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Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated snapping turtle

Location of origin: Salem, New Jersey

Date encountered: April 18th, 1978

Total height: 18 meters (45ft)

Total weight: 1,880 metric tons

Threat level: Medium

Aggression level: Extremely High

Known mutations:

-Snapping jaws capable of tearing chunks of flesh from enemies or removing appendages. Jaws are flanked by two sets of mandibles on both sides that stab into prey while biting, holding them in place.

-Inside of mouth and throat covered in sharp teeth, making escape for swallowed prey impossible.

-Extendable neck capable of launching forward like a spring. Neck can extend up to 8 meters or 19 feet. The mutant can extend it's neck and bite all within the span of a few milliseconds. Neck is covered in sharp spines to protect from attack.

-Rending claws for digging into prey and pulling them apart. Usually used when prey is held in place with a bite.

-Leathery skin is resistant to most weapons. Is totally unaffected by fire or likewise heat-based attacks.

-Near-unbreakable carapace that is almost totally immune to damage. Able to withstand naval bombardment. Carapace is also covered in jagged spines to prevent potential attacks from the flanks or from behind. Plasteron is not as strong as it's carapace, and may present a potential weak point.

-Able to pull head, tail and legs into shell for maximum protection.

-Constantly emits an overpowering foul odor. The stench is enough to dissuade most attackers as well as make them ill.

-Able to burrow underground to hide itself. Carapace is covered in moss and swamp weeds, allowing it to camouflage itself as a large rock.

-Able to survive in both fresh water and saltwater. Able to stay submerged for extended periods of time, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey.

History:

The mutant that would be designated as "The Walking Island" is one of the first examples of a mutant being spawned directly due to another mutant's activities. Nearly a year ago Salem, New Jersey was attacked by a heavily mutated slime mold designated as V.I.P.E.R, which left deadly levels of contamination wherever it went. Among these irradiated areas was several lakes and rivers that V.I.P.E.R used to move around undetected or to hide in. Though V.I.P.E.R would eventually be destroyed, it's effects on the local environment would be long lasting. Large swaths of Salem were rendered uninhabitable and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes.

What wildlife wasn't killed was beginning to show signs of mutation from the exposure to the slime mold's radiation trail. In particular, a clutch of snapping turtle eggs would be touched by Nebranium's corrupting influence. The contaminated mud and water the eggs sat in allowed the toxic materiel to seep into the eggshells, the embryos within would be radically altered forever. After a few months, the eggs would hatch and release their hideously deformed payloads. Most of the newborns would not survive their first few hours into the outside world, either being cannibalized by their siblings or simply die due to their bodies failing.

Those that did survive slipped into the murky, contaminated water where they would begin to feed and grow. By April of 1978, one individual male had grown to colossal proportions to where it's back could easily be mistaken as an enormous rock formation. Wherever this behemoth went, entire ecosystems were decimated by it's ravenous appetite. Animals both mutated and unmutated were butchered or swallowed whole by the turtle as it traveled from area to area. One particular zone had become home to several mutant frogs that had begun a colony in what was relative safety at first. This safety would not last however, as the turtle would soon find their safe haven and begin hunting them one by one.

The amphibians, even with their poisonous tongues, were unable to fend off the titanic reptile as it killed them indiscriminately, relentlessly attacking whenever it had the opportunity. The final straw came when the turtle uncovered their breeding ground and devoured their entire spawn. A whole generation of these amphibians wiped out before they could ever be born. The mutants were forced to abandon their territory and travel south down the Delaware river. The turtle, not willing to allow it's favorite food to escape, was in hot pursuit. The enormous reptile followed the amphibians closely by remaining submerged like a living submarine, only occasionally surfacing for air.

It was here that the enormous beast would first be seen by human eyes, often carelessly colliding with ships or destroying them outright. The sightings of this "lake monster" would crop up along the southern stretch of the Delaware river all the way to the Delaware Bay where the sightings spiked dramatically. Days later the turtle rested at the bottom of the Delaware Bay as the chase had significantly taxed it's energy. The schools of fish in the bay provided little sustenance for the beast; even the largest specimens were little more than snacks. The turtle had not eaten anything significant since the start of it's pursuit, where it managed to snag a young mutant frog and swallow it whole.

Driven to desperation, the turtle would often sun in secrecy during the day, and feed at night where it would raid human settlements along the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay. Humans and livestock were a step up from the puny fish it was used to, but it still craved more. It's activities were quickly noted by the United States Military, who put two-and-two together that the "lake monster" sightings and the destroyed settlements were linked. The sightings proved helpful in mapping out a general area where the mutant was hiding. The Coast Guard was contacted and scouting vessels were dispatched to the Delaware Bay within a day to search for the mutant.

It wouldn't take long for them to find the creature, as the creature would instead find them. Mistaking the vessels as food, the turtle would attack from below and bite large chunks out of the ships. Upon finding out that these were far from palatable, the beast would spit the wreckage back out and simply return to the bottom of the bay, allowing the ship and it's crew to sink. Occasionally the beast would snatch one or two helpless crewmen if it had the opportunity. Requiring more firepower to deal with the threat, floating mines were airdropped into the bay in hopes that the turtle would swallow one and be obliterated. This tactic was first tried against The Hellspawn at Valley Forge to relative success.

The turtle would fall for the bait, snatching one of the mines in it's huge jaws and triggering the pressure-sensitive detonator. The creature would swiftly regret it's decision when the mine exploded inside of it's mouth, damaging it's beak and knocking out several teeth. The reptile spewed blood from it's mouth that turned the water red as it swam to the surface. Screeching aloud, the mutant weakly landed ashore and hid in a nearby marshland to heal, burying it's body deep in the mud until only the upper part of it's carapace was visible.

The Coast Guard was unable to find the monster despite scanning the bay for days, but search parties on land had unknowingly passed by the creature several times and some even stood atop it's carapace, completely unaware that they where literally standing on their quarry. Divers dispatched were similarly unable to locate any remains. Believing that the creature had been killed by the mines, the Coast Guard concluded their search and returned to headquarters. The turtle's wounds had healed significantly within these few days and it was ready to return to the bay and hunt down the prey it had been chasing so fervently.

The turtle picked up the trail of it's prey and began the chase anew. However a day into it's pursuit, it once again caught the attention of the authorities. A squad car parked near a grassy plateau that gave a scenic view of the bay spotted the enormous turtle with it's neck and carapace out of the water in classic lake monster fashion. Word quickly reached the US military again, who opted to dispatch Naval forces to the Delaware Bay. 2 Navy destroyers and an aircraft carrier were brought in, heavily armored warships armed to the teeth. Arial recon via helicopters tracked the mutant's movements where it was predicted to make landfall at the impoverished fishing port of Innsmouth, New Jersey.

It was unknown to the military why out of all the potential feeding grounds, the mutant chose the isolated town of Innsmouth. The town contained a relatively small population of around 180 or so people and although the waters around the town were teeming with fish, it was clear by the turtle's previous land attacks that these small fry weren't enough to satiate it. It was ultimately decided to deploy the newly formed Task Force Chimera on their first outing. The team, consisting of former Ashdowne resident Jeremiah Langham, Vietnam veteran Michael Garret, tracker John Samson, and hunter Ranbir Singh, where deployed to Innsmouth to determine what was drawing the turtle to this location and evacuate civilians.

Meanwhile the Navy had intercepted the turtle on it's way to Innsmouth and launched a full scale bombardment of the creature. Volley after volley of cannon shells impacted against the mighty reptile's carapace with little effect other than making it's head retract into it's carapace for safety. F-15 fighters rained down missiles from above, each one slammed into the mutant with ferocious explosive power. Finally fed up with these pests, the turtle altered it's course towards the nearest warship and gradually increased it's speed to build up a charge. The crew braced for impact as the turtle's spiked carapace crashed against the armored hull of the ship. Metal buckled and bent inward in some places and was totally perforated in others.

Water began to flood into the ship as the turtle dug it's claws into the side of the ship, ripping and tearing holes into the metal. It's neck launched out like a coiled spring, biting down on whatever it could grab with it's jaws and pulling it out of the ship. Alarms blasted throughout the insides of the warship as the crew scrambled for the lifeboats. The turtle continued to gut the ship until the hole it made was nearly big enough to fit half of it's body into. Satisfied with the damage, the turtle pulled itself back and submerged, intending to destroy the second vessel.

Calculating a rough estimate of the mutant's position and depth, the remaining destroyer aimed and fired it's cannons at the beast. The shells penetrated the water and scored a direct hit on the mutant, who was momentarily stunned by the impact of the projectiles. Diving deeper, the turtle managed to evade another volley of projectiles aimed an it. Too deep to make visual contact, the crew of the ship braced for the worst. Suddenly the mutant surged up from the depths, biting down on the ship's rear propeller and tearing it loose from it's axel. A swipe of it's right claws was sufficient in damaging the remaining propeller, effectively crippling the ship and rendering it unable to escape.

The turtle surfaced again, this time on the left side of the ship. It hoisted it's bulk out of the water and grabbed ahold of the upper deck with it's forelimbs. The turtle's weight caused the ship to teeter slightly towards the left. Crates and other unsecured objects tumbled off the side of the vessel as the turtle reached out with it's neck and bit down on one of the ship's main cannons. The thick metal barrels easily crumpled under the reptile's powerful bite. The crew attempted to fend off the beast with M16 rifles, but the 5.56mm ammunition harmlessly flattened against the reptile's thick shin and carapace. The turtle dug at the deck of the ship, ripping up wood and metal and exposing the lower decks of the ship. The turtle continued to ferociously claw at the deck until it had nearly split the ship in two.

The final coup de gras came when the turtle lifted more of it's body out of the water. The critically damaged ship could not support the weight, and split in half at the bow. Finished with these pests, the mutant resumed it's course towards Innsmouth. Having been informed that Naval support had been crippled, Task Force Chimera hastened their evacuation efforts. In this time, the team had uncovered the existence of another type of mutant: the mutated frogs the townspeople called "The Deep Ones". The townsfolk had been hiding their existence from the outside world, claiming that they were not a threat to anyone and that somehow, their presence increased the number of fish in the waters off Innsmouth.

Highly skeptical of the townspeople's claims, the task force spared the mutants for the time being, but had every intention of eradicating them after the town was evacuated and the bigger of the two threats was neutralized. In the distance, some of the townspeople saw the jagged silhouette of a huge object making a beeline towards the shore. This quickly caught the attention of the task force, who quickly took defensive positions around the shore behind rock or in rundown buildings. The object got closer, moss covered the object and seaweed caught on the spines waved in the wind like sails on a ship. The Deep Ones grew restless, croaking and barking with nervousness. The frog mutants knew what was coming; these tiny creatures had no idea what they were in for.

At last the turtle's head rose out of the water like a swan, eyeing the shoreline where it spotted it's favorite prey; Jackpot. Arriving in the shallows, the massive reptile trudged out of the foaming water and hissed at the congregation of human and mutant. Without warning, Task Force Chimera opened fire on the reptile. Michael Garret was the first to shoot with his Bratton Mk II Anti-Armor Rifle, aiming between the turtle's eyes. The round hit and let off a small explosion, but seemed to have little effect aside from very minor surface damage. Ranbir Singh similarly had no luck in penetrating the reptile's skin, even with the large caliber rifle he used against the Manticore.

Ignoring the human gnats that where shooting at it, the turtle roared at the frogs and charged as fast as it's massive body would let it. The frightened mutants scattered in every direction, but not all where lucky. One adult Deep One attempted to leap away, but was bit in the leg by the turtle. The amphibian squealed in agony as the reptile cleanly severed the limb from the body. Blood gushed from the stump as the Deep One pathetically crawled away. One of the turtle's forelimbs came down and crushed the amphibian's back, obliterating it's spine and paralyzing it. The turtle's claws sank into the creature's back, drawing blood as the creature screeched. This sadistic torture ended when the reptile lowered it's neck and with a snip of it's jagged beak, messily bit off the Deep One's head and swallowed it whole.

The turtle scooped up the rest of the body, swallowing it as it took off in pursuit of another Deep One. The townsfolk, unwilling to let these innocent creatures to be slaughtered, took up arms and attacked the reptile. The Task Force provided covering fire as they unloaded into the mutant. These projectiles did nothing to distract the turtle from it's feeding frenzy as it continued to slaughter the Deep Ones. Seeing as the situation was going out of control, Jeremiah Langham suggested immobilizing the turtle by somehow flipping it onto it's back then attacking it's less-durable underside. Acknowledging that their small arms wouldn't be sufficient in penetrating even a weak spot such as this, Langham requested an air strike on their position but to wait until they had the mutant in position.

Seemingly aware of the human's plans, the Deep Ones no longer attempted to flee and instead opted to fight. Dozens of the frogs leapt onto the turtle's shell where they were safe from the reptile's jaws. Several more flanked the beast and grabbed the carapace by the jagged spikes, pulling with all their strength. Their efforts succeeded in actually making the turtle budge. Baffled by it's cowardly prey suddenly fighting back, the turtle snapped and clawed as more Deep Ones joined the effort. Little by little, the turtle began to teeter to one side despite it's best efforts to resist. The Task Force was stunned, to say the least, that the mutants were cooperating with them in defeating a greater foe.

Despite the tables turning against it, the turtle managed to grab one of the frogs that ventured too close with it's jaws, beak and mandibles piercing skin and rupturing organs. With a swing of it's neck, the reptile hurled the amphibian into an old church steeple. The amphibian was impaled by sharp wooden planks created by the impact and finally killed when the church bell fell and crushed it. This death galvanized the Deep Ones: this predator would terrorize them no more. With one final effort, the mutants pulled the reptile onto it's side. The spines on it's shell firmly sunk into the ground and trapped it in place. The turtle screeched and bellowed as it thrashed it's limbs about.

At this moment Langham called in the air strike. Within moments the roar of fighter jet engines could be heard in the distance. The Deep Ones scattered for cover as did the humans present. Four missiles whined through the air and slammed into the turtle's underside. The beast howled in pain as the missiles created large cracks in it's underside that trickled blood. Sensing it was outmatched, the turtle attempted to right itself by thrusting it's weight to one side. With each attempt it displaced enough soil to nearly allow itself to get back up. Langham shouted for another flyby over the radio as the reptile had nearly freed itself. Response came in the form of another four missiles that hit the same spot as before.

The concussive force knocked the turtle back into the ground and shattered it's plasteron. Bits of flesh and fractured shell flew in every direction as the turtle vomited up blood, still thrashing and attempting to escape despite it's mortal wounds. One final volley of missiles struck this critical injury and at last, the reptile's underbelly exploded inward and obliterating it's internal organs. Pieces of intestines and other guts slipped out from the hole in it's underbelly in a slick of blood and bodily fluids. The mutant's thrashing had long since ceased and it's head lay rested in a pool of it's own blood, still flowing from it's gaping jaws.

Confirming the kill via radio, the team congratulated each other and the brave townsfolk who took up arms. Looking around, Langham noticed that the Deep Ones had disappeared. They had likely fled in the chaos of the air strike. Langham took one last look at the townsfolk and the dead turtle before falsely reporting that the Deep Ones had also been completely destroyed in the attack. After being thanked for sparing the benevolent creatures, Langham radioed for dust-off and clean-up.

Due to the overpowering stench of the creature that would only worsen with decomposition, the turtle's corpse was airlifted via helicopters and flown out to sea where it would be disposed of. The relatively low radioactivity of it's body meant that it presented no environmental hazard. Arriving at the drop site, the tethers were cut and the colossal reptile's body plunged into the Atlantic with an enormous splash. The creature sank into the depths towards it's watery grave...

Description
Sex: Male

Species: Mutated snapping turtle

Location of origin: Salem, New Jersey

Date encountered: April 18th, 1978

Total height: 18 meters (45ft)

Total weight: 1,880 metric tons

Threat level: Medium

Aggression level: Extremely High

Known mutations:

-Snapping jaws capable of tearing chunks of flesh from enemies or removing appendages. Jaws are flanked by two sets of mandibles on both sides that stab into prey while biting, holding them in place.

-Inside of mouth and throat covered in sharp teeth, making escape for swallowed prey impossible.

-Extendable neck capable of launching forward like a spring. Neck can extend up to 8 meters or 19 feet. The mutant can extend it's neck and bite all within the span of a few milliseconds. Neck is covered in sharp spines to protect from attack.

-Rending claws for digging into prey and pulling them apart. Usually used when prey is held in place with a bite.

-Leathery skin is resistant to most weapons. Is totally unaffected by fire or likewise heat-based attacks.

-Near-unbreakable carapace that is almost totally immune to damage. Able to withstand naval bombardment. Carapace is also covered in jagged spines to prevent potential attacks from the flanks or from behind. Plasteron is not as strong as it's carapace, and may present a potential weak point.

-Able to pull head, tail and legs into shell for maximum protection.

-Constantly emits an overpowering foul odor. The stench is enough to dissuade most attackers as well as make them ill.

-Able to burrow underground to hide itself. Carapace is covered in moss and swamp weeds, allowing it to camouflage itself as a large rock.

-Able to survive in both fresh water and saltwater. Able to stay submerged for extended periods of time, lying in wait for unsuspecting prey.

History:

The mutant that would be designated as "The Walking Island" is one of the first examples of a mutant being spawned directly due to another mutant's activities. Nearly a year ago Salem, New Jersey was attacked by a heavily mutated slime mold designated as V.I.P.E.R, which left deadly levels of contamination wherever it went. Among these irradiated areas was several lakes and rivers that V.I.P.E.R used to move around undetected or to hide in. Though V.I.P.E.R would eventually be destroyed, it's effects on the local environment would be long lasting. Large swaths of Salem were rendered uninhabitable and hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes.

What wildlife wasn't killed was beginning to show signs of mutation from the exposure to the slime mold's radiation trail. In particular, a clutch of snapping turtle eggs would be touched by Nebranium's corrupting influence. The contaminated mud and water the eggs sat in allowed the toxic materiel to seep into the eggshells, the embryos within would be radically altered forever. After a few months, the eggs would hatch and release their hideously deformed payloads. Most of the newborns would not survive their first few hours into the outside world, either being cannibalized by their siblings or simply die due to their bodies failing.

Those that did survive slipped into the murky, contaminated water where they would begin to feed and grow. By April of 1978, one individual male had grown to colossal proportions to where it's back could easily be mistaken as an enormous rock formation. Wherever this behemoth went, entire ecosystems were decimated by it's ravenous appetite. Animals both mutated and unmutated were butchered or swallowed whole by the turtle as it traveled from area to area. One particular zone had become home to several mutant frogs that had begun a colony in what was relative safety at first. This safety would not last however, as the turtle would soon find their safe haven and begin hunting them one by one.

The amphibians, even with their poisonous tongues, were unable to fend off the titanic reptile as it killed them indiscriminately, relentlessly attacking whenever it had the opportunity. The final straw came when the turtle uncovered their breeding ground and devoured their entire spawn. A whole generation of these amphibians wiped out before they could ever be born. The mutants were forced to abandon their territory and travel south down the Delaware river. The turtle, not willing to allow it's favorite food to escape, was in hot pursuit. The enormous reptile followed the amphibians closely by remaining submerged like a living submarine, only occasionally surfacing for air.

It was here that the enormous beast would first be seen by human eyes, often carelessly colliding with ships or destroying them outright. The sightings of this "lake monster" would crop up along the southern stretch of the Delaware river all the way to the Delaware Bay where the sightings spiked dramatically. Days later the turtle rested at the bottom of the Delaware Bay as the chase had significantly taxed it's energy. The schools of fish in the bay provided little sustenance for the beast; even the largest specimens were little more than snacks. The turtle had not eaten anything significant since the start of it's pursuit, where it managed to snag a young mutant frog and swallow it whole.

Driven to desperation, the turtle would often sun in secrecy during the day, and feed at night where it would raid human settlements along the New Jersey side of the Delaware Bay. Humans and livestock were a step up from the puny fish it was used to, but it still craved more. It's activities were quickly noted by the United States Military, who put two-and-two together that the "lake monster" sightings and the destroyed settlements were linked. The sightings proved helpful in mapping out a general area where the mutant was hiding. The Coast Guard was contacted and scouting vessels were dispatched to the Delaware Bay within a day to search for the mutant.

It wouldn't take long for them to find the creature, as the creature would instead find them. Mistaking the vessels as food, the turtle would attack from below and bite large chunks out of the ships. Upon finding out that these were far from palatable, the beast would spit the wreckage back out and simply return to the bottom of the bay, allowing the ship and it's crew to sink. Occasionally the beast would snatch one or two helpless crewmen if it had the opportunity. Requiring more firepower to deal with the threat, floating mines were airdropped into the bay in hopes that the turtle would swallow one and be obliterated. This tactic was first tried against The Hellspawn at Valley Forge to relative success.

The turtle would fall for the bait, snatching one of the mines in it's huge jaws and triggering the pressure-sensitive detonator. The creature would swiftly regret it's decision when the mine exploded inside of it's mouth, damaging it's beak and knocking out several teeth. The reptile spewed blood from it's mouth that turned the water red as it swam to the surface. Screeching aloud, the mutant weakly landed ashore and hid in a nearby marshland to heal, burying it's body deep in the mud until only the upper part of it's carapace was visible.

The Coast Guard was unable to find the monster despite scanning the bay for days, but search parties on land had unknowingly passed by the creature several times and some even stood atop it's carapace, completely unaware that they where literally standing on their quarry. Divers dispatched were similarly unable to locate any remains. Believing that the creature had been killed by the mines, the Coast Guard concluded their search and returned to headquarters. The turtle's wounds had healed significantly within these few days and it was ready to return to the bay and hunt down the prey it had been chasing so fervently.

The turtle picked up the trail of it's prey and began the chase anew. However a day into it's pursuit, it once again caught the attention of the authorities. A squad car parked near a grassy plateau that gave a scenic view of the bay spotted the enormous turtle with it's neck and carapace out of the water in classic lake monster fashion. Word quickly reached the US military again, who opted to dispatch Naval forces to the Delaware Bay. 2 Navy destroyers and an aircraft carrier were brought in, heavily armored warships armed to the teeth. Arial recon via helicopters tracked the mutant's movements where it was predicted to make landfall at the impoverished fishing port of Innsmouth, New Jersey.

It was unknown to the military why out of all the potential feeding grounds, the mutant chose the isolated town of Innsmouth. The town contained a relatively small population of around 180 or so people and although the waters around the town were teeming with fish, it was clear by the turtle's previous land attacks that these small fry weren't enough to satiate it. It was ultimately decided to deploy the newly formed Task Force Chimera on their first outing. The team, consisting of former Ashdowne resident Jeremiah Langham, Vietnam veteran Michael Garret, tracker John Samson, and hunter Ranbir Singh, where deployed to Innsmouth to determine what was drawing the turtle to this location and evacuate civilians.

Meanwhile the Navy had intercepted the turtle on it's way to Innsmouth and launched a full scale bombardment of the creature. Volley after volley of cannon shells impacted against the mighty reptile's carapace with little effect other than making it's head retract into it's carapace for safety. F-15 fighters rained down missiles from above, each one slammed into the mutant with ferocious explosive power. Finally fed up with these pests, the turtle altered it's course towards the nearest warship and gradually increased it's speed to build up a charge. The crew braced for impact as the turtle's spiked carapace crashed against the armored hull of the ship. Metal buckled and bent inward in some places and was totally perforated in others.

Water began to flood into the ship as the turtle dug it's claws into the side of the ship, ripping and tearing holes into the metal. It's neck launched out like a coiled spring, biting down on whatever it could grab with it's jaws and pulling it out of the ship. Alarms blasted throughout the insides of the warship as the crew scrambled for the lifeboats. The turtle continued to gut the ship until the hole it made was nearly big enough to fit half of it's body into. Satisfied with the damage, the turtle pulled itself back and submerged, intending to destroy the second vessel.

Calculating a rough estimate of the mutant's position and depth, the remaining destroyer aimed and fired it's cannons at the beast. The shells penetrated the water and scored a direct hit on the mutant, who was momentarily stunned by the impact of the projectiles. Diving deeper, the turtle managed to evade another volley of projectiles aimed an it. Too deep to make visual contact, the crew of the ship braced for the worst. Suddenly the mutant surged up from the depths, biting down on the ship's rear propeller and tearing it loose from it's axel. A swipe of it's right claws was sufficient in damaging the remaining propeller, effectively crippling the ship and rendering it unable to escape.

The turtle surfaced again, this time on the left side of the ship. It hoisted it's bulk out of the water and grabbed ahold of the upper deck with it's forelimbs. The turtle's weight caused the ship to teeter slightly towards the left. Crates and other unsecured objects tumbled off the side of the vessel as the turtle reached out with it's neck and bit down on one of the ship's main cannons. The thick metal barrels easily crumpled under the reptile's powerful bite. The crew attempted to fend off the beast with M16 rifles, but the 5.56mm ammunition harmlessly flattened against the reptile's thick shin and carapace. The turtle dug at the deck of the ship, ripping up wood and metal and exposing the lower decks of the ship. The turtle continued to ferociously claw at the deck until it had nearly split the ship in two.

The final coup de gras came when the turtle lifted more of it's body out of the water. The critically damaged ship could not support the weight, and split in half at the bow. Finished with these pests, the mutant resumed it's course towards Innsmouth. Having been informed that Naval support had been crippled, Task Force Chimera hastened their evacuation efforts. In this time, the team had uncovered the existence of another type of mutant: the mutated frogs the townspeople called "The Deep Ones". The townsfolk had been hiding their existence from the outside world, claiming that they were not a threat to anyone and that somehow, their presence increased the number of fish in the waters off Innsmouth.

Highly skeptical of the townspeople's claims, the task force spared the mutants for the time being, but had every intention of eradicating them after the town was evacuated and the bigger of the two threats was neutralized. In the distance, some of the townspeople saw the jagged silhouette of a huge object making a beeline towards the shore. This quickly caught the attention of the task force, who quickly took defensive positions around the shore behind rock or in rundown buildings. The object got closer, moss covered the object and seaweed caught on the spines waved in the wind like sails on a ship. The Deep Ones grew restless, croaking and barking with nervousness. The frog mutants knew what was coming; these tiny creatures had no idea what they were in for.

At last the turtle's head rose out of the water like a swan, eyeing the shoreline where it spotted it's favorite prey; Jackpot. Arriving in the shallows, the massive reptile trudged out of the foaming water and hissed at the congregation of human and mutant. Without warning, Task Force Chimera opened fire on the reptile. Michael Garret was the first to shoot with his Bratton Mk II Anti-Armor Rifle, aiming between the turtle's eyes. The round hit and let off a small explosion, but seemed to have little effect aside from very minor surface damage. Ranbir Singh similarly had no luck in penetrating the reptile's skin, even with the large caliber rifle he used against the Manticore.

Ignoring the human gnats that where shooting at it, the turtle roared at the frogs and charged as fast as it's massive body would let it. The frightened mutants scattered in every direction, but not all where lucky. One adult Deep One attempted to leap away, but was bit in the leg by the turtle. The amphibian squealed in agony as the reptile cleanly severed the limb from the body. Blood gushed from the stump as the Deep One pathetically crawled away. One of the turtle's forelimbs came down and crushed the amphibian's back, obliterating it's spine and paralyzing it. The turtle's claws sank into the creature's back, drawing blood as the creature screeched. This sadistic torture ended when the reptile lowered it's neck and with a snip of it's jagged beak, messily bit off the Deep One's head and swallowed it whole.

The turtle scooped up the rest of the body, swallowing it as it took off in pursuit of another Deep One. The townsfolk, unwilling to let these innocent creatures to be slaughtered, took up arms and attacked the reptile. The Task Force provided covering fire as they unloaded into the mutant. These projectiles did nothing to distract the turtle from it's feeding frenzy as it continued to slaughter the Deep Ones. Seeing as the situation was going out of control, Jeremiah Langham suggested immobilizing the turtle by somehow flipping it onto it's back then attacking it's less-durable underside. Acknowledging that their small arms wouldn't be sufficient in penetrating even a weak spot such as this, Langham requested an air strike on their position but to wait until they had the mutant in position.

Seemingly aware of the human's plans, the Deep Ones no longer attempted to flee and instead opted to fight. Dozens of the frogs leapt onto the turtle's shell where they were safe from the reptile's jaws. Several more flanked the beast and grabbed the carapace by the jagged spikes, pulling with all their strength. Their efforts succeeded in actually making the turtle budge. Baffled by it's cowardly prey suddenly fighting back, the turtle snapped and clawed as more Deep Ones joined the effort. Little by little, the turtle began to teeter to one side despite it's best efforts to resist. The Task Force was stunned, to say the least, that the mutants were cooperating with them in defeating a greater foe.

Despite the tables turning against it, the turtle managed to grab one of the frogs that ventured too close with it's jaws, beak and mandibles piercing skin and rupturing organs. With a swing of it's neck, the reptile hurled the amphibian into an old church steeple. The amphibian was impaled by sharp wooden planks created by the impact and finally killed when the church bell fell and crushed it. This death galvanized the Deep Ones: this predator would terrorize them no more. With one final effort, the mutants pulled the reptile onto it's side. The spines on it's shell firmly sunk into the ground and trapped it in place. The turtle screeched and bellowed as it thrashed it's limbs about.

At this moment Langham called in the air strike. Within moments the roar of fighter jet engines could be heard in the distance. The Deep Ones scattered for cover as did the humans present. Four missiles whined through the air and slammed into the turtle's underside. The beast howled in pain as the missiles created large cracks in it's underside that trickled blood. Sensing it was outmatched, the turtle attempted to right itself by thrusting it's weight to one side. With each attempt it displaced enough soil to nearly allow itself to get back up. Langham shouted for another flyby over the radio as the reptile had nearly freed itself. Response came in the form of another four missiles that hit the same spot as before.

The concussive force knocked the turtle back into the ground and shattered it's plasteron. Bits of flesh and fractured shell flew in every direction as the turtle vomited up blood, still thrashing and attempting to escape despite it's mortal wounds. One final volley of missiles struck this critical injury and at last, the reptile's underbelly exploded inward and obliterating it's internal organs. Pieces of intestines and other guts slipped out from the hole in it's underbelly in a slick of blood and bodily fluids. The mutant's thrashing had long since ceased and it's head lay rested in a pool of it's own blood, still flowing from it's gaping jaws.

Confirming the kill via radio, the team congratulated each other and the brave townsfolk who took up arms. Looking around, Langham noticed that the Deep Ones had disappeared. They had likely fled in the chaos of the air strike. Langham took one last look at the townsfolk and the dead turtle before falsely reporting that the Deep Ones had also been completely destroyed in the attack. After being thanked for sparing the benevolent creatures, Langham radioed for dust-off and clean-up.

Due to the overpowering stench of the creature that would only worsen with decomposition, the turtle's corpse was airlifted via helicopters and flown out to sea where it would be disposed of. The relatively low radioactivity of it's body meant that it presented no environmental hazard. Arriving at the drop site, the tethers were cut and the colossal reptile's body plunged into the Atlantic with an enormous splash. The creature sank into the depths towards it's watery grave...