-2-
Belldandy waited at her terminal in pensive silence, where an old fashioned and ornate rotary telephone rested in front of her. She bit her lip in anticipation. It was finally time.
Part of her job at the Goddess Relief Office, in addition to the granting of wishes to those who had earned Heaven's Grace, was to assist in evaluating those that met the conditions that qualified for a wish. It was a long, at times dull process, spending hours on end observing the individuals in question and evaluating their worthiness for a wish. What were their strengths of character? What were their vices? Did they have redeemable qualities in conjunction with those vices? It was a process that, on a mortal level, could take years to expand upon given how a person developed based on the situations they encountered throughout their life.
One person may seem irrevocable one year, yet in the following month may experience an event that cast them in so much shade to as be more worthy of a Demon's Contract. Another might hold a good many vices based off poor life choices or unfair circumstances, yet still manage to shine like a diamond in the rough as a potential candidate. Regardless, each one had to be documented and recorded, compared and contrasted. Those with the highest number of contraindications and warnings had been cast out, and now, at last, Belldandy had what she believed to be her top three. One in particular had caught her interest more than the others, however, and his time was drawing near.
Fidgeting with more giddiness than what normally accompanied a meeting with a candidate, Belldandy looked back to the document on her screen, reviewing the individual's case file one more time to help pass the seconds for her, hours for him, leading up to the call. It was a pointless act, she knew; Belldandy had a photographic memory, and even without it she'd dedicated herself to memorizing every exact detail about this one person. This one was different from the others. This one was special.
From the time she'd received his file after passing the pre-screening process, she'd become enamored not only by his purity of heart, but also his selfless spirit. Through her time watching him, it had almost felt as if she'd been a part of his life, laughing with him in his joy, crying with him in his despair, and even growing upset when he was wronged in such a way as to bring out his temper, rare though it was.
Gleefully, she spun in her chair as she recalled certain parts of his life she had memorized. How easily he'd adapted to life in his new country in spite of the hardships on his parents. How he had helped his younger sister learn to ride a bike. His baby sister's birth and he'd been the first in line to help his mother care of her. The tight bond that fostered between him and the youngling and the patience displayed with her from infancy all the way through the time that he left for his training in the military. Belldandy had actually shed a tear with the little nine year old girl when she'd been forced to say goodbye to her big brother, standing side-by-side with a big sister that was openly crying and a mother that stood stoically while holding back the same.
And then had come the trials with his training. Belldandy shuddered when she recalled the events. The training had been loathsome to an outsider such as she; harassment and punishments that changed the wide-eyed boy she'd watch grow up into a disciplined sailor. Incidents devised by instructors and even his fellow trainees handled with a strange grace and dignity that seemed so out of character in such an environment, she could only compare it to how some of the mortal Saints might have handled it in his stead.
And then tragedy. A blow to his family that so horrified her that the Norn feared it would destroy him from the inside out, destroying his chance at a wish. Yet instead of letting the incident and the aftermath tear him down, he used it to fuel his determination. After finishing his initial training, he went to an 'A' school to learn his craft, graduating at the top of his class. So good was he that he was singled out for special training that set him amongst the elite.
The GRO was well aware of the type of disruption it could cause the mortal if a deity appeared to him during such an interval time in his life, and so instead the man's scheduled wish was postponed, delayed until a time arrived where there was a lower chance of disrupting his life. Now, after a two year delay, that time had finally arrived. To say that Belldandy was excited was to say that lava was merely hot; a vast understatement detailing the goddess' current mood.
The goddess jumped when the phone rang. Bouncing in her chair with a large, exuberant smile on her face, the Norn released a whoop of joy. Several coworkers looked up from their own stations at the sound, several with raised eyebrows, an occasional scowl of annoyance, but more with large smiles on their faces. Belldandy's joy was infectious, and even the more grouchy deities around her held amused smirks as they watched her. She was blind to their attention. Squirming in her chair, a child once more, Belldandy leaned over to look at her terminal, as was her habit when calls came in. She chanted his name under her breath in excited anticipation.
As the second ring was heard, she located the name of the client.
"Toshiyuki Aoshima?"
She stared at the name, then leaned back and rubbed her eyes. No…no, that wasn't who she was hoping it'd be… Her hands dropping to her desk, the Norn leaned forward and read the name on the screen once more, wondering if perhaps her eyes were deceiving her. Yet the name did not change as she so hoped, and frowning, she looked at the phone. It wasn't the call she'd wanted to take, but at the same time it was not unusual for clients to be transferred to another GRO representative if the goddess with their case file was out on an assignment.
Disgruntled, the goddess pulled up a quick IM box containing the various GRO consultants. Does anyone know who has the case file on one Toshiyuki Aoshima? She typed. The phone at her desk continued on its second ring-time always slowed for the client in question when they managed to reach the GRO, that way the case worker could ensure they had the proper information on the candidate on point. Someone would have this person's file on hand, or would know which goddess was away and had forwarded it to Belldandy. She just hoped that her call, THE call, wouldn't come while she was away.
IA15: Isn't that one of Titania's files? What's his case number?
LR22: It's not Titania's-she's been out sick all week and I was the one to disseminate the extra files. Toshiyuki Aoshima never showed up.
Belldandy frowned as she read the texts, then re-examined the name on the screen.
BY02: I don't see a case number with his name. Is there a glitch in the system?
SL03: You tell us, Belldandy. You're sister's a debugger for Yggdrassil, isn't she? Are you sure his number isn't there? It should be in the upper right hand portion of the screen.
HL19: Girl, lay off Belldandy. You forget who trained you?
***HL19 SLAPPED SL03 WITH A TUNA***
***SL03 SLAPPED HL19 WITH A TUNA***
Belldandy looked at the case in front of her once more. Sure enough the number on the screen was flickering from 0000000000000 to 8888888888888 in a mad flurry. The Norn sighed. I bet Skuld's reading manga again. The bugs are getting out of control. Disappointment flashed across her face, and again she typed a message into the IM: Could someone just tell me who has Toshiyuki Aoshima's case file? I'll reach out to the debuggers and see if they can fix the error with the case number, but until then I really, really need his case file. I'm expecting my own client soon, and I don't want to miss him.
SA03: Ooooh! Belldandy found herself a MAN! ;)
***HL19 SLAPPED SA03 WITH A TUNA***
The goddess flushed at the message, then shook her head in disdain. The Chat was getting out of hand now, and she'd worked at the GRO long enough to know that when someone started slapping people with Tuna, all productivity went down the drain. Soon there'd be a mountain of dots in the room from the more bored goddesses, and following that the entire IM system was liable to crash, forcing everyone to restart the program.
I'll just call Urd and have her run a diagnostic on Yggdrasil. She's better at handling Skuld than I am when it comes to motivating her to work. Even when that motivation often came in the form of a screaming match between her two sisters. Sighing to herself, the goddess reached for a secondary phone closer to her person, this one more modern and with a digital display screen. She was half-way to dialing Urd's office when the GRO Client Line rang a third time, causing the goddess to pause.
…I could just take care of it. She thought to herself, one thumb hovering over the digital pad that would connect her to Yggdrasil's Administrative Office. Just hurry and be done with it rather than running circles like this. Several goddesses were absent from her shop at the moment-one home sick, another on maternity leave, another still on leave in Vanaheim. At this point, this Aoshima character could be anyone's client. If he managed to reach the GRO line, that means he's someone's client. Someone who went through all the necessary prerequisites and was viewed in the eyes of a deity as worthy of a wish. The goddess chewed on her lower lip in thought. If I hurry and take care of Mr. Aoshima, that will clear me up for him. And since we can only take care of one client at a time, I don't want him to accidentally be forwarded to someone else because of a harmless glitch.
Sighing to herself, the goddess put down her phone, where the illuminated screen darkened with inactivity. Instead she reached for the antique phone, picking it up and falling into the standard script that came with each call. "You have reached the Goddess Relief Office. We will be there in just a moment to grant your access request!"
XXX
Standing on a balcony, looking out at the morning sky, the Goddess Belldandy shuddered as the events of that fateful day replayed in her mind. To say that the past ten years had been a living hell would be the understatement of all eternity in her eyes. The things she did for him, the things he made her do, both in public and… elsewhere. Her fingers dug into the balcony railing, grabbing the wooden ledge with such force that the polished wood began to splinter under the pressure.
I am Belldandy. She thought to herself, watching the pink sunrise as the first signs of dawn peeked over the mountain. I am a goddess First Class, and I hold power no mortal can wield over me. The morning mantra had begun. I am the diamond covered in filth, and though I lie in shit, it cannot tarnish my person. For diamond is unbreakable, and where filth feeds the earth the earth creates the diamond. And though the diamond is surrounded by filth, the filth will fall with the rain from the heavens, and the sun's rays shall let it shine once more. All this I know to be true, for I am of the highest graces whose rays burn through what is illusion.
She swallowed. The goddess had been repeating that mantra for ten years now, and with each passing day she could feel the strength it imparted on her drain bit by bit. The words were losing their affect on her or she was losing faith in herself; she couldn't tell which, and was disheartened to find that she didn't care one way or the other. This place is killing me. It was a sickening thought. One that would have horrified the Belldandy of her younger years. The innocent one. She thought. The naive one. That part of her had died within the first night under this thrice-cursed roof. When she'd gained her first true insight into what sort of a wretch she'd be indentured to. No...not indentured. She corrected, Enslaved. The ground this hell is built upon has more freedom than I, for at least it may be cast aside and carried off under trodden feet.
Regardless, the one glowing spark in her life that she still held on to was beginning to dim after ten years of this place. And even though it would probably never be realized, she would continue to endure the things that she was forced to do. Things that after all this time might have caused a lesser goddess to shut down and sublimate into the ether. Her memories of him would continue to sustain her for as long as was needed. He would not back down, remember. He would not give in. He would resist, in whatever little way he was able to, and as such so must you. The voice sounded strangely like Urd's, who'd always watched out for her in their childhood. Just like he does with his sisters.
"Belldandy! Get your scrawny ass back in here!" screamed Aoshima from inside the bedroom she shared with him. "You have work to do!"
She flinched at his voice. Yggdrasil grant me strength. The goddess turned back to the door. Her stomach churned with anxiety. Her teeth grinding, jaw clenched so tight it creaked as the woman left the balcony. "Yes, Master." Remember, even the smallest resistance counts for a victory. Take each moment of his anger as a win for yourself. You have eternity. He has years. Whittle him away until there's nothing left.
Until there's nothing left.
XXX
After last night's revelation and because they wanted to free Belldandy under the cover of night, Keiichi and Urd turned in early that evening. Japan was ahead of Norfolk, Virginia by a good thirteen hours, so what was day in one half of the world would be night in the other. A good rest and a clear head were going to be essential to diminish any possible fuckups, and after a long night of drinking and crazy revelations, Keiichi had neither. The duo shacked up together in a small motel room close to base rather than risk a drive back to Keiichi's place, which was a good thirty minutes from Norfolk. Before Urd's appearance the plan had been that Bravo, their DD for the night, was going to drive him back. Urd had also never been to Keiichi's house. The motel was a simpler, safer solution, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd slept at a Motel 8 after a heavy night of drinking.
After turning in the room key, the goddess and the Navy SEAL stood outside on the curb of the road enjoying the gentle warmth that came with the morning sun. Urd had been a godsend, having brought with her some sort of magical hangover cure that had saved him the painful results of last night's drinking. Without a trip back to his house, Keiichi was stuck with what he'd worn last night, and stood dressed in his BDU pants and combat boots. His blouse was off, draped over one shoulder. The tan t-shirt beneath held a logo on the back commemorating Operation Iraqi Freedom. The man glanced down at his watch. Sometimes, when he set an alarm on it, the resulting jingle sounded more like a horrified scream than a digital tone. It's what had woken him up at 8am, and damned if he hadn't found himself back in Iraq for a brief moment after that shit. Now the watch hands claimed it was close to nine in the morning, which meant it was going on ten in the evening in Japan.
Beside him Urd, dressed in jeans so tight they might as well have been painted on her with a matching tight black halter top, stretched her arms to the sky. The shirt rose with her arms, and Keiichi caught a flash of caramel skin. He stared, uncaring if she noticed or not. "I still think we should have gotten the single king, not the two doubles," the silver haired goddess remarked as she crossed her arms underneath her bosom. "I mean come on! All those years of you pretending to chase me while I pretended to play hard to get, then you pucker up like a clam after seeing one picture of my sister just when you're free and I'm ready to put out!"
"What can I say," replied the dark haired man with a smirk. "I've got a thing for damsels in distress more than witches dressed like bitches."
Urd smirked and leaned in towards him, shaking her shoulders playfully. "Oh, hissss, buuurn. That hurt. That hurt right here." Using her middle finger, the goddess snags the collar of her halter and pulls it down, nearly exposing her ample breasts to the man.
"Are you done yet?" deadpanned Keiichi when she didn't stop after a few moments.
"Not yet," she said as she touched her cheek with the index finger of her opposite hand while giving him a seductive look. Keiichi just rolled his eyes and gave an apologetic look to an elderly couple who were walking by. Finally, in a very exaggerated fashion, Urd made like she was stuffing her breasts back into the halter top that was barely holding her back to begin with. "There, all done."
"Thank god," replied the mortal service man.
"You're welcome." Flipping a lock of her silver hair out of her face, Urd winked at Keiichi as she brought her phone up to her ear. "We're ready to gear up the mortal."
As Urd flipped her phone closed, a white, featureless utility van drove into view, coming around the corner at high speed. As it approached them, the tires squealed as the driver suddenly hit the breaks, causing the lumbering van to drift into the opposing lanes. A number of cars skidded to a stop, their own tires smoking while others swerved out of the way of the reckless vehicle, blaring their horns at the careless driver. By luck or skill it managed to skid to a stop right in front of them.
"Shoulda figured she was going to be fast," muttered Urd in annoyance.
"That's gotta be one of the stupidest goddamned things I've ever seen." Keiichi growled, perturbed at the reckless endangerment of so many other people. "The hell is the driver? Twelve? Drunk? A drunk twelve year old?"
"Easy cowboy." Urd chided gently. "It only looked scary. Skuld's pretty calculated when it comes to machines."
"Then you both underestimate how unpredictable and stupid a bunch of scared 'mortals' are behind two tons of steel." Keiichi retorted.
The back of the van swung open and a black haired woman in a red and white dress poked her head out. She was young, looking anywhere from her late teens to early twenties. With a scowl she jumped out and glared at Urd for a moment before turning to Keiichi. The stranger sneered as she looked him up and down. "Oh my god Urd, you enlisted the help of a gorilla? What's he going to do, crush melons with his biceps and throw feces at Aoshima?"
Keiichi glared at the younger goddess before turning to his companion. "You never told me you had a poodle," said the dark haired man as he chucked a thumb towards Skuld. "I hope you brought a muzzle for that thing."
Urd pinched her nose with a heavy sigh. "This is going to be fun," she muttered. The Norn hoped this wasn't going to set the tone for the rest of the trip. Sure, she and Keiichi bickered all the time, but it was all in good fun and harmless. There was a bite behind this bark though, and Skuld had a bad habit of taking things too personally. And with Keiichi the type of man who never backed down from a fight…
"Well, come on, get in!" Skuld snapped, gesturing at the duo. "The faster we do this, the quicker we get rid of him and the happier I'll be!"
"Oh heaven forbid the Almighty One be unhappy." Keiichi rolled his eyes and looked at Urd, who shrugged before climbing inside the back of the van. Disliking the situation but seeing no other choice, he followed. "Fucking Pedobear this shit." He grumbled. "Ought'a paint 'FREE CANDY' on the side of the fucking van." The vehicle's interior was somehow larger than what was depicted on the outside. Impossibly large. The interior had to stretch out close to fifty feet. "Oh great. It's a fucking TARDIS." There were rows and rows of various robots, vehicles, armors, and weapons. "With its own internal armory. Who the fuck does this girl think she is? The Master?"
"I bet you're impressed, huh?" asked Skuld, her arms crossed across her chest. A smug smile spread across her face. "Being able to fit entire buildings inside of small spaces like this?"
"Dr. Who did it better," Keiichi answered nonchalantly. "You're no Time Lord, that's for sure." He paused, then narrowed his eyes at Urd. "…Right? No 'Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey shit, right? Right?"
Urd just smiled.
Skuld glared at him. "Who the hell-" She paused, then seemed to think better of it. Scowling, the younger goddess looked between Keiichi and Urd, her face dark with suspicion. "You know what, never mind, let's just get you ready." The black haired goddess walked over to one of the armors hanging on the racks. The material looked rubbery and elastic, more like a wetsuit than any sort of armor the SEAL was familiar with. Something about it struck a familiar chord in him, and for a reason he could not explain Keiichi thought of a post-apocalyptic videogame Megumi had introduced him to while on leave. Skuld gestured to it, "Thanks to my mods, it'll make you more-or-less immune to small arms. It'll also cover you in a stealth cloak, one strong enough to hide from even a goddess first class like my Big Sis; at least until you get within twenty feet or so." She grabbed it and tossed it at Urd, who caught it with a bored expression on her face. "He's yours, so I'm leaving the measurements to you Urd."
Keiichi opened his mouth to protest, but Skuld was already moving further down the armory line, this time stopping in front of a weapons display. Planting her hands on her hips, she observed the array of guns, swords, polearms, an enormous hammer, something that looked suspiciously like a lightsaber, and various other equipment, some of such a strange and alien nature that Keiichi could only guess at their use. "Great…and now the TARDIS is invaded by the MIB." Keiichi grumbled beneath his breath. "What's she going to do, hand me a Cricket and call it a day?"
At this point, Skuld's fingers began to curl up into fists. She made a show of running one hand through her long, black hair in a manner the SEAL had seen Urd do on multiple occasions, and as he'd half-expected, when the long tendrils fell free of her grasp the Norn was flipping him off. Maybe these two are sisters after all, he thought in amusement, and stole a glance at Urd. Urd smirked back, and Keiichi snorted and shrugged his shoulders.
After a moment, Skuld finally withdrew one weapon in particular. To Keiichi's disappointment, it looked somewhat…feminine, shall we say, well…okay, so it looked like a motherfucking hair dryer. She turned and offered it to Keiichi. "This is a Plasma Coil," she introduced. "It fires a concentrated ball of plasma energy at whatever you're aiming at, however because of the lethality behind its initial design—and taking your own barbaric personality into account—I've deemed it necessary to put the 'child's lock' on it to ensure you don't accidentally kill anyone. So instead, what you're going to do is point the open end towards the bad guys," she gestured to the plasma coil's barrel, "and pull the metal thingy here called a trigger." Again she pointed, and Keiichi sent her a flat look. "It's designed to knock out whoever's hit by it for a couple hours with no residual damage. It's simple to work, so even a dumb ape like you can figure it out."
"You know what this reminds me of?" Keiichi asked, picking up the weapon and observing it with an ease that spoke of long experience. It felt too light in his hands. Like a plastic toy rather than a weapon designed by a goddess. He missed the comforting weight of the standard-issue M9 from his various deployments. "This reminds me of one of those guns off of that Ratchet and Clank game." He frowned, bringing it up and looking down the sites. "You know what, no, I take it back." He said with a frown. "This is one of the guns off Ratchet and Clank. I know it is because my twelve year old brother uses it all the time." He placed a heavy amount of emphasis on the number 'twelve' then lowered the weapon and looked between Urd and Skuld. "I thought you called the Poodle a Tech-Wiz!" He cried in disdain. "You didn't tell me she had all the creative ingenuity of a twelve year old copying her favorite game-gun." He pointed towards the rubber-like armor that was now draped off Urd's shoulder. "And that? Is that some kind of Fallout armor?" He taunted. "I bet it is. Like Chinese Stealth Armor or something. Shit, they aught to sue you for copyright infringement."
Keiichi placed the weapon on a shelf in distaste. He didn't like the fact that there was no safety mechanism on it, nor could he tell if it was loaded or not. Hell, if he couldn't disassemble and reassemble a weapon in the span of sixty seconds, it was something he didn't want to touch. Not until he'd at least put several hundred rounds of whatever caliber munition through the barrel.
"Y-You, you—" Skuld flushed in embarrassment and rage, her face darkening into a deep rose that left Keiichi wondering if she'd pop a blood vessel. "Screw you dickhead!" She snarled, at a loss at any other kind of retort.
Keiichi gave Skuld a sour look. Urd leaned in towards the mortal and whispered in his ear. "This will help you look good in Belldandy's eyes." She gestured towards the gun. "She hates killing."
"So how do I reload it?" he asked immediately, a little more receptive this time.
"As long as you're wearing my armor, you won't need to," Skuld huffed. "The armor will transform the electrical pulses your body naturally produces into a form of energy the plasma coil can use. It'll regenerate ammo every five seconds."
"Great..." Keiichi drawled. "So it'll give me some kinda cancer instead?" Keiichi stared at the gun and armor. "Y'know, If I'd known it'd be cancer that took me out, I'd a drunk a lot more Coke Zero." That suit looks stupid-skin tight. How the hell is a wetsuit supposed to stop bullets? He looked at Urd. "Why can't you just build a robot or go see Belldandy yourself?"
"Because Belldandy is blocking us, probably through magic or because her higher-ups are blocking us. You're our little loophole," Urd replied. Keiichi looked at Skuld, and with a dour look on her face she nodded as well.
"Kinda' sounds contrived, but what the hell. I'm game," Keiichi replied.
Skuld snapped her fingers. A bright light appeared underneath Keiichi and he was lifted up into the air. "What the hell?!" The mortal began to struggle, only to freeze when he caught sight of the plasma coil he'd set down earlier in Skuld's hands. The woman was pointing the weapon right at him. His eyes widened in dawning horror as the sight, and a shiver raced down his spine. "Urd," His eyes didn't dare leave the plasma coil, the hair dryer which had looked so harmless, so useless, so childish, a moment before. "Tell her to put the gun down. I don't want my head looking like a crushed melon."
Skuld ignored the jab, narrowing her eyes at the man. "Let me make this crystal clear for you, mortal." She uttered the word like a curse, all traces of niceties absent from her face. "You had better keep your end of the bargain or I will make your life a living hell for the rest of your pathetically short-"
Skuld's rant was interrupted by Urd. With a strength that belied her slim frame, in one fluid motion the darker goddess snagged Skuld by the collar of her dress and threw her down the armory hallway. Whatever spell holding Keiichi hostage was broken, and the man plummeted to the floor with a grunt, too startled by what he'd just witnessed to react. Skuld rolled to a halt a good fifteen feet away, the weapon she'd been aiming at Keiichi well out of her grasp. Urd advanced on her with a stride that bordered on menacing, kicking the plasma coil away from her sister without as second glance. Dazed, Skuld moved to stand, looking up at her older sister with an enraged glare. "What the hell, Urd!"
"We both want Belldandy free," Urd's voice was tight with something Keiichi had never heard coming from the goddess before: anger. "I know you're pissed. I know you're upset. You think you're the only person who cares for Belldandy? She's my sister too." The woman stooped and grabbed Skuld by her shoulders, picking her up-again with that inhuman strength-and shoving Skuld against a glass panel that held a display of advanced-looking weapons behind it. "You think the past ten years haven't been hard on me, either? You think I don't want to rip Japan apart and destroy this guy?!" The goddess was raising her voice now, and Skuld flinched. "What the hell do you think is stopping me?!" Urd snapped. "There are rules, Skuld. Get that through your stubborn ass-brain now. There are rules we need to follow. Rules we cannot break because of our position. We need Keiichi if we're going to rescue Belldandy. These two are fucking destined to be together-you saw the report, you've met the man yourself, and you know how the demons-blessed System Force works."
She fell quiet, and for a long moment a tense silence fell upon the vehicle. Keiichi recognized it as the calm before a storm, a match about to be lit near a gas line, and held his silence. Whatever happened next, he would not be the one to ignite it. Urd's breath was so deep and rapid he could hear it; could even see the flair of her nostrils as the silver-haired goddess fought for some semblance of control. Skuld's eyes were wide, and in comparison to her sister, the SEAL doubted she was even allowing herself a breath, she looked so scared. Then slowly, Urd's hold on Skuld slackened, and the younger woman slid down the glass pane she'd been pinned against. It took a moment for Keiichi to realize Skuld's feet weren't touching the ground.
"Furthermore," Urd started, and her face scrunched up in a snarl. It was gone so fast that Keiichi was certain he'd imagined it. "Furthermore," The goddess tried again, "Keiichi Morisato is one of my closest friends. I don't care if you're prejudiced against humans. I don't care if you think they should all rot in a hole for all eternity for whatever shit this Aoshima fuck is doing to Belldandy. Hell, you can even speak your mind if it makes you feel better—but I will not-" She swallowed visibly. "I will not allow you to threaten him. Not Keiichi. Not his family. Not his team. Do you understand."
Skuld said nothing, and for that Keiichi couldn't blame her. The woman looked shell shocked.
"Do you understand?!" Urd roared, and this time Skuld flinched.
"I get it!" She cried, "I understand, okay? No more threats! I get it!"
Some of the anger seeped out of Urd's face, and with a strained sigh the goddess released her. Skuld retreated further down the armory's hallway towards the front of the vehicle, putting ample distance between herself and Urd. The young woman was trembling, holding back tears. "I just want to get Big Sister back, okay?!" She cried, before turning and storming off.
All at once the anger vanished from Urd's person, and the woman slumped against the wall she'd pinned Skuld to not a moment prior. Keiichi, sensing the storm's passing, rolled to his feet and approached Urd. "…I do too." The woman muttered, her face hidden behind one hand.
Keiichi eyed her. He'd never seen this side of Urd before. He'd seen the Injured Urd from back in Afghanistan, Teasing Urd as they'd become drinking buddies, Sullen Urd whenever her sister was brought up and the many, many faces of Drunk Urd. But Protective Urd? Angry Urd? Oh, Angry Urd was new.
Angry Urd was scary.
"So…" Keiichi started. "That was new."
"M' Sorry." The goddess didn't lower her hand. "Stressed." She peeked between her fingers at him. "…Scared."
Keiichi raised a dark, bushy eyebrow. "Coulda fooled me." He said. "If I'd known I was walking into another one of your fights, I'd have bought a Rolex beforehand." He raised his left arm, where the LUMINOX glinted against the artificial light within the van. "Demon on one arm, a goddess on the other." He joked. "And with their powers combined, I might actually have a conscience telling me that I'm in way over my head and that no piece a tail is worth the family drama I just witnessed." He shrugged. "Either that or I'll have two pairs of screams to act as my daily alarm."
He earned a snort from Urd, and the goddess dropped her hand to her side.
"Oh, she's worth it, alright." Straightening, the silver-haired woman moved to Keiichi's side. Using a quick spell to recall a picture of Belldandy, she wrapped a free arm around his waist as she stepped behind him. "She's not just a piece of tail," Urd whispered, embracing him in a one-armed hug. Her free hand trailed up to his chest, while the other held out the picture for Keiichi to observe. The goddess leaned into him, taking strength in the solidness of his form. She felt tired, sick from the negative emotions and bad memories brought on by her argument with Skuld. The Norn sighed, propping her chin on his shoulder. Urd was taller than him by several inches, yet Keiichi had never seemed to care about that, nor mind her oftentimes intimate proximity. For that she was grateful. "She's probably the finest piece of ass in all of heaven, Keiichi. The kindest woman you could ever hope to meet in this world or the next. And it's literally her destiny to be yours, if you can handle a stupid, immature, overgrown child and a crazy witch dressed like a bitch for a little longer."
Keiichi took the photo and examined it. Urd's hand fell to join its sibling around his waist. Not going any lower, not teasing, but resting in a loose embrace. His own hand dropped to hers, and he squeezed it in a show of comradery. In the picture he was holding, Belldandy was wearing a white spaghetti strap dress that revealed all of her curves, but still left plenty to the imagination. She was smiling brightly, holding a sun hat with both hands in front of her.
"I took this while we were taking a day off at one of the beaches back home," the silver-haired woman's voice was soft, mournful even. "There was no way for me to know it'd be that last one I'd get to take of her. She received the call to go down to grant Aoshima's wish the next day."
Keiichi nodded in understanding. Having three younger siblings himself, he empathized with how much it pained Urd to know her younger sister was in trouble. Especially the favorite. "Don't worry, I'll get her back," he told her, determination in his voice. Especially for the favorite. He thought.
"My hero." Urd's smile was warm, and for a brief moment the embrace tightened as she kissed the back of his neck.
XXX
In the city of Nekomi, outside of Tokyo, Japan, there was a mansion. It rested at the peak of a steep hill, built upon the foundation of what had once been a deteriorating Buddhist temple. Those who passed it-them the very few- saw only the highest peaks of the mansion roof, for a ten-foot stone wall obscured the rest of the view. Yet for what little those few onlookers did see was a palace of pure splendor. A modern-day Yamajiro constructed for a self-proclaimed Daimyo, with it's long, sloping walls and Sotogata-styled levels. The roofs were tiled and brown, with triangular windows that glowed with a gentle electric lighting. For those rare individuals who were allowed past the armed guards that patrolled the mansion grounds, even more could be seen: Rustic rock walls lined the first floor, with more contemporary stucco for the floors above. Beside it was a more modest building which served as the original residence for the monks who'd once lived and worked here. Now it served as the guards' residence.
The residence was quiet this late at night; most of those present were day-shifters, trying to get a good rest for the morning shift that started at five, while the other inhabitants were night-shifters breaking for food. Only two occupants were awake and active in the shack, and both of them were in the dining room, prepping and chatting as they fixed themselves a quick meal of salted fish, rice, and pickled vegetables.
Which meant the living room next door was empty.
It was a small room; designed more like a break room with its various bar stools, chairs, and lone leather couch instead of a living room. A large, seventy-two inch television was suspended from one wall. Its screen danced with images from a news network that a previous denizen had been watching before leaving for a shift, and the volume was a dull roar that served more as background noise more than anything else.
It was as the news station was reporting on a natural disaster in Thailand that the picture began to distort, rippling like disturbed water. The voices emerging from the soundbox grew deep and harsh, and the screen began to glow and boil and warp, the strange bubbles conjoining into one huge bubble that took up the center of the screen. It seeped from the screen like a drop of mercury, before gravity took hold and tore the unnatural droplet from the television. All at once a human body formed from the drop, and as though the action came second nature it tucked into a roll, coming up a few feet from the screen in a fighting stance.
The figure looked around, peering through the orange visor of his suit. Behind him, the flatscreen's light dimmed, the voices raising to return to their natural pitch as the magic that had allowed the transport faded from sight. "Alright, I'm in." Keiichi said, the voice emerging from the suit metallic and genderless. "Doesn't look like anyone's around."
Several miles away, in downtown Nekomi a large radio tower rested. Within its upper scaffolding, two women sat, various pieces of electronic equipment scattered about them in disarray. Skuld had changed into a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants and a dark red halter top. her hair was tied up in a pony tail, and the young woman leaned over a slim laptop, typing commands in a flurry into the program she was observing. "Okay, I've got a layout of the facility on screen." She said, speaking into one of the headsets granting her Comms with the SEAL. "You screwed up already Urd." She accused, casting a glare to her older sister. "Magilla spawned in the guard shack instead of HQ."
"The fuck you just call me, Quiche Lorraine?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," she retorted. "Did I stutter?"
"Both of you save it for later!" Urd snapped, sending a pointed look to Skuld. "It's time to man up and shut up. We've got a sister to save." The woman sat suspended on one of the metal pillars of the tower, her gaze southbound towards the hilltop she'd teleported Keiichi to. "The guard shack was intentional-most of the guards are working so it'll be easier to infiltrate without drawing too much attention. Last thing we need is me teleporting you into some executive office that has a trigger button and half a dozen armed guards waiting to swarm you, Jank."
"I could take 'em." It sounded like Keiichi was joking, but the comms made it difficult to tell.
"Don't get cocky." Urd warned, adjusting her own headset in an effort to make it more comfortable. "Save that shit for the after party. Something about this whole thing feels off to me. I don't like it."
Skuld scowled up at her. "Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now. This was your idea, don't forget.
"As if." The goddess directed a violet glare down to her sister. "I'm just saying proceed with caution. We aren't out of the woods until Belldandy is on the other side of the planet."
"Roger Wilco, Sheila." The small buzz of static that indicated his own headset was active fell silent, switching to the more passive 'receive only' mode. The goddess redirected her attention towards Keiichi's position and closed her eyes. Several minutes passed, and when she opened them once more she looked down to Skuld. "Alright, I've masked our magical signature from any active interfaces." She said. "That should keep us from drawing any unnecessary attention. Everything good on your end?"
Skuld frowned, reviewing the various pieces of hardware around her. "For the most part..." She muttered. Urd raised an eyebrow in question, but Skuld was too focused to notice. "There's something really weird about this area, Urd." The Norn pursed her lips, then placed her laptop off to one side in favor of another piece of equipment. "I don't know if your spell was actually necessary, Sis." She murmured, and this time both of Urd's brows shot up in surprise.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Well..." The woman's brows furrowed together in concentration. "According to the readings I'm getting, there was already a dampening spell put in place. It's passive, just like the spell you worked, but I've also got a counter-dampening shield in the works to help detect any magical frequency changes that might indicate someone trying to break your spell." Now she looked up, her face tinted with concern. "Urd, Belldandy doesn't know dampening spells..." She said, "I don't think we're alone..."
Urd chewed her lower lip in thought, a thumb beating a restless tempo against the steel beam she sat on. "It's...probably just the higher ups," she decided. "They know we've been looking everywhere for Belldandy, so they probably laid a spoofer on her location to hide her in case we figured out what country she was in."
Skuld looked unconvinced. "And if it's not?" She inquired. "What if it's-"
A sudden ringing from one of the electronic pieces caught the attention of both the sisters, and with a curse Skuld reached for it, her face pinching in aggravation. "Oh great." She growled, then looked at Urd, that accusing look once more on her face. "I thought you said you placed a dampening spell on the area!"
Urd looked at her with a start. "Hey now, I did! And that layered on top of the one you already claimed was in place! What is it? What's going on?"
The younger Norn glowered at her sister, than turned back to the little machine in hand. "I bet you triggered something when you laid out that spell." She growled.
"Bullshit." Urd retorted. "What do you see?"
The goddess lifted up the equipment for Urd to see, and reaching down the silver haired Norn grabbed it. Three large blips of light displayed on the screen, heading north towards their position. A symbology Urd didn't recognize was displayed around each light, and Urd glared down at her sister. "Skuld, I'm not a technical genius like you. What are you showing me?"
The woman smacked her forehead with an audible growl. "Those are Valkyries you dunce!" She snapped. "Three of them, one of them with a big enough signature to account for a Fighting Wing! What the hell did you do, Urd?!"
Urd paled considerably, her mouth forming into an 'O' of surprise. "FUCK!" The goddess snarled, and then hopped down from her post. "Fucking Lind sticking her Nidhogg-blessed nose where it doesn't fucking belong—"
"You've got Lind on your tail?!" Skuld jumped away from her sister as though she were poison. "Freaken 'Golden Eye' She-Bitch Herself?" She stared at Urd in dawning horror. "Urd what the fuck did you do?!"
"Never mind that!" She snapped. "Can we still relay comms to Keiichi away from the tower?"
"Well yeah, it's got a range of thirty two point six miles but-"
"Then stow what you don't need and get ready." Urd announced. The woman tossed the machine back down to Skuld, who caught it with a dismayed shout. "We're running interference for Keiichi."
Comments of a Madwoman: Shit's about to get real next chapter. We aren't pulling any punches here, so get ready for some harsh realities and some ugly truths. There's a reason this story has a mature rating, and you'll see some of those reasons in the upcoming chapters.
