Godzilla: The Sister Island

Late Morning

1973
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Conrad:
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"James? James! Hello? Captain Conrad!" The last name she called me, startled me.

My eyes flew open and I sat up. Ricky was standing in the doorway. She had hiking boots, tight tan shorts, one of my old T-shirts, and a small back pack on. I glanced over at the clock, rubbing my tired eyes. It was 6 am.

"What is it?" I ask, concerned.

"It's time to go." She whispers, sadness in her voice.

I throw the covers off, and stand. I've gotten into a bad habit of sleeping in late... my old commander would've made me run ten miles had I done this under his command.

"So it is. Mind giving me the chance to change?" I laugh, she still doesn't understand privacy.

It's something that people just believe to be morally right or wrong. The moment she returns to her own room, my heart sinks. I hurriedly change into the clothes I picked last night. A dark blue T-shirt, black pants, and then my weapons gear. It was simple, but it'd suffice.

"You changed yet?" Ricky asks through the door that links our rooms.

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Ricky:
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"Yeah!" I hear him shout through the door, just before he opens it.

We both stand in the doorway, looking at one another.

"Stylish." I comment, looking him up and down.

"Mine." He mocks, tugging on the baggy shirt I was wearing.

"Than it must look good." I tease.

"How did you get a hold of it?" He questions, frowning slightly.

"It was in the pile of clothes you gave me, until I could buy my own." I reply, not caring if he had forgotten about them.

It was a lot of clothes, and a part of me felt strange for accepting them. I also got some clothes from Mason, who insisted I have more even though James had already given me some. Mason and James. They'd give you the clothes off their backs if you needed. James catches my attention by looking at the shirt I was wearing.

"Do you want it back?" I ask, unbuttoning it.

"No. Keep it. It looks better on you." He chuckles, stopping my hands from taking it off.

I was wearing a white tank top underneath, so I just tied the shirt ends together. James shifted uncomfortably, looking me over again. I understood why he was so anxious. Everyone was on edge... heck! I was on edge! We had no idea how this whole thing would pan out. Wild animals are not something that can be predicted.

"Alright. We should go meet up with the others." He whispers, turning around.

"Okay." I sigh, heading off to the docks.

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Slivko:
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"They should be here." I mutter, Mason holding my hand.

"Unless they got up to something." Mason laughs, her mind diving into the gutter.

"C'mon, man. Why you say that? Now it's in my brain. Thanks. Thanks for that." Mills says, sarcasm stitched into his words.

"I'm sorry, but we all were thinking it. Right?" Mason giggles.

"No. No. We were not thinking that." Mills laughs.

"Here they are." Announces Hank (jr).

The car pulls up, and they get out. The first thing I notice is the circles under Conrad's eyes. The drinks last night were a terrible idea, but old habits die hard I guess. I don't think Ricky was aware that he had a flask of hard liquor. Clearly our previous trip to an uncharted island had left him a bit... unstable. Everyone waits in silence and uneasiness.

"Hey, everybody." Greets Conrad, who even sounds exhausted.

"You two have fun?" Asks Mason, winking at James.

James' eyes widen, as what she says hits him.

"It's not like that." He whispers, Ricky continuing to be oblivious.

"When does the boat get here?" Asks Ricky, looking between the brother and sister.

"Not sure." I reply, looking at the ground.

"I almost thought we were gonna be late. Conrad slept in." Ricky whispers, frowning at her shoes.

"Yeah, yeah. It's a good thing I left the door open or we would have missed the ship." Conrad says, pointing to the ship in the distance and throwing out all of Mason's private accusations.

"Who's ready to see monsters?" Ricky sighs, still frowning at her shoes.

"Lets hope we make our visit short." Conrad says, completely focused on our task.

"Agreed. Our honeymoon awaits." Mason laughs, hugging me.

"I'm going to get settled on the boat." Announces Ricky, strangely quiet for some unknown reason.

"I'm coming too." Says Conrad, following her to the boat.

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Conrad:
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I follow her to our rooms. Just like at Monarch, they're connected by an inside door. Before Ricky disappears behind her door, she turns on me. My stomach churns, as I see the tears behind her eyes. I sigh to myself, and take her hand in my own.

"Is there something wrong with me?" She questions, causing me to become confused.

"Pardon me?" I ask, hoping she'd elaborate.

I have no idea where this is coming from. Sure, she's had some adjustment issues from leaving the island, but she's been doing great. I don't want to make her feel bad about something that is out of her control. Suddenly a poem floats into my mind. One from my youth, that I can't help but want to recite to her. It suits her almost perfectly.

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Ricky:
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I can feel my tears bearing down on my eyes. Why does he have to make things harder? I know he isn't doing it on purpose, but it still hurts.

"Is there something wrong with me?" I repeat, feeling my cheeks flush with heat.

"You are perfect in every way. You just are so pure, it seems delicate. You are a precious treasure that I plan to keep safe from the monsters of Monarch... please don't ever think yourself at fault for the unpleasantness that befall us. The world is a dirty and vile place, and it will only stain your perfect petals, my dear flower." He whispers, and he sounds as if he's rehearsed this for years.

My cheeks flush a bright pink as I lose complete control over my tears. I pull him into a hug, sobbing into his shoulder. His arms wrap around me, making me feel safe. As I begin pulling away, I get the urge to kiss him. I act on these urges, not one to ignore instincts. Our lips connect, and my knees weaken. He is kissing me, his hands around my waist. For a brief moment, his tongue touches my bottom lip. He presses me closer to his body, and I gasp slightly. His tongue sneaking into my mouth. This is a new sensation, and I enjoy every second of it.