(Alex - The Return Home)
It wasn't like the hellish ride out and back to Yggdrasil, nor the kick-you-in-the-teeth teleport out of Loki's fortress. It was more like one of those giant slides at amusement parks, complete with the moment where you sail clear of the slide itself for a split-second.
Alex appeared in a burst of displaced air, scattering a handful of papers from the table where he'd left them the night before. Two nights? He wasn't sure how much time they'd spent in Asgard.
First things first, he thought, turning to look out the window. No snow.
But, also, a smattering of candles and flowers and note cards at his doorstep, because the logical conclusion was, when someone's car is in their driveway and the house explodes, that they were home and inside.
He rummaged through the closet and got out his absolute last courtroom suit. He left the jacket behind and didn't bother with a tie, because getting new clothes was tops on his to-do list.
The memorial shrine was an odd collection of thank you's and god-bless, which he couldn't just leave sitting there. He gathered things up and moved them inside, then spent a moment or two printing out a sign that he taped to the door.
We are pleased to announce that Mr. North is alive and in good health, however, his office will be closed while dealing with the issues arising from the gas main explosion near his home.
He called a cab. Shoot, he'd have to rent a car, now, too ...
(Lya)
"You live here?" Rikke asked as the group materialized with a blast of wind. At least Heimdall was right and there hadn't been a blaze of light and otherworldly special effects, though that would make a killer stage entrance.
"Home, sweet home," said Klepto. "Let's get you some Midgard clothes."
If anything, the contemporary outfit made Mimir's daughter look every bit like a member of the group ...
"Not exactly the Ritz Carlton, but hey, home is what you make of it, right?" Lya says as she moves to pick up some of the old pizza boxes and beer cans that have been here who knows how long. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable while Klepto finds some clothes for you. Or if you like, there's this fabulous thing called indoor plumbing that lets you take showers with hot water down the hall and to the right." Lya gestures with her hand down the hall. "Phoebe, why don't you give Rikke the nickel tour? Toxic, get on our website and let our fans know we're all right."
Lya clears a spot off the couch and sits down with her her staff between her hands. "Time for me to bring our sister home..."
(Lya)
I summon my strength to me, you intone. And while the other Furies do not teleport from where they stand, there's an electric feeling in the air. At least you don't have to spin around and go running about in a star-spangled corset.
And Orithia appears, holding a shovel in a fighting stance. "Phew. I thought that creepy old bugger would be back for seconds. Or to find out what happened to his pet talking head."
"My father is at rest, now, thanks to you and your band," Rikke says. "I care not what Odin thinks. "Who is this Arkay person? A warrior?"
Lya smiles and squeezes Orithia's shoulder before Klepto grabs Orithia in a bear hug. "Welcome back, sister."
Orithia wheezes for breath as she laughs. "OK...OK... I wasn't gone thatlong!"
"Arky is like me... except he's a child of the Greek god Apollo so I guess that makes us cousins. He's cool... a fantastic artist, and he's been doing his best to help the outcasts of society find a safe place where they can belong," Lya explains to Rikke. "We're hoping he'll be able to find you a place to stay out of the way of this mess and hidden from their sight."
"You'll like him," Phoebe adds with a smile. "His father was a prophet as well, so you might have more in common than you think."
Toxic walks out of the kitchen with a 6 pack of beer and promptly starts handing cans out to those who want one. "Get this," she says as she hands a beer to Lya. "I checked our website and it was blasted with emails from people asking everything from 'Why did we break up?' to 'What's the name of the album you guys must be working on?'" She shakes her head in disbelief. "I wasn't sure what to say other than a general message that we're still around."
Lya chuckles as she opens up her beer and takes a sip. "Over the Rainbow, maybe?"
Orithia snorts. "How about Fatebreakers? That seems more fitting."
Lya's eyes light up. "You know... that's not half bad. First things first, though... gotta call Arky and get our new friend situated. Albums can come later."
She pulls out her phone from her coat pocket and pages through to the contact for Arky before pressing Send. "I just hope he's somewhere with reception..."
(Lya)
Arky picks up the phone almost immediately.
"Hey, Cousin! I was thinking about you, and not just because I keep having dreams that involve the end of the world and people who just happen to be in the news."
"I saw you, of course - we were dancing, and then it got all funhouse mirror-like. And I have this stupid slot machine jingle running in my head, but it turns into 'Eve of Destruction' and mushroom clouds."
"But enough about me. How're you?"
"Doing my best to stop the apocalypse while pissing off as many Norse Gods as I can... so you know... same old, same old," Lya chuckles as she runs a hand through her hair. "We've got a friend who could really use a safe place to stay out of the way of prying eyes, Arky. We got her out of a bad situation with some powerful people who were taking advantage of her and I want to keep her safe. I'll owe you big time."
She pauses and takes another sip of her beer before swallowing roughly. "Wait a minute... you said 'people who happen to be in the news.' Who and what have they been doing in the news, Arky? We've been out of the loop for a while so we need to get caught up... because those weren't ordinary dreams, dude."
"Let's see, someone blows up a house belonging to a lawyer who was painting the town red with the Furies. A home invasion, self-defense case that has been 'no comment' from the friendly neighborhood samurai. And another attempted robbery stopped by Messrs. Smith & Wesson," he ticks off instances.
"And I've seen all of them in my dreams. I'm pretty sure they're playing for the home team, well, except maybe our samurai friend. Something funky going on there, too many puppet strings and shadows. Just because I live in a hole in the ground doesn't mean I have my head buried there," he laughs.
"And we've got nothing but space for people wanting to tell the system or their parents to shove it. As long as it's not nihilistic b.s. and tearing shit up just to tear shit up."
(Alex)
"Hey! North! You're fucking alive!" exclaimed one of the bail bondsmen from his downstairs neighbor.
"Yeah. Long story," Alex said.
"I'll bet," winked the bondsman, outlining a set of feminine curves with his hands. It hadn't been that long since he'd 'hit the town' with the Furies to draw out Lyman. Loki. And look where that had gotten them.
"Anyway, got a stack of errands to run. Gotta jet, Carlos," Alex excused himself.
A short cab ride later, he was getting fitted for several new suits at the local warehouse store. He'd take advantage of his veteran's status and hit the PX at Nellis for street clothes and sundries. He'd check with his insurance agent to see what was and wasn't covered, though he imagined the utility company wouldn't want to admit fault.
Returning to his office, he dumped his purchases on the sofa. He'd be living out of his office for a bit. He changed out of his suit, which would head to the dry cleaners, and into jeans, a t-shirt with a khaki BDU jacket overtop, and some desert commando boots. He stowed the rest of his purchases in the closet and his go-bag.
Except for one item that he didn't remember purchasing. It was a black neck scarf of a lightweight fabric, almost like tactical netting, but he hadn't gotten anything like that at the exchange. There was no label or price tag to clearly identify it as something from there, and it wasn't on the receipt - maybe it had been folded up in some of the other clothes by accident.
But it felt different. More like his challenge coin, a relic imbued with power. Still, it wasn't like Tyr was given to dropping by with birthday presents. Leaving it behind, however, wasn't something he wanted to do. He draped it over his neck and headed out to meet Lya and the Furies at the diner.
"You're too cool for school, Arky," Lya replies. "We've got places to go and people to meet now that we're back, so we'll get Rikke hooked up with some supplies and drop her off with you guys. You and she should have plenty to talk about, dude, considering her dad left her with similar gifts. I think she just wants the freedom to live her life the way she chooses, you know? Be a sweetheart and let me know if those dreams change and I'll throw in some beer when we drop off."
Lya hangs up the phone and looks to the others with a clap of her hands. "Right, let's get changed and then we can get you set up before we go meet Alex."
"I kind of like the armor," Klepto grins. The other Furies laugh.
"I know what you mean," Phoebe says. "It feels right."
"It reminds you who you really are," Toxic said. "Gods strike me dead if my armor ever feels like I've set it aside."
"You are an interesting group of shieldmaidens," Rikke says.
"How so?" asked Orithia.
"You have the feel of warriors from Valhalla," Rikke noted.
"I guess it's sort of the same thing. We were called to the service of the gods," Phoebe says. "It is an honor."
"To protect your seer? Lya, is it?" Rikke asks.
"I do not know what fate Lya is called to," Klepto says. "She is a sister in arms, and that is all that matters."
"Awww... love you too guys!" Lya exclaims as she claps hands on Phoebe and Klepto's shoulders with a smile. "But as much as I love our new look, battle armor is going to give the security at the Grandview fits if we try to walk into their boardroom dressed like we're Vikings ready to pillage and burn."
She walks between them and starts unbuckling bracers and tossing them on the coffee table. "Don't get me wrong," she continues as she turns around to face them with a wink, "we're still going into that place like a raiding party and the board won't know what hit them... but we can't look like one. Once we get Rikke set up we'll meet Alex at the diner, who can hopefully help us fit in with those higher up mucky-mucks."
"I'll see what kind of bag I can put together for Rikke," Orithia offers. "We're about the same size, so I can give you some clothes."
(Alex)
Alex glanced at his smartphone as it rang. He didn't recognize the number, although it was local.
"Hello?"
"Hello, Alex," came a voice that was both familiar and not. He knew who it was, but there was an appropriately feral earthiness to it. No more games. No pretending to be something she wasn't.
"Sunny?"
"Mmm. Somehow, I didn't think Jason had managed to kill the toughest one of your group. Another screwup."
"You flatter me. And there's more to the tale," Alex said.
"Oh, you mean those 'other realities' Laufeyson has been playing with?" Soleil said disdainfully. "The only one that matters is this one. The rest might as well be make-believe."
"I don't know, it seemed real enough to me," Alex told her.
"Oh, yes. I've had the tour," Sunny laughed. "What did he show you?"
"An attempt to summon a legion of einjehar and use me as an anchor to reach Asgard."
"Clearly, it didn't work. You're still here," she said with audible malice.
"You sound disappointed," Alex told her. "I seem to recall an attempt to add me to your fan club at the DA's office."
"I'll take you over Chris any day," she laughed. "After all, he's just a man. You and I have something in common, at least."
"I wouldn't sleep with you if it came with a paycheck. I'd be afraid I'd wake up with a body part missing."
"Did Chris tell you I like to bite?"
"Educated guess," Alex said. "You didn't call to gloat. What's up?"
"I'll give you Loki, if you let us go."
"Us? Oh, you mean your twin ... sister?"
"Perceptive, Alex. Our ... political allegiances aside, we would have made a good team. The right word in his ear and Chris has a nervous breakdown. You could step in to his shoes," Hunter told him.
"Pass. And not really a big leap of imagination to imagine the children of Fenris would be involved in my fate," Alex pointed out.
"Think about it. Call me back if you want to talk."
(Lya)
At about the time that Orithia goes to find clothes for Rikke, Lya's cell phone rings. She picks it up, seeing the caller ID identify Evie.
"What's the word, hummingbird?" Lya answers.
Evie smiles at the sound of Lya's voice, "Well, I've got news. None of it very good but...news, nonetheless."
"I tried to look for our catless reality but what I found is that it simply doesn't exist. The mess we're in now is because Odin is stubborn as the day is long. He was never going to not visit Mimir. What is done is done and there's no turning back time. But...none of this is how Odin or Loki thinks it will be. Yes, mankind will be pushed to the edge of destruction, but that is the only thing that is definite. The outcome of that is still unknown and it won't be determined by a god. A mortal is the one who will make the decision that either saves or destroys us."
Lya can picture the detective, brow furrowed as she ponders over everything, "Now, I'm not sure that means that we'll make that decision or someone else will. Yes, we can die which makes us mortal but, technically, the gods can die, too. By "mortal" are we talking pure human or do demigods fall into that category, as well, since we are somewhere between divine and earthly?"
Evie makes a 'mmhmm' sound that equates to a verbal shrugs of the shoulders. However, she continues, "I also talked to Hitoshi, warning him about what is happening in his world. It turns out that, over there, Loki is impersonating Malcolm. And, get this...Fenris is already president, there, in the guise of Justin Holliwell. Fenris has tapped Hitoshi to be his Secretary of Defense."
"I've asked Hitoshi to find out what he can about Holliwell's campaign and his rise to power, there. I'm hoping it will give us some clues as to his plans in our reality."
"Secretary of Defense?" Lya exclaims as she runs a hand through her hair and starts pacing in her living room. "Gods...no wonder that vision I had back in Castle World showed Hitoshi's hand on the nuclear slot machine! We managed to stop them from getting the missile codes from Ellison in Castle World, so now they've got Hitoshi stuck in Shadow World just primed to make sure that he pushes the button for them."
She sighs and pauses as she picks up a beer off the table and takes a long drink. "You talked to him, Evie... do you think he understands what they're trying to do to him? I love him like a brother, but him being alone in that den of thieves really worries me. I'm sure they know by now how easy it is to get Hitoshi to do things if they can convince him it's a sacrifice for the 'greater good.'"
She muffles the receiver on the phone as she kicks the couch and mutters "God dammit you just had to go off on your own, didn't you?" before coming back to the phone.
"If you talk to him again, be sure to tell him what I saw: Him being buddy buddy with Fenris and pushing the button that starts a nuclear war. I know he's going to think that if he takes the position he'll be in the right position to stop them... but I'm afraid the only position he's going to be in is that of a scapegoat."
"He knows, Lya. I flat out told him that it's Fenris and Loki who are pulling the strings themselves. No doppelgangers. It's them. But..." Evie's voice sounds pained as she continues. "...he has a family, now. And, I checked to see if they are human or puppets. Now, I'm not 100%, for certain, this-is-in-stone...but I'm confident in saying that they are human. That's going to be his weakness, there. Protecting his family."
Inwardly, she winces. Hitoshi is not the only one with that particular weakness. So far as she knows, her own family is safe but...who knows if it will remain so?
(Alex)
Although he'd seen the ambulance in the parking lot, Alex hadn't thought much about it. Until he saw T.J. and Valeria sitting at a table.
"Heymph, Amex!" T.J. waved in mid-bite.
"Alex!" Valeria called out. She got up from her table and met him by the door, hugging him. Alex caught T.J. flashing him a thumbs-up gesture. "What happened?"
"Loki blew my house up to match events in an alternate reality, where he'd used my presence to mask the summoning of a legion of einjehar, and then used me as an anchor to tie that reality to Asgard," Alex told her. "In that future, Las Vegas was caught up in Fimbulwinter."
Valeria looked him in the eyes. "There's more."
"Apparently, Hel made it possible for the others to find me," he said. "And she apparently believes I'm trespassing in her... affairs."
"All warriors do. Their swords scribe the line between life and death," Valeria said solemnly. "But only the valorous go to the halls of Odin and Freya."
"I get the feeling that Tyr worked a deal back ... well, you know."
"I cannot speak to such matters. But an uneasy truce exists between War and Death - they need each other, but cannot be subservient to the other," she said.
"Short version, we're regrouping to plan our next move. I'm meeting Lya, here, and Evie is looking for something at Bifrost," Alex explained.
"Then I shall not interfere."
"Hey, when this is all over, can we do something normal? Catch a show or movie?" Alex smiled. "It's starting to feel like 'real' isn't real."
"I cannot promise anything," Valeria said. "Well, perhaps this much, at least."
She kissed him.
(Lya)
"So, my next move is to watch Shadow World Fenris and see if I can figure out what he's doing there. From what we've seen, so far, it's like he's running basically the same program in each world to see how things shake out with different variables. Since things are farther along in Shadow World, it should give us some insight into what he has planned in our world. Forewarning and all," Evie continues.
"I can also keep an eye on Holliwell, see if Fenris is trying to pump him for information. If he's moved, I'll text you the coordinates."
"Oh!" Evie snaps her fingers, almost forgetting to share some very important information. "Loki's messing with timelines is doing funky shit to time itself. When I was talking to Hitoshi, he lost 3 hours. I hung up the phone to check on his family, called him back just a few minutes later and...BAM!..he was having dinner with Fenris. Hitoshi experienced it almost like...a..a leap. You ever watch that old TV show, Quantum Leap? It seemed sort of like that, only instead of leaping into another person, he was leaping to himself in the future. So, don't be caught off-guard if something similar happens to you and Alex."
"Is there anything that you can think of that I should look at? Keep in mind that the Vantage won't show me the past or future, just what is, right now. Of course, 'right now' is different in different realities but...you know what I mean," Evie asks.
Lya sighs. "We'll bring them with us if we have to, but it's time for him to come home, Evie. He can't do this alone, and if we're going to stop Fenris we'll need his help. In the meantime I need to see if I can save his hotel. Can you see what's going on with the Fenris girls right now?"
"I'll talk to Heimdall and see if we can extract Hitoshi. But, he may not want to come back here, Lya," she says softly. "If he has a family, now, it may be that he'll want to save Shadow World and stay there. But, I'll ask him. I'll let him know that we need him."
Evie chuckles ruefully, "I won't tell him that he can't save Shadow World alone. I have a feeling that may be taken as a challenge."
"As far as the Fenris girls...you betcha. I'll check on Shadow World Fenris, Home World Bitches, touch base with Hitoshi and then I'll call you and Alex," Evie rattles off her to-do list. "You guys take care of yourselves, okay? Be safe."
After saying good-bye, Evie settles into the Vantage once more, turning her attention to Shadow World Fenris and Loki. Hopefully, whatever they are currently doing will offer some kind of insight that will be helpful to the home team...
We all have our roles to play," Hel said.
"Oh, yes. Yes, we do," Loki/Malcolm smiled. He takes a rough piece of metal from his pocket, little more than a piece of shrapnel. But, somehow, you recognize this as the relic that unlocks the gifts for this reality's Alex North.
Except it's broken. Damaged. Compromised. Whether by Loki's craft or Hel's machinations. Alex, in this world, is beholden to Loki. An ally of necessity, but not of shared ideology - and that makes him expendable. A loose end to be clipped when all is said and done ...
Well, crap. Let's see what Shadow World Alex is up to. Perhaps he can be persuaded to help if Hitoshi makes it abundantly clear that he is already probably going to be eliminated. He's still Alex, at his core.
Another thought occurs to Evie. Hitoshi's sword is broken. She's not 100% certain that it is a gift from his father but she'd be willing to bet money that it is. If it is broken, does that mean that Shadow World Hitoshi was also being pressured before their Hitoshi showed up? Could the job offer simply be the formal, public acknowledgement of an agreement that was already formed earlier?
Shit. I need to tell Hitoshi about that...
(Evie)
You see papers. Maps, figures, charts. Wind direction, population figures ... casualty projections?
"Make sure our people have their MOPP gear checked and ready-to-go," Colonel North says. "We're on the clock."
"Sir?" a junior officer says "We're really going to drop bombs on our own people?"
"You're thinking again, Lieutenant."
"Sir. Sorry, Sir. I know the Break is a significant threat, but there must be another way!"
"Son, soldiers throughout history have asked that question. Of course there's another way - if you're willing to roll the dice. The Break isn't getting better, it's getting worse," North told the younger man. "The Maenads are pushing across the line. CDC has identified three strains of that goddamned shit they carry. We're running out of choices."
"Sir. Yes, Sir. I understand. MOPP gear on standby."
"Get it done."
The Vantage wavers.
You are looking at a sumptuous dinner for two.
Well, beyond sumptuous. It's almost surreal, with place settings in gold, a goblet or chalice instead of a wine glass. Roast beef, rare and bloody. Fresh bread, root vegetables, roast chicken, and more.
The battle is never over. To my side, I summon thee, Hauptmann Alaric Krieger, Warrior of Valhalla, to fight in my name to the further glory of the gods.
There is a flare of light. Where there had been no one a moment before, there is now a man dressed in a steel gray uniform. A vintage Nazi uniform from World War II. The man has close cropped blonde hair, ice blue eyes, and several days' stubble on his jaw.
"Summoned to the Victorious Table, I have come," he says.
A woman slinks forward out of the shadows. She is dressed in a fanciful white gown (well, if you can call it that - it's a leggy, cleavage-showcasing wisp of fabric), with a fur-trimmed cloak.
"Welcome, Hauptmann Krieger," she says. "Feast, and we shall speak of the service I require."
It's Soleil Hunter.
"For which there are more rewards than food and drink," purrs another voice in the man's ear. Another woman, sleek and feral, brunette where Soleil Hunter is blonde. Dressed in a similarly scandalous (ludicrous, for anything but melodramatic films about Vikings) manner.
Oh. It's her. "Hottie" - Selene Chase.
Krieger gives an appropriately wolfish smile and sets to the meal.
The Vantage wavers again.
An ingot of steel, branded with a Japanese crest. Then ... fire. Burning coals. The sound of a hammer. A bright curve of metal. A stroke of damp clay and a cascade of water. Honing. Polishing. Burnished metal being slid into a scabbard ...
"The game begins in earnest," a stern voice says.
Ha! Finally, some good news! Evie inwardly does a happy, little jig. That had to have been Hitoshi's sword. His father must be reforging it for him!Granted, the rest of the news was shit but...yeah, good things!
Evie stands at the Vantage, looking out over the bridge for a second. She has no idea what Hitoshi will do. How will he handle this? Regardless, at some point, things are going to get ugly. If he resists Fenris' urges to do...whatever...then he's going to push back. And that will mean leaning on Hitoshi's family.
She looks over her shoulder at Heimdall, still standing vigil just behind her. She turns and asks, "Dad..."
Dad. It's strange. The more time she spends in Asgard and with Heimdall, the closer she feels to him. Even though the time spent here is minuscule compared to that growing up in Vegas, there is still an undeniable and strong connection to her divine parent.
"...would it be possible for us to bring Hitoshi's family here, to Asgard? I know that moving them would immediately alert the others that something is amiss and they would act. But, I'm thinking...if Hitoshi has a plan and knows when he will act on it, then we could extract his family and, hopefully, keep them safe. That would free Hitoshi to do what he needs to do without worry. It would have to be timed perfectly, at the exact moment that Hitoshi does whatever he is going to do, so that Fenris and Loki do not have forewarning."
"Hitoshi is going to have to make some hard choices," Lya sighs. "I just hope he makes the right ones. Keep in touch and let me know what the Fenris girls are doing... in the meantime I'll meet up with Alex and we'll see what we can do about making Selene Chase's life more distracting. Take care of yourself and watch your back... even your Dad is beholden to Odin when he lays down the law."
With that Lya pockets her phone and looks to the others. "OK Ramblers, time to get rambling. Let's get Rikke to her new home."
(Evie)
Heimdall frowns. "No. Your friend is at a critical nexus. And although Loki and Fenris have their meddlesome fingers in the pie, I cannot act to change Ryder's decision. It must be his own, or we are no better than the Frost Giants.
"It is, in fact, something he has lamented - how to be honorable when confronted with enemies who are not. If he cannot make the choice, he cannot answer his own question."
Mimir's prediction - that you will fail to protect someone - rings in your ears. And yet, that reality is a twisted product from the outset, a conflux of things that are, that might be, and which have not yet come to pass.
But you're finding it hard to reconcile with the notion of leaving Hitoshi to meet his fate in another reality, alone.
Evie tilts her head, frowning at her father in turn. Her brows furrow and she crosses her arms as she regards him. It's probably an expression that he's seen from her countless times in the past.
"But, what I am proposing is just as dangerous as doing nothing. It's not like I would be sweeping his family away and...ta-da!...no decision need be made," she says.
"If I were to miss-time the extraction, I could bring the whole thing crashing down on Hitoshi's head. He might fail at his quest because the hand has been tipped too early. Or, I may not even be able to get his family out! I don't know who the dead-looking lady in the kimono is, but she has her hands firmly upon those two. To try and take them could spell disaster."
"What I would be offering him is simply another choice. Does he risk keeping his family by his side the whole time, or does he risk trying to get them to safety, when success is not guaranteed?"
"I forget that you do not have the same experience," Heimdall says. "Hitoshi's ... situation ... is not entirely of his own making, but neither can it be made better by what you propose. The Lord of Nets, his father, has a say in things. The Lady of Shadows, Izanami, as well. Both are from his own divine family, and to meddle with their affairs is unwise, even if we do not approve."
"Ah," Evie nods sadly. She sighs, but accepts that answer. "No stepping on toes, then."
Sorry, Hitoshi. I wanted to help... No sense pushing Heimdall too hard about this. If he won't help, he won't help and irritating him wouldn't be wise. He may be her father, but parents have no problem disciplining their children if they step out of line.
She shrugs and grins, though the expression still holds a touch of disappointment, "I guess I'll just have to limit myself to stomping on my own family's toes, then."
"Speaking of family, I should check on mine. If Fenris and Loki figure out that I'm not with Alex and Lya, they might try something to draw me out, if they assume that I'm still alive. As far as they know, I could've died in Castle World when the fortress was destroyed," she turns back to the Vantage to take a quick peek at her parents, brothers and Saul.
(Evie)
There's a moment we all come to
In our own time, and our own space
Where all that we've done, we can undo
If our heart's in the right place!
You smile as Saul belts out Garth Brooks' When You Come Back to Me Again in his strong tenor voice. He's on patrol. It gives you a strange guardian angel feeling to be watching him.
The cruiser pulls up at a familiar parking lot, and he gets out. Ahn's Burgers looks like a dive. Greasy burgers and heart attacks to go. But the Korean owner knows his trade. Ahn's is just one notch short of being a 'cop hangout' - the local kids and some of the gangs will loiter, but they generally behave.
His usual straight-up cheeseburger to go with an iced tea, unsweetened, and a bottle of water on the side. He's at the window and back to his cruiser in minutes.
Fighting to survive in a war with the darkest powers!
The stereo at the bar is pounding out Queen's Princes of the Universe, and Ricky is tossing a highball glass from hand to hand, rolling it down one arm as his other hand grabs the dispenser and hits it with a burst of club soda. It's a bit of cocktail showmanship that most bartenders in Vegas have down.
"Yo, Freddie! Turn that down a bit?" shouts the owner, laughing.
"Yeah, sorry."
A moment later, Saul walks in and plops down at the bar, taking his lunch out of the bag. Ricky simply looks at him and shakes his head - no, I haven't seen her.
You.
You guys, you smile wistfully.
Evie continues to watch Ricky and Saul for just a moment longer, enjoying this small moment of normalcy. I promise, guys...I'll be home as soon as I can, she thinks. A small twinge of guilt at causing them to worry tweaks her conscience but she pushes it aside. There's no help for it. All she can do is try to set things right as quickly as possible. She can explain it all if the team manages to stop Fenris and Loki. If not, well...it won't much matter.
Her vision lingers before she pulls the Vantage to another place. "So, we know what the bitches are up to and that Fenris is busy inserting himself into Holliwell's shoes...what are you doing, Laufeyson? Surely, you're busy, too..."
(Evie)
The transition is jarring. Loki is ... somewhere. A dimly-lit room. Justin Holliwell is standing there, eyes blank.
"Good Morning, Senator," Loki says quietly.
"Good Morning!" Holliwell says. "Love to chat, but I've got a committee meeting in ten."
Loki gestures, and a woman's voice filters through the air. "Senator! Any reaction to the China situation?"
"I've been in some privileged discussions with the President and Secretary of State," he smiles. "All I'm going to say is that all options are on the table. China has some serious choices to make."
"Is it ready?" asks someone else. Fenris.
"Almost," Loki smiled. "The deep illusion will do most of the work. You'll supply the physicality, and can direct affairs as necessary, but you won't have to worry about sounding like Holliwell, or not fitting in, thanks to your conversations with the good Senator."
"Good. The sooner I can toss him in the oubliette, the better."
(Evie)
Unbidden, the Vantage tears from Loki and Fenris to Hitoshi's suite.
The place is a mess. Papers are strewn about, furniture askew. Hitoshi is picking himself up from the floor, his shoulders clearly bunched in rising anger. His wife is nearby, slumped against a toppled chair, her hair in disarray.
She is sobbing. A mournful sound of deep loss and regret. And, perhaps, more than a little pain.
"You must hate me," she says, quietly, her voice halting and fragile.
What happened? you wonder. Did Fenris attack them at home, of all places? A bold move that says many things, not the least of which that the kid gloves are off.
There must be more, but you are torn between watching it unfold and rejoining Lya and Alex.
"It can be painful," Heimdall says quietly. "Knowing something is wrong, and being unable to say or do anything. Your friend must walk his own path, Evelyn."
As Evie watches, her heart breaks for her friend. She and Hitoshi don't always see eye to eye. They have often sniped at each other. But, that doesn't mean that she doesn't love him just as much as she does Lya and Alex. He's still her friend, and a dear one, at that. Seeing his happiness being crushed, his emotions toyed with, smacks of a cruelty that makes her temper flare.
She doesn't know exactly who is responsible for this attack. Fenris? Loki? Could it even be Izanami, who she had seen with Loki, earlier. It doesn't matter, at this point. They have all earned her ire.
"I know I can't go to him," she practically snarls in return. But, it's not Heimdall who has made her angry. It's this whole situation. Poor Hitoshi being put through some test by his family. Fenris and Loki trying to bring about Ragnarok. Fucking cats in boxes.
Evie stops, closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She sits down and then flops back onto the floor, spreading her arms out and stretching her back. Again, it is something that Heimdall has likely seen her do countless times.
Breathe. In, out. Calm down. You're not going to be any help to anyone in this state. Breathe. In, out. Slowly, Evie focuses her mind on her body, the thump of her heart, muscles relaxing.
"Sorry I snapped," she says after a couple of minutes. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just...extremely frustrated."
Evie sits up, crossing her legs under herself. She gazes up at Heimdall from where she sits, "Surely, I can at least call Hitoshi? He needs to be warned about what Shadow Alex is about to do. After that, I'll go back to Lya and Alex."