Hello all, welcome to The Power of Choice: Redux. Please enjoy.

Chapter 1: Awaken

"What is it?"

"The beast our ancestors spoke of: Monster Zero."

"Attempting control would be foolish. If it were ever to break free of us….it would be best to leave it trapped on this barren planet."

"Let's at least take some samples, then. Our new creature is nearly finished developing. Perhaps we could modify it further once the Keizer Energy has done its job."

"If it works we could have a new Monster Zero in the universe. No one could stop us."

"Not Zero. No. The ultimate Ghidorah. Monster X."

"….you just want to name something after yourself, don't you?"

"Duh. Plus, if it works the High Command will have no choice but to promote me. I refuse to be overlooked any longer."

Had the time had come once more for Monster X to be deployed into battle by his masters? Once more was the kaiju to be unleashed upon some planet that would try their hardest to resist his power? Once more would another civilization be made extinct and fade away into the annals of history? Such was his life, his designated purpose, as long as X remembered. The Xiliens used their advanced technology to violate his mind and he would have no choice but to comply with their demands. Whenever he was not necessitated, or he completed the destruction tasked to him, X was caged anew inside of this prison of metal and rock. Either to be stored on the Xilien homeworld awaiting another assignment or transported through the void of space following their fleet of ships.

X felt partial awareness of his condition when inside this rock, regrettably. Where he was, when he was, where he was going; none of those particulars were known to him. But the kaiju could never ignore the voices. The telepathic whispers to maim. Instructions to obliterate all opposition in the face of Xilien conquest. These were ever constant and, no matter how vigorously he tried, could not be shut out. The rare times he tried to fight the control he was disciplined harshly. Something was done that caused his mind to feel as if it were being ravaged by fire. Repeated exposure to this consuming anguish dispelled any last resistance he possessed, and thus his masters employed his powers unchecked.

His mind was currently being fed visions of the ones X would be slaying this time. Small, bipedal hairless apes that became the dominant species of their planet. These humans were to be the newest food source of the Xiliens. Once their major defenses had been eliminated, and the giant reptilian creature roaming their planet put down, the remaining humans would be rounded up and processed like cattle. X was to be their sword as always. The deafening voices commanded and he followed. Thus, unless he died, or his masters died, the cycle would renew without an end in sight.

How fortunate that destiny intervened and altered the course of history. For both the enslaved kaiju and a planet not yet visited by those from beyond the stars.

The asteroid that was his prison and transport was set on a path for the planet Earth. The Xiliens banking on using X, along with Gigan, to overwhelm Earth and Godzilla. Yet when another large celestial body collided with the Gorath Asteroid, an event so unlikely to happen it could truly be considered astronomical, it's destination was so jarringly altered even the occupant within felt the impact. Granted, X lay in an almost comatose state, but his red eyes opened for the most fleeting of moments as the asteroid spun in a completely different direction. How unfortunate for his masters that he would not be arriving to fight for them. As he drifted off into a nightmare-filled sleep, he wondered if he would ever see daylight again.

Unknown time later

Unbeknownst to the kaiju within, the Gorath Asteroid that housed him had once more become victim to an event astronomically small. Nigh improbable if one were to ask an esteemed person of science. Like, a real person of science, not one of those imbeciles that believed the planet was flat or some such nonsense. Those types could die in a hole.

You see, it was just the kaiju's luck that the prison surrounding him had been sent on a path that, eventually, crossed into a solar system containing multiple planetoids. Of course, in the history of the universe, innumerable celestial bodies traversed through countless systems. That was simply how existence in space was. An object would travel until their perpetual motion was either altered or arrested. Said object traversing the cosmos could, theoretically, move through space indefinitely without making contact with another. Hence, it was exceptional luck that this asteroid was headed straight for a planet distant enough from the system's star to be habitable.

The rock closed in on the lush planet, narrowly missing the lone moon hovering in orbit, and plunged into the atmosphere in a fiery blaze. Within seconds the Gorath Asteroid impacted one of the landmasses with such force a massive shock wave rippled outward in a path of devastation. Trees that were too close were either leveled or turned into large pillars of fire. The surrounding land sunk deeply into a fissure, tossing dirt and minerals of all sorts into the air to pelt the area for miles. The residue from the impact rose like a towering tsunami, slowly but surely blotting out the sun. The superheated rock of the asteroid made up for this loss of light with an ethereal glow. Its fire, and those encompassing it, lit up as if one had just stepped into hell. For nearly an hour this was the scene one would have stumbled upon, were they able to handle the noxious fumes in the atmosphere.

Eventually, the area returned to some manner of tranquillity. The fires burned themselves out, the smoke drifted into the sky and dissipated, and the asteroid itself cooled to the point that just a light bit of steam could occasionally be glimpsed before fading to nothing. Whilst the asteroid itself suffered slight damage by the crash to terrestrial land, it was otherwise still intact. No evidence whatsoever of the imprisoned occupant within.

Said occupant was doing everything he could to keep his eyes open. To rouse his fleeting awareness and escape from the rock around him. However, if the Xiliens did one thing right, it was building the prison he was kept in. Unless the asteroid was pierced to the hollow inside where his body rested, the legion of machines that forced his mind into a dazed state would continue to function. In a combat scenario, the asteroid was to orbit an inhabited world and the Xiliens would use a command from their mothership to separate the rock in such a way that Monster X would be released. Once his task was complete the halves could later be put back together and used for transport of their kaiju elsewhere.

With the Gorath Asteroid out of range from the Xilien ships, not to mention the Xilien fleet being annihilated by the King of the Monsters back on Earth, said command could not be fulfilled. The relatively undamaged outer casing of the asteroid also meant that the machines inside were not disrupted from their current task, therefore the protocol to awaken X would not start. In essence, the kaiju within was trapped in such a disorienting mental condition he could not summon the strength to force his way out. As his blood-red eyes started to close and his perception faded, Monster X felt one thing to be grateful about; the damn voices telling him to maim and kill everything in sight might eventually drive him mad, making escape completely irrelevant. If he was crazy, then would it matter what fate had planned for his life?

It was this change in the course of history, a change brought by such probability that to occur twice would be nigh impossible, which would one day shape the future of the planet he crashed on. For now, none would know of his existence, such as the primitive fauna that currently made the world their home. However, one day, when the top species could flirt with the ideas of war and chaos, whilst also keeping the red-eyed demons at bay, those that would come to call the planet Remnant would learn of this fearsome beast. For it would not be dark Queens or Wizards, Relics or warriors of Silver Eyes, but a monster of unimaginable power that would decide the future of all life on their world.

XXXX

"Ok everyone, we've made some great progress this week, and the bosses are delighted with the shipments sent. I spoke with Mr. Slate just this morning, and he said that if we could get at least two tons more shipped by the end of next week, we'll all be seeing some nice bonuses on our checks," The foreman of the dust mine, Mr. Flint Stone, allowed his workers a moment to whistle and yell out words of satisfaction, before raising his hand to get their attention again. "With the amount of Dust we've been pulling from this vein, I don't see us having any trouble making that quota. Despite the SDC trying to muscle their way in, the courts have upheld our claim and threatened them with sanctions if they keep harassing us."

His words evoked another chorus of cheers and smiles.

"I also got wind that if this site can pull off the projected growth they're hoping for, our crew may be getting picked to take the Mirr job the bosses are bidding on. So if extra pay for working in Vacuo sounds like something that interests you, come to see me next month once I get confirmation of the job." The man pulled up his watch, the time showing just passed 3:00, and waved his hand towards the mine's entrance. "That's all I have for you guys, so let's get back to work. Tonight, we'll celebrate in town. Drinks are on me." The yelling returned more intense than before. The crew of 30, a blend of human and faunus, grabbed their equipment and headed back into the hole dug into the mountainside.

Their current location was the Kingdom of Mistral, in one of the mountain ranges where cliffs dominated the landscape. Just two months before, a deposit of Dust had been discovered during an expedition by Mr. Slate's Dust and Mineral Company. It wasn't an excessively large pocket, but so far their crew had mined a steady supply that was keeping money in everyone's pocket. Strangely, however, while digging up quantities of Dust, the miners had also discovered slabs of fully formed and processed metals.

Steel, iron, and even a few rare slabs of pure titanium had been extracted from the mine. Mr. Slate requested that the discoveries be kept quiet for now, knowing that if any of the Kingdom's Councils found out, they'd send in their people and take over. Figure in the copper found here and there, and how odd it was that it almost looked to be bundled into wiring, this was turning into a very profitable, if strange operation. With the success that was projected from the current rate of extraction, the board members estimated that they would potentially make more money than the Schnee Dust Company in the next quarter. Such a thought, and the pride that would come with outdoing that mega-corp, kept the digging crew hard at work.

Today was the day the world changed.

In one of the tunnels that branched off from the main one, a group of three were drilling forward eagerly. Just before the crew was called to listen to the news from Mr. Stone, the trio had located another pocket of steel. This one, however, was markedly different from what had been mined up till that point. It was much stronger than anything they had found so far. The standard drill bits had shredded themselves to pieces within a minute of being pressed into the metal. After that, they tried a more durable bit, which itself only lasted about three minutes before turning into a smoking ruin. Now they had the strongest drill head they could find on-site and planned to get through one way or another.

When the drill made contact with the metal, sparks began to fly. At first, the drill continued to spin in place and make the same non-progress as the last two. Eventually, the drill head finally started digging into the metal, and slowly cut through more and more of the material. It took about fifteen minutes before the drill surged forward, having broken through to an empty pocket on the other side. The reason they were trying to drill the metal in the first place was so a high-torque winch could be attached and, after clearing the surrounding rock, the slab could be pulled out for study. Considering that the third drill head was diamond coated, the small group was eager to show off their prize to the boss.

The moment the drill was pulled from the hole a blast of hot, pungent air smacked the three men in the face. It wasn't so hot as to burn them, thank the Brothers, but it felt like they'd just stepped into a sauna while still clothed in their mining gear. And the smell?

"Fuck, that's rank. It's like a fish had sex with a skunk, then decided to eat rancid sauerkraut." The only faunus of the group so eloquently put.

After placing the drill on the ground beside them the leader of their group turned to glare at his fellow worker. "That's horrendous Wade. Thanks for the image that I won't forget for days."

"I told you to call me Mr. Wilson while we're working."

"Not a chance."

Now that the steam had time to dissipate they looked into the hole, and could see that behind the slab of metal it was nearly pitch black, save for what appeared to be the glow of several white lights scattered around. Perhaps some kind of fluorescent mushrooms or other plant life that lit up when in dark locations? The other side appeared to be an enormous, hollowed-out room that was so large one couldn't even see the top or bottom of the cavern. Although...was it their imagination or did there seem to be something filling up most of the chamber?

"Gggrrrrrrrrag"

That weird shape seemingly taking up space moved just the slightest bit. What looked like a gigantic red eye slowly opened...and stared right at the four men.

XXXX

The haze slowly fell away and for the first time in eons, he could feel. He could smell. He could hear. So, his prison must have finally been breached in some way that allowed the machines to wake him. Or perhaps they just stopped working. Why did his body feel so stiff though? How long had he been in stasis now? Awakening more by the second, his senses picked up small lifeforms nearby, and many a distance away. Hmmm. He didn't recognize the scent of whatever was close. Even if his masters had taken another form to disguise themselves, he would still be able to sense their true form within the false shell. No. This was something new. Something not encountered before.

His eyes finally opened, allowing him to see the inside of his prison chamber. With his superior eyesight, he could also see the hole in one of the access panels directly in front of him, and the small, ape-like creature looking right at him. Wait a minute...it looked like...DestrOy-the-huManS!...the voices! Although partially obscured due to the small size of the hole, X was rather sure that bipedal creature matched the Humans! he was supposed to subdue. What was going on? What was happening?

-You are our, DEstROY, sword-

-Our Monster X-

Why would the voices not stop?! Struggling to move, the kaiju started to rise from the cradled position he was forced to take inside the asteroid. Looking all around X saw that, despite waking from his hellish coma, his metal prison refused to move. The groaning sounds indicated it was trying, but something was preventing him from the freedom he so desperately wanted.

X had to get out of here. Now. He pushed his body against what passed for the ceiling, but the prison held. No. No. NO. NO. He wanted out. This was not where he wanted to spend his first waking moments in Bagan knows how long. X slammed his forearm up, denting the metal above him, yet still, it held. Over and over his armored arm struck the ceiling, denting it further, but not breaking through. The kaiju's breathing quickened as panic began to grip his chest. 'Let me out. Let me out. Letmeout. Letmeout. Letmeoutletmeoutletmeout. LET. ME. OUT!'

XXXX

"Run! Run! Get the hell out of here now!" As Wade ran past several other miners, screaming his head off, his group leader was calling out to anyone and everyone within eyesight or earshot to leave. "There's some kind of giant Grimm inside the mountain! Get out before the tunnels collapse!" His warning was validated by a rumbling that steadily grew worse. Broken rock began to fall from the tunnel ceiling, light fixtures either stopped working or hit the ground and shattered, and most startling was the loud growling that was coming from deeper in the tunnels. Dropping all of their tools and ignoring the carts of mined Dust, the miners ran as fast as they could towards the entrance.

Tasha Yar didn't look away from that graceful, saving light. Looking back would mean death. Falling rocks encompassed her from all sides, some close enough the dirt thrown up nearly blinded her. Still, her eyes refused to look away from her destination. Someone screamed behind her, crushed by the falling ceiling, but she couldn't afford to stop. Pushing her legs to their limit, Tasha exited the mine with such force she tumbled to the hard ground and struck her head on a toolbox. Blood trailing down her temple, Tasha was helped to her feet by Wade, she and everyone else staring in disbelief at the now collapsed mine. A split second too slow and she would have been crushed by rock and metal from above. It took Tasha a moment comprehend that several of her coworkers had been crushed, unable to escape the mine in time. Tears started to blend with the blood on her dirty face.

The quakes seemed to finally stop, prompting Wade to speak his wise words. "I think we'll be fine now. Unless that Grimm is some kind of giant that eats rocks for breakfast. Like a Rock Biter! That's a good name."

Everyone glared death at the idiot for opening his mouth, callous his words were. Before anyone could chastise him for his insensitive, and cliched, tempting of fate, a large hand burst from the mountain their mine was dug into. A second hand joined it, sections of earth sailing through the sky. Workers scattered and ran for cover in the shade of massive loaders and excavators. This saved many of them from a gruesome death, while an unlucky few were turned into bloody smears in the dirt. A loud, tiger-like growling was heard throughout the dig site, causing a few brave souls to poke their heads out and see what was happening now.

The top of the mountain broke apart violently, thrown off the head of the giant Grimm now free of its prison. The monster's very appearance caused some of the miners to faint. Skeletal armor coated a good portion of its muscular body, skin blacker than the void of space. A strange, elongated skull topped with two sharp horns. What appeared to be two half-skulls attached at its shoulders. A long, forked tail swaying in agitation, thin like a whip waiting to snap. 120 meters of demonic monster. It was staring at its hands, which were shaking horribly, the creature itself breathing so fast it appeared to be having a panic attack.

Accepting this was the day she died, Tasha pulled out her scroll and set it to record. "Tasha's Log, entry 57. We've awoken a Grimm larger than any I've ever heard about. If anyone gets this message, please, contact my sister, and give her my account with First Mistralan Bank." She couldn't stop crying, praying that someone would be lucky enough to see this video and pass it on. Her voice cracked as the monster stopped looking at its hands and turned a red gaze over the humans and faunus within the quarry, still breathing heavily. "Ishara, I love you more than anything. I'm sorry I didn't get to see you graduate from Haven, but this is how life is sometimes." As the monster kept looking at them she whimpered just the slightest when it grabbed its head, almost like it was in pain.

"For whoever gets this message we're at the Turkana Mine, in northern Mistral. We've been here for two months digging into the mountain for Dust and other materials. Looks like we found some kind of Grimm too. As big as it is, please, send everythin-huh?" Her crying words ended when the monster stopped eyeing them. It turned its gaze to the cloudy sky above and levitated, yes levitated, out of the remains of the mountain it had been trapped within. Without sparing the humans a second glance the Grimm fully emerged from the earth around it and flew south. Not once did it attack or even turn to look at them again. It just...left.

She would need to change her pants before the smell of urine set in.