The alarm sounded three times throughout the CETM headquarters facility, followed by everyone's mobile devices receiving a text notification. The next kaiju, designated the Centauri alien, had appeared within Earth's orbit and would be making splashdown in a few hours. Projects Colossus, Titan, Olympian personnel were gathered at the command center for debriefing with members of CETM leadership.

Secretary Margaret Oleander looked passively at the large screen displaying a satellite image of a dot surrounded by a crosshair and analytical text. Folders and files of the various combatants were scattered on the table behind her. She turned around, her gaze passing from one youth to the other, her expression unreadable but for a sense of... pride? "For twenty years, the Hyperians have protected humanity from the Kaiju; first the original Hyper Man, and then, for the past 4 years, Hyper Man X," she began, "It has taken us two decades to reach this point. Today, for the first time, we test mankind's mettle against the relentless threat."

Shinobu, the human vessel of Hyper Man X, failed to hide his relief at not being requested to sortie again.

"Have you decided, Madam Secretary?" Dr. Helen McCulloch asked with a hint of impatience. She glanced at Dr. Raymond Park, who wore a confident grin.

"I have," Margaret paused, visibly agitating Helen, "We will launch Colossus Talos."

The surprise on Helen's face was quickly supplanted by overt smugness. Raymond's eye twitched, though he maintained his smile. "Are you sure?" he asked, more cheerfully than one might expect, a sweetness veiling a threat, "All the tests show that Daphnis is our most capable combatant, and CETM's continued funding hinges on our success today."

"I am aware," Margaret replies calmly, "Daphnis will standby as backup."

"Hmm..." Raymond's hum dripped with skepticism, "Very well, we'll make sure Daphnis is in tip top shape to serve as backup."

"Talos and Galatea work well together, so Galatea should be backup," Helen suggested.

"I've already made my decision," Margaret replied coolly, "Dismissed."

"Don't push your luck, McCulloch," Raymond said in an almost singsong manner, eliciting a glare from the physicist. "alright Titans, let's get ready." Raymond led the child experiments out of the command center and towards the Project Titan labs.

Helen turned to Dr. Selim Yunus, who had remained silent the whole time, preferring not to get between her and Raymond's ongoing feud, "Have your team run final checks on Talos. We cannot screw this up." Helen's eyes darted between Anvi and Cthonia; though she didn't say what was on her mind, it was clear she thought Chthonia would have been the more sensible option. "Anvi, the success of Project Colossus is riding on your shoulders. This will be your first battle against a real kaiju... well, I suppose the Titans are real kaiju to an extent, but this isn't a training spar. I DO NOT want Daphnis to have to intervene at any point, understood?"

Standing in the middle of the command center in front of giant screens and the most powerful people in the CETM certainly makes one feel antsy and anxious, if not outright queasy. Phoebe isn't sure whether to feel relived or disappointed when her name isn't called by Secretary Oleander. It's not like she envies the stress and overwhelming expectations placed on Anvi, but at the same time, energy is bubbling underneath her skin, and with it, a craving for a fight. For blood. For war.

It's a feeling so familiar, yet disconcerting every time she experiences it. Maybe Dr. Park will let her spar before they are sent to their quarters for the day; more likely, they'll all watch the attack and dissect it, pick apart the Colossus' flaws and take note of the alien's weaknesses. Then maybe they'll spar.

She hopes so. Beside her, Calypso and Atlas seem unbothered by the Secretary's decision; Daphnis, however, gives a little sniff. Probably thinking that she'd be better suited to the job. Her mood brightens when she's picked as backup. Oh boy, Phoebe thinks. She's probably going to lord that over us for weeks.

She glances to her left, trying not to be obvious as she checks out the pilot chosen for today's mission. She's spared with Anvi briefly before; the girl is wily, and carries a violent streak much like herself, but Phoebe can't imagine how it feels to use a machine instead of your own monstrous flesh and blood to beat back an enemy.

As they're shuffled away, Phoebe steals a glance at Shinobu, who looks as gentle and unreachable as ever. Her heart gives a squeeze despite herself. It's been a few days since they sparred. These days, he seems wearier than ever. The launch couldn't have come at a better time. It's not as if she likes him -- she barely even knows him. But she admires his spirit in the face of so many trials, and his patience despite her many mess-ups during training reminds her of her favorite medic.

Speaking of which, maybe Cal will be in to do checkups today. She wonders if he likes the mechs or hates them.

--

Anvi breathes out slowly as her name -- well, the name of her mech -- is called. Dr. McCulloch is no doubt over the moon about that, even if Anvi is too outspoken (aka, too human) for the Project Colossus team head. But the same thing that makes Anvi a bad soldier makes her a fantastic pilot. She's watched enough alien attacks to know that they don't play by the rules; so then, why should she? Chthonia is just too predictable.

Snide thoughts aside, Anvi does understand the importance of this moment. That's why she suppresses the urge to roll her eyes at Dr. McCulloch and gives her the response she's looking for:

"Yes, ma'am." However, she can't resist flipping her hair over her shoulder on the way out. There's no way she's going to be caught slacking in front of Daphnis, of all people; Anvi hates that snake, and having to work together during a kaiju attack would not be easy nor fun. Now, if it were Ruth-Ann... Looking down at her fellow pilot, currently engaged in twisting her hands over each other over and over again, Anvi pats her head.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" She promises. Ruth-Ann looks up at her blankly, but Anvi knows she's listening. She can sorta feel it, the way she can feel Nils' mind vibrating or the radio-static hum of Chthonia's brain.

Leaving the command room for the loading dock, Anvi smooths down her skintight flight suit. It's a fine suit - moisture-wicking, high-tech, polymer blend, all black - but it makes her feel naked without Talos's protective shell around her. She throws her hair into a quick bun so it doesn't get in her face and steps onto the loading elevator, watching the lights flash and the bay doors open, throwing light on the mech stationed in the garage - her very own.

She's not nervous, not really. Maybe it will sink in later, the weight of it all; but right now, she's just anxious to get into the mech and get this over with.

Talos's purple coating is lovely and burnished, and she runs a hand along the surface before entering the cockpit. The space inside the mech is small, but Anvi squeezes herself into the pilot's seat without issue. Her comms activate automatically, and she takes a moment to get comfortable, wiggling around in the seat until she feels secure. The door behind her closes with a hiss, locking her into the mech and her mission. She reaches for the controls, reveling in the feel of it all: the handles, perfectly shaped to her grip; the gentle hum of the core, its roar blocked by her earpieces; and most of all, the rumbling, rattling, swelling feeling of so many pieces of machinery working in perfect harmony. It's no wonder why Ruth-Ann loves it in here. The technology on display is magical.

Anvi pushes her thrusters forward, and Talos comes alive.

"Let's get this show on the road," she says, letting the eagerness bleed into her voice. "Where am I going, Doc?"

As Dr. Park walked to the Titan labs, he quickly messaged Cal to come give Daphnis a check up. "Ah! It's a pity the secretary doesn't seem to appreciate Project Titan," he began, "I'm sure she has her reasons. We just have to do better next time during spars against Colossus." His eyes darted momentarily to Calypso, who scored the worst during combat, but then to Phoebe, whose 'weakness' was not so easy to fix.

Arriving at the labs, he continued, "It's really not fair to you, Daphnis, that the secretary judges you based on the performance of the whole project. But we can redeem ourselves; support Talos as best you can. If you see Anvi falter at all, you should step in and help out. We're all on the same team, after all."

---

The Hyper Core operating system came to life, greeting Anvi with a familiar chirp that sounded like a strange juxtaposition between whale song and crickets. She had been told that this is a standard welcome message in the language of the Hyperians, though no one has yet to translate it for her. It was followed immediately, like clockwork, by a heavy pressure on Anvi's mind, like someone pounding on the door to her head, that quickly eased off, though Anvi was unsure if this was because she acclimated to it or if it actually stopped. This didn't used to happen when she first started piloting Talos; it only started happening after she had gotten used to piloting, and even then, only sporadically at first. Now it happens every time, but since the pressure eases off, it doesn't bother her or affect her piloting skills at all.

"Head to the elevator and we'll get you topside to run some last-minute tests," Dr. Selim Yunus calls out over the intercom, "Then we'll intercept the kaiju at The Gate." 'The Gate' was the former site of the Golden Gate Bridge and served as the entrance into The Bay. This implied that the kaiju was aquatic, as terrestrial kaiju could enter The Bay by walking over the flanking peninsulas, and aerial kaiju could just fly over.

Dr. Park's words sting like venom, and it's only by clenching her fists and biting her tongue that Phoebe resists the urge to blow up in his face. It's not fair. She's trying her best every sparring session, and she's getting better, she is! But compared to way Daphnis slides into her kaiju form - as smooth as smooth can be - Phoebe is the ugly duckling. An awkward, stuttering failure.

"Understood, sir," Daphnis says, smugness oozing out of every pore. "I'll show Madam Secretary where she went wrong."

When Dr. Park's back is turned, Calypso reaches for Phoebe's hand and pats it once, silently shaking her head. Phoebe knows her sister thinks it's better to grin and bear it than face repercussions, but Phoebe just can't help herself. She can feel her antenna raising off her scalp and the heat building in her face. Everyone in the CETM is playing favorites and she's so sick of it!

Before she can open her mouth and get herself in a heap of trouble, she hears the voice of someone she knows:

"Medic reporting for duty."

From down the hall, Cal appears, and Phoebe's mood instantly brightens. The medic may look unfriendly, but he's surprisingly good at listening and giving Phoebe advice when she feels like she's about to explode. He raises his hand in greeting.

"Perfect! I need a check up right now," Daphnis says, her usual snooty tone mixed with a sense of honest urgency. Is she actually nervous?

"Mm," is Cal's only response, and as he passes Phoebe, he gives her a little wink. "Dr. Park, anything in particular you'd like me to check up on?"

Anvi squints through the heavy pressure as it settles on her brain. She's still not used to the sensation, but she assumes it's a good thing. Not that anyone bothers explaining anything to the pilots.

"You got it," Anvi says, relived that Dr. Yunus is giving directions instead of Dr. McCulloch. Honestly, she sort of expected two combatants to be chosen for today's mission; safety in numbers, and all that? But it's just like the CETM to throw its talent into the deep end. Even so, it's still better than the streets of the UK.

Anvi maneuvers Talos to the elevator and into the sunlight. It's mid-morning, and the waters of The Bay look almost inviting, even when surrounded by weapons and military facilities. Seeing it in the light makes Anvi's stomach feel a little funny. This is real; this isn't just a spar or a simulation. She's not usually afraid of a fight, but even with Hyperian protections and super strength, she's forced to face the very real danger of this invasion. She's seen the wreckage. She knows what these things are capable of.

No, no. Anvi flexes a giant metal fist, finding comfort in the sensation of human and mech acting as one. It's go time.

"Ah! Dr. Cuffman, glad you could join us. Just the usual: check for scrapes, bruises, injuries..." Raymond explained. "We want our backup fighter to be in perfect condition should anything go awry." It was a strange thing; when the titan experiments transformed into their kaiju forms, they essentially create massive amounts of biological matter seemingly out of nothing. Yet for some reason, injuries that one would surmise would be healed from the rampant regeneration involved somehow carry over to the larger form.

Tirapon followed Cal into the lab. "Good, you're here," Raymond greeted, "Establish a link with Daphnis once Dr. Cuffman's done with his checkup." Tirapon nodded, though he was unable to hide his distaste. He hated being inside Daphnis' head because she hated it. He could feel her discomfort as if it were his own, resulting in a strong sense of self-loathing.

"Daphnis, Tirapon, and I will head to the Achilles where we are to wait for deployment," Raymond explained, "The rest of you... can come along if you want, or you can watch the live feed from within the base." He shrugged, leaving the other titans to their own devices.

---

"Alright, let's run through the usual diagnostics," Selim said. There were a few checks where Selim would call out an instruction and Anvi would have Talos perform it, almost like stretching exercises, and a few other tests that mostly just involved checking the readouts and making sure all systems were green.

Helen's voice comes over the intercom, "It's clear why Oleander chose Talos," she says, not really caring who could hear her, "She wants to test the Hyper Core. If this battle is successful, there are other parts of the Hyperian ship that could possibly be salvaged and integrated into the Colossi. Oleander is from the 'old world' and has seen humanity at its weakest. She does not trust that anything we design on our own can stand against the threat of kaiju. It's why she continues to support project Titan, creating things we can barely understand nor control. It's why she continues to rely on the Hyperian to protect us. Still, this is a step in the right direction. Towards self-sufficiency and self-reliance., Talos... Anvi... send that abomination back into oblivion. Earth is OUR home."

Cal rolls his way over to Daphnis and begins his check. Daphnis - as always - seems to resist being touched by anybody, but she begrudgingly lets him complete his checkup without resistance. She makes a face as Tirapon enters the lab, not doing anything to hide her own distaste. In this case, Phoebe can sympathize. Having someone in your head is weird. Tirapon is quiet and unobtrusive, but even so, Phoebe would rather keep her thoughts to herself.

"All done," Cal announces. "No injuries present. She's good to go."

Upon being granted their freedom, the remaining three titans turn to each other.

"I'll probably stay here," Atlas says quietly, never one to draw attention to himself. "Me too," Calypso says.

Phoebe frowns. She knows there's no reason to go along, and that she'd most likely be a nuisance, but... this is her chance to see a kaiju up close! Maybe there's something to be gained. Maybe, if she studies it hard enough, she'll learn what's been holding her back from a full transformation during practice. There's got to be something she's missing. And truthfully, she wants to see Talos in action. She can only attribute it to the kaiju blood in her, making her eager for a fight, even if she's only watching.

"I'll come," she says, praying that Dr. Park's offer was genuine, and ignoring Daphnis's scowl. "I want to, um, study the kaiju's attack patterns."

"I'll accompany," Cal suggests, seeing the sour look on Daphnis's face and wanting to preserve the peace inside the Achilles. Even if Phoebe's intentions are good, anything can set her off. This way, he can keep an eye on her. "Just in case you need any care last-minute."

---

Anvi rolls through the diagnostic tests easily, keeping the nervous energy out the best she can. Thankfully, now she can roll her eyes at Dr. McCulloch's speech. She couldn't care less about the secretary's choices for this battle, nor for the weird CETM politics Dr. McCulloch seems to be embroiled in. She's seen the power of the titan kids, and she's seen Hyper Man X. As far as she's concerned, the aliens aren't going to care if they're killed by a monster, a mech, or an alien. Whatever gets the job done.

Still. Hearing that little speech gives Anvi some newfound courage. She settles Talos right above the water and accelerates forward, leaving a satisfying wake behind her as she advances to The Gate. There's no sign of the kaiju yet, but the sensors on her screen are going crazy, giving her red signals that do nothing to calm her nerves. She braces for impact, waiting till she's almost over the kaiju to dive into the ocean.

That is, if it doesn't surface first.

Raymond nodded at Cal's assessment, then turned to Phoebe, a wry smile on his face. "Taking the initiative to improve. How commendable. Everyone should learn from your example, Phoebe," he said. Though it was praise, it pitted the Titans against each other. With that, he led Daphnis and Phoebe towards the dock and onto the Achilles.

---

The bridge of the Achilles was crowded. Major General Maya Hernandez and the Achilles' captain failed to hide their displeasure at there being so many non-combatants on board. Raymond, Daphnis, Phoebe, Tirapon, and Cal formed one group, Dr. McCulloch and some other Colossus pilots formed another, here to observe the first anti-kaiju battle that didn't involve one of the Hyper Men. Of course, the Kawakami's were here too, in case things really went south.

Pelorus wandered over to Cthonia, "They passed over you, huh?" He tried to sound triumphant, trying to take pleasure in the failure of Project Spartoi's golden child to measure up to CETM's needs, but the victory ultimately felt hollow; if even Chthonia wasn't good enough, then Project Spartoi was utterly meaningless.

Chthonia, whether missing Pelorus' tone or ignoring it, responded passively, "I trust the General Secretary's judgment."

Pelorus looked at her and almost felt pity. When all the genetic modification and harsh physical conditioning had failed to produce desired results, Project Spartoi went inside her brain. Now she had to take immunosuppressants for the rest of her life that reduced her ability to fight disease, all so plaque wouldn't form around the implants and give her further brain damage.

"Take her out, captain," Maya called out her order, which the captain relayed to the rest of the ship. The crew, practically a small town's worth of humans, working like ants in unison, propelled this massive ship forward and out of the dock, to follow behind Talos' wake.

---

"Talos, when the kaiju appears, don't immediately use your scythe," Helen commanded, "We want to test the limits of the Hyper Core. Engage with your fists instead." Her orders came through on Talos' comms.

The sun had started to set and the water turned red in the last moments before it went dark, the sunset was framed by the remnants of the collapsed bridge. Yet the water suddenly began to glow and a sudden pressure appeared on Anvi's brain that felt like someone trying to push her head back into her seat, a pressure that was only relieved when she instinctively drove Talos to leap backwards. Where Talos had stood only moments before, a massive bolt of lightning struck down from the heavens, evaporating large quantities of seawater and creating an obscuring mist.



An otherworldly chittering howl echoes out of the mist as a massive, grotesque, vaguely turtle-shaped creature splashed out of the water, seemingly livid that its sneak attack did not land. Anemone-like tendrils snaked out of its upturned, half-beak-like mouth, crackling with energy. It reared up, swinging its sickle-like fins in a threatening display, before twisting its head and flinging its tendrils towards Talos.

Phoebe cheers up considerably when Dr. Park praises her, while Cal frowns to himself at the obvious game the doctor is playing. No wonder Dr. Shi has all but given up on fostering a positive environment around here. Wheeling himself onto the Achilles, he raises a hand in greeting to Major General Hernandez, who is probably too focused on the mission to notice. That's alright with him. Nothing wrong with blending into the background among such colorful characters.

Phoebe, come over here for now," he says, doing his part to keep his charge under control and out of the way. Phoebe nods, watching the rest of the kids with a sort of deattached curiosity. Cal pities her; none of the Titans or pilots got the chance to experience a normal childhood, and so their sense of relationships is all askew. Other kids her age are probably falling in love or failing tests, not being expected to save the world.

But so it goes. It's not like he asked for this either. You make lemonade the best you can.

---

Anvi hardly has time to respond to Dr. McCulloch's order before a sudden pressure envelops her, forcing her the jerk Talos backwards in an action more instinctual than reactional. Sometimes during training it felt like Talos had a mind of its own, but those faint glimmers are a far cry from the almost physical presence Anvi feels now. It's saving her life, though, and she's not about to blab - to who? Dr. McCulloch? So she can run more tests? Yeah, no thanks!

Slamming backwards in her seat, Centauri Alien reveals itself. It's ugly. Anvi is wary of its tendrils, but they're coming fast and she doesn't have time to maneuver around them. Instead, she pushes forward, grabbing them before they can grab her. The energy flowing off the kaiju is obviously super potent, but the Hyper Core seems to be keeping up just fine. She tugs at the tendrils, first experimentally, then roughly as she tries to rip them away from her assailant. It reminds her a little bit of pulling someone's hair.

---

As part of the Colossus pilots' regular training, they were taught how to fight kaiju according to the knowledge and experience that had been accumulated over the years. "Kaiju are notoriously difficult to kill," Dr. McCulloch lectures in a darkened room, her arms crossed while flicks of her wrist direct the red dot from the laser pointer in her hand to point out relevant points on the screen, and clicks on the device advance the slideshow. This was her in her element; an academic, a professor. She spoke with an almost nonchalant manner about dismantling mankind's greatest existential threat, hiding her own hatred of the creatures. "Apparently, the Hyperian name for kaiju roughly translates as 'the legacy of a star', whatever that means, but it's why we've started referring to them simply by the star systems that they supposedly originate from. According to what we've gleaned from the Hyperian ship's logs, kaiju are wholly unique existences unto themselves. The death of a kaiju is literally extinction for that species since there are no others, a somewhat comforting thought. But as such, kaiju are primed for self-preservation, capable of rapid regeneration and the ability to consume vast quantities of energy to heal. Defeating a kaiju requires preventing it from gaining access to the specific forms of energy it consumes. But this is not enough. They traveled lightyears to come here; their energy reserves are more than enough to keep them floating in space for millennia. In a fight, they will keep regenerating unless their core is exposed and extracted." The slide begins to play a movie, snippets of recordings of fights between the Hyper Men and various kaiju. In each fight, the Hyper Men finish with attacks that pull some writhing, alien heart out of the kaiju. The kaiju's body disintegrates, and the core is taken into custody by CETM. "The core can be located anywhere in the kaiju's body, though usually in the head or chest. During this fight, you must locate this core as quickly as possible. So far, CETM has had the audacity of keeping these in storage, however, I would have you destroy them if given the chance. Dr. Park plays a dangerous game, and I would rather he have fewer toys."

---

"GO! Anvi!" Shinobu calls out, elated that Talos seemed to have the upper hand against the Centauri alien. This was the first fight against a kaiju without a combatant from Project Olympian, and hopes were running high. Since his father left, Shinobu had borne the responsibility of being Earth's sole protector against the kaiju, and the burden had taken its toll. Was he really rooting for Anvi, or was he merely happy to pass on the responsibility?

As Anvi grabs the Centauri alien's tendrils, it reacts in surprise and attempts to pull away. Unable to do so, the tendrils spark with electrifying energy. Talos' cockpit readouts show minimal damage; despite being a large metallic machine, it seems the mech is quite well insulated. Recalling McCulloch's lecture, the kaiju's core would need to be located. However, it's head had a shrunken, almost vestigial look to it, seemingly without the space to hold a 'brain'. Most likely the core was in its chest, where such a creature's heart might be located, which was a bit of a problem, given how well-armored the creature's torso was.

"Electricity," Dr. Park muses, "Did Oleander know?" He looks over at Helen, who only glares back but can't hide a smirk. Obviously, she would not design something that would simply short circuit at the first sign of an electrical attack. but the thought was troubling, the coincident too glaring.

The kaiju's tendrils wrap around Talos' arm trying to constrict it, but to no avail; they writhe and seek out weaknesses and openings in Talos' armor but fail to do that as well. Finally, it brandishes the two menacing claw flippers and take a wild swing at Talos.

Anvi grins, taking satisfaction in the way the kaiju writhes and struggles in Talos' grip. The electricity is a pain, but not a game-ender; the mech is more than capable of dealing with curveballs, and so is she. Anvi jerks the mech's arm, flinging the kaiju one way and then the other, to try and disorient it. She digs her heels in as the mech throws the weight around, feeling just a little queasy from the sustained movement. Talos' hands grapple at the claws, trying to keep it from grazing the mech's chest.

Then, with a heavy, shuddering pull of her thrusters, Anvi lifts one giant, mechanical, metal leg and guides the foot downward to deliver a satisfying stomp on the kaiju's shrived head. Is the head rip-off-able? Maybe. She's about to find out. She's going to sustain some damage from its flippers, but Dr. McCulloch will just have to live with it. You don't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs - or bones, or mechanical parts.

Due to awkward positioning, only one of the Centauri Alien's scythe-like flippers connects, but Anvi successfully blocks it with Talos' free hand. As she swings the alien around by its tendrils, Anvi can 'feel' them give slightly. As her axe kick lands on its head, the tendrils tear out of its mouth along with glowing, pulsing, likely voltage-generating organs connected to their ends as monstrous ichor splatters everywhere. The kaiju lets out another otherworldly shriek, though in losing its tendrils, it is now free of Talos' grasp.

"Excellent work, Anvi," Helen's voice came over intercom, actually sounding proud for once, "We've gotten enough data. We're having the Pegasus bring you your scythe. Finish it off." At these words, Pelorus scrambled out of the bridge and raced over to the hangar. In all previous fights, Pelorus' duties had been minimal, so this was the first time he had been ordered to deploy, and he clearly wasn't prepared. Meanwhile, the technicians of the Achilles connected Talos' scythe to the Pegasus' underslung carrying arm in preparation for Pelorus' arrival.

Though they continued to writhe, the severed tendril's in Talos' grasp began disintegrating, as expected of any kaiju body part that had been disconnected from the main body. The Centauri alien takes a mighty leap backwards and away from Talos, injured and wary. Crouching down, the spines along the ridge of its shell begin to glow, sending arcs forward which gathered impossibly into a large, sustained ball of lightning just above the creature's bleeding, upturned mouth.