Mechagodzilla: Shiryu

-35-

"Help me...someone...anyone...help me...please..."

Akane found herself stuck under a tremendous amount of debris, the building having collapsed due to the monsters sighting in the city. She tried to move her body, but one of her legs was stuck under a crushed desk. Everything hurt, and the whole place was dark. The only way she could capture a glimpse of her surroundings was the weak flickering of still functioning damaged lights from inside the place she was stuck inside. The debris, instead of crushing her, have fallen down and covered Akane in a small enclosed space. A few holes and gaps were present outside where Akane was trapped, only showing darkness that threatened to overtake everything once the lights stopped working. A rumbling was heard, which made Akane gasp as the place shook once again and some dust crumbled down from above. The sounds of the large monsters fighting outside of the building were muffled due to the tons of debris blocking the outside, Akane also hearing the sounds of military weapons discharging above and to the sides. All these noises, all the shaking that threatened to make the enclosed space collapse on top of Akane...made her feel crushed on the inside.

Not only did she knew that she was possibly not going to make it, but she also knew that she was alone and with no one to help. Those that were around Akane before the building collapsed...her friends definitely...could not have been lucky like she was. Inside of her head she thought that calling out for anyone if they were alive was a waste of time and energy, which should be used when rescue came. Despite those thoughts...Akane decided to give it a try anyways. "Hello...? Is anyone alive? Please...can anyone hear me...?" Akane called out in front of her. There was no response, other than the muffled trembling and roaring that continued outside. She tried again, louder this time so that they could hear her, and still there was no response. Akane tried calling for her friends...and like all previous times there was nothing. Akane's eyes began to well up in tears as she called out one more time weakly, shedding her tears as she was only responded with silence and darkness.

So many hours must have passed by, because Akane woke up slowly due to her having cried and sobbed into tired sleep. The rumbling, shaking, and muffled roars of the monsters have finally stopped, leaving everything in silence. However...the silence was slowly beginning to soothe as Akane could now hear several muffled voices up ahead and above. It took her a moment to realize that it was people starting to look for survivors under the rubble. More voices were heard, and some were even heard close to her as those were people that were stuck just like her. Some light began to filter through the holes of her enclosed space as the sounds of concrete and wood being turned over or thrown aside were heard. Seeing this as an opportunity to grab their attention, Akane began to call out for help as loud as she could, hoping that they would hear her and help her out. However...the more she shouted...the more they began to move far away from her. It seemed like they were focusing on another person their heard far from them, leaving Akane farther away from them. Desperation started to set in, and Akane began to shout more loudly and frantically to get anyone's attention that was nearby. Still, the ones that were out there didn't seem to hear her voice at all. More so, Akane felt the oxygen around her starting to deplete now that she has used up most of the air for shouting. Hearing and feeling that all of the hope that remained for her to make it out alive start to fade away, Akane slumped down in defeat, feet still stuck and the whole debris surrounding her. All that Akane could do now was accept her fate as she closed her eyes shut, before she said something even if she knew it would be pointless.

"Someone...please help me..." she whispered loudly in japanese.

Akane began to consume herself in grief and sadness inside where she laid trapped, only focusing on that as she was oblivious to the footsteps approaching her place. The sound of cement, metal, and wood debris being pushed to the side made Akane open her eyes again to look up. The more the debris were moved from above where Akane was stuck, the more light began to filter in. "Hey, you there! Can you hear me?" the voice of a man asked in japanese, surprising Akane greatly. "Y-yes! I'm here! I'm stuck! Please! Help me!" Akane said, her heart jumping as her speech switched from English to Japanese while her emotions began to mix. The one that was currently digging and moving the debris away called for someone else to help him, the voice of another telling Akane that it was a woman and some others that now helped the man. Akane tried to struggle forwards, yet her foot was still stuck in place, not letting her move. Finally, after some moments, the cement bricks were removed but by bit, and then fresh air and sunlight breached into the enclosed space. The light blinded Akane's eyes momentarily as she adjusted to it, before seeing a hand reach out to her. "Here. Reach to me" the man said to her. "I can't. My leg is stuck" Akane said, still struggling to get herself free. "Grab on to both of us" the woman that was with the man said, extending her hand to her as well. Akane grunted and reached with both arms to grab on to the hands of the two people, who the started to pull her out. They all groaned as they struggled, both trying to pull while the other one trying to hold on to both hands.

Finally, after some effort, and some painful slip through, Akane's leg was finally freed so she could be pulled out from the hole. The man and woman set Akane down carefully onto the debri-covered ground, now truly exhausted. Akane flopped down onto the ground, processing everything that has happened before beginning to sob again in relief this time. "Hey...It's alright. You are safe now. No need to cry anymore" the woman said, moving a hand to rub Akane's shoulder to comfort her. "Let her express herself. She has gone through a very traumatic experience" the man said to the woman. Akane looked weakly up in front of her...now seeing how much damage and destruction the monsters have made. Survivors were slowly starting to emerge or be helped out by other people. Then she looked down at the rubble beneath her, thinking of all the friends that were buried underneath and possibly no more now. She now thought to herself of how she has survived...when it would have been impossible. "Why wasn't it me...? Why did my friends have to die...? I...should have been the one to die alone..." Akane whimpered to herself, starting to shed the last of her tears out from her eyes. The man that had helped her out must have heard her, because after a moment of silence he spoke. "You were lucky. I don't know how, but you survived. And even when you were trapped, you still clung to life and hope when there was none. That means that you wanted to live. There is no shame in that. Everyone, including you, has the right to live and exist. No one can ever take it away from you" the man said, placing his coat over Akane's shoulders and moved to stand in front of her. She looked up as she saw the woman soon join the man, seeing that both were together.

"What would your name be, young girl? I never expected to see someone from Japan here in the United States" the man asked, extending a hand. Akane looked up at the man that had saved her, slowly moving her hand to him in order to take it and be helped up to her feet once more. "...Akane Yashiro. A student that was studying abroad..." she finally answered. "A student? Interesting. What field are you most interested in?" the man asked in English so that the woman that was with him could understand, seeing that he was trying to calm Akane down. "Science. Biology and a small part in technology." Akane answered. "A fine choice that you made. The world will soon change due to what has happened, and we need talented young minds to help pave the path into a bright future. One in which it protects the natural order" the woman said, standing beside them. Akane looked at her, and then back at the devastated scenery that surrounded them, before turning back. "Is it related to what had happened? About...the giant creatures?" Akane asked. "Indeed it is. There is much to talk about such....Oh! Where are my manners? My name is Dr. Vivienne Graham. I am part of the organization named Monarch. You will know about us soon in the coming days" the woman said, shaking hands with Akane. "And I am Dr. Ishiro Serizawa. I will be honored to help you recover and teach you about nature's secrets. It will be scary, but I can assure you that you will learn many wonderful things about the world we live in. To the point that we shall help save the world." the man said, shaking hands next as he gave a genuine smile. Akane, even if she just met the man, at that very moment, saw that he was someone who could be trusted and to look up to.

"Sure...I'll be happy to learn." Akane said, smiling and nodding as she now followed the two of them across the disaster area.