(Hitoshi)
"... I want you to be my SecDef," Holliwell said.
You've been through too many boardroom showdowns to have anything but a poker face and polite smile.
"That's quite a step up from freshman Congressman," you say. "I -"
Your cell phone rings. The caller ID tells you it's Evie.
"I'm sorry, Mr. President," you say. "I've been expecting this call. Excuse me."
You get up from the table and move towards the service area.
"Evie? Something weird is happening," you tell her. "I was speaking to you, and the next thing I know, it's three hours later, and I'm having dinner wi-"
"That's not the President. That's Fenris, literally a wolf in sheep's clothing," Evie warns you. "The reason Loki is playing with alternate realities is that they're non-linear. Things that would normally take years may only be minutes in our world."
"Then I may not have much time. I just got asked to be Secretary of Defense ..."
Evie nods to herself, having seen that. She sighs and runs a hand through her hair, "Well, I'm pretty positive that your family is human. which is...good and bad." She's certain that she doesn't need to expound upon that with Hitoshi. He is well aware of what it means.
"Like I said, earlier, it will be an assassination that will start WWIII. I don't know who the assassin will be. And, I'm not entirely certain who will be killed, but I'm leaning towards the president...or, someone who looks like the president. I'm sure Fenris is not going to sacrifice himself to start the war." Evie shakes her head. "It was in one of Lya's visions and she's not here to clarify."
Evie continues to speak, "I'm not sure if the assassination happens in your reality or ours, though. Fenris just took Holliwell's place in our reality, too, but he's still as senator. So, things haven't progressed as far, there."
"Do you think you could do some research on your side and see if you can figure out how Holiwell gained presidency in your timeline? Maybe that information can help Lya and Alex in ours. Right now, I'm in a position to pass information back and forth and I'll stay here to do that as long as I can."
"Hitoshi listens as Evie speaks. "Yea, I can and will look into it as soon as I can do so. " He sees a secret service agent move near him. "Look, I told you, I need twenty computers with top not graphics cards and plenty of ram, and I'll need you to set them up. It's for my employees who wish to continue further education. Yes by.." the agent passes by obviously checking things out as part of the preparation for the president to leave.
"I'll do so as fast as possible, but I'm not sure if I can call you. You might have to call me. I'll write the Japanese Kanji for now on a piece if paper in my home office when I find something. " He says switch back to the original conversation.
"Okay. Is there a time you want me to try and call? I know time's getting all wonky but...I'll do my best to do so when you expect me to," she says. Hitoshi is most likely correct in that he won't be able to contact her, so she'll have to check in.
"And, is there anything else you want me to check from here?" she asks. Best to make good use of any time that she has.
Hitoshi thinks. "If you can find out when the attack is going to happen and on who, before I do, contact me immediately. I have people I can send to protect the target. "
"Will do! Take care of yourself, okay? We want to keep you in one piece!" Evie smiles encouragingly, though Hitoshi can't see her. "Over and out."
Evie hangs up the phone, considering what to seek out, next. Perhaps the best thing to do is simply watch Fenris in Hitoshi's reality, for a bit. Maybe if she sees what he is doing, she can figure out how he got to the point where he is, now...and alert the others to possible future plans.
"That's one thing that's nice about being President," Holliwell says as you return to your seat. "Someone else gets to answer the damned phone."
"By the way, I'm not a big fan of sushi, but this is excellent. I may have to borrow this fellow the next time the Japanese delegation comes to town," he adds. "So, are you in or out? I can put your name in the hat either way, of course. Your being in Congress is a bonus."
Hitoshi smiles. "Mr. President, I prefer to answer most of my own calls, it's one of my small quirks."
He eats a Sushi and chews thoughtfully for a moment before swallowing.
"Hmm.. Secretary of Defense. It does have a certain ring to it. Still, before I say yes, I'd like to know more about the job before I put pen to paper. If you have the time to talk about it I mean."
"If I'm on the other end, I just want to know that people are getting things done," Holliwell tells you. "Hence, the shakeup. I put my agenda on the table. That's no secret, though the media would have you believe I'm ready to start rounding up heretics. I have an understanding with Senate leaders, I have Bob Malcolm to crack the whip with Congress, and now it's time to put the right people in place for my cabinet."
"I'll be frank, Hitoshi - it's not the world we once knew. The Break hit a lot of countries hard, some of them harder than America," he continues. "Some of our traditional allies are hurting. Some of our old adversaries are prarie-dogging to see what they can get away with. So it's like this ..."
He uses a chopstick to put a generous dab of wasabi on a side dish and swish it in some soy sauce.
"I can piss around, water things down, and nothing gets done. Or," he says, taking another dab of wasabi and applying it directly to a piece of sushi. "I tackle things head on. Never mind that it's not how America used to do business, it's how we do it now. And I want people who understand. People who are willing to sacrifice to get something done, not come up with reasons why it can't be done."
"I'm told you're that kind of man."
Evie taps her chin, considering whether she wants to call the others before continuing her vigil or to simply call after she has more information.
May as well keep everyone on the same page, she thinks as she starts to dial her phone. Her intention is to make a conference call, but Alex's phone dumps straight into voicemail. So, she calls Lya, hoping that she's available.
Hitoshi expression does not waver. "Whoever told you that Mr. President, is making assumptions. I don't needlessly sacrifice others if there is a different way that can still get the job done. However, That still means I get the job done, and don't beat around the bush."
He takes a sip of his Sake.
"The offer sounds interesting, but as I just said before, I'd really like to know what it entails before I walk into the lions den unarmed. Also, I'll have to run it by my wife later, I do have my Family and their needs to consider."
Holliwell/Fenris nods. "Of course. I still think you're who we need, a man with a get-it-done sensibility and who cares about the needs of the many - the people. Don't sell yourself short."
Akane bows her head respectfully. Asami has a small pout on her face - possibly because she'd expected a fun family dinner at Uncle Mitch's, and here's this guy prattling about business; or maybe it's just that she's picking up on the whole Fenris vibe. Children see things their parents do not.
Hitoshi nods. "Well Mr. President, I shall strongly consider it. Let's get through this election to Congress first. We make that step, and by then I shall certainly have an answer for you. And now, I do apologize for sending you away, but I gave my word and promised my darling daughter a family dinner, and I always keep my word and promises, I hope you can forgive me for that quirk."
"Bob Malcolm knows how to get a hold of me," Holliwell/Fenris says. He turns to the agent standing nearby. "Get Marine One spun up. Nellis, then back to D.C."
"Yes, Mr. President," the agent answers.
The President's departure is an elegant dance, tracing back along the line of agents, with two bringing up the rear. You wonder what it is that Fenris needs you for so urgently, and only come up with things involving the military and a military response. Perhaps it's a variation on the build-an-army-on-Midgard strategy that went south at Loki's castle. Asgard might not fare too well against a modern, mechanized army. But why you, and not someone like Alex or Evie?
And how could Alex not be a Scion, yet still be present and pivotal? Humans might exist at the whim of the gods, but Scions were significant points in the fabric of fate. He had to be a Scion, but concealing the truth, hiding from something or someone ...
Mitch delivers another round of sushi. It is a simple roll, but expertly crafted.
"Ryder-san. Dozo," he says. "An itamae understands the best things are often simple, but even then, they must be done in the proper manner, with respect to the craft and one's tools. Asami, the next plate is your pick."
"Ahi!" your daughter smiles.
"As Asami-chan wishes," Mitch smiles. He bows and returns to his board.
Hitoshi smiles at his daughter then glances across the room in a thousand yard stare as he thinks about the things he knows. He thinks about the man he had been, and the one he must now be. He had a family now, but he also had his mission to stop the end of the world. Neither was a mutually exclusive goal. Then there was his friends back in the other world. Would he see them again?
When you know who you are, you will find your sword.
Hachiman's words ring in your ears. And then there's Izanami's advice:When you know what you want, you will be a sword.
Is wanting my family to be safe ... enough? you ask yourself. Do I protect them and to hell with the rest of this make-believe world?
Make-believe. Well, not entirely. Not when your wife - a woman who died in another reality - is sitting next to you, warm and bright. Not when you have an imp of a daughter full of joy and life.
You know their fate is tied into all of this.
Hitoshi looks over at his wife, then at his daughter, and his face grows hard and determined. "I want them to be safe, to be alive, and happy. I want Lya and Evie and even Alex to be safe. To make that happen, I must stop Fenris, but I can't do it any way I please. No, father is right, Honor is just as, no. Honor is more important than family. There can be no family without honor. My daughter will know an honorable father, and my wife will have an honorable husband. I will save this world and them, but I will do it as a man of honor, and not some backstabbing thug in the night." The thought flashes through his mind, and the glass he is holding, breaks in his hand as his pressure on it increases.
Akane is there with a napkin even before your server. Apologies abound as new glasses and plates are brought to your table, the surface being swept clear with a crumb scraper.
You aren't so distraught that you don't feel the sting of where the broken glass cut into your fingers, though Akane moves your hand off the table so Asami doesn't see any blood.
"I wish I could make it right for you, Hitoshi," Akane says quietly. "Do you remember that one time by the lake, when we talked about what we thought the future would be like?"
"I do. I think I've made a mess of things," you frown. "I should be a samurai. Instead, I'm a ronin. A Yakuza."
"And the label changes who you really are?" she scolds. "You provided leadership to men who had none. A word here, a generous gesture there, care offered to the sons and daughters of men you had to kill. Those are not the acts of a ronin, but a daimyo. Your introspection is a gift, Hitoshi, but do let it drag you down into darkness. The man I love knows better than that."
Hitoshi blinks and looks at his wife catching what she says. He had thought that he must do it all alone, but he realized that saving his family and the world meant not being just a blade, but actually being the man behind the blade, and a man could weird troops as a weapon just as he could a sword.
"A Daimyo." He mutters.
"Is that what father meant? I gave been so blind. I started off just a warrior, but I have moved past that. I am a leader, and a leader leads those that follow." He thinks. He nods at his wife's words.
"You are right."
(Exact Time Unknown)
"For the record, please state your name," said the clerk.
"Alexander North."
"You are an officer with the United States Army National Guard?"
"Correct. I am currently the CO of the Las Vegas National Guard contingent," North said.
"You're a lawyer by trade, is that correct?" one senator asked.
"Correct. I started my military career as a JAG and continued as a lawyer before returning to the Guard full-time," North affirmed. "Relevance?"
"This isn't a courtroom, Colonel."
"Senator, everyone on the committee was given the details of my career.
Senator Durbin could answer your question. So could Senator Moore," North frowned. There were chuckles from the gallery.
"Now, Colonel, I'm just making sure we're all on the same page," the senator smiled.
"We're on Page 12. You're on Page 2. Keep up, please," North chided.
The senator banged his gavel as the gallery burst into laughter and derisive hoots. Someone shouted, "HooAh!"
"Order! Order!" barked the senator.
"Senator, I'm a military officer. When orders come down, we're expected to have our equipment to hand and our boots on the ground. The enemy isn't going to wait while we sort our papers,," North said. "Do you have any questions for me? Serious questions?"
"Tell us about your hand, Colonel."
"I had to keep a manual safety engaged for several minutes, to skrag the building's computer network," North said. "The Mujahedeen continued to shell the building, and found their range. I was pretty badly torn up by shrapnel."
"Do you harbor any resentment against them?"
"No."
"How is that possible? I know that if someone took my hand off, I'd be pretty pissed off," the senator asked.
"Sir, when you're engaged in a military conflict, you don't have time for personal grudges," North said. "You do what you need to do to keep your people safe and get them through the next day. If that means the enemy wants to play cat-and-mouse with us, I have some Bradley fighting vehicle crews who are very, very good at it."
(Hitoshi's Not Very Good Kind of Terrible and Scary Night)
Dinner over, a mochi ball panda presented to Asami for dessert, and a leisurely stroll back to the residence. All things considered, life is good.
As you pass through the front door, Akane gives you a kiss. She bows her head and says, "I need to put one project to bed. It may take a few hours. You should get some rest before Bob Malcolm and President Holliwell start in on you again."
You nod, but a nightcap isn't going to hurt. You pour yourself two fingers of Glenmorangie and settle back in your chair at your desk. The whisky burns across your tongue and leaves a pleasant warmth behind. Asami dutifully changes into her pajamas and comes to each of you for a good night hug and kiss.
"Night, Papa!" she waves.
In turn, you head to the master bedroom. A mechanical arm slides out from behind the headboard and turns down the covers. The room lights brighten by the nightstand and sink, but dim elsewhere.
"The usual six-thirty alarm, Sir?" the AI asks.
"I guess," you mumble. With luck, the fates won't torment you further by shorting you on sleep.
"Good night, Sir."
You know what must be done, you hear a voice say.
Hai, responds another man's voice. There's a creaking noise, followed by a huffing sound. Once. Twice. A third time. A dull orange glow quickens and turns to reddish gold as the forge comes to life, and you are watching Goro Masamune turn a saetsu in the fire until it, too, begins to glow.
He withdraws it and lays it on his anvil, hammering it flat, then double. Flat, then double. Back to the forge. More hammering. His hands move swifly and surely, the Master plying his trade. And you know the blade is Honjo Masamune, his masterwork. The blade is shaped and takes form, a hamon painted in moist clay before the sword is quenched in a trough of water. The edge is honed upon a stone, the tsuba and hilt added ...
You wake. Why dream of Honsho, when it lay broken?
You glance beside you, but the opposite side of the bed is still empty and cool. You rise to see it is just after 2 AM, and pad out into the living room.
You hear sobbing. It's a sound you thought never to hear again, the soul-deep pain of loss and despair etched upon her face the night you rescued her from Daisuke Yakamura.
She is on her knees by her desk, her hair in disarray. Papers strewn about as a wind had blown through the room. Her chair toppled.
"Forgive me. Forgive me," she is murmuring.
"You have but one purpose," a raspy voice hisses, a figure barely glimpsed amid the shadows. "You know what must be done, or I will strip away the gifts I have given you and return you to Yomi!"
"Get away from her!" you find yourself yelling.
It is Izanami who steps forward from the shadows. She is in a formal kimono decorated with cranes. Shit. The Black Cranes. It's her. It's all been her.
"You and I have an agreement, Hitoshi Ryder. You wanted power, and I have given it to you. Now you must do something for me," she hisses. A maggot writhes out of one nostril. She simply licks it from her lip and smiles.
"Is that what this is about? Leave my wife out of this!" you demand.
"Your wife?" Izanami laughs. "Your wife is here only because I allow it."
Akane shies away from you as well. "No. Don't look at me. Please."
"What did you do to her, you witch?"
"It is through my will that she walks in the world of the living. She is mine, not yours. My handmaiden," Izanami hisses. She gestures, and Akane is raised to a standing position, clearly against her will.
You gasp.
Though you can still recognize the woman you love, her form is gaunt and emaciated. Her clothes hang limply on a near-skeletal form, her flesh pitted and dark with decay. Clouded eyes turn in your direction.
"I'm sorry," she whispers. "Please don't hate me."
"Hate you? What ...?"
And you realize Akane was the lure, the temptation that pulled you into this world. So Izanami could have you at her disposal. So Fenris and Loki could play their game of Ragnarok.
SecDef.
SecDeath.
The Secretary of Death.
"Shit," you murmur. You fall to your knees with the weight of realization where you stand: on the precipice of life and death.
"You know what must be done," Izanami tells you. "Do not disappoint me."
She vanishes in a burst of displaced air, sending more papers flying.
Akane is restored to her former beauty. But, knowing you understand the truth, she shies away.
"I'm sorry," she says again.
There is another burst of fury nearby. Your daughter's room.
Damn you to hell, Izanami! you think.
You leave your still-sobbing wife as you go to check on your daughter. Her bed is empty, the room a whirlwind of debris. There is only the pale moonlight shining through the grid of the window, the cartoon figures dangling from a mobile giving way to distorted, eerie shadows of snatching fingers and tendril-like snares.
"You want to play at war, do you?" you ask the darkness. You are halfway to where Honjo Masamune lay before you remember it is broken, and its forging was just a dream ...
No. It, too, is missing.
Sobbing.
The sound breaks your heart.
Her face streaked with tears, Akane is slumped in a heap where the goddess left her. She shies away as you approach, and words catch in your throat.
"You must hate me," she rasps.
You shake your head, but everything is wrong, cast into turmoil by Izanami's machinations.
The horizon is streaked with the dawn.
What? Dawn? It was ... 2 AM ... wasn't it?
Lights are coming on in the living spaces, part of the AI's program. You hear the burbling of the coffee maker, and the muted buzz of the television, set to the morning news.
You're half expecting to see headlines about a war. You don't, but it's bad enough - it's Colonel North's confirmation hearing as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Events are gaining momentum and taking on a life of their own, it seems ...
Hitoshi ignores the sound of the house and the news for a few moments, grabbing Akane by the wrist and pulling her to him and holding her tightly. He gently strokes her hair as he looks over her head at the wall.
"I love you, I always have, and I always will. In another life, that made me kill a man because he killed you. I killed a man in rage and anger. I was starting make peace with the fact you were gone in that life, and then I was given another chance to do things differently, and that lead to the here and now, and I have you, and you have provided me a daughter... However..."
He tilts her chin up so he's looking into her eyes. "I have to stop this. I have to walk the honorable path, and that may mean losing you and Asami. Izanagi will take you back, she will take you both, I fear she has already taken Asami from us. Still. This war cannot be allowed to happen. You know that. The world will be ruined and Humanity will die if Alex or Fenris launches those bombs. I must stop it. Maybe I will join you then."
He kisses her then lets her go and turns away, walking out of the room. "I don't know what to do, but as long as I am there, maybe I can stop it." He thinks as he showers, and steps into a fresh suit.
He steps out onto the roof of his residence and picks up his phone. He dials Bob Malcom.
"Bob, It's Hitoshi. Tell the President I'm his man."
"I am guilty, not you," Akane whispers in response to your confession. "I love you, and that did not stop with my death. Izanami took that and used it to break me. Both when I was alive, and after. She is darkness.
"You honor me with your sacrifice, but I am not worthy. I have lived in the darkness for so long, I cannot remember the light. Do not let my fate ... do not let your fear for me cast you upon a second path of vengeance."
"I am to deliver you into the hands of your enemies. Running for office is just the beginning," she says. "Izanami can threaten me all she wants. You must be perceptive as well as steadfast."
She swallows hard as if gasping for air. "I was going to tell you. Asami said a very odd thing the other day. She was looking at your broken blade and said, 'When you know who you are, you will find your sword.'"
You recognize the words from the tongue-lashing you received from Hachiman, and Izanami's derisive alternative.
"Bob? It's Hitoshi. Tell the President I'm his man."
"SecDef?" Malcolm asks. "Good man. We'll push for a straight up-or-down vote, get this confirmation twaddle out of the way."
"I still have to win the election."
"What are you talking about? What election?" Malcolm asks. "Are you looking at the wrong page in your day planner? The election was last month, old boy."
Last month?
"Of course. My mistake," you stall.
"Look, pack a couple of suits and get your ass up to Nellis. We can hitch a ride on Air Force One ..."
While Hitoshi is getting ready to meet Malcolm, his phone rings once again. It's Evie.
"Hitoshi. Okay, I've got some news for you. I saw Alex ordering a bomb dropped on part of Vegas to fight Terrorist Lya. I spoke with our Lya, earlier, and we have two major concerns about that," Evie begins, her voice matter of fact. She does not let on that she saw Akane in the aftermath of the attack. She knows that she can not help him, in this matter, and would spare him knowing that she inadvertently spied upon him.
"First, there is the matter of the bomb. That would recreate the kind of destruction that we saw in Castle World. If that was anchored to our world, we would be seeing the same effects, there. Loki would be able to do exactly what he originally set out to do, especially now that he has Alex in his pocket."
Here, Evie pauses as her train of thought derails slightly. Ignoring point two, for the moment, she adds, "I saw Loki holding a piece of shrapnel that I am certain is your world's Alex's relic. That is how Loki is keeping him in line. He has Alex's source of power."
"But, back to the bomb," she switches tracks again. "The second thing that we are worried about is the position that it puts you in. It could be that you are being set up to be a scapegoat for the bombing. Everything goes down, Loki and Fenris spin things and you are left holding the bag."
Evie clears her throat, pausing. She adds in a softer voice, one that is not all cut-and-dry, business, "I do have some good news, though. I saw your sword, Hitoshi. I saw it being reforged."
"So maybe if I can get the shrapnel, it will free Alex to become one of the good guys. Easier said than done."
He sighs. "Not that I'm going to give up. I've agreed to be the Sec Def in hopes that I can stop the incident if i can free Alex, and Stop Fenris, maybe everything will be alright. "
He switches trains of thought.
"So, Lya in this world us an Eco Terrorist. Interesting. What do you think the odds are that I could talk to he and convince her of what's happening? Maybe she would help me."
"Honestly, I have no idea," Evie says. "I haven't checked on either mine or Lya's counterparts in your world. If you want, I can take a look in the Vantage and see if I can find out about them. I figure you can use all the allies you can find."
"Please do. Any help is welcome. My days of going it alone are done. As for my sword, I don't know if I have a right to it right now. I have to earn that right back." Hitoshi replies.
"Well, what I see in the Vantage is what is, not what might be. So, I'd say that, if your sword is being reforged, then you are on the right track," Evie tries to sound encouraging, but it's hard after having seen all that she has.
"Give me a few minutes...I hope...and I'll call back. Keep your fingers crossed that Loki doesn't mess with time, again," Evie sighs. "I don't want to be getting back to you with news of something that happened weeks ago, to you"
"I have faith in you my friend. " Hitoshi says before closing the phone.
You direct the AI to prepare several suits and a travel bag.
"Yes, Sir. I'll have that ready for you in fifteen minutes," it says. Waldoes slide out of their recesses and begin packing.
Akane is half-heartedly picking up things knocked askew by Izanami's fit of rage. She's still crying, though not wailing in despair as she had been.
"Akane," you say. She winces. Damn Izanami. "I don't know what the future holds for us. I don't know if I can save you."
"I understand," she says. Though she hides it well behind a stoic expression, you can hear the hurt and doubt in her voice. You know she's telling herself she's unworthy ... of everything. And that it's her fault.
"I do know this," you say, gently turning her to face you and tipping her head to look up at you, "You are the best thing that ever happened to me, in this world or any other. When ... you were gone, in my other life, it was memories of you that helped me through my darkest moments. I have lived behind a wall, in some ways. Hiding in a castle and thinking I was strong because I'd put walls up around my pain. Finding causes to champion so I could tell myself I was making a difference. And then I came here. I found you again. And ..."
You pause, the words catching in your throat.
"I know you were brought here as a bribe, to tempt me with a life I have always wanted, but never knew," you continue. "But seeing you, seeing our daughter ... has rekindled a fire in me. Allowed me to see things more clearly. Thank you."
There is no confusion, no doubt as you kiss her. She is the woman you love, and always will be.
"Go," she says. "Save the world."
"More than that, I hope," you smile.
Moments later, Hitoshi climbs into the back of the corporate limo. "Morning steven." He says to the driver.
"Good morning Mr. Ryder. "
Hitoshi smiles. "Please, just call me Hitoshi."
"But sir, I mean Hitoshi, you've always had us call you sir or Mr. Ryder before."
"Yes, we'll I am making some changes around here and one of th is to be more open with my employees. If you feel you gave to, then I won't stop you from calling me sir, but considering all the different titles heaped on me, I think back to basics is better."
"Umm yes sir, I mean Hitoshi. I see I'm to take you to the airport."
"Yes, but not right away. I'm waiting for a phone call, so for now, just drive around. In fact, let's get some breakfast, it's on me."
"All right, Si- I mean, Congres- ... Hitoshi," he stammers. "Where would you like to go?"
"How about the Soul Food Diner?" you suggest.
"That's awfully close to the I-15 Break," the driver points out. "We'd probably be better going to the Las Vegas Country Club or even Flyboy's up by Nellis. You're heading to Nellis, right? Not McCarran?"
"Yes, Nellis AFB. Breakfast first."
"Yes, Sir. Hitoshi."
The Las Vegas Country Club isn't far from the Strip. Despite the disaster of The Break, it remains an exclusive venue for those with the money to afford membership.
"Good Morning, Congressman Ryder. A table for one?"
"Two, please. It's my driver's birthday," you spin a polite lie.
"Very good, Mr. Ryder."
The menu offers what some would call extravagant or elitist fare. You can get your basic bacon-and-eggs, but you can also order an Eggs Benedict, and know that the Hollandaise is made fresh. You can order an appetizer of smoked salmon.
"Ohayo, Congressman," says your waitress. "Would either of you like something to drink? And are you ready to place your order, or do you need a few more minutes?"
"I'll have Milk and an Orange juice." He turns towards his driver. "Steven, how about you?"
Every few seconds, he keeps glancing down at his phone. "Come on Evie." He mutters to himself, hoping she can call before he has to commit to getting on the plane, and doing his best to stall for time. He also thinks about the Eco terrorist Lya, and wonders why shes doing it.
"Is she really a villain, or is she fighting against Fenris?"
The thoughts race through his head as he tries to formulate a plan.
Your beverages are presented. It's fresh-squeezed orange juice, not too sweet, and not too pulpy. The milk is in a lightly-frosted glass. Steven adds a liberal amount of cream to his coffee, stirring it to blend the dark and the light ...
You wince, half-expecting the dark swirl of coffee to turn into some kind of tenebrous tendril reaching out to twist the knife. And then you realize what's going on. Some of it, at least.
Two universes, forced together.
With Loki and Fenris wielding the spoon.
A reality at war, internally and externally. And your home, perhaps not perfect, but not all 'Eve of Destruction,' either.
"Something wrong, S-... Mr. Ryder?" your driver asks. Ah, well. Old habits die hard.
"Just thinking about the Break, Steven. I just don't really see a solution."
"Not one you can throw money at," a familiar voice says. Alex North. He's in a crisp uniform, not his battlefield utilities. Instead of a prosthesis, his sleeve is pinned back just below his right elbow. "I guess we're waiting for the same bus."
"So it would seem," you smile. Gods. I know you're my friend in another reality, Alex, but here, you're a bit of an asshole. Go away. "I just wanted a quiet breakfast before heading to Nellis."
A quiet breakfast, thought North. And you couldn't get that in your little Yakuza fiefdom?
"I underst-" he begins.
A muted thudding sound reaches your ears.
"Chopper?" North says, turning to look out the window.
It's not what either of you expect. It's Marine One, the presidential helicopter, but there's black smoke billowing from one engine, and a contingent of troops emerges, forming a defensive cordon around President Holliwell.
"All right, can we get some additional troops down here?" he's asking. "North! What am I paying you for?"
"We've got your back, Mr. President," North says. He takes out his smartphone and starts making calls.
"And Ryder. All right, screw Congress," he says. "We've got a situation here. You're acting Secretary of Defense, period."
"What happened?" you ask.
"Maenads," someone says. "Where'd they get armor-piercing arrows? And how'd they know we were inbound?"
I don't know about the arrows, but Lya has the gift of prophecy, you tell yourself. This is going to get ugly. She wouldn't start a fight unless ...
It is at this rather inconvenient time that Hitoshi's phone rings. Glancing at the caller ID, you see that it is Evie.
"Right Mister President. My First act then is to get you to safety. My Limo is an exec model. Should be as safe as yours sir."
He turns towards his driver, then towards North and the President. "Steven, we need the Limo. Mr. President, North, my man needs an escort to go get the car. Can you provide a man?"
He pulls out the earpiece for his phone and turns it on sliding it into his ear and hits the button. "Speak, make it quick."
"Right," Evie says crisply, figuring that she must've caught him at an inopportune time. "The LVPD still exists, but is now running underground disguised as a fleet of taxis with Evie as their Chief. She's currently slipping supplies to people on the other side of the Break, trying to avoid the Guard."
Even as the words are coming out of her mouth, it strikes Evie how weird it feels to to be speaking of herself in third person. But, this isn't really her. It's...other...her.
"Lya...aw...geez. Lya has tipped the Guard off that supplies are coming in and will be using Evie's people to set up an ambush for the Guard. I don't know if Evie is aware of this. I'm inclined to say she isn't," she continues. "But, Lya is looking for revenge. She holds Alex responsible for Phoebe's death. I don't know if Alex ordered a strike that killed her or pulled the trigger himself. Doesn't matter. Lya is hitting the Guard. Also, Arky is working with her."
"Lya and Arky both have prophecy. They may already know about you, in some way. Evie might be hard to convince that you aren't the old Hitoshi, but...I think you have a chance to win them both to your side. They are both actively working counter to what Alex and the government wants, in their own ways."
"I'll text you their locations in a few minutes. Just in case someone gets your phone, there will be three sets. One will be a fake. The real ones will be marked by the first letter of their last names," she says.
There is a heavy sigh from the other end of the line, followed by a short pause, "I'm leaving the Vantage after this. I can't come to your world so I'm going back to ours. Good luck, Hitoshi. If I don't see you, again, know this - I am proud to have called you friend and to have fought this battle by your side. Take care."
Knowing that Hitoshi probably can't talk, she simply closes the phone. She closes her eyes for a second and sits, wishing her friend luck with all her heart.
That only lasts for a moment, though. She quickly types in Lya and Evie's coordinates and sends the text to Hitoshi:
A: (fake coordinates)
B: (Lya's coordinates)
C: (Evie's coordinates)
There's a burst of activity as the Marines and Secret Service assigned to the presidential helicopter deploy, including breaking out some serious firepower.
"How are you with a sidearm, Ryder?" Colonel North asks.
"I know which end to point at the enemy. That's about it," you note.
"Well, time for some on-the-job training," he says, handing you a 9mm pistol.
"My limo is an executive model. Should be as safe as yours, Sir," you point out.
"Maenads had an SAM. One of those'd turn the limo into an Easy Bake Oven. We can hold here while the reserve chopper lifts from Nellis," says North. "And it won't be just the one. We'll be bringing some manpower down, and have a Warthog do a sweep. Anything that's out of place is going to get turned into salsa."
"You'd mentioned they were up to something. Do you think this is it?"
"Could be. Doesn't matter. They want to play rough, well, the Guard and the Marines will oblige them," North said.
Hitoshi shakes his head. "I have people in places getting info for me. I wondered why the terrorist was attacking Las Vegas. Well its not Vegas. It's you North, and the president that she wants. It's personal. North, you apparently killed her friend. I have no idea yet why she's after you, Mr. President. "
He gestures to his phone. "That was my person on the other end. They may have just given their life to get me that info."
"Oh, the terrorist has an issue with my oath to 'preserve, protect, and defend'?" Colonel North sneers. "I seem to recall having a run-in with some other people like that. Fuck them all. I'm not going to apologize for doing my job."
You realize you don't know this man at all. Just as your decision to spare Daisuke Yakamura's life changed your own history, the Alex North of this world has traveled a much different path.
"Give the word, Mr. President, and I'll stamp closed on that account," North says. "The Las Vegas National Guard stands ready to push across the I-15 Break and eliminate the threat."
"Do it," Holliwell/Fenris says. "If you can spare any men, we'll want them here. I imagine they'll be making a push on our location."
"Mr. President!" calls out a Secret Service agent.
"Yes, Rick?"
"Sir, I'm sorry - Nellis informs us the reserve chopper is unable to lift. Maenads shot the fuel tank, some kind of armor-piercing arrow."
"Clever. Trying to flush the game," Holliwell/Fenris smiled. "ETA on repairs?"
"Might have to last the night, go for a dawn extraction."
"Do it. Colonel North, mobilize the Jotun."
"Yes, Sir."
"Jotun? They sound special forces. Never heard of them though. " Hitoshi asks, walking over. He looks at the pistol in his hand the puts on the safety and slides it into the side of his pants. It wasn't a holster but it would do.
"Do you believe in God, Ryder?" North asks. "How about gods, plural? Magic?"
"Ya know North, after all the shit that's happened, I do. Though wich one started the break and all that is beyond me." Hitoshi grins.
"I never ask 'who started it?'" North says. "My job is to finish it. If the gods want to drag us back to the days where we're dancing around the fire naked, I'll fight them every inch of the way."
"Anyway, the Maenads aren't the only ones who can leverage mythology for points," Colonel North says. "The Jotun are, indeed, special forces. A dozen of our best men and women, empowered through ritual magic. They're stronger than the average human. I sure wouldn't want to get in a fight with one."
"I had to argue with your predecessor about them," Holliwell/Fenris. "The fact that he wasn't as forward-thinking is why you're here. We're on the verge of a new age, Hitoshi. No more gods. No more kowtowing to anything but human power and determination. We will remake the world as we see fit."
The sentiment is disturbing, of course, but it's the touch of mania in the President's tone, the absolute certainty of the extremist. And you have to bite back the obvious response, because this is not Justin Holliwell - it is the Fenris Wolf, cloaked in another man's identity.
Still, it's not what you expected - you'd always thought Fenris was this violent ... beast. Not a highly charismatic individual surrounded by true believers. It casts a different light on the legend - Tyr being the only one to resist Fenris' power.
"Impressive," you say.