"All of these are your friend," Hel rasps. "But only one may leave this place. You must choose who ... and what ... you take with you."

Hel's words echo disturbingly in the silence that follows. Even the susurration from the ranks of the dead seems to fade as the choice hangs there, unvoiced.

"Four shades, five choices," Evie points out.

"Yes," is all Hel says.

"Sarcophagus," Hitoshi says quietly. "What do the rest of you think?"

"I think I'd like to ask these phantoms some questions," Lya said. "With the goddess' permission."
Hel nods.

"I am in no hurry," she says. "However, you have concerns in the living world that may require such. But ask your questions."

Evie waits, curious to hear what Lya will ask and what the spirits' answers will be.

"A question for each of you then," Lya begins. "A jail in Texas that is dangerously overfilled with prisoners has decided that to make room they're going to immediately fulfill the sentences of all prisoners on Death Row despite the fact that some of the cases are still open because of new evidence that has been found. Do you agree or disagree with their actions?"

"Disagree," says the Army officer. "Better that a guilty man go free than an innocent man be put to death."
"I couldn't countenance that, no," says the second. "The death penalty must be subject to strict judicial review to prevent abuses."

"I'd have to disagree, Lya," the third opines. "The law is there to protect people, not fulfill some notion of revenge or punishment."

"Agree," says the burning man. "They made their choices, and have faced Justice. Now they face Death."

"Agree," comes a voice from the sarcophagus. "However, if a case is under appeal, then the sentence should be commuted to life without parole until the cases are settled."

"I like the one in the box, honestly," Lya says as she turns to the group. "Justice without Death has no compassion and only sees in black and white truths. Death without Justice has no goal other than death itself. The one in the box seems to be a combination of both."

Evie nods her agreement, "I'm leaning towards Alex-in-a-Box, as well. Still, I'd like to hear a little more from them."

The detective turns towards the Alexes who disagreed with the proposal and ask, "The prison is still over-crowded. What would you propose instead of moving the sentences up?"

She then turns to Alex-in-a-Box and says, "Now, I understand that what I am about to suggest doesn't happen often...but it does. Let's say Prisoner A is slated to die, there are no appeals. However, a new case arises and turns out to be connected to Prisoner A's case. New evidence is found that proves that Prisoner A is, in fact, not guilty...or guilty of a lesser crime that does not warrant death."

"In your case, the death row prisoners who do not currently have appeals lose the opportunity for future appeals. You are stealing time from men who are already living their lives watching a countdown to their own death."

Here, she chuckles and shrugs, "In a way, we're all watching that clock. But, we don't have it shoved in our face twenty-four hours a day."

"Is it more compassionate to end that watch or to give them those last days with slim hope for a chance at freedom?"

Hitoshi glances over at Hel for a moment and ponders the answers given to the questions asked.

"I know one thing, we don't want either of the extremist view Alexes."

"Just because I'm in the military doesn't make me an extremist," says the Army officer. "If there's not an appeal, ma'am, there's nothing I can do."

"I believe everyone deserves a fair chance," says the second, "but the voters believe in the death penalty. I can't change that."

"We can't just start releasing prisoners willy-nilly, Evie," says the third shade. "You know that. There must be respect for the law."

"And who speaks for the victims?" the Burned Man sneers. "Sometimes, Death and Justice are the same thing."

"The sentences of non-violent offenders could be reduced or commuted," says Alex-in-the-Box. "At the same time, all existing death penalty cases would fall under automatic appeal. Nevada doesn't do that yet. That's more than fair, and within the boundaries of the law."

Evie nods and smiles, "I like Alex-in-a-Box," she says. "I think he encompasses all of the previous incarnations of himself and has come to terms with both Death and Justice."

"What do you guys think?"

"Seems reasonable." Hitoshi replies thoughtfully.

"Sounds like a winner to me," Lya adds. "So how do we get Alex in the Box out... is there a crank that plays Pop Goes the Scion?"

"You have made your choice," Hel smiles. "I am satisfied. This will be an interesting game."
She turns away from you, becoming insubstantial as she does so.

"Remember, however, that I am always here."

The shades remain behind. The Army officer nods to you and smiles, then seems to be absorbed into the effigy - though you're still not sure it is one - of Alex.

"Just remember, expectation is not reality," the second shade warns. "Still, it took courage to make the choice."
He, too, merges with his original self.

"I won't remember the dream when I wake," the third says. "There will be darkness. And pain. Don't lose your way."

He, too, resolves back into the effigy.

"Free," says the Burned Man. "You want him? Take him. Leave."

"I hope we picked wisely," Evie mutters. She moves to stand next to the sarcophagus and puts her hands on the lid. "I guess we just...open it?"

At this point, Evie looks to the side and realizes that Burnt Alex is still there. She had expected him to fade with the others. She gazes at the horrific, crisped version of her friend, pondering.

"So, why aren't you gone?" she asks. "Is it because you never were really a part of Alex? You never came to pass?"

She tilts her head, thinking, "So, what are you, really?"

"I am that part of Alex North that does not yield," he says. "The young Army officer who played cat-and-mouse with the Mudjehadeen for three days to claim his birthright. The idealistic lawyer who pursues Justice when others would turn away. The man who walks away from a lucrative position to do what is right."

"The things that you value Alex North for are gifts of my hand. I am free."

"So what... because we didn't pick you Alex is going to be a wishy-washy wussy with no conviction?" Lya scoffs. "You're one fucked up goddess, Hel... no wonder Dad doesn't like you!" she yells out to the void.

"Nah. He's just bitter and angry," Evie says. "You can't just give up a part of your personality...unless...you know...brain damage. You are who you are. You can bury your experiences. You can deny them, but they are always there."

"He existed in young Alex in the military. He was in the Alex who pursues Justice. He was in the Alex who walked out of the DA's office. All of those were re-absorbed, as far as I can tell."

She turns to Burnt Alex and says, "You'll always be a part of him."

"I can't," the Burning Man says. "I want ... I need to be free."

Oddly, it isn't anger or bitterness that you hear in the statement, but a hint of fear ...

"Why?" Evie asks simply, now intrigued by this person. At first blush, he had seemed angry and spiteful. That part of a person that everyone has but suppresses most of the time. But, perhaps there is more...

"I thought you said you were free because we didn't pick you?" Lya wonders. "Are you afraid of what's going to happen back in Hels domain? The only way to be free of her is if you rejoin with Alex in the Box here... because he's the one that's leaving with us."

Lya raises her hands palms up before her. "So what you need to decide is what exactly do you want to be free from?" She raises her left hand slightly. "Do you want to be free of the constrains of being a part of Alex North," she raises her right hand and lowers the left, "or do you want to be free from Hel?"

After listening to Lya's questions, Evie reiterates her own question, "Why? If you do want to be free of Alex...why? I can completely understand wanting to be free of here. I, personally, am greatly looking forward to getting back topside. But, I don't understand why you would reject the other parts of yourself."

"Those parts are not weak. They are merely different facets of the same man, just as you are. Each of those parts works together to make something greater than what they are individually," she pauses and looks to the rest of the team.

"It's like all of us. We're different. We see the world through different eyes. And, sometimes we argue. Sometimes we don't agree, or snipe at each other...but it doesn't diminish what we are together."

"I'm not strong like you and Hitoshi. I don't think I'll ever be able to move a car without an engine. I don't have the force of presence that Lya does. What I do have are keen eyes and ears. We all bring something to the team."

"Those other parts of Alex? They need you. They need your fire...uh,...no pun intended," she smiles softly. "And, you need them to temper you. They need your strength. You need their compassion."

"Perhaps a desire to be free comes with the package of being Alex's stubborn determination," Lya suggests, "And without all the other pieces of him to tell it what it wants to be free from and why, all it's left with is the desire."

Lya shrugs. "Either way, we've got an Alex that we need to get out of the box so we can stop Lyman and convince the people that the world is still worth saving. Who knows what's been going on and for how long while we've been here."

Hitoshi puts away Honjo Masamune and looks between the box, and the burned visage of Alex. Quietly he walks over to the box. "Well I guess we just need to find the lid and push or lift it off."

He knocks on the top.

"Hey Alex, if you can hear me in there, push against the lid, come on old man, show us that Tyr strength of yours and lend us a hand."

The eyes of what you thought were an effigy snap open. "Where's that dwarf?" Alex rasps. "A fucking tete-a-tete with the goddess of Death wasn't on my to-do list."

He simply lies there for a long moment. He uncrosses his arms from the position of repose they'd been left in, flexes his hands several times.

"Feels odd," he says. "I ... it's weird, I know I spoke to Hel. She was angry that I've been defying her. 'Trespassing on her domain,' she called it. She kissed me ... and nothing. Like a nightmare that starts fading when you wake."

It's another several minutes before he can prop himself up on an elbow. He sees the Burning Man standing there.

"My inner fire, I guess," he says. "Maybe I need you. Maybe this is an indication that we both have to grow, so you aren't consumed by being what you are."

"What am I?" the Burning Man asks.

"More than this," Alex says. "Maybe you're the ichor that flows in my veins. Power? Will? I don't know. At the end of the day, you're me. I'm you. Whaddya say we blow this pop stand?"

He holds out his hand. The Burning Man looks at each of you, even the Furies, as if trying to put something back in place.

He meets Alex's handclasp and fades away.

"You didn't have to go on some wild goose chase to find him and bring me back from the dead, did you?" Alex asks. "Eww, I feel like I'm getting over the flu."

Phoebe moves to offer a steadying hand.

"NO!" Alex shouts, flinching. "Sorry. Look, I really don't know what happened. I think I need to find my father, or maybe Valeria, someone who understands this better than I do."

He frowns, then finally swings his feet to a sitting position before standing.

"Shit, this isn't where I was before," he says. "Any of you drop breadcrumbs or anything?"

"Nope, I'm no Hansel, and Lya's no Gretel. However, I think He'll will let us leave in peace. She seems alright fir the queen of the dead so to speak," Hitoshi replies as he leans on his cane.

Evie's attention is drawn back to their surroundings. She gazes about to make sure that they are still in the same spot and that she knows the way out. This is Hel's realm, after all. The goddess could've shifted things and changed them at any time.

Lya holds out her flask gingerly towards Alex and gives it a slight shake. "Seems like you could use a drink. Gods know I would."

"Lya, considering where we are, it my be best to save the booze for after we make it back to the mortal plain. You know, just in case we run into one of surts kin or something." Hitoshi says quietly.

"Hitoshi, Alex just lost his house to a fire and got kidnapped and drug into Hell through a sewer pipe where he was divided into 5 pieces and turned into a decoration on a sarcophagus. I think now is a perfect time for a drink."

Lya smiles at Alex and proffers the flask again. "That dwarf wasn't so bad... he's just trying to make a living like everyone else and was actually quite helpful when he saw what was happening. We'll get out of here soon as you're ready."

Alex looks around. "Let's go. Anyone see an 'EXIT' sign?"

Evie looks around. The railing and the sea of the dead are still there. And while the group traveled over both grass and flagstone path, there were no sharp turns or switchbacks to deliberately confuse things. And, if they were desperate, they could always follow the walls ... assuming they could find them.

"Well, poop," Evie mutters softly. More loudly, she says to the others, "It doesn't look like anything has changed but...I'm still not entirely certain which way we came. I mean, I know we need to head back away from the Sea of the Dead, here. But, I can't tell if we veered left or right to get here in the first place."

She shrugs, "Do you guys know?" Evie looks between Hitoshi, Lya and the Furies.

"Well... we went through that crack in the sewer tunnel and came out in those catacombs with the paved bits and dead people in alcoves," Lya replies. "After that... there was a weird bit where everything kept moving in the shadows, walls included... and then we were here checking out the view over the balcony."

"If Hel wants more souls to collect, then she certainly has no reason to keep us," Phoebe reasons. "For are we not preparing to fight a war in the world above?"

"Right... we've got an army of Jotunblut that we've still got to deal with," Lya mutters before taking a drink from her flask. "All right then... how about we just go that-a-way," she points in the opposite direction of the balcony, "and trust that Hel will let us go? We played her game, so now it's time to get back to business."

"Sounds like a plan! That-a-way, it is," she waits for the others to get together before she starts moving, not wanting anyone to get separated in this strange place.

"Hey, Alex...you speak up if you start feeling funky, okay?" she turns a concerned gaze to her friend. The last thing she wants it to lose him again just after they found him.

"What's the old Dean Martin line? 'I couldn't feel any better, or I'd be sick'?" Alex smiles. Still, there's just a bit of a brittle edge to the humor.

"I am not unfamiliar with the darkness," Hitoshi says, cryptically. "Let's go."

The group retraces their steps as best they can. It's a bit eerie, as the spirits of the dead react to both Alex and Evie, some darting closer as if curious, others shying away in fear.

The entrance/exit finally comes into view, a narrowing passage marked on either side by torches that burn with an ethereal blue flame.

The only problem is that the passage clearly splits in two directions ...

"Welp. If that ain't a kick in the pants. I don't remember a split. But, then again, I also didn't turn around and look behind me when we exited," Evie says.

She moves to the entrance of each passage, searching for any signs that they may have moved out of one or the other. Since it's stone, she doesn't expect to find anything but...it's worth checking.

The passages appear identical - the brick-lined tunnel of the World War II military installation. Both have identical signs/plates identifying the location. One plate is slightly corroded and dangles from a screw; the other is simply covered with dust and cobwebs.
But something doesn't feel quite right. It takes you a moment to qualify it in words.

There's an odd tugging sensation from each path, as if you were standing on the beach and squishing your toes in damp sand as the waves tug at your calves and ankles ...

"Well one of these exits out into a sewer, right?" Lya walks up to the entrance of each passage and closes her eyes before taking a long sniff.

The left-hand tunnel smells of stale air and ... something burning or burnt, though it is not the smell of smoke and chemical retardant you expected.

The right-hand tunnel has a smell that is both musty and rank with machine oil or lubricant.

"Well I'm guessing this test is all about you, Alex dear," Lya says as she steps back from the entrance, "because I've certainly never been in the military. The one on the left smells like something burning, but it's not like what was happening with the fire we left. The one on the right smells like... old machines or something. Do the signs say anything?"

He sniffs at each tunnel. "On the left, that's cordite or some kind of munitions. The right ... lubricant. The kind of grease you'd slather on chains, gears, or anything you were putting up for long-term storage."

Alex looks at the signs next.

"Military nomenclature, like what you'd find on a Navy ship - it tells you where you are in terms of the center-line of the ship, what deck you're on, and what 'compartment' you're in. I suppose this could be part of an old civil defense installation," he says. "And both say the same thing. So ... same place, different times? Before and after the fire? Or something else?"

"Say guys? Do the rest of you feel sort of a...I don't know...need to go down these paths?" Evie paces in front of the two, trying to determine if the pull from one or the other feels more powerful.

"Yeah it's weird... but I'm feeling it from both. I wonder if these mean before and after the fire we left?" Lya wonders as she pulls out her staff and sits cross legged on the ground with it across her lap. "Give me a minute guys... I need to think on this."

She takes a drink from her flask and closes her eyes as she runs her hand along the staff and mutters the words... "Αυτό που λέμε είναι απλά χάος πρότυπα που δεν έχουν αναγνωριστεί."

Both paths are awash in Chaos. Threads of what was, what is, and what may yet come to pass are torn and tossed by the winds of fate, just as a flag ultimately begins to unravel from being battered by the wind.

Oddly enough, the nexus of each path turns upon taking it ...

"Well crud..." Lya's eyes flutter open and she scratches her head. "It feels like to me that we've been given two ways to go back to our world, and depending on which one we pick it may effect what was as well as what could be."

"Damn gods can't give you a straight answer..." she mutters as she stands up and dusts herself off. "If that's the case, then I say we bite the bullet and take the one with the burning smell. The one on the right just gives me the sinking feeling that if we take it, we may end up back 10 years later or some shit."

Hitoshi looks at both paths. "Nope, I got nothing. Never did make it through the path finding part of boy scouts. Either path sounds as likely as the other to me. The way I see it, it's a damn situation we are in no matter what."

He pauses thoughtfully then turns around. "Great Hel, I know this is your domain, and know that you can hear me. You wish for lives yes? I'd like to make a deal with you. If you could find it in yourself to show us the Path that will take us back to our proper place in time, I will be more than happy to escort more than one kill happy ganger to your domain via the edge of my blade in exchange. Say one life for each of us. In fact I already sent one to you earlier this night."

Evie shrugs and shakes her head, "Your guess is as good as mine. I'm fine with your choice, Lya. If nothing else, just because of the burning smell. We know we came from a fire. It would make sense to go towards it to get out."

"It is not a question of lives, or your willingness to expedite their final journey," Hel's voice whispers in Hitoshi's ear. "They come to me, or one of my rivals regardless. But I appreciate the thought, my dear."

"I don't think it's a riddle or challenge at all," Alex says. "Hel told Hrofgar she wanted to speak to me. Why fuck with us now? But Lya just said something that makes me wonder. We're in a realm outside the mortal world. We don't know how much time has passed. Minutes, for us ... but days, weeks, or even longer in the mortal world."

"The sign is the same. Same place ... but different times? The smell of smoke doesn't mean it's the fire we left behind."

"Then we go in ready to fight," Toxic declares.

"At least I fell asleep in my clothes," Alex shrugs, even if there's not much of his shirt left after wrestling with Surt.

Lya extends her hand as if trying to measure the tide-like pull each passage exerts.

"No," says Toxic. "You are not going first."

"Your job isn't to be a human shield, Toxic," Lya snaps.

"Our job is to protect you, Daughter of Dionysus," Klepto says. "There will be a day when you grow into the gifts of your divine blood. Let us help you get there."

"We still have to go through," Alex said. "Let's do it before something else changes."

The Furies close ranks around Lya. "I guess we just ... walk in," she says with a shrug.

Despite the absence of a clear threshold, there was still a feeling of passing through something. Alex felt like he needed to yawn to make his ears pop.

"Holy crud," Evie breathed.

While continuing to either side, the path forward ended abruptly, the ground falling away sharply. They were looking down into a vast bowl-like moat carved out of the earth, a rime-laden mire stretching between them and a towering keep - what Hrofgar and his colleagues had been working on, apparently. The keep was easily the rival of any of the major casinos on the Strip. Vague and threatening shapes stalked the mire.

There was the ka-chunk of machinery in the distance, and a boulder-sized piece of ice came arcing towards them. Reflexively, two of the Furies fell over top Lya, while Hitoshi and the others flattened themselves against the wall.

But the shot slammed into the moat's edge well above them, shaking the ground. Voices from above rose in shouts of derision...

Evie turns to look back the way they came, hoping that they can back back out of here. She's not so naive as to think that there may be a passage back to exactly where they came from, but there may be somewhere they can go that doesn't have giant boulders being flung in their direction.

"What the effing fuck," says Lya from underneath the pile. "I think you guys can get off me now." Klepto and Toxic quickly stand and pull Lya to her feet before they all back her away from the exit of the tunnel.

"It looks like the son of Loki has been busy while we were gone," Klepto growls.

"This is seriously some messed up shit," Lya says as she pulls out her phone and the shiny metal business card that Hrofgar gave her before they entered Hel's domain.

"What are you doing, Lya?" Orithia asks curiously as she glances back and forth between her and the castle.

"I'm calling a Dwarf who's got a lot of explaining to do..." mutters Lya as her phone starts to ring.

"Hrofgar and Sons," answers a woman. "Can I help you?"

"Hi, may I speak to Hrofgar?" Lya asks with her best "sweet" voice. "I had talked to him about creating some sets for my band and he gave me his card."

"You wouldn't have this number if he hadn't," the woman says cheerily. "We're not exactly in the Yellow Pages. Hold on, my Lady."

There's a click, and you hear a sonorous chant in a language you don't quite recognize.

"At Hrofgar and Sons, if you can dream it, we can build it," Hrofgar's voice says, though this is clearly a recording. "Our forge is fully warded for magical investments and runecrafting."

tick

"Hrofgar and Sons, this is Hrofgar. Got a job for us?"

(Evie)

While the tunnel does stretch backwards, it clearly doesn't lead to the catacombs. The right-hand branch is partially collapsed, smashed open to the elements, and the ramparts of the keep beyond the frozen mire. The left-hand branch has fared better, but seemingly from design - someone has put in steel beams to brace the walls, and with good reason- there's a ladder leading topside.

Evie turns back to see Lya on the phone. Figuring there must be a reason she's calling...someone...she doesn't interrupt. However, she does reach over to pluck at her sleeve, getting the singer's attention. Evie gestures back the way they came...though Lya may not want to follow until after she finishes talking. Echoes could carry up the ladder and alert anyone at the top that someone is where they shouldn't be. Still, at least Lya will know what's going on.

Turning to the others, she says, "Come on. Let's move back a bit. There's a ladder leading topside, though, so we may want to be quiet."

Alex narrows his eyes to look towards the trebuchet. "I think everyone's busy, but backing up is a really good idea. They're getting ready for round two."

The groan of disused metal reaches your ears. The hatch at the top of the ladder is being opened. A young girl slides down the ladder with practiced ease.

"Oh, whoa! I mean, he said you'd be here, but ... come on, we gotta get you outta here!" she says.

Lya nods at Evie but then holds up her hand for them to wait a moment. "Hrofgar, my main man... this is Lya Bach. Last time we met it was over a tunnel full of troll guts if you remember."

She chuckles. "Funny thing... we get done having our discussion with Her and what happens when we leave? We find that you and your friends have been busy building a castle! Now don't get me wrong it's a beautiful piece of work from what we can see... but you can understand our confusion since itwasn't there when we left. So I was wondering if you could tell me... just how long have we been gone?"

"While I agree with you about getting out of here," Evie says, "you have us at a bit of a disadvantage. Who are you, who is "he" and where the heck are we?"

She gives a slight grin, "I understand this is not the place or time to be having a lengthy conversation but...you'll understand our caution, I'm sure."

(Lya)

"Leah Bock. Leia Bo-" Hrofgar muses. "Oh, Lya Bach. The musician. Hey, yeah, it's been a while. You find your friend?" There's the sound of someone shuffling things around, opening and closing desk drawers.

"How long have you been gone? Oh-HO, she pulled that trick on you, did she?" Hrofgar chuckles. "It's Midsummer, girl. And the castle? Boom, like magic, right? What you saw us building was foundation stuff, things that had to be done here. The rest was magically shipped in from Asgard. Now, I know my services aren't cheap, but damn ... that's some serious coin to move a keep."

(Evie - and anyone else who's listening)

"Oh, yeah, my hair was longer. And blue, I think. Tawny. I'm with Arky," she says. "And here is the no-man's land that used to be a nice neighborhood, all things considered. Except for those big box stores where you can't walk the aisles without getting the hairy eyeball, you can't hang around outside, that sort of thing."

"But, yeah, the snowball fight is just the start. We gotta jet before the Nazis show up."

"This is...this is Vegas?" Evie's jaw drops. "Holy shit in a handbag. How long have we been gone?"

Evie glances at Lya, hoping that the call will end soon. She really wants to get somewhere safe to try and sort out this mess in relative safety.

"And, uhh...how, exactly, did you know that we would be here?" she asks curiously.

"It's Midsummer?" Lya replies incredulously. "Damn guess it's not 2014 then. May have to talk to you about that foundation sometime soon over a bottle of my finest, Hfrofgar, but at the moment it looks like I've got to go. Thanks for the info!"

Lya puts her phone away and turns to the others. "Tawny! Hey... nice to see a familiar face with all this crazy going on. How long has it been? We should catch up over beers... someplace other than here."

"Blue hair, would have been winter. Almost seven months," Tawny says. "A lot's changed. Not just here, either."

"We have some people topside, and backup out of snowball range. You get up there, head for the runner," she says, indicating the ladder. "Arky saw it, said you'd be here."

She sees Alex. "Crap. It's you. There's a bounty on your head, man. Safe enough out here, but if you head into town, be careful. It's ugly."

Evie nods, her mouth pressed into a grim line. Seven months. A lot has quite obviously happened in that time. As she places her hand upon the ladder and starts to climb, her mind turns over the possibilities. What has happened to her family? What of Saul? If they are alive, they must think that she is dead. I mean...gone seven months. Who wouldn't assume the worst?

And, a bounty on Alex's head. That's not at all good for Alex but...she can't help but chuckle to herself. What I would give to have seen Lyman's face when he discovered Alex gone and his guard dead. Her mind flits back to the dwarf and she amends that thought, I hope Hrojgar didn't get in trouble for letting is pass. He was a good guy. Liked him.

"Bloody hell," Toxic mutters. "Lya, better let us go first." Toxic motions to the others and the Furies quickly follow Evie up the ladder.

"Damn Alex... guess you're Mister Popular," Lya chuckles as she looks him up and down. "Good thing your clothes are already worse for wear. Trust me... the more you look like you live on the streets, the more invisible you get. My advice? Roll around in the sewer water a bit, rub some mud on your face and hair, and start muttering to yourself a lot; that way people will do their best to avoid you and not make eye contact."

She gives him a wry smile before turning to Tawny. "We owe you guys big time... glad to hear you're both ok."

The first thing you notice is the biting cold...then the wind and snow.

Several people are huddled about the top of the ladder. One young man carries an axe, his eyes sweeping the surrounding area. Another holds a quarterstaff. Fleece cloaks are tossed over your shoulders, and you are directed towards a rally point only a few meters away. It's a human chain, each waypoint close enough that there's no chance of getting lost or separated.

Before long, you are making your way along familiar streets, though snow-covered houses and cars aren't a common sight in Las Vegas. Your final stop is a familiar strip mall, store shelves cannibalized to enclose walkways. Hand scrawled signs denote what each storefront has become, barracks, a mess hall, classrooms, a hospital ward, a church.

Most of the people walking about have a shell-shocked expression of disbelief on their faces. Numb, and not just from the bitter cold.

You are escorted inside a bulwark that is more than sheet metal shelving. Corrugated steel is bolted to 4x4 beams and bolstered by sandbags.

"Arky, we're back," Tawny says.

"Good. Come on in, brothers and sisters. Sit down, we have some hot soup coming, and once we get your sizes, something a bit warmer to wear," the young man says, his smile warm and genuine.

"Once I learned you'd gone to Tartarus - or whatever your people call the underworld, Son of Tyr - I knew it was only a question of when you would return," he says. "I suspected Lya might be a Scion, but some of you are, as well, yes?"

"And you are?" Hitoshi said quietly.

"Arky. I had the nickname long before I knew what I was," he says. "I am the Son of Phoebus Apollo. A few of my people know this; most don't, including Father Daniel, even though we've had some interesting conversations on God and faith."

"Mrs. Meyer's homemade chicken noodle soup," says a young girl, not Tawny. Bowls are set out, and a generous serving is ladled into each. The server bows, and excuses herself.

"I know North, there, is the Son of Tyr, only because the enemy has named him openly. Lya, a child of Artemis, perhaps. I would be guessing about the rest of you. Welcome home."

Evie gladly accepts both warmer clothing and the hot soup. Even though it had been no more than a few hours, for them, since they departed, it's still been a long time between meals. And baths. And sleep. But, those last two things will have to wait.

"Thank you," she says before taking a sip of the soup. It feels wonderful as it slides down her throat. Warm and flavorful, it sits in her belly and does much to drive away the chill.

Evie smiles at Arky and nods, "I had wondered how you knew we'd be back. Makes sense, what with Apollo being the god of prophecy." Thanks to public education, Evie started out knowing far more about the Greek and Roman gods than the Aesir. The last few months and the internet have rectified that, though.

"I'm Evie Cartwright, daughter of Heimdall," she introduces herself. However, she doesn't introduce the others. She lets them decide how much they want to say about their parentage.

"What happened here?" she asks. "How long was it after we had gone before things started to fall apart?"

"Artemis? Lya? I know she can shoot well with that hand cannon of hers, but her aim is not THAT good." Hitoshi chuckles slightly. Still he does not reveal exactly who her father is.

He looks outside. "Who's leading this side, and on a side note, what has happened to the Westview Grand Casino?"

Evie, too, is interested in finding out what has happened to those she loves. She plans to ask about her family and Saul, in the hopes that Arky knows of them. However, she waits until he has already answered other questions before she hits him with another.

Hopefully, when the shit hit the fan, Saul got our families out of the city. And, that's assuming that it's safer elsewhere. I wonder how far this reaches?

"Side? There's not an organized resistance. At least, not in the sense of taking the fight to the enemy," Arky tells you. "I've been taking care of my people, and helping those I can."

He pulls out a laminated map of Las Vegas that has areas marked off.

"Snowstorm hit around the end of January. Nobody panicked - it does snow in Vegas, and folks thought it was just a polar vortex or winter storm like the Midwest and East Coast have been getting slammed by.
"A couple weeks in, the problems start. Airport can only get a flight or two out a day, and nothing's coming in. Roads are iced up. Stores start running out of things. Military gets some essentials in, but it's not just Vegas in a bind, it's everywhere. Extreme weather, even heard rumours about sea monsters attacking port cities.

"And, just like you'd figure when people think there's no help coming, they get desperate. People start wailing about the End Times. Crime goes up, the Mayor declares a curfew. Got a few enclaves like this, mostly people banding together out of need. Not everyone is playing nice. In some neighborhoods, they'll shoot you without blinking.

"We're lucky. Father Daniel's got some good people in his parish, he's keeping everyone focused, but he's totally pressed for answers he doesn't have. It's not going to last."

He points to the map, where the Westview is circled in black.

"The Strip. World's freezing, so what do people do? Try and rip off some of the casinos. Private security going nuts, the police trying to rein them in. Except for the Westview. Nobody gets in, and nobody comes out. National guard has a detachment there, because they don't know what the fuck is going on."

Hitoshi scratches his chin. "Do cellphone services still work?" He asks pulling out his phone.

"Probably work for a call, but not much more," Arky tells you. "Unless you're trying to reach someone at the Westview. Military tried sending a drone in, they lost contact."

"Arky, I realize that I'm probably grasping at straws, here, but...never hurts to ask. Might you know any of the Cartwright family? Deirdre, Jason, Ricky or Ian? They're my folks and I'd like to find out what happened to them, if I can," she says.

"Also, would you happen to know Saul Anderson? He's...was...a cop with LVPD," she adds.

If Arky doesn't know them, she figures that she can always try the phone. Maybe. If her family thought she had died, they probably already turned off her phone, anyway. Evie fishes around in her pocket and finds the cell, flipping the cover open to check and see if it is getting any bars.

Hitoshi nods. "I might know why the Westview is a no go zone. Of I right, great, if I'm not, then oh well."

He dials the number for his shadow guards and waits.

(Evie)

Your phone still has a charge and a backlog of texts and voicemail, some from the Chief, several from Saul, and others from Ricky.

Evie begins to go through the backlog, hoping to gain some information about her loved ones.

Just saw the news, figure you're busy. Stay safe, Sis.

What a mess. Holler when you get a chance.

Been several days. Mom's worried.

Traced your phone. App shows you're at your place, but you're not. Used key. Your phone ain't there, either.

Don't know what's going on, Evie. Family is together at home. Got supplies and everyone's safe and warm. Let you know if we have to move.

"I may not be as good as Artemis but I didn't take out both eyes of a troll by luck," Lya rolls her eyes before turning to Arky and proffering her flask. "Daughter of Dionysus actually. The Furies here are my Amazon guardians and friends. Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps people need a reminder that we're all in this together."

"We're doing well here. It's a strong community, there's still doubt and fear as to what all of it means," Arky says. "Father Daniel calls it a test of faith, and he's right. Not just the god of the modern world, but for the rest of us, as well. A time to decide where we stand, and what we stand for. Who and what we protect. Drink your soup before it gets cold."

The soup is delicious, a classic recipe that bestows all of the legendary restorative powers of chicken soup. It is joined by slices of fresh-baked bread, still warm from the oven.

"If you're looking for family and friends, there's a tag board in the commons," Arky says. "And a memorial board in the sanctuary, though I don't remember seeing any Cartwrights on the latter. We trade messages and news with the other communities when we can. What's on the television is largely national. News crews stick close to the National Guard and the police."

(Hitoshi)

As you punch in the number, the answer comes without any noticeable delay or even a ring on the other end.

"What are your orders, Hitoshi-san?"

Evie gives a small sigh of relief. At least her family was safe when all of this started. Her parents' house is far enough out from the city proper that they should be fine, so long as they have supplies. Hopefully, all the neighbors banded together and have been watching over each other.

She figures that she can check the tag and memorial boards for Saul after they are done talking here.

"So, who exactly has put out this bounty on Alex?" she asks. Evie knows that it is Lyman and his crew, but she's not sure who he is working through, now, or if he's working openly. "Who is in the giant castle out there?"

Hitoshi blinks then looks at the phone. Glancing sideways at the others he moves to another room before answering.

"Tell me, how long have I been gone, and how much do you now know?"

"You may use whatever entrance you wish. The way will be cast in shadow."

"Thank you. Your service has been exemplary. I shall be there soon." Hitoshi closes the phone and walks back to the others.

"So if Fimbrulwinter and Ragnarok is here... then why bother keeping a bounty out on Alex if he doesn't still have a role to play?" Lya wonders. "Could there be a way to stop this, or are we just left to picking up the pieces?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking this can still be undone. Like you said, if it was all over, then why bother hunting for Alex at all?" she ponders. "Of course, we know he's the key to all of this. If he wasn't, then Lyman wouldn't be so hot and bothered over him. The question is: how is Alex the key? What is he supposed to do?"

"Just short of seven months in human time, Hitoshi-san," is the reply. "The Invisible Hand of the Goddess Izanagi is protecting your domain. You, and those you designate, may travel freely within the Westview Grand; all others are in suspension."

"Though it is a bold stroke, It is merely the opening move in a much larger war," Arky says. "The Titans have not shown themselves. They will let human nature do their work. Doubt and fear will give way to aggression. They'll lash out, at each other, then at us, because they don't know what else to do."

"It's not that Alex is fated to do something; you all are. The Son of Tyr, who bound the Fenris wolf. A singer who binds people with words of inspiration. A daughter of Heimdall. Humans may aspire to the

Hitoshi nods to himself. "I figured that your people might have a hand in the protection of the Westview grand. I shall be there soon, but I hear the military has it surrounded. I assume you have a few entrances my companions and I can use."

He clears his throat. "I'm going to be leaving for the Westview grand. I understand if the rest of you do not wish to go with me."

Evie considers the offer, "Well, I would say yes but...what of Douglas? We know that he was connected to Lyman. If he's still hanging out there, that could be a problem."

"Lyman might know that we are back. He might not. I'd just as soon not tip our hand before we have to," she says. "The bounty could've been put out as soon as he knew Alex was gone and has just been a standing order, since."

"Plus, if Lyman also knows we went to Hel's domain, then he's just waiting for us to poke our heads back out, too."

"If we do go to the Grandview," she continues, "I want to check the boards before we leave."

She looks to Lya and Alex, waiting to see what they have to say.

"I'll go. The rest of you came looking for me, I'm not about to turn my back on you," Alex says. "Lya, you said you were in touch with that dwarf? I seem to recall him saying something about forging stuff."

"Yeah, he seems to be quite the crafter from his card and the foundation we saw them building anyway. I'm needing to call him too as I've got an idea."

Lya bites her thumbnail as she ponders Arky's words. "This kind of downer is going to require a show like no other...and we'll need to make it perfect..."

"If it's safe, Lya, heading to the Grandview might be the best immediate course of action," Klepto advises as she grasps her shoulder to get her attention. "At least until we can make a plan."

Lya looks up at the Amazon and nods before turning to address Arky. "I can't thank you guys enough for the aid. I think we need to talk later about putting together a show, Arky. With your art, our music and perhaps the assistance of a certain dwarf and his sons perhaps we can give the people something other than fear to unify them."

"I'm all for heading to the Grandview for now, " Lya says to Evie, "but I've got some ideas for staging our coming out party." She chuckles."Of course it may be moot if we can't find our gear in this chaos."

Hitoshi bows to the man known as Arky. "I thank you for your assistance, should you need it in the future, I will do my best to return the favor. I assume we will need cold weather gear, or is there a warmer way to get to my casino?"

"The Grandview, it is," Evie says, not about to break up the band. In all honesty. she had no idea where else to go, anyway. This whole thing just gets more and more over-whelming. But, she's not about to back down from the challenge.

At Lya's words, Evie smiles, "People are going to need that. Do everything you can to drive out the cold, Lya. I can't help with music because...stone cold tone deaf, my friend. But, I can help you move stuff around, if it's needed. I got your back. Non-musically. Silently, in fact."

"Thanks for all your help, Arky. If you need us, you know where we will be," she sets aside her now empty bowl and stands. "Can you guys give me a minute?"

She gestures towards the door, intent on going out and checking the boards before they set out.

"Yes. We have snow gear. I'm afraid you'll have to walk, unless you know someone with a ride. We have a couple of vehicles set aside and out of the snow, but fuel is scarce, so we only use them for emergencies," Arky says.

(Evie)

The board isn't as depressing as it sounded. It's less about the missing and more about skills and support. People who cook, people who sew, people who teach, people who build, and people who are simply willing to lend their efforts to whatever task is at hand.

The names of the dead include several casualties from the night of the fire, and a dozen or so victims of exposure.

The names of the missing include your own photo - a cropped candid shot that tells you who, exactly, posted your name. Alex's photo is also there, though a note taped beneath advises anyone spotting Alex to speak to Arky or Father Daniel immediately.

"Detective Cartwright?" someone asks from behind. "Is it ... it's you."
You turn, and it takes you a moment to recognize who it is, because the last time you saw him, he was sporting saggy pants and a slouch.

Charles Cooper.

Taller in appearance now from the simple expedient of standing up straight and squaring his shoulders, Charles is no longer a lackadaisical sort, but defined by a purpose. He is wearing cold-weather gear, and a backpack emblazoned with a Red Cross.

"Charles!" Evie's face breaks into a bright smile of relief at seeing the young man. She walks over to him and, despite only knowing him through Saul, catches him in a brief hug. She steps back and holds his shoulders as she looks at him.

Time, for her, stood still while in Hel's realm. A day, maybe, has passed. And even though the world itself has changed drastically...the snow, the neighborhoods...it's the changes in the people that truly drive home exactly how much time has passed.

"You look like you are doing well," she says, her eyes falling to the Red Cross on his pack. "How are you? How is Saul?"

For a moment, her smile falters slightly, her mind running down another course. She had been prepared to leave a small, inconspicuous note of her passing through. It was to be something that someone who knew her might recognize, but nothing that simply stated Evie Cartwright wuz here!

Shit, Evie thinks. Word can't get out that we are back. Not yet. Not until we have a plan and are ready to go round two with the bastard.

She hadn't expected to run into anyone that she knew. Still, the detective can't deny that it warms her heart to see a familiar face.

"I'm well. I did a lot of thinking after the trial," he says. "Wasn't easy, but I turned my back on the gang and walked away. I'm helping Arky run patrols, bring in stragglers, keeping an eye on things. The storm, all this - it's really been a lesson on what community and family are."

"Saul drops by once a month. Police are stretched thin, and most of them are with the guard on the front lines."

"I guess I stopped blaming others. My Dad, my teachers, the 'system,'" Charles says. "All this? This just makes me glad I turned things around. When the snows hit, the gang broke into stores and stole things. Stupid things, like big-screen TVs. Easy pickings. But then the governor called out the National Guard, and shit got serious."

"Arky and Father Daniel will welcome just about anyone, but the gang? Wouldn't pitch in, wouldn't stand watch, wouldn't do shit. They were shown the door."

Evie smiles and nods as she moves to lean against the board. She stuffs her hands in her pockets and hunches her shoulders against the cold. She may be wearing a coat, now, but she's still wearing a T-shirt underneath.

"I'm glad for you, Charles. As hard as it may have been, it was the best thing you could've done. I'm proud of you. You've grown," she says. "I'm just sorry that so much of that growth happened because of...this." She waves a hand at the town, the snow...the world. "Crazy shit."

"How's your mom?" she asks.

Evie sighs, "Well, I hope that at least some of the gang came to their senses and have changed their ways. This isn't the sort of thing you survive alone or with frenemies."

She cocks her head to the side, almost unconsciously sliding back into detective mode, "Just out of curiosity, did any of the gang contact you after all of this happened?"

"At first, yeah," Charles tells you. "Then they got kind of ... weird when the frost giants put up the wanted poster for Alex. Stopped calling me a traitor and started calling me a word I didn't recognize. A-something."

Evie's eyes narrow, "Aesir?"

Surely not. It has to some Spanish word that I'm not thinking of. It's been way too long since high school Spanish...and they didn't teach the fun words, she thinks.

"Say that again," Charles asks.

"Aesir," you repeat.

"That's it. Kind of hard to look it up when the public library is buried in a snow drift and there's no internet. What language is it? What's it mean?"

She chuckles and says, "Well, I doubt the Lobos know what it means, either. It's not an insult. It basically means 'relating to the Nordic gods.' Thor, Odin, Heimdall...all those guys."

She sighs. Inwardly, she knows that it makes sense. If any part of the Lobos are still working for Lyman, they would be picking up the culture, so to speak. And, since Alex is a known Aesir and he got Charles off the hook...they would peg him for an ally.

More than likely, the Lobos don't truly understand what it means and are throwing it around as nothing more than an insult. Still, it means that Charles needs to stay quiet about meeting her. Even though the Lobos are not hanging out here and Charles doesn't associate with them any longer...well...better safe than sorry.

Evie looks Charles in the eye and says, "I need you to do me a favor. I need you to keep quiet about seeing me." She rubs a hand through her hair and shakes her head. "I'm in some deep shit, Charles. And it's something that I don't want you or anyone else to get caught up in. I need to keep my head low...for now."

Her face falls and it's clear that this pains her, but it is the way it has to be, "I'll find Saul and explain everything to him when either things are safer or they all blow up to the point where it doesn't matter, anymore. But, for now, this is between you and me. Okay?"

"That sounds like the bullshit I'd tell my mom," he says. "'It's something I have to work out on my own,' and the only thing I was doing was digging a deeper hole. So, like, here's the thing. Don't let yourself get buried. You need help, people around here will help. I'll help. Arky and Father Daniel will help."

The corners of Evie's eyes crinkle up as she smiles softly. She doesn't laugh or dismiss what he said. After all, it came from the right place. She's glad that he spoke up, "I'm not alone, Charles. I have a lot of help. But, what I and my friends are caught in is something that I don't want to entangle you, Saul or any of my family. Arky is helping already. I'm not sure about Father Daniel. While I've been out here, another of my team may have been talking to him."

She turns back to the board, reaching up to idly tap the picture of herself. It's a shot of her on a boat, holding up a really, terribly sad little fish and striking a dramatic pose, as though this was Jaws she landed. Saul took it on one of their outings.

"I had come out here to leave a small message for Saul...just in case. But, I'm thinking better of it. Now is not the time. Not yet," she smiles. "I miss the dork."

"Like I said, he swings by once a month," Charles says. "The police and the guard are pretty busy. They're letting us be mostly because they don't have a better solution."

She nods, "I'll be gone before he gets up here. I think we're leaving as soon as possible. I don't know if that means now or tomorrow."

Her gaze strays back to the picture. The corner of her mouth turns up and she chuckles as an idea occurs to her. Looking down, she finds a pen that is left by the board for everyone to use. She leans against the board as she begins to draw a tiny figure on the picture, right smack in the middle of her shirt.

Quickly, a sketch begins to form of a tiny rabbit-lion thing...an evee! She places a dapper tophat upon its head and a monocle over one eye. Down in the corner of the picture, mostly hidden from view by other messages, she places a small heart.

Hopefully, it will be clear to Saul. She was here. She loves him. To anyone else who didn't know about the shirt he gave her for her birthday years ago, it's just a doodle. (And whoever sees it also has to know Pokemon.)

She steps back and admires her work with a grin. Setting the pen back where she found it, she turns back to Charles. She catches him in another hug, patting him companionably upon the back before letting him go.

"Speaking of leaving, I should go back to the others and figure out what we are doing. If I don't see you again, you take care of yourself, okay? Keep doing what you are doing. You're a good man," she claps him on the shoulder and turns, headed back into the building where she spoke with Arky and where the others, presumably, wait.

(Lya)

"I can tell you I've never been happier that leather pants and boots are in fashion," Lya chuckles wryly.

"So are you able to still paint with all this going on? I've got to say, your painting down in the tunnels was breathtaking... and probably provided a symbol of something better for a lot of people. They could probably use something like that topside, you know? We could take over a gym where you could paint one of the walls, throw in some music from us, and make it like a community building food drive thingy to help boost the spirits."

"I'm working in the Sanctuary. It used to be a fabric store, I think. We've re-purposed it for our infirmary, classrooms, housing for the families with small children," Arky says. "A mural showcasing human history, human achievement. Got some of the kids helping me, keeps their hands busy and their minds off the darkness outside."

"Schools are abandoned. National Guard swept through, relocated folks behind their picket line. Some of the hotels on the Strip took folks in, and there are a number of small groups like ours."

Hitoshi nods at the mention of walking. "Then perhaps I should make the journey alone and come back for you all once a vehicle can be obtained. " He says to Lya and the others.

"I won't tell you that you can't," Arky says. "We have cross-country skis - homemade, I'm afraid - wood shelving, wax. Maps that'll give you the best route to the Westview.

"Like I said, National Guard's main outpost is smack-dab in the middle of the Strip, so you'll run into their patrols for sure."

"I don't like the thought of us splitting up Hitoshi. If something goes wrong out there there's no way we'd be able to get to you in time." Lya replies. "What about the sewer tunnels? Could we travel underground?"

Lya turns back to Arky. "I'm no fighter, Arky... I'm a singer who likes to remind people that we're all in this life together. If that might help keep the Titans at bay, then I'll sing till I lose my voice."

"Sewer tunnels are out," Arky says. "If you think we're cold up here, down there? It's a walk-in freezer. And there are worse things than ice giants down there."

"If you want to go as a group, we'll break out a vehicle. We can't spare the gear for a one-way trip."

"If you want to put on a show, then I have a surprise for you," Arky smiles. "Come with me."

He leads you into one of the storefronts that have been converted into storage.

"The van is snowed in, but we took everything else," he said.

He whips a tarp off of one pile to reveal all of your instruments and gear.

"All right!" Orithia and Toxic cheer as Phoebe smiles and Klepto lifts Arky off his feet in a bear hug.

"Ok, Klepto... I think he's turning blue," Lya chuckles as she runs her hand lovingly over the instruments. "This is fantastic, Arky. Now to really make this work all we need is a location with some good natural acoustics, because I imagine electricity might be kinda scarce, eh?"

Lya scratches her head for a moment. "If the schools are off limits... what about one of the hotels? They should have rooms large enough to play in, right?"

"We have plenty of room in the Sanctuary," Arky tells you. "Hotels, I don't know. Rooms, certainly, but no one's throwing power around. Vegas is actually kind of dark."

"Which leads me to my next question," he says, looking at Hitoshi. "What we have here is workable, but it's not going to be a long-term solution. If you have an in with the Westview people, can we work something out?"

"Well if the Grandview ends up being a suitable place for a new shelter for people then maybe that's where we should have our coming out party," Lya theorizes as the Furies check over the instruments for damage. "Not only that... but if we're going to make the trek for the Grandview it might make more sense to go as a group. We could help protect you guys, and it would help Alex blend into the crowd, you know?"

"Oh my poor baby... you need a tuning, don't you?" Orithia mutters as she hugs her guitar.

Hitoshi scratches his chin, which is now developing a 5 o'clock shadow, and thinks for a moment. After about a minute he replies.

"I will be honest. I currently have free passage for myself and my companions. We will be allowed in. Anyone else will not. I do not know what the situation is over at the Westview, and until I can ascertain that, I can make no promises about shelter for anyone other than us. I'm not even sure I own the Westview anymore so the decision may not be mine to make."

"Weren't you just talking to people over there on the phone?" Lya asks. "What did you guys talk about... china patterns? Why not call them back and find out before we all go treking over there for nothing?"

Hitoshi shrugs. "I figured the full situation might need to be checked over rather than dragging a bunch of survivors to a place where they might not be allowed in, or want to go, say due to Izanagi making it her own domain. And no, it wasn't something I wanted to discuss over the phone because where Lyman is concerned; anything is possible including hearing our cellphone conversations somehow."

He pulls out his cellphone again.

"However, for you, I shall make another call."

He stops over into the other room and dials the number.

"It's Hitoshi again. We have Refugees that need a bastion of Safety to go to. What is the situation of the Westview? Has Izanagi made it her personal domain, or do I still own it to do with as I please?"

"You will want to visit first, Hitoshi-san. The property has been preserved; there have been no changes to its ownership," you are told.

"If you are faced with transportation difficulties, assemble those allies you wish to bring with you. Find a doorway that is in shadow, and call."

"Understood. Thank you. I shall call back momentarily." He closes the phone and steps back into the room.

"It is recommended that only myself and my allies visit first. Transportation is handled, I just need a doorway that is in a dark room."

He looks between Lya and Arky.

"IF the Westview is suitable for refugees, I give my word that you and yours will have whatever shelter I can provide."

"Certainly sounds better than trekking back and forth in the snow now doesn't it?" Lya chuckles as she pats Hitoshi on the back. "Let's wrap up the reunion girls... we've got business to take care of."

Hitoshi walks over to the side room and looks for a side door. Finding one he walks over to the wall and turns off the lights for that room.

"Okay girls, trains leaving. Put those legs in motion."

He pulls out his cellphone and dilas the number again.

"Go for this end..."

You know the door leads to a storage closet. But the head of your unofficial security detail emerges from the shadowed portal and bows respectfully.

"Hitoshi-sama," he says. "You and your associates will need to link arms or hold hands."
"There's no risk to my people, is there?" Arky says. "I don't want anyone following you through, even by accident."

"The only harm you will find in the shadows is that which you bring with you. The passage requires one of us to open, and it is not done lightly."

"All right. Good luck."

A chain formed by hands-on-shoulders is deemed best, and quickly executed.

The feeling is not unlike entering Hel's domain. There's a chill note to the air, different from the frost and snow outside. And the shadows have run rampant, turning the spacious lobby into an eerie promenade.

The lobby is full of people caught in mid-stride, their hands in mid-gesture. Smiles caught upon their faces. And then there's a group of six National Guardsmen, weapons at the ready - motionless.

An armored drone, mounted on treads, also sits a short distance within.

"Why do I feel like Darth Vader is going to come out from behind a corner?" Lya whispers as she rubs her arms.

"This place just reeks of Darkness," Toxic grunts. "I want a shower after walking through that even more than I did after the sewer."

"I don't know if I'd want to stay in a place like this," Phoebe adds. "Just seeing the people like mannequins... it's disturbing to say the least. Are they still alive? Will they stay like this forever?"

Klepto walks around the soldiers and gives a low whistle. "I don't know about you guys but some of this gear could certainly be useful. Do you think they'd mind? It's not like they're doing any good like this..."

"They are frozen in time," your guide tells you. "Unmoving, but unharmed. Unresponsive, but not unaware. Their fate is up to Hitoshi-sama."

"So this 'Darkness' is the only thing holding Lyman and his minions out of here... but it's also making it about as homey as the Bates Motel," Lya sighs in disappointment. "Well Hitoshi, this is all up to you dude."

Evie doesn't look any happier to be here than any of the others. However, she sighs and shrugs, "Creepy or not, it's probably the most secure place for us. We can plan here and not worry that Lyman is going to somehow get to us."

"I kind of doubt that Arky and his folk will want to stay here. Yeah, it's safe but...yeeech."

Hitoshi walks among the people for more than a few minutes. Finally he turns around.

"I think that the shadows will go away when we unfreeze the people though I am not sure. What I do know is that we can't leave these people like this. However, the situation is delicate and I don't think we should unfreeze everyone at once. Is it possible to unfreeze groups of people in succession so that the situation may be explained to them? I don't want anyone panicking and doing something stupid such as opening fire."

He looks over at the soldiers. "Klepto, if you can, gather their weapons and find a way to turn that drone off for now."

"Yes, it is possible to 'unfreeze' people selectively. For most, this will involve little or no discomfort - they will simply continue with whatever they were doing at the time.

Klepto nods and starts to collect the guardsmen's weapons, an impressive array* of rifles, sidearms, and tactical grenades. The drone is taken care of by cutting through several cables.

Hitoshi raises an eyebrow. "You said for most. What about for the others? Actually, let's take this a step at a time.

One, I want these soldiers unfrozen first. However, I want the girls to be in position to taken them down gently should the need arise. Then the girls can fill them in, and once they understand what's going on, hopefully they will be on our side. Two, let's go floor by floor with the unfreezing. Lya and the girls should be good at helping with orientation as they are the most charismatic people I know. If anyone is an enemy, leave them frozen, we shall handle them last. Third, where's my mother and the board members?"

He pauses then pipes up again.

"Oh! Can we leave the shadow field active on the outside of the casino to prevent attacks? And yea, now I'd like to know about the whole 'most of them' statement." Again he falls silent waiting for an answer.

"Humans are complicated beings," your bodyguard says. "They come to this city, and to resorts such as the Westview, to indulge vices. This is not a judgment, merely a statement of fact. Depending on the nature of such activities, there may be some disorientation upon release."

"If you wish to maintain the barrier protecting the property, it shall be done. We immobilized people as it would be less problematic than forced confinement, even in a luxury resort."

Evie thinks for a bit before speaking up, "So, what are we going to tell these people? Also, are we going to allow them to leave or are they going to essentially be stuck here once they are unfrozen?"

"I mean, I know we ant to keep the barrier around the casino up. If we do that, then are people trapped here? If that is the case, we may end up with a lot of unhappy and hostile people who want to be able to go back to their families or...whatever."

"It's going to be difficult. Employees will want to find their families. People from out-of-town will want to go home, but the airport is closed, and the roads are covered in snow," Alex says. "Go outside, you're a guest of the National Guard, not only because you were caught in some of the general weirdness going on, but because Loki Jr. is using Fimbulwinter to tear down the social systems that mortals depend on."

"If they're aware to some extent, maybe Lya needs to record a short message that we can loop over the building's PA system?"

"That's true that staying here would be the wisest course of action for them but people aren't always rational. If some folks insist on trying to leave, are we going to stop them?" Evie asks.

"I'm not sure we can," says Alex. "People are in for a shock no matter what they choose. Shelter-in-place here, or try to make sense of an end-of-days scenario from ancient Norse legend."

"Recorded stuff just doesn't have the same effect," Lya replies. "I do my best work when it's live. We can still give the message though so at least they can know what's going on."

She walks around the soldiers and ponders for a minute. "I agree we should unfreeze these guys first. Being military and all they might be the most difficult to convince... or who knows, they might've seen a lot of crazy shit already that they could fill us in on. That and we could fill them in on our plan to unfreeze the others so they could be ready to escort anyone who doesn't want to stay here to whatever shelters the National Guard has set up out there."

"I'm going to make myself scarce, then," Alex says. "Wait around the corner or something. I don't want these guys to go back to their CO and realize they saw the frost giants' most-wanted."

"Good point," says Toxic. "We don't know who's going to turn tail and run to Lyman after they find out their world has been totally changed. We're going to have to keep Alex scarce and nix any talk about him when dealing with everyone else."

"I suppose we could find one of the hair salons, give me a dye job and a faux-hawk," Alex smiled. "Then again, staying out of sight is probably easier."

"Oh, Alex...I ran into Charles back at the camp. I thought you might like to know that you made a huge difference in his life. He left the gang and is currently helping Arky. He's helping find stragglers out in the storm and bring them to safety," Evie smiles.

"I did a little digging and it sounds like Lyman is probably still using the Lobos as fodder. I don't know that it makes any difference, now, but.." Evie shrugs. "Better to know it than not."

"Good to hear Charles has turned things around," Alex smiles. "That's what all this is about, really. A second chance for humanity."

"But you'd look so good as a blonde," Orithia pouts as Klepto chuckles.

Hitoshi chuckles. "I'm going to leave the hair dyeing of Alex to you gals."

He spins around, his face suddenly serious.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, lets get moving. We have a hotel full of people to unthaw and give orientation to, and a whole bunch of Refugees to bring in. I want all this done in three days if possible."

He points to the Furies. "Girls, places. Lets get these soldiers unthawed." At the same time he tosses Alex his Penthouse key. "Alex, you can either help, or stay out of the way, your choice. That key will take you to the Penthouse. DON'T drink too much of the booze please. Oh wait, Lya does that Nevermind." He grins and gives Lya a wink.

"Bodyguards. I just realized I need names and stuff so I can stop calling you Bodyguards and give you the respect you deserve. However, that will have to wait. I need you to unthaw those people important to the running of the Casino and it's maintenance."

He snaps his fingers and turns to Lya. "That reminds me Lya, we are going to need your dwarf friend. This place is in serious need of an upgrade." He sighs. "And now I have to find and have a long sit down with my mother. I'd rather Fight Lymann."

Lya snaps her fingers. "First off we exchanged cards in the middle if a sewer so we're not exactly buddies. Second off, we agreed to thaw out the military first did we not? Shouldn't we do that before sending off your bodyguards to wake people up? One thing at a time right? And what's with the fucking deadline all of a sudden; you got somewhere to go? Third if I wanted to drink alcohol I'd drink my own, thank you very much, and lastly..." she snaps her fingers again, "we are not your bodyguards or your servants... we are your damn friends so you'd better get that straight before you ever order me around again... got it? If you think just because we're in your hotel you think you can act like that towards me and my friends then I'm out of here quicker than you can say "I should've asked nicely."

Toxic gives a low whistle as Klepto grins and crosses her arms over chest.

"All I need is to stay out of view from the military," says Alex. "Word will eventually get out that I'm here, and I may have to leave or turn myself in to the Guard if it brings unwanted attention to your door, Hitoshi."

Your principal bodyguard bows. "You may call me Heishi, Hitoshi-sama. These are Kage, Yurei, and Fukusei.*"

Hitoshi gives Lya a weird look and shakes his head. "Now hold on Lya, I'm just outlining what we as a group need to do to get this place going. I'm not ordering anyone around. And I wasn't commenting to you about the booze, I know you prefer your own stuff. That comment was to Alex. We are all stressed right now. Things are weird right now, and YES, for the fourth or fit time military gets thawed out first. We don't need all my guards here for six soldiers. The furies can easily handle them especially since Klepto took their weapons and gear. As for the dwarf, you are on better terms with him than I am, but if you like, give me the number, and I will make the call. It's all good, and it's gonna be okay."

"Don't drink too much of the booze... oh wait Lya does that' I believe is what you said amongst other things, Hitoshi." Lya mutters. "I think your mother is showing."

Hitoshi starts laughing. "That... is a truly scary thought Lya however, I was making a joke about how you like to party, and no, I honestly don't find anything wrong with it, in fact we all may need to tie a few on after all this work, even me. However we will also have to take stock of stores and ration them at some point, but before we do, I plan on throwing a banquet fir the refugees. Anyways, can you think of anything else we should do, emphasis on WE, or are we ready to bust this popsicle stand?" He pauses. "Oh, and Alex, we lost you once before. I'll die before any enemy takes you away again. I haven't known you long, but I consider you a friend, and I stand by my friends... even if they sometimes get angry with me."

"I think between the Furies and you guys, you've got the military covered. I can stay with Alex," Evie says. She shrugs and turns to the son of Tyr. "Not that I don't think you can take care of yourself. I mean, hell...in a straight-up fight, I know you are better than me. But, I don't think any of us need to be alone, at this point."

"Slightly better," Orithia whispers as she nudges Phoebe's shoulder and chuckles.

"Well if we're all cool then they can start with these guys once you all have gone to the room," Lya adds.

"I'm just going to stand over here," Alex says. He positions himself partway down the ramp that slopes down onto the casino floor, pulls out his smartphone, and looks like another tourist frozen in place.

When everyone is in position, Hitoshi nods to Heishi. The six guardsmen comprise a command-and-control element of two officers, and a tactical element of four. The transition from living statue to aware and moving is nearly instantaneous. Fingers twitch over triggers that are no longer there, and one of the officers reaches for a now-missing sidearm.

"National Gu-" his words die off in mid-shout. He glares at Hitoshi. "Explanations. Now."

"Woah guys... it's all good...it's all good..." Lya replies as she holds her hands out palms down and gestures for them to calm down. The Furies stand beside her ready to act, but with their hands visible to the men so they know they aren't armed.

"Nobody's going to hurt anybody... we're all just trying to help people, ok? Why don't you tell us the last thing you remember and we'll tell you what we know, and then we can all figure this out together?"

"You startled us, Miss," the lead officer says, which is an elegant bit of bullshit. He's scanning the room for threats, and clearly wondering what happened to his rifle and sidearm. "Why don't we all return to our command post?"

"Before you guys head out," Lya replies, "there are a bunch of people here in the hotel that we're trying to wake up and they might need some help. How about we all chill for a minute and sit and have a drink while my friend here goes about waking up everyone else? That way we can share some info, get our bearings, and my other friend here can give you all your gear back."

"Thank you for the offer, Miss, but we're on duty," the officer says. "We'll have to pass on the drinks. Obviously, you removed our weapons because something strange is happening. We're in control, and we'll take them back, if you please."

"You're sure? Your loss, guys. Goodness knows with all the crazy going on I sure could use one." She pulls out her flask and takes a drink with one hand while she gestures to Klepto and Toxic with the other.

"So tell me... what were you guys doing here? We came here for shelter from the snow and because Mr. Ryder there wanted to see what happened to his hotel. Turns out everyone in here was re-enacting that bit from Sleeping Beauty so we figured we'd try and break the curse." she puts her hands on her hips as she cocks her hip to one side and smiles seductively. "I must say I prefer playing Prince Charming if all the Sleeping Beauties look like you gentlemen."

There's a clacking of metal as Toxic removes the ammo from the weapons and hands the guns to Klepto.

"Here you go guys... all in good working order. Gotta say I like your choice of the Beretta... that's a classic reliable piece right there," Klepto says as she hands out the guns. "You can have your ammo back when you leave."

One of the tactical team actually blushes, but spoils the moment somewhat by ogling Klepto.

"Miss, when the jewel of the desert ends up buried in snow and a castle appears out of nowhere, there's no doubt something strange is going on," the commanding officer says. "The Westview began shimmering in and out of sight, like something from a science-fiction movie. We were sent to investigate and, from what you tell us, wound up playing Sleeping Beauty."

"So, let's just call the kiss a done deal, and you can tell us what you know."

Hitoshi uncrosses his arms and smiles.

"Gentlemen, Hi, Hitoshi Ryder. I own this Casino. I appreciate you coming to check on everyone here while I was gone and unable to be here. Look, I'm going to be straight with you. For reasons unknown, you and everyone here has been asleep for months. There's also enough snow outside to label this area a crisis zone. I understand the need to get back to your unit. However, it's cold as fuck outside, and by cold as fuck, I mean nine feet of snow, and negative ten. Probably a lot colder than when your unit arrived and there's a possibility that your batteries on your vehicles might be drained due to the cold.. I'm not saying you can't leave. Gods no. I'm just saying be smart about it. Radio in first, see if your unit is still around. They may have bugged out. If they happen to still be around then we can figure out how to get you guys home. Also, as my friends say, we have civilians here that may want to leave and will need an escort. Once again, I'm not saying you can't leave, I'm just saying be smart about it and do what you can from inside here where it's warm."

He looks over at the lower windows covered in shadow, then turns toward Heishi.

"Heishi, do we have an area where these fine gentlemen can see the conditions outside without actually freezing their tails off?"

"Hai, Hitoshi-san. You can see outside from the Concourse shops and restaurants. If these men wish to go higher, they will have to climb the stairs. The elevators do not seem to be working just yet."

"Okay, thank you, Mr. Heishi. Miller, Andrews, go with him. If your radios work, call into the CP. If we're snowed in, we're going to be staying put for a bit."

He turns back to Hitoshi.

"Do you have any idea what's going on, Ryder? I don't want to push people out into the cold if they're safe here for the moment. In fact, we were looking into the possibility of resorts cooperating with the Guard to provide shelter. We don't have much cold weather gear here."

Hitoshi spreads his hands and again smiles. "I suggest we take things one step at a time. Lets see if you can contact your people first. As for sheltering people, we were planning on doing that as soon as we figure out the whole story, and unthaw everyone here first. Those that wish to go home, we will do our best to help do so. After that, well lets just say we have a lot of work to do here at the Westview. Noone is really sure what is going on. Maybe it's a pole shift or something. Maybe it will clear up, maybe it won't. No one is really sure."

The last part was a lie, but Hitoshi wasn't about to tell them that Gods were battling for control of the world through their children... yet.

"Pole shift," mutters the officer, his tone openly skeptical. "Uh-huh. Okay, how about you level with me? In order to do what's best for everyone, we're going to need accurate information, and I'm hearing a lot of wait-and-see. What do you know about this? If you don't know anything, we'll move on from there, but you might not like how that goes."

Hitoshi rolls his eyes. "Well what do YOU think happened? I gave my best theory, and you don't want it, so lets heard your ideas and maybe between us, two and two just might equal four at some point cause right now, your guess is probably as good as mine." He gives the man a bit of the patented Hitoshi glare.

"Shouldn't we be worrying about the people right now instead of trying to place blame?" Lya reminds them as she points outside. "We left a lot of people out there in the cold not caring if it's the fault of global warming or a vengeful gods... all they care about is if the hotel would work as a refuge. I'm sure they're all going to want to know what's going on too... so let's focus on waking the people up here and getting the people stuck outside relocated and then we can have a good ol' town meeting and discuss it. Sound good to you guys?"

"Son, you keep giving me this, 'well, what do you think happened?' routine. What I think is that you're up to your ears in this and you're stalling me for time," the officer says. "We were sent to investigate this building. If you want to play coy and pretend you don't know anything, great. Get out of our way and let us do our job. At this time, you will return all of our equipment, and that is not a request."

He meets your patented glare with its military equivalent. There's a brief crackle from his radio, which apparently still functions, the batteries having been 'frozen' along with everything else.

"Ell-Tee, door we came in through is clear. Looks like the boys are using hazmat tunnels and air blowers," comes the report.
"Copy that, return to post, we are at general quarters," the officer says. He flicks his radio to change channels. "Base, Guard Six Actual, we're back, preparing to exfil. Site is unsecured, possibly hostile."

"Look, I'm tired of waiting to see if you guys are going to stop comparing your dick size or just kiss and make up already," Lya continues as she gestures over her shoulder with her thumb. "There are about to be a lot of scared and confused people here so I think the rest of us might go ahead and help people while you two struggle to get over yourselves."

"Calling us hostile..." Lya mutters to herself as she walks away. "They're the ones with weapons threatening people..."

"Yes Lya, continue with the releasing of the others. That's actually a great idea." Hitoshi says turning and smiling. He then turns back to the officer.

"I can see that you and I are getting nowhere with this as we are, so I offer a solution. I will tell you and ONLY you whats going on. Your men wait here and help my friend with the rest of the guests until you and I return. You may have back your ammo and equipment, but once again, only you. They don't get their stuff back until if and when you all do indeed leave if you decide to leave at all. Those are my terms. You and I have a walk and chat, or if you wish to leave, you know where the door is, but once you leave you won't be allowed back in. I have to protect my guests and any refugees that may decide to stay here."

He crosses his arms. "I'll give you a moment to think on it."

The officer responds with a confident tone that suggests he is a career officer or holds some other position of authority in civilian life.

"Miller, Andrews, get back down here," he says. "The rest of you, prepare to return to base. If I'm not back in five, proceed without me. If you don't hear from me in an hour, mark the site as declining assistance and proceed accordingly."

Surprisingly, he declines the offer of ammunition.

"Since everyone else is playing statues, let's just take it over there*," he says, nodding towards the steps down onto the casino floor."

Hitoshi nods and leads the way to a blackjack table and sits down in the dealers spot. Pulling out his almost empty pack of smokes, he lights one up and offers one to the officer. When the man declined he left the pack and lighter on the table between them.

"Okay, first off, I need at some point in this conversation for you to tell me what you yourself already know. I've been away for apparently months and actually just got back..."

He looks at his watch.

"About two hours ago I'd guess? I'm not really sure. What I do know is that there's a man out in Vegas by the name of Jason Lymann. He thinks he's the son of Loki the trickster god."

He inhales the smoke and blows it out.

"What I do know is the fucker has it in for me and my friends. He's attacked us at every turn using a gang called The Lobos. He's the one that had that castle built, and while I'm not sure he's the cause of the weather, I bet he knows what is."

"What we know, Mr. Ryder, is that this is not an isolated event. There have been incidents across the United States, not just snow storms, but other phenomenon that fit into various legends of the World's End. We apparently have the Nordic? Norse? version of things," the officer says. He picks up the deck and fiddles with it, a quick shuffle and one-handed cut. But, then, it is Vegas.

"You're ahead of me with names, although the folks in the castle are looking for a gentleman named Alex North, who was recently with the District Attorney's office, but quit to return to private practice," he says. "He was also the target of a drive-by shooting by these gang members late last year, and since that happened here, you may at least be familiar with the name."

Lya takes out her phone and the platinum card again as she dials Hrofgar's number. "This hotel is going to need some quick remodeling if we're going to take in all these people..." she mutters to herself.

Hitoshi takes another puff. "I've heard of the name. I've even met him once due to that incident."

He leans over to a cocktail waitress who's frozen with drinks to be delivered on her tray and pulls one off and takes a swig.

"Ah, the classic Rum and Coke. good enough."

He sets the glass down.

"Okay, fine, you've seen enough strange that what I'm going to say might seem normal."

He takes another puff.

"The weather isn't natural. Something or someone is causing it. Do I know who? No. I wish I did because I fucking hate the cold. As for my Casino, I came back here just today as I said, and found the place covered in a shadow field thing, and the people inside frozen."

Another sip of Rum and coke goes down the hatch.

"I called my security people and they told me they could get me past the shadows. My friends and I got inside and that's when we encountered you and your men frozen like everyone else. Apparently we can thaw everyone out though and thats what we plan on doing. We'd like the help doing so. After that we are going to see about taking in any refugees we can."

Stubbing the cigarette out in an ashtray he leans back in the chair.

"As to how the shadows are done or the people frozen, ask my security guys. I sure as hell wish I could pull that trick."

"All right, then. Thank you for sharing that information with us," he answers. "I'll consult my superiors and see if there's a long-term strategy for shelter and support. If it's deemed advisable, we may ask resort owners to support us in the endeavor, though tower-based hotels might not be workable with sub-zero temperatures."

He sets down the deck of cards. "Fuck. Getting my ass shot off in Baghdad was a walk in the park compared to this. Sir."

He turns and walks towards the entrance, pausing to collect his gear from Klepto. "Thank you, Miss."

Lya cups the receiver on her phone as she's currently on hold. "Seriously, mister... we're just trying to figure this out like you are," she calls out to the soldier as he walks by. "We were away for a few months and when we came back to town we found out the end of the world had started without us."

She takes him by the arm and gives him an earnest look. "We're just trying to make the best of a really bad situation and make sure nobody else suffers at the hands of a lunatic with daddy issues. We're on your side here."

"Several of my soldiers are Asatru, Miss. Thor worshipers. They believe it's the end of the world," the lieutenant says. "Other men in my unit are Christian and aren't happy about any of this. So, respectfully, I don't have time to play 'I don't know,' with Mr. Ryder. I have civilians freezing their asses off, a city that's been immobilized, and the breakdown of systems that would otherwise support us. The Guard as well as the civilian populace."

"What my superiors know is that I was MIA for several months. I have no idea what they've decided or planned," he adds. "We might even be under martial law. It's a delicate situation, and I agree with you that this puts all of Las Vegas at risk. I can't change that if I go back with a handful of 'I don't know' and a suggestion we all sit around the campfire."

"I'm sorry if that sounds harsh. The truth is, people want answers we don't have, reassurances we can't give, and they're staring down a big religious question mark. Cuts right to the core. You appear to understand this can go south really fast. Don't be so quick to say you're on my side, because 'my side' might be wrong."

He sighs heavily and motions at the casino floor. "I sincerely hope my superiors haven't gotten it into their heads that this is a bigger problem than that."

He waves towards the general direction of the Ice Palace, then starts heading for the door. He stops.

"Oh, and when you thaw out Mr. North, over there, please tell him we'd like to speak to him."

At this point, Evie considers relaxing. However, she will follow Alex's lead. He may want to "unfreeze" after everyone is gone and she doesn't want to foil any plans he may have.

"The last person who said that blew up a city block and killed innocent people in order to 'talk to Alex' before holing himself up in a castle and bringing about the end of days. I honestly don't know why he's doing this or what part Alex plays in all of this... all I know is that he's put the lives of countless innocent people in danger and killed many more, he's not planning on stopping, and he's sitting pretty in a castle while you and your superiors aren't doing anything about it!"

Lya walks up to the soldier and pokes him in the chest. "So tell me mister...what's wrong with that picture? Instead of going back to your superiors, I suggest you go back to your Asatru men and listen up real fucking good to what they have to say. Maybe then you can figure out whose side you should be on."

"You see? You do know something about what's going on, don't you? If you expect me to be able to have input into what my superiors do or do not do, I need information, not roundabout stories about 'gee, we just got here.' Because, Miss, so did I. It's an afternoon in mid-January as far as I know, and you know that's not true.

"If you think I'm ignoring my men, you're mistaken. They came to me the moment this town became a snow fort. Why? Because they trust me. I don't know what you're holding back, or what you think you're protecting, but this song-and-dance number about how you really don't know anything isn't helping. But I'm the stubborn one, apparently.

"You see, when I go back outside, I'm likely going to be hearing orders from people who also don't have good information, people who then decide where me and my boys get to die. I've got an AR-15 and a sidearm. I'm facing people who blow up city blocks and drop castles out of nowhere. So maybe this is Thimblewinter or whatever they call it. Come down from Valhalla or wherever you live and understand there are a lot of scared people - not just civilians, but officers and politicians and people in charge, who have never been on the front lines or under fire. Scared people make shitty decisions.

"So if you want to help, let's have it. Tell me what you do know. Like anything you can tell me about Alex 'Son of Tyr' North over there, 'cause that's the only fucking thing our icy friends asked for."

He holds out his hands as if to make one last plea, and it's clear he won't wait for long.

"All I know is that whacko in the castle has it out to kill Alex and he won't stop at anything to do it. We went down into the sewers looking for him when Lyman blew up a city block to hide that he had him kidnapped, and when we came out again it was several months later and snowing. I think he plans on bringing about Ragnarok, but when it comes to that I had to look it up in a book just like you did."

She runs her hand through her hair. "I wasn't lying to you when I said I don't know what's going on. I'm not Asatru... hell I'm more Greek Orthadox than anything. All I know is that if Lyman wants Alex dead then by the gods I'm going to do whatever I have to keep him alive."

Hitoshi facepalms. "I fucking knew we should have just come out and said the whole story."

He kicks back away from the table. "Ok, yea fine screw it, I'm laying it out. Okay, I'm friends with Alex North. And of course those fuckers in the ice palace want him, he's a threat to Lymann and Lymanns plans to rule or destroy the world, so Lymann wants him dead. I have more news for your superiors, I'm not letting Lymann have him. Lymann wants me dead too I bet. When I said Lymann might be the son of Loki, I really meant is the son of Loki."

He paces the floor.

"Look, I apologize for stringing you along, but I had no idea how much you could be trusted. Mind you I'm still not one hundred percent sure on that issue, but one of us has to go out on the limb here. Lymann isn't the only child of a god here. My father I'd Hachiman, patron god of samurai and tactician of the Japanese pantheon. I was just going to take you up on the roof, and jump off then come back here to show I'm more than human, but you made that impossible. I can however do that if you still want me to prove what I'm saying, and if it will increase trust."

Evie relaxes from her position near Alex and says, "Or, you could just ask him to do something silly and harmless, like jumping jacks or cluck like a chicken or whatever. That's less work."

"In my book, trust is built on honesty, not jumping off roofs," he says. "So, the son of a Japanese god, the son of a Norse god, and all of the world's end stuff cropping up at once," he muses. "I imagine you have an interesting tale as well, Miss. Your friends, there, certainly look like they're up for a fight."

"It sure sounds like someone wants us to believe it's the end of the world."

He nods at Alex, who is still pretending to be immobilized.

"I don't know exactly what my superiors are going to do, but I'm pretty sure 'lay down and die' ain't on the list. The snow bunnies, or whatever they are, they want him? Fine. They can't have him. I've never given up on any of my men, and I am not going to hand off a complete stranger on the say-so of a bunch of Tangos*," he says.

"Next part ain't going to be so easy. I imagine tracers and incendiary rounds, if we can get some, will hurt just as much as plain old bullets. And while I'm willing to accept your word on jumping off the roof, others might not be so open-minded, so just hold on to that one."

"Can you un-zap Mr. North for me? If I walk into the CP holding an ace, we might just get listened to," he says. "But I'd like to ask nicely."

"Like I said... Greek." Lya bows. "Lya Bach, Daughter of Dionysus at your service. This Ragnarok stuff is just as crazy to me as it is you, buddy. Alex is my friend though... and I don't abandon friends. You seem like a decent guy... but how do we know about anyone else out there? I wouldn't blame any of them if the thought of turning in Alex to try and end this crossed their minds... because I'm sure that's what he's leading people to believe."

"I don't think it's the end of the world...yet," Evie says. "I'm pretty sure that this is Fimbulwinter, the lead up to the grand event. Which means that we can still stop it."

She shakes her head and adds, "We're still working on the 'how' part of that equation, though. I'm afraid being the child of a god doesn't exactly come with instructions."

She seems to think for a bit and says, "Look, I trust that you wouldn't hand over Alex. But, we don't know which side of things those in power land on, now. Too much time has passed. Lyman could've bought and killed his way into too many positions of influence, at this point. I don't want him walking into a viper's nest."

"I know that I'm not as valuable as Alex, but perhaps I could go with you instead? Just to sort of feel things out?" she steps forward and offers her hand to the soldier to shake. "LVPD Detective Evie Cartwright, daughter of Heimdall."

"Unthaw Alex... sure. We can do that, and then let him decide if he wants to go with you." Hitoshi visibly relaxes.

"Heshi, unfreeze mister North please. Thank you."

He looks back over at the others. "Look officer, I'm willing to bring refugees in here and help them, I'm even willing to bring in the military, but I will say this now. If the military sets up here they won't be ordering me or my friends or personnel around. If we do this, it will be a joint deal. I speak for the casino, Lya if she wants can speak for the people, and the military can have its representative. Frankly, if this is to work I'd like you to be said rep. However, we will deal with that should you and your men come back from reporting in. If the military is okay with that, then they can send you guys back to help out."

"Honored to meet you, Detective Cartwright; Miss Bach," he says. "Lieutenant Nicholas Drake, Army National Guard, previously with the 7th Light Infantry. I'm good being a plain old non-godly human being. Nothing wrong with that."

"But let's begin by returning the trust you've shown in me. If the chain of command has been compromised, we could lose two important allies," he tells Evie. "They know about North. Maybe they don't know about you, Miss Bach, or Ryder, other than something weird is going on at the Westview. I'll have the men who are Asatru - assuming they haven't been transferred out or given a Section 8 - work with me."

"Ryder, if you can get me some picture of how you stand, supply-wise, and how many people we can pack in here. If that force-field thing is in working order, it gives us something to stand on, as well."

Alex cracks his neck. "Okay, I might as well speak up. I'm here. Exactly as billed. Lieutenant, I'll go with you, but if I smell a rat, I've been known to throw cars around. Just saying."

"Are you sure about this, Alex?" Evie turns to her cousin with a concerned frown. "I mean, as soon as we start unfreezing people here and setting up camp, Lyman is going to know that we're back. The most probable answer to 'who affected the Westview' is Hitoshi."

"So, he's going to send agents here to poke around and see what's what. Meanwhile, you'll be separated from us, again," she taps her chin thoughtfully. "Of course, that could be the safest thing for you...being surrounded by Asatru while Lyman is focused on investigating here."

Hitoshi chuckles. "Lymann's men haven't come here yet, and I know why, Evie."

He looks around, spotting guards hidden among the people and the shadows

"The shadow field, my guards, They are all products of Izanami, Japanese goddess of Death and shadows. Look around; the minute Lymanns men manage to get in here, they are as good as dead unless I or Izanami want them alive. As for setting up camp and bringing people in, that's going to be done in secret as long as possible."

He walks over and places a hand on Alex's shoulder. "She is right though Alex, we could easily setup the meeting here, or even do a tight beam broadcast to Officer Drake's people. No need for you to walk out there just yet when we only just go you back. But I won't stop you man. I know you gotta do what you gotta do, you just do it safely."

"Officer Drake, Nice to meet you, sorry for the bit of run around on my part, I was naturally suspicious after everything that's happened to us recently. If Alex goes with you, I'll make you a deal. You bring him back to us safe and sound, and I'll let you and your men there have choice of the finest booze that the Westview can give you, and I don't stock rotgut."

With those words, he nods. "I need to go check on my Mother, and see if I can get an audience with my aunt."

Looking around again he speaks. "Heshi, Take me where I need to go please."

Evie nods but she still doesn't look all that convinced that all will be hunky-dory at the Westview. Lyman is a scion, too. He, too, probably has divine help. Certainly, the regular goons like the Lobos don't stand a chance. But, after having gone to the Underworld and come back...well...she doubts that Lyman will be using the fodder, much, anymore.

"Hai, Hitoshi-sama," Heishi answers, indicating the elevators. "Ryder Misu* is in her office."

It isn't until you enter Karen's office that you become aware of the odd puckering feel of energy against exposed skin, and realize you have passed through a secondary barrier, an added layer of protection. Consequently, the office seems to be heavily shadowed, mundane things like potted plants and chairs casting twisted shadows across the floor, forming an odd mandala-like pattern centering upon Karen.

Frozen, it clearly isn't one of your mother's better moments. She has that slight narrowing of her eyes that telegraphs her disapproval, and a lecturing forefinger is in mid-point. Though they are doubtless long gone, you feel somewhat sorry for whomever is on the other end of the call.

Hitoshi chuckles and pulls out the chair in front of his mother's desk. Sitting down he composes himself and crosses his legs, folding his hands in his lap. After a second he straightens his suit and then refolding his hands in his lap. Finally he nods at Heishi.

"Do it."

"Pardon me for being a Star Wars fan but I've got a bad feeling about this." Lya replies. "Everybody out there knows you're wanted Alex... how do we know you won't just get turned in or in trouble?"

She gestures to the soldier. "You seem like a good guy... but if your superiors demanded that you turn him over would you defy your commander for him? We literally went to hell and back to rescue him."

"As to the shadows... I just don't know. I don't trust Izzy as implicitly as Hitoshi. He thinks she did it for him... but I think she did it for herself and I want to know why." Lya turns to Evie. "Maybe we should check out the guest registry and see just who is in the hotel?"

"Good idea," Evie nods. "I can check that out."

She continues, shaking her head, "I'm with you on this one. I'm not sure that the shadows will hold back Lyman's forces simply because I don't think he's stupid enough to continue to use goons like the Lobos, at this point."

"As much as I like Hrogar, I'm positive that he outed us when we went to rescue Alex. He's a businessman and he doesn't get paid enough to risk his life or the lives of his men to protect us. When we killed Surt, I'm sure that he told Lyman exactly who did it."

"Considering that, Lyman knows that we're more powerful than he first thought. He's not going to waste his time with fodder. Lyman is a scion, too. He must have powerful minions or magic at his disposal."

She sighs and says, "I'll also take a walkabout outside, at some point, and see if there are any spirits lingering. I'm sure quite a few folks have succumbed to exposure. It's possible that not all of them have been claimed for an afterlife, yet. And, the dead are ignored. They see and hear much."

The lights brighten considerably, and the twisting shadows recede.

"... not how the Westview Grand does business," Karen resumes speaking without missing a beat. "I will ... Hello?"

She touches her ear bud and glances at the phone. "How convenient; disconnect instead of accept a perfectly legitimate criticism of sub-standard performance."

And then she sees you sitting there. "Hitoshi? Where did you come from?"

"As I said, Miss Bach, in my book, we don't just hand over our own people because some bad guy makes demands," Lieutenant Drake says. "And, according to records, Mr. North is one of our own, having served honorably in the United States Army."

"Almost ten years ago, but, yes," Alex says. "You're free to tell your CO that you've seen me. But, all things considered, with a demand to hand me over, I'll want an assurance that I can walk in, and walk out, of any meeting with the chain of command. In the meantime, I'll be here helping restore people and seeing what resources we can share."

Alex turns to Lya and Evie. "No matter how we do this, we're going to have people on edge and asking questions. If we have high-rollers in the penthouse or executive levels, they're not going to sit still for long. Maybe lock off the elevators and ask that they remain in their rooms?"

"And, unless we unfreeze staff, we're going to have to look the part. Borrow uniforms or something."

Hitoshi spreads his hands. "Mother, where I came from doesn't really matter. Why I am here does, so take off the earbud and sit down. I'm asking you to do so as your son, I don't want to have to tell you to do so as your boss, it's time we had a little chat."

She starts to sit down, reflexively moving the mouse of her computer to toggle the screen saver, and frowns as she sees the date and time.

"What is wrong with this thing? June 23rd?"

She holds up a hand in a familiar just-a-moment gesture which would be more tolerable if it wasn't part of her my-house-my-rules mindset.

"Melissa, please call IT and tell them my computer seems to think it's June," she says, not waiting for a reply. "What is it, Hitoshi? Another crisis with your pet rock band? Would you like to set fire to something, or hold a paintball tournament on the Concourse?"

Before you reply, she shakes her head. "I'm sorry. That was uncalled for."

Hitoshi shakes his head. "Oh no, don't even worry about it. In fact i expect more if it during thus conversation. Oh, your computer is correct, and Melissa won't respond as she's frozen in shadows and time."

He pauses and waits for his mother to explode and call him crazy. In fact, he starts extending the fingers on his right hand counting down the seconds. 1... 2... 3...

"Frozen in time," she says, standing up from her desk. She moves to the door, ignoring Heishi. She looks out into her reception area and sees her assistant standing unmoving before a filing cabinet. She gives a tiny gasp, and moves to examine the young woman more closely.

Then, with calmness her steps do not completely mirror, she returns to her desk.

"Details. Focus on the details, Karen," she murmurs to herself.

After a moment, she looks at you.

"The entire casino?" she says.

Hitoshi nods. "It's all a bit complicated mother, but don't worry, they are all fine and they can all be thawed out on my command. we have a few things to do and discuss though first."

He suddenly facepalms. "Oh yes, Heishi, Would you please unfreeze Mika Hanamura, and James Sokatsu and bring them to the Conference... no, make that my office. Thank you."

He stands and takes his mother by the arm, leading her to his office and having her sit in one of the two chairs in front of his desk. Then he drags in two more chairs so that the others can sit down when they come in. He turns on the security monitors so that the whole casino can be see, including one outside camera showing the snow and situation on the street.

"Now mother, it will take them a few minutes to get here, so while we wait, I must ask... Do you remember Father?"

"Your father? I try not to think of him much," Karen says. "Those were difficult times, for us both, as you well remember. How is this relevant to your casino being 'frozen in time'?"

Hitoshi sighs. "Thus will be hard to believe mother, but..." He pauses and scratches his head before reaching into a drawer on his desk and pulling out a bottle of aged plum wine, and pouring himself and his mother a small glass of it. He stoppers the bottle and slides his mother's glass over to her.

"Gods exist. I am using the plural form. Greek gods, Norse gods, and probably others. Father..."

He takes a sip of the plum wine.

"Well I know he always seemed to think and act like one, but it turns out he really was."

He slams back the rest and sets the glass onto his desk.

"He's Hachiman, god and patron of the samurai, and tactician of the Japanese pantheon, and I... am his son."

"This is where I say, 'Oh, Hitoshi, you've always been special to me,' and you say, 'I love you, Mom,' and then my alarm clock goes off," she frowns.

She tosses off her plum wine like it was a shot of whiskey.

"And now comes the part where you say, 'It's not a dream, Mother,'" she tells you. Fortunately, Karen has never been prone to nervous laughter. "Very well. That doubtless means recent events were connected. I'm not sure what you expect from me, however."

"Well I imagine they're going to unfreeze everybody," Lya chuckles. "I'll suggest we start with the staff next once Hitoshi is done talking to his mom. Of course that could be hours from now."

She offers her hand to Alex to shake. "If this is what you want to do, then so be it Son of Tyr. Take care of yourself, and gods willing, we will meet each other again."

"Don't make us have to save your ass again," Klepto adds as Toxic gives him a nod.

Hitoshi grins. "Mother, it's perfectly fine to freak out. Best you do it now before it all goes sideways. And by sideways, I mean we are unfreezing everyone, and bringing in refugees. I'm going to need you to take charge, inspect out stores and be prepared for the long haul."

He takes his mother's hand and holds it tightly.

"Now, I will tell you that there's sort of a war brewing, and we'll I am involved. A man named Lymann is being all the crap that's happened, and we'll thanks to being my father's son, I have been drug into it. So naturally I've got to kick ass and take names. Mind you, I've been attacked, I'm not gonna lie, and I've also killed. I'm going to keep being in these situations so I want you to stay here and stay out of danger, and before you say anything, I can take care of myself."

"If everything was 'frozen in time,' then we will be well-stocked," Karen tells you. "Two weeks of non-perishables, the basics. One week of perishables. And that's for the full complement of restaurants and lounges, including the dinner buffet and tapas."

"That would be providing meals at our five-star standard. If we're taking in guests as part of an emergency response, we can extend those numbers a bit by thinking 'long haul,' as you put it," she says. "We'll look to the advisability of keeping everything open, depending on the availability of power."

She catches her breath.

"I don't pretend to understand the affairs of gods," she says. "I do know how to run a casino."

Hitoshi grins. "Well then, now we need to figure out capacity of the rooms keeping safety in mind. I'm sure we can find cots and hid-a-beds to put out on the casino floors and such. Course we will have to move all the tables and machines, but hey, you always wanted to overhaul the place. Now's your chance."

He looks up as Heishi brings in James and Mika.

"Cots will have to come from outside. I would suggest keeping as much as possible to event rooms, rather than in the normal hotel spaces. We won't be wasting energy doing daily housekeeping and laundry until we have a better picture of how many people we're taking in," Karen says. "There are a limited number of roll-away units, but almost all of the rooms with Queen or King-sized beds have a fold-out sofa unit."

"Domo, Heishi-san," James says quietly. "An explanation is not necessary, Hitoshi. I've already begun making inquiries as to the status of the Westview Grand, and you are still the CEO. However, I do not know where the rest of the board members are at present. My usefulness will depend greatly on how the outside world stands in regards to communications and internet access."

Mika frowns. "I, also, do not need a detailed explanation. However, I do need to know if this has anything to do with the Yakuza. Though I am estranged from my father, I do not wish to put myself in a position where I would have to choose between my employer and my family, wakarimasu ka?"*

*Japanese: Do you understand? The answer would either be, 'Hai, wakarimas,' - yes, I understand - or wakarimasen - I do not understand.

Hitoshi nods at Mika. "Hai, wakarmas." He pauses.

"Ok, james, you are going to help mother. I want the other casinos contacted to help with the refugees, but without my name mentioned. No one must know I'm here yet. I can't explain why, but I can say that no, it does not have anything to do with the yakuza. If we can get all the major casinos pitching in then each of them can take in a little of the population thereby decreasing the burden on each casino. Our first priority should be our employees and their families first. Next will be a group of people that helped us when we came back. We can't help everyone, but I will help those that have helped me. After that we will deal with whatever we can. That's the plan right now."

He folds his hands and stares at Mika and James.

"What I am about to say is going to sound crazy, however, you deserve to hear it from me and not someone else."

He sighs.

"This weather isn't natural. Gods and goddesses exist. There are many if them, and they don't always get along. They fall in love, and have children. One of these children, a man named James Lymann is the son of Loki. He's the cause of all this shit. There are other children, called Scions that are fighting him."

He pauses, waiting for the exclamations of disbelief.

James looks you dead in the eyes. "You have certain values that I've come to appreciate over the years I have worked for you. And I've never known you to lie, Hitoshi. I can't imagine that would change now, of all times. Gods and Goddesses? I have never been a devout practitioner of religion, but my grandparents were, and I don't have to believe to acknowledge that 'all this shit' is a real enough problem."

Mika bows her head respectfully. "I have two questions. First, are you one of these other Scions?"

And then she looks directly at Heishi. "One does not grow up as the daughter of a CEO without hearing some things. That there are corporations which observe bushido as more than just part of our cultural heritage, and that this sometimes involves the veneration of traditional Japanese gods."
"Is Toshiro Kimura such a man, and which god or goddess does he revere?"

"It is not my place to speak for Kimura-san," Heishi answers. He looks at Hitoshi and nods.

Hitoshi chuckles at James' comment. "No my friend, all I need you to do is stand by my side as you have done over these years."

He turns his attention to Mika. "Yes, My father is Hachiman. As for Kimura-san, I do not know if he is one of us, but I think I know who he follows. Heishi can correct me if I am wrong, but I believe he and Kimura follow Izanami, and that they all were for some reason set to follow me."

He looks at Heishi and smiles.

"And that Folks, ends our meeting. we have a whole casino to unfreeze and setup to receive refugees, and we have employees to find and bring in for safekeeping. When the time comes I shall explain more. Mika, please assist James and Mother until I come find you. Thank you all."

Hitoshi stands and bows and watchs as they all leave.

"Heishi, stay."

He motions for Heishi to sit and becomes extremely serious.

"Heshi, I have not known you for long, but I know of loyalty. I also know that your loyalty is not to me alone. You serve Izanami, and I know she did all this for me. While I do not necessarily have a problem with that, I have to know why. The Gods and Goddesses do not do things lightly. I need to know what she wants from me, or if she has already gotten what she wants, maybe from my father perhaps. If you cannot give me the answers I seek then I must ask an audience of her. I mean no disrespect, but with things being as they are, the only surprises I want to end up dealing with are the ones from that bastard son of Loki."

Mika gives you a formal bow. "Hitoshi, I cannot. I left my family to escape these kinds of machinations. I do not wish to resign, but I cannot do this."

Heishi's face shows no emotion. "I do not have the answers you seek, Hitoshi-sama. If you would speak to the goddess, you must avail yourself of shadow and solitude, and make an offering that she would find pleasing. She may speak to you ... and she may not."

Hitoshi nods at Mika's words. "I understand, please stay, grab a drink."

He then turns back to Heishi.

"Heishi, I am not going to kill anyone if that's what you mean... at least not yet. I'll naturally make an exception for Lymann. That bastard I am going to personally deliver to one of the Gods or Goddesses of death even if I have to die doing so. Still, I would ask your council."

"Death comes in many forms and can be symbolized by many things," Heishi says. "That the goddess walks in the darkness does not mean she wishes to be blind. You are her eyes, as we are her invisible hand. It is your vision that will determine where she stands."

Hitoshi nods. "Thank you Heishi. Please, attend to the rest of the Casino and help out where you can. I have things here for now."

He waits till the man leaves and turns toward Mika.

"What can I do to help you deal with this? I know you don't want to resign, but I get the feeling you have questions, so fire away. If I can answer and help you with this, I will because though our friendship and working relationship has been short, I stand by my employees, and in front of my friends."

"It is a question to which there may not be an answer," Mika says quietly. "I was young, and I was in love. I was ... told ... to end the relationship, or there would be ... consequences.
"I complied, because I loved him. And came to America for university. I thought I was free of such things. But, now, you have a security detail provided by the Yakuza. It appears you have obligations to Izanami. I cannot walk the same path."

Hitoshi places a hand on Mika's shoulder.

"I am not your father, nor am I Yakuza. I will not ask you to do anything that I am not myself willing to do, nor will I try and rule your life. Such is not my way. As to Izanami, I do not know what she wishes, only she has provided me a gift so that I may keep humanity safe. You find your dream, I will even help you do so should you ask. Until you do, the only thing I ask is your friendship, and from time to time, your opinion on situations."

He stands. "I can't do this alone, Yes, Theres Lya, and Evie, and Alex, but they are like me, burdened with destiny. None of us at times will be able to see past that, and it will take someone with a third person view to get me to see reason. If you are willing to be that person, then I am happy, but should you wish not to be, then I will not hold it against you. You are always welcome in the Westview Grand, and your job is yours until you resign."

"I fear you are stepping onto a dark path and cannot see it as such because of the trappings," Mika says bluntly. "I thank you for your confidence. Although I am not on good terms with my father, once I ascertain what is happening in Japan, I may need to go there to assure myself that my family, including father, are safe."

Hitoshi nods.

"I understand what you say. Unfortunately, I may have to walk through the darkness for a while. Lya, she is unable to do it, she's too nice of a person, and Evie is a police officer so she has to work within the law. Alex likewise has dealings with the law. In this war, I am the only logical choice to make the journey should it be required. It will take good friends to help light my way."

He smiles.

"When the time comes for you to go check on your family, I'll find a way to get you there even if I must take you myself to make sure you arrive. You deserve that much."

"Respectfully, this is something I must do myself," Mika says. "As James noted, much depends on what resources are available in terms of media and internet. I will be in my office and will keep you informed as to any itinerary I book."

Hitoshi nods. "Well just let me know if you'd like to use the company jet. It's the least I can do." He stands.

"I have to go do a few things, just shut the door behind you Mika."

Leaving his office he heads down to the basement to find a small room. Pausing in the hallway, he grabs two small vases of lilies off a table and takes them with him, knowing lilies are used at both western and Japanese Funerals.

It occurs to you that a room in the basement is a temporary solution. It is not a fitting shrine to Izanami, nor is it a place, once suitably decorated, that you would want someone discovering by accident. Perhaps a cabinet could be placed in your office, with a small painting or figurine of the goddess concealed within. A secret place, for a goddess who walks in the shadows and knows many such things.

You set the vases down and extinguish the lights. It is an eerie not-vision that comes to you with little effort. It is not the grainy, high-contrast imaging of a night-vision scope, but a clear perspective. You see all that you would in a lighted room, including shadows, which you find somewhat odd.

You kneel, Kabuki-style, and solemnly clap your hands three times in the traditional gesture used in Tskuo-Gami, drawing the attention of the spirit world upon the here and now.

"What have we here? Flowers for Aunt Izzy?" rasps a familiar voice. "Decorations for the underworld? Do you know why mortals take such great pains to make their dead pretty? It is because they know me, and fear me. Death is not kind, or pretty. You cannot hide the stench of death behind the sweet perfume of flowers!

"But I know why you have come, Hitoshi Ryder. Much changes in the world of man, things to which you seek answers. Answers that do not exist for mortals, and which can be the undoing of gods.

"Ask your questions."

Hitoshi bows his head in greeting. "Greetings to you my Aunt, and Goddess of shadow and death. I do apologize for the small trappings on such short notice. I shall have a better shrine next time. You deserve better."

He turns to face the goddess. "My question is this. I understand that you preserved my casino, and the people in it, and I thank you. I'd like to know if I owe you anything because of it, or if the price for your doing so has already been paid somehow. What do you expect of and from me? In shorter words, whats the situation, and how is my casino such a part of it that you would protect it... I guess?"

He seems unsure quite how to phrase his words.

"I protect my own," Izanami says. "Not all is what it seems. Your casino is material wealth and of use in the material world. I do not traffic in mortal coin, and you have not yet become what I desire."

"I see, through me, you have access to things in the mortal world that you normally do not control. What now then? What is the next step in this war of gods? How do we begin to stop the end of the world? For if the world ends, then no one has influence in anything anymore. Will your hand follow me to the end?"

"My hand is everywhere," she says. "You must become more than Hitoshi Ryder. More than the Son of Hachiman. You must become Darkness."

Hitoshi bows his head. "Thank you Aunt Izanami. I must return to my friends and help with bringing in the refugees. Then... Then I deal with Lymann. I'm going to kill him... Even if I have to die."

"Darkness has many faces," is all she says. "But you cannot be much of anything if you are dead. Yomi is not your destiny. Not yet."

Hitoshi shrugs. "We shall see what time brings."

He bows. "I shall take my leave. Next time however, I'll have a better prepared shrine."

With that he leaves the room and heads off to find the others.

You return to find Lya and Evie speaking with James and your mother. Lya also has Arky on the phone, trying to find a way of bringing his people into the Westview without having to butt heads with either the National Guard or city leaders.

Mika is in her office, speaking quietly in Japanese, but you cannot hear any specifics. There's a look of concern in her eyes, but a stubborn set to her mouth. Apparently, things back home aren't going well.