Galaxy of Monsters (Godzilla/Steven Universe crossover)

Chapter 3: Poison

"Impressed?" Peridot said coyly. 

That one word encapsulated everything that Emerald felt in the moment that the great machine stood before her. In action, it was marvelous. She hoped, with all her might, that this 'Mechagodzilla' would be able to eliminate Hedorah. The mission counted on it. 

Time did not allow the captain to give a response. Before she could speak, a fifth tower rose up from the colony. It was not made of steel, but of smog. It blended in neatly with the rest of the planet; only its gleaming, oval-shaped eyes pierced through the darkness. 

Emerald was aghast. The creature was ten meters taller than Peridot's cybernetic terror. Its vile skin bubbled and dripped onto the roofs of stray buildings below. Steam rushed out of vents on its formless body, primarily near the head. It was constantly being weighed down by gravity and getting back up, trying vigorously to remain stable, resisting the urge to sink into the ground.

Mechagodzilla's head performed a 180-degree spin, and the rest of the machine followed thereafter. Emerald could see the rows of short, thin plates that ran down its back. Their function was a mystery. Regardless, she went back into the shuttle and hastily closed the door.

"C'mon, get these into storage!" she barked to Amethyst and Pearl. The Gem shards would be safer there. "Ruby, fire up the engines! We're taking this thing down!"

"Yeah! That monster can't stop us!" Rubies were excellent for raising morale. 

The shuttle hovered upward to get a proper view of the battlefield. Hedorah, at last, balanced itself and went on the offensive. It had a paddle-like tail that dragged on the ground, leaving a toxic trail behind. Mechagodzilla initiated a direct charge into its crude biomass. 

The robot's chest plate unhinged, revealing a single energy beam weapon that fired a powerful, orange plasma ray. It cut straight through Hedorah, causing the monster to fall back on the southernmost tower. The building collapsed instantly. Even from their altitude, the crew heard its gargling roar. From the blinding dust, a red laser fired back in retaliation. 

Emerald had never seen organic life use lasers, let alone from their crimson eyes.

Mechagodzilla stumbled from the attack. While Peridot may have created the war machine, she was new to piloting it. The interruption was short. The robot moved in closer, deploying a missile barrage at point-blank range, each warhead ejected from the imitation fingers. 

"Captain!" cried out Ruby. "We're receiving a transmission from the surface."

"Put it through!"

Peridot joined the communication channel. "--semisolid clod!"

"Don't worry, Peridot. You're not alone in this fight. Ruby, engage in attack maneuver!" 

The shuttle darted behind the creature. Like an angry wasp, it buzzed around and struck its vulnerable spots (head and feet), although their own laser was far weaker. Ruby put her full attention into dodging the endless red beams. Hedorah was distracted at last. 

Peridot saw an opening. Mechagodzilla's hands rotated at full speed, generating a massive electric output. The missile launchers were now fists of lightning. The great machine threw a punch into the smog monster's back, driving it in deep for good measure.

A powerful electric current erupted into Hedorah, and it howled in pain. Peridot cheered. 

However, the victory would be short-lived. The creature's eyes sank into its head, reemerging on the other side to face Mechagodzilla. The gelatinous, viscid beast began to swallow up the robot with its putrid mass. Soon only Mechagodzilla's head was visible. Everything else was rendered immobile. However, the head began to rotate as well, even faster than the hands.