"And just what kind of genetic material did you use to build these titans?" she asked, her voice calm but pointed.
Dr. Wu hesitated — only for a fraction of a second — before Walter smoothly stepped in, his smile measured.
"They were created using only the finest genetic specimens," Walter said, hands folded behind his back as he stepped between the group and Wu. "Our Alpha Titan… the Black Wyvern… and of course, the genetic remnants of Ghidorah."
The room fell into a hush.
Even Jake's brow furrowed. Nate raised an eyebrow. Newt's lips parted slightly, clearly caught off guard — but wisely said nothing.
Liwen crossed her arms, thoughtful. "So, you're cloning titans."
"Not cloning," Walter corrected gently. "Engineering. Improving. Designing loyalty from the ground up. These aren't natural-born monsters, Miss Shao. These are ours."
He carefully omitted the deeper truth — that beneath the bio-circuitry and modified DNA, there were traces of something far more dangerous.
Kaiju DNA.
It had been necessary — essential, even. Titan genetics alone couldn't provide the aggression profile they needed. The reaction time. The raw ferocity. That... came from the Kaiju genome. But Walter knew mentioning that now would jeopardize everything.
After all, Shao Industries had built the Jaegers to exterminate kaiju — not to partner with anyone who dared splice their DNA into weapons of war.
The three prototype Jaegers that had attacked Black Wyvern earlier? They hadn't been sent to protect the city. They were a live test. A trial by fire. To measure, compare, and confirm if their creations could eventually match — or surpass — something of his caliber.
And judging by the scorched wreckage being hauled in from the battlefield, they still had work to do.
Walter continued, shifting the subject smoothly.
"With your guidance, Shao Industries can lead the future of anti-Titan warfare. These creatures… these guardians… are just the first step. Once armed with your proprietary armor plating and integrated neural uplink systems, we'll be able to deploy them globally. No more citywide disasters. We fight on our terms."
"We know you don't actually manufacture armor," Walter said, "but with your tech, you certainly have the tools and resources to do so. Apex Cybernetics would normally handle this—but all this," he swept a hand dramatically at the cryo-chambers and towering monstrosity, "has pushed our operations to the limit. We're already stretched thin."
He paused, letting that sink in. "Besides, this partnership would benefit both our companies in the long run."
Liwen tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Your offer is tempting," she admitted. "But let's be clear—this will be a short-term transaction. While we specialize in Jaegers and nanotech, we've never developed full-body titan armor before. Still…" she smiled faintly, "it should be possible."
She turned to Newt. "That's why I'll be leaving Newt behind. He'll be responsible for armor development. But I expect the power source delivered within a month."
Walter smiled thinly. "Still works for me."
He turned to Dr. Wu. "Dr. Wu, you'll be in charge of accommodating our guest. Make sure he has everything he needs."
Liwen nodded. "If there's nothing else, I'll be taking my leave."
With that, she spun on her heel, striding out confidently, Nate and Jake close behind.
Walter watched her go, then slowly walked up to Dr. Wu, leaned in beside his ear, and whispered coldly:
"I hope you behave yourself, Doctor. No… unnecessary curiosity."
He pulled away with a smile and walked off, Ren glancing back at Wu with a fleeting look of pity before following.
Newt clapped his hands together. "So, Mr. Wu—where do we start?" he asked, already bubbling with excitement.
Wu blinked, jolted from his thoughts. "Follow me," he said quietly, then turned and began walking toward the inner labs.
Trailing behind, Newt rubbed his nose absently—only to pull back with a smear of blood.
He stared at it briefly, eyes twitching with something unspoken, and wiped it away quickly on the inside of his sleeve.
He didn't say a word.
--------------
Liwen stepped out of the Apex facility, her heels clicking sharply against the concrete as Jake and Nate followed close behind. The heavy blast doors rumbled shut behind them.
"Something's fishy about that guy," Jake muttered, glancing back.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed," Nate said with a frown.
Liwen gave a curt nod. "That's why our partnership is short-term. Mr. Walter is... ambitious. Too ambitious and the fact that Ghidora's genetics are included to the mix raises my concerns."
Jake raised an eyebrow. "So that's why you left Newt behind—to gather intel."
"Correct," Liwen replied without hesitation.
Nate gave her a side glance. "So you're really going to build him armor?"
"I am," she said simply. "Business is built on credibility. If I go back on my word, I lose that."
Jake snorted. "Honestly, if we didn't need that energy source, I doubt you'd have even shaken his hand."
Liwen's eyes hardened. "If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have entertained the partnership at all."
"Why not just get it ourselves?" Nate asked. "Send in a Jaeger team, grab the power source, be done with it."
Liwen stopped and turned to face him. "Because it's too risky. Even with a Jaeger, we don't know what kind of monsters live down in the Hollow Earth. And even if we did send someone in... we still wouldn't have the means to locate the damn thing."
She reached the car as her driver opened the door. "For now, we'll play along."
Nate and Jake exchanged a silent look before heading to their own vehicle.
The cars pulled away, disappearing into the horizon.
---
Back at Walter's Office
Walter stood by the tall windows of his office, arms clasped behind his back, watching the facility below through tinted glass. The city-sized Apex compound buzzed with controlled chaos.
"Keep an eye on Newt," he said coldly.
Ren glanced up from the tablet in his hands. "You think he's going to spy on us?"
"I'm certain of it. Miss Liwen clearly doesn't trust us," Walter replied, turning toward him. "And she's right not to. Which is why I want a shadow team monitoring Dr. Wu as well—discreetly. I don't want him saying anything he shouldn't."
Ren nodded. "Understood."
Walter turned, his tone shifting. "Where's the team—my daughter included?"
"They're currently over the Pacific," Ren answered. "They should reach Antarctica in a few hours."
Walter gave a thin smile. "Good. Then prep the Mecha.
--------
Alex was lazily coiled up in the shade of a cliff on Isla Nublar, half-napping, half-listening to the ocean breeze—until a ripple echoed through his senses.
Something was moving in the sea. No—someone.
His eyes snapped open, a low rumble building in his throat as he focused.
He could feel the familiar, thunderous presence charging across the Pacific like a force of nature. Godzilla. And he wasn't alone.
Another signature flared to life.
Kong.
Alex narrowed his eyes. The memory of their brief encounter in the ocean surged in his mind—Kong's raw strength, the tension in that moment, the mutual recognition of power.
'So it's finally happening,' Alex thought, uncoiling slowly. 'Round two.'
A wicked grin formed in his mind. Watching on a screen never did these kinds of clashes justice. Seeing it with your own eyes? Feeling it in the ground, in the air? That was something else entirely.
Besides, this would be the first time he'd witness two Titans truly fight.
He spread his wings and launched into the air with a powerful gust, cutting through the clouds like a missile. His destination was set.
This was a front-row seat he wasn't going to miss.
End of chapter.
I just wanted to give you a quick update on what's been going on. The reason I haven't dropped the Patreon link yet is because I ended up deleting the advanced chapters I had posted there. They no longer lined up with the edited version of the fanfic, so to keep things consistent, I decided to hold off.
Because of those edits, the fanfic might not reach the 77 chapters I originally mentioned — in fact, it'll likely be shorter now.
Also, on a more personal note, the Wi-Fi at my place hasn't been paid for due to some financial issues. I've been using mobile data to upload new chapters, but it's tough, and I'm honestly running on fumes here.
So please don't expect consistent updates right now — and there may be times when I can't update at all. I just wanted to be transparent with you all.
Thanks so much for sticking with me through all this. Your support means more than you know. 💙