Ah! Archfall!

by PropertyofLamb

Only Jago was present when the Arch fell to Earth. The one that was meant to die. And now he must protect her. Armed with a khukuri knife, old magic and with the help of a certain moody Valkyrie, he's got to keep her alive. He's strong but as Heaven and Hell burn, can he stand against an ancient evil, who has the help of a traitor? Or against himself? Part one of the Archangel Saga

35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Hold the Line

A ragged cheer went up as the ranks parted and the CRARRV came rumbling through, slewing to a halt just in front of the field hospital. Damascus collapsed the shield that had protected the riders from attack and the Valkyries jumped down gratefully as Lind and Jago approached.

"You still alive Bob?" Jago called out as his brother shut down the tank's engine.

"Just about" his brother said. "We were getting worried though. We didn't know how much longer we could hold out".

"What is that thing?" Lind asked cautiously eyeing the CRARRV.

"It's a recovery tank" Jago said. "If a tank breaks down or is knocked out, it's the job of this thing to go and rescue it. Now my question is where did it come from?"

"That was me" said Damascus. "There was no way we were going to get it out of there with the six extra people we'd picked up, so I thought I'd better come up with some way of getting us out. And what better way than something that's part tank and part bulldozer?" Jago nodded appreciatively but then paused, spotting how drooping the devil's wings were and how deeply lined her face was.

"You look absolutely shattered" he said.

"Then I look like I feel. The one problem with this thing is there isn't enough room inside for the extra passengers and so I had to protect them from rockets by putting a shield up around them while the rode on the roof… and they're none too happy about it either".

"Well, you'd better have one of these" he said, tossing a Dr Pepper to her. She caught it and not bothering to open it, she bit into the can with her fangs, sucking the caffeine rich contents out. Lind meanwhile was busy thinking.

"Hang on" she said as Chrono helped Bob down from the front of the tank. "I've got Eir, Saga, Chrono and Bob… who were the other two people who were rescued?"

"That would be us" Heimdall said, jumping down from the top of the tank, clutching a cloth wrapped bundle to his chest. Lind instantly dropped to her knees.

"Master! It's-"

"Oh hush Lind and get up! As the Almighty One, you outrank me!"

"Lind's the Almighty One!?" Saga asked, looking surprised.

"Well… yes" Lind said awkwardly, getting to her feet again. "But don't kneel. It irritates me". Chrono hastily scrabbled back to her feet before Lind could start scolding her.

"Does this mean that technically speaking, my sister-in-law is God?" Bob whispered to Jago.

"Future sister-in-law" Jago said. "But yes".

"But now we have the pleasantries out of the way," Heimdall said, "we need to get planning. There are over a million Jötunns here already, with another ten million on their way. The way things are now, we won't survive the first wave of attacks".

"You have a plan then?" Jago asked. "I have to admit that this is a lot more complex to organise than Endwar".

"Yes I have a plan, which should hopefully allow us to hold out for long enough and in great enough numbers to drive them back. Especially if we can get some information out of her…" And slowly, he moved aside the piece of cloth to reveal a face. It was Kayrune.

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"How long until the drug wears off?" Lind asked as they made their way back from the field hospital.

"No more than an hour" Urd said. "I just hope that Heimdall is right about the info she can provide us".

"Don't doubt my Master" Lind said testily as they approached him, Jeiko and Jago, all locked in discussion over their revised battle plans. "There's a reason that he's as old as he is. He's EXTREMELY good at what he does".

"Thank you Lind" Heimdall said, rubbing his chin, not looking up.

"So, have you come up with a plan?" Urd asked hopefully.

"Well not as such…" Jeiko said.

"It turns out we're a lot more screwed than I thought we were" Jago admitted. "Check it out". He pointed to the map and indicated the ring of blue that was enclosing the white patch that marked their plaza.

"We're surrounded?" Urd suggested.

"Yes… but look closely. The lines are closing in on us. And there's a lot more of them coming than I originally thought".

"What are you saying?" Lind asked.

"I'm saying that with our current defence lines, we'll be overwhelmed by the first wave". Silence.

"So what do you think we should do?" Urd asked. "I'm not a tactical genius but-"

"We need to create a set of barricades across the main roads" Jeiko said. "If we block off three of them, we can bottleneck them into coming down just one street, eliminating their numbers advantage".

"We tried that" Lind said. "There's not enough stuff lying around to create barricades. We-"

"That's where you're wrong" said Heimdall. "We have more than enough to block the streets. It's just a case of getting it into place".

"I'm sorry, I don't understand" Lind said. "I'm a skirmisher remember. So where exactly is this stuff?" Heimdall didn't answer, just stood and pointed. Lind looked. "What?" she said. And then she realised it. And her face turned to horror. "No way! We can't destroy something like that!"

"Well I don't see any other way" Heimdall said. For what he was pointing at was a tower. In fact three towers; one per street.

"But we can't destroy those!" Urd said. "They're-"

"A hundred-thousand tons of marble which if we can get them to fall the right way, should be able to block each street completely" Jago said. "Heimdall's right; we need to knock down the towers".

"Do you have any idea how long those took to build?" Lind said desperately. "They-"

"Can be rebuilt" Jeiko said. "I agree with the other two. Those towers need to come down". Lind growled softly to herself but then she finally nodded.

"Alright. If you think that knocking them down would give us an advantage, then by all means, do so".

"I just wish it was that simple" Heimdall said. "There is however, one small problem".

"And what's that?" Lind asked. "I thought you said it was the best option".

"It is" her former Master agreed, "but there's a problem. By the time that the towers fall, the Jötunns will already be here".

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The Tanngrisnir touched down hard, bouncing on its landing gear as it hit the deck. Skuld sighed as she pulled off her helmet and glanced across at Noble Scarlet as she did the same. They were both exhausted. They had made a total of fifteen flights to and from the Earth, carrying all of the non-combatants they could, delivering them to safe keeping of Keiichi and Belldandy on the island of Avalon. They would have transported them back to the temple but Belldandy had still been too weak to travel and besides, it was probably safer on that little island than it was at a known goddess hotspot. And very quietly, Skuld started to cry, placing her head on the dashboard of the big aircraft. They had seen so much destruction and death today… too much, especially for ones so young. Dozens of Valkyries had died protecting them on their missions, using themselves as living shields to absorb incoming fire. So many in fact that the entire underside of the aircraft was flecked red with blood, a gory reminder of the sacrifice it had taken to keep those who could not fight safe, given by those who job it was to fight. And Skuld was not sure that she could keep it up. She had wanted to become a Valkyrie but now… No. She had a mission to complete. Solemnly, she stood and recalled her angel before descending the stairs to the lower levels of the plane. There was blood here too. At some point, a gap had opened up in the defenders around the Tanngrisnir and one of the enemy Zu-23s had punched a series of fist sized holes through the hull of the plane, killing a few of those inside. But for now, she ignored it, stepping out into the rain.

"Skuld!" she turned to see Eir hurrying over to her. "You alright?" Skuld nodded despondently.

"I'm fine. It's good to see you're still alive". She took a deep breath a composed herself. "Right; I'm guessing that you've been assigned to help me load up. We need to get the next lot loaded, rotate in the next batch of escorts and-"

"Jago needs to see you. They're planning something and they need you to help with it". But then Eir cocked her head, frowning. "Are you sure you're ok? You look beat". Skuld was about to nod but then she stopped. And sobbing she threw her arms around the older goddess.

"I can't do it… I'm not strong enough! I thought I wanted to be a Valkyrie but I can't fight and-and I've seen so many people die today! All to try and keep me alive! I don't know if I can keep doing this!" Eir was stunned by the sudden outburst but quickly recovered and hugged the younger goddess.

"You have survivor's guilt Skuld… and so do I. I think we all do. Why was I chosen to live when others must die? There are going to be many others who feel the same way today. But now we have to be strong. You're performing possibly the most important job here; saving those who cannot save themselves. And you have to stay strong, because now Lind and Jago need you. And from what I understand, your help could be crucial to turning the tide of this war. So, will you dry your eyes for me, Skuld Anzus-daughter and help us now?" Skuld paused and she released Eir, drying her eyes on her sleeve.

"Yes… sorry… that was selfish of me". She gave a weak smile and nodded up at Eir and then paused. "Since when have you been so wise? You can't be that much older than me". Eir winked.

"Can you keep a secret? We may look only about fifteen or sixteen but in actual fact, we're more than twice your age Skuld. You're what… a thousand and three?"

"Four".

"Right, a thousand and four. Well Saga and I are two-thousand, five-hundred and eleven". Skuld looked astonished.

"You're really…?"

"Yep. But now, you can stop worrying about our age. Like I said, Jago's needs you". Skuld nodded and straightened herself.

"Ok. I'm on my way". She set off but then paused and turned back to Eir. "Actually, there's something I could do with someone doing; I need someone to wash the blood out the plane. I'm not sure how many more kids there are but I don't think it would be a good idea to carry them in a plane full of blood". Then she turned away, leaving Eir to contemplate the awful job that she would now be facing.

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"You wanted to see me Jago?" Skuld said tiredly as she approached the little group. To her surprise, Bob was there, as were Chrono, Saga and Heimdall. But it was Jago who had summoned her and so it was to him she turned to first.

"Yeah, it's good we caught you Skuld" Jago said. "We need you unique skills for a special task". He paused and glanced across at Lind. "I think I'll let her explain though". Lind nodded, taking over command.

"Skuld, we've just been informed of a new situation. The Jötunns are moving on our position in ever increasing numbers; far greater and much faster than we anticipated. We need you-"

"Forget it!" Skuld said. "You may be the Almighty One Lind and if you don't mind me saying, you scare me shitless but I'm not going on some suicidal bombing mission to try and hold the line. I'm Medivac only. Too many people have died trying to keep my sorry arse alive today as it is".

"I hadn't finished" Lind said testily. "And I wouldn't ask that of you anyway. Wherever possible, I like to give my fighters a better than even chance of coming back and while that might not be the case here, I wouldn't ask you to do something that foolish. No, what we need you to do and I can't believe I'm saying this… but we need that robot of yours". This caught Skuld by surprise and she cocked her head, wrinkling her brow.

"You need Banpei? What for?" And so they explained it to her. The plan to blow up the towers. "Alright, that makes sense… but what do you need Banpei for? You're not thinking of turning him into some kind of suicide bomb are you?"

"Good lord no" Jago said. "No, we've got a couple of idiots to blow those things up-"

"That's me!" Saga said cheerfully, opening up her new purple robes of a Second Class wish granter and revealing the dynamite she had hidden there.

"Where…" Skuld started to say but then shook her head. "Never mind. So, what exactly do you need me to do with Banpei?"

"To put it simply, we need line-breakers" Jago said. "We need something to drive back the Jötunns for just long enough to blow the towers. I must warn you; who or whatever we send out there will probably end up being destroyed but it has to be done if we're to hold the line here". Skuld looked angry.

"Are you really expecting me to send Banpei out there?! He'll be-"

"NOW LISTEN!" Jago suddenly snapped, his rage burning high. "I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! WE ARE IN DEEP SHIT HERE AND NONE OF US ARE DOING THINGS WE WANT TO DO!" He paused and took a breath, as Skuld stared up at him, wide eyed and scared before he continued in a more reasonable tone. "You think I don't know how you feel Skuld? This is my first real battle too. And I've got to be responsible for keeping as many of you alive as possible. You really think I want this job? What about Lind? She's the Almighty One. And Urd? She and Hagall are sharing the Daimankaichō title". Skuld's eyes went even wider at this but Jago hadn't finished. "I know you're scared Skuld. Heck, you'd be a bloody fool if you weren't but we need you to do this. If you can upgrade Banpei to Dreadnaught Class, we might have a chance of holding the line here. So, can you do that for me?" Skuld was silent for a second and then, slowly, she nodded.

"Alright… but I'm going to need parts. And possibly an energy drink".

"I'll have Damascus over to help you soon". Skuld nodded and then she paused again.

"Hang on, Banpei can only hold one road… what about the others?"

"Well I've got one of them covered" Bob said. "I can clear the one road if you let me take the CRARRV out again".

"And I'll take the third road" Jeiko said. "I'm itching to get my teeth into this lot". But Heimdall stepped forward, grasping his former apprentice by the shoulder.

"Not this time my friend. You need to command your Earth spirits and protect those below. No, I will go". Both Lind and Jeiko started to shout, voicing their complaints but their former Master silenced them with a raised hand. "I'm disposable; you two aren't. Lind, you have to command the forces of Heaven here. Jago may be good but as the Almighty One, it is your job to be their leader. And Jeiko? You may not have been as powerful as Lind and you still aren't but you are still far braver than you have reason to be. Before this day is over, they will need your courage. Only you can bring Hammer-Down to this world". He paused and with a sigh he clasped them both by the shoulders. "I am truly proud of you both but as your Master, I must give you one final order; wish me off with a smile. I have looked into the future and I will not last beyond today. So… Jeiko, I have a task for you. I am assigning you as the Guardian of the Bifrost Gate. I hope that you do a better job of protecting her than I did. Now, wish me luck. I'm going to need it". He then turned away and bowed to Jago. "Take care of my apprentices Paladin. They…. How would you put it? Yes; they still don't know shit". Jago nodded and held out his hand which Heimdall shook and then with a flourish, the great Guardian spun one hand, summoning his broadsword and slung the great weapon across his shoulder. He then turned away, heading towards the widest of the streets that the Jötunns were approaching from.

"Heimdall…" Lind called out but then stopped. "St George". Heimdall paused and turned to look back over his shoulder. She had used his name. His real name. "I thank you my Lord. And Master" Lind said, bowing her head and thumping her shoulder with her fist. Heimdall gave a barely perceptible nod and turned away once more. It was the last time they would see him alive.

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Skuld sighed as she adjusted the last few screws on her Banpei dreadnaught, checking the last few systems.

"Alright… mini-gun?" she asked.

"Check!" said Noble Scarlet, twisting the barrel of the heavy Vulcan cannon to check the action.

"Rockets?"

"Check!"

"Flame-thrower?"

"Check!"

"Spinning circular-saw weapon thing?"

"Check!"

"Ultra-max power stereo?"

"Check!"

"Alright, let's power this beast up!" With a final snap of a switch, the mecha powered on, firing up the micro fusion reactor buried deep within its chest. The machine stood, towering twenty foot tall; as big as the largest frost giants. And then the speakers appeared from either side of its head and possibly the best music choice for the occasion started to blare.

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Bob tugged on his borrowed helmet, now well aware how hard being the driver of an armoured vehicle could be on the head. But as he was swinging himself up and onto the tank, he felt a presence behind him and turned to see Chrono, resplendent in her full Valkyrie's uniform and clutching her poleaxe in her hand.

"And where do you think you're going?" she asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"Well somebody's got to clear those Jötunns off that road and that someone might as well be me. I mean, we have a heavily armoured vehicle so we might as well put it to good use and I'm the only one who can drive this thing". Chrono nodded and then leapt aboard, landing easily on the armoured deck of the CRARRV.

"Well in that case, I'm coming with you" she said.

"No Chrono, it's too dangerous for you to come along. I-" But the young Valkyrie silenced him with a kiss, making him blush red with embarrassment.

"Shut up" she said. "I may be a clumsy fool but someone has to keep you alive". But then she blushed as another Valkyrie, a first year Recruit like her, gave a wolf-whistle. "And you can shut up and all!" she shouted, making the Valkyrie laugh.

"Well if you two are going, we're coming too!" said Eir as she and her sister landed nimbly on the rear of the tank.

"Oh no, now I'm drawing the line!" Bob said. "Chrono yes but you two as well? No chance!"

"You have to" Saga said. "You're brother said you're to get us to the towers so we can start laying the dynamite. Did you really expect us to walk?"

"Besides, we got to make sure you two don't start doing anything immoral!" Eir gave a nasty wink, making both Bob and Chrono blush furiously. But then they shook themselves and Bob dropped into the driver's seat as Chrono spun her poleaxe in anticipation, spotting the first few Jötunns who were beginning to appear at the far end of the street.

"RIGHT THEN!" she said, her voice full of excitement. "BOB! DRIVE ME CLOSER! I WANT TO HIT THEM WITH MY AXE!" And it was just then that the music began to blare. They all turned to see the new Banpei dreadnaught stagger slowly to its feet. It was playing a Black Sabbath tune.

"Of course! It would be that one!" Bob said and with a laugh, he stamped his foot down on the throttle, sending the sixty-three ton recover tank hurtling forward.

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"HE LIVES!" cried Skuld as the Banpei dreadnaught lumbered to its feet. And she smiled as the great speakers started to blare their tune.

"I AM IRON MAN!"

"Has he lost his mind?"

"Can he see or is he blind?"

"Can he walk at all?"

"Or if he moves, will he fall?"

And with that, the giant robot took its first steps, stomping towards the packed ranks of goddesses and demons who parted to the let the giant machine through.

"Is he live or dead?"

"Has he thoughts within his head?"

"We'll just pass him there,"

"Why should we even care?"

"I have to admit" Lind said as she watched the bulbous red back of the mecha march off to face the oncoming hordes of the Jötunns, "when it comes to appropriate music, she does have good taste".

"I agree" Jago said. "But now, we have a job of our own". He raised both hands to his mouth and then called out to the crowd. "ALRIGHT! ALL FORCES TO THE NORTH ROAD! AT THE DOUBLE!" Because now, with three sides secured, it was time to show those who threatened the peace of the worlds what they were made of. For now it was time for the final showdown.

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"Are we being led into battle by a man with "CLIT" written on his shirt in big letters?" one of the Niflguard asked, carefully balancing her spear in her hands.

"It would seem so" a Heavenly Auxiliary said. "Apparently it's supposed to be an anagram for something in the human military".

"Got it in one" Jago said, making the pair turn suddenly. "Now if you don't mind…" he said and slowly, the crowd parted, allowing him to take his place in the front rank, taking his position beside Lind, Urd and Hagall. Jeiko was on the roof of one of the nearby buildings, charging his cannon arm in preparation for the attack. Skuld was in amongst a unit of Specials, the name that had been given to the civilian volunteers, gripping her hammer tightly. Vayrag was there, leading a cluster of her surviving Valkyries.

"Well it looks like it's time" Lind said to him, glancing behind them at the crowd of Jötunns that was sweeping down the street towards them. It was a horde innumerable; thousands upon thousands of them, most ranging between six and ten feet in height, with the occasional cluster of fifteen foot elites and the solitary twenty footers, like pelicans amongst ducks. And as she turned back, she saw fear in the faces of those before her. "They look nervous" she muttered.

"They are" Jago said. "And what's worse, they can probably read my aura and they all know how damn scared I am…" He paused and then glanced across at Lind. "And so, there's something I want you to do. I've done the motivational speeches today and if I do any more, they won't be so effective, so Lind I want YOU to do one". Lind looked horrified.

"ME?" she hissed. "But I-"

"You're the Almighty One. It doesn't need to be much. Just give them something good. A proper send off, because they're about to follow you into the Gates of Hell".

"I heard that!" hissed Hagall.

"I get it…" Lind said. "But-"

"If you can't think of anything, just do what I do; make it up as you go along". And Lind nodded, taking a step forward.

"The Paladin wants me to do some kind of rousing speech. Something that can lift our spirits and give us hope in battle. Well, I'm afraid I can't do that". There was muttering amongst the crowd as Lind licked her lips nervously. She wasn't sure what else to say. But then she realised it. Just what to say. "However, I do have something to say to you all. I may be the Almighty One now but I want to say a prayer. I only ask that you bow your heads for a minute and pray to whatever being there is out there who may control the fates of us all… deities, demons and spirits and pray… let us pray for hope". And without another word, she knelt, her head bowed. There was more muttering and whispering from the crowd until, ever so slowly, Hagall and Urd knelt beside her. Jago knelt. Slowly, they all knelt, heads bowed. And then Lind spoke;

Our Father who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be thy name,

Our postings come, thy will be done,

In ATSA as it is in Heaven.

Give us this day our daily bollucking,

And forgive us our cock-ups,

So that we may forgive the cock-ups of others,

And lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from the bloody officers.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the NAFI,

For ever and ever.

The men!

Slowly, Lind raised her head and then stood.

"So, are you with me?" she called out. With a slow rumble, the crowed let out a shout, crying their support.

"I think you got that one just right Lind" Hagall said. "A prayer by the Almighty One herself, on the eve of battle? A calculated risk that seems to have paid off. But where on Earth did you hear a prayer like that?"

"Jago taught it to me" she said. "It seemed like the right time to use it".

"Now it's my turn" Jago said. "Weth, where are you?"

"Here Master!" Weth shouted and the ranks parted to allow the girl through, till carrying the banner.

"Can I have the banner back?" Jago asked and Weth nodded, handing it back to him. Jago nodded his thanks and then turned so nobody could see his face. But they all felt the surge of power as one of the Opal-essences came forth and he hurled the great banner towards the ranks of the Jötunns. They watched it arc away and then slowly drop from the sky, into the ranks of the giants, striking one of the largest in the head, killing him instantly. "RIGHT THEN!" Jago boomed. "I WANT THAT BANNER BACK! THE ONE WHO GETS IT FIRST THE REST OF THE DAY OFF!" And with that, he summoned his maul and his tower shield. "AND I HAVE EVERY INTENTION OF IT BEING ME!" With that, he took off, hollering as he went. Lind smirked to herself.

"Show-off" she muttered and then summoned her halberd. "VALKYRIES!" she cried, haring after him, the wings of her uniform flapping and her black jacket standing out proud against the grey and white of the ruins. And then, as a single mass, the combined forces of Heaven and Hell surged forward, bellowing their own battle cries as they bore down on the Jötunns. The Battle for Hero's Plaza had begun.

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Blades flashed, spells were hurled and Jago's maul rose and fell, hacking a path through the ranks of the Jötunns. He struck one in the stomach, then raised his heavy shield, blocking a knife blow that would have taken his head off in an instant and then heaven upwards, pooching his enemy in the face with the weapon. The Jötunn staggered backwards as Jago back-swung the maul and struck an enemy who was stood directly behind him, then spun, decapitating the injured Jötunn.

"MASTER! DUCK!" Damascus shot from his back, throwing up both hands as a rocket streaked towards them. "AEGIS SHIELD!" she cried, allowing the rocket to explode harmlessly off of it, actually killing several Jötunns in the process.

"Nice one" Jago said, crushing a Jötunn's skull under his hammer.

"Well let's try this one!" Damascus said. "Rise of boulder! Become a weapon of death for those he seek our destruction!" As she chanted, a chunk of marble the size of a carthorse rose into the air, hovering at just above head height. And then she grinned. "ROCK SHRAPNEL LAUNCHER!" With a bang, the rock shattered, sending needle sharp splinters of rock shrieking away, tearing through the ranks of the nearest Jötunns who dropped, screaming in agony.

"Now I've got to learn that one!" Jago called out, bringing his hammer around and shattering the ribs of a Jötunn soldier. "But you'd better keep up! We've got a bigger fish to fry!" And he pointed across the shattered streets to where a new foe was approaching.

"Are you really going after that thing Master?" Damascus asked and then flicked her wrists, muttering and summoning a sword of white fire.

"Well other bloody bugger's going after it. You with me?" Damascus nodded and flashed her fangs.

"Always" she said. And together, they charged onward again. For coming towards them was a monster of incomparable power. More so than the Jötunns they had been fighting… an avalanche giant. A Frost-fiend.

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Ten feet from the front rank of the Jötunns, Lind slammed the butt of her halberd into the ground and with a shout, she vaulted over the heads of the snarling giants. Her foot struck the head of a Jötunn as she came crashing down, drawing her seax as she landed and she started fighting; hacking and blocking with her halberd in one hand and slashing with her knife. Behind her, she heard the massed forces of Heaven and Hell crash into the Jötunns with the force of a sledgehammer, pushing them back with force of will. Valkyries and Niflguard fought with their multitude of weapons; swords, spears, axes and pole-arms, Auxiliaries with their hammers and the Specials with whatever they could find. And Lind led them onward, clearing a path for her brave girls to follow. She spun her halberd above her head, decapitating a score of Jötunns as she did so and then gut-stabbed a fifteen footer, causing him to drop to his knees. And glancing back, she saw her friends in the thick of it all. Urd, having changed into a skin tight purple robe, was simultaneously laying about herself with her hammer and blasting aside Jötunns with bolts of lightning. A loud thump overhead signalled the firing of Jeiko's mighty cannon arm, taking a dozen Jötunns down with a single shot, while his compatriots sniped from the rooftops, picking off enemy riflemen as soon as they were spotted. Vayrag, now the formal Captain of the First cohort, was at the head of a mixed Valkyrie and Niflguard unit, hacking her way through a Jötunn chief's bodyguard with her twin scimitars, with Skuld in amongst them, the green of her Nomex flight suit and red hammer making her stand out amongst the black, white, red and blue of her companions. That and the fact that in terms of her fighting ferocity, she was putting them all to shame, despite being two foot shorter and several millennia younger than her them. She would make a great Valkyrie one day… if she lived through today. And there was Weth, standing in her battered former Praetorian's uniform, the blue edge of Jago's ever-sharp claymore flashing in the rain.

Rain… the streets were soaked with the grey rain, mingling with the blood of the fallen of both sides. And they were falling in droves. Lind saw a huge Jötunn, at least eighteen feet tall, collapse under the relentless assault of a squad of specials, his tendons hacked through by their crude knives. Not far away, a Valkyrie and a Niflguard stood back to back, spinning around each other in a complicated dance, driving back a full score of Jötunn soldiers. But she also saw death on her own side. As Lind hacked her way through her twenty-seventh or twenty-eighth Jötunn, she saw a demon Special being torn apart by the bare hands of a pair of the foul giants and as her knife cleft through the skull of her thirty-four or thirty-firth, she saw one of her Valkyries impaled as a Jötunn morphed its hand into a lance of dagger sharp ice. And as the Valkyrie's companion roared into battle, she was gunned down by a Jötunn sniper's Kalashnikov. And Lind had never felt more proud of them. Demons, goddesses and Earth spirits, all fighting together for a single cause, for the first time in history. All united under one man. And there he was. Jago and Damascus were further forward than the rest and were in the process of subduing a horrifying Frost-fiend. They were leading from the front, as any good commanders should. Lind, Jeiko, Urd and Hagall may be the technical commanders of each military but Jago was the lynch-pin. He was the unifying force. He held them together. And she watched as he and his devil succeeded in defeating the horrifying Frost-fiend, finally slaying the monster.

"I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT THE FLAG!" It was Skuld. She had the banner in her hands and waved it triumphantly, unleashing an almighty cheer from the fighters as they pushed forward into the Jötunn ranks. But Lind then saw Skuld's smiling face turn to terror as she looked skywards, her mouth forming a single word: "PRAETORIANS!" And Lind looked up, casually dismembering her fifty-somethingth Jötunn, to see a sky that was black with wings the elite fighters fell from above, tearing into the rag-tag force with a horrifying gusto. But even as she turned to face this new threat, Lind heard another shout. And this was from Weth.

"TANK!" she screamed as the Jötunn crewed vehicle crashed through a nearby building, unloading its main gun into the massed ranks of both the allied forces and the Jötunn soldiers, sending Lind flying through the air. The last thing the new Almighty One remembered was seeing a second vehicle come roaring through the gap the first one had left and the main gun thumping back at where Jago had been standing, making him disappear in a cloud of flame and smoke. Then Lind struck the ground. Something cracked. Everything went dark.

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The Frost-fiend shrieked, clacking its beak together, using its bulk and long claws to smash a path through the allied ranks. A foolish Valkyrie tried to block its advance, hacking at its skeletal midriff with her billhook, only for the Frost-fined to knock her sprawling with the wrist membrane before scooping her up in its beak and preparing to break her in half.

"OI! FUGLY! WHY NOT PUT HER DOWN AND TRY SOME DARK MEAT?" The monster turned, the Valkyrie still in its beak and glared down at the pest that had interrupted its feast. And it recognised him. It was the human who had burnt its nose. It hissed slowly and dropped the Valkyrie, locking eyes with the insolent human.

"Are you sure about this Master?" Damascus asked. "Lamb isn't here so you won't have access to her full strength and that thing looks PRETTY pissed off. I mean, you did stick a flare up its nose". Jago nodded.

"Aye lass. But I need you to get something for me; get that Valkyrie out of here". He gestured at the fallen warrior who lay crumpled between the legs of the beast.

"Alright… but don't do anything stupid". With that, Damascus suddenly vanished, using her Nightmare skills to go completely invisible, leaving Jago facing the Frost-fiend, grasping his maul in one hand and his shield in the other.

"Well come on then!" he said, readying himself. And together, both he and the monster charged.

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The Frost-fiend shrieked into towards him, smashing smaller giants aside in its furious rush to reach Jago. He was ready though and as the monster reached him, he side-stepped the snapping beak and brought his hammer around, cracking it hard into its head. The monster simply shrugged off the blow and bowed low, scything with its claws, trying to disembowel him only for them to crash hard against his shield. But he had underestimated the monster's strength.

"Hellfire!" he shouted as the monstrous aberration thumped him to his knees, raking his shield with its claws. It drew back and struck down again, trying to hook its claws under his shield but Jago struck back, clouting the Frost-fiend on the hand with the hammer side of the maul. The creature shrieked and reared back, shaking its bloodied hand and then hissed, swinging around with its other clawed fist, knocking Jago aside. He rolled and pulled the big shield over himself as the beak pecked downward, crashing into the shield with the force of a battering ram. But that was the advantage of the tower shield; at nearly six foot in height, and three across, it was easily big enough to take cover underneath it. And from under his shield, Jago saw the flicker of light that betrayed Damascus's presence as she carried the badly injured Valkyrie back towards the friendly medics. She was safe. Now it was time to fight back. He waited for the beak to strike his shield once more and then punched upward, cracking it on the snout with its hard edge. Before the Frost-fiend could recover, he yanked his .22 from inside his jacket and let fly at the monster's torso, peppering the thick hide with rounds. In truth, the bullets were little more than an irritation to the monster, but Jago had replaced the normal shells with incendiary rounds which burned at its flesh and caused it to back away, snapping its beak and pawing at itself. While it was distracted, Jago leapt up again and dropping the gun, he spun the maul, bringing it around with a sickening crunch, into the monster's ribs. The Frost-fiend snarled but before it could strike back, Jago brought the edge of his shield down onto its foot with a resounding thump, causing it to stagger. In a final act, he dropped the hammer and whipped out his khukuri, slicing it across the monster's throat in a killing blow. And then the creature was blasted away as Damascus materialised behind the beast and sent a Concussion Blast into its back, sending it arcing away, crashing, bleeding and dying into a nearby building. "Was that really necessary?" Jago asked.

"Well it was dead anyway after that throat slice but I wanted to be sure…" Damascus said, blushing and then elbowed a charging Jötunn in the face, with her elbow covered in an iron spike.

"I didn't know you could fight" Jago said in admiration at the last move, ducking under a Jötunn's knife and filleting it with his khukuri.

"I can't" his devil replied. "But I can use combat spells when I need to. Or convert normal spells into combat ones". Jago nodded but their discussion was interrupted suddenly as they Skuld's voice raise itself above the sound of the fighting.

"I'VE GOT IT! I'VE GOT THE FLAG!" she shouted and the pair turned to see her waving the great banner above the ranks of the allied forces. But then they also saw her face fall as she pointed skywards and she screamed. "PRAETORIANS!" Then there was a crash an armoured behemoth crashed through a nearby building, as the Praetorians swept in, raining death as they came.

"TANK!" Weth shouted and she talked both Jago and Damascus as the vehicle's big gun swung around, covering her Master and his devil with her body. And then the cannon fired, filling the air with smoke as the high explosive shell struck the ground just before them.

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Light suddenly filed Lind's eyes as they shot open and she shook her head a few times, trying to dispel the ringing in her ears. And then she gasped in agony as she shifted her weight, putting weight on her shattered wrist. It burned like fire as she cupped her hand to it but was then distracted by a loud grinding noise. Her eye's widened.

"FALL BACK!" Hagall shouted as half a dozen tanks crashed through the ruined building, pouring cannon and machine gun fire into the retreating fighters, indiscriminately killing both enemies and fellow Jötunns alike. And Lind suddenly realised that she was alone, all other forces before her having already fallen back. Just her and the tanks… a hand came down suddenly and grasped her by the shoulder.

"I'm getting real tired of dragging your sorry arse around Lind!" Mara said, grasping the new Almighty One tightly and starting to pull her back. Lind had just enough time to grasp her battered halberd with her one good hand as Mara started dragging her back towards the retreating forces. She gasped a few times as her broken wrist cracked against the larger chunks of rubble. "SHIELD!" Mara shouted and threw up a defence as another shell whipped past and crashed into the magic barrier with an enormous crash. "DAMMIT, DAMMIT, DAMMIT!" she hissed and then with a final grunt she heaved Lind behind chunk of wreckage, before dropping to her knees beside her.

"Why did you save me?" Lind asked, tearing off on of her uniform's shoulder wings and using it to bind her wrist, using her seax knife as a splint.

"If anything were to happen to you, I'd have both the head of the Earth spirit army and the Paladin on my arse" she said, peering out from behind the rubble and then snapping back down as a machine gun round snapped into the rubble beside her ear. Just then a Praetorian dropped down beside them, her poleaxe in hand and she swung for Mara who had no time to block the move. But Lind had seen the attack coming she whipped Mjolnir out from under jacket and hurled it at the Praetorian. The heavy hammer struck her in the chest, punching straight through her chest and out the other side, killing her instantly. Mara spun in shock, just in time to see the dead Praetorian fall to the floor, as Mjolnir returned directly to Lind's hand, in a similar manner to a boomerang.

"Now we're even" the Valkyrie said simply and then glanced up at Mara who was stood with a dumb look on her face. "I'd get down if I were you; you're gonna get your head blown off". Mara dropped to the ground as Lind continued to bind her shattered wrist, grunting in pain as she tightened the bandages. "So where's Jago? Did he survive?" Mara looked dumb for a moment but then she appeared to return to her senses.

"Wah… oh, yeah. Yeah, he's fine. Weth saved him but it looked like she was hurt pretty bad. Last I saw, he was dragging her sorry arse to cover in pretty much the same way as I did for you". Lind frowned but nodded.

"Alright. Now we'd better do something about these tanks; we're sitting ducks if we can't get rid of them".

"My thoughts exactly". The pair looked up as Lamb dropped to the ground between them, panting breathlessly. "Sorry I took so long, got a bit held up".

"Good to see you Lamb" Lind said. "Any news?"

"Well your mother is alive" the angel said. "She and the remaining survivors of her unit are on their way here right now. But Master needs your help to take out those tanks so that they have a safe approach". She glanced across at Mara. More specifically, at the battered rocket launcher she still had strapped to her back. "Mara, this is where you come in…"

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Weth screamed as she rolled off of Jago and Damascus, having done her best to protect them from the high explosive shell.

"MY LEGS!" she screamed, staring down at the bloodied ruins of the stumps where both legs had been severed just above the knees.

"SHIT!" Jago shouted. "WHERE THE HELL DID THEY GET ARMOUR FROM?" He glanced across at Damascus as she yanked a piece of shrapnel from her leg with a gasp. "Damascus, kill those SOBs!" he shouted as he grasped Weth by the shoulder and started pulling her to safety. His apprentice screamed as her shattered legs were dragged across the ground while Damascus began to charge a powerful fire spell that would reduce the heavy tanks to molten slag.

"PULSING THUNDER!" she cried, letting fly with the electrical attack and a bolt of lightning shot forth from her hand, streaking towards the Jötunn's tank column. And simply dissipated as it struck the lead vehicle. "Wah…?" she said slowly but then shook herself. "WIND BOMBARDMENT!" she cried, sending a super dense wave of wind towards the tanks; one that should have been enough to lift the thirty-four ton vehicles and hurl them away. But again, the spell just dissipated.

"Come on Damascus, kill those guys!" Jago shouted as Damascus looked down at her hands, trying to work out why the spells hadn't worked. But then she twigged.

"Hellfire! They have magic dampeners! I can't do anything!"

"LOOK OUT!" Jago then shouted and she looked up to see the main gun of one of the tanks aimed directly at her. She yelped and threw up a shield just as the cannon thumped back, sending a round crashing into it. The shield held but the blast almost collapsed the field, leaving Damascus vulnerable. "GET OUT OF THERE!" Jago shouted but one of the other tanks then rolled up, firing its own gun. This time, instead of a high explosive shell, the shell fired was a sabot round: a two foot long dart of toughened metal, designed to punch through the armoured hull of another tank. Or in this case, through a weakened energy shield. The shock of the blast lifted Damascus off of her feet and sent her spinning away, crashing into a mound of rubble. "DAMASCUS! NO!" Jago shouted. The devil snarled to herself and tried to stand but quickly realised that she was still looking down the barrels of half a dozen tanks, so she tried to throw up a more powerful Aegis Shield. But it failed. Damascus was completely drained. She had used the last of her strength.

"Fuck" she said softly and then contacted Jago with her mind. "Sorry Master" she said simply. "Looks like I've fucked up". And then closed her eyes as the nearest tank rumbled forward, gun pointed directly for her. The cannon fired…

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There was a boom form above as something punched through the MACH and suddenly, Damascus's view of the tank was blocked as a dark shape surrounded her, shielding her from the high explosive shell.

"Alright hobgoblin?" Lamb asked though gritted teeth, her wings in their Razor Wing state, protecting them both from income tank fire.

"Lamb? God am I glad to see you!" Damascus said as the sound of machinegun fire fill the air, the bullets clattering off of Lamb's wings in a flurry of sparks.

"Good to see you too" Lamb said and then grunted as a tank's gun fired, denting one of her wings with a sabot round. "But we can talk later. Right now, we need to get out of here". Damascus nodded and together, they rose into a crouch as the bullets continued to rattle off of Lamb's wings and they headed over to one of the gutted buildings, ducking inside the door. Jago looked up from the rear of the room where he was busy putting tourniquets on each of Weth's legs. He looked battered and his hat and jacket was speckled with blood and stained with soot but he gave them a smile as Lamb released Damascus from her wings.

"I see you made it" he said. "You alright Lamb? Damascus?"

"A few cuts and scrapes" Damascus said. "I'm sorry about those tanks though; they're protected from my magic…" Jago nodded and rolled another Dr Pepper over to her so she could boost her energy levels.

"Don't worry about it, at least you're alive". He then nodded at the can. "That's for you. I saw that you'd run out of magic and I reckon you could do with a boost". Damascus nodded and bit into the can, draining it like a like a caffeine deprived vampire as Jago turned to Lamb who was busy knocking the dents out of her wings with her fists. "How about you? You alright?" Lamb nodded with a grin.

"Was there ever any real doubt? It'll take more than a few Praetorians and some tanks to beat me down" she said, punching out the sabot dent and then switching her wings back to their normal flesh and feather. "I also have some good news; Valmeyar is alive. She and the remnants of her cohort escaped using a stealth spell and are waiting at about fifteen-thousand feet to lend their support. In fact, they're holding back the Praetorians as best they can without giving away their position". But then she frowned. "She wants to lend her support but they can't do anything until we get rid of those tanks. They'll be slaughtered before they could do anything, especially with those magic dampeners". Jago nodded and then paused, glancing across at Damascus.

"Alright… Damascus, do what you can for Weth. Lamb and I are gonna try and find a way to knock out those tanks". The devil nodded, crumpling the can and then coming to squat beside the injured goddess as Jago and Lamb crossed to a blown out window, ducking to take cover. "Right, let's see what we're up against…" Jago said and then stuck his head up above the window frame, snatching a momentary glance at the nearest tank. "Ok… T-55Ms. Cheap and nasty Soviet armour. Two-hundred mil steel plate armour and a one-hundred mil main gun, backed up by two heavy machine guns… How many did you see Lamb?" Lamb paused, chewing her lip.

"Eight" she said. "Six outside and another two further back down the street. One got stuck in a building and they're using another tank to tow it out". Jago nodded, wrinkling his brow.

"So… eight. And we barely have the firepower to take out one". Lamb cocked her head and thought for a second.

"Well, I can probably take out two of them, possibly three, if I go Prime and use my sword. But I'd need some cover if I'm to get close". Jago paused and nodded again, considering how best to deal with this thorny problem.

"Well I can probably take one out if I'm clever about it… but I only have the gear to knock out one". Then Damascus spoke up from the back of the room.

"Master, didn't Mara have a rocket launcher? Would that have the power to knock out a… T-55?" Both Jago and Lamb looked across at her, considering this.

"Perhaps…" Jago said, "provided she has a HEAT rocket or two. Lamb, can you find her and get her here? And while you're at it, check on Lind. She looked like she got clipped pretty good by that high explosive shell". Lamb nodded and then glanced upwards.

"Ok Master. I'll be back shortly". With that, she spread her wings and shot upwards, punching through the floor above and out through the roof of the building. Jago watched her go and then cross back over to Damascus and Weth, glancing at the wounded goddess.

"How is she?" he asked. Damascus looked him straight in the eye and then shook her head.

"She MIGHT live but her legs are too far gone. I can't fix them". Jago looked down sadly at his crippled apprentice.

"What about that healing spell the Almighty- Lord Tyr used on Lamb to fix her wings? Wouldn't that work?" Damascus shook her head again.

"I'm sorry Master but Weth's legs can't be fixed. Even if we get her to the medics, she's too far gone. She'll be lucky to just survive, never mind anything else".

"Bloody waste" he said sadly and then stood as the sound of hurrying footsteps echoed across the street, as first Lamb and Mara came haring through the doorway and then dived for cover. Then the building shook as a pair of high explosive rounds slammed into the outer wall, sending chunks of rock scattering across the room. "Hey? Are you two alright?" Jago called out and slowly, Lamb raise her head, her black hair turned grey with dust.

"I'm alright" she said.

"Why did I agree to this?" Mara muttered, standing and dusting herself off. "So, what exactly are you planning Jago? What's so important that I'm risking life and limb to get here?" Jago held up an hand to her and turned Lamb.

"First of all, how's Lind?"

"She broke her wrist when she took that hit from the tank" Lamb said. "Other than that though, she's fine. Mara got her under cover before anyone could get to her".

"Good. What about the rest of them? How are they holding up?" Lamb shook her head.

"It's not looking good. Urd and Hagall have pulled everyone they could back the Praetorians have joined the battle and they're pounding us from the air. Every time they try and counter attack, the Jötunn anti-aircraft guns blast them out of the sky. They can't even get the Tanngrisnir up. Now Valmeyar is ready to lend her support as soon as she can but with those tanks there…"

"Nuff said" Jago said. "Mara, that launcher still work?" Mara unslung the RPG and held it across her body.

"Sure" she said. "But I tried it against the tanks; it just bounced off".

"Did you try a HEAT rocket though?" Mara paused and cocked her head.

"What's a HEAT rocket?"

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HEAT. High Explosive Anti-Tank. The idea is simple; a copper cone lined with a high explosive charge. Upon impart, the explosive is detonated, turning the copper into a jet of molten metal that burns through the armour of a tank and kills the crew inside, either directly or by cooking off the on-board ammunition or fuel. Next to useless against infantry but devastating against any kind of vehicle, especially a sixty year old tank. They had two of these rockets. Now they just need a plan.

"Alright" Jago said, "Mara, you head to the first floor and wait for us to move. I want you to hit the first tank in the convoy. Aim for the rear of the turret; it should cook off the ammunition and blow the thing to pieces. In the meantime, Lamb and I will take out the next few, drawing fire while you reload. Then you hit the last tank before it can get away. Got it?" Mara nodded, hefting her launcher.

"You sure about this?" she said to which Jago shrugged.

"Not really but it's not exactly like we have a lot of choice". Mara paused and then she nodded.

"Alright. Good luck Jago. And you Lamb. Try not to die or else it'll just be me and the damn tourists". With that, she turned away, disappearing up the stairs. As she disappeared however, Lamb turned to Jago, looking concerned.

"Master, if you don't mind me asking…. how exactly are you going to knock out a tank? Jupiter or Pluto probably have the strength but if you try and punch a tank to death, you'll just end up hurting yourself".

"Good observation Lamb" Jago said. "But I have thought this over and I'm going to use possibly the simplest anti-tank weapon ever". With that, he pulled off his shirt and then reached inside his jacket, pulling out the half bottle of Suicider.

"And… what are you doing?" she asked.

"Well let's say… it's from Russia with love. Or possibly Finland? I can't remember. Oh and Damascus; get Weth out of here. She's been through enough today". The devil nodded and reached down to lift the unconscious goddess.

"Yes Master" she said and then started to fade out, using her camouflage spell to disappear. "Just one thing to YOU Lamb" she said. "Don't let Master do anything stupid".

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Mara peered cautiously out of the window and down at the Jötunn's armoured column, the RPG resting snugly on her shoulder. She carefully sighted on the lead tank, aiming her rocket at the rear of the turret where the armour was thinnest. And then she waited. And waited. She began to sweat and she licked her lips nervously. At any moment, one of the tanks could spot her and it would be all over for her; blown apart in an instant.

"Come on, come on" she muttered. And she watched the top hatch of one tank crack open and the vehicle's commander emerge, a helmet crammed onto his filthy hair. The Jötunn growled to himself and reached for the heavy machine-gun that was mounted above the commander's hatch, tucking it to his shoulder and firing a short burst down the street towards the enemy. And then Jago sprung his trap. Mara fired.

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Jago emerged first, his khukuri in one hand, a Molotov cocktail in the other. With a yell, he raced towards the third tank in the column. At the same time, Mara fired, sending her rocket arcing towards the lead tank as Lamb emerged in her full Prime form, her buster-sword in hand. The lead tank disappeared in a cloud of smoke as the HEAT rocket struck the rear of the turret, instantly cooking off the ammunition and blowing the tank apart. Meanwhile, Lamb hurled her sword at the second tank. The heavy weapon spun end over end, splitting the heavy vehicle in half down the middle. Jago leapt, using the still exploding wreck as a boost and then jumped again, landing on the third tank. As he scrambled up the armoured front, the top hatch popped open and the commander emerged, reaching for the machine gun. But Jago was on him in an instant, slicing his throat with his heavy knife. He then slid down the rear of the tank and smashed the petrol bomb over the tank's exhaust, filling the engine bay with burning alcohol. Finally, he jumped down, just in time to see Lamb rip the turret from fourth tank and then use it to club the fifth into oblivion. And together, they ran for cover as the engine of Jago's tank exploded, blasting its turret fifty feet into the air. Five tanks dead in less than a minute. The final tank was backing away, firing both cannon and machine-guns in an attempt to drive them back but by now, Mara had reloaded, firing off her second rocket. The battle was a good as over. But then something inconceivable happened. The rocket missed.

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The Jötunn gear was all in terrible condition. Old, rotten AK-74s, second hand RPGs and AAA guns that were so rusted through that they should really have been consigned to the scrap yard years ago. The only reason they were still working was that they were Russian weapons and this meant that you could break pretty much every part of them and they would still work. But even then, there were misfires. Magazines exploded as a round tried to force its way into a chamber that had a shell that had jammed in the mechanism, barrels warped and in one case, a Jötunn who had somehow managed to acquire a flame-thrower was instantly incinerated as the fuel tank ruptured, dowsing him and his comrades in highly flammable fuel, just as he pulled the trigger to launch a jet of fire. And when Mara launched her rocket, it misfired. One of the tiny fins on the side of the weapon that helped it to stabilise itself in flight, sending it into a spin that steered it off course. As such, instead of striking the tank in the vulnerable armour just above the main gun, it struck the hull, just above the right track and blew it off of the road wheels. The tank was immobilized. But the guns were all still operational.

"OH SHIT!" Mara shouted as the big gun slewed around, aiming right for her hiding place. And then it thumped back, sending a high explosive shell into her hiding place.

"MARA! MARA!" Lamb shouted above the rumble of the tank's engine.

"AH! I think we've lost her!" Jago said but then his attention was snatched back as the tank's main gun slewed around to face them. They were dead.

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They never did find out why the tank didn't fire. They were completely helpless. Lamb had reverted back from her Prime form, exhausted by the huge expenditure of energy it had just taken while Jago didn't have the time to throw up a shield. For what was probably about a second but for what felt like an hour, they just stood there staring down the barrel of the tank's gun. What is likely to have happened was the operator (*1) had either dropped the shell or had simply run out of shells but for whatever reason, it didn't fire. And the next second, there was a hypersonic roar as something collided with the front of the tank, punching through the thick frontal armour and then straight out the rear of the vehicle. Dragging anything inside the tank, that hadn't been nailed down out through the same hole. A hole less than the size of a human head. A red volcano of gore.

"I LIKE this new hammer!" Lind said, sliding down her rubble pile as Mjolnir returned to her, boomerang style. "Remind me to put it on my Christmas list!" But then she paused as she saw that Jago and Lamb were still stood stock still, as if frozen.

"I think some poo came out…" Jago said softy.

"Me too" said Lamb. Lind slapped the pair of them.

"OI! Back to Earth you two!" They shook themselves and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry Lind" Jago said and then nodded at her wrist which was now in a sling that she had crafted from her uniform wings. "You alright?" Lind shrugged.

"I'll mend. What about you two? Are you ok?" The pair nodded but then Lamb lowered her head.

"I think we lost Mara". Just then, there was a shout from further down the street.

"WHAT?" Mara shouted, emerging dusty and bruised form the gutted building.

"How the Hell did you survive that?" Jago asked as she approached unsteadily.

"WHAT? SPEAK UP, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" All three of them face-palmed.

"Great… she's alive but deaf" Lind said and then hefted Mjolnir once more. "Right, we'd better get back. It's getting pretty dicey up there and they'll need all the reinforcements they can get".

"Wait a minute" Jago said. "I lost my maul and shield in the scuffle with the Frost-fiend. I can't fight without some kind of heavy weapon".

"Then maybe I can help Master" Lamb said and without another word, she turned and headed over to the tank that Lind had just destroyed, reached up and yanked the barrel of the gun free of the turret, before turning and tossing it to him. It nearly crushed him. Luckily, he had the sense to call up Jupiter as he saw the big gun come sailing towards him and caught it awkwardly. "Will that work?" Lamb asked as Jupiter hefted the gun. He paused and then, grasping it in both hands, he broke the metal tube across his knee to form a large, and extremely heavy club.

"Yeah, this'll do" he said. "Looks like I'm going clubbing. He then turned to face the others, his eyes red and a wicked smile on his face. "Now, I'm not planning on hurting any of you but if you get too close, I can't guarantee anything because I'm, planning on going completely berserker on them". Lamb and Lind both nodded sagely while Mara just gave him a funny look.

"WHAT?"

"I said LEAD ME, FOLLOW ME OR GET OUT OF MY WAY!"

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Fifteen-thousand feet above, three hundred pairs of eyes watched the unfolding drama below, particularly that surrounding the tank column. And as six pillars of smoke rose over the battlefield as the tanks were each destroyed, the survivors of Valmeyar's cohort unmasked.

"READY GIRLS?" she shouted and without a sound, three hundred hammers materialised in their hands. "GOOD! FOE-HAMMERS!" And with their war-cry on their lips, the last of the loyal Praetorians fell to Earth, raining death upon both the traitors and invaders alike. Vengeance was swift.

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The Foe-Hammers struck hard at the enemy forces, their weapons glittering in the sun and rain. They fell to Earth, spitting fire and death upon their enemies while bringing relief to their friends and comrades. They numbered barely three-hundred; a pittance against the near six-thousand Praetorians who had turned traitor and the millions of giants who supported them. But the Forth cohort were the strongest of them, the heavy weapons specialists, with barely one amongst them less than six feet tall and all immensely strong in build. And they fought with a righteous fury that terrified their enemies, scattering them like leaves in the wind. Valmeyar lead from the front, her twenty pound hammer in one hand, her rapier in the other, alternately smashing aside her opponents and jabbing into chinks in thick armour. Within a minute of their arrival, they had routed both the traitors and the Jötunns, driving them back down the street that they had come from and were met with a Hero's welcome by the combined forces at Hero's Plaza.

"Lady Valmeyar!" Damascus called out as the Praetorians made their way into the Plaza. The bowed her head and crossed to the devil, removing her helmet and running a hand through her hair.

"Damascus… it's good to see you. I see that Lamb wasn't wrong; Jago has done a sterling job in defending this place. And I'm sorry we didn't come sooner; we tried to hold our ground at the Gungnir control centre but we were overrun. Luckily, we disabled the weapon before it could be captured so we don't need to worry about an orbital bombardment". Damascus nodded as the Praetorian set down her hammer and sighed. "So where's Jago anyway? He should be here right?" Damascus pointed towards the shattered street and the wrecked T-55s beyond.

"Last I saw, he was knocking out those tanks. After that… well I'm not sure". But as if in answer, they heard Jago's voice, mingled with the panicked cries of trapped Jötunns. He was singing.

"I got soul but I'm not a solider!"

"I got soul but I'm not a solider!"

"I got soul but I'm not a solider!"

"I got soul but I'm not a solider!"

To the surprise of everyone, a handful of Jötunns started running back towards them, clearly trying to escape something. And then Jago emerged, casually striding between the shattered buildings and burnt out tanks, swiping at nearby enemies with a club nearly as big as he was, apparently made from the barrel of a tanks gun. Close behind but keeping enough distance to be safe, were Lamb, Mara and Lind, picking off any Jötunn stupid enough to try and sneak back past Jago. But it soon became clear why they were hanging back and the Jötunns were running; it wasn't Jago, it was Jupiter. Eventually, they cleared the last few Jötunns and Jupiter tutted disappointedly before turning and marching directly towards the allied forces, who parted as he approached.

"Jupiter right?" Valmeyar said as he stopped just short of her, resting his chin on his club.

"That's my name, don't wear it out" the Opal-essence said dismissively. "But it's not me you'll be wanting to talk to". He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, they had faded from Jupiter's red to Jago's brown once more.

"Got him on a lead now" Jago said. "So you made it Valmeyar. Is this all of you?" Valmeyar nodded sadly.

"Three-hundred or there-about. Mostly from my cohort although there are a few loyalists from other units who refused to rebel. Mostly those with daughters in the Valkyrie corps". Jago nodded.

"Good. Now, are your girls ready to fight?"

"With respect Lord Paladin, we didn't exactly get here off of our good looks". Jago nodded but just then, there was a loud explosion and they all turned to see a great tower topple in the distance. "What the…?" Valmeyar asked.

"Looks like our road blocks are finally in place" Jago said, making Valmeyar turn to look at him in horror.

"You had those towers demolished as road blocks!" she demanded as two more towers toppled and fell. "You may be the Paladin but that's going to far! You don't have the authority to-"

"He did it under my authority Mother" Lind said, stepping up and crossing her arms across her chest.

"Your authority?" Valmeyar asked. "But-"

"I'm the Almighty One now Mother… or didn't you get the memo?" Valmeyar looked stunned.

"You're the Almighty One? But-" This time she stopped herself. "I'm babbling and there's no time. You can tell me later. Right now, we need to start making plans to bring in more reinforcements… and possibly start a full evacuation".

"What are you talking about?" Lind asked. "Jeiko- Lord Sukaru and his Earth spirits have already come. There's nobody else we can call upon".

"That's where you're wrong Lind" Valmeyar said. "There are humans".

"Humans?" Jago asked. "Have I missed something here?"

"No, not really Jago. It was a closely guarded secret, even here in Heaven that we were dealing with the humans". Then Valmeyar got smug. "But did you really think that we were just sitting idle all this time? Ever since we learnt there was a traitor in Heaven, we've had spies and scouts on Earth, keeping track of enemy movements. And it looks like it's time to put them to use". She turned to Lind. "As the Almighty One Lind, I need you permission; should we begin Titanium Rain?" Lind took a moment to consider this.

"Yes…" she said. "Mother- Lady Valmeyar, I give you permission to begin operations". Valmeyar nodded and turned away, leaving Jago utterly confused.

"Umm, does somebody want to tell me what the Hell is going on here?" He turned to Lind. "What's Titanium Rain?" Lind massaged the bridge of her nose and grunted to herself.

"The ultimate sanction, short of mass extermination, in the event of invasion of Heaven or Hell. Stage One: revelation. Using our network of spies, we reveal our presence to Earth and hope we don't cause a third world war in the process. Stage Two: combat evac. Human reinforcements bolster our fighting forces here as we conduct a full evacuation to Earth".

"WOAH, WOAH, WOAH, WOAH! Reveal yourselves to Earth? Full Evacuation to Earth? What is this shit?"

"It's just about the final option Jago" Lind said patiently. "And as the Almighty One, it's my job to ensure that it happens now. We've held off the first wave but if my mother considers it necessary to do so… and remember; she's the most senior warrior here… then we NEED to do it. Too many people have died today already. Understand now?" Jago nodded slowly.

"Right… this is the "nut up or shut up" moment isn't it? Because you look bloody serious".

"I'm now considering Stage Three Jago so yes, I'm serious".

"And what's stage three?"

"Stage Three is Hammer Down" Lind said. She turned away. Jago just stood.

"Fuck" he said. "I'm way over my head…"

"How do you think we feel?" Damascus asked.

*1 Loader and radio operator

Authors Note: It's funny isn't it? I originally planned this as little more than a chapter introduction. In the end, it's ended up as one of my longer chapters... but at least now you know half of what the next chapter is. Titanium Rain. But Streetfighter? Now that's still a surprise.