Galaxy of Monsters (Godzilla/Steven Universe crossover)

Chapter 11: The Cyclopean Wall

When the crew of the Parallax finally washed ashore on an uncharted, unknown island in the middle of the ocean, without any way of contacting Homeworld, it was mutually agreed that things could not get any worse. It simply wasn't possible. The fear of being stranded on a hostile planet, the same planet where Pink Diamond was brutally shattered, was unbearable. 

In situations like these, it would be up to Emerald to restore her loyal crew's morale. A captain had to lead by example, and for the longest time she had done that extraordinarily well. But now, she felt hopeless. She had dragged her subordinates on an unauthorized mission just to satisfy her own ambition, and they were now trapped on Earth because of her mistake. 

There were no comforting words to say except "We have to keep moving forward."

And so they did. Ruby scouted along the beach, finding virtually nothing from the wreck of their ship. Broken parts were scattered in the sand, too damaged to be repaired in any way. Tsudajan, for what it was worth, seemed more conflicted while he sat on a rock. For his people, Earth was their last chance for survival, before they were defeated by Godzilla. It appeared as though the Earth was unconquerable. And here he was, a castaway on a foreign shore. 

Pearl looked shell-shocked by the crash. She had experienced plenty of danger before, but in the past, there was always a solution that could make everything right again. Without the Parallax to save them, she retreated into herself, saying nothing and gazing out onto the rolling waves. 

Ancient stone pillars rose up from the sea and resisted the tide as best they could. However, it was clear that erosion had taken its toll, distorting the pillars into eerie facsimiles of monstrous faces. Rutile knew instinctively that they were centuries old. She did not want to think about the possibility that humans might still live on this island. 

Then, there was Amethyst. She was not facing the beach like the others, but instead looking inland, beholding something truly incredible. Before her stretched a gigantic stone wall. It went on for miles in two directions, east to west, but it was no natural formation. It reminded her of the great structures back on Homeworld, though it was troubling to think that a primitive race like humans could build something this big. 

"Uh... captain..." Amethyst murmured over her shoulder, pointing straight at the wall. Emerald gasped as she turned around to view it. At the time of Rose Quartz's rebellion, humans were little more than hunter-gatherers, hardly worthy of being called intelligent. They developed faster than expected, and that made Emerald uneasy. They were on their turf now. 

"We're not staying here for long," said the captain with a hint of fear, masked by confidence. "Amethyst and Ruby, I need both of you to go underwater and drag the Parallax onto the beach, if you can. We might be able to salvage the wreck. I will take Rutile, Pearl, and our captive to check our surroundings. I want everyone to stay sharp in case of an ambush." 

It was a solid plan, and just about the only thing they could do at a time like this. Emerald saw doubt in the faces of her crew, however. They were beginning to question their 'fearless' leader, something that Gems were not easily capable of doing. 

"I know how you must feel right now. If I had stayed with the fleet, none of this would have happened. As your captain, I take full responsibility. But if we're going to leave this planet, I need your help, and afterwards I will recommend your transfer to a more capable officer." 

Emerald was fighting to hold back tears. Her tough façade was breaking. Maintaining her composure for as long as possible, the captain was the first to march into the dense jungle that lay ahead. Before long, she spotted a stone altar, not much taller than herself, partially concealed by the leaves of a tropical bush. 

It was similar to the Moon Goddess statue that decorated older Gem colonies. However, the statue at this altar was... monstrous. Its mouth was opened wide, revealing terrible fangs, and it stood on all fours. It was neither human nor animal, but something in the middle. Tsudajan was stared at it once he caught up with the captain, and he too noticed its bestial form.

"It almost looks like a Simian," observed Pearl, eyes wandering. She was rightly paranoid. "I thought they all evacuated Earth just a few decades ago..." 

Tsudajan, who was again reminded that he was the last of his kind, frowned. "Convergent evolution. The humans are creative with their deities, but it's a coincidence that this creature looks like one of my kind."

The group pressed onward. The insects on the island were unusually large and varied. Rutile recognized some of them from her research into planetary biospheres, but others she knew to have gone extinct long before Gems ever arrived on Earth. 

Eventually, they came across a dark cave that burrowed deep into a hill. Emerald volunteered to check it out first, and she drew her sword. The tunnel was becoming narrower with every step, but it would make for a decent shelter. 

Rutile followed after her, hand sliding against the wall of the cave. The air was moist, and broken bones littered the ground. This was the home of a predator, or it had been. An almost birdlike chirping came from deep within the tunnel. 

"Captain, look out!" shouted Rutile as a huge claw slammed into the ground. 

Emerald had jumped out of the way, but just barely. It was difficult to see, even with her green gemstone lit up. She nimbly swung her blade and crashed it upon an insect's armored chitin. It merely bounced off. 

"Not this again!" the captain protested, blocking another attack as it came from the other pincer. "How do I kill it?" 

"It's a Meganulon," said Rutile in the midst of battle. The creature, a prehistoric arthropod, was much smaller than the horrors she and the rest of the crew fought before - only eight meters in length. An organic being like this was no match for a trained Gem. "The eyes are the weak spot!" 

The larva possessed compound eyes, well-suited for the darkness of the cave. Emerald slashed again and again with her sword, but the insect had incredible reflexes. Its carapace could take the blows as they came with its twin pincers. 

But much to Emerald's surprise, another fighter joined the skirmish. Pearl drew her spear, and the swirled tip above the pommel glowed with alien energy. She fired a torrent of heated projectiles at the enormous bug, straight into its eyes, shredding it to pieces in a violent, gory display. 

Pearl threw her first into the air, satisfied with her victory. For once, she felt empowered. The burnt innards of the Meganulon exuded a sickening odor, and so the crew members evacuated the cave. It was midday on the island, and the wall still loomed in the distance.   

The jungle became denser, hotter, more unbearable. Tsudajan swatted at mosquitos the size of his hand. Pearl trailed behind him, occasionally jabbing at the flying pests with her spear. Emerald paid them no mind. The buzzing sounds they made distracted her from her thoughts. 

As they came closer to the wall, the captain heard a new sound rip through the jungle. Drumming. Yelling. Chanting. Human voices from atop the structure confirmed their presence. The danger the Gems faced had grown exponentially. 

"It's a ceremony," Tsudajan chimed in, quietly. "They won't spot us from here."

"What could they be doing?" Emerald asked. Tsudajan shrugged his shoulders. 

"I cannot say. Human rituals are never the same in every place. It might even be a warning, if they saw our crash landing."

Emerald ordered Pearl to go back to the beach and warn Ruby and Amethyst about the humans. A giant fireball falling from the sky was impossible to miss. The captain was certain that the humans were sending them a message, but she could not tell what it was. 

Until, as the pandemonium reached its climax, it stopped. The whole island held its breath. 

From the highest mountain peak beyond the wall, a deafening roar echoed for miles. The ancient king of Skull Island knew of the alien intruders, and he was about to answer humanity's call for help.