Part 39
Why NOT To Make Bets With Chaos Gods
By BobCat
Disclaimer: Most of this isn't mine. One disclaimer I forgot for part 38: Toltir was created by Metroanime, and was used with permission (a first for this fic.) Otherwise, I'm not responsible for many of the characters portrayed herein. I got the Code of Chivalry from http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/chivalry.html.
OK, the contest to figure out the origins of Tag and Bink is now over:
Tag and Bink were featured in a two-issue Star Wars comic book miniseries entitled "Tag and Bink Are Dead." They were in the background, and actually moved "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back" along. If you like Star Wars, and enjoy my peculiar brand of comedy, see if you can find this comic book series!
And now, on with the Show!
* * *
It had been nearly a week since Phil's ill-fated battle with Thor. In that time, given the lack of godly opponents, whichever team managed to select Phil first won. Phil was bored stiff, and was doing what he could to get transferred to the Grand Kai's place. (Phil knew that he could probably beat Pikon and the other dead martial artists, but it would be a lot more challenging then "clubbing baby seals," as he referred to his fights with the Vikings.)
Mamoru, or "Pansy" as he was now known, had yet to break his record; in battle, he was little more than a notch on Sigfried's belt.
And King Arthur Pendragon was beginning to get discouraged. A week of constant tutoring and nagging had yet to eliminate Phil's bad habit it vaporizing hundreds of soldiers on either side with a casual gesture. So, all of the Vikings were beginning to become despondent. Those opposed to Phil because he was completely immune to any attacks they launched, and those with Phil because they didn't get to fight any more.
So, Arthur was at wit's end. "No no no! For the last time, thou must respect all weaknesses!"
Phil looked up from his leg of boar. "Where does it say that?"
In response, Arthur pulled out a chalkboard. Written on it were The Ten commandments of Chivalry. And they read as follows:
I. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
II. Thou shalt defend the church.
III. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
IV. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
V. Thou shalt not recoil before the enemy.
VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
VII. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
VIII. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
IX. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
X. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.
Phil went down the list. "OK, I'll go with numbers... II, V, and sometimes X."
Despite the fact that he had died several hundred years before Anime was a glimmer in a Japanese artist's mind, Arthur performed a perfect Demon- Head maneuver. His head swelled up to several dozen times its normal size, and the background was mysteriously replaced by a bright red. In a very loud and booming voice, he said, "THOU CANST NOT PICK AND CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CHIVALRY!"
Phil waved it off. "Why not? There isn't a commandment against it."
Arthur paused. "Thou hast a point, Squire Phil. But no matter! I gave my word that I would teach you chivalry, and chivalry you shall learn!"
Phil went back over the list. "Y'know, most people don't just blindly follow the Church anymore. Nor do any but the most extreme radicals feel the need to crush the infidels. These are really outdated, unless you'd like me to Final Flash the Holy Land into a featureless wasteland. Also, I don't have a feudal lord, nor have I ever had one." Taking out an eraser, Phil wiped out the offending commandments.
Arthur smacked Phil across the face. It hurt the British King's hand more than it did the genetically engineered warrior. Rubbing his wounded hand, Arthur considered. "No, the Commandments stay as they are. However, I may change the code once I hath had a chance to study thy world. (Author's Note: Yeah, right.) Now, thou shalt write each commandment fifteen times, so that thou might remember them." Grumbling, Phil went to work.
Arthur decided to take a quick walk to clear his mind. Arthur quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "It art fortunate that my Squire hath not realized that I lack the strength to force his hand. I simply wish that I might be given such strength as he."
"Oh really."
Arthur practically jumped out of his armor. Quickly unsheathing Excalibur, he spun to face his assailant.
The figure was clad in a skintight, green body suit. He wore a yellow crown atop his head, and a cape of a darker green than his suit billowed behind him.
The British king looked at the figure with a confused look. "Loki? What dost thou desire?"
"Why, to help YOU of course, dear Pendragon. You desired power to match your student, so that you could force him to follow your directives. Correct?"
"Aye. I spoke in such a manner." Arthur sheathed his sword. "What dost thou propose?"
Loki waved his hand. A stray beam of light was reshaped into a globe. The Norse God of Mischief and Chaos grinned. "You have dedicated yourself to teach Phil, one of the least honorable souls in existence, the ways of Chivalry. A truly laudable goal, but most likely an unattainable one."
Arthur considered this. "So, thou sayest that my quest is impossible?"
Loki shook his head. "No. For SOME souls, it would be impossible. Phil, on the other hand, is basically a good person. However, a trauma in his childhood erected a series of barriers in his mind. He is convinced that if anyone gets too close, he'll only be hurt again. So, he attempts to keep everyone at arms length through pranks and biting sarcasm." Loki waved his left hand, and an image of a green haired woman that Arthur didn't recognize appeared "Thus far, the only person who has come close to penetrating said barrier is Galaxy Police Officer First Class Kione. She has not yet succeeded, but the seeds of true affection are being planted. He seeks to be the best martial artist in the world because it was his father's hope for him. Also, he desires to become the most powerful so that he can defend himself and those that he cares about."
"So, what we have here is a corrupted soul. Teaching him chivalry might eliminate said corruption, and I believe that purifying him would make the world a better place."
Arthur grew suspicious. "I hath read of thy exploits, Loki. You care nothing for humanity or Midgard."
Loki adopted a hurt look. "Really, Pendragon. I'm not cruel; I simply enjoy a prank as much as the next God of Mischief. If I can perform an act both for my own amusement AND humanity's benefit, all the better." He spun the globe and focused. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, a number of countries glowed a bright orange. They included England, Ireland, Australia, the Eastern United States and Canada, India and South Africa. "I know your desire, Arthur, son of Uther. You wish to hold the mantle of King once again. And, I can make you King of England once again, Pendragon. And so much more than that."
Arthur was very intrigued. "What art that strange ball?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes. I forgot. This map is a little before your time." With another wave of his hand, the globe was replaced by a roll of parchment. Upon it was a map of England, Ireland and a few sections of Europe. "This was the world in which you lived. All of your mighty battles, your great exploits, were all focused on an insignificant island in the northern Atlantic. A few of your Knights journeyed to the Holy Land, but you yourself were rather stationary." A gestured again, and the scrap of parchment slowly shrank back into another globe. "The countries highlighted in orange are the former possessions of the British Empire." Arthur's eyes bugged out of his head. Loki grinned. His thoughts were along the lines of "And now to reel him in."
Arthur stammered. "All that... under British rule?" He was angry that he had missed such a glorious time to be King!
"It was. Thanks to a couple of devastating World Wars and a series of rebellions, most of these territories became independent." Loki waved his hand, and the map disappeared. "Now, it has taken me more than a week to prepare this proposal for you. I've had to ask permission from the head Gods of each Pantheon, from Zeus to Odin. I have a wager. You will be sent to Earth in a form able to match Phil's strength exactly. You will have the rest of his mortal life to teach him the Code of Chivalry. Should you succeed before his death, I will make you King of an equivalently sized Empire. In fact, I've been authorized to offer you the rest of Europe to compensate you for the loss of America. Should you fail, however, you become my slave for the next million years." Arthur looked a little crestfallen at this. Loki sighed. "Arthur, if you truly think you can be successful, then you have nothing to fear. Besides, when one's soul is immortal, one finds that a million years passes very quickly." The Norse God of Mischief handed Arthur a pen and a contract.
Arthur took the pen from Loki's hand. He considered. He attempted to remember his education; now, how much had Merlin said that a million was? A thousand thousand? That sounded right. And Loki was correct; the past seven hundred years that he had spent in Valhalla had passed very quickly.
He hesitated. Was he, a King, really ready to risk his freedom for another? Loki had admitted that the odds were against him, but that it was doable.
And the Norse God had also stated that teaching Phil chivalry would benefit not only the Policeman, but also the entire world. And, according to Commandment X, was he not bound to be a champion of Right and Good, even when the situation was hopeless? It was his DUTY to sign that contract.
Very quickly, Arthur scratched out his name. The British King was a bit embarrassed by his shoddy penmanship, but decided that it was because he hadn't written since he had come to Valhalla.
Loki snapped his fingers. "It is done. Have a nice life, Arthur Pendragon." Loki snapped his fingers, and for both Arthur and Phil, the world went black.
* * *
Phil returned to consciousness very gradually. First of all, he was aware of wetness. Then, he felt a breathing mask across his face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes.
Which Phil thought was unusual, considering that he hadn't ordered his eyes to open.
Phil moaned, and thought, "Where am I?"
Phil did a double take when he heard two VERY familiar voices utter the same thing.
"Who said that?" For several moments, there was no response.
Then, he heard a familiar, feminine voice. "Oh God no. Not YOU again."
Phil's eyes widened. "IO!? What the hell are you doing here!?"
Arthur's tenor voice resounded through Phil's head. "Squire, thou should not speak thusly to a lady."
Phil realized that both Io and Arthur's voices weren't being heard by his ears. They were coming from inside his head.
Then, Phil felt the familiar link with his symbiote. "What the... no! This can't be! There CAN'T be four of us in here!"
Io, taking control of one of Phil's hands, knocked on the panel before them. Seizing Phil's voice, she said, "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Responding to the touch, the panel slid away. Phil sat up, and suddenly a week's worth of bedsores and cramped muscles caught up with him. "Ouchie." The heated liquid that he had been immersed in poured around their feet, as the stasis chamber slid from a horizontal position to a vertical. Looking around, Phil saw that they were in Washuu's lab.
Arthur was very confused. "Where art thou, Phil? And who art Io?"
Phil rubbed their temples. "Arthur, why do I get the feeling that this is your fault?"
The British King replied, "Well, I was having a nice little chat with Loki, and..."
As Arthur told the tale of his contract with the Mischief God, Phil became very frustrated. "Arthur, YOU IDIOT! I wouldn't have thought that ANYBODY was dumb enough to deal with Loki, but I was sadly mistaken!"
Io kept looking around. "Huh? Who's talking?"
Phil growled. "Io, meet your new roommate. He's Arthur Pendragon, hero of legend, former king of the Britons, yada yada yada."
"King of the who?"
Arthur was so shocked that he didn't speak. EVERYONE was supposed to know who he was! Phil, on the other hand, went on to more important tasks. "Io, although I hate to repeat myself, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
The Senshi of Io responded thusly; "I've been training for the past ten thousand years for one purpose: vengeance! Phil, for destroying Planet X, and for slaying my Mother, you die now!" Io attempted to strangle Phil. The Saiyan hybrid struggled to stop that from happening. For several moments, there was a stalemate. Then Arthur, taking control of the other hand, grabbed Phil's right, thus stopping Io from committing suicide. Meanwhile, the symbiote was very confused. What had happened to its host, to make it's mind shatter into three pieces?
Phil, consumed by anger and confusion, let the changes of the Super Saiyan state run over him. "Now everyone calm down! From the looks of it, we're going to be together for a VERY long time, and we need to reach a compromise! But first, what the hell happened?"
"I can answer that."
For a few brief moments, Io, Arthur and Phil were linked in action. They attempted (rather unsuccessfully) to jump out of their collective skin. Once again, Loki was before them.
Phil balled his hands into fists. Then, he raised his right index finger and began to poke Loki in the chest. "What... the... hell... is... going... on... here?"
Loki looked at Phil with a look of pure contempt. "Don't bother to threaten me, mortal. We Norse Gods are far stronger than the other Pantheons, so you won't be able to fell me as you did Raiden." From a pocket, Loki pulled the contract that Arthur had signed. After unfolding it, he handed it to Phil, who began to read. Phil noticed that the creases in the paper disappeared instantly. "Arthur signed this nice little paper. Basically, he has to teach you chivalry or become my slave."
Phil's aura grew brighter. "I NEVER SIGNED THAT!"
Loki grinned. "Apparently Odin and the rest never thought that your approval was necessary."
The Norse God of Mischief snatched the contract from Phil's hands, refolded it and returned it to his pocket. "Now, he asked for equal strength to yours. The only problem is that, well, we could give him greater strength, or less, but becoming exactly as strong as somebody is a difficult business. With all of the training you're constantly subjecting yourself to, it would require constant supervision to keep Arthur at exactly your level of power. So, instead, we decided to give him your body. Phil, of course, is still the primary soul, but Arthur has some power to "force his hand."
Io said, "Then why am I here?"
Loki smirked. "You were always there. In most Sailor Senshi, the idea is that the dead Senshi's soul moves in, restructures the host body, and eventually merges with the host's soul. However, the genetic engineering that Phil underwent messed that up. Some merging occurred, but you've really been in stasis since he was born. You're sort of a Siamese- soul: two souls, but very intimately connected. The only reason that you awoke was because Phil found out about you."
Loki grinned. "Now, I must be off. Enjoy your new life, Pendragon!" With that, he teleported away.
Phil's forlorn scream could be heard for miles.
End Part 39
Next Time: While You Were Out.
Why NOT To Make Bets With Chaos Gods
By BobCat
Disclaimer: Most of this isn't mine. One disclaimer I forgot for part 38: Toltir was created by Metroanime, and was used with permission (a first for this fic.) Otherwise, I'm not responsible for many of the characters portrayed herein. I got the Code of Chivalry from http://www.astro.umd.edu/~marshall/chivalry.html.
OK, the contest to figure out the origins of Tag and Bink is now over:
Tag and Bink were featured in a two-issue Star Wars comic book miniseries entitled "Tag and Bink Are Dead." They were in the background, and actually moved "A New Hope" and "The Empire Strikes Back" along. If you like Star Wars, and enjoy my peculiar brand of comedy, see if you can find this comic book series!
And now, on with the Show!
* * *
It had been nearly a week since Phil's ill-fated battle with Thor. In that time, given the lack of godly opponents, whichever team managed to select Phil first won. Phil was bored stiff, and was doing what he could to get transferred to the Grand Kai's place. (Phil knew that he could probably beat Pikon and the other dead martial artists, but it would be a lot more challenging then "clubbing baby seals," as he referred to his fights with the Vikings.)
Mamoru, or "Pansy" as he was now known, had yet to break his record; in battle, he was little more than a notch on Sigfried's belt.
And King Arthur Pendragon was beginning to get discouraged. A week of constant tutoring and nagging had yet to eliminate Phil's bad habit it vaporizing hundreds of soldiers on either side with a casual gesture. So, all of the Vikings were beginning to become despondent. Those opposed to Phil because he was completely immune to any attacks they launched, and those with Phil because they didn't get to fight any more.
So, Arthur was at wit's end. "No no no! For the last time, thou must respect all weaknesses!"
Phil looked up from his leg of boar. "Where does it say that?"
In response, Arthur pulled out a chalkboard. Written on it were The Ten commandments of Chivalry. And they read as follows:
I. Thou shalt believe all that the Church teaches, and shalt observe all its directions.
II. Thou shalt defend the church.
III. Thou shalt respect all weaknesses, and shalt constitute thyself the defender of them.
IV. Thou shalt love the country in which thou wast born.
V. Thou shalt not recoil before the enemy.
VI. Thou shalt make war against the Infidel without cessation, and without mercy.
VII. Thou shalt perform scrupulously thy feudal duties, if they be not contrary to the laws of God.
VIII. Thou shalt never lie, and shall remain faithful to thy pledged word.
IX. Thou shalt be generous, and give largess to everyone.
X. Thou shalt be everywhere and always the champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.
Phil went down the list. "OK, I'll go with numbers... II, V, and sometimes X."
Despite the fact that he had died several hundred years before Anime was a glimmer in a Japanese artist's mind, Arthur performed a perfect Demon- Head maneuver. His head swelled up to several dozen times its normal size, and the background was mysteriously replaced by a bright red. In a very loud and booming voice, he said, "THOU CANST NOT PICK AND CHOOSE FROM AMONG THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CHIVALRY!"
Phil waved it off. "Why not? There isn't a commandment against it."
Arthur paused. "Thou hast a point, Squire Phil. But no matter! I gave my word that I would teach you chivalry, and chivalry you shall learn!"
Phil went back over the list. "Y'know, most people don't just blindly follow the Church anymore. Nor do any but the most extreme radicals feel the need to crush the infidels. These are really outdated, unless you'd like me to Final Flash the Holy Land into a featureless wasteland. Also, I don't have a feudal lord, nor have I ever had one." Taking out an eraser, Phil wiped out the offending commandments.
Arthur smacked Phil across the face. It hurt the British King's hand more than it did the genetically engineered warrior. Rubbing his wounded hand, Arthur considered. "No, the Commandments stay as they are. However, I may change the code once I hath had a chance to study thy world. (Author's Note: Yeah, right.) Now, thou shalt write each commandment fifteen times, so that thou might remember them." Grumbling, Phil went to work.
Arthur decided to take a quick walk to clear his mind. Arthur quietly breathed a sigh of relief. "It art fortunate that my Squire hath not realized that I lack the strength to force his hand. I simply wish that I might be given such strength as he."
"Oh really."
Arthur practically jumped out of his armor. Quickly unsheathing Excalibur, he spun to face his assailant.
The figure was clad in a skintight, green body suit. He wore a yellow crown atop his head, and a cape of a darker green than his suit billowed behind him.
The British king looked at the figure with a confused look. "Loki? What dost thou desire?"
"Why, to help YOU of course, dear Pendragon. You desired power to match your student, so that you could force him to follow your directives. Correct?"
"Aye. I spoke in such a manner." Arthur sheathed his sword. "What dost thou propose?"
Loki waved his hand. A stray beam of light was reshaped into a globe. The Norse God of Mischief and Chaos grinned. "You have dedicated yourself to teach Phil, one of the least honorable souls in existence, the ways of Chivalry. A truly laudable goal, but most likely an unattainable one."
Arthur considered this. "So, thou sayest that my quest is impossible?"
Loki shook his head. "No. For SOME souls, it would be impossible. Phil, on the other hand, is basically a good person. However, a trauma in his childhood erected a series of barriers in his mind. He is convinced that if anyone gets too close, he'll only be hurt again. So, he attempts to keep everyone at arms length through pranks and biting sarcasm." Loki waved his left hand, and an image of a green haired woman that Arthur didn't recognize appeared "Thus far, the only person who has come close to penetrating said barrier is Galaxy Police Officer First Class Kione. She has not yet succeeded, but the seeds of true affection are being planted. He seeks to be the best martial artist in the world because it was his father's hope for him. Also, he desires to become the most powerful so that he can defend himself and those that he cares about."
"So, what we have here is a corrupted soul. Teaching him chivalry might eliminate said corruption, and I believe that purifying him would make the world a better place."
Arthur grew suspicious. "I hath read of thy exploits, Loki. You care nothing for humanity or Midgard."
Loki adopted a hurt look. "Really, Pendragon. I'm not cruel; I simply enjoy a prank as much as the next God of Mischief. If I can perform an act both for my own amusement AND humanity's benefit, all the better." He spun the globe and focused. For a few moments, nothing happened. Then, a number of countries glowed a bright orange. They included England, Ireland, Australia, the Eastern United States and Canada, India and South Africa. "I know your desire, Arthur, son of Uther. You wish to hold the mantle of King once again. And, I can make you King of England once again, Pendragon. And so much more than that."
Arthur was very intrigued. "What art that strange ball?"
Loki rolled his eyes. "Ah, yes. I forgot. This map is a little before your time." With another wave of his hand, the globe was replaced by a roll of parchment. Upon it was a map of England, Ireland and a few sections of Europe. "This was the world in which you lived. All of your mighty battles, your great exploits, were all focused on an insignificant island in the northern Atlantic. A few of your Knights journeyed to the Holy Land, but you yourself were rather stationary." A gestured again, and the scrap of parchment slowly shrank back into another globe. "The countries highlighted in orange are the former possessions of the British Empire." Arthur's eyes bugged out of his head. Loki grinned. His thoughts were along the lines of "And now to reel him in."
Arthur stammered. "All that... under British rule?" He was angry that he had missed such a glorious time to be King!
"It was. Thanks to a couple of devastating World Wars and a series of rebellions, most of these territories became independent." Loki waved his hand, and the map disappeared. "Now, it has taken me more than a week to prepare this proposal for you. I've had to ask permission from the head Gods of each Pantheon, from Zeus to Odin. I have a wager. You will be sent to Earth in a form able to match Phil's strength exactly. You will have the rest of his mortal life to teach him the Code of Chivalry. Should you succeed before his death, I will make you King of an equivalently sized Empire. In fact, I've been authorized to offer you the rest of Europe to compensate you for the loss of America. Should you fail, however, you become my slave for the next million years." Arthur looked a little crestfallen at this. Loki sighed. "Arthur, if you truly think you can be successful, then you have nothing to fear. Besides, when one's soul is immortal, one finds that a million years passes very quickly." The Norse God of Mischief handed Arthur a pen and a contract.
Arthur took the pen from Loki's hand. He considered. He attempted to remember his education; now, how much had Merlin said that a million was? A thousand thousand? That sounded right. And Loki was correct; the past seven hundred years that he had spent in Valhalla had passed very quickly.
He hesitated. Was he, a King, really ready to risk his freedom for another? Loki had admitted that the odds were against him, but that it was doable.
And the Norse God had also stated that teaching Phil chivalry would benefit not only the Policeman, but also the entire world. And, according to Commandment X, was he not bound to be a champion of Right and Good, even when the situation was hopeless? It was his DUTY to sign that contract.
Very quickly, Arthur scratched out his name. The British King was a bit embarrassed by his shoddy penmanship, but decided that it was because he hadn't written since he had come to Valhalla.
Loki snapped his fingers. "It is done. Have a nice life, Arthur Pendragon." Loki snapped his fingers, and for both Arthur and Phil, the world went black.
* * *
Phil returned to consciousness very gradually. First of all, he was aware of wetness. Then, he felt a breathing mask across his face. Slowly, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes.
Which Phil thought was unusual, considering that he hadn't ordered his eyes to open.
Phil moaned, and thought, "Where am I?"
Phil did a double take when he heard two VERY familiar voices utter the same thing.
"Who said that?" For several moments, there was no response.
Then, he heard a familiar, feminine voice. "Oh God no. Not YOU again."
Phil's eyes widened. "IO!? What the hell are you doing here!?"
Arthur's tenor voice resounded through Phil's head. "Squire, thou should not speak thusly to a lady."
Phil realized that both Io and Arthur's voices weren't being heard by his ears. They were coming from inside his head.
Then, Phil felt the familiar link with his symbiote. "What the... no! This can't be! There CAN'T be four of us in here!"
Io, taking control of one of Phil's hands, knocked on the panel before them. Seizing Phil's voice, she said, "Hello? Is anyone there?"
Responding to the touch, the panel slid away. Phil sat up, and suddenly a week's worth of bedsores and cramped muscles caught up with him. "Ouchie." The heated liquid that he had been immersed in poured around their feet, as the stasis chamber slid from a horizontal position to a vertical. Looking around, Phil saw that they were in Washuu's lab.
Arthur was very confused. "Where art thou, Phil? And who art Io?"
Phil rubbed their temples. "Arthur, why do I get the feeling that this is your fault?"
The British King replied, "Well, I was having a nice little chat with Loki, and..."
As Arthur told the tale of his contract with the Mischief God, Phil became very frustrated. "Arthur, YOU IDIOT! I wouldn't have thought that ANYBODY was dumb enough to deal with Loki, but I was sadly mistaken!"
Io kept looking around. "Huh? Who's talking?"
Phil growled. "Io, meet your new roommate. He's Arthur Pendragon, hero of legend, former king of the Britons, yada yada yada."
"King of the who?"
Arthur was so shocked that he didn't speak. EVERYONE was supposed to know who he was! Phil, on the other hand, went on to more important tasks. "Io, although I hate to repeat myself, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
The Senshi of Io responded thusly; "I've been training for the past ten thousand years for one purpose: vengeance! Phil, for destroying Planet X, and for slaying my Mother, you die now!" Io attempted to strangle Phil. The Saiyan hybrid struggled to stop that from happening. For several moments, there was a stalemate. Then Arthur, taking control of the other hand, grabbed Phil's right, thus stopping Io from committing suicide. Meanwhile, the symbiote was very confused. What had happened to its host, to make it's mind shatter into three pieces?
Phil, consumed by anger and confusion, let the changes of the Super Saiyan state run over him. "Now everyone calm down! From the looks of it, we're going to be together for a VERY long time, and we need to reach a compromise! But first, what the hell happened?"
"I can answer that."
For a few brief moments, Io, Arthur and Phil were linked in action. They attempted (rather unsuccessfully) to jump out of their collective skin. Once again, Loki was before them.
Phil balled his hands into fists. Then, he raised his right index finger and began to poke Loki in the chest. "What... the... hell... is... going... on... here?"
Loki looked at Phil with a look of pure contempt. "Don't bother to threaten me, mortal. We Norse Gods are far stronger than the other Pantheons, so you won't be able to fell me as you did Raiden." From a pocket, Loki pulled the contract that Arthur had signed. After unfolding it, he handed it to Phil, who began to read. Phil noticed that the creases in the paper disappeared instantly. "Arthur signed this nice little paper. Basically, he has to teach you chivalry or become my slave."
Phil's aura grew brighter. "I NEVER SIGNED THAT!"
Loki grinned. "Apparently Odin and the rest never thought that your approval was necessary."
The Norse God of Mischief snatched the contract from Phil's hands, refolded it and returned it to his pocket. "Now, he asked for equal strength to yours. The only problem is that, well, we could give him greater strength, or less, but becoming exactly as strong as somebody is a difficult business. With all of the training you're constantly subjecting yourself to, it would require constant supervision to keep Arthur at exactly your level of power. So, instead, we decided to give him your body. Phil, of course, is still the primary soul, but Arthur has some power to "force his hand."
Io said, "Then why am I here?"
Loki smirked. "You were always there. In most Sailor Senshi, the idea is that the dead Senshi's soul moves in, restructures the host body, and eventually merges with the host's soul. However, the genetic engineering that Phil underwent messed that up. Some merging occurred, but you've really been in stasis since he was born. You're sort of a Siamese- soul: two souls, but very intimately connected. The only reason that you awoke was because Phil found out about you."
Loki grinned. "Now, I must be off. Enjoy your new life, Pendragon!" With that, he teleported away.
Phil's forlorn scream could be heard for miles.
End Part 39
Next Time: While You Were Out.
