Chapter Text
Staten Island, New York
Near the coast overlooking Manhattan Bay the small team of H.E.A.T wandered about their daily business. The doctor. Nick Tatopoulos at the head of the team watched with his binoculars a black and scaly mass which was not other than the head of the creature as monstrous as gigantic: Godzilla, or Zilla as his colleagues like to call it.
But despite this, Godzilla and Nick have had a very strong bond for years, Nick was there when this thing hatched and since then it has not let go of a shoot.
"something new ?" asked Randy, a young Jamaican with curly hair looking like hipster rasta but a brilliant computer guy.
"Nah, always basking in the sun" Nick replied, lowering his binoculars.
"and he's not the only one" Randy replied comically pointing at Mandel lying in a chair near the building. "you want me to spill a bucket of water on his head?"
Nick smiles at the proposition "I admit it's very tempting but no"
"Okay, you're the boss ..."
With that, Randy left the roof of the building leaving Nick alone with his binoculars.
After a few minutes of observation he returned to the building. Elsie and Monique were sitting quietly at the table discussing of everything. Both were brilliant women, Elsie a graduated paleonthologist with red hair and Monique, a French secret force agent with a personality as cold as it was mysterious.
"Hey Nick," Elsie called out, "someone called for you, a woman, she said she wanted you to call her back."
Nick curious, grabbed the phone and looked at the phone, 2 new message ... He pressed the automatic reader - Hi Nick it your cousin Laura, it was just to let you know that we are coming to New York soon- Beep!
Nick turned suddenly in a sweat to his two colleagues.
"What day is it?"
"Friday ?" Elsie replied a little surprised by Nick's reaction.
"No the date ?!"
"June 18th? Why?"
Nick looked at the ceiling, feeling idiot, He had forgotten ...
New York suburbs
Will watched the landscape go by, house after house, building after building. He had just celebrated his twelfth birthday and as always it was always the same thing. He had to leave his little nest in the countryside to spend the summer in town. Needless to say, Will hated big cities.
"You will see, it will do you good ... it will allow you to reconnect with your uncle." his mother said at the wheel.
"Seriously? The last time I saw him I was having trouble walking ... he didn't even come to daddy's funeral."
Even after two years Will was still haunted by the death of his father, when this car came out of nowhere. Will made it out, but not his father.
A long silence reigned in the car as they took the freeway ramp to Staten Island.
He didn't like the city but he liked to watch the huge brick and concrete construction stand on either side of the road, especially the old buildings, so much history behind each of those structure.
As Mandel finished sipping his fruit cocktail. He was woke by the sound of a car coming in the driveway of their property.
The fact that Nick left the building almost at the same time made the situation more mysterious.
A young woman with blond hair and a carrot shirt stepped out of the car greeting Nick.
"It's been a long time ..." said the young woman, Nick shaking her hand.
"Will come out and say hello to your uncle ..."
The car door opened and a young boy with brown hair and retro clothes with a sweater clearly showing a representation of Godzilla stepped out of the car.
"Hello to your uncle" he said in a monotonous voice and visibly annoyed to be there.
Mandel walked over, curious about the identity of the guests. " Who is it ?"
Nick sighed "hmm,my cousin Laura St-Laurent and he this is my nephews ... wich I forgot the name."
The young boy chuckled in disgust.
Laura looked at her boy sternly and ordered him to take out his things.
"Sorry, he's still upset since the accident."
Nick gave his cousin a sympathetic look "I understand, I'm sorry for the accident ..."
"oh don't be, it's not your fault."
"So he's your nephew?"
The three jumped when Elsie and Monique joined the group.
"Oops sorry" Elsie laughed realizing that she had just ruined a personal moment.
The group stared at the young boy taking out his personal effects: Blankets, Pillow, suitcase and a pretty red bass in very retro style.
He closed the door then froze when he saw the group staring at him.
"You have everything ?" Laura asked
"yes ..." he sighed as he slipped his instrument on his back.
Laura gave him a little kiss on the sling "be wise okay, it'll do you good ..."
The young woman got into the vehicle then stepped back, before hitting the road again, leaving Will and his luggage on the concrete floor.
"listen ... humm I'm sorry for your father" said shyly Nick surrounded by his team
"you forgot again, right?" interrupted the boy.
"what?
"For the funeral ..."
Nick was silent, feeling guilty that he hadn't come.
"and I imagine you forgot why I'm here ..."
"... yes" he said defeated.
"my name is William, Will for short." He announced to the team around his uncle.
"Elsie Chapman ... you can call me Elsie" she said smiling at him.
"Randy ... its nice to see you man" he said while leaning on Nick's shoulder.
"Mandel Craven ... I am the inventor of the team"
Will gave him a peculiar smile. He himself was a big fan of science and invention of all kinds.
"Monique, I do not reveal my full name, professional secrecy"
"French?" said the young boy with a smirk.
Monique smiles at him "yes ..."
"Alors on devrait bien s’entendre..." (so we should get along) he said with a big smirk.
Monique winked at him, and Nick continued.
« There must surely be a place for him to sleep somewhere ? Right ? » he asked Randy.
"humm maybe near the heater?"
Will growled a little at the suggestion, to sleep near a heater in a dilapidated building ... What a luxury. At least it reminds him of the countryside.
The room in question was small but just large enough to be comfortable, the paint was chipping all over the place, there was a dead rat smell, but there was a window facing the courtyard of the building.
Will sighed knowing that he will have to spend his entire summer vacation here.