[Normal P.O.V]
Camilla spat red liquid out of her mouth, but the blood didn't belong to her. She had accidentally caught a spurt of blood after she drove her knives in one of the enemies' skulls—she just had to yell out a battle cry before doing it, unaware of the consequences nor the fluid she was about to taste. After yanking her blades away from the flesh of her victim, she peered over the surface of the beach, scrunching her nose up in repugnance at the battle before her. They've been at this for a while and it's certainly dealt some damage to the division's stamina.
While they may have dominated the entire battle, their enemy is slowly picking their limited numbers off one by one, draining their energy and morale until their only mindset is to fight until they drop. It's not helping that most of their equipment had been ransacked and destroyed, leaving them with what's left and even if that's enough to survive the battle, it won't last long. There's no doubt that they'll send another wave at them until there's nothing but rotting flesh and maimed corpses all over the beach.
However, Camilla is pretty confident that they'll be able to hold on for a couple more waves before they drop. She just hopes that there's enough time for reinforcements to arrive—although she's very reluctant to believe that there will be, despite Shatter's confident speech that the UN will provide some back-up soon. Camilla's not sure if the shield will forever hold, but at least everyone knows what will happen if it does break soon. A simple taste of slaughter and chaos at their division woke them up into reality; this is still a war and people are bound to die. It just had to take a hundred of them to be disintegrated for them to remember.
But there are a few people who have always known this and refused to forget the grim reminder, other than her. One of them is their powerful chief that wielded his serpent-like chains with precise accuracy all across the sandy dunes of the battlefield, piercing through flesh and metal alike. The bear of a man has always been shrouded by mystery. He was appointed leader by the UN, opted to start an entire agency built from the dirt that rose to be one of the strongest organizations in the world. He has been the chief for over 50 years and yet, not a single person knows where he came from or who he is. Nonetheless, they follow him into battle because he's done nothing but fulfill all of his promises.
Another is currently wading through the forces of their enemies with a single knife, sneakily puncturing their vital sections with a poison-coated blade; Cutthroat, the chief's right-hand man and basically the professor of all things needed to learn about the history and future of Drakos. He is as equally enigmatic as the chief, but he isn't as adamant to reveal a few snippets of his past life, much to Camilla and her uncontrollable curiosity's delight. Formerly an assassin turned one of the dogs of the government before landing in a position where his skills as perfectly used and his freedom isn't limited by an oppressive overseer. Of course, a person who was practically born in the streets would know what it would be like to be surrounded by death.
The last one is the least surprising as she broke through another shield wall with her bare body, slamming against the metal barriers and practically crushing their skulls with her axe single-handedly. Astrid, another victim of this world's cruelty, summoned the weight of her burdens and anger before slamming it at a poor Egyptian warrior who failed to notice the burning wrath of the former general. A permanent scowl adorned her face, even deeper than usual. But Camilla knows all too well what the reason is—and that reason is currently slicing through an entire squad of Italian mobsters, the ridiculous Halloween mask concealing his face but his identity is known to a select few who were smart enough to realize.
Hayden, as Camilla remembers, always has some impeccable timing that would always result in a bad omen, whether it would be himself, his foes, or his loved ones. This time, it could apply to all three and it's obviously bothering the auburn vigilante enough to drive him to the edge of slaughtering everything in his path. Blood spilled over his garments like a cape, coating him with the fluids of his enemies and the banes of his existence-well, at least currently. Camilla witnessed the man perform a brutal fatality that would even give Noob Saibot a run for his money; ripping the jaw out of one of his foes and then slamming it against the same man's skull before embedding it in his chest.
Violence; all she saw was violence and savagery that's utterly uncharacteristic for him to do. Even in his Night Fury days, Camilla always thought that a person like him wouldn't be able to even shoot a person, but now he's creating mortalities more vicious than serial killers. When she first met him, he was a bit on the lanky side and his cold demeanor was less than before. But he proved that assumption to be wrong after he used his stick-like body to defeat her team with a pole. It was both unreal and utterly amazing. She could still remember those frostbite-ensuring emeralds piercing through her soul, sending a thousand bugs to creep down her spine.
But even with that, she still couldn't believe that he was a violent person. Cold; yes, but never violent. She could still remember when he still had a very subtle lighthearted tone about him that quickly fall to an icy desert after failing to save one of her teammates, Ryker Grimborn. What made it even worse was when his brother, Viggo, acted like it was nothing while Hayden wallowed in guilt and regret that slowly morphed him into a deadly, composed assassin that they came to remember before he allegedly died.
Camilla would like to think that the Demon Killer persona is what he would've become six years ago if it weren't for Shatter and Drakos. But after losing those memories and experiences, this is the product of pain and suffering without any underlying support for him to rely on. The same pain he unintentionally subjected Astrid to after he sacrificed himself in that cloning plant, leaving her with two children and a lingering promise that came in the form of her wedding necklace that she now held in a drawer, tightly kept away from her sight and thoughts.
But it seems that the gods love tormenting the mortals of Midgard and their cruelty came in the form of the Demon Killer, the long-lost love of the blonde agent. But their wickedness proved to be boundless after they decided to take away the precious memories of her husband, leaving him as a clueless, vicious shell of what he used to be her best friend and love of her life. Now, not only did she lose him, she'll have to suffer by walking on this earth while knowing that another person has taken the body of her husband and living a different life somewhere unbeknownst. It's a tragedy that no person should ever experience, especially someone who didn't deserve it.
However, Camilla would like to believe otherwise. She thinks that Hayden has a chance of retrieving his memories and reverting to his old self. He has already shown signs of buried memories and instincts that drew him to his past life; herself being a concrete example. Although he may be a little oblivious to things that may bring confusion, Camilla thinks-no, believes that subconsciously, he is aware of certain remnants that would lead him to his memories. He just needs a small push in the right direction.
But judging by his troubled attitude, it seems that he's slowly getting there. Their reunion must've bothered him enough that he's utterly confused as to what is going on. 'Astrid must've said something that really sunk in him.' Camilla thought as she avoided a spray of bullets
In a fluid motion, the wild blonde thrust her knife into the air, allowing it to fly off her fingers and zip through the air. It traveled in a blinding speed before halting after it caught the meaty flesh of the enemy gunner; the serrated blade digging deeper in his muscles and tissue until his body and life gave out, causing the man to drop to the sand. Camilla walked over to the corpse and retrieved her knife, wiping the blade across her wrapped forearm to discard the blood.
Taking a glance at her right, she spotted Astrid hacking her way through the ranks of Egyptian warriors. Blood sprayed across the air, turning the sky crimson as the former general continued swinging precise and fatal strikes at her opponents, Bodies dropped faster than she could move, piling on top of each other as Astrid carelessly climbed over her self-made mountain to gain higher ground. The scowl on her face deepened, contorting into a sneer after she narrowly missed an arrow sailing over her head. It didn't take long for her to take care of the archer, relinquishing the use of the woman's arms, as well as her neck.
Camilla sighed, a frown decorating her battle-scarred but beautiful face. She's beginning to wonder if her friend's mental state could handle any more suffering. It's no question that Astrid is a strong woman, capable of putting up physical and emotional walls that are near impenetrable around herself to protect her well-being. But not even the strongest person alive is invincible; people have limits and cracks across their walls. Astrid's just unlucky enough that her Kryptonite always seems to show up in the worst time. Her walls have been built up again, but it was so battered and razed that it could barely stop a mere pebble from crossing.
Although the battle is still going on, she has to have a short talk with the blonde; one lost soul to another. Astrid has abandoned her defense to harness all of her offensive capabilities, leaving her open to unexpected attacks. Even though she's strong enough to defeat her enemies before they could harm her, there are still risks. Wading across her enemies, Camilla made her way towards the raging she-demon, carefully avoiding the bodies being carelessly thrown by Astrid herself.
Once she arrived at the scene, she provided some assistance by clearing the remaining Sleipnir folks, especially the ranged mobsters. Making sure to keep her mouth shut this time, Camilla aggressively shoves through their lines; boots digging against the powder-like sand and her blades slicing through the flesh of her enemies. Although she isn't as brutal as Astrid's fight style nor is she as savagely clean as Hayden's, she did her job smoothly and quietly. The unsuspecting mobsters were unfortunate to meet her serrated blades before even realizing it.
Before she knew it, mangled bodies and bent weapons riddled the surface of the beach with two blondes left standing. The taller one stood on top of a miniature hill composed of her victims; her eyes staring across the horizon with a dead gaze. The fire in her eyes has long been extinguished, leaving nothing buts its charred and ashy remains in her irises. Her axe was coated with crimson but Astrid made no move to wipe it off.
With a sigh, Camilla glanced at the mourning woman in sympathy. "Astrid, we need to talk." She said, beckoning her towards her but she remained motionless, not even sparing a glance at her friend.
Another deep sigh escaped her lips. Camilla isn't dumb enough to miss the lost and empty look in her eyes and she isn't ignorant enough to test her patience. If she's going to have a civil conversation with her, she needs to approach him just as she did with Hayden. She could only guess that Astrid isn't exactly fond of her right now, especially after finding out that Camilla hid this information away from her. However, the wild blonde refuses to believe that it's the wrong choice to do so because if she had done so before, Astrid might've ended up as a hollow form of her friend earlier. It's best if she revealed it to her once things had calm down and she had been able to contact Hayden for a meeting.
But of course, the gods played with fate and destiny once more.
Stepping on one of the bodies to climb the hill of corpses, Camilla's face scrunched up into one of disgust as her boot created a squishy noise against the marred flesh. Albeit reluctantly, she used her gloved hand—fortunately—to grab one of the hands sticking out of the pile to pull herself up. Once she stood at her full height on top of the hill, which is still significantly shorter than Astrid, she regarded the woman with a silent glance before hesitantly speaking up.
"It's a mess," Camilla said bluntly, ignoring the pointed glare Astrid was sneakily aiming at her. "A strained relationship with your daughter; friends and colleagues dying all around us. But most of all, your husband is no longer like what he used to be. You must feel horrible..."
"Boggs, if you don't shut your mouth right now, I'll break your jaw and hang it over a cliff." came the seething voice of Astrid.
It's not the first time the blonde has made threats. It's practically her form of communication; violence, as well as irritation. But never has it felt so intimidating and real before, so much so that it caused a shiver to spark down Camilla's spine. She knows that Astrid won't really do that to her, but her voice over the years has only grown more menacing and stern to accompany her role as the general. This is the first time she felt the intense pressure of her aura as a high-ranking agent. This—is her true form, one that can rival the prowess of Shatter and Night Fury. It's no surprise that her presence dealt a great deal in the midst of battle.
Any normal person would cower under her words, but Camilla isn't surprised to see the dangerous aura around her friend's form, albeit being spooked at first. She always knew that she had it in her to be a very strong agent, even during her time as a recruit. No one would've been able to handle the bullying and torment Night Fury had subjected onto his recruits. But Astrid prevailed, even when the pressure the midnight warrior dealt on her was five times worse than normal. She survived and against all odds, she managed to snatch the same man as her husband.
If that isn't proof that she has gone a long way to reach her current position, then Camilla doesn't know what is.
However, just like she thought before, Astrid isn't perfect and she can't certainly hold onto this much baggage for too long. Besides, the blonde isn't aware of everything that leads up to this point. If she did, she might've actually given Hayden a chance instead of giving him up. But Camilla could understand why and even with the information that she had, there's no guaranteed answer that Hayden would retrieve his memories, but just as long as hope flickered, it would be enough.
"Hey, we need to talk. A proper one." Camilla spoke again but was met with an unnerving silence from the blonde as she aimlessly wandered her eyes across the battlefield. "Astrid, I know you're angry with me, but I need to—"
"Angry isn't the proper word to describe what I'm feeling." Astrid intervened, the cold tone in her voice caused the atmosphere to drop to a below zero temperature. "I feel betrayed, deceived, pissed, miserable... by the person who I thought I could fucking trust! You're right! I do feel horrible and guess what, motherfucker—YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS!" The blonde roared that nearly shattered the sound barrier. Camilla flinched, eyes bulging out of her sockets at the booming tone. The only things louder are the spates of explosions popping across the beach, courtesy to the few bombs left that the twins had devised.
But the look of shock soon turned into a stern frown after a careful reconsideration of the situation. "You can yell at me all you want but I need you to listen to me first," Camilla replied indignantly. Once she saw the sneer forming on Astrid's face, the wild blonde cut her off before the outburst came. "I need you to stick that pride and stubbornness up your ass just for this moment so I can tell you what you need to know about your husband!"
At the direct mention of the very sensitive subject she's trying to avoid, Astrid stiffened. For a short second, her anger melted away and a glimpse of her true feelings peeked over the ashen grounds in her irises. A tiny flicker of sapphire sparked in her eyes before she rebuilt her walls once more, covering it up with a hard gaze. "I don't need an explanation. I figured out everything and frankly, there's nothing you can say that can ease my frustrations." She scoffed derisively.
"Not even if I told you that there's a chance that he might get his memories?"
Camilla wanted to laugh at the indecorous stare the former general is giving her that she noticed from the corner of her eye. But she needs to keep this façade up so she can be taken seriously. Hiding her dry smirk, the wild blonde pressed her lips into a thin line and simply gazed out to the open, pretending to not notice the look of interest coming from Astrid. She hung her hands on the handles of her knives that are resting along her hips.
"What?" Astrid finally breathed out, her voice unusually softer but the tone of disbelief is evident.
"Yeah, if you would've known that earlier if you would've let me explain," Camilla replied sarcastically-which, in her current opinion, was probably not the best way to respond to an easily-tempered woman with a deadly axe in her hand that she's very capable of using and won't hesitate to swing it.
Just as she expected, a darker shade of her scowl dawned over her features. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that I can just snap out of my shock when my dead husband is STANDING IN FRONT OF ME!" Astrid exclaimed sardonically, lips curling up into a sneer that can rival Dagur's or Hayden's.
'She truly is her husband.' Camilla sighed inwardly. "Look, I'm sorry I hid it from you but I assure you, this is not how I wanted things to go. I wanted to tell you once I knew more about him. I only had a proper conversation with him earlier this morning!"
Astrid narrowed her eyes. "You met him? Then you decided NOT to tell me back at the chopper—when I fucking told you that Ezra apparently met him as well?! "
"Well, in my defense, you told me that you would probably kill him if it ended up to be true-which is exactly what you tried to do." The wild blonde smiled awkwardly.
A snarl escaped the former general's lips. "You double-crossing son of a bitch! I bet you were having fun, weren't you?! Knowing that I was breaking down while deliberately holding information that could've solved everything?! Was this some fucking sick joke to you? You should've told me and none of this shit would've happened!" Astrid cried out, fingers gripping the wooden handle of her axe with bone-crushing pressure.
"And then what? Would you have believed me? You didn't believe your own daughter, let alone someone like me! I'm practically the master of deception and you think you'll buy the shit I'll be saying, especially something this big and unbelievable?" Camilla retorted, equally growing frustrated at her friend's stubbornness.
"Well, now that you've shown your true colors, I guess you're right. I shouldn't have believed anything you said." Astrid derided, a pool of venom bubbling in her heart. "Gods, why does everyone take pleasure in lying to me. First, its Ezra's vigilantism, and now, you!"
Camilla blinked in surprise at her words. She contemplated that thought over and over again to make sure she heard right. "You knew?" But the moment she said those words, she tried to take them back but it's already too late. Camilla shut her eyes closed and bit her lip so hard, it almost drew blood. With a soft sigh of exasperation, she anticipated the outburst that's bound to come.
Unfortunately, her predictions were true, and soon enough, Astrid registered her words, and a thunderous glare shattered across the moonlight, pulled out of the boiling pots of scorching lava in her azure eyes. "What?" She hissed out, threateningly taking a step forward as her entire body trembled in rage.
Tired of all the lies and the fact that the cat is finally out of the bag, Camilla has no intention of hiding behind the drapes of deception no longer. "Fine, I also knew about Ezra but can you please just listen to me?" She pleaded, but the former genera; showed no signs of cooperating; regarding her traitor of a friend with a stoic expression.
When she thought nothing could be worse than this, Camilla decided to prove her wrong and show her scales right in front of her. Astrid admires her courage but that's the last thought in her mind. She wanted nothing but to slap the everlasting shit out of her supposed friend, but she pulled the temptation back—she isn't that cruel. But nothing and no one can ever subside the boiling wrath pooling in her stomach. Everyone's lucky that Astrid's self-control and patience are stronger than they thought.
But all the lies and shock is threatening to push her over the edge. She couldn't take any of this any longer. If she stays and forces herself to listen to the cock and bull story that Camilla's spouting, she might not be able to hold herself back anymore. This past year has been nothing but a total disaster. Every major event that occurred broke through every level of her bullshit meter and it's quickly making its way up to the clouds. The dream of a peaceful has long been forgotten, even before Hayden supposedly died. That flicker of hope when she saw the love of her life died along with the memories of her husband.
Sparing what seemed to be one last sneer at her 'friend', Astrid turned away to leave but Camilla abandoned all humanity and summoned a whirlpool of bravery before grabbing the blonde by the shoulder and spinning her towards her face. The ex-pirate held onto her shoulders and focused her eyes at the blinking gaze of the former general, obviously catching her by surprise and momentarily shoving her anger back down. It's a risky move that could potentially get her ass whooped but it's a risk she's willing to take.
"I know that you hate me right now. But I can't let you go unless you promise me that you'll give Hayden a chance. Both of you are hopeless without each other, except Hayden isn't aware of that. Make sure he knows that!" Camilla said through clenched teeth, her gaze never leaving the prominent blue rings of Astrid's eyes; a bit vexed about the current situation and development. "He's just as lost as you are, Astrid. He just doesn't know that it's you who he's looking for. Deep inside your heart, I know you're still hoping that there's a possibility that he can come back and I'm here to tell you that it's true."
Astrid remained speechless for several seconds, taken aback by Camilla's powerful declaration. For a moment, the memory of the wild blonde's betrayal and the boiling wrath towards her seemed to have vanished, leaving her to wonder why she's so eager to push and Hayden back together. It baffled her mind, leaving her in a stuttering mess. "I- uh, what—" She stammered but Camilla intervened with a shocking question.
"Why did you give up so easily, Astrid?" She faced Astrid with a stern look. "Is it because he's the Demon Killer? A known vigilante, infamous for the murder of hundreds of crime lords and gangsters? Does the blood on his hands disgust you?"
A dark shadow loomed over the blonde's features. "I don't care about what he has done. He has done the same when he was Night Fury and it didn't bother me. If what he did disgust me, I'd be a fucking hypocrite." Astrid uttered in a low voice.
"He killed Heather and Shawn though. I suppose that angers you the most."
"It's... not... that..." Astrid forced out of her clenched teeth, hissing in silent rage over Camilla's attempt to break her walls. So far, it's working. "You said he lost his memories. Then you should know that it's an accident!" The blonde froze as she realized what Camilla's ploy is and she fell right into her trap. She was tricked into defending the person she's refusing to talk about in the first place. Sometimes, Astrid would forget that her friend is smarter and more cunning than she gives her for.
A mischievous grin broke across Camilla's face, much to the other blonde's irritation. "Exactly. So, what's wrong then? It seems that you understand him more than I do. What's keeping you away from him?"
"Ugh, why is this important to you all of a sudden?" Astrid exclaimed, evidently piqued at the current situation. Never has she been this eager to escape a conversation, except for the times she spoke with the Thorston twins about chicken, which caused Tristan to burst into tears.
"Because I want to remember what you say, right now," Camilla replied, matching the former general's intensity with her own hard gaze. "Why are you, Fearless Hofferson, scared of a mere guy?"
"Because he's not the same anymore!" Astrid cried out, cheeks flushed in anger and tears threatening to fall. "All of our time together! Our first meeting, our first friendship, our first kiss, our own fucking wedding! All of that is gone! He doesn't know me and it fucking hurts to see him treating me like a stranger when I'm supposed to his wife! You don't know how that feels! He's right there but for some shitty reason, I can't reach him!" A shaky breath escaped her lips as the blonde clenched her teeth, refusing to show weakness. "When I kissed him, it felt like kissing someone entirely different. When I looked at him, he didn't look back the same way. He's treating me like a stranger when all this time, he's a stranger to me as well. That man is just an empty shell of Hayden; someone who I never shared my precious time with and someone who..."
Her voice cracked and trailed away, unable to hold the insurmountable amount of emotions weighing down on her heart. She tore her gaze away from her friend and focused her stare across the shimmering horizon. The blood in her face pooled up, turning her cheeks fiery red as she held herself from crying. Cracks appeared on the surface of the wooden handle of her axe; muscles flexing on her arm. Pain pinched her heart, tugging the deepest strings of her ardor. It just hurts...
"Do you still love him?"
The blonde blinked, her anger retracting almost instantly at the sudden question. Confusion filled her head but the look on the ex-pirate's face told the entire story with one simple glance. She knows the answer to that question—and it's tired of being buried deep in her heart. It hammered against her chest, impatiently clawing its way out and Astrid wanted nothing but to let it out. So, why isn't she? She told this right in front of his face without a single hesitation and walked away just fine. Even Camilla knows the answer but she just wants to directly hear it from Astrid's mouth.
Is it because she's scared?
Scared to admit that her love for him is so strong that even through death and futility, it remained untouched and unwavering? Scared that the mere shell of her husband brought forth her ardor tenfold. But she shouldn't be—this isn't some shallow infatuation that somehow built itself up to an empty desire. No, ever since they were children, she had already held some deep affection towards him and it slowly developed into a burning passion that prompt her to scourge the entire surface of the world; just to find him after he had disappeared back in highschool.
Their bonds stretched deeper than a mere crush. They were best friends before they were lovers. The moments they shared have always been precious and heavier than Hayden's father's weight in gold. They held secrets that only they knew about each other and it served as a powerful remnant of their deep relationship. They have stated multiple times that no matter what happens, there will always be an Astrid and Hayden. These are the words she lived by and now does it only crawl its way up back in her heart to remind her that their bond is stronger than their love towards each other. Astrid discarded the fact that they were lovers and told herself that this man is her best friend and family; she needs to save that bond before it disappears.
"I repeat, do you still love him?" Camilla brought Astrid back to reality and this time, she has her answer.
"Yes..." She replied softly and it's the truth. No matter what happened, she had always loved and will continue to love him. It's a part of their bond that shouldn't be forgotten and she'll try her best to plunge that info inside her husband's head, even if she has to use every force and energy in her body.
A bright grin spread across Camilla's lips, glad that her words have finally got to her hopeless friend's heart. "Good, now I'll make sure that you'll get the chance to talk again. I promise you that and I won't lie about this one." She chuckled, earning her a scoff from the former general. "But for now, the battle needs to be prioritized. I just wanted to use this opportunity to knock that delusion out of your head."
Astrid pressed her lips into a thin line. "You do know that this doesn't just erase your lies. I was really hurt about it, Camilla. I thought you're my friend and someone who I can trust. I can't forgive you for that." A frown has fallen on her face as she told Camilla with brutal honesty.
To her surprise, the smile on the wild blonde's lips didn't waver, not even flickering for a second. "I know. I'm the friend that can be there when you need it and would do anything to protect you. Someone you can trust, not sure about that. I'm usually a very devious bitch and I can't change that. I know that you probably will never forgive me but it's worth it if I can do something good for once." She replied with a light chuckle.
Once again, Astrid is rendered speechless by Camilla's bluntness and overall determination. To think someone could take such heartbreaking words with a smile. She really wanted to forgive her but distrust simply pulled her back. Fortunately, Camilla saved her so she doesn't have to say anything in this awkward situation.
"I'll be off then. I just needed to give you a pep talk. Keep your promises and I'll keep mine." The wild blonde flashed her yet another blinding grin before jumping off the hill of corpses and bolting away, leaving Astrid shocked but ready to join the battle again. She pushed her latest thoughts to the back of her head and leapt off the pile, gaze locked onto a platoon of Sleipnir's forces.
Meanwhile, Camilla's eyes are set on the second part of her plan. She never thought it would go so well that she didn't even need to fight Astrid. The blonde expected to draw her blades just so she could force her to listen and it nearly happened, but Camilla was able to defuse the situation, together with Astrid's patience. But now that she convinced Astrid, the next person she'll have to talk to is probably going to be harder.
While the wife was hard to hold a conversation with, the husband will be a force to reckon with. Not only does she have little to no actual knowledge about his personal life, but they're not even friends, to begin with, not even before all these memory loss shenanigans happened. She was simply a student in Hayden's eyes; a mere co-worker and a respected agent. Friends are the furthest thing that they are so it'll be quite the challenge, especially when he has lost every memory and moment between them that can be salvaged as friendship.
After a long journey across the beach, she finally spotted the black, whirling form of her target. She slid across the sand to stop her momentum and was faced with a glorious fight scene. Right before her, Hayden whipped through the air—blade in hand while a green cloud of smoke gushed out of his other, covering nearly everything around him. The murky, acidic fog plagued the air, shrouding the enemies' bodies with its ghostly arms. Wisps of smoke seeped through their clothes, allowing them to blend with their skin.
Camilla stood just far enough so it wouldn't reach her. She purposefully did it because the moment she saw that smoke, she immediately recognized it to be one of Night Fury's signature attacks. Usually, it doesn't build up to this size but seeing the heavy numbers scattered around him, she believes that it's necessary. Any moment now, she'll be seeing burnt corpses and ashen sand. It's advised to make sure you're no way near the range of this special attack.
Just as she expected, a spark cracked from the smoke, and a dragon-like inferno engorged the smoke, along with the poor, clueless mobsters. Screams of anguish tore through the air as the flames traveled along the direction of the smoke, slipping in the bodies of Sleipnir's forces and seething through their skin. Camilla scrunched up her nose in distaste as the acid green cloud darkened to a smoky gray that began flooding outward across the beach. She could see the silhouettes of bodies dropping on the sand as a single shadow stood in the middle.
Drawing her knives, just in case, Camilla walked through the wall of smoke and emerged through the other side, where she meets the bloody scene of Hayden holding a dismembered limb with one hand and his gleaming blade in the other. The mask was coated with crimson red, fluids dripping off the carbon-fiber plates. Camilla blinked, stunned to see such a gruesome image but not enough to strike fear in her heart like before. She's seen him carrying a decapitated head-this is practically a celestial garden compared to that.
After a few seconds of silence, Hayden finally looked up and tried to hide his shock after seeing the questioning form of Camilla. Fortunately for him, the mask hid his widened eyes through the narrow slits and gaping mouth. His gasp came out muffled enough for him to cover it up with a cough—a pathetic and spurious cough that he mimicked by unenthusiastically lifting his fist over where his mouth is supposed to be.
Camilla had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at the auburn's foolish attempt of knavery. But it's amusing to see the great Night Fury and infamous Demon Killer so nervous. It bloated her ego for a bit. It's nice to know that she holds some power over her former superior—even if it's not entirely because of herself. Shoving her knives in the straps on her waist, she crossed her arms over her chest and quirked an eyebrow.
"I know it's you, Hayden. You can take off the mask." Camilla said, causing the man to stiffen.
A sigh slowly slipped his lips as his body loosened and his hand came up his face to lift the mask, over his head, revealing his prominent, emerald eyes and handsome but rough face. Camilla never really took the time to inspect the man's face before and she found it quite attractive. She could see why Astrid was sexually frustrated before and if she was straight, she'll probably try to hook up with him. But she'll leave that for her friend to handle.
His glowing, green orbs oddly reminded Camilla of Heather's acidic ones. If she didn't know about them, she would've probably assumed that they were siblings. It was a very surprising revelation when she found out that Dagur DeRanged is related to her, which made it harder to ask for his blessing, knowing that she and the redhead are both equally insane. By sheer luck and grace, Dagur didn't seem to mind, just as long as Camilla doesn't infect his sister with her lunacy.
Camilla let out a somber sigh as she relished the beautiful memory in her head, momentarily forgetting the devil incarnate standing in front of her with a bewildered gaze. "Uh, Camilla, right? What are you doing here?" Hayden questioned, snapping said blonde from her enamorment.
"Huh? Oh, yeah! I actually need to talk to you." Camilla replied with a grin after a small moment of hesitation.
Hayden tilted his head with a frown. "We're in a middle of a war right now. Do you think talking is far more important than surviving?" He asked sarcastically, wondering where all of this came from.
Even Camilla, herself, is having a hard time conversing. "It's pretty important as well if you're going to ask me." She shrugged.
"Well, I'm not asking you so thanks for the small talk."
The wild blonde shook her head, straining a smile while contemplation as to how to bring the subject up. So far, Hayden proved to be more stubborn than his wife and it hasn't even been five minutes before the auburn tried to leave. At least Astrid stayed to lash out at Camilla, which she kind of appreciated but it's not what she's hoping from Hayden. Unlike her friend, the vigilante might actually try to lunge at her if she said the wrong thing-just like back when he was Night Fury. So she might need to tread carefully over these sensitive waters.
"Sorry, bozo. I'm not asking. I'm fucking telling you that we need to talk." Camilla snarked, earlier advice clearly forgotten. 'Okay, so that's what you don't do when you're facing your former superior.'
Hayden unintentionally mirrored the famous scowl her wife proudly wore and shot a heavy glare at the shuffling form of the ex-pirate. "What did you say?" He seethed out, only to be met by Camilla's maladroit smile.
Suffice to say, an angry Hayden Haddock is not someone you would want to face, especially if you're just going to hurl some insults and demands at him. However, Camilla isn't your typical person. Her bluntness is famous across the agency and frankly, she's not eager to get rid of that certain quality. "Listen, we're going to need to talk about Astrid and I believe, judging from your attitude, you're a bit bothered about it." She said, emitting a small awkward chuckle. Although she'd rather tell the truth her own way, the auburn's glare is nothing to mess with.
At the mention of her name, Hayden's anger faded out and a small frown replaced it. Almost immediately, an uncomfortable silence has fallen on the two as the auburn quickly flickered his gaze from side to side, finding a way to escape that doesn't have to rely on just running away pathetically. While it's true that he's a bit more than bothered about the previous set of baffling events that led up to an utterance that apparently, he's both a husband and a father. Whatever he was expecting to find out this day, it obviously can't beat what he heard.
"Uh, no. I'm not." He lied, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.
Camilla noticed the anxiety running through his veins and acted swiftly, crossing the distance between and grabbed Hayden's face with her calloused hands, the gloves ditched onto the sand as she pulled the auburn close to her.
A yelp slipped out of the Demon Killer's mouth as he was held steadily by Camilla's firm grip on his temples. Her eyes bore through his soul, finding himself immersed in the woman's strange pool of icy crystals. It felt like her eyes could pierce his own, prompting him to shut them close in fear that his presumption might happen.
The blonde didn't like that. "Open your eyes, Jay Baruchel. I can't read your mind if you keep them closed." She uttered huskily.
"What?"
"Just open them, damn it!"
Uncomfortable of Camilla's new personality, Hayden reluctantly opened them and found himself once again, staring into the ocean-like orbs with a shaky tone. It made the auburn wonder how exactly did their roles reverse in just a matter of seconds. One moment, he was towering over the uneasy form of Camilla whilst silently sending threats through his eyes, and then the next, he's being held captive by the same blonde. It's not like he's incapable of escaping her clutches; he's just interested and confused as to why this situation has come to be.
But before he could come up with an answer, a broad smile washed over the stern expression Camilla had worn earlier. "Ah, I get it now. You're confused..." She mentioned, earning a frown from Hayden.
"Uh, I guess I am. Why are you holding my face?" He questioned.
Camilla shook her head. "Not that. You're confused about your feelings towards Astrid. You don't know what to about it. She revealed something to you, didn't she?" A cheeky grin curved up her lips, glad that her supposed mind-reading ability is still intact after six years of inactivity. Hayden didn't need to speak for Camilla to figure out that she's right. The hitched breath and impelled silence alone was enough. "So, I am right. What did she say?"
Hayden gulped, the frown deepening at every passing second. "I should get going." He said, but he made no move to escape the clutches of the ex-pirate.
"Your words and your actions seemed to think differently. You're confused but interested. What do you want to know?" Camilla beamed, inwardly giddy that she was able to catch the vigilante's attention so quickly. 'This might be easier than I thought?'
Although Hayden wanted to ditch this uncomfortable conversation and drown his mind in the blood of Sleipnir's forces, the lingering image of Astrid's goodbye remained in his head and he can't seem to get rid of it. His previous vengeful attitude towards Sage has disappeared almost completely and memories of the kiss he shared with the strange blonde witch flooded his thoughts.
Unable to help himself, Hayden gave in to his temptation. "Who is she? She said that she was-is my wife. I- is that true?" His voice oddly sounded innocent and naïve; the total opposite of his attitude, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His ever-growing curiosity reverted his mind to his 17-year-old self, an awkward and dorky boy with a few moments of confidence every so often.
"Well, I guess it's safe to assume that Astrid almost told you everything. Do you know that you have children?" Camilla inquired, a grin slowly making its way up on her face as Hayden's brow rose questioningly and a sheet of horror crept down his face.
"Ch- children? As in... more than one?" He exclaimed in disbelief.
Camilla nodded. "Yup, you're probably one of the few married bastards in Drakos that has children. Not even Dagur and Mala, and they've been trying for years. It suffices to say that your babymaking skills are unmatched!"
Hayden yanked his head out of the blonde's grip and clapped his hands over his ears. "Oh, gods. Don't say those kinds of things in front of me. I have no idea who those two are and I'm not sure if I want to meet them." He cringed, scrunching his face up into a foul frown.
"Oh, they're fine. Dagur's actually your brother..."
"Really?"
"No."
A blank stare met Camilla's amused self. It's not her fault that it's so easy to mess with this version of Hayden. At least now, she has something underneath her sleeves so the vigilante wouldn't try to harm her or take revenge. That blade of his looks magnificent at a far enough range and not coated in blood. It would make concentrating very hard if she has to spend most of the time imagining her own fluids on his sword.
However, now is not the time to joke around. Time is being wasted and she nearly forgot her original plan, which is to have a pep talk with two of them but luck seemed to have leaned towards her side, allowing Hayden to be more open-minded and accepting—well, partially accepting. The auburn is still having a hard time believing that he's actually a family man whilst participating in mass killings.
"Okay... listen here, Hayden." Camilla said, grabbing said man's attention. "You're going to get your answers soon. I promise you that you and Astrid will have that talk. I already spoke with her about it and she seemed reluctant but she agreed with it. Everything's going to be revealed soon, Hayden. Just after this war."
Hayden let out a caustically scoff. "Well, that's to say if either of us would survive this war."
"You better. I didn't play love guru just so you two could die on me." She berated, obviously unamused about the idea.
Although she sounded sardonic in how she said it, Camilla really hopes that both Hayden and Astrid would survive this war. It'll be more than awful if the two won't receive the happy ending they deserve after experiencing heaps amounts of pain and suffering in the past. Besides, both Ezra and Noah would be ecstatic when all of them would reunite. All this time spending with the Haddock family is starting to turn Camilla soft, and she's torn between accepting it and rejecting it.
"I'll try," Hayden responded with a despondent shrug.
"Besides, you and I still need to talk after you get your memories back." Camilla flashed him a smirk.
For a moment, the auburn seemed dumbfounded. He's simply astounded how she truly believes that he can retrieve his memories when the chances are lower than Tuvalu's GDP. Even he's not too sure of himself that he can get them back, yet this stranger—to him, at least-is practically radiating in confidence for another person. Now, he's left to wonder what else is just as surprising hidden in his past and buried memories.
But before he could question it more, a low, baritone sound of a horn echoed across the entire beach, quaking the entire sky and earth with its massive pressure. Birds frantically flew out of the trees to escape the rumbling blast of sonic waves. The sand beneath their boots rattled its grains against each other All eyes seemed to have shot to the dark night, including Sleipnir's forces. For a mere moment, everyone has forgotten about the war and their breaths hitched over the silence of the battle.
To the agents of Drakos, it almost sounded like Heimdall blew the Gjallarhorn to signal the entire population of Midgard that Ragnarok has begun. They could almost imagine the giants crossing through their realm and demons emerging from hell to drag them to the burning inferno. Fear clutched their hearts as the lasting faint echoes of the horn disappeared into the onyx sky; the majestic yet petrifying sound remained imprinted in their memories for their entire lives.
However, everyone has seemed to forgotten that Ragnarok will bring forth the Æsir army, led by Odin himself to defend the nine realms from the fire giants and demons. As if Valhalla's gates opened from above, a blinding, white light shone from above the forest, just high and far enough away from their sight. But the holy-like blaze burned brighter as shadows began emerging from the higher realm
Hayden's eyes bulged out of their sockets in disbelief as hundreds of warriors clad in cream white armor rode their soaring beasts from the gates of the battlefield, flying across the beach while trailing a celestial stream of light in their wake. Wings of every size and shape flapped along in the wind as these warriors flooded the sky with their scintillating panoply and glistening armament. Their aura rivaled the moonlight, reflecting against the cool waters and the shards of metal laying below.
The beasts that they rode were mystically abhorrent, showcasing their unusual sets of eyes and limbs; shaking the scale sheets wrapping their huge bodies as their humongous wings quivered and ripped the wind before them. Some had feathers that fluttered out of their forelimbs while some had literal bat-like wings that struck terror in the night. Most of them resembled common mammals, reptiles, and birds but it seemed that their genetic makeup must've gotten mixed somewhere in the process because Hayden couldn't believe he just saw a flying anaconda with an actual warrior raising their spear on top of it. It was an unusual sight to behold and he's not sure if he wants to take a closer look at them.
Yet when they descended from the sky to soar through the air, Hayden couldn't help but imagine that they were Odin's einherjar and valkyries rushing into battle to fight the end of the world. In front of the army, a giant owl hovered across the battlefield whilst flapping its pecan-brown wings with such intensity, Hayden would've thought that a tornado could've appeared. But what really caught his eye is the warrior perched on top of the large bird.
Unlike the rest, this particular person donned a native and almost sturdy set of painted, wooden armor. It appeared bulky and animal-like as if it was a direct imitation of the flying animals the warriors rode. A masking helmet with curved horns protruding from the top prevented everyone from seeing their face. The person held a hooked staff made out of pure enamel and iron, with numerous ancient carvings drawn on the surface. A torn cape hung on the side, flapping along with the wind as the warrior, who seemed to be the leader of this winged army, stared out across the sea and Hayden followed their gaze towards the fleet.
That's when he realized that they were on their side. Sleipnir must've taken notice as well, glaring at the airborne warriors as they lift their munitions and began to take aim at the army. But before any shots could be fired, the winged beasts dropped to the beach at a terrifying speed, all the while carrying their riders with prestige while maintaining safe hold. Using their claws and talons to pluck the individuals out of the sand and drop them in the waters. The warriors hurled spears and arrows, plunging the enemy forces with rich wood and metal.
These monstrous beasts ignored the agents of Drakos and only targeted Sleipnir's soldiers by cutting them down or tossing them from a high altitude, which Hayden found amazing that these animals can recognize who's an ally and who's not. He hopes that he looks heroic enough in his black garments and blood-coated mask for the winged beasts to consider him as one of the good guys.
Slowly, their numbers dwindled to a collect few that cowered under the looming shapes of the flying creatures. Drakos decided to take care of them with precision and swiftness. Soon, hundreds of corpses laid on the beach; their bodies stenching of rotting flesh and ash. Weapons riddled the dunes with thousands of metal shards and broken kindling. Shatter retracted his chains back to his body and looked up with a proud smile on his chapped lips, one that Hayden didn't fail to miss.
"It's Valhalla. They've come to provide support." Camilla breathed out, causing the auburn to shoot her a bewildered look.
"Valhalla? Are they really from..." He tilted his head and gestured upwards. "I won't doubt you if you say that they are. They look very... transcendental."
The blonde shook her head in amusement. "Sadly, no. They aren't—they're just another agency that we joined forces with. They used to be just a sanctuary for mutated animals that was created by an organization called the Red Death. You actually took them down 10 years ago but we're going to save that conversation for later." The two watched as the fleet of winged beasts and their armored riders headed for Sleipnir's armada. "The UN must've acted already. Our role is just to stall long enough for reinforcements to come."
Hayden nodded, eyes not leaving the airborne army began to fly in a three-pronged formation, the rider of the owl led the others from the front of the line. Whirling their staff in a circular motion, the chief of Valhalla thrust it towards the direction of the fleet. At the order of their leader, the riders barreled down from the air at the speed of sound. They allowed the wind to encase their body in a cocoon of gales as they dropped from the sky like meteors.
The warriors pulled out all of their heavy munitions, breathing fire and spitting metal at the metal beasts. They hurled explosives and shells, strong enough to pierce through the titanium plates of the vessels. Shapes of flames rained down upon the metal beasts, thrashing its skin until it bled tar and oil into the sea. Even the winged creatures helped, tearing the smaller ships with their talons and claws. They ripped the beast's iron skin apart and discarded them into the waters while their riders flung incendiaries to burn the surface of the ships until they boiled down to the bottom of the sea.
However, Sleipnir won't just let a bunch of flying animals defeat them without a fight. The barrels of the turrets whirred to life, groaning as they began to move and follow their targets' evasive maneuvers and heavy attacks. Loud booms raptured across the air as brass teeth ripped across the sky and punctured the army's defenses. Occasionally, the winged riders were able to dodge the shells by a narrow margin. However, most of the time, the turrets were able to shoot down their target with no difficulty.
The artillery shells were faster than Valhalla's winged beasts and no amount of limited speed was able to stop these teeth from biting down on their targets. Feathers and blood spilled from the air as a poor warrior and his beast took too long hovering over their position, allowing an unsuspecting turret to blast them from the sky. Valhalla's chief glowered from her high position, watching her warriors and beasts fall by the hands of these metal beasts. Her anger spawned from her connection and compassion to her dying comrades. They had just won their first battle back in San Diego and they intend to win this as well.
Crouching over to the back of her giant owl, she faced the other side of the battle and raised her staff. In one fluid motion, she twisted it and slammed it on her foot, producing rattles and clicks from the beads inside the hook. "Shellfire, come to me..." The chief whispered, lifting once more to sound off the signal.
For a moment, silence filled the air, and the chaos behind faded out in her ears. A burst of water erupting from the sea crashed that moment in a matter of seconds. An elongated shape rose from the waters, waves of blue washing down its slick hide; a submarine. It had emerged from the sea with the speed and impossibility of a stage illusion. One moment there was nothing and then it was there below her, plowing through the sea towards her, its engine making no sound, water streaking off its silver casing and churning white behind it. Ancient runes and draws appeared on its metallic hide, flashing electric blue from the gaps and pores.
On top of it, a cannon-shaped machine whirred to life. The nuclear-powered artillery roared as the rings circulating in the enormous barrel. Flashes of light blurred across the caves as the gears shifted so fast, waves of light nearly disappeared from sight. The low purr that the cannon emitted slowly hummed louder and louder until it let out a full-blown growl as heat poured into the boulder-like shell sitting inside. Energy enveloped the slug with plasma strings until it burned in ultramarine, blistering with sparks and cerulean flames.
Valhalla's chief nodded at the submarine and turned around. She swung her staff to the side and clapped it against her hand, shaking the air with yet another powerful rattle from the hook's bead. All attention of the warriors snapped to the source of the sound and their eyes widened in between the orbits of their helmets. Almost immediately, they pulled their beasts away from the flight and rode them to the side of their chief. Sleipnir tried to take a couple out but they were already too far ahead.
Once the sky is clear, the chief turned towards the submarine again and locked gazes with the misshaped eyes that are drawn on the front of the vessel, biting her lip under the mask. She pointed her staff at the cannon and flicked it to the side. In response, the roaring artillery gun mustered up extra energy from the thrusting strike and once the heat had built up from the back, it released an earth-shattering screech as the boulder blasted out of the barrel with the heat that can rival hell.
The chief followed the shell with her staff as it left a billowing stream of firestorms in its trail. A whistling sound pierced the air as the boulder broke through the clouds and illuminated the jetty-black night, brighter than the fading moonlight. Steam rolled out of the shell as pure oxygen mixed with the inferno, coating it in another blanket of cerulean flames. Everyone's eyes lit up in astonishment as the shell came crashing down on the fleet like a collapsing moon, breaking into a thousand pieces as it ripped the ships into shreds.
The explosion that it produced shook the entire earth to its core. Everyone couldn't hold on to themselves and fell to the sand. Even the riders of Valhalla felt the shockwave that rippled across the entire city, tearing trees off of their roots. The intensity of the impact brought forth tsunami-sized waves that nearly washed over to the beach and would've killed all of Drakos' agents, if it weren't for Finn's barrier device. But the force that it emitted after the towering waters slammed against the shield, rocked the beach once more.
Hayden had to grab onto a nearby boulder to keep himself from bouncing off of the sand when the explosion caused another crust-cracking quake to shake them off their feet.
Meanwhile, Valhalla watched the engulfing flames enwrapping the entire Sleipnir fleet with firestorms and fiery projections of death that deluged every single person in the battleships and carriers. Swirls of electric-blue chains slithered through the metal beasts, melting its hide with the blistering heat. Screams of anguish were muffled by the monstrous cloud of smoke that poured out of the shattering force of the shell. The survivors of the explosion weren't able to hold on much longer after the boiling waters of the sea flooded their area and burnt their skin to their muscles.
The plates of the ships that first received contact from the shell were immediately reduced to ash, including all those on board. The extra ammunition being carried inside only added to the intensity of the explosion. Cerulean blue and bronze colored the sky as the burning debris of remaining battleships plummeted from above and crashed against the sea. Pillars of grey fumes enveloped the scene, creating skyscrapers of smoke standing in the places of all the wreckage. Ships were snapped in half; broken in the middle as the sea slowly consumed them to the deep reefs. Pools of crimson plagued the surface, burnt remains of Sleipnir's forces will soon turn into food for the fishes.
Hayden struggled to stand up, nearly knocking himself over after hitting his head in the fortunately soft grains of the beach. The bright disarray of colors reflected against his emeralds, slowing down the destruction that came crashing down upon the sea. Waves of fire roared out in the distance, but Hayden could feel the heat licking his face, burning his skin so intensely that he thought it's melting. He could smell the atrocious scent of diesel and pungent ash. The cracklings and burning embers were able to reach his ears, loudly flickering from the destruction.
It felt like he was in hell...
From beside, Camilla rose as well; her frizzy blonde hair more unruly and wild than usual, with tiny grains of sand, stuck in between the strands. "Gods, I would never get used to that fucking big bazooka they got." She exclaimed, trying her best to calm her defiant locks but they refused to listen.
"What is that thing?" Hayden uttered in disbelief, eyes trained on the metal vessel that carried the largest cannon known to man.
"They call it the Shellfire." Camilla frowned, rubbing her aching wrists after scraping them against a nearby boulder. "They said they named it after a hybrid whale that they rescued years ago. Died of starvation so they built that thing as its memorial and it looks to me like it's doing its job of preserving its memory—I'll never forget that damn whale because of that sub." She licked her lips and hastily scanned her surroundings for the rest of the agents. "Its brother, the Submaripper, should be on the other side. Both bastards are dangerous as hell and that's why they're the perfect reinforcements for war."
"Why couldn't they've come earlier? With those things, they can take Sleipnir without any effort." The auburn inquired.
A scowl adorned Camilla's face for a moment. "If you haven't noticed, those things take up a large amount of energy. That one shot they took is equivalent to thousands of TNT. Not quite a nuke, but it's close. Same goes with the Submaripper—nuclear thrusters that are powered by plutonium isn't something you could get from the supermarket. Fueling those things up can take months, maybe a year if they used it to its full extent. They picked the perfect time to use it."
Hayden nodded, facing the devastation it left in its wake. He narrowed his eyes at the descending winged army of Valhalla, carefully lining themselves high enough so they can meet the submarine. The chief, the warrior clad in wooden armor, leapt from her owl and landed perfectly on top of the vessel, where she began conversing with the commanding officer of the Shellfire, probably talking about the chaos they had just brought upon the enemy fleet-not that it's a bad thing.
"Hey, who's that?" The auburn gestured towards the warrior perched on top of the submarine.
Camilla pursed her lips. "Yeah, uh... that's the Rogue Rider. She's the leader of this attack and you might've guessed that she's the head honcho of Valhalla. Started her sanctuary up after she found that big-ass owl of hers. They only became an official agency a few years back."
Hayden hummed in acknowledgment, hiding his admiration for the chief. Although she sounds very compassionate and soft from how she's described, he respects her for taking the right action when the time comes. "Seems good enough of a person to help us." He muttered, mostly to himself but Camilla heard it.
"You have no idea. That woman is like the sweetest person in the world." The blonde grinned before a lightbulb popped up on top of her head. It took approximately five seconds for her to decided whether or not would it be good. The pros of this idea are she'll get the absolute time of her life and this will only be the last chance she can mess with him. The cons are that it could get a bit complicated and Hayden's mind is already flooded with too much information. But of course, Colonel Boggs won't let this opportunity slip her fingers.
"Hey, you wanna know something about her?"
The vigilante quirked an eyebrow, obviously interested. "What?" He questioned. But as seconds passed by, his curiosity fell along with his face. Camilla beamed at him with a maniacal smile that can strike fear into the hearts of the coldest and ruthless psychopaths out there, she replied with a sinister voice;
"She's your mother..."
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I know that the Shellfire's firepower isn't that strong but when I first watched it, I thought it would fucking destroy the entire island. So just let me dream for now.