(Alex's Return to the Westview)
"Here you go, Sir, the Westview Grand," said Lieutenant Drake, sarcasm evident in his tone.
"Thanks," Alex smiled. "I wish I had better answers for you guys."
"Yeah. Puts a new spin on 'final exam,' doesn't it?"
"You should have seen me after the bar," Alex told him.
"Good Evening, Sir. Welcome to the Westview Grand," the desk clerk said. "I'm afraid we have no vacant rooms at present."
"I'm looking for Hitoshi Ryder, actually."
"If you'll wait by the house phone," the clerk motioned to a small alcove, "I'll put you through to Mr. Ryde-"
"Alex?" asked Mika Hanamura, coming down the stairs from the Concourse level.
"Mika, right?"
"Yes. Hitoshi is upstairs. He'd said something about talking to the others, which includes you," she says. She turns to address the desk clerk. "Michael, if you could issue a card key for Mr. North, so he has access to the executive levels?"
"Of course, Miss Hanamura."
"What do you think of all of this?" Alex asked her as they were taking the elevator back to Hitoshi's office.
"I recognize that there are ... realities I am newly aware of," she says, "but I will tell you what I told Hitoshi. Remember who you are, and you need not fear what you may become."
"I don't know what I am becoming," Alex said. "Tyr - my father - is the God of Justice, but I am apparently acquiring other abilities."
"And they frighten you."
"Is it showing?" Alex asked.
"No," Mika told him. "Everyone has a moment like this. It seems, for the children of the gods, it can be more of a crucible than 'adolescence.'"
Alex thought back to his ordeal in Afghanistan. "That's true."
They arrive. Mika introduces him to Hitoshi's executive secretary, and Alex provides her with contact information.
"Though I understand I don't have a house anymore, so my address may be changing," he says.
"Hitoshi has told me about Ragnarok, and that, along with himself, you, Lya, and Detective Cartwright are the children of gods long thought of as myth," Mika says.
"There's no denying it now," Alex smiled. "Despite trying to keep it quiet, I got assaulted at the convention center. And someone tipped off the guys in the snow fort, because they sent a detachment of Einjehar after me. I'm not sure they'll try that again any time soon. Oh, and I suspect the Assistant District Attorney is on the enemy's payroll. I'm certain she's like Hitoshi and myself."
Alex sees the clock and realizes how much time has passed. "Time flies when you're having fun. Is Hitoshi here yet?"
At Alex's words, Hitoshi walks back into Mika's office, straightening his suit as he does so, but there's no hiding the stains of blood on it. "Hey Alex, how'd things with the military go?"
"I got shot. Again," he frowns. "Lyman had a Jotunblut thrall among the civvies, and everyone got an eyeful. Might as well get a new business card that reads, 'Alex North, Son of Tyr."
"No problem with bringing Arky's people over to the Westview, other than Lyman will know about it. It turns out Soleil Hunter over at the DA's office is one of us, but in Lyman's camp. She wouldn't tell me who her divine parent is, and I haven't seen her do anything out of the ordinary other than bend men to her will," he added. "She's got him convinced he's in love with her."
Hitoshi picks up a highlighter and writes Soliel Hunter on the glass of Mika's office. "Well Douglas Maxwell turned out to be one of us as well, and working with Lymann even. However, he's taken care of... I think. I'm not sure about anyone else on the board though, but I get the impression that I ruined their plans when I assumed control of the Westview."
"What would they need another resort hotel for?" Alex asked. "Wasn't one of the names on that list compiled by my half-brother - Thomas Cardinelli - wasn't one of them a casino owner himself? Unless whatever they were planning fell through, and that guy was cut off or cut loose. Or maybe just had his own plans. I imagine it's a wake-up call when you realize you're backing the bad guys."
"The problem with that question Alex, is we still don't have those particular answers. Maybe they were going to turn All of Las Vegas into one giant ice castle, who knows. All I know is Maxwell told me before he foll off the balcony to my office, is that I ruined their plans for the Westview. Frankly, I'm glad I did. Anyways, I haven't seen Lya or Evie, but knowing how things have went, I'm pretty sure The girls made Lya get some rest at some point. Klepto is pretty strict on healthcare. Hell, she will probably go after me the minute I show my face around her. I'm gonna go head up to my room up here and see if I have a change of clothes as it's probably best I not show up covered in the blood of another man, much less my own."
"Mika, I may be CEO, but I haven't really moved in. All of my clothes are at home ... out there," Hitoshi frowns. "If anyone, least of all Karen, should see me in this state, the whole return of the gods thing will turn into a PR nightmare."
"There are stores on the Concourse that will remedy any clothing issues," Alex reminded him. "We just need your sizes."
"I may dress well, but I'm like a lot of men: I don't know," Hitoshi grins. "Give me a moment." He excuses himself and steps into the private washroom attached to his office. His secretary, who has been quietly attending to her work, looks up at Mika and Alex.
"Miss Ryder provided me with the information you're looking for," she said, handing you a neat printout of Hitoshi's measurements. "She asked the tailor the last time Hitoshi brought something in."
"Want to bet the clothiers here have a suit for him?" Alex asked.
"No bet," Mika says. "It is common practice for executives in Japan. If I send a monogrammed polo shirt to a business partner, I want to make sure it fits. Knowing your opponent is important."
"Shirt's off the rack," Hitoshi said. "Waist is 32. I wrote down the inseam from the label, but I know the tailor took a couple of inches off. I wrote everything down."
He hands you another piece of paper.
"I can take care of it," Mika says. "Excuse me."
She whisks away.
"Where are the others?" Alex asked.
"Downstairs getting some rest, I hope," Hitoshi said. "I gave them the key to my penthouse."
"Speaking of which, Lyman blew up my house. I'd grab a rack along with the rest of the guests, but after the attack at the Convention Center, I don't want my presence to put a target on someone else's back,"
Alex said. "Can I book a room?"
"We're not actually operating the hotel right now," Hitoshi explains. "But we're not turning people out into the street, either."
He looks at his secretary. "Call down to the desk and have them give Alex a room."
"I appreciate it, Hitoshi."
"Not a problem Alex." Hitoshi says, smiling grimly. "Well I guess I should grab a shower while I can and then burn these clothes before the others see me. If you want, you can wait up in my penthouse while I do so. Mika should be able to bring the clothes up when she gets them." He steps out if the office and heads towards the private elevator that leads up to the penthouse suits that belong to him and his mother.
It's not quite a sleep-over, but Evie, Lya, and the Furies are all sprawled out. Evie's slumped to one side in an armchair. Lya is sprawled on the bed, her head in Klepto's lap; Klepto is also asleep. Oritihia is sleeping on the floor in front of the penthouse door - it would have been impossible for anyone to enter without waking her.
Phoebe and Toxic are laying on the two sofas bracketing the coffee table.
"Aw come on Dad... just one more cup of mana..." Lya mutters in her sleep as she shifts to roll to her side. The movement disturbs Klepto and makes her move her hand, which causes Lya's hair to fall in her face and her hand to reach out and accidentally smack herself in the face which wakes her up.
"Dammit Toxic, I told you not to do that again!" Lya yelps as she sits up and notices Hitoshi. "Oh... hey... Hitoshi! You're back!"
"Whozzawhut?" Evie blearily opens her eyes at Lya's yelp. She lifts her head and shifts to sit up, muttering "owww" quietly. She turns her head, stretching out her neck and shoulders.
Hitoshi looks over at Orithia who he just woke up by tripping over her, then back to Lya, and now Evie. "I was trying not to wake all of you." He pulls his suit jacket closed and buttons it, trying to hide all the blood on his shirt, but not realizing how much soaked through the jacket itself. Crossing his arms he frowns.
"You all need the rest, feel free to continue to use my room for now. I'm just going to grab a quick shower before a meeting. Sorry for tripping over you Orithia." His voice is quiet.
Alex moves to the wet bar and gets a glass of ice water.
"That'd better be for you," Toxic says, her eyes still appearing to be closed.
"It's the Fenris wolf that's supposed to take off Tyr's hand," Alex says. "I don't need to be losing anything else."
"Mmph."
He makes himself at home in another armchair and waits for Hitoshi to finish before diving in to the stack of problems ahead.
Lya runs a hand through her hair as Klepto sits up and stretches until her back pops. "Oh no, Hitoshi... we've been waiting for you guys to get back so you're not brushing us off that easily," Lya says before pushing herself off the bed and padding over to the coffee machine. "Can't this thing go any faster?"
Orithia shifts behind Hitoshi and gets up to her feet with a few mumbled words and a stretch. "Hey Hitoshi..." she mutters as she heads toward the bathroom, "you've got a little red on you."
Evie stands up and lifts her hands above her head, stretching, "So, how did things go for you two?"
She catches a whiff of herself and makes a "eww" face, "I...uhhhh...should probably take a shower soon."
Hitoshi scratches his head. "Yea well, I ran into a little trouble. Don't worry, none of it's mine, and I ant a shower and new clothes first before we talk about anything." He look around the room then walks over to the intercom and hits the button and calls his Secretary. "Are the other two penthouses being used?"
"One was being used by Congressman Malcolm, but he's checked out," the secretary says. "The other penthouse is still available."
"Excellent. I need Key cards made for all the Furies, and Lya." He turns around.
"Evie, are you staying with them, or do you wish to have one for you and anyone else you want staying with you?"
Evie shrugs and says, "I'm fine with whatever. It's up to the rest of the gals. I don't have anyone else that would be staying with me."
"I hate to sound pessimistic," Alex said, "but we are beset on all sides by our enemies, etc., etc."
"It can't be that bad ... can it?" Evie asked.
"Let's see, a Scion in the Assistant District Attorney's office. A Jotunblut thrall that was waiting for me to show up. At least one Scion on the Westview's Board of Directors, and one more we haven't accounted for," Alex said. "We're reacting. I think we need to take the initiative and do something they don't expect."
"From what we learned from the Senator and the Colonel, there's definitely more than one," Lya replied as she walked over to her jacket and fished for her phone. "One of the women seemed to have an ability that made them follow her to the room," she said as she flipped through the pictures and handed the phone to Hitoshi. "Recognize either of them? I asked what their names were, but all they could remember was Hattie...Hottie... something like that."
The coffee machine beeps and Toxic climbs over the sofa to start pouring a cup. "Tell him the best part, Lya."
"Oh yeah... get this guys... turns out they were trying to impersonate the Colonel in order to get codes out of his safe for launching nuclear fucking missiles."
"Which they didn't... thanks to your quick thinking..." Toxic adds as she walks over and hands Lya a cup as she gives her shoulder a squeeze.
"Mmmm...coffee... is there a goddess of coffee?" Lya mutters to herself as she inhales the scent of the hot drink and takes a sip.
"I think I have the answer for that," Evie says in reply to Alex's statement about being reactive. "I took some time to observe the castle while you were away. Lyman has somehow established a magical anchor between it and Asgard."
She walks over to the window and looks out, once more able to clearly see everything, the snow about as much of a hindrance to her sight as plastic wrap.
Even though the others can't see it, she still gestures towards the anchor as she talks, "There's a pulsing line of energy connecting the castle to Asgard. Now, I had noticed Asgard in the sky when Lya and I were driving to Sanctuary, but I didn't think much about it, at the time. I didn't know if it was normal for it to be there...you know...is it always there but mortals can't see it? That sort of thing."
"But, once I saw the light I just...knew...what it was. An anchor. It's holding Asgard there. I think that, somehow, Lyman is drawing his power from Asgard. If we can sever that anchor, maybe it'll stop this winter and make the giants disappear."
"I'm guessing you might be able to see it Alex, but I surely can't... and I'm guessing Hitoshi can't either," Lya replies. "Which means that if we try something Hitoshi and I will have to run defense while you two do something with that anchor. What, I have absolutely no idea."
She takes a sip of her coffee and ponders for a moment. "We could try calling Hrofgar and see if he is willing to share any info, though. We do have that sarcophagus made out of that weird metal that could be of use to him."
"I had the Guard take me for a quick recon," Alex said. "I didn't see anything like a pulsing line or anchor. It's a fortress of classic design. If Lyman has something essential inside, then we're going to have to get in there somehow. I'm not sure I can persuade anyone on the mortal side of things of the necessity for doing so."
He glances at the woman's photo. "I don't recognize her."
"It's Selene Chase," Mika Hanamura offers. "I had my suspicions after we went to Japan to appraise the Pacific Rim merger."
"How do you get from Selene to Hattie?" Alex frowned. "Seems like a weird choice for a fake name. You want it to be something you'll recognize when someone calls out to y-"
He pales.
"Shit. Not Hattie or Hottie ... Hati," Alex thumped his forehead. "One of Fenris' brood, a wolf who chased and devoured the moon. Selene Chase. And that tells me who my friend in the DA's office is - Fenris' other kid, Skoll,who chased the sun. Soleil Hunter."
"I think Lya has the right of it when she suggests calling Hrojar to help us get into the castle. If we can just get a blueprint of the layout, I can get us to the anchor. I know where it is...well...I know the coordinates. But, that doesn't tell me what hallway to go down or which door to take," Evie says. "I figure we can offer him the sarcophagus in payment."
She takes a deep breath and puffs it out in thought, "That's only half the problem, though. I have no idea what to do with the anchor once we find it. Can we disrupt the beam? Can we destroy whatever is making the beam? Can we just move the anchor and that will throw things off? I don't know!"
"What's the old military saying? 'If it moves, salute it; if it doesn't, shoot it,'" Alex said. "We get in, we find the damned thing. If it's not an actual anchor, we grab it and run like hell. If we can't move it, we slap a satchel charge on the damn thing and blow it all to hell."
"That's assuming it's not some mystical mumbo-jumbo that can't be affected like that," Lya replies. "Still, it's the closest thing to an attack plan we've had... so let me grab a shower and I'll start making some phone calls."
She smacks her forehead. "Shit... speaking of phone calls... I need to call Arky so we can get the people from Sanctuary moving to the hotel. If the shit is going to hit the fan out there, I want to get as many innocent people as we can out of the way first. The Colonel was nice enough to give me a note allowing passage with no questions for everyone after we saved his ass." She pulls her shirt off to reveal her bra as she pads towards the bathroom. "Another great story by the way... turns out Chinese goddesses like to slum it as doctors here on Earth..." the door closes and the sounds of running water come from the bathroom.
Evie nods in agreement, "Let's just hope that we can do something about it the first time we get in there. If we can't, Lyman won't give us a second chance. Once he knows that we know about the anchor, all bets are off."
The detective leans back in her chair, unbothered by Lya starting to disrobe before leaving the room. She's showered with enough ladies in locker rooms that it's not an issue. However, she does perk up at the sound of running water.
"That is an excellent idea. I need to wash the stank off myself and get some fresh clothes. If I don't Lyman's either going to smell me a mile away or else I can be re-categorized as a biological weapon."
She chuckles and stands, "I'm going to run down to the concourse and get fresh clothes. I'll be back to shower and then...I dunno. I guess we'll get Arky squared away and then tackle this thing."
"Hey, Evie, can you pinpoint the location of this anchor-thing on Google Maps or something? Share it with everyone's smart phones, so if we get cut off, we're not blind?" Alex asked.
"Yeah, I think I should be able to do that. In fact, let me do it while I'm thinking about it," she says. Evie pulls out her phone and begins looking up the coordinates to share.
"Do I even get to shower... in my own... fuck it." Hitoshi mutters as Lya takes over the bathrooms. He sighs and takes the clothes from Mika, walking out the door. "Oh Screw all this, I'm going to the other penthouse. I'm not killing anyone else till I've had a hot shower and a change of clothing."
"You'd think he hasn't used a communal shower before," Orithia wonders as she heads into the bathroom to join Lya.
"Don't they have bath houses in Asia too?" Phoebe asks as she gets her own cup of coffee. "I sure could go for a large heated bath right about now."
Evie doesn't say anything, but just sort of grins at the exchange as she finalizes the coordinates and blasts them over to everyone's phones.
"Alright. I think that does it. I'll be back after I grab some clothes," she grins playfully at Phoebe as she walks past. "I think that shower will only fit so many of us, anyway. May as well wait my turn!"
With that, she slips out and makes her way down to the concourse, intent on finding some good, functional clothing. Nothing fancy. Just some jeans and a rugged, long-sleeved shirt if she can find one. Evie isn't trying to impress anyone. She simply wants clothes that will withstand some wear and tear.
"A quick question while Lya and Evie are busy, then," Alex says. "Hitoshi, I know you've killed people before. I started my day by fighting eighteen Einjehar. Toxic, I don't doubt that you and the rest of the Furies would hold back in a fight ... but what about Lya? And Evie, I understand she's a cop, but we're not fighting crime.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable putting either of them in a situation that calls for killing. I'm not trying to be 'leave it to the men,' - it's just that a piece of you dies when you kill. Every hero has to face that, and make a choice."
Klepto sits back against the headboard of the bed and takes a drag off of one of Lya's cigarettes from the previous night. "You guys ever heard the story of King Pentheus from Greek mythology?"
"Probably not traditional in the textbook," Toxic snorts.
"Well anyway... this king decided to ban the worship of Dionysus in his city and punish anyone he caught worshiping someone he didn't believe was a god. When Dionysus heard of this he lured Pentheus into the woods with stories of the wild rituals that women conducted in Dionysus name... where the Maenads, along with Pentheus' mother, thinking he was a lion, promptly ripped him apart and stuck his head on a spike before parading it around town."
"Long story short," Toxic continues after a stunned silence from the men, "Dionysus and his kin love to party... but if you harsh their buzz they will fuck your shit up."
Hitoshi pauses at the door in quiet contemplation. He's silent for a full minute before he speaks. "Killing monsters is one thing, but I don't want Lya killing another human being, even a Scion. I've already gone down that path, Fifty... make it fifty-one times now, the last being Douglas Maxwell only ten minutes ago. I can say that it gets a little easier each time I do it. Lya is the glue that binds us together, and she is the friend that kept me going over the years, when I honestly just wanted to give up."
He turns around, a hollow look in his eyes.
"I've chosen to go down a path to which there is no going back. I will be the sword we need in this war, but the thought of Lya taking a step down this path alongside me..."
He pauses and looks at each of the furies one at a time, then at Alex. "Please don't let her follow me into the darkness. She is the people's hero, the light that they follow in a bleak world. Killing someone will take a bit of that light each time she does so."
With that said he turns, steps across the hall and swipes his access card, opening the door to the unused penthouse. As the door swing shut, he starts taking off the bloody clothes, still wet with Maxwell blood, his skin stained red underneath.
"Your thoughts are noble... but as warriors like you and I know when it comes to war, Alex, we don't always have that option," Klepto replies quietly once Hitoshi leaves the room.
"We will lay our lives down to keep Lya from getting hurt..." Phoebe adds. "But if the choice is before her to kill or let innocent people suffer..."
"Then that's her choice to make... and hers alone," Toxic finishes grimly.
"Which is what I was trying to get at," Alex says. "It's going to come up sooner or later. You've known her longer than I have. Is she ready? Well, as ready as anyone can be when that moment drops out of the sky."
"She'd lived on the streets and survived with the gangs for years before we met her," Klepto replies. "Hitoshi may have saved her from being raped, but she's seen her share of humanity's darkness and managed to come out the better for it because her will is strong, Alex. Don't discount her compassion for weakness."
"We've trained her best we can," Toxic continues as she sits on the bed next to Klepto and hands her a cup of coffee. "While she won't be punching through Jotunblut or slicing them down with blades, give her a gun and she'll shoot one in the head as well as one of your snipers."
"All right, then," Alex said. "We're there. I don't see any course other than laying siege to their keep. Maybe Hrogar knows a way inside. Or maybe even Arky - the snow fort appeared on top of his old stomping grounds."
He looks out the window into the snowy evening.
"Asgard. Never been there," he said. "I wonder what it's like?"
"It's a product of your religion, not ours," Orithia scoffs as she steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her head. "Lya will be out in a minute for whoever wants dibs in the shower next."
"The Greeks have affection for marble columns and open air," Phoebe offers. "I imagine Asgard would be a product of their culture as well... so my guess would be snow, wood, mead and longhouses."
"Well, maybe when we win, we can do the scenic tour," Alex laughed. "What's the point of being a god, or descended from one, if you can't enjoy a beer or two or ten?"
"I'm good on the shower, got one at the Convention Center, even if it was a military shower," he adds. "Evie will want to use it."
After a quick, hot shower Hitoshi steps out, wrapping the Towel around his waist and walking over to it, wipes the steam off the mirror, starting at himself long and hard. As he watches, his eyes turn inky black. He closes them, and when he opens them again, they are back to the same icy blue grey color he'd always had. He searches for an answer in the person that wasnt him on the other side of the mirror, then finally he reaches for his phone and hits speed dial for Heishi's number.
"Heishi, Is Maxwell taken care of?"
You can still hear the wind outside.
"Hai, Ryder-sama," Heishi says. He sniffs. "It is done. I will return shortly. Is there something else you require?"
(Lya)
Lya steps out of the steaming bathroom with her long hair pleated in a loose braid and a towel wrapped around her torso. "I dare say I almost feel human again!" she chuckles as she flops onto the bed and grabs her phone off the side table to give Arky a call to hopefully start the exodus to the hotel.
"Hola!" answers Arky. "What's the good word, Cousin?"
Lya explains about the safe passage granted by Colonel Ellison.
"Impressive," he says. "We're set here. Still enough daylight to make the move today instead of tomorrow, too. Can we access the Westview's garage?"
"Shouldn't be a problem, Cus, I'll get with Hitoshi and make sure we have someone down there to open it for you. You'll need proof of the writ from the Colonel, though, so let me get a vehicle together and we'll be heading over that way within the hour. Gotta dry my hair so I'm not wearing an icicle, you know?"
Evie returns from the concourse, a new set of clothing in hand. Seeing Lya on the phone, she just smiles and waves, not wishing to interrupt. She takes a moment to stand at the bed, pulling tags off of the new clothes and tossing them in the trash before disappearing into the bathroom for a shower.
"Okay," Arky says. "It's not like we're going anywhere."
As you end the call, Mika Hanamura nods. "Access to the garage? We can have one of our security guards waiting for their arrival."
"Outstanding," Lya replies as she proceeds to dry her hair the best she can. "Toxic, you want to see if you can dig us up some warmer clothes? We'll see if Evie wants to come with us again when she gets out of the shower."
"No way I'm getting stuck at the hotel again," Toxic replies as she walks by Alex towards the door. "No offense, North, but the boys are hogging all the action."
"Is this like Legolas and Gimli at Helm's Deep?" Alex laughed. "I think there will be enough for all of us, and then some."
"Hey, Evie, wasn't Thomas buried with a swo-" he begins to ask, but Evie disappears into the bathroom for her shower. "I expect we'll run into more bad guys than we can carry bullets for. Gonna need a baseball bat or something."
"Speaking of weapons... time for my next call," Lya says as she dials up the Hrofgar to see if he can be of any assistance. "I don't know what the snow might have done to the scrap yard, but I'll bet you that sarcophagus is still there. Might have to dig it out... but Dwarves are good at that kind of thing, right?"
"Hrofgar and Sons," answers the voice. "Ah. Lya Bach. Rethinking that vacation home in Crete, are we?"
"Yeah I'm definitely regretting my choice of location these days," Lya chuckles. "I do have my eye on a certain property that's popped up recently though... I just need some assistance with getting to check out the interior to see if it's suitable for my needs. Friend of mine heard a rumor that there's some dimensional anchor in the front yard, and that might bring down the property value a bit."
She sits up in the bed and pulls out a clove cigarette to light from her coat. "Now I realize you don't normally play real estate agent... so I'm willing to compensate you for your time. Seems that I've got a rather large piece of meteoric space metal just waiting to be molded into a work of art by the right hands." She takes a puff of her cigarette and lets it out slowly. "So what do you say? I'm sure you could make some weapons out of it that would put Mjolnir to shame."
"Meteoric iron?" Hrofgar says. "And not some dinky lump that landed in someone's backyard, am I right? You have definitely piqued my interest, my dear."
He pauses.
"I imagine the property you're inquiring about is fairly large and surrounded by a small ravine? This isn't something to talk about over the phone. Hold on."
You hear him calling out to someone else in the office, telling them he's stepping out ...
... and the next moment, he's standing in the suite. Of course, he looks and smells like he'd been standing at the forge.
"Ladies!" he booms. "Good to see you all again! And Tyrsson! No worse for the wear, it seems."
It's about this time that Evie steps out of the bathroom, clothed in fresh garb and vigorously rubbing her hair dry with a towel. (One of the advantages of short hair is that it takes no time to wash and dry!)
As one edge of the towel flaps upwards giving her a view of the room, she stops short, startled. She had not expected a dwarf to be in the room! "Oh! Oh...hey. Hi, there, Hrofgar."
Hrofgar hums the opening bars of the Dragnet theme.
"Detective," he says. "All right, so you want to pay a visit to Laufeyson's new digs, is that it? Mind, I got no idea what that place looks like. My boys and I did the bunkers in the basement, not that freaking castle."
"Well, that's a start, at least. Would you be able to point us towards any maintenance tunnels or something of that ilk? Something that wouldn't normally be used by Lyman's stooges?" Evie sits down on the edge of the bed and tosses the towel aside. She reaches up and runs her fingers through her still damp hair in an effort to kinda-sorta comb it.
"The storm drain system is still there. I split some of the wings up and turned them into storage space, put bars on the outward-facing ends," Hrofgar says. "Working your way up through the bunkers is not going to be easy, though. It's a classic ring structure around an open central shaft. There's top-to-bottom access, but that's the main thoroughfare. If you want to sneak around, you'll be crossing each level to reach the ladder way to the next."
"Still better than the front door," Lya replies as she scoots under the sheets. "Any chance on a map? And yes, we're talking about more than a pebble sized meteor, Hrofgar... turns out Lyman's got a thing for the dramatic and had a sarcophagus fit for an adult male made out of the stuff. We just happened to take it off his hands when he wasn't using it anymore and put it into storage. If you'd work your magic and provide us some weapons, I'd be more than willing to let you keep what's left for your own purposes."
"What's this about weapons?" Toxic exclaims as she returns with a bag full of clothes that she tosses on the bed. "That's the kind of shopping I'm talking about..."
"Where's Hitoshi?" Phoebe asks Mika quietly as the others confer. "Shouldn't he be here since we're working on an attack plan?"
"I'll be glad to take that off your hands, but it'll take time to craft weapons out of it ... at least if you want them to be decent ones," Hrofgar says. "I imagine you're all in favor of function over form, right?"
"If you're going after Laufeyson sooner rather than later, I can still provide weapons, they just won't be made of this sarcophagus you're talking about."
"Understood. Something like that we'd want your best work, so take your time," Lya replies as she pulls some clothes out of the bag and starts getting dressed under the sheets. "Regular weapons in the meantime would be awesome, though, since we don't have much in the hotel other than sports equipment."
She scratches her head in thought for a moment. "I mean... regular weapons will work... right? Jotunblut's are no problem, and Trolls seem to fall... but you're the only one of us who has fought these Einherjar, Alex."
"Regular weapons will work fine," Alex said. "Although Einjehar are summoned warriors from Valhalla, they have no special immunities or protection from harm. They're completely loyal to whoever summoned them, they won't yield or surrender, and that's what makes them frightening to mortals who feel pain and fear grave injury."
"But don't mistake them for mindless cannon fodder, either. Their ranks include everything from medieval knights to Nazi SS officers, so don't be surprised if someone pulls a gun in the middle of a swordfight."
"What about the frost giants?" Evie asks. "Now, I plan on doing everything in my power to avoid having to fight them but...the best laid plans..."
"No plan ever survives contact with the enemy," Alex smiles. "But trying to plan for every last contingency just gets you a headache. You're the one who can find this anchor without using a map, so the rest of us will run interference and block for you as best we can. If you can't walk, I'll pick you up and carry you."
"I see...cardio...in my future," Evie puts her hand to her temple and takes on a grave and mysterious expression, like an old-timey fortuneteller, before she chuckles and grins.
"Maybe we can contact Thomas. He may still be hanging around and can tell us a bit more about the castle's layout, if he has access to it," Evie suggests.
"Believe me, I'll be the first one bringing a gun to a sword fight," Lya jokes.
"Speaking of maps though, having one of the sewer system showing all the parts you blocked off would be great, Hrofgar. Just because Evie knows exactly where the anchor is, doesn't necessarily mean we want to head there in a straight line. I'm all for the convoluted sneaky way if if means we can try and avoid as many fights as possible."
She takes another drag of her cigarette. "So theoretically let's say we make it to where this anchor is... what then? Do we have any ideas on how to...um... turn it off, I guess?"
"Exactly," Evie agrees. "I just know the direction I need to go. The last thing I want to do is lead us down a hallway with no exit and get us trapped because I'm guessing at which door to take."
Evie thinks about it for a second and says, "Well, the thing about an anchor is that you don't necessarily have to destroy the line or the weight. You just have to get rid of whatever it's latched onto. It has to be tied...or something like that...to something within the castle. If we can break whatever it's holding onto, what it is holding in place will drift away, just like a boat in a current."
"At least, that's my theory."
"Unplug it, remove it, smash it, throw Lyman into the beam," Alex said. "I'd bet Hitoshi will volunteer for the last one, if I don't beat him to it."
"If you want to do the sneaky thing, should I just round up the National Guard and make a big fuss at the front door, then when they all come to look, you sneak in through the basement window?"
"It certainly wouldn't hurt if they wanted to provide a distraction," Lya replies as she looks around the room. "Where IS Hitoshi, anyway? Shouldn't he be in on this if we're making plans?"
"So... should we try and be prepared to break something then?" Lya continues. "I'm all for some explosives if we can get our hands on it... something quick so we're not all stuck there pounding on it with hammers while we're getting surrounded. Not to mention the fact that large explosions are great distractions... because I for one would like to be able to get out of there again once we take care of the anchor."
She stubs out her cigarette in the ash tray and gets up out of bed with a purple sweater on and a tug of fleece leggings over her ass. "So when we destroy this anchor... is the castle we'll be in going to go with it? Because correct me if I'm wrong, Hrofgar... you guys just built the foundation and the rest just kind of... showed up, right?"
Evie snorts, "If the castle goes back to where it belongs...in one of the Nordic realms, I suspect...then we may well find ourselves there, too."
She shudders, "I'd just as soon not wind up on the frost giants doorstep. They would be from...what? Nilfheim?"
"Yup," says the dwarf. "I don't know if this anchor thingy you're talking about is like a rubberband, or if it's like a real anchor. Cut the chain, the anchor stays behind, and the boat is cast adrift."
"Speaking of which, if that castle gets left behind, I have a cousin who does demolition and salvage," he adds.
"I don't know if we'd end up in Niflheim," Alex said. "There's not a second anchor tying it there, just one leading to Asgard. And if we end up there, having a couple of Aesir in the group won't hurt."
"Mika, can you check on Hitoshi? He's taking awful long with that shower," Alex asks. He rubs his hand against his own jaw, realizes he's getting stubble. "Ah, screw it. This isn't a fancy dress party."
"If the castle gets left behind, I say we turn it into a tourist attraction and put the money towards rebuilding the city," Lya replies as she adds some rum to her coffee and then pours a separate cup of alcohol to offer to Hrofgar.
"But first things first..." she takes a drink and then walks over to the nightstand where she grabs a pen and a pad of hotel stationary to hand to the dwarf. "How about that map while you're here? Between your knowledge and Arky's experience, we should be able to navigate through the tunnels pretty well."
Hrofgar reaches into his satchel and takes out copies of some blueprints.
"Had these copied for you," he says. "The ravine's nasty. No cover. It's a hunting ground, so make sure you cross it quickly."
"Seriously, give my cousin Bjorn a call," he adds, scribbling down another number on the hotel pad. "He's done battlefield reclamation before, a castle and a ravine are a drop in the bucket."
"Perfect," exclaims Lya as she scans through the maps and hands them to Evie for safe-keeping. "You're the navigator, Evie... best to get familiar with the layout so you can match it with your homing sense."
"Now all we need are some weapons and we can get this ball rolling," she continues. "I'm not the Xena type though... a few more clips for my Beretta and I'll be happy. Can't say the same for anybody else though."
She grabs a pen and writes down the address of the scrap yard where they left the sarcophagus. "This is where we left it before the snow hit, Hrofgar. If anybody asks, just tell them that I said it was ok and I'll bring them a bottle when this mess is over."
Nodding, Evie accepts the maps and begins looking them over, trying to match up everything so that she knows where they are going.
As she continues to eye the papers, she says distractedly, "I use guns, mostly. Standard police issue Glock. A good billy club would be nice, too. I'm halfway decent at smacking folks upside the head when they need it."
"Guard is using Sig-Sauer," Alex said. "They'll have the right bullets, but not the right magazine. Evie, the Department still uses the Beretta 92F, don't they?"
"Hrofgar, anything we can use to whack things after we run out of bullets will be greatly appreciated," he adds.
"Hey if you want to provide me a gun to go with the bullets, I don't care what kind I use as long as it fires and doesn't jam if I look at it wrong," Lya chuckles. "I'm not bad at throwing knives... but I'd prefer to stick to my guns, so to speak. All else fails, I imagine I'll probably be able to pick up a few along the way."
"I think I have enough pull with the Guard to get us some firepower and the means to get out to the ravine," Alex said. "And maybe arrange for our distraction."
"Sounds like a plan to me then," Lya says with a smile as she claps her hands together. "Hrofgar, it's been a pleasure," Lya says to the dwarf with a smile and a handshake. "If we all survive this mess, I'll be sure to look you up for some more commercial ventures."
She finishes her drink and sets down the glass before grabbing her coat. "In the meantime, I need to get to Sanctuary so we can get Arky and his people relocated. Who wants to come with me?"
"I already called shotgun," Toxic exclaims as she puts on a warmer sweater. "I'm not staying behind again this time."
Lya chuckles. "Noted. Anyone else? We need to get the Colonel's writ of passage to Arky so we can make sure his people won't be interrupted on the way back. That, and I want to make sure that Lyman and his cronies don't pull anything."
"Hold up. Let me make a backup of these maps and I'll join you," Evie says as she pulls out her phone.
She pauses, though, and turns to the dwarf with a smile, "We really do appreciate your help with this, sir. If we live, I certainly won't forget you." Evie shakes his hand.
Then, she turns back to the maps. Spreading them out on the bed, she takes pictures of them with her phone and sends copies to everyone, "There. Just in case anything happens to the physical copies. Plus, like Alex said, if we get separated for whatever reason, we all still have them."
The detective folds up the maps and hands them to Alex, "Are you staying? If so, I think the maps would be safer with you than riding around with us."
"I'll work on getting some help from the Guard. Or, at least, Guardsmen who aren't being micromanaged into doing nothing," Alex said. "Evie, are you set for firepower? And, Toxic, Orithia, Phoebs, Klepto? You want guns, or are you going to go old school?"
"I'll take anything you can get for me," she replies. "I'm not going to be picky about anything, at this point."
"I'm not about to go up against a Troll with a shovel again," Klepto snorts. "Seeing as Evie and Lya have the guns in hand, we'll take up the slack with some old-school melee weapons."
"Gods... it feels like it's been ages since I've wielded a sword... I hope I'm not rusty!" Orithia exclaims.
"All right, then," Hrofgar says. "Anyone interested in swords, knives, polearms, shields, and the like, come with me. We have some stock weapons and armor available, round out any modern stuff you're wearing with some old fashioned steel."
"I'll stay with Lya," Toxic says. "Orithia, you know my preferences."
Orithia nods.
"A longsword or warhammer, please," Alex says. "I need to talk to the Guard. Contemporary body armor should do fine for me."
"Oooo...I get to go shopping!" Orithia exclaims happily. "You want to come with, Phoebe?"
"Wouldn't miss it," Phoebe grins.
"I will stay here in case Hitoshi should return," Klepto adds. "He'll need to know what our plans are."
"The nice thing about working for divines is when they give you fun toys like this," Hrofgar says, patting his satchel.
In the blink of an eye, he disappears along with Orithia and Phoebe.
"Welcome to my showroom," he says.
The building is a longhouse, the forward third of which is a display of scale architect's models, blueprints, conceptual sketches, and weapons, the latter in everything from gleaming steel to burnished gold.
"As you can see, we're outfitted to produce any melee weapon, to any specification," he says. "Like I told Lya, I can outfit you with temporary stock, arms and armor - better than off the rack, but nothing fancy. Not on short order."
He gestures at a tableau of weapons, and mannequins dressed in furs and armor.
"Swords for five," Orithia said. "Daggers for seven. I'd like to try out one of the bows before committing, though. Leather cuirass and vambraces for four."
"Hrofgar," Phoebe says quietly, "Can you use that teleporting trick to get us inside the keep?"
"Officially, no," he says.
"Unofficially?" Phoebe smiles.
"Unofficially, it was a gift from the All-Father," is all Hrofgar says. "Come on, we've got a sparring area and a couple of archery lanes outside ..."
Thunk
"Oh, Blessed Artemis, if Hippolyta had seen that shot, she'd have me working in the kitchens," Orithia swore.
"A ventilated spleen isn't bad," Phoebe pointed out.
"It is when you're aiming for their Adam's Apple."
"We haven't practiced archery for ... well, centuries," Phoebe said. "Three arrows in two minutes isn't representative of your true skill."
"We don't have a couple of weeks to practice," Orithia groused.
"Four bows, three dozen arrows each," Phoebe told Hrofgar. She looked back at Orithia. "Shoot another brace, sister. Your skills aren't as atrophied as you imagine."
Several arrows later, Orithia admitted that Phoebe's insight was correct, and applauded her fellow Amazon's own marksmanship.
"All right, let's get back to the others," Orithia said. "Sorry for using you like a taxi service, Hrofgar."
"For a sarcophagus-sized hunk of meteoric iron? That's worth more than its weight in gold, and we take good care of our top customers," Hrofgar said. "Let's go."
(Lya)
"I need a vehicle," Lya said to the desk manager.
Keys are handed over without further question. Karen Ryder's speech made it clear that these are remarkable times, and that any semblance of a future for mankind hinges upon the part that Lya and the others will play.
"Good luck," he says.
"We're not storming the heavens yet," Lya says. "But we will be bringing back more refugees."
The white SUV you'd used before is gone, but you're not looking for stealth this time, and Ellison's free passage should work for you as well as Arky's people.
The drive to Sanctuary is much easier for not having to follow a circuitous route. You are waved in through the main gate.
"Lya!" Arky says, greeting you with a hug. "And ... Toxic, yes? Are you a hugging type?"
"Within reason," she says.
Arky gives her a much more reserved hug. "Lya, we're ready. Everything's packed, and everyone was told to be ready to move. Just say the word."
"We're ready for everyone at the hotel so no time like the present," Lya tells Arky. "If you're sure everything is ready we'll get this ball rolling and I'll take point."
(Orithia, Phoebe)
Hrofgar motioned for a shop assistant to bundle the selected wares, then returned them to the Westview.
"And here we are," he said. "Now, I'm off to see about that sarcophagus."
He vanished.
Mika entered the room as Orithia and Phoebe were still parceling out their purchases.
"Is Ms. Bach back yet?" she asked.
"No, why?" Phoebe said.
"It appears Hitoshi has left," Mika told them. "I would have considered that he is running errands and making preparations, as you are, except for this."
She holds up the envelope with Lya's name written on it.
Orithia frowns. Phoebe seems to take it in stride and holds out her hand. "I will make sure she sees it."
"Thank you," Mika bows her head. "There is also one for Karen Ryder, which I must go deliver."
"Crap," is all Orithia says. "Are you going to give it to her?"
Phoebe looks down at the envelope.
"I don't know," she says.
"If he wrote one for his mother too you know it isn't going to be good," Orithia theorizes. "I don't want to tell her bad news dammit... she's been through enough already, you know?"
"But if Hitoshi is gone... this could change the plan and everyone should know," Phoebe cautions.
(Orithia, Phoebe)
"The only change it portends is the loss of the element of surprise," Orithia said. "The primary objective is finding this anchor that Detective Cartwright describes. Nothing else matters."
"It's still Lya's right to know," Phoebe said. "We follow where she leads, no matter the risk. If she wants to go after Hitoshi, we go after him. If not, we don't."
"Well, until she comes back, there's nothing we can do," Orithia said. "Oho, this is a nice trick. A layer of steel beneath the leather. Might not stop a bullet or a crossbow, but it'll turn a dagger thrust."
(Lya)
"Bye, Sanctuary," Tawny said, waving. Some of the younger children waved as well. It was all a grand adventure to them.
"I'm afraid accommodations won't be all that different," Lya explained to Arky and Fr. Daniel. "The best way to conserve resources is to run lean, so the Westview has converted their meeting and ballroom spaces to shelter, but it's warmer, and it's further away from the bad guys."
"A roof over our heads is enough," Fr. Daniel said. "Our people will pitch in where they can."
(Alex)
"Lieutenant," Major Fremont looked up from his desk. "Why do I have this feeling you're about to ask for a favor?"
"Well, that depends," Alex told him. "If you pulled out all the stops, how are you set for a ground assault?"
"On the snow fort?" Fremont asked. "Not very well. Come into range of their trebuchets, and we're dodging boulders. What did you have in mind?"
"Enough of a show of force to make them open the doors and be looking in the wrong place."
"While you and the god squad sneak in the back door?" Fremont snorted. "North, you're a JAG Officer - a good one - not a Ranger. And the rest of your band? A CEO, a rock band, and a police detective."
"We're basically under siege. Vegas is snowbound. If we don't take the fight to the enemy, we're handing them a victory," Alex said.
"Well, at least you didn't sleep through your Tactics class," Fremont nodded. "We've asked. The Mayor keeps shooting us down."
"Would it help if I told you Soleil Hunter was one of the bad guys?"
"Shit."
"She'll likely deny it. The District Attorney won't believe anything you say," Alex told him. "She's apparently been working on him for some time."
"So you're asking us to go all in and not say a thing."
"Essentially, yes."
Fremont was quiet for several minutes. "How are you getting inside?"
"Cross the ravine, at the very least."
"All right, then. We'll do it at nightfall. Let me get my people organized."
"Welcome to our home away from home," Lya announces with open arms as she enters the hotel lobby and turns to the people of Sanctuary gradually making their way up from the parking garage. "Me casa is su casa and all that. We've got shelter areas set up on the gaming floor, so please check in with one of the hotel employees so we can make sure everyone can get situated. If anyone has any special health needs or requires medical attention, please let Arky or Father Daniel know so we can make arrangements."
Toxic walks up to Lya and puts a hand on her shoulder. "We should check in with the others after their visit with Hrofgar," she says quietly.
Lya nods in reply. "Arky, Father Daniel, you both should meet with Karen Ryder who runs the hotel. I've told her about you guys coming here, so she'll be the best person to fill you guys in on the day to day operations here and whatever you guys might need. I'm sure someone at the desk will be able to get her for you."
Father Daniel smiles and nods in appreciation as he heads toward the main desk. Lya grabs Arky's arm and stops him for a moment as she leans in to speak quietly. "Doctor Lee was nice enough to pass on some of her knowledge to me after her help with the Colonel. If anyone needs immediate medical attention, I should be able to assist. In the meantime, I need to check in with my friends... so give me a call if you need me, kay?"
"I will," Arky says with one of his room-filling smiles. "Fr. Daniel can hold mass, and we have people from all walks of life who are happy to pitch in."
Returning to the Penthouse, you find Phoebe and Orithia going through one of the many sword 'rituals' developed by the Amazons. You remember more than a few mornings where Toxic's drill sergeant side seemed more than a little sadistic, until you learned that the punishing pace was the standard to which they had been trained, ages ago, because there was no alternative.
Phoebe breaks off.
"Lya, about Hitoshi ..." she says.
"What's wrong?"
"He's gone," Phoebe says. "Mika says he's not in the other suites. And he left this."
She picks up the letter and holds it out to you.
Toxic frowns. "What the ...?"
(Alex)
"One more thing," Alex added. "I'll need sidearms, reloads, and flak vests for three. And a flare pistol. If you see that flare, it means we fucked up, and you get your people out of there."
"I can do that. Sure you don't want an AR-15?" Fremont asked.
"Didn't keep up my qualifications," Alex admitted. "Pistol, sure, but not rifle."
"All right, go through Lieutenant Drake as your liaison, so Ms. Hunter doesn't hear about you meeting with me."
"Agreed."
Lya frowns as she runs a nail along the envelope and opens it. "He's been gone before but never needed to write a letter..." she mutters to herself as she unfolds the paper and begins to read.
The letter is unmistakably from HItoshi's hand.
Lya, I am sorry for doing this, but this has to end. You have been my friend for a long time, and in my own way, I have grown to love you as a brother loves a sister. You are the light of the people, the one they need to show them the way.
I have chosen a darker path, one that you must not go down. I hope you can understand what I am saying; I know the Furies can protect you from everything... except yourself. I know you care so much for the people that you watch over, just as I care for you, that is why I must do this, so that you do not dim the light which shines so brightly.
You have seen me at my worst over many years, what you do not know, what I have not told you, are the events of Japan. All you know is how I was when I came back, and that I was like you. I didn't want you to ever see my pain, but I guess you must know. Everything I said during the torture of that gang member months ago, was true. I was called one day out of the blue by an old childhood friend named Akane, a lovely girl with a heart almost as bright as yours. She needed help, The Japanese Yakuza held her in a sex slave ring. I still don't know how she escaped but she did and turned to the only friend she ever had. You know me, I saved you from that gang, and I could do no less for her. It was during my attempt to get her out of the country that we were found, and the Yakuza put the marks on my back that you have seen those rare few times. Each mark carved with a razor sharp tanto is a reminder of my failure then. I started down this dark path the moment they killed her. Fifty men died that day on the blade of Honjo Masamune. I felt each life, I saw the light dim in each pair of eyes, and it's not something you forget. Some ran scared and I chased them down killing them from behind. Others knew what was coming and stood there with quiet acceptance. I struck them down all the same. I killed a man today, Douglas Maxwell, and other than a few moments remorse and a few years, I felt less emotion for him than I did for those fifty men that died so long ago. Orders have been left in a sealed envelope in the safe in my office. The Code is 16528917. The papers will, in the event of my death, Transfer possession of the Casino to you under the conditions that my mother be kept on as head manager to run the place. Speaking of, I have told her to let Arky's people in when they get here and give them proper accommodations. You and the Furies have the penthouse suite next to mine. I will watch over you from beyond. I was born for one reason, I see that now. I am a relic of an age long past, you and I both know this. To fight our monster, I have to give in and become an even worse monster... Lyman will die, I can assure you… even if it kills me as well.
Love,
Hitoshi Ryder
"That self-righteous son of a BITCH who does he think he is?" Lya yells as she crumples up the letter and throws it in the corner. She then pulls out her flask and takes a long drink in silence.
"Lya? Are you all right?" Phoebe asks gently.
"Oh I am fine... it's Hitoshi who is going to need help, Phoebe... because if he doesn't get killed trying to get through those Einherjar to kill Lyman all by himself, then I am going to kill him!"
"By himself? That's quite brave," Orithia whistles.
"It's bloody stupid is what it is!" Lya growls before taking another drink. "We've finally got a plan together on how to stop Lyman and the Fenris bitches and what happens? He disappears to go on a fool crusade because he assumes he knows what's best for me. Like he's my goddamn mother or something!"
She paces towards the window and turns around. "And then... to top it off, he left the Grandview to me if he dies! What do I need with a god damn casino, huh? Like I know how to run a fucking company!"
"He obviously cares, Lya, if he's trying to save you from fighting," Phoebe replies.
"It's not his damn choice to make!"
"So are we still sticking to the plan?" Toxic asks warily.
Lya sighs. "We don't have any choice do we? It's not like I know where he went or how to find him." She runs a hand through her hair. "This is about more than him and me and our pasts...this is about saving the world."
Klepto smiles wryly. "Spoken like a true scion."
The lock clicks and the door begins to open. It's too much to hope that it's Hitoshi, however, and Alex walks in on the somber moment.
"Uh-oh, what'd I miss?" he asks.
"Hitoshi went to confront Lyman," Phoebe said, frowning.
"By himself?"
"Yes, by himself," Lya fumed.
"Great," Alex said. "Anyway, I have Major Fremont ready to kick up enough of a fuss at the main entrance to the snow fort that we can climb down into the ravine, or whatever we're doing. Maybe that'll buy Hitoshi some time, as well as us."
He pulls a backpack off his shoulder and opens it.
"Lya, Evie, here are ballistic vests and magazine harnesses for you," he said. "Glock 19's, four extra magazines. I'll have a half-dozen more in a fanny pack."
"Returning the favor," Orithia said, presenting him with a longsword.
"Thanks," Alex said. "Wow, this is lighter than I'd thought."
Toxic hefted her own sword. "I agree. But you can see the quality of the blade."
"And this is his off-the-rack stuff," Orithia pointed out.
"You've got to love those warrior religions... they take their shit seriously," Toxic chuckles as she examines a sword.
"You guys can keep your swords... this is more my speed," Lya says as she picks up the Glock and tests its weight. "A little heavier than I am used to... but it shouldn't be a problem. Thanks, Alex." Lya sets the gun down and gestures to Klepto who starts to help her put on the vest.
"Let me give Arky a call to come up so we can go over the maps. I imagine the tunnels are still down there, so maybe he knows of a quieter way to get in than trying to cross the ravine."
"You could try asking Hrofgar... unofficially..." Phoebe suggests. "With that satchel of his from his All-Father he might be willing to help us cross the ravine."
"Well then... I think I need to make a phone call," Lya grins as Klepto finishes with the straps of the vest. Lya strikes a pose with her hand in her hair and on her hip. "What do you think? Am I the cover girl for Ammo Weekly or what?"
"Scion! The magazine of Girls, Guns, and Gods!" Alex laughed. "Wait. Hrofgar can ... teleport? Are there any limits?"
A quick call to Arky brings him to the room.
"Nice digs," he says.
"We're trying to get into the castle," Lya explained. "It's built overtop the storm drains and civil defense tunnels you used to shelter in. Is there another way in other than crossing the ravine on foot?"
"I've got the sunlight part down, but I can't fly through the sky like Dad yet," he admits. "Maybe some kind of sky-bridge, but that'll be hard to navigate in the cold, and that's a big drop if you lose your grip. I suppose you could see if the National Guard will do what they did in Vietnam, crash land a chopper in the middle of the yard."
"Um, no," said Alex. "Been in a chopper crash before."
"Oh, hell. Sorry, Alex."
"Don't apologize. It's not like I have a fear of flying, just a dislike of crashing into anything."
"Damn and here I was hoping to make an entrance on a flaming chariot," Lya replies sarcastically. "Any kind of bridge attempt would leave us out in the open, and I think Alex is the only one with experience jumping out of a helicopter... so unless we want to risk sneaking across that ravine, it looks like begging one more favor from Hrofgar will be our best bet."
Lya turns to Arky. "I was hoping to talk to everyone down in the lobby before we go tonight. Do you think Father Daniel will freak if I tell people who I really am?"
"Once more unto the breach, eh, cus?" Arky smiles as he squeezes her shoulder reassuringly.
"I never imagined I'd end up playing a hero in this story, Arky... but we all have to play out the roles we've been given," Lya replies with a crooked smile. "I guess... if this is my last hurrah and all... I just want to be able to leave everybody with what hope I can give."
"You and Pandora would make quite a pair," Arky replies as he pulls her in for a hug.
"Major Fremont seemed to know who we all are," Alex said. "Maybe not our parentage, but that we're all the children of the gods. I suppose some of that is my fault, but there was no hiding from that last attack at the Convention Center. People are guessing that anyone I 'hang out' with are the same."
"Daniel and I have had some ... extensive philosophical discussions," Arky said. "Even the more devout folks in his congregation are looking for hope. I'd rather they find it with their god, or with someone on our side, than have it all ripped away by the Titans. Frost giants. Whomever the villains are on your side, Alex."
"Loki. Prince of Lies and, in some accounts, having a knack for burning things," Evie said. "Then Fenris, whom we haven't met. So far, we've only run into Loki's boy and Fenris' daughters, I think."
"Oh, go ahead and call them bitches," Alex said. "Soleil is not a nice girl, and there won't be any Spy-Who-Loved-Me nonsense."
"We didn't learn who Douglas Maxwell's divine parent was, did we?" Evie added.
"I don't think so."
"Heck, we don't even know what abilities he had since Hitoshi went and killed him before he took off," Lya adds with a frown. "Somebody on their side has to have some shape-changing illusion thing going on though, if they were able to make themselves look like Colonel Ellison. Something to keep in mind since these guys seem to be masters of manipulation."
"A rogue nuclear weapon isn't just a threat to Asgard," Alex said. "It'd be a threat to any locale, divine or mortal. World governments aren't going to bet the house on a bunch of supposed children-of-the-gods, even if we are demonstrating abilities they can't explain. Even if they did, they'd still be thinking in terms of conventional war, not staring down a legion of Einjehar, Jotunblut thralls, and Frost Giants. What are they going to do when scions and gods start really kicking ass?"
"We have to do our best to keep the military focused on defending the people and keep this from turning into a right out clusterfuck of epic proportions," Lya sighs. "Hell, I'm surprised they haven't launched their own missiles at the castle already, honestly."
She shudders and takes a drink. "Can you even imagine the kind of response they'd have if Lyman had succeeded in getting and firing that warhead? It'd be the start of World War fucking Three out there. Thank the Gods we stopped that one and they're keeping the incident under wraps."
Evie runs a hand through her still messy hair, "All we can do, at this point, is hope that we can successfully storm the castle." She laughs before doing her best Miracle Max voice, "It'll take a miracle!"
She smiles and continues, "With everything that Alex has acquired for us and what we got from Hrojar, I think we're about as well equipped as we're going to get. And, you know what? We kick ass. We can do this."
"And, with a bit of luck, maybe what Hitoshi is doing will work in our favor. I'm right there with ya in that it was damn fool move...but...if he kicks up a fuss inside, then maybe the enemy will think that we are all there with him. Between the military and Hitoshi, maybe they won't be watching that anchor."
"That's my only consolation in this... the hope that just maybe Hitoshi will be able to keep Lyman off our backs long enough for us to do this," Lya sighs.
"Alex, I know you've already revealed yourself to the military... but I wanted to let you guys know that I plan on giving a little speech to the people down in the lobby before we go. I want to tell them who I am and what we're about to do... you know... so they can write those epic stories about our exploits," Lya continues with a wink. "Whether you guys want to say anything or not I'll leave up to you though."
"Never ruin a good summation by insisting on speaking afterwards," Alex smiles. "I think my secret's out, as it were. Reporters and cameras were right there when one of Lyman's Jotunblut thralls shot me. The best someone can do is claim 'Photoshop!'"
"Eh, I'm no good at that sort of thing," Evie waves off the offer to speak. "I'd just stand up there like a deer in headlights until somebody yanked me off the stage."
"Besides, I don't like the attention," she admits. "I don't know why, but it makes me uncomfortable. I'm happier just hanging out and letting you guys stand in the spotlight."
"Do you want me to mention you're heritage, though? If not, I have no problem making it just about me," Lya asks as Toxic does her best to hold back a laugh and Klepto elbows her in the ribs.
"Lady, I will happily let you snag all my glory!" Evie laughs and throws a companionable arm around Lya's shoulders, giving her a hug. "Besides, I'm more dangerous when people aren't paying me any mind." She grins.
The detective steps away and smiles, saying in a more serious tone, "Really. As much as I appreciate the offer of including me, I think it's best if I'm left to the background. If people are aware that I'm there and watching...always watching...then they are less likely to make a mistake that I will catch."
"Good point," Lya chuckles. "So..." she claps her hands together as she looks to the others. "Who's for getting a decent meal before we do this, eh? Who knows how long it's going to be before we get another chance once we get going."
"Yes! Food!" Evie says enthusiastically. "If we end up stranded in some frozen wasteland after we pull off this caper, I want to be facing frost giants with my belleh full of meat. Because that's what Vikings do. I think. I'm not sure, but I'm running with it."
"Soldiers always grab sleep and food whenever they can," Alex said. "I'd guess that Karen Ryder has the kitchens turning out something, though it might be pretty basic."