought, maybe if I'm gonna sing this song I should be smashing buildings?



...nah