I do not own the Ah! Megami sama / Oh! My Goddess series
Asgard, centuries ago
"Come on, Belldandy! Father said it's okay to see her!" Tugging her younger sister along, Urd navigated through the corridors of their parents' home, eager to meet the newest addition to their family.
"Not so fast, neesan! I can barely keep up with you!" said the little brunette as she tried to avoid tripping.
It was rare for them to be in that particular house, given that both their parents actually spent most of their time on their offices. As a result the girls stayed with Baldr and only visited this place on holidays and special occasions; just like this one.
Opening the master bedroom's door, the two young goddesses rushed inside, startling the tired Ansuz who was trying to get some sleep after a long night. Since Tyr headed back to his office a couple of minutes ago, she reckoned that it was a great opportunity to relax before the rest of their relatives paid her a visit. Of course, she figured that those girls were going to be amongst the first to do that, although she wasn't expecting them to storm the room in such a manner.
"Where is she?" asked the enthusiastic Urd, nearly bouncing up and down from her excitement.
"Over there. Just do me a favor and don't wake her up. It took me all night to put her to sleep and I don't have any intention to go through that again this soon," replied Ansuz, pointing at the crib that was right next to her bed. Technically speaking, this was her second daughter, but, with Belldandy being such a well mannered child it was apparent that she had gained no real experience as a mother. So, when she attempted to put the newborn Skuld to her crib, she was amazed how such a little goddess could make the windows shake from her angry protests.
Thankfully, the infant was otherwise calm as long as she was in her arms and interestingly she was absolutely fascinated with her mother's head winglets. Even Belldandy seemed fixated to find the 'birdie' that was apparently hidden in her hair when she was a lot younger. At least, neither of them had the nasty habit of pulling her feathers, something that, Ansuz was truly grateful for.
Meanwhile the two goddesses had climbed on the bed and leaned over the railing in an effort to get a better view of the sleeping infant, but, accidentally shook the crib just enough to wake their sister up. Staring at them with curiosity for a few seconds, Skuld decided to make her presence known by babbling something as a form of greeting and extending her arms to grab them.
'They just had to go and wake her up, didn't they?' thought Ansuz with a shake of her head. Approaching them, she leaned over the crib and retrieved the now curious infant, who wanted to know more about her visitors. "Okay, you can come closer, girls. I'm not angry or anything for not following my instructions."
Nodding, Urd and Belldandy got on either side of her and tried to take a better look of the baby, who was still attempting to figure out who those were and why they were next to her mother.
"Well? Don't be shy and say hello to her," asked Ansuz. "She may be too young to talk, but, she can understand the intent behind your words. For the most part at least…"
"Hi there, kid! Nice to meet you!" said Urd with a grin, while Belldandy suppressed a squeal. "Hello, little sister! You're adorable!"
While far from autonomous, immortal infants were still far more capable of understanding things, and for Skuld the tone and the familiar presence around those two made her giggle, starting to piece together that there was some sort of common ancestry between them which meant that they weren't a potential threat. Of course, she was fat too young to use concepts like 'sister' or even the half version of it, but, she was now far more eager to approach them and even let them to hold her. Reaching for the bigger of the two, Skuld tried to get her attention by making a series of happy but commanding sounds.
"Can I hold her?" asked Urd, looking at Ansuz.
"If you think that it's a great idea… Just remember to keep a safe distance from her," replied the teal haired goddess, showing her stepdaughter how to place her hands around the baby, while Belldandy watched closely to learn that as well.
"Safe distance?" laughed Urd, balancing Skuld carefully. "She's just a… Hey! Let go of my nose!"
Gently, Belldandy tried to make their little to release her sibling, but in the end she found herself in a similar predicament when she got too close to her. "Mother, can you give us a hand?"
Trying not to laugh at the scene that was unfolding in front of her, Ansuz took Skuld despite her protests. "No, they're not toys, little one, be nice to them."
Rubbing their noses, the two goddesses decided to grab some of the infant's plushies and for the next half hour, they played together with Skuld who seemed to enjoy all the attention she was getting from them. As a matter of fact, she liked their company so much that when they were about to leave in order to let their mother to get some sleep, the little goddess was about to cry.
"We'll come back tomorrow," tried Urd without any significant result, and then turned to Belldandy who seemed to have an idea of her own. "Can we stay here tonight?"
"Okay, but only for today. Let me put her back in her crib and then you can sleep on the bed close to her." All things considered, it was rather encouraging that her youngest daughter bonded with her sisters so soon. Most celestial infants tended to be a lot more self centered and it often took them months or even years before they started to become interested in other relatives, aside from their parents of course. And given how peaceful the three of them looked together, Ansuz was tempted to allow the girls to repeat that again despite her previous warning.
XXX
Nekomi, present day
"That's really strange... Why did I dream about that time all of a sudden?"
Turning around as she slowly started to fully wake up, the teal haired goddess found the answer in the form of her sleeping daughter who had somehow gotten into her futon. She tried hard to resist the urge to take a photo of Skuld while she was snuggling against her, given that she was at that age where the Norn of the future wanted others to treat her like a grownup despite her occasional childish tendencies. As such, Ansuz was certain that her daughter wouldn't appreciate such an invasion of her privacy, especially at a time like this.
'She may be trying to ignore it, but, she's still upset and doesn't know how to deal with the problem. Trying to act like an adult goddess won't do her any favors at this point and a direct approach will offer no results given how headstrong she is. Hm… It seems that I'll have to try something else and soon.'
Stirring up, Skuld was momentarily confused as to how she ended up there and for a moment, she tried to quietly go back to her futon in hopes that her mother was still asleep. However, when the latter run her fingers through her long dark hair, the goddess of the future was certain that she was caught, but for a strange reason she simply remained still. "Good morning, mom."
"Good morning, Skuld. Had a pleasant night? We've got a long day ahead of us, so, I wondered if you wanted to snooze a bit more. Or maybe you'd like a story, instead?" offered Ansuz with a smile. "Well?"
"Mom! I'm too old for that stuff!" protested the little goddess with a huff, even though she didn't move from her position.
"There are several types of stories you know, each specifically targeting a different audience. I was thinking of something that suits your age a bit better, compared to what I used to tell you when you were younger," explained Ansuz. "Back then, you loved fuzzy animals and we even got you a huge collection of plushies. I remember that, Urd donated several from her own collection to you, while Belldandy helped you tidy your room every day."
Blushing, Skuld already felt her cheeks warm up, fearing that she'd have to listen to yet another embarrassing tale about her early childhood. She did pause momentarily, though, when she noticed a certain detail that seemed rather odd to her. "Urd had animal plushies? That's news to me."
"Technically speaking by the time you were old enough to have clear memories of your earlier days, she had already given them all to you. Apparently she liked to have them around when she was a toddler and I think that she collected them even while she was in Niflheim," explained the teal haired goddess as she tried to remember all the details.
"Interesting… I never thought she had it in her." Pausing for a moment, Skuld seemed uncertain if she should ask what troubled her, fearing that it would sound too sappy. "Um… Do you think that she's going to stay there? For good, I mean."
"No, not really. Urd is rather stubborn when it comes to such matters. Besides, she really loves both you and Belldandy and even as a demoness she wouldn't just forsake you." Getting up from her futon, Ansuz pulled her daughter along, ruffling her hair. "Okay, enough of this doom and gloom, little one. Remember that we're going to have some fun today, so, no more of that."
"Yes! I'll get ready to…" started Skuld when a shout was heard from the hall.
"Lind!"
"That sounded like Peorth… I suppose this happens often?" asked Ansuz, scratching her winglets.
"More than you'll ever imagine," was the plain reply, followed by a dry chuckle. "I wonder what's it's about this time…"
XXX
"Could you please explain what's going on?" asked the indignant goddess, pointing at her outfit. "Why in Asgard's name I'm dressed as a Valkyrie?"
"It's time for your morning exercises cadet!" shot Lind back at her with an angry scowl. "And I won't take no for an answer! Come outside, we need to finish this before we leave for the hot springs, so, move it!"
"But… I'm not…" tried the confused rose goddess only to receive a loud slap on her posterior.
"I said move it, soldier! On the double!" barked the irate Valkyrie, pointing outside.
"Yes, ma'am!" replied Peorth, not wanting to antagonize her. 'Is this punishment for yesterday's incident? Great Heavens, she looks angry...'
Slowly, the rest of the residents gathered in the hall to see what this commotion was all about, especially this early in the morning.
"I wasn't aware that, Peorth wanted to get a Valkyrie's license," said Belldandy, earning a few giggles from the other goddesses.
"I think that, Lind is more likely angry at the prank, Peorth pulled on her, yesterday. If my memory serves me right, she changed her clothes into something that was far more revealing than she was used to," said Frigg, turning to her daughter-in-law. "Which reminds me… Have you picked a civilian look while on the mortal realm?"
Flinching a bit, Ansuz tried to avoid what was going to be a potentially embarrassing experience and glanced towards the goddess of the present. "I'll borrow one of Belldandy's outfits! I believe it's going to be nice for us to share a few things like that while I'm here!"
"I can understand that, although… why not one of Urd's?" asked her mother-in-law.
"Uh… do I even have to answer to that question?" was the flat response, as the teal haired goddess poked her stepdaughter's voluminous chest while she floated next to her, trying to remain awake.
"I meant with the necessary modifications, but, I can understand your reasons and I'll respect them. In that case, I'll join Belldandy in the kitchen and prepare a breakfast for us, in order to start the day properly," said Frigg. "Oh, and before I forget about it, a minibus from the traveling agency I contacted will come to pick us up for the trip."
"Really? You really went all out, grandmother. I thought we were going to teleport there," said Urd with a raised eyebrow.
"Isn't that slower, though?" asked Skuld. "It would've taken us a few seconds to get to the resort the other way."
"Sometimes, it's not just the destination, but, the journey and in this case, it's the entire experience that counts," explained Ansuz, putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder, while Frigg nodded in agreement.
At that moment, a worried Laguz walked inside, trying to get some safe distance between herself and the front yard where her pond was located. "Could anyone please tell me what's going on? It's like a battlefield out there!"
"Lind's training Peorth for one reason or another…" said Urd dismissively. "Don't worry, they won't go on for too long. After all, we need to be ready in an hour or so. And speaking of that… You're coming, too, right?"
"Yes, Frigg-sama was generous enough to provide me with a ticket and there are more than enough goddesses around me to support me, so I won't need my pool," said the blonde with a big smile. "I'm so excited! This is the first time I'm going to a hot springs resort!"
"That's nice. I bet you're going to enjoy it, since they're some of the most relaxing places you can imagine," said Keiichi. "Now, I'll have to go and pack my stuff, before breakfast is ready."
Nodding everyone went to make their own preparations while the two goddesses continued their fighting drills in the yard.
XXX
Roughly an hour later, the entire group was assembled at the bottom of the temple's stairs, looking at the Mercedes Sprinter minibus in front of them. Even Megumi was there, after she managed to arrive just in time for breakfast and like everyone else, she was looking forward to see what Frigg had prepared for them. The whole setup was a lot more professional than most would've expected, since the elder goddess had spared no expenses for this trip.
The traveling agency was one of the best in Nekomi and there was a female tour guide aside from the driver. Apparently they were going to pass several places of interest along their way to the resort that was located near Tokyo. This provided an opportunity to stop for some sightseeing and according to their guide, they'd visit several of Tokyo's most famous landmarks. Of course, the presence of other mortals necessitated that, Ansuz had to rely on a disguise which concealed her head winglets as well as her natural hair color, making her look eerily similar to Skuld, a fact that greatly amused a few of the other goddesses; Urd in particular.
Unfortunately, this still left them with one remaining problem, as Frigg had not taken into account that there would be another person with them. This simply meant that there were ten passenger seats available for a group of eleven.
"Oh, dear… That's quite the predicament." Letting out a sigh, the elder goddess wanted to find an easy solution for the issue, although it was a lot more difficult that she had originally expected. With two mortals that knew nothing about their true natures, it would've been impossible to let one of them shrink in size, in order to fit inside the minibus.
"Not necessarily," said Excalibur in his monotonous voice. "I can get there through other means, so, that could solve the problem."
"But… It's all about the experience…" tried Frigg, only to have the synthetic shake his head at her.
"I appreciate your concern. However according to 96.48% of my runtimes, it's far more important for the rest of the members of this group to travel together," explained Excalibur. "Besides, I can use Ansuz-sama's advice and make sure that I'll focus on the journey instead of the destination itself."
Blinking a bit at the rather cryptic answer, Frigg was about to ask for further details, but, stopped when the exhausted goddess of the roses came into view. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Perhaps… I'm not sure if I can feel anything right now," groaned Peorth, rubbing her sore shoulders, glaring at the otherwise happy warrior. 'Sadist...'
Noticing her, Lind actually smiled at her with a hint of pride. "I'm really impressed, you know. I haven't expected you to last as long as you did, to be totally honest with you. Why don't you get a Valkyrie's license? Even Belldandy have one and she's not using it, so, why not you?"
"I'll consider it…" replied Peorth, trying her hardest to sound as normal as she could. This was brought to an end, though, when her friend gave her a playful pat on her shoulder. "Ow!"
Wincing a bit, as she pulled away, Lind seemed rather guilty, feeling that she went a bit too far with her and maybe she owned her an apology. "I-I'm sorry... I…"
"Don't worry too much about it. I'm not made from porcelain, after all. The thing is that I'm simply not used to this kind of training. Thank goodness we'll have a chance to revitalize ourselves in some hot water, later," said Peorth with a pained smile. "I need it."
Shaking her head, Frigg gave a stern look at the Valkyrie making sure that she got the message. Turning to the others, she pointed at the parked bus in front of them. "If everyone's ready, how about we start our lovely trip?"
The first ones to get inside was Belldandy, Keiichi and Megumi who got the front row of the passenger seats. Right after them was Lind, Peorth and Laguz who sat on the middle row, and finally, Ansuz, Skuld, Urd and Frigg who took the remaining four remaining seats at the back of the minibus. Once everyone was comfortable, the driver started the engine and without any further delays, they were on their way.
Watching them go, Excalibur turned to the two robots that were standing next to him. "Are you certain you can handle security on your own?"
"Yes, we've done it for years already," replied Sigel, with Banpei adding an affirmative beeping sound.
"Good, then I'll depart, too." Walking towards the middle of the road, he shifted back into his liquid metal form, assuming what he considered to be the best option for the current situation; a sports car. While there were other far more efficient methods of transportation, which included the usage of portals, Excalibur wanted to experience a road trip at least once and there was no better way than doing it by himself.
XXX
Twenty minutes later, the minibus was on the highway, heading towards Tokyo and the rather calm moment was the best opportunity for the group to discuss their plans for the day.
"So, Kei-chan... Are you going to bathe together with Belldandy?" asked Megumi with a big grin on her face. "After all, you're a couple, now."
"Eh?!" Keiichi was so surprised by his sister's suggestion that it took him a few seconds to recover and manage to form a reply. "What are you getting at, Megumi! Of course, we're a couple, but, we're going to a hot springs resort and we'll have to bathe separately."
"Actually, there are mixed gender pools we can use and it would be the best for you to stay with us, dear. Considering that most of us are female, you'll have no one to talk to besides Excalibur," said Belldandy, setting aside the leaflet with Tokyo's most famous destinations that their guide had given them prior to their departure from the temple.
Despite the calmness of her voice, her husband was getting more and more uncomfortable with the whole concept. It was one thing to share a bath tub with his wife, and a totally different with every goddess that was present. 'No way…That's going to be way too awkward for my liking. There's gonna be Skuld and Megumi there, not to mention my mother-in-law and Belldandy's grandmother… Who knows what's gonna happen, especially having Urd and Peorth around.'
Noticing the two of them looking at him while waiting for an answer, the embarrassed Keiichi turned towards the window, trying to find a way to avoid the topic. "I-I'll think about it."
It was then that he actually realized what he was staring at. Right next to them was a black sports car, and one that was clearly not Japanese. 'Huh? This must be a… third generation Pontiac Firebird Trans Am by the looks of it. It's nice to see that there are some enthusiasts who appreciate...'
His thoughts were interrupted by his angel who had apparently noticed a small, but, rather important detail about that particular car. 'Master, there's no one inside the vehicle...'
'What?' Keiichi immediately felt a wave of dread when he verified his partner's observations. There was indeed nobody driving the car, despite the fact that it was navigating itself just fine without any signs of being out of control. 'There's only one possibility and I don't even want to think of it… He doesn't even have a driver's license, although, he's the car itself, but…'
Turning to his wife, Keiichi tried to keep his voice down in order to avoid getting the others' attention. "Belldandy! We've got a huge problem! Excalibur…"
"Yes? What's wrong with our friend?" Before she got an answer, the unmistakable sound of spinning tires could be heard from outside the minibus, as the black car accelerated and left them far behind. "Are you feeling okay, dear? You've gotten pale all of a sudden. Perhaps you got carsick? Want me to help you?"
"No! It's not me! That car was Excalibur!" said Keiichi, as he started to panic. "And I'm not sure if he even knows that there's a speed limit on the roads."
"You mean that he was inside the car, right Kei-chan?" asked the baffled Megumi.
"Oh, he's simply a shape shifter, so, he was literally the vehicle," replied Belldandy, much to the young woman's surprise. "However, we might want to discuss this elsewhere, given the nature of the topic."
Glancing towards the other two mortals at the front of the minibus, Megumi nodded. "Okay, gotcha!"
"That still leaves us with a huge problem!" insisted Keiichi. "He can have all of Tokyo's police after him… And what's gonna happen if they manage to catch up to him?"
"Maybe Tokyo will have a sudden visit from a huge lizard," joked Megumi, before she started to think about it and turned to her sister-in-law. "He… can't do that, right?"
Tilting her head, Belldandy seemed unsure for a while. "I believe that something of that scale might be a bit too much for his capabilities, although, the actual specifications are classified. Should I ask Lind?"
"Never mind. Something tells me that I don't want to know," said Megumi. "Uh… Kei-chan... Do you deal with this sort of things too often?"
"More than you'd ever imagine," said Keiichi dryly. "You may need to try some great antacid tablets that I found a few years ago. Other than that… Welcome to my life…"
XXX
Cruising at high speed, Excalibur was estimating the best route for arriving at his destination. However, with the bus being much slower than him, the synthetic wondered if that was advisable. Since the group would take a short tour through Tokyo, that would further delay their arrival at the hot springs resort, he was debating whether to follow them along or wait for them to join him at the end of their trip.
Of course, there was also the possibility of spending some time driving around the area in an effort to get the experience of the 'journey' as Ansuz had aptly put it. Deciding to go for that instead, the shape shifter accelerated even more until the sound of sirens could be heard behind him. Not particularly concerned, he kept going under the false impression that it had nothing to do with him, although, the incessant noise caused the sentient weapon to reconsider his initial evaluation and upon further processing, he changed lanes to test if the police cruiser would do the same.
Realizing that this was indeed the case, Excalibur searched for a reason assuming that it was unlikely that they'd managed to figure out that his license plates were fake, at least not this soon. Checking his estimated speed, he suddenly detected the source of the problem; his current configuration was measuring that particular variable in miles per hour, instead of the metric equivalent that was used in Japan. As such, it was no wonder why they were upset with him, since he was clearly going a lot faster than he was supposed to, a fact that baffled the analytical part of his mind.
'That's totally unacceptable. I must run a couple of diagnostics as soon as possible and determine the cause of this error. In the meanwhile, it's for the best to shake them off...'
And thus one of the most bizarre car chases in the history of Tokyo's police department had started.
XXX
Seated in a restaurant in Ginza, the group had decided to take a break from their tour. So far they've visited the Imperial Palace, the Koishikawa Botanical Garden and of course the Tokyo Tower, one of the city's most famous landmarks.
"So, where to, next?" asked Keiichi glancing over at Frigg who had been the trip's unofficial organizer.
"Hm… I cannot say that I've decided yet. We can certainly go to one more location before we head to the spa," replied the elder goddess trying some of her rather expensive sushi.
"Let's go to Akihabara!," suggested the overly enthusiastic Skuld, making Urd snigger at her.
"You just want to buy a truckload of manga, don't you?" asked the Norn of the past. "Why don't we just spend some more time shopping here?"
"I second that!" added Peorth with a hopeful expression.
"Unlikely. We're going to spend too much time and we'll just end up going straight back to Nekomi once we're done," said Lind. "The whole point of the trip was to go to some hot springs."
"I'll have to agree to that, maybe we can do Skuld a favor and visit that district. Then we can head to our actual destination," added Ansuz, much to her youngest daughter's delight.
"I must admit that it's the best option, too," said Belldandy, trying to make her little sister happy. "After all, most of you went for shopping not that long ago."
Seeing no reason to oppose her, the rest of the group nodded and then returned back to their lunch, occasionally pausing for some small talk between bites. Overall, it's been a fairly uneventful trip much to Keiichi's surprise, since he had been used to a lot more drama going on whenever they did something together. And given the number of goddesses present, the sheer potential for chaos was simply too much for the young mechanic to handle if anything went out of control.
"Say, Kei-chan... This feels like… How should I put it? Normal?" said Megumi, trying to keep her voice down a bit.
"Well, it's not like we have to deal with crazy stuff all the time, you know," replied Keiichi with a shrug. "It's true that strange things happen around us, but thankfully, we get a break every now and then."
"No, I mean eating together like this. It's not any different from what I'd imagine if we had a normal lunch," said Megumi.
"Oh! Just because they're goddesses that doesn't mean everything they do involves magic in one way or another," said Keiichi with a chuckle. "Don't worry, you'll get used to it."
"If you say so…" Taking a moment to observe them, it was true that they acted just like a big family and their friends having lunch together. Sure, she still had trouble to accept that none of them were human, but, they seemed a bit less alien to her when they acted like that. The sound of screeching tires in the distance did attract her attention and for a moment, Megumi looked over her shoulder towards the restaurant's facade to determine the cause, only to find nothing. "Hey, did you hear that, Kei-chan?"
"Huh?... Now that you mention it, I did. I wonder what…" Before he could finish, the sound of several police cars could be heard, with their characteristic sirens wailing as they chased their unknown target a few blocks away from them. Letting a sigh, the young mechanic reasoned that it wasn't something that uncommon for a big city like this and he returned to his lunch without much of a second thought. After all, it was rather rare to sample such a high quality tuna sushi, especially in a place like this where they even served it with Mecha tea, all prepared by a skilled chef. Thankfully, it was Frigg who covered the expenses, or he might've gotten a heart attack from the bill. "Nah… It's probably nothing too serious, Megumi. You know… big cities and crime go together."
"I think you're right… Still, it's a bit sad that your friend isn't here. This meal is really exceptional," said the younger Morisato with a smile. "No offense, Bell-chan."
"None taken, Megumi," replied the Norn of the present with her characteristic sweet tone. Her expression gradually changed into a worried one, as she noticed her husband's face lose all color for the second time in a single day. "Are you feeling alright? Want some water?"
"Belldandy! We need to find Excalibur! He's on the loose out there probably driving dangerously and the police are..." started the panicked mortal, as his blood pressure started to rise to a point where his angel had to intervene.
'Master… Take it easy and relax a bit, will you?' sent the symbiont over their link.
'Not now, Terrestrial Spark...' Turning his attention back to his wife, he was about to continue, when she shook her head.
"Don't worry about it, dear. Excalibur, like every other celestial AI is prohibited to act in any way that could harm innocents. It's simply part of their primary directives, so, your concerns are largely unfounded. Please relax and enjoy the meal, okay?" Her smile was so calming that, Keiichi had no other option than to agree with her and tried to follow her advice.
"Thanks Bell! Sometimes I wonder what I would've done without you," said the young mechanic as he convinced himself that he was probably just overreacting for no apparent reason.
'After all, she can't lie. Which means that, Excalibur can't do anything really dangerous. What a relief...'
XXX
"To all units, get that maniac!"
Tapping to the radio frequency that the police were using, Excalibur was slightly amused by their rather futile efforts to stop him so far. Granted, it might had been rather unfair for them to deal with him, given that the conventional spikes had no effect and his spacial awareness and reflexes were much better than a human's.
'I suppose I should put an end to this soon. At this rate one of them might get hurt and providing explanations might be rather problematic. In that case...' Taking a sharp left, the shape shifter headed straight to one of the roadblocks his pursuers had set up to stop him.
"Heh… We've finally cornered him." Smiling, officer Yamada knew that this chase was about to come to an end. Hiding behind the parked vehicles like the rest of the policemen, he watched the black sports car approach them at high speed.
"Um… I don't think that he's about to stop, sir." Blinking, Yamada noticed that his subordinate's observation was indeed true. Instead of decelerating, the car was actually doing the exact opposite, approaching them at an alarming speed. Running out of the way, they attempted to take cover from what was going to be a rather nasty collision. However, the sound of tires hitting hard on the asphalt behind them made everyone look at the rather impossible sight; that thing had somehow went past the barricade without scratching anything.
'Did it jump over the obstacle? How?!... Now what are going to tell to the chief?...' wondered Yamada, although the car was nowhere to be seen anymore.
XXX
"Just one more store!"
Letting out a sigh, Keiichi simply nodded at Skuld, not wanting to disappoint the delighted young goddess. Despite the fact that her mother was already carrying two whole bags packed with manga, the Norn of the future wanted more.
"Are you sure, Skuld? Those seem like an awful lot to me," said Ansuz, wondering why her daughter found those illustrated books to be so interesting.
"It's not my fault, mom! Peorth keeps stealing my collection!" said the little goddess as she pointed at the offending party.
"You're confiscating her books?" asked Lind, making the wish granter even more nervous.
"I… I needed them for some… research and… things happened and I might've forgotten to return them," tried Peorth, finding it very difficult to avoid telling the truth without admitting her guilt. After all, it was true that she took her entire collection after her initial visit at the temple, and to make matters worse, she even 'borrowed' a few more volumes during her occasional vacations.
"Says you. As a first class goddess… no, as a Valkyrie candidate this sort of behavior is totally unacceptable," said Lind, shaking her head. "You'll have to return the contraband as soon as possible."
"Okay! I will as soon as we… Wait a second? Who's a Valkyrie candidate?" asked the baffled Peorth, even though she had a feeling that she didn't want to know the answer. "I haven't submitted a request to acquire the license."
"Why not? As I've told you before, you can make the cut and besides, you don't need to actually become one if you don't want. Just get the necessary license, like Belldandy did." Knowing the rose goddess' competitive streak, Lind was certain that she had effectively brought her into a situation where refusing the offer would also mean that the other wish granter was better than her.
"You know… I might as well do just that." Despite the fact that it was an obvious trap, Peorth's pride would've never allowed her to back off when she was presented with such a challenge.
"Excellent, I'll submit the necessary application after we return back to the temple," said Lind with a smile. After all, getting recruits was hard these days and the warrior was more than happy to convince even someone like Peorth to give it a try and go through the basic training.
Meanwhile, the rose goddess really hoped that the hot springs were going to calm her nerves, as she had a feeling that the Valkyrie who was going to be her mentor would be none other than her blue haired friend. 'That's it, I'm dead. What have I gotten myself into?'
Walking inside one of the biggest stores so far, the group was rather impressed with the wide variety of available products one could purchase. Manga and anime were obviously the main focus, however, there were also a lot of cosplay props as well as collective figurines.
"Look at those little statues," said Belldandy with a smile. "How adorable!"
"That's a very nice way to put it," commented Ansuz taking a closer look at the shelves. "Most of them are scantily clad women with… enhanced proportions."
Before Urd had the chance to say anything, Frigg placed her hand on her shoulder and shook her head in a disapproving manner. With Skuld and Peorth over at the manga section, along with Lind who claimed that she wanted to keep an eye on the wish granter, should her kleptomaniac tendencies returned, Urd felt utterly bored. It was then that she noticed Laguz's stunned look as she stared at one of the figurines. "What's up? Found anything interesting?"
"Morgan…" breathed the blonde in disbelief.
"Huh? Who?" asked the confused Norn of the past.
"This is Morgan le Fay, a first class Earth Spirit. What is she doing here?" Almost afraid to pick her up, the goddess of the Lake barely touched the figurine and immediately backed away as if it burned her skin. "This is a container! She's sealed inside it!"
Checking for herself, Urd confirmed that there was a powerful spell placed on the small statue and her curiosity got the better of her. "Who is she?"
"One who had crossed paths with mortals and eventually fall in love with one of them. Unfortunately, due to the conflict and unrest at that point of time, her partner met an untimely demise and she wanted to extract revenge from all the factions that were involved in his death," explained Ansuz with a sigh. "We couldn't allow a first class Earth Spirit run amok in the mortal realm no matter her reasons, so, we sent someone to guide a mortal in hopes that he could deal with her. That god was none other than your uncle, Loki."
"Wait a moment! What about the Test? Wasn't she subjected to it, in the first place?" asked Urd.
"That happened during the time we were negotiating that measure with the demons, so there was no requirement for her to pass it," said Ansuz. "I think the rest of those events created that popular story, several decades after they took place. Still, I wasn't aware of her ultimate fate."
"Me neither… I've assumed that, Mer-... I mean Loki had killed her," said Laguz, with a sad tone. "At the time, I didn't have much sympathy for her, but… I don't really know anymore. Not that I would've ever justified her actions no matter what happened."
"That's terrible… Shouldn't we take her back with us?" suggested Belldandy, much to the group's shock. "We can't just leave her here, it's wrong."
"Are you sure we want to have someone like her with us? I mean… what if she escapes and does anything?" asked Keiichi, fearing yet another dangerous incident.
"Actually, it would be for the best if we keep her. It's far too dangerous to leave her at the hands of unsuspecting mortals who think that she's a harmless statue," said Frigg, in an attempt to settle this matter. "A single Earth Spirit cannot do much against us, so, I believe that we'll have to… purchase this figurine."
Returning to the main group, Skuld and the other two goddesses noticed the rather serious atmosphere and wondered what happened during their absence. "Hey, what's wrong everyone?"
"Nothing important," said Urd dismissively. "If you're done, we should probably move on and finally get to those hot springs."
"Sure thing, we've got everything we need," replied Skuld, pointing at Lind who had volunteered to carry the stack of manga for them.
"Indeed! It was a most fruitful detour!" added Peorth with a big smile.
"Excellent, then let's pay for everything and head back to the minibus," said Frigg, carefully picking the figurine, leading the group towards the counter.
'I'll have to ask Loki for more details about her, but, that can wait. For now, let's make sure that the girls have some fun.'
XXX
"Greetings, we've got a reservation for a group of eleven. I had to travel separately, so, I was wondering if they've already arrived."
Looking up from her desk, the resort's receptionist checked the computer screen next to her. "Not at the moment, I'm afraid. Would you like to wait for them or head to your pool? As requested, we've got one a large one prepared for you."
"I'll wait for…" started the synthetic, before he heard the familiar voices of the goddesses as they entered the resort, followed by Keiichi and Megumi who were apparently arguing about something. "Never mind, I'll join them."
"Come on Kei-chan! Be a man and just do it! There's nothing wrong with sharing a tub with family, after all. Not to mention that, Bell-chan's going to be disappointed if you chicken out," insisted the younger Morisato.
"It's not that simple, Megumi! This isn't nearly as private as I'd like, I mean… everyone's here!" objected Keiichi. "We're going to be the center of attention!"
"Okay, I'll admit that you've got a point there, but still…" Letting a tired sigh, she tried to come up with something to convince her stubborn brother. Noticing the sentient weapon, she realized that he might've been a much better candidate if what she heard during the tour was true. Waving at him, the brunette hoped that this living computer of sorts would be able to persuade Keiichi, one way or another. 'This is so strange… An intelligent, shape shifting weapon. Kinda feels like something from a science fiction show.'
Approaching them, Excalibur offered them a nod, glancing over at the goddesses who were already at the receptionist's desk and asking about their reservation. "Is there any problem?"
"Yea, you see, Keii-.." started Megumi, only to be interrupted by her brother.
"Never mind that! What happened? Did you encounter any problems on your way here?" As they weren't the only customers of the resort, Keiichi was rather unwilling to bring the word 'police' into the discussion, fearing that anyone who happened to listen to them would've gotten the wrong impression. Worse, it could attract some attention and since the majority of them weren't even humans, the mechanic wanted to avoid that at any cost.
"Nothing that was particularly problematic for me," replied the synthetic in his typically monotonous voice, which in this occasion actually made Keiichi think that he had been worrying for no reason.
"That's a relief…" breathed Keiichi, while his sister rolled her eyes and tried again. "As I was about to say, Kei-chan doesn't want to bathe with the rest of us."
"We only have a single pool reserved and that leaves little room for negotiations. Given the number of the customers I've seen here, it's safe to assume that most of the remaining pools are being used and that simply means that you'll have to share it with total strangers. I fail to see how that's an improvement," said Excalibur, attempting to eliminate all his arguments.
"B-But… They're going to be naked… and…" stammered Keiichi, trying hard to explain himself. "I mean… we can use towels, but I know for sure that some of them won't."
"That still doesn't negate the fact that your mother-in-law happens to be present, and disappointing her daughter is highly inadvisable. That's without taking Frigg-sama into account and given how overprotective she becomes whenever her granddaughters are concerned, this is clearly a recipe for disaster," explained Excalibur, while he retrieved a small card from his jacket. "However, if you still desire to go along with your plan, please consider calling this god in advance and tell him that I sent you."
"Huh? Why?" asked the baffled mortal, staring at the runes on the card.
"My information is probably a bit out of date, but, I'm fairly certain that he's still one of the best boat makers in Asgard," explained Excalibur with what would've passed as a smile. "And before you ask, that's going to be used for your funeral pyre, should you insist on going with your naively misguided plan."
Returning the card with a grimace, Keiichi simply shook his head and headed towards the rest of the group. "Thanks but no thanks…"
Staring at him over his shoulder, the synthetic pocketed the card and turned to Megumi who was blinking in confusion. "Shall we go? They're all heading to the baths."
"Yeah… Although, that was probably an overkill, don't you think?" asked the mortal girl as she nervously followed him, realizing for the first time that they weren't joking when they told her that he was literally a living weapon.
"I have a lot of behavioral routines that would cover a lot of great values a person should possess and live by them," replied Excalibur. "Subtlety, however, isn't among them."
XXX
One of the requirements in most Japanese hot springs was that the customers would properly wash themselves prior getting into the pools, and for Keiichi that was provided him enough time to consider his options. Of course he had no desire to upset his wife and her relatives, but, given the number of goddesses present, it wasn't going to be easy for him to do this. In the past he would simply faint if things got a bit too exciting for him to handle, however, with the libido limiter gone, he had no way to avoid what was likely going to be a very embarrassing moment for him.
Aside from his dignity, Keiichi worried that his wife might not appreciate all the inevitable attention they'd get, especially from goddesses like Urd and Peorth who'd love to tease them and try to provide some 'assistance' with potentially explosive results in the most literal sense of the word. His only consolation was the bracelet, Tyr had given to his daughter which absorbed her excess energy and so far prevented any incidents.
Checking the towel that was wrapped around his hips for the fifth time, the mechanic was still worrying about the whole situation. After all, even if Excalibur was right, in the event that those so called 'love cupids' attempted anything funny, his mother-in-law and Frigg would be witnesses of the whole scene. 'That could possibly kill me, too!'
"Have you sanitized yourself for the next part?" asked Excalibur, approaching the nervous man, wearing a towel of his own. "Or is there something else you need?"
"Honestly? Right now, I'd love to dig a big hole on the ground and hide," was the flat reply.
"That's unnecessary. You're a Homo sapiens, not a Struthio camelus," pointed the synthetic out, much to Keiichi's confusion.
"Huh?"
"You're a human, not an ostrich," repeated Excalibur, opting to use the common names of the species involved instead of the scientific ones.
"Was that a joke?" asked Keiichi with a raised eyebrow, given Excalibur's otherwise stoic nature.
"It would probably classify as sarcasm, I believe. The only joke is your reluctance," explained the shape shifter, grabbing the shorter man's torso and lifting him effortlessly. "We're already 39.8 seconds off schedule and my internal task management runtimes are not happy at all."
"Hey! Put me down!" complained Keiichi. "I'm not a kid or something!"
Despite his protests, the synthetic paid no attention to him and continued walking down the hallway heading towards their destination. Opening the sliding door with his foot, he simply marched up to the edge of water and unceremoniously dumped the annoyed mortal inside the pool.
"That was absolutely humiliating…" muttered Keiichi, trying to make himself comfortable, after being treating in such a crude manner.
Offering nothing but silence, the sentient weapon walked up to the middle of the pool where he simply sat down, enjoying the somewhat nostalgic feeling of being submerged in water, even if it didn't cover him completely. "This is rather enjoyable."
Hearing the door open, Keiichi felt a wave of relief as he spotted Belldandy, Skuld and his sister all wearing towels as they approached him. Thankfully a few of them had the common sense to realize that a few measures were necessary in order to avoid putting him in a rather embarrassing situation. "Hey, over here! The water's perfect!"
"Look at you, Kei-chan! For someone who was so reluctant, you sure didn't waste any time before you jumped into the pool," laughed Megumi.
"It's not like I had a choice…" grumbled Keiichi, staring at the quiet synthetic.
"Don't fret, dear. This is probably for the best," said Belldandy as she sat right next to him, setting a tray with a sake bottle and a few cups at the edge of the pool behind them. "It would've been sad if you had to be all alone while the rest of us had fun."
'Don't blow him up… Happy thoughts… Ice cream... ' Old habits made the young goddess fidget as she sat next to Megumi, wanting to give the couple a bit more distance and in her case someone to keep her mind occupied in order to avoid any unnecessary property damage.
As if on cue, the biggest of distractions entered the poor area, with Urd and Peorth leading the way, and the rest following right behind them. While nobody was surprised to find out that neither of those two were wearing a strip of clothing, the fact that the remaining goddesses had done the same was more than enough to cause several heads to tilt at an awkward angle.
"Mother?! Grandmother?!" choked the shocked Norn of the present, while her younger sister was doing a very believable impression of a fish, based on the way she kept opening and closing her mouth, yet making no sound.
"Oh, there you are, Bell-chan. Do you like it here?" asked the elder goddess, not particularly worried about anything, unlike Lind and Laguz who exchanged a glance as they noticed the odd looks they were receiving.
Meanwhile, Ansuz was already standing next to her youngest daughter and giggled when she saw the little Norn wearing her towel inside the water. "Skuld-chan… You shouldn't get your towel all wet. That's to dry ourselves afterward…"
"No we're not! In a situation like this, it's to hide our… you know… Just like a swimsuit," said the embarrassed goddess, pointing at Megumi. "Look, she's wearing one, oneesama is doing the same and that goes for Keiichi and Excalibur, too. Who told you it's okay to walk in like that?"
"Uh… Urd-chan did…" said Ansuz, realizing her folly. "I should've known! Urd! Come here this instance! You're in deep trouble young lady!"
"Sorry! I forgot something in the changing room!" said the eldest of the Norns as she bolted past the Valkyrie and the blonde who would've most likely want a few additional explanations.
"Did we just got deceived?" asked the horrified Laguz.
"Seems that way to me. It's a bit too late to fix the damage, though. We've been exposed... and by that I don't mean our positions…" replied Lind with a groan, before turning to Peorth. "And you! What's that all about, cadet? You could've said something before we got here!"
"I assumed you knew!" countered the rose goddess.
"That's one extra week of training! At least that's what's gonna take to trusting you with a potato gun, soldier! Then we'll discuss about an actual axe…" said Lind narrowing her eyes dangerously. "Now let's go and soak a bit. We should be fine as long as we hide most of our bodies beneath the water."
"Yes ma'am…" was the unenthusiastic reply, as Peorth started to regret her decision to even take up that stupid challenge. 'One extra week?... Give me a break!'
Walking up to her fuming daughter-in-law, Frigg placed a hand on her shoulder forcing her to take a seat. "Please relax, dear. You know that, Urd-chan meant no harm with that prank of hers."
"That's not the point! Sometimes she really does those things and!... I don't know what to do with her!" said Asgard's second in command, throwing her hands in the air in frustration. "I've done everything and she's still acting like that."
"I must admit that she got more than just her mother's looks. However, I'd rather have her release her energy in such a harmless manner instead of bottling it up inside her, until it reaches a critical point," said Frigg, pouring sake on her cup, before offering some to her daughter-in-law. "Besides, I think it's something good for you as well."
Taking the cup and sampling the rice wine, Ansuz wondered what her mother-in-law was now getting at. "What's that supposed to mean? I don't see how that's related with me."
"In a manner of speaking you're too… reserved for one of your age, my child. A fine goddess like yourself shouldn't admit defeat that easily," said Frigg, trying to find the best way to express her thoughts, considering that her granddaughter was also present. "So, reaffirming your appeal once in a while can do wonders for your confidence and self esteem. Trust me on that."
Choking on her sake, Ansuz was tempted to run a scan at the elder goddess, in order to make certain that she wasn't some impostor. "What in Asgard's name are you talking about?!"
"That accursed nickname the lord of Muspelheim had given you. I may respect his fighting skills and his devotion to Hild, but… calling a beautiful goddess such as yourself, an 'ironing board' was far too inconsiderate even for someone like him," said Frigg with a pout.
"Even if that's true, I fail to see why the opinion of a numbskull should dictate how I dress or behave," countered Ansuz.
Letting out a sigh, Frigg tried to approach the subject from a different perspective. "Look, I'm sorry if I seem too pushy and demanding to you. I'm fully aware that none of that is truly my business, however, I've been in your position before and I know that your post is a rather important one. After a while, you start to lose much of your energy and slowly turn into yet another cog in a machine that's called 'bureaucracy,' although it happens so slowly that you won't probably realize it before it's too late."
"It's not that I don't know all that, mother. I personally think that I'm handling it a bit better than Tyr," replied Ansuz with a shake of her head. "It's been a very long time since he got some vacations, to be honest. But, I get your point and I'll try to relax a bit while I'm here."
"That's the spirit!" said Frigg with a smile, offering her daughter-in-law another cup of sake. "Here, have some more."
"Don't mind if I do."
Looking at the whole exchange, Megumi couldn't help but scratch her head. 'And I thought that my parents were strange… Oh well… at least they've got a sense of humor, I guess.''
XXX
Several minutes after the whole 'towel debacle,' everyone had finally relaxed and decided to leave the whole matter behind them, focusing on whatever each of them found to be an interesting topic for a conversation. Even Urd, who had to hide for a while was now happily soaking right next to a rather uncomfortable Keiichi, despite his previous attempts to keep Belldandy between them.
Worse, unlike his initial expectations, his wife wasn't actually wearing her bracelet and the possibility of a full blown jealousy storm amidst a busy onsen was a truly scary, but realistic possibility. As such, the dark haired mechanic kept checking his distance from Urd, making sure that she wouldn't bump into him, intentionally or not.
'Master, I strongly recommend you to stop doing that,' said Terrestrial Spark over his link he shared with his host.
'I have to! Belldandy's right next to us, and if she tries anything, the whole place can blow up!' replied Keiichi.
'No you don't! The way you're doing it almost looks like as if you're checking on her chest,' insisted the angel. 'That's most likely going to cause an even worse reaction from Belldandy, compared to a mere accident.'
"Keiichi?"
Shaking his head, the mortal turned to his wife who was apparently trying to get his attention while he was occupied with his own thoughts. "Yes, Belldandy?"
"Could you go and get a refill?" asked the Norn of the present, lifting the now empty glass of sake. "Neesan really drank it in no time."
"Sure thing, Bell! I'll be right back!" said Keiichi, leaving the two sisters alone for a moment.
"It's rather unlike yourself to send you husband away," said Urd, watching the dark haired man's departing form. "What's up?"
"You're leaving tomorrow." There was no sign of doubt in the brunette's tone and for a few seconds, the half goddess studied her sister, only to find that unreadable expression of hers.
"That's the plan. I guess you know me better than I thought," said Urd with a tiny smile. "But, I've got a feeling that there's more to it than that. What's eating you, sister?"
"I cannot say for certain. At first, I was under the impression that, Skuld would've the most trouble to deal with this whole situation, but… I suppose I overestimated myself," admitted Belldandy, looking down at the water. "I'm aware that I've got Keiichi and everyone else staying with me, however, I cannot deny that the house's going to feel rather empty without you."
Giving her middle sister a sideways glance, Urd smirked and leaned closer to her, much to her sibling's confusion. "Empty, huh? Say… You're not trying to call me fat, do you?"
"What? Of course not!" answered the startled goddess, before she realized that it was merely a joke and started laughing together with her fellow Norn.
"That's more like it! Take your own advice and try to stay positive, okay?" said Urd with a big smile. "That frown looks terrible on your face."
"Yes!" was the brunette's enthusiastic reply.
However, while the goddess of the present wasn't looking, Urd snapped her fingers and immediately grabbed her half empty cup of sake, attempting to appear as if she was innocent.
Meanwhile, Keiichi who had just returned with the refilled bottle of booze, stumbled upon something that felt like a dump towel. 'Who put that there?'
That's when he noticed the slight breeze carrying the warm and humid air from the pool and it wasn't long before the horrid realization hit him; it was his towel. 'Why me?'
"Keiichi, you big pervert!" Skuld's shriek had caused the rest of the group to turn towards the momentarily stunned man, with a variety of expressions that ranged from mild amusement to genuine shock.
Covering her daughter's eyes, Ansuz prevented the little deity from hurling the bomb she was currently aiming at the poor mortal who was attempting to retrieve his towel and failing terrible as his hands almost refused to work properly, ending up in a display that resembled one of those crane games at the arcades. "Get a hold of yourself, Skuld!"
"I will! After I blow him up!" said the goddess of the future, struggling to free herself from her mother's grasp. "Let go of me!"
"No! You saw enough as it is!" replied Ansuz. "Mother! Get that explosive from her!"
"Okay, just stay calm and don't make any sudden movements," said Frigg, trying to put an end to that scene before they attracted way too much attention. 'There! Now, try to make some happy thoughts."
At that time, Peorth was studying the two goddesses next to her, and while she wasn't terribly surprised to notice the blush on Laguz's face, Lind's amused expression was somewhat out of character for the otherwise reserved Valkyrie. "This is a bit… unlike you, Lind What gives?"
"Well, I must admit that everyone's reactions are rather… funny. It's not often to see such calm and collected goddesses act in this manner," said Lind turning to the rose goddess. "Why? Should there be any other reason?"
Before she could reply, the lights went out, leaving the entire area around the onsen in total darkness. For most of the mortals it was just a regular blackout, although, for the goddesses present it was the byproduct of a Norn's silent rage.
'Oops… Maybe that was a terrible idea, after all.' Staying perfectly still, Urd barely glanced at her side to where her sister was, a glowing orb hovering above her palm while she stared at her trouble making sibling.
"That was totally unnecessary." As the brunette's frown started to subside, she let out a long sigh. "You always do such frustrating things…"
"I'm sorry... I just wanted to ease up the tension a bit," apologized the half goddess. "I won't do it again!"
"I know… and while I don't approve your method, I must admit that it was slightly… funny," said Belldandy with a hint of a smile.
"Y-You're not angry?" asked Urd in confusion. "Then what was that energy release?"
"Uh… I didn't do it…" said the brunette goddess, looking around the pool for the culprit, only to find that nearly everyone else was doing the same. "Wait… you don't think that it was…"
Turning towards their youngest sister, the two sisters noticed the rather proud smile on her face, while Ansuz and Frigg shared a look, before the latter offered the former a shrug.
"Looks like the kid found a new power…" muttered Urd shaking her head. "Boy, she's going to be so much fun from now on…"
"Well… We all knew that it was only a matter of time before she became even stronger. Although… I don't think that she had actually jumped from a simple graffiti spell to what must've fried all nearby electronics… This looks more like an accidental magic discharge to me than a new ability." Scratching her chin nervously, Belldandy hoped that this was simply an isolated event probably boosted by her stress build-up from the last couple of days. "At any rate, let's leave her calm down for a bit and we'll figure things out once we're back home."
"You know how it is… There's never a dull moment around us..."
AN: I would like to thank everyone that has offered their feedback and support both here and on the Goddess Relief site.
There are a few things that I'd like to note for this chapter.
To begin with, I know that in the process of making it, I had to make the decision that a lot of things were going to be left out of it. The group's tour of Tokyo in particularly was far less detailed than I'd probably would've preferred, but, it covered the essential parts that I wanted to include. The rest would've just inflated the chapter and turn it into a two parter for no apparent reason and as such, I avoided it.
Another thing about the Tokyo visit, is that this is supposed to take place in mid 90's. As such, the Tokyo Skytree, the city's tallest tower didn't exist at that point, leaving the popular Tokyo Tower as one of the obvious destinations.
Sushi may seem to be a rather popular type of food, however, there are many different varieties of it and based on the quality of and type of the fish, prices can be very different for each one of those options. Obviously, the restaurant that, Frigg took them offered some really expensive sushi, not the type Keiichi would've normally eaten. Also, Mecha tea is a variety of green tea that, Japanese restaurants serve with the meal. It has nothing to do with what most people with think by the word mecha (robots, machines, etc).
For those who haven't realized it, the choice for Excalibur's vehicle form was based on KITT from the TV series Knight Rider. Something about having an AI being a car made me think that it would've been one of the best options, so I went for that.
Morgan le Fay… Where should I even start? I'm fully aware that her name will remind everyone of the Movie, but… she's unrelated to that particular plot. Given that, Morgan was part of the Arthurian legend and I already have the Lady of the Lake (Laguz) and Excalibur in the story, I wanted to introduce her as well. While her physical form will be similar to the one she had in the Movie (since everyone is familiar with that), I'm not going to throw the rest of that plot into this story. Morgan has her own backstory and despite some similarities with what we've seen in her Movie counterpart, she's also based to the original version to a certain degree. In other words, I'm not adapting the AMG movie into the story.